Menek shurgs, If you wish me to support you on Dyliah's behalf in front of the Raven Queen then I will do so. Let me know when you gain an audience. If it does not go well then I would suggest reattaching the collar and sending Dyliah back and hopefully Ciel will be none the wiser
-
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Navigating the Astral Sea: A NeoGAF Play-by-Post Pathfinder Game
- Thread starter ThLunarian
- Start date
KittenMaster
Member
_: 1D20+13 = [13]+13 = 26
<I'll write my next action shortly, but I need to do a few morning things first.>
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Dyliah attempts to compose herself, and in between sobs says "Yes, you're right. You're right. I don't want to cause any of you trouble, but if you can take me in, any time away from that monster would be appreciated. But if I go with you, he may retaliate..."
ThLunarian
Member
Ciel is startled by the sudden appearance of The Raven Queen, directly in front of him as he relaxes within his quarters.
"You've lost one of your staff," she says. "Permanently."
She doesn't even give him time enough to collect himself before she continues. "And if you mistreat my worshipers again, not only will you lose the benefit of their services, but I'll also take away your archons, and you'll be left to maintain your quarters yourself. Do not try my patience, and make no mistake, Ciel - I am in charge here. So long as you take up residence in my Observatory, not even Asmodeus can overrule me."
She vanishes before giving Ciel an opportunity to get one word out.
-----------------------
In the library, The Raven Queen appears before Mako, Menek, and Dyliah. "Rest easy, my child," she says gently to the quivering girl, laying a gentle hand upon her cheek. "You will not return to the service of that monster, ever again. I have also seen to it that the others will not be harmed. Come, and we shall return to the Obsidian Temple, where I can find a more fitting assignment for you. You are more than forgiven for your error."
Before leaving, she turns to the shaman. "I thank you for standing up in support of my follower. Your good deed will not be forgotten, Mako."
So saying, she vanishes, along with the girl.
"You've lost one of your staff," she says. "Permanently."
She doesn't even give him time enough to collect himself before she continues. "And if you mistreat my worshipers again, not only will you lose the benefit of their services, but I'll also take away your archons, and you'll be left to maintain your quarters yourself. Do not try my patience, and make no mistake, Ciel - I am in charge here. So long as you take up residence in my Observatory, not even Asmodeus can overrule me."
She vanishes before giving Ciel an opportunity to get one word out.
-----------------------
In the library, The Raven Queen appears before Mako, Menek, and Dyliah. "Rest easy, my child," she says gently to the quivering girl, laying a gentle hand upon her cheek. "You will not return to the service of that monster, ever again. I have also seen to it that the others will not be harmed. Come, and we shall return to the Obsidian Temple, where I can find a more fitting assignment for you. You are more than forgiven for your error."
Before leaving, she turns to the shaman. "I thank you for standing up in support of my follower. Your good deed will not be forgotten, Mako."
So saying, she vanishes, along with the girl.
DeadPhoenix
Member
((I guess this post is no longer needed.))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Ciel frowns and, unable to defend himself before the Raven Queen, talks to himself "I guess I'm too good a liar for my own well-being. I wonder if they even realized there was never a bomb? Hmm, maybe she just cares more for her followers than I initially calculated. I suppose I can't try that trick with the other two. Now, I'll have to figure out who brought her plight to the Raven Queen after this mission of ours. I wonder if it was Menek? He's the only one I know was in the library so far. I'll have to pay him a visit later..."
((A little different than the outcome I expected, but I like it. We're not even out the gate and Ciel's getting himself in trouble. XD))
((A little different than the outcome I expected, but I like it. We're not even out the gate and Ciel's getting himself in trouble. XD))
DeadPhoenix
Member
"Well that is taken care of... as for retaliation, my mother was a hag who destroyed men's lives before eating them alive. And that was the lucky ones. I survived living with her for a time and came out alright, I'm sure I can deal with Ciel's petty insults or whatever."
KittenMaster
Member
Jonna shudders as he lounges. The kobold Pepa on his lap nearly falls over. It chatters up to the half-orc. Jonna says, "I could feel it. The Queen was upset. We had best tidy up the place just to make sure."
Meanwhile, chilling air frosts the curvature of the elemental's face, turning liquid showing hues of the surrounding sky into a white sand. Ozzang'ac decides to deliberately compress himself, cracking the ice on him deliberately and then expand once more, shooting the frozen flakes all about him to obtain freedom.
He responds, "Agreed. It is time for this session to end." And then he attempts to wrap around the figure to contain him for sure.
CMB to Grapple: 1D20+21 = [4]+21 = 25
<Probably a miss. Also, the attacks that hit probably missed last turn because I forgot I have a -4 penalty to attacks.>
Meanwhile, chilling air frosts the curvature of the elemental's face, turning liquid showing hues of the surrounding sky into a white sand. Ozzang'ac decides to deliberately compress himself, cracking the ice on him deliberately and then expand once more, shooting the frozen flakes all about him to obtain freedom.
He responds, "Agreed. It is time for this session to end." And then he attempts to wrap around the figure to contain him for sure.
CMB to Grapple: 1D20+21 = [4]+21 = 25
<Probably a miss. Also, the attacks that hit probably missed last turn because I forgot I have a -4 penalty to attacks.>
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((This has been awesome reading and getting caught up with the sparring and narratives everyone is free-writing. It's crazy we have this much interaction when we haven't really even gone out into the field with our characters yet. Seriously impressed with the role-play especially from people who turned NPCs into actual characters even if only for a small role as a character plot device. All of it is a bit intimidating because I haven't had much time
or inspiration
but I did want to say I'm still here and trying to come up with something to catch up with everyone else.))
: just had an interview for my first real corporate job today
Sybil feels awful 2-dimensional =(
((Hurray to Mako, for messing with Ciel 
That was so much fun to read. I just wanted to say that I'll not gonna be able to finish my piece at the moment. I fear that the creative writing challenge will take up my entire writing capacity for the next 17 hours. So if everyone else wants to proceed, please do so. I can easily put in the scene I have planned as some sort of flashback later.))
That was so much fun to read. I just wanted to say that I'll not gonna be able to finish my piece at the moment. I fear that the creative writing challenge will take up my entire writing capacity for the next 17 hours. So if everyone else wants to proceed, please do so. I can easily put in the scene I have planned as some sort of flashback later.))Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Yeah, I hear that Jackben. I'll be in that boat myself in a bit over a year (with the added joys of passing the bar exam), so got to put a lot in on stuff like this while the time's there
EDIT: If you're fine with moving on, so am I. I don't think Ciel can leverage his findings from the Dyliah debacle until we're back from the Abyss anyway. If you'd like the time to post tomorrow though, I'm fine with waiting too))
EDIT: If you're fine with moving on, so am I. I don't think Ciel can leverage his findings from the Dyliah debacle until we're back from the Abyss anyway. If you'd like the time to post tomorrow though, I'm fine with waiting too))
Menek is startled by the Raven Queen's sudden appearance and disappearance. Very odd... I assumed the Queen would be fully aware of what Dyliah was going through as well as what kind of person she was dealing with in Ciel. A miscalculation indeed. I've been... wrong before and I'm happy to be wrong again in this case. He nods towards Mako with respect.
Now that that unpleasant business is dealt with satisfactorily would you like to compare notes on the Abyss?
Now that that unpleasant business is dealt with satisfactorily would you like to compare notes on the Abyss?
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Oooh, just realized I should add something to simplify future actions Ciel takes on this matter))
With the Raven Queen gone, Ciel makes his way to the library. Surely this is where people were made aware of Dyliah's plight, and while he suspects Menek, anyone else in the party present in the library will become a suspect, especially if they're associating with him. Before entering the library, he allows himself to vanish. He slowly moves through the library to search for people, moving as if surrounded by people who can see through his invisibility. He will peer around corners cautiously, using cover whenever available. Eventually, he spots Menek and Mako. With his search of the library concluded, he returns to his quarters.
"So Mako probably had a hand too. That makes sense, given how altruistic she seems. I'll have to take action against both of them later. Action technically within the Raven Queen's guidelines, hopefully."
While pondering such things, he also begins thinking over what he's learned from Menek and Mako's presumed aid in getting Dyliah released.
((Stealth check for snooping around the library. I'm rolling with stationary invis bonus, if it turns out anyone looked his way while he was moving from one portion of cover to another, the result would be 20 points lower.))
With the Raven Queen gone, Ciel makes his way to the library. Surely this is where people were made aware of Dyliah's plight, and while he suspects Menek, anyone else in the party present in the library will become a suspect, especially if they're associating with him. Before entering the library, he allows himself to vanish. He slowly moves through the library to search for people, moving as if surrounded by people who can see through his invisibility. He will peer around corners cautiously, using cover whenever available. Eventually, he spots Menek and Mako. With his search of the library concluded, he returns to his quarters.
"So Mako probably had a hand too. That makes sense, given how altruistic she seems. I'll have to take action against both of them later. Action technically within the Raven Queen's guidelines, hopefully."
While pondering such things, he also begins thinking over what he's learned from Menek and Mako's presumed aid in getting Dyliah released.
((Stealth check for snooping around the library. I'm rolling with stationary invis bonus, if it turns out anyone looked his way while he was moving from one portion of cover to another, the result would be 20 points lower.))
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=82515]Stealth: 1D20 + 18 + 40 = [5]+18+40 = 63
[/url]((Nah, it's OK. I've already warmed up to the idea of just doing what I want in a flashback, but for the sake of not making Viss seem totally inactive...))
For the rest of the Raven Queen's explanation Viss remains oddly silent. It is obvious that something about the assignment is troubling her. It is evident that she is relieved by the delay of their mission and as soon as the Raven Queen has departed she gets up and vanishes to her room without a single word. Tessa, who appears to be puzzled by her companions behavior follows her.
For the rest of the Raven Queen's explanation Viss remains oddly silent. It is obvious that something about the assignment is troubling her. It is evident that she is relieved by the delay of their mission and as soon as the Raven Queen has departed she gets up and vanishes to her room without a single word. Tessa, who appears to be puzzled by her companions behavior follows her.
DeadPhoenix
Member
"Of course, though I suspect I don't know much you don't already know yourself."
((Fleshbane's CMD is only 19, so that gets him.))
Fleshbane makes no reaction as Ozzang'ac's fluid form flows around him in a bid to restrain the mechanical monster.
"A valiant effort," he remarks, "but a wasted one."
((Using Slip the Bonds to... Slip...the bonds...))
Ozzang'ac suddenly finds it impossible to find purchase on the surface of the construct, a frictionless field of energy insulating Fleshbane from his efforts. Fleshbane calmly steps away from their entanglement, streams of molten adamantine defying gravity, flowing up his arms as he resorbs his sword once more.
"An enlightening exercise," he notes. "I hope you found value in it."
He turns his head to the side, as though cocking his head to listen for something. "Ah, the execrable ones have finally tired of deluding themselves that they might increase their odds of survival in the Abyss by studying like dutiful school children. Let us get on with this farce."
Once more, Fleshbane bends the structure of space to his will and vanishes.
((Fleshbane good to go.))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Oh wow, are you sure about that? That sounds really low for a level 10 full bab(i assume) character. Unless you stacked up a bunch of penalties from something.))
((I multiclassed. Warblade 5/Juggernaut 5/Psion 10. May not be mechanically ideal, but it's thematically appropriate and Juggernaut grants some stuff I felt worth the trade off.))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((from what i'm reading, that means 8 bab at least, assuming you didn't dump dex to a -4(which is not even possible i think with the stat array we had) mod you should be at least over 20 CMD.))
KittenMaster
Member
<I think just meeting the CMD is still beating it so nothing really changes, it looks like.>
Ozzang'ac remains still once the construct disappears from sight. Had this been a true battle, he would have handily lost.
Knowledge of the powers the construct holds has been gained however... as well as the knowledge that Fleshbane cannot be allowed to overcome his limits that prevent him from killing the others.
Ozzang'ac remains still once the construct disappears from sight. Had this been a true battle, he would have handily lost.
Knowledge of the powers the construct holds has been gained however... as well as the knowledge that Fleshbane cannot be allowed to overcome his limits that prevent him from killing the others.
DeadPhoenix
Member
((>A creature can also add any circumstance, deflection, dodge, insight, luck, morale, profane, and sacred bonuses to AC to its CMD
Those also add to you cmd, though I imagine most likely you only have a deflection bonus(unless you passed on getting a Ring of Protection, probably a viable option with your parry ability...).))
((He has a dodge bonus when he moves 10 feet or more with Absolute Steel, but that's all he's got. I spent all my gold on armor and weapon enhancement.))
ThLunarian
Member
Just as Fleshbane disappears from the deck of the ship, the rest of the group trickles in. Ciel and Viss are the stragglers, no doubt owing to the extra care required for their respective animal companions.
Once everyone finds themselves on the deck (save for Fleshbane), Bungo the halfling shows up. "Please to meet you all!" he says cheerfully. "I s'pose this means we're hittin' the skies, eh? I... I uh..."
He trails off as he takes notice of the two uncomfortably large animals in his presence. A poorly-concealed expression of horror flashes across his face.
"Er... um... the deck needs t'be clear when we take off and when we get close to the end," he continues, the pace of his speech far more rushed than it was previously. "Elsewise you might find yerselves gettin' hurled off straight into the Astral Sea, and most don't come back from that. Once we're up to speed it's a little more safe up here, but y'still need t'mind yerselves if ye come up."
He backs away slowly now as he finishes. "The flight'll take a week or thereabouts. The frisbee-heads'll take care of whatever needs y'might have; they can conjure up food and whatnot. Enjoy th'flight and... er.... please keep th'animals away from the cockpit." At this point he's already reached the door, and he disappears below, leaving the others to find their bunks.
The bunks are relatively small, but they're serviceable and have comfortable beds and ample closet space. There are also twelve of them, so Thanatos and Tessa can each have their own rooms without their masters getting cramped.
The bunks have very large, clear windows that give an unobstructed view of the surroundings. Some of them can only see the outside of the Observatory right now, but the rooms on the opposite side have a breathtaking view of an endless seascape, the water a shimmering palette of pinks and greens. The sky is a dull orange; stars and constellations fill it as far as the eye can see.
A magical announcement echoes through all rooms of the ship. "This is Captain Bungo speaking. We're just about ready t'take off in tee minus five minutes. Stay below decks until I give the okay that you can go up top again. And make sure you're sittin' down, or else y'might get knocked around some. Thanks and have a safe flight!"
Five minutes pass, and then the Phoenix Maelstrom has a mighty awakening. A very deep vibration fills the air and the structure of the vessel, producing a low humming sound. The vibration slowly intensifies to a violent rumbling.
That continues for thirty seconds or so, and then all at once there is an earth-shattering expulsion of energy. The ship instantaneously accelerates to speeds hitherto unheard of by any member of the party, and even for those who heeded the warnings and sat down, it's a struggle just to stay stationary and keep from falling off the bed.
Fleshbane definitely topples over and has a rough time of it. This propulsion technology (or perhaps magic? Most likely both) is like nothing he's ever experienced. Tessa and Thanatos also probably experience some trouble.
Gradually, everyone's momentum catches up with that of the ship's, until the only indication that the vessel is moving would be the view out the window. Land masses and the sea itself blaze by at an unimaginable pace, and at this speed it looks like even the stars in the sky are scrolling by briskly.
"Yer now free t'move about the airship," Bungo announces.
((There's a week of travel downtime in-game. This can go by as quickly or as deliberately as you guys want. I'll wait for everyone to check in before progressing to the next event))
Once everyone finds themselves on the deck (save for Fleshbane), Bungo the halfling shows up. "Please to meet you all!" he says cheerfully. "I s'pose this means we're hittin' the skies, eh? I... I uh..."
He trails off as he takes notice of the two uncomfortably large animals in his presence. A poorly-concealed expression of horror flashes across his face.
"Er... um... the deck needs t'be clear when we take off and when we get close to the end," he continues, the pace of his speech far more rushed than it was previously. "Elsewise you might find yerselves gettin' hurled off straight into the Astral Sea, and most don't come back from that. Once we're up to speed it's a little more safe up here, but y'still need t'mind yerselves if ye come up."
He backs away slowly now as he finishes. "The flight'll take a week or thereabouts. The frisbee-heads'll take care of whatever needs y'might have; they can conjure up food and whatnot. Enjoy th'flight and... er.... please keep th'animals away from the cockpit." At this point he's already reached the door, and he disappears below, leaving the others to find their bunks.
The bunks are relatively small, but they're serviceable and have comfortable beds and ample closet space. There are also twelve of them, so Thanatos and Tessa can each have their own rooms without their masters getting cramped.
The bunks have very large, clear windows that give an unobstructed view of the surroundings. Some of them can only see the outside of the Observatory right now, but the rooms on the opposite side have a breathtaking view of an endless seascape, the water a shimmering palette of pinks and greens. The sky is a dull orange; stars and constellations fill it as far as the eye can see.
A magical announcement echoes through all rooms of the ship. "This is Captain Bungo speaking. We're just about ready t'take off in tee minus five minutes. Stay below decks until I give the okay that you can go up top again. And make sure you're sittin' down, or else y'might get knocked around some. Thanks and have a safe flight!"
Five minutes pass, and then the Phoenix Maelstrom has a mighty awakening. A very deep vibration fills the air and the structure of the vessel, producing a low humming sound. The vibration slowly intensifies to a violent rumbling.
That continues for thirty seconds or so, and then all at once there is an earth-shattering expulsion of energy. The ship instantaneously accelerates to speeds hitherto unheard of by any member of the party, and even for those who heeded the warnings and sat down, it's a struggle just to stay stationary and keep from falling off the bed.
Fleshbane definitely topples over and has a rough time of it. This propulsion technology (or perhaps magic? Most likely both) is like nothing he's ever experienced. Tessa and Thanatos also probably experience some trouble.
Gradually, everyone's momentum catches up with that of the ship's, until the only indication that the vessel is moving would be the view out the window. Land masses and the sea itself blaze by at an unimaginable pace, and at this speed it looks like even the stars in the sky are scrolling by briskly.
"Yer now free t'move about the airship," Bungo announces.
((There's a week of travel downtime in-game. This can go by as quickly or as deliberately as you guys want. I'll wait for everyone to check in before progressing to the next event))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((I can't think of anything for Ciel to do on the ship, so barring someone confronting him, I'll opt for the week to go by quickly on his end. I guess he'll take the time to learn the ship's layout, but that's about all I've got atm))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Mako is all for a good chat, but nothing specific is coming to mind, so unless I come up with something, she will probably just tell her familiar stories about her life and have a nice little chat.))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Oh yeah! I forgot about the initial report he did with all the shenanigans that happened afterwards. ))
"So, we can expect to face as many if not more orcs than demons in our time in the first layer, and undead should we examine this fifth layer? I'll keep that in mind. And it's called Thanatos as well, you say? Most interesting..."
"I figured Gruumsh's authority wouldn't do much for us, though I suppose we'll see on arrival. Not a bad analysis."
If Ciel is aware of or concerned about the events surrounding Dyliah, he shows no sign of it, ignoring the matter all together.
((One more thing, ThLunarian:
)) "So, we can expect to face as many if not more orcs than demons in our time in the first layer, and undead should we examine this fifth layer? I'll keep that in mind. And it's called Thanatos as well, you say? Most interesting..."
"I figured Gruumsh's authority wouldn't do much for us, though I suppose we'll see on arrival. Not a bad analysis."
If Ciel is aware of or concerned about the events surrounding Dyliah, he shows no sign of it, ignoring the matter all together.
((One more thing, ThLunarian:
Since it sounds like we may end up in an undead-heavy place at some point during this, I wanted to confirm the status of dhampirs as undead or not undead. From reading the Pathfinders page, I'm under the impression that they are not undead, but it looked like there was some wiggle room there, so I wanted to double check with you.
ThLunarian
Member
Axel
Dhampirs don't actually count as undead, they just kinda sorta 'smell' like it to those with a sense for such things. Mechanically speaking, they don't count at all. RP-wise, I'm treating it like they straddle the line between living and unliving
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Ok, we're on the same page then. Just wanted to make sure
KittenMaster
Member
As a creature unable to properly find a grounded seating... He is thrust into the wall of his chamber and splashes all over. Those that would not know better would think that the room had flooded.
---
Ozzang'ac reports to Menek later along with the others to learn about what he had found out in the library. "Regardless, with how great the power of the gods, it would be best if we earn Gruumish's blessing. Even a god as cruel as Ciel's answers to the Raven Queen, surely Gruumish must as well. We only have our unity as proof of our working under the Queen, however."
---
Ozzang'ac reports to Menek later along with the others to learn about what he had found out in the library. "Regardless, with how great the power of the gods, it would be best if we earn Gruumish's blessing. Even a god as cruel as Ciel's answers to the Raven Queen, surely Gruumish must as well. We only have our unity as proof of our working under the Queen, however."
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Are we waiting on someone? Just checking in to make sure it isn't me))
KittenMaster
Member
<People usually do other stuff on the weekends. It happened during Excalibur as well.>
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
Sybil is thrown off by the intense movement of the airship. Once the squirrly captain has given the go ahead to resurface, she attempts to reach the deck. Stepping out, her wings instantly begin to quiver. Still not used to these...no telling what might happen with all this crosswind...
The paladin quickly returns to her room and begins to write a record of the events transpiring so far. She has never experienced anything like it in life, though if the last few days were any indication, she was bound to experience much stranger sights and sounds in the Astral Sea than anything she saw or heard in the mortal realm. It was clear the other SAED agents had convened much during the time before their departure, while Sybil had remained mostly kept to her own quarters, reading about the Raven Queen and querying the Archons with many questions in attempt to determine her tastes and desires. She would normally attend to the Queen personally to find out, but the keeper of souls was very elusive, coming and going of her own accord.
Dabbing her quill into a well of ink, she stares at the feather in her hand a moment with curiosity, before beginning to write.
The paladin quickly returns to her room and begins to write a record of the events transpiring so far. She has never experienced anything like it in life, though if the last few days were any indication, she was bound to experience much stranger sights and sounds in the Astral Sea than anything she saw or heard in the mortal realm. It was clear the other SAED agents had convened much during the time before their departure, while Sybil had remained mostly kept to her own quarters, reading about the Raven Queen and querying the Archons with many questions in attempt to determine her tastes and desires. She would normally attend to the Queen personally to find out, but the keeper of souls was very elusive, coming and going of her own accord.
Dabbing her quill into a well of ink, she stares at the feather in her hand a moment with curiosity, before beginning to write.
ThLunarian
Member
((Gonna move to the next scene now. Nezumi, if you'd like to talk about what Viss does during the trip then feel free to include it before you get to your input on this next section))
The week comes and goes. Out on the open Astral Sea, the sky never darkens; it stays the same dull orange, and the stars and constellations never get any brighter or any darker. Anyone who may have at some point studied such things would remember that the ruler of each individual domain on the Astral Sea dictates its own cycle of night and day, if it even has one at all.
Bungo mostly keeps to himself in the cabin of the Phoenix Maelstrom. He enjoys talking to the archon which serves as his co-pilot, and will also talk the ear off of anyone who might come to visit him.
The journey passes without incident. Toward the end, Bungo makes another announcement about turbulent conditions. The ship slows down somewhat violently, but it's not nearly as bad as the initial takeoff. Something that Bungo calls an 'impulse engine' is activated, and the ship crawls slowly toward its destination.
The entrance to the Abyss is not dramatic. It scarcely stands out at all until one is almost on top of it. It is a gaping, flat hole in the waters of the Astral Sea, a half mile across and appearing as inky blackness from the outside. A constant gush of water flows into the hole around the entire edge of the hole.
"Brace yerselves," says Bungo. "This next part's tricky. I'll do what I can, but ye might lose yer balance for a second. Wouldn't want anyone to bump their heads!"
The ship descends into the hole, and for the first time this week, there is absolute darkness outside. Only the artificial lighting within the vessel keeps everyone from being swallowed by it.
A tension hangs uneasily in the air.
"Here it comes," warns Bungo.
The ship lurches, and those with a stomach feel it turn as the force of gravity shifts ninety degrees. This is as a result of forces outside of the ship, and Bungo is attempting to adjust the ship's orientation to match up with the shift. He does a good enough job that no one takes a tumble, but he can't stop anyone's spatial awareness from getting disrupted.
If the Astral Sea were a planet, the Phoenix Maelstrom would now be pointing toward its center.
It is at this point that things outside become illuminated. Below, the waters of the Astral Sea have conformed to this new gravity and have conglomerated into a hundred-yard-wide river, which now flows a deep crimson. The sky is a splotchy, ugly, uneven maroon, and a red-stained, forlorn landscape runs limitlessly in either direction. People, demons, and other figures can be seen far down below, engaging in wicked activities, the details of which are best left unknown. Battles are being waged, dominance is being established, and rampant indulgence is the order of the day. Conflagrations of varying sizes dot the landscape.
"Welcome to The Abyss," Bungo announces, "Where the local temperature is nigh-on 140 degrees. The ship's protected, but as per the terms of the accord, I can't take it off the path of the River Styx. If yer lookin' for the Iron Fortress, you'll find it due east a ways. If ye want to move to a different layer, you'll have to come back here first unless ye want to go fer a swim yerselves. Happy huntin'!"
((This is the point in time where you'll want to sort out what protective spells you're casting, how you want to travel, and etc. And of course RP it up))
The week comes and goes. Out on the open Astral Sea, the sky never darkens; it stays the same dull orange, and the stars and constellations never get any brighter or any darker. Anyone who may have at some point studied such things would remember that the ruler of each individual domain on the Astral Sea dictates its own cycle of night and day, if it even has one at all.
Bungo mostly keeps to himself in the cabin of the Phoenix Maelstrom. He enjoys talking to the archon which serves as his co-pilot, and will also talk the ear off of anyone who might come to visit him.
The journey passes without incident. Toward the end, Bungo makes another announcement about turbulent conditions. The ship slows down somewhat violently, but it's not nearly as bad as the initial takeoff. Something that Bungo calls an 'impulse engine' is activated, and the ship crawls slowly toward its destination.
The entrance to the Abyss is not dramatic. It scarcely stands out at all until one is almost on top of it. It is a gaping, flat hole in the waters of the Astral Sea, a half mile across and appearing as inky blackness from the outside. A constant gush of water flows into the hole around the entire edge of the hole.
"Brace yerselves," says Bungo. "This next part's tricky. I'll do what I can, but ye might lose yer balance for a second. Wouldn't want anyone to bump their heads!"
The ship descends into the hole, and for the first time this week, there is absolute darkness outside. Only the artificial lighting within the vessel keeps everyone from being swallowed by it.
A tension hangs uneasily in the air.
"Here it comes," warns Bungo.
The ship lurches, and those with a stomach feel it turn as the force of gravity shifts ninety degrees. This is as a result of forces outside of the ship, and Bungo is attempting to adjust the ship's orientation to match up with the shift. He does a good enough job that no one takes a tumble, but he can't stop anyone's spatial awareness from getting disrupted.
If the Astral Sea were a planet, the Phoenix Maelstrom would now be pointing toward its center.
It is at this point that things outside become illuminated. Below, the waters of the Astral Sea have conformed to this new gravity and have conglomerated into a hundred-yard-wide river, which now flows a deep crimson. The sky is a splotchy, ugly, uneven maroon, and a red-stained, forlorn landscape runs limitlessly in either direction. People, demons, and other figures can be seen far down below, engaging in wicked activities, the details of which are best left unknown. Battles are being waged, dominance is being established, and rampant indulgence is the order of the day. Conflagrations of varying sizes dot the landscape.
"Welcome to The Abyss," Bungo announces, "Where the local temperature is nigh-on 140 degrees. The ship's protected, but as per the terms of the accord, I can't take it off the path of the River Styx. If yer lookin' for the Iron Fortress, you'll find it due east a ways. If ye want to move to a different layer, you'll have to come back here first unless ye want to go fer a swim yerselves. Happy huntin'!"
((This is the point in time where you'll want to sort out what protective spells you're casting, how you want to travel, and etc. And of course RP it up))
((Reading up on rules of heat and cold, it looks like it deals non lethal damage until the conditions improve. Fleshbane should be fine without protective measures if that is the case. And for all the RPing of Fold Space I've been doing, he has a limited range with that, but he can fly. His move speed is on the low side, though.))
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((Sybil asked this question in a much earlier post via RP but I guess it got lost in the shuffle, or I'm not posting frequently enough to warrant a response. An OOC explanation would work too.))
((Checked spell lists and I have access to Endure Elements so that should have me covered))
((Sorry, weekend was rather busy. But I'm gonna start writing something right away. Viss will be protected by her own Endure Elements Spell and she will cast the communal version on Tessa. Not entirely sure how long the duration for the communal version is though. I can turn myself into a flying creature, but the only way to get Tessa up in the air would be Airwalking her.))
ThLunarian
Member
((Sorry Jackben, I think I just missed your question because there was a lot going on at the time. I won't discriminate based on how much you post. It's completely my fault that I didn't acknowledge it.
I also should have covered this in the exposition dumps anyway, but I neglected to, so it's doubly my mistake. The Raven Queen should've told you that your credentials are inherent in the magical signature you're carrying around on you. The gods will definitely recognize your diplomatic status. Regular-ass citizens of the Astral Sea may or may not recognize it, and also may or may not care about it. But you should also note that you are far, far stronger than the vast majority of citizens and creatures you'll run into, so even for those who don't like you and don't care about your status, they'll usually try to avoid you anyway.
I'm also regulating everyone's flying speed to be identical so that's not something you'll have to keep track of.
As for Menek, he'll have a strong enough sense of where the Iron Fortress is that you won't get lost on your way there, which means that I'm not going to present you with a fork in the road and force you to make a blind guess about which way to go.
Communal Endure gives you 24 hours of duration to play with and split however you want among any number of targets. If you're only casting it on Tessa you're better off using the non-communal version.
Tessa will be an issue that you all will need to figure out. If you choose to fly then someone will have to use magic to let her come along, or she'll have to stay behind on the ship))
I also should have covered this in the exposition dumps anyway, but I neglected to, so it's doubly my mistake. The Raven Queen should've told you that your credentials are inherent in the magical signature you're carrying around on you. The gods will definitely recognize your diplomatic status. Regular-ass citizens of the Astral Sea may or may not recognize it, and also may or may not care about it. But you should also note that you are far, far stronger than the vast majority of citizens and creatures you'll run into, so even for those who don't like you and don't care about your status, they'll usually try to avoid you anyway.
I'm also regulating everyone's flying speed to be identical so that's not something you'll have to keep track of.
As for Menek, he'll have a strong enough sense of where the Iron Fortress is that you won't get lost on your way there, which means that I'm not going to present you with a fork in the road and force you to make a blind guess about which way to go.
Communal Endure gives you 24 hours of duration to play with and split however you want among any number of targets. If you're only casting it on Tessa you're better off using the non-communal version.
Tessa will be an issue that you all will need to figure out. If you choose to fly then someone will have to use magic to let her come along, or she'll have to stay behind on the ship))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((I was thinking of playing up Ciel's selfishness and splitting his communal endure elements only between himself and Thanatos. If that leaves people short though, I can modify that))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((depends on how long we are expected to be out here. if we are going to be out here for up to 8 hours using communal on two targets is fine, though 3 would be the optimal choice. if we are going to be doing less though, we could save a lot of spell slots just by having like 2 people using communal. On that note... all i've got is the normal endure elements so if someone rocking the communal version is up for saving me spell slot for casting it on my scorpion, that'd be swell.))
((I'm not really worried about my slots because if I don't need the endure elements spell I can exchange it for summon nature's ally. That being said, if in exchange for some weather protection someone has an idea to get Tessa flying, I'd be all ears. The shrinking that was suggested in the beginning is not an option since she would still be to big to put in my pocket))
ThLunarian
Member
((Right, travel time could be relevant. Menek estimates that it will take at least 4 hours to reach the Fortress, even when flying at fully speed, and it could possibly take significantly longer than that. For a specific figure, a DC 30 Knowledge Geography or a DC 35 Knowledge Planes check will be required. If you make the check, highlight this
))
Accounting for everything that could affect travel time, it's probably going to be more like a 6 hour flight
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Unfortunately, I have no spells that can help.
As hilarious as Tessa riding Thanatos would be, I don't think he's big enough to handle that.
EDIT: I don't think I'm capable of meeting the DCs for either of those even off a 20. Sounds like a job for Menek.))
As hilarious as Tessa riding Thanatos would be, I don't think he's big enough to handle that.
EDIT: I don't think I'm capable of meeting the DCs for either of those even off a 20. Sounds like a job for Menek.))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((I could cast over land flight but that means I will have no level 5 spells left(only have 2 and both of them will be over land flight :/ not including my 2 spirit spells which I don't get to choose). I wish phantom steed didn't have to wait till level 14 for flight...))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Well the wings are an item, so its not really changing the animal... that said unless you've up'd his INT teaching him how to use the wings might be tough.))