Difference between revisions of "Holes/Session 24"

A fragment of the Garden of Remembering
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<pre>
<screenplay>
Apheori (GM): Okay.
EXT. Arah streets - golden twilight
You all are still by the giant, right?
 
Gaurav: >.<
The huge gateway arching overhead casts odd shadows downward, glowing golden like the light itself. A few much smaller portals nearby flicker as folks come near, and random passersby pass the party by, including a guy in a clown suit, a giant bear, and others.
That poor giant.
 
Apheori (GM): Okay, so you're in the streets of Arah, near some sort of square, with a passed-out giant behind you. You now have a rope loop of holding and a skull, among other random things. Amadi is who knows. Dave and the dragons are gone. There's a huge gateway arching overhead, but it doesn't appear to be active.
Rhu looks dismally up after Dawn.
Random passersby pass you by.
 
Frezak (GM): Doing their job.
RHU
Apheori (GM): Including a guy in a clown suit, a giant bear, and others.
Do you think she'll be back?
Frezak (GM): They're paid to walk up and down the streets.
 
Gaurav: A ... giant bear?
GREIBEL
Apheori (GM): A giant bear.
If there's one thing you can almost guarantee about these two, it's that they'll always be back.
Bear Soup Guy gets antsy
(muttering)
Bear Soup Guy: "No. No. Not again. Not like this."
Usually at the least convenient time.
Ganelon: Antsy? Not hungry?
 
Bear Soup Guy: Chowing down into some tofu soup presently :)
RHU
Rhu looks dismally after Dave
That is true.
Rhu: Do you think she'll be back?
(to the skull he's still holding)
Greibel: If there's one thing you can almost guarantee about these two
At least you're not going anywhere.
It's that they'll always be back
 
(muttering) Usually at the least convenient time
RADEK
Rhu: That is true. (to skull) At least you're not going anywhere.
Well, in the meantime, let's try something productive.
Radek: Well, in the meantime, let's try something productive.
(he holds up the rope of holding)
Radek holds up the rope of holding.
Who wants to create a Hole?
Radek: Who wants to create a Hole?
 
The Gravedigger: Aw, man.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Greibel: Closing one would be nicer. But sure, that works too.
Aw, man.
The Gravedigger: I'm sure that's lots of not great.
 
Apheori (GM): A gaggle of schoolchildren pass by attached to some sort of teacher golem.
GREIBEL
They're hideously cute.
Closing one would be nicer. But sure, that works too.
Frezak (GM): I read that as 'leather golem'
 
Apheori (GM): You may feel free to grab one and use it for hole-making if you'd like.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Bear Soup Guy: Well now the thought can't be unthought
I'm sure that's lots of not great.
Apheori (GM): I'm not advising it. But it could be entertaining if Radek is asshole enough.
 
Or something.
A gaggle of schoolchildren pass by, attached to some sort of teacher golem. They're hideously cute.
Apheori (GM) gestures vaguely.
 
Bear Soup Guy: I assume he's definitely asshole enough but not in the mood to get into legal trouble
RADEK
Gaurav: ... legal trouble?
We need a Hole to attempt closing it. We know how to create one. This rope contains a pocket dimension.
We just exploded a house, drugged a giant and let lose some dragons.
Not only is it portable, but it is ''disposable''.
Bear Soup Guy: Yeah but it all gets more complicated when kids get involved =P
 
Gaurav: But if there is any time to try, it is now, when clearly the long arm of the law is otherwise occupied
GREIBEL
Dealing, if nothing else, with the path of devastation we've left in our wake.
Convenient. What do we do?
Bear Soup Guy: Excellent point
 
Radek: We need a Hole to attempt closing it. We know how to create one. This rope contains a pocket dimension.
Rhu looks distractedly at Radek, tries for a minute to understand the technicalities of what he's saying, gives up, sighs, and looks back up at the sky for any signs of Dawn.
Not only is it portable, but it is /disposable./
 
Bear Soup Guy: Convenient. What do we do?
RADEK
err
First, we must fail.
Rhu looks distractedly at Radek, tries for a minute to understand the technicalities of what he's saying, gives up, sighs, and looks back up at the sky for any signs of Dave.
 
Greibel: Convenient. What do we do?
GREIBEL
Radek: First, we must fail.
Right. That... shouldn't be a problem for us.
Greibel: Right. That...shouldn't be a problem for us.
 
The Gravedigger: At least we're qualified.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Radek: Specifically, fail at magic. We will recreate the event which occurred outside the wizards' college.
At least we're qualified.
Inside the rope, of course.
 
Gaurav: I still think that's a bad idea, especially in the city of portals, double-especially since we have a stable portal back near the commune/village to experiment on, but ... Radek seems enthusiastic, and I kind of want to see where that enthusiasm is going to land us :)
RADEK
Frezak (GM): Well.
Specifically, fail at magic. We will recreate the event which occurred outside the wizards' college. Inside the rope, of course.
We coudl.... hide behind a wall?
 
Ganelon: Understanding the event that makes Holes could be helpful too.
Rhu wanders over to a nearby portal and pokes it. It's a simple stone arch, with a bunch of graffiti scribbled on it, including a picture of a dick. Underneath it says 'loldongs'. It has no apparent controls or panels, though it seems to be magical. ''(rolled 18 arcana)''
Gaurav: There aren't any portals near us, are there? Normal Arah portals, I mean.
 
Apheori (GM): Well, the floor is open. You can do whatever you want. If you want something in particular, you need only ask.
Rhu looks around again for anyone interesting and finds a guy in a chickensuit.
Ganelon: Well, we were next to a gateway.
 
Apheori (GM): There is a high arch overhead, a few nearby.
RHU
A few smaller ones, I mean.
(to chickensuit)
Frezak (GM): So we kidnap a wizard and scare him into failure
Excuse me!
Gaurav: Or we attack one of these portals until somebody calls to stop us/fix it, and then we ask them.
 
Ganelon: I'm sure Radek is *capable* of failure.
CHICKENSUIT
Gaurav: Actually, Rhu would approve of any plan that involves kidnapping a wizard. Just for the sake of the thing.
Yeaaah, what?
Apheori (GM): There's a single portal to your left.
 
Ganelon: If you have your own plans, feel free to just attempt them while he's doing this.
The Gravedigger examines it too, and determines that the activation probably requires smacking it. ''(rolled 21 arcana)'' He engages shovellar activation sequence, smacking the portal arch with his shovel.
And if you know a quick way to find a wizard, let me know.
 
Apheori (GM): Rhu doesn't like wizards?
The arch turns on and belches a bit before opening up a portal.
Bear Soup Guy: Blow the wizard horn, obviously
 
Apheori (GM): How would you detect a wizard?
RHU
Gaurav: Gan: What?! And waste valuable staring-up-dismally-at-the-sky time?
That portal is broken.
Apheori: he finds them obtuse, annoying and dangerous, and that's before he realised that they're somehow behind all these Holes things
 
Rhu wanders over to the portal on our left and looks around for any sort of instructions or anything
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Ganelon: I guess I'm far-removed enough from being a wizard to be disliked for other wholly legitimate reasons?
I scienced it!
Rhu: Apheori: I'm also tempted to say he tried to get into wizard school at some point and failed out. I'm not sure if that fits into the rest of his story, though.
 
Apheori (GM): Rhu: It has a bunch of graffiti scribbled on it, and a picture of a dick.
Bear Soup Guy: "This means something. This is important."
Apheori (GM): It says 'loldongs'.
Gaurav: Gan: I think he's more annoyed by the wizard equivalent of academia than by wizards themselves. Like, he'd be fine with adventuring wizards or a wizard working at Ye Olde Wizardery Shoppe; it's just the ones who live in fancy universities, who are snobbish about relatively uneducated people like Rhu, and who insist on being obtuse and dangerous all the time that annoy him. Radek is out trying to make a difference &c. which is fine by him.
Guys, I think the Dreaded Loldong has been this way.
Bear Soup Guy: XD
Gaurav: Apheori: no control panels on the portal or anything? I could perception/insight if that might help?
Bear Soup Guy: I'm starting a petition for the Dread Pirate Loldong to be an NPC in this campaign
Gaurav: Loldong, Doge of Venice
Bear Soup Guy: XD
Apheori (GM): It's basically a single solid stone arch - no panels, no controls.
You should arcana it.
Gaurav: XD
That is a terrible idea.
Rhu:
rolling 1d20+4 arcana check on the arch
(
14
)
+4
=
18
Apheori (GM): Duuude, it's like an arch or something.
Also it's got magic in it and seems to be on, though not active. You're not entirely sure how to activate it.
Frezak (GM): Arcana!
Not... architecture!
gorram it, cultist.
Gaurav: Oh. Hey. Is that guy in a clown suit still around?
Frezak (GM):
rolling 1D20+3
(
18
)
+3
=
21
also arcana.
Because I'm a genius.
Apheori (GM): Frezak: Smacking it should activate it.
Clownsuit guy is gone, but there's a guy in a chickensuit. And a drunk in a clown nose.
Frezak (GM): I'll engage a shovellar activation sequence
Gaurav: Close enough.
Rhu: (to chickensuit) Excuse me!
Apheori (GM): Frezak: You smack it with a shovel.
It turns on and belches a bit and then goes all portally.
Bear Soup Guy: hard not to picture a nether portal at this point
Chickensuit: Yeaaah, what?
Rhu: That portal is broken.
The Gravedigger: I scienced it!
Rhu looks back to realise the portal has been turned on.
Rhu looks back to realise the portal has been turned on.
Rhu: Er.
 
It's still broken.
RHU
That is entirely the wrong colour.
Er. It's still broken. That is entirely the wrong colour. We should call maintenance. Do you know how to call maintenance?
We should call maintenance. Do you know how to call maintenance?
 
Chickensuit looks up.
The guy in the chickensuit looks at it carefully, scrunching up his nose in the process.
Chickensuit: Yeah, so?
 
You're the wrong colour.
CHICKENSUIT
Rhu: That can't be helped.
Yeah, so? You're the wrong colour.
Chickensuit: Yeeeaah.
 
Rhu: We should call maintenance. You should call maintenance. It's a broken portal, dammit! People's lives are at risk!
RHU
Liiiives!
That can't be helped.
Chickensuit: What's maintnents?
 
'Zzat.
CHICKENSUIT
Rhu: The people who fix these things.
Yeeeaah.
Chickensuit: Things fix things.
 
Rhu: Wizards? Engineers?
RHU
Chickensuit: Fix folks.
We should call maintenance. You should call maintenance. It's a broken portal, dammit! People's lives are at risk! Liiiives!
Rhu: ... Things?
 
CHICKENSUIT
What's maintnents? 'Zzat.
 
RHU
The people who fix these things.
 
CHICKENSUIT
Things fix things.
 
RHU
Wizards? Engineers?
 
CHICKENSUIT
Fix folks.
 
RHU
...Things?
What sort of things?
What sort of things?
Chickensuit: It's all... happening, man.
 
Chickensuit gestures grandly.
CHICKENSUIT
Rhu looks around
It's all... happening, man.
Rhu: Is it?
 
Chickensuit points up.
The guy in the chickensuit gestures grandly.
Chickensuit points up at the huge arch overhead, that is.
 
Rhu looks up
Rhu looks around.
Chickensuit: It's gonna fall, man.
 
Rhu: ...
RHU
We didn't do that.
Is it?
Bear Soup Guy: (aside, to Gravy) Am I as bad as that?
 
The guy in the chickensuit points up at the huge arch overhead.
 
Rhu looks up.
 
CHICKENSUIT
It's gonna fall, man.
 
RHU
...We didn't do that.
 
GREIBEL
(aside, to Gravy)
Am I as bad as that?
 
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Nah, Greibel. You're cool.
 
Chickensuit ambles over to Gravy.
Chickensuit ambles over to Gravy.
Chickensuit: Hey, maaan.
 
Rhu: We didn't -- hey! Where are you going?
RHU
Chickensuit: Yeaaah.
We didn't - hey! Where are you going?
Chickensuit pokes the open portal and scoots through it.
 
CHICKENSUIT
Hey, maaan.
 
Radek leans over to Greibel, for lack of a less occupied person.
Radek leans over to Greibel, for lack of a less occupied person.
The Gravedigger: Nah, Greibel. You're cool.
 
Radek: If I shot him, do you think I could make a solid argument for him being game?
RADEK
Ganelon: As in hunting.
If I shot him, do you think I could make a solid argument for him being game?
Greibel: It's...certainly tempting to test it
 
Rhu looks after Chickensuit, then sighing heavily, tries the same routine on the next available stranger.
'''''Ganelon''' (Radek): As in hunting.
Apheori (GM): The next available stranger turns out to be a suspiciously blue woman. She seems to be very shiny and sparkling, and it isn't quite clear if it's a fancy outfit or her general species.
 
GREIBEL
It's... certainly tempting to test it
 
CHICKENSUIT
Yeaaah.
 
The guy in the chickensuit pokes the open portal and then scoots through it.
 
Rhu looks after him, then, sighing heavily, tries the same routine on the next available stranger.
 
The next available stranger turns out to be a suspiciously blue woman. She seems to be very shiny and sparkling, and it isn't quite clear if it's a fancy outfit or her general species.
 
She stops and waits politely for whatever Rhu is going to say.
She stops and waits politely for whatever Rhu is going to say.
Rhu: Er, hi.
 
The portal is broken.
RHU
Blue woman: It is?
Er, hi. The portal is broken.
Rhu: We should call someone to fix it.
 
Blue woman looks to see which Rhu is referring to, then goes to examine it.
BLUE APHEORI
Gaurav: I hope you guys are trying alternatives, because I don't think this is going to work.
Is it?
Blue woman: What seems to be broken?
 
Rhu: Erm .. the fuse. The fuse is definitely ... orange.
RHU
Ganelon: Whoa, whoa.
We should call someone to fix it.
Rhu: Which it shouldn't be. See? Anyway.
 
Ganelon: Step aside, punk.
The Apheori looks to see which Rhu is referring to, then goes to examine the portal.
Blue woman: Is it?
 
Ellemerr: This blue woman is totally your GW character, isn't it.
BLUE APHEORI
Blue woman strokes the stone.
What seems to be broken?
Frezak (GM): EW
 
Ganelon: Can I roll Arcana to babble in a convincingly scientific manner about how this portal is broken?
RHU
Frezak (GM): PERVERT
Erm... the fuse. The fuse is definitely... orange. Which it shouldn't be. See? Anyway.
Apheori (GM): Maaaaybe.
 
Uh...
BLUE APHEORI
Sure?
Is it?
Radek:
 
rolling 1d20+12
She strokes the stone and the portal closes, turning back into a simple stone arch.
(
 
17
Radek scoots over and pushes Rhu out of the way in order to address the blue woman himself and babble in a ''convincingly'' scientific manner. He emits a stream of jargonny technobabble, trying to indicate that the portal indeed seems to be broken. ''(rolled 29 arcana)''
)
 
+12
The blue woman nods, and emits her own stream of strange jargonnystuff.
=
 
29
Radek retorts with further jargon. ''(rolled 23 arcana)''
Gaurav: whee! nice roll!
 
Apheori (GM): Radek emits a stream of technobabble, engaging the blue woman. She nods, and emits her own stream of strange jargonnystuff.
Amadi stops skulking and comes over to join in on the jargoning, adding some more on what Radek just said. ''(rolled 24 arcana)''
Ganelon: Oh, I love jargon battles.
 
Apheori (GM): Roll to continue jargon.
The blue woman starts to seem concerned, then looks to Amadi, and offers a possible counter-jargon explanation which seems uncomfortably plausible.
Gaurav: To the death! -- No! To the polysyllabic extremes!
 
extremis*
Amadi responds with further jargon-sounding stuff, but it's less than convincing. ''(rolled 15 arcana)''
Ellemerr: ... Can I join this? O_O
 
Apheori (GM): Yes.
The Apheori shakes her head slowly and explains something jargonly of the nature of the portals, that they are not so much portals at all as just places where the planes connect. True portals are more... questionable or something. It doesn't make much sense.
Ellemerr: Amadi will stop skulking and come up and be jargony. Do I use bluff for that?
 
Ganelon:
Radek goes along with this and technobabbles about how it may tie into this particular portal, making some progress toward actually convincing her. ''(rolled 24 arcana)''
rolling 1d20+12
 
(
Then he stops to think about the implications of what she just said. ''(rolled 30 arcana)'' Something about the differences between planar portals, stable or otherwise, and holes. The more questionable holes can open up between anything, but often don't open up to anything. And something about subspace as opposed to... other space. Subspace that can go anywhere, or nowhere, other space overlapping, more defined. How ships use subspace very precisely, but how gods just avoid it outright.
11
 
)
Having been convinced that the portal is indeed not functioning correctly, the blue woman examines it more closely and then, using magic, flicks it on and then off again. Then she fiddles with it and makes it open up in different ways, perhaps to different places.
+12
 
=
23
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20 + 13
(
11
)
+13
=
24
Apheori (GM): Radek: You do more jargon. She starts to seem concerned, then looks to Amadi.
She offers a possible counter-jargon explanation, which seems uncomfortably plausible.
Do you continue?
Ellemerr: Yes!
rolling 1d20 + 13
(
2
)
+13
=
15
*sigh*
Bear Soup Guy: Jargon Simulator 2014
Gaurav: Now you're thinking with jargon!
Ganelon: Shall I also roll?
Blue woman shakes her head slowly and explains something jargonly of the nature of the portals, that they are not so much portals at all as just places where the planes connect. True portals are more... questionable or something. It doesn't make much sense.
Apheori (GM): Gan: Yes.
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+12
(
12
)
+12
=
24
I need to roll a crit and have jargon spill out of my eyes.
Like the slips of paper from fortune cookies.
Apheori (GM): You manage to recover from the previous line (you're trying to convince her it's broken?), and she seems to be somewhat convinced.
Ganelon: Yes.
Apheori (GM): You can also roll to understand what she said about the portals.
Ganelon: I'm doing Rhu's job.
Also Arcana?
Apheori (GM): sURE, why not.
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+12
(
18
)
+12
=
30
Wa-pow.
I dread my imminent failure.
Gaurav: Rhu's job is to talk to gods and godlings. Electronics are strictly your department, as evidenced by that fantastic roll there.
Apheori (GM): Gan: She seemed to be referring to a difference between planar portals, stable or otherwise, and holes. The more questionable holes can open up between anything, but often don't open up to anything.
Gaurav: ... did we just accidentally bump into exactly the person we've been looking for all this time?
Apheori (GM): Distinction between subspace and real space.
Subspace can go anywhere, or nowhere, real space overlaps and is more defined.
For mortals, subspace is not something to mess with without significant frameworking...
And for gods, it isn't something to mess with at all.
There was more, but this seems to be the general gist of non-rant.
Ganelon: Neat.
Gaurav: Rhu understood as far as "seemed"
Apheori (GM): Anyway, having convinced her that this portal is broken, she examines it more closely and then turns it off and then on.
Then she fiddles with it and makes it open up in different ways, perhaps to different places.
Gaurav: How does she turn it off and on without a control panel?
Ganelon: Presumably with magic.
Apheori (GM): Magic. Gestures.
Something.
Then one of the connections fails and it just dies.
Then one of the connections fails and it just dies.
Rhu: Aha! See? Broken.
 
Gaurav: Could Radek replicate that magic?
RHU
Blue woman: It isn't the portal that is broken, but the world.
Aha! See? Broken.
It is dead, missing.
 
Ganelon: Good question.
BLUE APHEORI
Rhu: We didn't do it.
It isn't the portal that is broken, but the world. It is dead, missing.
Blue woman jargons and babbles.
 
Radek: I'm looking to fix things.
She jargons technobabble.
Amadi: What world was it?
 
Apheori (GM): You can also arcana to jargon and babble.
RHU
Blue woman: Halora. Gone cannot be fixed.
We didn't do it.
Ellemerr: Any of us know anything about Halora?
 
Apheori (GM): Amadi might.
RADEK
Radek: Don't be ridiculous. If something is missing, a replacement is in order.
I'm looking to fix things.
Amadi looks sad.
 
(To Amadi): Halora was a pretty ordinary world. Lots of whales. Nobody really cared about it, but it was very peaceful and nice.
AMADI
Amadi: Poor whales. They shall be missed.
What world was it?
Blue woman jargons about how that is quite impossible; you cannot replace what is gone from the universe, what never was.
 
Gaurav:
BLUE APHEORI
rolling 1d20+9 religion check on Halora
Halora. Gone cannot be fixed.
(
 
5
AMADI
)
(looking sad)
+9
Poor whales. They shall be missed.
=
 
14
RADEK
Anybody good at history? I'm +4
Don't be ridiculous. If something is missing, a replacement is in order.
Apheori (GM): Gaurav: The name reminds you of Halorien, whatever that is.
 
Do you know what that is? I don't.
The blue woman jargons about how that is quite impossible; you cannot replace what is gone from the universe, what never was.
Ganelon: Well, I'm probably better at History than that, but...
 
Gaurav: This woman is clearly an experienced jargon babbler.
RADEK
It'll show up. These things always do.
Just because we have no records of such a thing succeeding does not mean it can't be done!
Rhu is relieved that that last religion check didn't bring up awkward questions about Dave's absence from Hazz'ridan the Magnificent.
 
Radek: Just because we have no records of such a thing succeeding does not mean it can't be done!
BLUE APHEORI
It's no wonder the world's falling to pieces when everyone's so bloody /defeatist/ about it.
Just because something has happened does not mean it cannot be removed from history, forward or backward.
Blue woman: Just because something has happened does not mean it cannot be removed from history, forward or backward.
 
RADEK
It's no wonder the world's falling to pieces when everyone's so bloody ''defeatist'' about it.
 
BLUE APHEORI
Defeatist? Nobody knows. Nobody notices. Some have only pieces, and others have nothing at all.
Defeatist? Nobody knows. Nobody notices. Some have only pieces, and others have nothing at all.
Amadi: I've fiddled with time, once. Except that wasn't me. It might have been more than once, too. I don't remember.
 
Radek: Pah. Time.
AMADI
Rhu: We have many pieces. (wiggles skulls at Lady in Blue)
I've fiddled with time, once. Except that wasn't me. It might have been more than once, too. I don't remember.
Radek: The only way I'm going to tamper with time is to generate more of it.
 
Gaurav: Can you fiddle with time "once"?
RADEK
Ganelon: Imagine that.
Pah. Time. The only way I'm going to tamper with time is to generate more of it.
A time generator!
 
It won't be free time but you can have it in excess!
RHU
Blue woman: Fiddling will be the only way to know. Step in and out, and you will remember what is lost, but you may also cause the loss. Such [jargon jargon babble jargon] .
(wiggling the skull)
Radek: In and out of where?
We have many pieces.
Apheori (GM): Rhu: She aknowleges the skull, but doesn't seem to see any significance.
 
Rhu: Gan: o.0
BLUE APHEORI
Blue woman: Out of the world, out of time.
Fiddling will be the only way to know. Step in and out, and you will remember what is lost, but you may also cause the loss.
Amadi: Go out at breakfast, come back at midnight. But it doesn't seem to be working.
 
Apheori (GM): (All jargon is open to deciphering with arcana.)
She launches into a new stream of jargon.
Ganelon: Sure, I'll try.
 
rolling 1d20+12
Radek's only partly listening, but he catches that holes are apparently space/time issues, and moving freely throughout space and time without being very precise can result in instabilities that make the effects much worse. ''(rolled 31 arcana)''
(
 
19
RADEK
)
In and out of where?
+12
 
=
BLUE APHEORI
31
Out of the world, out of time.
...Man, I love Radek's skills.
 
Frezak (GM): I'm disgusted.
AMADI
Apheori (GM): Radek: She was saying that holes are space/time issues, and moving freely throughout space and time without being very precise can result in instabilities that make the effects much worse
Go out at breakfast, come back at midnight. But it doesn't seem to be working.
Blue woman: (a Amadi) Your eyes are for seeing. Stay in the world.
 
Amadi: Not go home? Not dream?
BLUE APHEORI
Rhu: (to Amadi) Did you say "midnight" or "Midnight"?
(to Amadi)
Amadi: I'm not sure.
Your eyes are for seeing. Stay in the world.
Blue woman: Dreaming is dangerous now.
 
You as you will know more, but until then... [jargon]
AMADI
Ellemerr: Can I roll for that jargon, too?
Not go home? Not dream?
Apheori (GM): Yes.
 
Ellemerr:
RHU
rolling 1d20 + 10
(to Amadi)
(
Did you say "midnight" or "Midnight"?
15
 
)
AMADI
+10
I'm not sure.
=
 
25
BLUE APHEORI
Ganelon:
Dreaming is dangerous now. You as you will know more, but until then...
rolling 1d20+12
 
(
She jargons. It seems to be about Amadi. Something about the fragments not knowing the whole, and a single wrong step destroying ecosystems, and various odd metaphors. ''(Amadi rolled 25 arcana)'' Radek gets more - that Amadi needs to be remade before she can safely walk the universe, and for now she should be incredibly careful because she has great power but very little understanding of what she's actually doing. ''(rolled 23 arcana)''
11
 
)
AMADI
+12
(looking upset)
=
But - dreams!
23
 
Apheori (GM): The jargon is something about the fragments not knowing the whole, and a single wrong step destroying ecosystems, and various odd metaphors.
BLUE APHEORI
Ganelon: I'll do the same just so I don't feel left out.
Dreams shape the worlds. Dreams can also destroy worlds.
Apheori (GM): Gan: She's saying Amadi needs to be remade before she can safely walk the universe, and for now she should be incredibly careful because she has great power but very little understanding of what she's actually doing.
 
Amadi probably figured that out too, but she won't want to hear that.
AMADI
Ellemerr: No.
Well they seem to be destroyed anyway.
Ganelon: I could believe that.
 
Amadi looks upset and goes "But - Dreams!"
The blue woman looks very sad, somehow.
Ellemerr: It's a good excuse.
 
Blue woman: Dreams shape the worlds. Dreams can also destroy worlds.
BLUE APHEORI
Amadi: Well they seem to be destroyed anyway.
The dreams are all that remain holding them together, and yet the Dreamer lies broken, dead. But dreaming.
Blue woman looks very sad, somehow.
 
Blue woman: The dreams are all that remain holding them together, and yet the Dreamer lies broken, dead. But dreaming.
AMADI
Amadi: You... seem to know me... us, Her... better than most.
You... seem to know me... us, Her... better than most.
Blue woman: You dream even now. You do not need to leave.
 
I know too much. She isn't mine to know, but she is there.
BLUE APHEORI
[jargon]
I should. I am...
Ellemerr: Jargon roll:
(she stops, then looks at Amadi very directly)
rolling 1d20 + 10
I know too much. She isn't mine to know, but she is there. You dream even now. You do not need to leave.
(
 
9
The Apheori jargons, and Amadi half-tries to understand. ''(rolled 19 arcana)'' Something about dreams made stronger. Something...
)
 
+10
AMADI
=
Why? How?
19
 
Apheori (GM): Something about dreams made stronger.
BLUE APHEORI
Gaurav: Can we bring the Blue Lady into the party somehow?
You were born of a dream made Key. We were all born of something.
Apheori (GM): You could always try.
 
Amadi: Why? How?
AMADI
Blue woman: You were born of a dream made Key. We were all born of something.
Do I... know you...?
Amadi: Do I... know you...?
 
Ganelon: Kidnap her!
BLUE APHEORI
She knows things!
She did.
Blue woman: She did.
 
Gaurav: She does know things! And Radek can understand her!
AMADI
Amadi: When?
When?
Rhu will take out his giant ornamental key
 
Amadi: ... Midnight?
Rhu will take out his giant ornamental key.
Blue woman jargons at Amadi.
 
Ellemerr: I'll roll some more!
AMADI
rolling 1d20 + 10
...Midnight?
(
 
18
The blue Apheori jargons at Amadi. Now she's referring to not just before the break and the whole keys thing, but before you (or she) even came to Arling To. Before the person you all had been died... the last time. The one time that was real. ''(rolled 28 arcana)''
)
 
+10
AMADI
=
...Oh. That's...
28
(she looks rather impressed)
Gaurav: Nice jargoning!
Who ''are'' you?
Apheori (GM): She's referring to not just before the break and the whole keys thing, but before you (or she) even came to Arling To. Before the person you all had been died... the last time. The one time that was real.
 
Amadi: ... Oh. That's...
BLUE APHEORI
Amadi looks rather impressed.
I'm the Apheori.
Amadi: Who /are/ you?
 
Ganelon: Well that doesn't make much sense even if I do get it.
Underneath the words, Amadi almost hears, "I'm you," but then decidedly doesn't hear it at all.
Apheori (GM): Oh, gods dammit.
 
She says she's the Apheori.
AMADI
Gaurav: o.0
Oh! It's nice to meet you. Er, again.
Ellemerr: *cackles*
 
Apheori (GM): ...it only just now occured to me that throwing in an Apheori would be confusing in light of my display name.
RHU
Oops.
(to Radek, whispered)
Ellemerr: No, this is good.
...I don't think kidnapping an Apheori would be wise.
Apheori (GM): Okay.
 
Ellemerr: Do I remember her in any way at all?
The blue Apheori smacks the portal arch and it shatters.
Gaurav:
 
rolling 1d20+9 religion check on "Apheori"
BLUE APHEORI
(
Oh dear.
8
 
)
RADEK
+9
Hrmph.
=
 
17
AMADI
Ellemerr: Considering all the things that've happened and that I wasn't even remotely me at the time?
We're trying to do something about... something. Oh, and I'm looking for midnight. Can you help?
Apheori (GM): Not exactly. There were several of them, some more related to others.
 
Gaurav: It's an old and known name. Something that happens. Hazz runs into them infrequently, but in many different universes...
BLUE APHEORI
Amadi: Oh! It's nice to meet you. Er, again.
Do you know what?
Gaurav: Do I know if Apheoris should be treated with awe, respect, or fear?
 
Apheori (GM): Nope!
AMADI
Gaurav: Does Rhu know about Apheoris meeting mortals before? Like, are they usually wandering around doing things, or do they hang out with gods and do Big Deal things?
Probably not.
^-- I can rephrase that if it needs to make more sense
 
Apheori (GM): You don't know.
The blue Apheori jargons something about keys. Something about using keys to close the universe. A littering. Options. ''(rolled 19 arcana)''
Rhu: (to Radek, whispered) ... I don't think kidnapping an Apheori would be wise.
 
Apheori (GM): The blue woman smacks the portal and the frame shatters.
AMADI
Blue woman: Oh dear.
I have a key! I mean, I don't have it. I have a keeper!
Radek: Hrmph.
(she points at Greibel)
Amadi: We're trying to do something about... something. Oh, and I'm looking for midnight. Can you help?
He's my keeper.
Blue woman: Do you know what?
Dawn doesn't have a key. I think. She thought? But I have a key.
Amadi: Probably not.
 
Blue woman jargons something about keys.
Amadi gets the impression the blue woman doesn't actually want to be here, having this conversation, and is mostly just sticking around to be polite. ''(rolled 22 insight)''
Amadi:
 
rolling 1d20 + 10
RHU
(
(waving the skull)
9
Don't forget Ellia!
)
 
+10
Rhu beseeches Hazz'ridan to heed the Apheori. ''(rolled 28 religion)''
=
 
19
HAZZ'RIDAN
Gaurav tries to come up with a way of explaining that if she doesn't help us, the nice man over there is going to create a Hole in a pocket universe.
(such that only Rhu can hear)
Apheori (GM): It's something about using keys to close the universe.
''Listen, and learn what you can, but under no circumstances should you antagonise any Apheori.
Gaurav: I can't use "insight" to try to translate the jargon, can I?
''Oh, and do find the Dave.
Amadi: I have a key! I mean, I don't have it. I have a keeper! He's my keeper.
 
Amadi points at Greibel.
Rhu sighs.
Amadi: Dawn doesn't have a key. I think. She thought? But I have a key.
 
Apheori (GM): You can use insight to do... something.
AMADI
Rhu: Don't forget Ellia! (wiggles skull at Amadi)
Oh, you found Ellia!
Ellemerr: My insight is not great. :P
 
rolling 1d20 + 10
RHU
(
Well, sort of.
10
 
)
AMADI
+10
(to Apheori)
=
Why are you here?
20
 
Sorry
BLUE APHEORI
rolling 1d20 + 3
It doesn't concern you.
(
 
19
AMADI
)
Oh. Are you sure?
+3
 
=
RADEK
22
(staring longingly at his rope)
That's what I wanted to... roll... huh.
...Soon.
Rhu:
 
rolling 1d20+9 religion check "oh wise Hazz'ridan, keeper of all that ends, reader of the last page, master over point and prism ... you might want to listen to this lady."
BLUE APHEORI
(
I am sure. My business is my own; for now I am only passing through.
19
 
)
RHU
+9
(to Apheori)
=
As are we! Where are you headed?
28
 
Apheori (GM): Your insight determines that she doesn't want to be here, and is just being polite.
BLUE APHEORI
Amadi: Oh, you found Ellia!
Forward and on. It doesn't matter.
Rhu: Well, sort of.
 
Amadi: (to Apheori) Why are you here?
RHU
Apheori (GM): Rhu: Hazz tells you to listen to her and learn what you can, but don't antagonise her. Oh, and you really should find Dave.
That's where we're headed! We should join forces. There's another... god... person you should meet, once she's done flying with dragons.
Rhu sighs
 
Frezak (GM): SHe's clearly trying to trick us!
BLUE APHEORI
Blue Apheori: It doesn't concern you.
Go on.
Rhu:
 
rolling 1d20+4 arcana check to understand what Apheori was saying about keys.
RADEK
(
Well, we had to evict a dragon or three from this pocket dimension I recently acquired. And one had to be shot and decapitated, you see.
13
)
+4
=
17
Amadi: Oh. Are you sure?
Apheori (GM): Rhu: You need more keys. Or something.
Radek stares longingly at his rope. "...Soon."
Gaurav: Frezak: It makes a nice change from people approaching us for drugs though.
Blue Apheori: I am sure. My business is my own; for now I am only passing through.
Frezak (GM): At least we get reps!
Gaurav: Radek: I kind of thought you'd been fooling with the rope all this time!
Apheori (GM): I want an explosion.
Gaurav: A universe-shattering kaboom.
Apheori (GM): I'm out of coffee.
Rhu: (to Apheori) As are we! Where are you headed?
Ganelon: Well, it would be difficult to listen in on this from inside the pocket dimension.
Which is where he would likely need to be to make a hole.
Blue Apheori: Forward and on. It doesn't matter.
Rhu: That's where we're headed! We should join forces. There's another ... god ... person you should meet, once she's done flying with dragons.
Blue Apheori: I need to go to the bathroom, and figure out where to go. I'll be back in a bit.
Er, ooc.
Apheori (GM): OTHER APHEORI OUT FOR A MOMENT.
Ellemerr: Oh, I was sure that was IC. It made perfect sense.
Apheori (GM): Okay.
Ganelon: So!
Mysterious blue lady.
Apheori (GM): The Apheori seems interested in the dragons.
Ganelon: Would she like a dead one?
Blue Apheori: Go on.
Radek: Well, we had to evict a dragon or three from this pocket dimension I recently acquired.
And one had to be shot and decapitated, you see.
This lot was going to make sandwiches from its remains.
This lot was going to make sandwiches from its remains.
Blue Apheori: Delicious.
 
Radek: Go ahead and join them, if you like.
BLUE APHEORI
Amadi: I'm really good with sandwiches.
Delicious.
Blue Apheori: Are you offering the remains?
 
After the sandwiches.
RADEK
Or are you offering the sandwiches?
Go ahead and join them, if you like.
Radek: The remains. Ask Gravy if you want the sandwiches.
 
Ellemerr: I guess I'll make sandwiches.
AMADI
Radek thumbs towards Gravy.
I'm really good with sandwiches.
Ellemerr: I'm pretty sure I have bread and salad in my... pockets.
 
Apheori (GM): You can roll something cookingly to make sandwiches, but you'll need to get dragon meat...
BLUE APHEORI
Ganelon: I'm pretty sure bread and salad would be in your pockets, or even just full-blown precooked dragon sandwiches, if you imagined it to be so.
Are you offering the remains after the sandwiches? Or are you offering the sandwiches?
Frezak (GM): I'm pretty sure I have expertise in Sandwiches.
 
Gravy makes sandwiches because he doesn't eat future food.
RADEK
Apheori (GM): Doooo it.
The remains. Ask Gravy if you want the sandwiches.
Blue Apheori confronts Gravy.
 
Blue Apheori: Sandwiches?
Radek thumbs towards the Gravedigger. She confronts him.
Frezak (GM): I have no idea what that skill would be.
 
Ellemerr: I'd like to team up with Gravy to cook. It'll be a fun diversion from just pulling finished food out of thin air.
BLUE APHEORI
Sandwiches?
 
The Gravedigger nods gravely.
The Gravedigger nods gravely.
The Gravedigger: Sandwiches.
 
Apheori (GM): Use dungeoneering, arcana, or nature.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Whichever you feel like.
Sandwiches.
To roll to make sandwiches.
 
Frezak (GM): Nature!
Radek lays out the rope, creating an effective open hole in the street allowing them full access to the pocket dimension and the headless dragon corpse within.
rolling 1D20+10
 
(
Rhu goes to check on the giant, who is still out cold on the road behind them.
8
 
)
The Gravedigger and Amadi make sandwiches while the Apheori watches curiously. ''(rolled 18 nature (Gravy), 20 arcana (Amadi))''
+10
 
=
18
Ellemerr: Magic!
rolling 1d20 + 10
(
10
)
+10
=
20
Gaurav: Arcane sandwiches?
Frezak (GM): Hmm.
Ganelon: I'll deploy the rope.
Apheori (GM): You make a sandwich!
Amadi is having so much fun with this.
Amadi is having so much fun with this.
Frezak (GM): Skillz
 
Apheori (GM): Assuming you have dragon meat. But let's assume you do.
The Gravedigger performs Zen Sandichery.
Frezak (GM): Gravy Performs Zen Sandichery
 
Apheori (GM): What do you do with the sandwich?
Amadi hands the first sandwich to the Apheori, and they continue making more. ''(rolled 29 nature (Gravy), 25 arcana (Amadi))''
Ganelon: They're permitted full access to my pocket dimension and the headless dragon corpse within.
 
Frezak (GM): Harversting resources!
The Apheori tries the sandwich carefully. It seems like a very detailed process for her, examining and tasting every aspect of it.
Like some MMO
 
Apheori (GM): So what do you do?
BLUE APHEORI
Ellemerr: I'd like to give it to Apheori.
Very nice. It is not poison.
Apheori (GM): The Apheori watches curiously.
 
Ellemerr: But if Gravy wants to do something else, *shrug*
Later, they run out of glue and finally stop making sandwiches.
Ganelon: Do we have a decent way to cook meat?
 
Frezak (GM): I will continue to fabricate lunches
Apheori (GM): You have magic!
Frezak (GM): FIREBIRD
Ganelon: The best I've got is Alchemist's fire.
Apheori (GM): And nature.
Ganelon: I've no fire magic, nor Presti.
Apheori (GM): ...they did SOMETHING.
Okay, so Amadi gives the sandwich to the Apheori. Does she then help make more?
Gaurav: Cold dragon sandwiches.
Ellemerr: Yes.
This sandwiching is fun.
Apheori (GM): The Apheori tries the sandwich carefully. It seems like a very detailed process for her, examining and tasting every aspect of it.
...and you make more sandwiches.
Blue Apheori: Very nice. It is not poison.
Apheori (GM): Guys, roll to make more.
Just to be sure.
>.>
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20 + 10
(
15
)
+10
=
25
Frezak (GM):
rolling 1D20+10
(
19
)
+10
=
29
Gaurav will check up on the giant
Frezak (GM): Fuck yeah
Apheori (GM): Yeah, the others succeed without issue.
Rhu:
rolling 1d20+12 heal check to check on the giant
(
12
)
+12
=
24
Ellemerr: These are very good sandwiches.
Gaurav: What does dragon taste like?
Blue Apheori: Do you offer the remainder of the dragon?
Apheori (GM): Try it and see.
Amadi: I don't think we need it. Dawn has more. They're alive, though.
Apheori (GM): The giant really out of it.
Gaurav: Are there any extra sandwiches?
Apheori (GM): They made a bunch.
Details are up to them.
Amadi joyfully hands out sandwiches to everyone, including random passersby.
Amadi joyfully hands out sandwiches to everyone, including random passersby.
Rhu sniffs suspiciously at one, then takes a tiny bite
 
Apheori (GM): It's oddly spicy and has a strong hearty flavour.
Rhu sniffs suspiciously at one, then takes a tiny bite. It's oddly spicy and has a strong hearty flavour.
Rhu: Oh, yum! Where did you get horseradish mayonnaise from?
 
Ganelon: I suppose these were the firebreathing sort of dragon, yes?
RHU
Apheori (GM): Yes.
Oh, yum! Where did you get horseradish mayonnaise from?
The Gravedigger: Trade secret.
 
Ganelon: Might I be able to salvage some of that fire-stuff?
BLUE APHEORI
Or is it magical rather than chemical?
Do you offer the remainder of the dragon?
Authorities differ greatly.
 
Apheori (GM): You can salvage it.
AMADI
Chemical stuff is magical, far as I'm concerned.
I don't think we need it. Dawn has more. They're alive, though.
It's just different sorts of magic.
 
Ganelon: Chemists tend to have their heads on straighter than wizards.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Apheori (GM): Well, they deal with more kinds of magic and have to understand the distinctions.
Trade secret.
So I should hope they would.
 
Gaurav: ... but then a hydra with seventeen partially decapitated heads has them on straighter than wizards, so.
Radek salvages some Alchemist's Fire out of the remainder of the dragon.
Apheori (GM): o.O
 
Alright, so what do you need from me to salvage? I forget how it works.
RHU
Ganelon: Okay, uh... I need two details in this case.
(to the Apheori)
Is this level 2 or level 7 Alchemist's Fire? (Basically determines potency), and how many grenade-y objects can I fill like this?
Do you know how these Holes in the universe are formed? We're trying to figure that out. We could probably give you some of our dragon if you can help us... make a Hole in a pocket universe.
Bottles qualify as grenade-y.
 
Apheori (GM): Seven, and... uh... 8?
BLUE APHEORI
Ganelon: Cool.
You may as well ask how the universes themselves are formed.
Apheori (GM): The Apheori is waiting for you to finish with it.
 
Ganelon: There are no rules on how long harvesting takes.
RHU
So that's all up to you.
Ah.
Rhu: (to the Apheori) Do you know how these Holes in the universe are formed?
 
Apheori (GM): Well, you just need to indicate when you're done and she can... take it. Or start bartering or something. I don't know.
BLUE APHEORI
Ganelon: I will do so as soon as I am actually done.
You wish to make a hole? Why?
And does she want that or just the... bones, skin, whatever else?
 
Rhu: We're trying to figure that out. We could probably give you some of our dragon if you can help us ... make a Hole in a pocket universe.
RHU
Blue Apheori: You may as well ask how the universes themselves are formed.
Um...
Rhu: Ah.
 
Blue Apheori: You wish to make a hole?
Rhu gestures to Radek.
Why?
 
Rhu: Um ...
RADEK
Rhu gestures to Radek
To discover how to close it.
Radek: To discover how to close it.
 
Apheori (GM): She seems to want everything, but asking may help.
BLUE APHEORI
Blue Apheori: How?
How?
Radek: I can't answer that until I have a hole to study. Keeping one in an enclosed space is simply the safest and most convenient method available to me
 
Blue Apheori: Oh.
RADEK
Go on, then.
I can't answer that until I have a hole to study. Keeping one in an enclosed space is simply the safest and most convenient method available to me.
 
BLUE APHEORI
Oh. Go on, then.
 
Radek waggles one of his napalm thingies.
Radek waggles one of his napalm thingies.
Radek: What do you mean to do with these?
 
You're welcome to the rest of the corpse, but I might have a use for them.
RADEK
Blue Apheori: Then I will take the rest.
(he waggles one of his napalm thingies)
Radek: By all means
What do you mean to do with these? You're welcome to the rest of the corpse, but I might have a use for them.
Blue Apheori does a thing and the rest of the dragon goes all glowy and disappears.
 
Rhu: o.0
BLUE APHEORI
Radek: Huh. Convenient.
Then I will take the rest.
Blue Apheori: How can I help?
 
Ganelon: Might I be able to babble some jargon at her about my theories on dangerous intentional hole-creation?
RADEK
Gathered from the observation of incompetent wizards?
By all means.
Blue Apheori: Do it.
 
Roll jargon.
The blue Apheori kneels down on the dragon and sticks her hands in the dragon corpse, and then the rest of it goes all glowy and disappears.
Apheori (GM): Dammit, ooc.
 
Radek:
Rhu looks on in surprise.
rolling 1d20+12
 
(
RADEK
20
Huh. Convenient.
)
 
+12
BLUE APHEORI
=
Now. How can I help?
32
 
Ganelon: Haha!
Radek jargons at the blue Apheori about his theories on dangerous intentional hole-creation, with various caveats and notes about incompetent wizards, and some other things he didn't even realise he knew. ''(rolled 32 arcana (natural 20))''
Gaurav: WOAH
 
Ganelon: JARGON SPILLS FROM ME EYE-HOLES
'''''Ganelon''' (Radek): JARGON SPILLS FROM ME EYE-HOLES.
Gaurav: Radek recites his theories in rhyming couplets
 
Apheori (GM): FOOOD.
She jargons back with more stuff about the precise sorts that might lead to it, and proposes a particular sort of possible spell, if it helps.
Ganelon: I love this new use of Arcana.
 
Apheori (GM): Also JARGON JARGON JARGON.
Radek nods, sets up a second, more mundane rope for an exit, and, with the Gravedigger holding onto the other end and Greibel vaguely helping, he jumps down into the rope-hole with it. Amadi and the Apheori peer in after him.
Okay. You jargon at the blue Apheori about your theories about misdone magic and stuff. She jargons back with more stuff about the precise sorts that might lead to it, and proposes a particular sort of possible spell, if it helps.
 
Ganelon: Certainly worth trying!
Realising what they're planning, Rhu crouches behind the giant in an attempt to hide from any unfortunate results. Then it occurs to him how silly he's being and he goes and holds onto the other end of the rope as well, instead.
Gaurav: Are there any nearby walls to hide behind?
 
Ganelon: Just be outside the rope-hole.
 
A wall between worlds is the thickest of all.
INT. Pocket dimension
Apheori (GM): You could go around a street corner.
 
There's also a chunk of shattered portal frame sticking out of the ground.
Radek drops to the bottom, using a loop of rope for his foot. Not letting go of the rope with his other hand, he stretches, then casts the spell the Apheori had suggested. ''(rolled 13 arcana (natural 1))''
Rhu hides behind the giant
 
Gaurav: Well, crouches
The spell fails, and, as planned, explodes.
Ganelon: I assume nobody is super keen on sitting in the pocket dimension while I break things.
 
Apheori (GM): Probably.
It is a catastrophic failure. First the spell explodes. Then the pocket dimension explodes, expanding horribly outward, filling the space between the universe, covering the boundaries between subspace and other space and real space.
Do you enter it?
 
Ganelon: I do!
Radek doesn't explode, but suddenly he's not all there either. He gets the sensation he's everywhere at once, seeing many, many words, and even more nothing. ''(rolled 12 reality)''
I will want... some kind of way out.
 
Apheori (GM): Folks can peer in. The Apheori does.
It is horrifying.
Rope? Grapping onto someone?
 
Ellemerr: I might as well.
 
Ganelon: A rope would be nice.
EXT. Arah - golden twilight
Of the "loop for your foot" sort.
 
Gaurav: You should get Gravy to hold the other end for you, he's the strongest person here. Usually.
The golden light permeating Arah suddenly shifts. It's still golden, but... different. Darker. More orange?
Ganelon: I'm sure that all of you working together could manage.
 
Frezak (GM): Usually?
It occurs to Amadi, looking down from the opening, that Radek may have just single-handedly destroyed the universe. ''(rolled 4 reality)'' And she had had so much trouble cleaning up after the ''last'' time this had happened...
He's genrally really bad at strength rolls.
 
Well you could tie around Gravy.
There's a weird tension on the rope while at the same time it goes slack - even, perhaps, weightless.
Like a bollard.
 
Rhu gets out from behind the giant and holds on to the rope, ready to pull Radek back out if necessary.
The Apheori glances between the hole and those on rope duty worriedly.
Ganelon: Alright, well, time for the moment of truth.
 
Time to fuck up!
RHU
How should I do this, mechanically?
(looking at the suddenly changing light)
Apheori (GM): Hmm.
Err...
I guess you just cast the spell. Is there anything for casting strange new spells?
(panicking ''(rolled 2 reality)'')
Ganelon: Not really.
We should pull him back. Something's happened. Something's not right.
rolling 1d20+12
 
(
THE GRAVEDIGGER
1
(into his radio)
)
Horns to Grumps. What's your situation, over.
+12
 
=
RADEK
13
(over the radio)
Whoo!
I can see... entire worlds.
Is that good or bad?
 
Apheori (GM): Uh... yes.
Rhu starts trying to pull Radek back. ''(rolled 16 strength)''
Ellemerr: If you were supposed to fail... you did do that!
 
Gaurav: YES!
RHU
Ganelon: I don't know if I failed at failing or what.
Frezak (GM): You're so good at failing
Apheori (GM): The spell fails and explodes...
Ganelon: Yeeeeesss?
Apheori (GM): Uh... I'm thinking.
Ganelon leans forward expectantly.
Apheori (GM): First off... is anyone not peering in or holding onto the rope?
Gaurav: Greibel? The Giant?
Amadi?
Apheori (GM): Greibel: What are you doing?
Amadi is peering it.
in*
Frezak (GM): I'm on rope-duty.
No peering into the Far Realm for me.
Apheori (GM): I'll just say Greibel is with you, since it looks like Rob isn't paying attention at the moment.
Okay. The spell fails catastrophically as planned, and explodes. The pocket dimension explodes, and expands horrible. Radek doesn't explode, but suddenly he's not all there either.
Radek, Amadi: d20s
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20
(
12
)
=
12
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20
(
4
)
=
4
Ganelon: In case it's relevant, I should mention that I do have that shielding thing.
I don't expect it to protect me, but you would know.
Apheori (GM): Radek: You get the feeling that you're everywhere at once all of a sudden. You see a whole lot of worlds, as well as a hell of a lot more nothing.
Amadi: You get the feeling Radek has just destroyed the universe. Again. And you had so much trouble cleaning up after the LAST time...
Rope duty: There's a weird tension on the rope, but it also feels rather weightless.
Ganelon: Whoa, whoa.
I think I would know if I was responsible for the first destruction of the universe.
Apheori (GM): Also the golden Arah light goes a funny orange colour.
Gan: Wasn't you.
Ganelon: Okay, good.
Apheori (GM): As far as I know.
Ganelon: I would probably speak with more authority on the subject if I had.
Apheori (GM): Aye.
Gaurav: Does the tension on the rope feel like Radek is still on it?
Apheori (GM): Yes. Maybe?
d20!
Rhu: (looking at the suddenly changing light) Err ...
rolling d20
(
2
)
=
2
Apheori (GM): Radek: Arcana to learn stuff.
Ganelon: Fantastic.
rolling 1d20+12
(
4
)
+12
=
16
Frezak (GM): Radio check?
Apheori (GM): Rhu: PANIC.
Ganelon: Aw, my luck really did run out.
Apheori (GM): Gan: You learn some, but not very much.
Ganelon: Damn.
Apheori (GM): Radio?
Whatcha doing?
Ganelon: Trying to hail me via radio, I think.
Frezak (GM): Our megaradios
Yarr
That
Rhu suddenly feels very, very uneasy
Apheori (GM): It works. You can chatter.
Rhu: We should pull him back. Something's happened. Something's not right.
The Gravedigger: Horns to Grumps. What's your situation, over.
Rhu:
rolling 1d20+2 strength check to start pulling Radek back
(
14
)
+2
=
16
We don't have much time!
We don't have much time!
Radek: I can see... entire worlds.
 
Gaurav: Those are the best code names ever.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
The Gravedigger: What's wrong, Rhu?
What's wrong, Rhu?
Rhu: Radek ... I ... he ...
 
The Gravedigger: That sounds like crazy talk, Radek.
RHU
And not the usual crazy talk.
Radek... I... he ...
Say something Radekian.
 
Radek: Shut up and listen.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
The Gravedigger: That'll do.
(into his radio)
Radek: I think the spell worked. I'm looking at the universe from the outside.
That sounds like crazy talk, Radek. And not the usual crazy talk. Say something Radekian.
It's a confusing mess.
 
Gaurav: Is my rope-pulling having any effect?
RADEK
Amadi: It's ruined!
(over the radio)
Bloody ruined!
Shut up and listen.
Radek: Does it look like I can be extracted from your end?
 
Apheori (GM): Pulling is having some effect, but not much.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Gravy?
(into his radio)
Frezak (GM):
That'll do.
rolling 1D20+6
 
(
RADEK
8
(over the radio)
)
I think the spell worked. I'm looking at the universe from the outside. It's a confusing mess.
+6
 
=
AMADI
14
It's ruined! Bloody ruined!
Apheori (GM): The blue Apheori looks in, then looks at the others and shakes her head.
 
Frezak (GM): Strength.
RADEK
SEEEEE
(over the radio)
Gaurav: Perfect. Rhu will expend as much panicky nervous energy into pulling on the rope as he can.
Does it look like I can be extracted from your end?
Radek: What does the hole look like?
 
The blue Apheori looks in the hole again, then looks at the others and shakes her head.
 
Amadi turns to the Apheori, looking very upset.
Amadi turns to the Apheori, looking very upset.
Amadi: He bloody ruined it!
 
Apheori (GM): Okay, you guys start pulling Radek out.
AMADI
Blue Apheori: It's not over.
He bloody ruined it!
 
BLUE APHEORI
It's not over.
 
Amadi looks very concerned.
Amadi looks very concerned.
Rhu: It's not working! He's still in there! We have to get him out, Gravy! We have to get him out! (keeps pulling)
 
(To Rhu): You idiots.
The Gravedigger and Greibel pull too. ''(rolled 14 strength)'' With their combined efforts, they start making some progress.
Gaurav: Please tell me that means I get to re-roll that sanity check.
 
Ganelon: Out of curiosity, can I look at where my rope exit is going?
RADEK
Apheori (GM): Go for it.
(over the radio)
Gaurav:
What does the hole look like?
rolling d20
 
(
RHU
18
It's not working! He's still in there! We have to get him out, Gravy! We have to get him out!  
)
 
=
Rhu keeps pulling.
18
 
Apheori (GM): Gan: Your rope exit seems to be getting further away.
HAZZ'RIDAN
Gaurav: You come to your senses a bit, then. But of course there is the issue of a displeased Hazz, but how to handle that is of course entirely up to you.
(such that only Rhu can hear him)
Rhu stops pulling the rope, and looks around him, confused.
''You idiots.
Rhu: Sorry, what did you say?
 
(to nobody in particular)
Rhu comes to your senses a bit and stops pulling the rope quite so frenetically. ''(rolled 18 reality)'' He looks around, confused.
Apheori (GM): (no response from the Hazz)
 
Gan! What do you do?
RHU
Ganelon: What can I do?
Sorry, what did you say?
Apheori (GM): I don't know.
 
Ganelon: I've got... explosives.
 
And bullets.
INT. Pocket dimension
And magic.
 
Apheori (GM): You could try using one of those.
From Radek's perspective, as he hangs in the strange, vibrant darkness at the heart of all things, it seems as though the exit is pulling away.
Ganelon: And virtually no ability to climb a rope.
 
Apheori (GM): But you can tell them to pull you out.
Not knowing what else to do, he tries to fix it. All of reality, all at once. ''(rolled 31 arcana)'' And it almost ''works''. The magic he throws around shoves some of the bits back together, and reality almost solidifies, the different worlds fading almost from sight. Almost. In the process, he learns things, too, about the nature of the holes...
Ganelon: I guess I'll see if I can't use Arcana to put things back together.
 
That too, yeah. That's probably wise.
RADEK
Apheori (GM): Roll arcana!
Fascinating, really...
Radek:
(into his radio)
rolling 1d20+12
Hey, Gravy, are you all lowering me down back there?
(
 
19
THE GRAVEDIGGER
)
(over the radio)
+12
Nope, still pulling back here.
=
 
31
Radek tries throwing some more magic around in an attempt to make things better. ''(rolled 17 arcana)'' This time it doesn't achieve much.
Gaurav: Too bad the one PC who has wings isn't around atm >.<
 
Ellemerr: Do you want me to stop complaining about the mess and start flying?
 
Ganelon: Yeah, wings are pretty optional to flight, really.
EXT. Arah - orangy twilight
Gaurav: ^ ooo, good point
 
Ellemerr: I might have to couple it with juggling geese.
The city's glow is definitely orange now. Passersby are no longer passing by. Everything outside a certain radius seems blurred, out of reach. Dark. Red. Or purple?
Gaurav: Let's see if Radek can figure his way out first? Although I would feel a lot better if there was a godling in there with him.
 
his own way*
The Gravedigger, Greibel, and Rhu, are still pulling at the rope, but the force on the other end, if that is even what it is, is immense. They don't lose any of it due to their collective deadweight, but neither do they make any progress. ''(rolled 8, 7 strength)''
Ganelon: He can do anything! He's a genius!
 
Except his fate is ultimately out of his own hands and that kinda sucks.
The blue Apheori casts some magic in an attempt to help, but it doesn't acheive anything noticeable either. She looks mildly annoyed.
Gaurav: A universe-destroying genius.
 
Apheori (GM): Radek: You start throwing magic and crap around, putting some of the... pocket universal hole back together a bit. In the process, you begin to understand a thing or two about the nature of holes, but also because you are inside, it is a very different process than it might have been otherwise.
Amadi glances around determinedly, then jumps into the hole, holding onto the rope, descending into the abyss in a horrible deluge of colour.
Ganelon: Well, I can appreciate that.
 
Is it helping my whole "might be trapped Outside forever" situation, though?
 
Radek: Fascinating, really... hey, Gravy, are you all lowering me down back there?
INT. Pocket dimension
Frezak (GM): Lowering?
 
Ganelon: From his perspective, the exit's getting further away.
As Amadi descends, her colour pulls the massive everywhere hole back into one place, one singular, positional hole. ''(rolled 29 arcana)''
And I presume there's no floor to act as a reference point otherwise.
 
Frezak (GM): Are we still pulling?
The pocket begins to stabilise again. As it does, the worlds fade completely, and instead everything is here, all here, all the hole, all the wrongness and hunger and dark reaching out of here, into Arah, into the colour.
Ganelon: To my knowledge, yes.
 
The Gravedigger: Nope, still pulling back here.
RADEK
Apheori (GM): Gan: It's sort of helping.
Oh, hello Amadi.
Gaurav: Rhu is going to follow Gravy's lead on the pulling now that he's sane-ish again.
 
Apheori (GM): Greibel is pulling too, for lack of any BSG input.
AMADI
Ganelon: A pity, that.
You're just ruining everything and I ''hate'' cleaning up!
Apheori (GM): Quite.
 
He'd see things.
Ganelon: Well, I'm going to keep trying to make things better.
Apheori (GM): Arcana!
Ganelon: Because my second idea is rocket-jump to the exit and that just seems kind of reckless even for me.
Apheori (GM): Rhu, gravy: Strength!
Amadi: Do something!
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+12
(
5
)
+12
=
17
Ellemerr: Can I help with the arcaning?
Ganelon: That might be nice.
Apheori (GM): Nope. Too far away. Unless you dive in first.
Frezak (GM):
rolling 1D20+6
(
2
)
+6
=
8
Gorram
Blue Apheori does some arcane stuff on the outside.
Frezak (GM): noodlearm gravy
Ellemerr: I can go in and yell at him for wrecking the universe and help with the arcaning?
Gaurav:
rolling 1d20+2 strength check
(
5
)
+2
=
7
eep
Rocket jump!
Ellemerr: Actually, I will do that. Call it "operation clean-up".
I might hold on to the rope.
rolling 1d20 + 10
(
19
)
+10
=
29
Blue Apheori doesn't really achieve a whole lot and looks annoyed.
Ellemerr: That is arcana on the inside.
Apheori (GM): Amadi descends into the pocket of abyss in a horrible deluge of colour.
The pocket begins to stabilise again.
Sort of.
You guys are gathering the hole back into one place. One singular hole. As opposed to a massive everywhere hole.
Radek: You see fewer worlds and stuff.
Amadi: You see a lot of everything, and so much colour.
Apheori (GM): Radek: You see some of the colour.
Radek: Oh, hello Amadi.
Amadi: You're just ruining everything and I /hate/ cleaning up!
Radek: Well, I'm already putting it back together.
Amadi is distracted by pretty colours.
Amadi is distracted by pretty colours.
Radek: You saw everything break the first time, didn't you? Was this what it looked like back then, too?
 
Ellemerr: Do I require extra DM knowledge to answer that question?
RADEK
Ganelon: When all else fails, speak nonsense.
Well, I'm already putting it back together.
Ellemerr: I know.
 
Amadi: Well, /that/ green wasn't there before... But that orange was.
RADEK
Ganelon: So what does the colour mean?
You saw everything break the first time, didn't you? Was this what it looked like back then, too?
Apheori (GM): Sorry, got distracted by conference.
 
Ganelon: No prob.
AMADI
Ellemerr: I might have to brb
Well, ''that'' green wasn't there before... but that orange was.
(To Amadi): The first time it didn't look like anything. Everything just fell completely to pieces without anyone noticing, and then there was nothing left, only Midnight and a deck of cards. And some folks. Sitting in Midnight. With the deck of cards.
 
Apheori (GM): What DOES the colour mean? Excellent question.
Radek stops working at trying to actually fix it and instead tries to make sense of all the colour. ''(rolled 26 arcana)'' It's bleeding from Arah. It's a magic of sorts that isn't even entirely magic, just a sort of background noise of the universe... it shouldn't be visible.
Ganelon: Things bleeding into the visible spectrum generally means... stuff.
 
But I don't know if I can roll to figure out what.
RADEK
Apheori (GM): It means things are screwy, but you don't know why. You can roll arcana to try to make sense of it.
(into his radio)
But this will take an extra moment...
There's residual... er, "magic" bleeding in from Arah into the visible spectrum. I say magic for your benefit, but this is different from what I'm used to.
Ganelon: Hah!
 
As if I would ever weigh my own survival against the value of knowledge!
He gets no response.
rolling 1d20+12 Arcana
 
(
RADEK
14
(into his radio)
)
...And it's turning red.
+12
 
=
Continuing to get no response, he goes back to trying to fix it all from there, with Amadi's help. ''(rolled 26 arcana)'' This makes some progress, though it's a little unclear what.
26
 
KNOWLEDGE!
Off to the side, the massive coallescing hole pulses in its singularity, wreaking havok on stuff and things.
Frezak (GM): Understanding!
 
Apheori (GM): It's bleeding from Arah. It's a magic of sorts that isn't even entirely magic, just a sort of background noise of the universe...
RADEK
But you don't know what it does or why it's visible.
(into his radio; somewhat less than calmly)
Ganelon: Okay, let's continue my unintentional descent into this awful abyss.
I could really use an extraction here, gents.
What happened when those guys fucked up their strength rolls?
 
Apheori (GM): They failed to pull you out.
AMADI
It's like the rope is just stuck to them.
(shouting in no particular direction)
Ganelon: Ah, okay.
And heave, ye lubbers!
Apheori (GM): Sorry, I think I forgot.
 
Ganelon: 'Twas but a single step.
 
Gaurav: I think we're also distracted by the changing lights and things
EXT. Arah - reddish twilight
at least, Rhu is
 
Apheori (GM): Things are going REEEEEED.
The twilight is now decidedly reddish. But it's in particualy really only reddish further away, outside the immediate radius of the area near the hole. Right up close, especially closer to the rope and the Apheori, it's almost normal.
Ganelon: Well, I'll give those guys another report while I'm waiting for more stuff.
 
Frezak (GM): Like jam!
The Apheori tries some more magic, this time casting it out into the red space around them, but it just fades into nothing. Suddenly she looks genuinely terrified.
Apheori (GM): You have an Amadi hanging above you, probably Elaine Marley style.
 
Gaurav: Jam-red or blood-red? The important questions.
To the others, it also seems like she's moving really, really quickly.
Frezak (GM): "And then you died?"
 
"... yes."
The voice that comes out of the radio no longer sounds anyting like Radek. In fact they can't understand him at all - it's very high pitched and all much too fast, a rapid jumble of squeaks and chips.
Radek: There's residual... er, "magic" bleeding in from Arah into the visible spectrum. I say magic for your benefit, but this is different from what I'm used to.
 
Apheori (GM): Uh... red.
They try harder to pull Radek out. Rhu just falls over. ''(rolled 3 strength (natural 1))'' Greibel and the Gravedigger heave. ''(rolled 21 strength)'' Something else on the other end heaves back.
Radek: ...And it's turning red.
 
Ganelon: This being into the radio.
RHU
Apheori (GM): The red is mostly Arah itself. You're seeing a much fuller spectrum.
Oof.
Though... that might be going red too...
 
Er.
Sitting on the ground, Rhu prays for help. ''(rolled 29 religion (natural 20))''
Yes.
 
Ganelon: I don't think that's... good.
Suddenly a massive shrouded tentacle monster appears next to the opening in a swirl of thick black smoke.
Apheori (GM): I don't think so either.
 
Ganelon: Well, I still need to get out of here.
 
I'd rather not watch the universe bleed together.
INT. Pocket dimension
Apheori (GM): The apheori tries something on the outside again, but it also doesn't acheive anything.
 
Radek: You have arcana and an Amadi. And no response from the radio. What do you do?
Radek and Amadi continue trying to fix the hole, gathering it, stabilising it, reshaping it into something else. ''(rolled 22, 21 arcana)'' It seems to be getting more difficult the more progress they make.
Ganelon: Keep fixing things!
 
It's what I do. Breaking and fixing.
RADEK
Apheori (GM): Arcana!
(To Amadi)
Ganelon:
Well, no answer on the radio. How do you feel about just popping us both out of here if the exit closes?
rolling 1d20+12
 
(
AMADI
12
You want to be... popped?
)
 
+12
=
24
Apheori (GM): Is Ellemerr still there?
Gaurav: she said she "might have to brb"
Apheori (GM): Hence my asking.
Okay, let's just assume Amadi helps Radek.
Gaurav: Perception!
Gravy too.
Radek! You make some progress, or at least don't make anything worse.
Rhu:
rolling 1d20+14 perception check
(
14
)
+14
=
28
Frezak (GM):
rolling 1D20+12
(
8
)
+12
=
20
Rhu: +12? That's not Gravyvision!
Apheori (GM): You guys notice weirdness. The light is all reddish. It seems like the Apheori is moving really quickly.
Rhu: Or is it?
Frezak (GM): I don't know if I want to gravision the sundering of worlds
Apheori (GM): Rhu: You also notice that the light is only reddish further away. Right where you are, and especially closer to the rope and Apheori, it's fairly normal.
Gaurav: Frezak: in a few minutes, that might be all you could do :-/
Ellemerr: I'm back. I want to help.
Gaurav: Is the reddishness in any particular direction, or just all around outside this little circle we've got going on?
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: You and Radek are hanging from a rope or something in a slightly broken pocket dimension. There is a massive hole slightly off to the side, but it isn't entirely cohesive, and is wreaking havok on... stuff and things. Would you like to panic?
Gaurav: All around.
The redder the further away.
Gaurav: ... that's not a red-shift, is it? Br.
Frezak (GM): Sounds great!
Like being inside a toaster!
Apheori (GM): Maybe.
Gaurav: Ellemerr: I would strongly advocate panicking.
Ganelon: Is this the hole that used to be everywhere?
Which we're kind of fixing?
Ellemerr: I dunno. Can I juggle geese?
Apheori (GM): Yes.
And... yes.
Ganelon: Well, the alternative is climbing the rope and I have more faith in Radek's ability to fix the universe through magic than I do in his ability to shimmy up a rope.
Ellemerr: I'll do that in an attempt to avoid panics.
Ganelon: At the same time, though.
Radek: (Radio) I could really use an extraction here, gents.
Ganelon: Well, make that an exclamation.
Amadi shouts in no particular direction, "And heave, ye lubbers!"
Ganelon: He's not just calmly intoning it.
Frezak (GM): Heaaaaaave!
Apheori (GM): Rhu, Gravy: You can't actually understand him.
Frezak (GM): Aw
Apheori (GM): It's coming out all... funny.
Frezak (GM): Sounds like a great reason to pull the grump out the spacetime rend
Apheori (GM): High-pitched-like.
Frezak (GM): Eeeeextract meeeeeee
Apheori (GM): And short.
Strength checks!
Gaurav: Given how weird everything is getting, and that Apheori seems to be trying to do something, we're probably pulling as hard as we can anyway.
rolling 1d20+2 strength check
(
1
)
+2
=
3
... but not necessarily in the right direction
Apheori (GM):
rolling 1d20 for Greibel
(
19
)
=
19
Rhu falls down.
Rhu: Oof.
Ellemerr: Can I do more cleanuping?
Ganelon: Likewise.
More rolls, more developments!
Please don't banish Radek to nowhere when he's finally learned something useful!
Apheori (GM): Roll!
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20 + 10
(
12
)
+10
=
22
Frezak (GM): Strength again!
This time for REALS
rolling 1D20+6
(
6
)
+6
=
12
Okay.
So.
Gravy is apparently as physically powerful as Radek
Rhu:
rolling 1d20+9 religion check
(
20
)
+9
=
29
Apheori (GM): Greibel and Gravy pull! It's like really stuck.
Rhu: oo err
Ganelon: I hope our fixing shit isn't making this harder for them.
Apheori (GM): Radek: Roll to fix.
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+12
(
9
)
+12
=
21
Noooo! HIGHER.
Apheori (GM): Okay, you two make some more progress, though it seems to be getting harder.
Rhu: any response from Hazz?
Gaurav: sorry ooc
Apheori (GM): Yes. Oh, yeeess.
Radek: (To Amadi) Well, no answer on the radio. How do you feel about just popping us both out of here if the exit closes?
Apheori (GM): Sorry, guy's talking about spam and I'm distracted again.
But soon as I'm not distracted...
Gaurav: np!
Amadi: You want to be... popped?
Amadi produces soap-bubbles.
Amadi produces soap-bubbles.
Frezak (GM): You fool.
 
YOU SIMPLE FOOL
RADEK
Radek: Er, no. Teleported. Spatially displaced.
Er, no. Teleported. Spatially displaced. To a safe location. Safely.
To a safe location.
 
Safely.
AMADI
Amadi: Oh.
Oh.
 
Amadi looks bored.
Amadi looks bored.
Apheori (GM): Y'all outside the pocket see a massive shrouded tentacle monster appear beside the rope opening.
 
Gaurav: WELL
 
Frezak (GM): SHub-Niggurath!
EXT. Arah - reddish twilight
Gaurav: shrouded?
 
Ganelon: Reminiscent of the one that got Rhu?
The tentacle monster looms. It's Hazz'ridan. It is very definately Hazz'ridan, or some sort of avatar.
Frezak (GM): Goat of a Thousand Young!
 
Apheori (GM): SHROUDED.
The Apheori takes a step backward away from it.
Ellemerr: How do you shroud a tentacle monster?
 
Gaurav: does the shroud go over the tentacles?
BLUE APHEORI
(To Rhu): It's Hazz. You know it's Hazz. Well, an avatar - not all of Hazz. But Hazz.
You...
Gaurav: Oh, I know.
 
Apheori (GM): It has tentacles. And a shroud.
Rhu remains on the ground, praying furiously. ''(rolled 28 religion)''
Rhu:
 
rolling 1d20+9 religion check in thanks
Slowly things outside the pocket begin to become more normal. The rope is resisting less, the light less red. The Gravedigger and Greibel tug again, and this time it's almost enough. ''(rolled 14 strength)'' The rope becomes unstuck.
(
 
19
Around them, passersby are moving again, passing them by, giving the tentacle monster a very wide berth. It is almost as though nothing happened. Almost.
)
 
+9
The blue Apheori hesitates, then bows uncertainly to the tentacle monster.
=
 
28
 
Rhu remains sitting, praying furiously
INT. Pocket dimension
(From Ellemerr): Can I pop Radek out? I... would sort of imagine that would include going through my Realm. And while that might be preferable to just... getting eaten by the hole-stuff... (I mean, it was preferable last time that was about to happen to someone) I dunno. >.>
 
(To Ellemerr): You know, I don't know.
Amadi waggles a goose at the hole. She wants it closed, or at least stable, and magics it with the goose. And with Radek's help, it finally becomes real - one hole, one place, one single thing, not quite stable, but not quite broken either. One last step and it will be done. ''(rolled 31 arcana)''
(To Ellemerr): Because things are a mite... strange...
 
Ganelon: Maybe I will just resign myself to being popped.
Then, together, they stabilise it completely, and suddenly it is simply a hole, mostly harmless, suspended in nothing, no longer doing horrible things to the pocket dimension, though the colours remain as they were. ''(rolled 28, 31 arcana)''
Apheori (GM): The shrouded tentacle monster sort of looms.
 
Ellemerr: I'm not popping you just yet.
Then they're rising as the others pull them back out of the pocket.
Apheori (GM): Things outside the pocket start getting more normal.
 
You guys can try pulling again.
 
Ellemerr: And magic?
EXT. Arah - golden twilight
Frezak (GM): Because eventually I can roll a 20
 
rolling 1D20+6
The light is still a bit odd, but it is now much more consistently so. Hazz'ridan is still there, right outside the opening.
(
 
8
Radek leaps off the rope energetically, winding up right in front of Hazz'ridan. He pays the tentacle monster no attention at all.
)
 
+6
RADEK
=
Hahahaha! Good job, all of you!
14
 
Apheori (GM): Amadi and Radek: The hole is resisting less. The magic is not decomposing anymore.
Amadi floats out of the opening and continues juggling geese. Both she and the geese appear to be weightless.
rolling 1d20 for Greibel
 
(
THE GRAVEDIGGER
6
Oh dear. Oh, dear, deary dear.
)
 
=
6
That's enough to pull again. It's no longer stuck.
Ellemerr: I'll waggle a goose at the hole.
Apheori (GM): Radek and Amadi: You're hanging in midair! Arcana?
Ellemerr: Sure!
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+12
(
3
)
+12
=
15
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20 + 10
(
19
)
+10
=
29
Ganelon: Wait, midair where?
Also, fuck!
Apheori (GM): In the pocket dimension.
Ganelon: It's happening again!
Damned probability!
Apheori (GM): From the rope.
Ellemerr: Well, I'm still capable. It seems. And I'm here solely to help you. Which is very odd.
Apheori (GM): Okay! It's closing and becoming contained!
Amadi covers for you!
Again!
Ellemerr: Go me!
Apheori (GM): I mean, do it again.
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20 + 10
(
18
)
+10
=
28
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+12
(
19
)
+12
=
31
Gaurav: yay!
Apheori (GM): The hole doesn't actually close, but you manage to get it stabilised. It is no longer doing horrible things to the pocket dimension, though the colours remain as they were.
Ganelon: Good enough!
We have a stable Hole inside a hole!
Apheori (GM): Yup.
Gaurav: We blew a hole in a universe and patched it up! That's got to be good for some XP.
Apheori (GM): You totally get some experience.
Ganelon: Pah, I got getter than just XP.
Better, even.
Frezak (GM): Validation!
Ganelon: I got to learn something!
Frezak (GM): THEY SAID I WAS MAS
*mad
THEY WERE RIGHT!
Ganelon: THEY WERE RIGHT, BUT SO WAS I
Apheori (GM): Also Hazz is still there, and the light is still a bit odd, but much more consistently so.
Ganelon: SO HAHA, BITCHES
Apheori (GM): Random passersby are moving again.
They all kind of... stopped before.
Ganelon: Can we get out of here, now? Like, out of the hole?
Apheori (GM): Yeah, the other folks pull you out.
Frezak (GM): So this was Draongball Z minute that lasts hours?
Apheori (GM): No idea.
Gaurav: Yay!
on the pulling Radek and Amadi out
Ellemerr: Yay indeed!
Gaurav: What is the shrouded tentacle monster doing? How far away is it?
Frezak (GM): Reading Weightwatchers
Radek leaps off the rope energetically.
Radek: Hahahaha! Good job, all of you!
Apheori (GM): It was an episode of stargate.
Amadi floats out of the hole and continues juggling geese. Both she and the geese appear to be weightless.
The Gravedigger: Oh dear.
Apheori (GM): It's just there. Not doing anything. Disturbing passerby.
The Gravedigger: Oh, dear, deary dear.
Radek is smiling.
Radek is smiling.
Gaurav: "Disturbing passerby" hahahahha
 
"Excuse me, but have you heard the Good News about Me?"
RADEK
Radek is _laughing_
(pointing to his face)
creepy
You see this? This is what progress looks like!
Apheori (GM): Passerby don't like a giant tentacle monster, even in Arah.
 
Radek points at his face.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Radek: You see this? This is what progress looks like!
Wrinkly?
The Gravedigger: Wrinkly?
 
Radek: And none of that hogwash you hear from psychiatrists, either!
RADEK
Rhu: (to Greibel) Did you give him any of your stuff?
And none of that hogwash you hear from psychiatrists, either!
Blue Apheori: It's a step. It looks like the hole is still there, however. Will you be able to close it?
 
Blue Apheori bows to the tentacle monster.
RHU
Blue Apheori then focuses on Radek.
(to Greibel)
Blue Apheori: (And that was all said at him)
Did you give him any of your stuff?
Radek: I don't know yet, but it's there! And patching things up from the /inside/ was very informative.
 
The Gravedigger: I hope you had more fun closing a Hole than I did.
BLUE APHEORI
Ganelon: Evidently.
It's a step. It looks like the hole is still there, however. Will you be able to close it?
 
RADEK
I don't know yet, but it's there! And patching things up from the ''inside'' was very informative.
(he bundles up his rope)
In any case, it's been contained and rendered safe for transportation.
 
THE GRAVEDIGGER
I hope you had more fun closing a Hole than I did.
 
Rhu makes sure Radek is alright, laughter and smiling notwithstanding, and then approaches the tentacle monster.
Rhu makes sure Radek is alright, laughter and smiling notwithstanding, and then approaches the tentacle monster.
Radek bundles up his rope.
 
Frezak (GM): If I was a rogue I'd be making Sneak Attack on the thing that's not Radek
RHU
That's not our Grump!
My Lord...
Radek: In any case, it's been contained and rendered safe for transportation.
 
The Gravedigger: So what /did/ you learn?
HAZZ'RIDAN
Ganelon: Oh man.
My loyal servant. You have done well.
Rhu:
 
rolling 1d20+9 religion check; Rhu prays to Hazz' in thanksgiving for Radek and Amadi's return
Rhu bows before Hazz'ridan.
(
 
11
HAZZ'RIDAN
)
Guard the scienceman. He will be your beacon.
+9
 
=
THE GRAVEDIGGER
20
(to Radek)
Ganelon: I use Arcana to babble my knowledge at Gravy.
So what ''did'' you learn?
Rhu: (to Hazz'ridan) My Lord ...
 
Ganelon:
Radek technobabbles his knowledge at the Gravedigger. ''(rolled 28 arcana)'' The Gravedigger's eyes glaze over. ''(rolled 4 arcana (natural 1))''
rolling 1d20+12
 
(
Meanwhile the blue Apheori nods in a satisfied fashion, quietly bids everyone goodbye, and skulks away.
16
 
)
AMADI
+12
(shouting after the Apheori)
=
It was nice meeting you! Maybe we'll meet again some day!
28
 
Blue Apheori nods in a satisfied fashion, bids everyone goodbye, and skulks away.
BLUE APHEORI
Blue Apheori: (but quietly, so they don't necessarily notice)
I trust we will.
Amadi shouts after the Apheori:
 
Amadi: It was nice meeting you! Maybe we'll meet again some day!
AMADI
Apheori (GM): Gravy! Arcana!
Maybe I won't be me or I'll have forgotten you but I'm looking forwards to it!
Frezak (GM): Really?
 
Gaurav: We're going to regret not kidnapping her, aren't we.
RADEK
Rhu ain't noticing anything that isn't a giant tentacle monster.
...
Blue Apheori: (to Amadi) I trust we will.
(he snaps his fingers at Gravy)
Frezak (GM):
Hello? Anyone in there?
rolling 1D20+3
 
(
THE GRAVEDIGGER
1
(he shrugs)
)
Not a scienceman.
+3
 
=
RADEK
4
I can't even hate you for saying that right now. It's so nice having less-than-useless assistants.
SEEEEEE
(he addresses Radek)
Amadi: Maybe I won't be me or I'll have forgotten you but I'm looking forwards to it!
 
Apheori (GM): Gravy has no idea what Radek just said.
HAZZ'RIDAN
Hazz'ridan: My loyal servant. You have done well.
Radek. Your understanding will bring you to your goal, an end to begin the worlds anew. Good-
Gaurav: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
 
Rhu bows before Hazz'ridan
Amadi interrupts him by flipping out of her weightlessness and crashing her fist into Hazz'ridan's avatar's nose.
Radek: ...
 
Radek snaps his fingers at Gravy.
RHU
Radek: Hello? Anyone in there?
Um.
The Gravedigger shrugs.
 
The Gravedigger: Not a scienceman.
Hazz'ridan: Guard the scienceman. He will be your beacon.
Radek: I can't even hate you for saying that right now. It's so nice having less-than-useless assistants.
Ellemerr: Is Hazz actually here?!
Gaurav: Can everybody hear Hazz'?
Apheori (GM): Yes.
And yes.
Ellemerr: CAN I PUNCH HIM ON THE NOSE?
Apheori (GM): Well, an avatar is here.
Yes.
Ellemerr: I do that.
Hazz'ridan: Radek.
Your understanding will bring you to your goal, an end to begin the worlds anew. Good-
Amadi flips out of her weightlessness and crashes her fist into Hazz's avatar's nose.
Apheori (GM): Hazz is interrupted by Amadi suddenly scooting over and punching him in the nose, or some rough equivalent,
.
Yes.
Rhu: Um.
Ganelon: I'm just going to take a moment to declare that I like this campaign and this has been one of the best sessions in a while.
Drama! Suspense! Hazz getting bopped on the nose!
Amadi turns, smiling, to Radek.
Amadi turns, smiling, to Radek.
Amadi: Yeah, you were pretty great.
 
Ganelon: Couldn't ask for more.
AMADI
Radek: I...
Yeah, you were pretty great.
Appreciate your help.
 
Ellemerr: If Hazz tries speaking again she'll put her foot in his mouth and go "Shut up." She might have to jump up and stand in the air to accomplish this.
RADEK
Ganelon: (He says, with considerable difficulty)
(with considerable difficulty)
Frezak (GM): Gravy would lift her.
I... appreciate your help.
Amadi: I helped? I helped!
 
AMADI
I helped? I helped!
 
Amadi beams.
 
Hazz'ridan vanishes.
Hazz'ridan vanishes.
Amadi beams.
 
Radek: Yes. You helped.
Rhu bows before the space previously occupied by the tentacle monster.
Rhu bows before the space previously occupied by a tentacle monster with a bopped nose
 
(To Rhu): Radek has earned my blessing. His actions far outweigh his distaste for gods.
RADEK
Ellemerr: I think I should use this most wonderful of moments to go to bed.
Yes. You helped.
(To Amadi): Don't do that.
 
Ganelon: It's a pretty great conclusion, though... I'll do one thing that Frezak's been bugging me about for a while now.
HAZZ'RIDAN
Apheori (GM): Yup.
(such that only Rhu can hear him)
Rhu: Huh. Really
''Radek has earned my blessing. His actions far outweigh his distaste for gods.
(From Amadi): Well don't be an annoying prick!
 
(To Amadi): You're one to talk.
RHU
Rhu: Radek: Hazz'ridan thanks you and gives you his blessing. He says that your actions far outweigh your distaste for gods.
Huh. Really.
(From Amadi): hey! I was helpful! He just said that I was helpful! I'm totally helpful!
(turning to Radek)
(To Amadi): punching people is not helpful.
Radek, Hazz'ridan thanks you and gives you his blessing. He says that your actions far outweigh your distaste for gods.
(From Amadi): Depends on the people. I'm not sure you qualify as people, anyhoo.
 
Radek puts up a hand.
RADEK
Radek: Don't care. I'm feeling charitable; who wants a better weapon?
(he puts up a hand)
Or armor, really. Magical reinforcement.
Don't care. I'm feeling charitable; who wants a better weapon? Or armor, really. Magical reinforcement.
Amadi ponders, to herself, "Then again, I'm not sure I qualify, either."
 
(To Amadi): Nor should you.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
The Gravedigger waves hands.
(waving his hands)
The Gravedigger: Oooo, ooo, oooo.
Oooo, ooo, oooo.
The Gravedigger hops up and down.
(he hops up and down)
The Gravedigger: Me!
Me!
 
Radek points at Gravy.
Radek points at Gravy.
Radek: Yes, you. Gravedigger.
 
RADEK
Yes, you. Gravedigger.
 
The Gravedigger nudges Rhu.
The Gravedigger nudges Rhu.
The Gravedigger: He picked me!
 
Apheori (GM): Also y'all can level up after this if you want.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Ganelon: Part of me feels sorry for blowing Rhu's god-talk off.
He picked me!
But it just felt right for Radek to do.
 
Gaurav: HA
HAZZ'RIDAN
Apheori (GM): Hazz expected nothing less.
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
Gaurav: I think Hazz' admires your atheistic bent
''Don't do that.
a strange habit for a god, but he's an odd'un
 
Ellemerr: Amadi liked it, too. So you got people happy all around. Hazz, Amadi, Gravy...
AMADI
Gaurav: Blue Apheori also didn't seem displeased, which is good, as we might need an angel at some point.
(to Hazz'ridan)
(To Gaurav): I think he just told Rhu that to make sure Rhu knows Radek is 'good'. And crap.
''Well don't be an annoying prick!
Frezak (GM): Sooo... What level?
 
Ganelon: Well, I assume we'd just level once. To 5.
HAZZ'RIDAN
Apheori (GM): Aye. And I've nothing left to throw at you, so details of the items made is up to you.
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
Ellemerr: Sleep!
''You're one to talk.
Ganelon: Oh, this is largely just boring rules-y stuff.
 
Apheori (GM): Okay.
AMADI
(From Gaurav): I assumed this when Radek got added to the long list of creatures that Rhu is expected to protect. Rhu is still extremely happy that Hazz' didn't bring up Dave, so, yay!
(to Hazz'ridan)
Ganelon: I'll look for some cool magic things that the game actually says exist.
''Hey! I was helpful! He just said that I was helpful! I'm totally helpful!
Apheori (GM): You know the rules better than I do.
 
Gaurav: I should probably try to give Rhu better equipment or something >.< equipment is so boring
HAZZ'RIDAN
Ganelon: Doesn't have to be!
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
You can get armor that lets you teleport through a wall once per day.
''Punching people is not helpful.
(To Gaurav): Being supposed to protect them and knowing they're held in esteem can be very different things.
 
Apheori (GM): Now that could get funny.
AMADI
Frezak (GM): Or smell like flowers.
(to Hazz'ridan)
Ganelon: I'll go look for some cool things.
''Depends on the people. I'm not sure you qualify as people, anyhoo.
Apheori (GM): In a 'wanted for tresspassing' sort of way.
(she ponders to herself)
Ganelon: The funny thing is that it only works on one wall, in one direction.
Then again, I'm not sure I qualify, either.
Apheori (GM): Sweet nightmares, Ellemer.
 
r
HAZZ'RIDAN
Ellemerr: Thanks, dearest. Sweet daydreams.
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
Ganelon: So while it will protect you from entering a solid surface (it just fails to activate), it won't give you a way back out.
Nor should you.
(From Gaurav): Fair enough! Hanging out with Amadi and Dave means Rhu is a whole lot more understanding of people who find gods exasperating.
</screenplay>
Gaurav: Bye, Ellemerr!
(To Gaurav): Snrk.
Ganelon: You have to spend six hours waiting if you can't find another one.
Gaurav: So what level do we need to be by next week?
Apheori (GM): The next. I guess that's 5? Is that 5?
Ganelon: It is 5.
Meaning new daily power.
Gaurav: Rhu is at level 3, so 4 is next for me.
Ganelon: Well, become 5!
Frezak (GM): I can invoke demon lords!
Well, one.
Gaurav: Okyday.
A daemon lord named Geoff.
Ganelon: I can... oh, gods.
I can animate a melee weapon.
Gaurav: wait, no, I am level 4. My bad.
Ganelon: I can take Gravy's shovel or something and make it float around.
Apheori (GM): Bahahah.
Poor Greibel. Probably fell asleep. >.<
Ganelon: I can also get a small summon which does only fire damage.
And explodes violently when killed.
Also some kinda cool-sounding but mechanically boring shrapnel-suspended-in-space thing.
Frezak (GM): I'll summon Codrichun. The Boiling Cloud of Blood And Bone..
Gaurav: Frezak: WOAH
Frezak (GM): "You sacrifice your foes to summon the hunger of Codrichun, a noxious cloud of blood and abrading grit"
Gaurav: that is fantastic
Ganelon: I seriously don't get why that's a Warden power when it contains like three Warlock buzzwords at least in the description.
Frezak (GM): You're just jealous.
Gaurav: heh
Ganelon: I'm totes jealous.
Frezak (GM): You don't get to sacrifice the vitality of your foes to a Demon Lord.
Gaurav: okay, I'm going to go find a coffee shop and do some work and whatnot. see you all next Sunday! Thanks for a fun game!
Frezak (GM): Sunday!
Ganelon: No, but I can twist space around like a lump of clay.
Gaurav: Apheori: enjoy the rest of the conference!
Apheori (GM): It's like over. >.>
GREIBEL: Hopefully you see this when you wake up, but a bunch of stuff happened and there were all these really amazing colours everywhere and you helped Gravy and Rhu try to pul Radek out of the pocket dimension with a hole in it, but while you didn't really succeed y'all kept him from getting pulled in and stuff. Then Hazz showed up and Radek actually stabilised it it and you pulled him out.
Also, duuude, colours.
Also you're going to need to level up.
Ganelon: We'll help with that, and explain shit. Just ask on Skype.
Frezak (GM): I'm at talking about shit
</pre>


{{holes nav
{{holes nav

Revision as of 07:56, 3 March 2015

≪ PreviousNext ≫
Session 24 (raw log) (Overview)
EXT. Arah streets - golden twilight
The huge gateway arching overhead casts odd shadows downward, glowing golden like the light itself. A few much smaller portals nearby flicker as folks come near, and random passersby pass the party by, including a guy in a clown suit, a giant bear, and others.
Rhu looks dismally up after Dawn.
RHU
Do you think she'll be back?
GREIBEL
If there's one thing you can almost guarantee about these two, it's that they'll always be back.
(muttering)
Usually at the least convenient time.
RHU
That is true.
(to the skull he's still holding)
At least you're not going anywhere.
RADEK
Well, in the meantime, let's try something productive.
(he holds up the rope of holding)
Who wants to create a Hole?
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Aw, man.
GREIBEL
Closing one would be nicer. But sure, that works too.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
I'm sure that's lots of not great.
A gaggle of schoolchildren pass by, attached to some sort of teacher golem. They're hideously cute.
RADEK
We need a Hole to attempt closing it. We know how to create one. This rope contains a pocket dimension.
Not only is it portable, but it is disposable.
GREIBEL
Convenient. What do we do?
Rhu looks distractedly at Radek, tries for a minute to understand the technicalities of what he's saying, gives up, sighs, and looks back up at the sky for any signs of Dawn.
RADEK
First, we must fail.
GREIBEL
Right. That... shouldn't be a problem for us.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
At least we're qualified.
RADEK
Specifically, fail at magic. We will recreate the event which occurred outside the wizards' college. Inside the rope, of course.
Rhu wanders over to a nearby portal and pokes it. It's a simple stone arch, with a bunch of graffiti scribbled on it, including a picture of a dick. Underneath it says 'loldongs'. It has no apparent controls or panels, though it seems to be magical. (rolled 18 arcana)
Rhu looks around again for anyone interesting and finds a guy in a chickensuit.
RHU
(to chickensuit)
Excuse me!
CHICKENSUIT
Yeaaah, what?
The Gravedigger examines it too, and determines that the activation probably requires smacking it. (rolled 21 arcana) He engages shovellar activation sequence, smacking the portal arch with his shovel.
The arch turns on and belches a bit before opening up a portal.
RHU
That portal is broken.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
I scienced it!
Rhu looks back to realise the portal has been turned on.
RHU
Er. It's still broken. That is entirely the wrong colour. We should call maintenance. Do you know how to call maintenance?
The guy in the chickensuit looks at it carefully, scrunching up his nose in the process.
CHICKENSUIT
Yeah, so? You're the wrong colour.
RHU
That can't be helped.
CHICKENSUIT
Yeeeaah.
RHU
We should call maintenance. You should call maintenance. It's a broken portal, dammit! People's lives are at risk! Liiiives!
CHICKENSUIT
What's maintnents? 'Zzat.
RHU
The people who fix these things.
CHICKENSUIT
Things fix things.
RHU
Wizards? Engineers?
CHICKENSUIT
Fix folks.
RHU
...Things?
What sort of things?
CHICKENSUIT
It's all... happening, man.
The guy in the chickensuit gestures grandly.
Rhu looks around.
RHU
Is it?
The guy in the chickensuit points up at the huge arch overhead.
Rhu looks up.
CHICKENSUIT
It's gonna fall, man.
RHU
...We didn't do that.
GREIBEL
(aside, to Gravy)
Am I as bad as that?
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Nah, Greibel. You're cool.
Chickensuit ambles over to Gravy.
RHU
We didn't - hey! Where are you going?
CHICKENSUIT
Hey, maaan.
Radek leans over to Greibel, for lack of a less occupied person.
RADEK
If I shot him, do you think I could make a solid argument for him being game?
Ganelon (Radek): As in hunting.
GREIBEL
It's... certainly tempting to test it
CHICKENSUIT
Yeaaah.
The guy in the chickensuit pokes the open portal and then scoots through it.
Rhu looks after him, then, sighing heavily, tries the same routine on the next available stranger.
The next available stranger turns out to be a suspiciously blue woman. She seems to be very shiny and sparkling, and it isn't quite clear if it's a fancy outfit or her general species.
She stops and waits politely for whatever Rhu is going to say.
RHU
Er, hi. The portal is broken.
BLUE APHEORI
Is it?
RHU
We should call someone to fix it.
The Apheori looks to see which Rhu is referring to, then goes to examine the portal.
BLUE APHEORI
What seems to be broken?
RHU
Erm... the fuse. The fuse is definitely... orange. Which it shouldn't be. See? Anyway.
BLUE APHEORI
Is it?
She strokes the stone and the portal closes, turning back into a simple stone arch.
Radek scoots over and pushes Rhu out of the way in order to address the blue woman himself and babble in a convincingly scientific manner. He emits a stream of jargonny technobabble, trying to indicate that the portal indeed seems to be broken. (rolled 29 arcana)
The blue woman nods, and emits her own stream of strange jargonnystuff.
Radek retorts with further jargon. (rolled 23 arcana)
Amadi stops skulking and comes over to join in on the jargoning, adding some more on what Radek just said. (rolled 24 arcana)
The blue woman starts to seem concerned, then looks to Amadi, and offers a possible counter-jargon explanation which seems uncomfortably plausible.
Amadi responds with further jargon-sounding stuff, but it's less than convincing. (rolled 15 arcana)
The Apheori shakes her head slowly and explains something jargonly of the nature of the portals, that they are not so much portals at all as just places where the planes connect. True portals are more... questionable or something. It doesn't make much sense.
Radek goes along with this and technobabbles about how it may tie into this particular portal, making some progress toward actually convincing her. (rolled 24 arcana)
Then he stops to think about the implications of what she just said. (rolled 30 arcana) Something about the differences between planar portals, stable or otherwise, and holes. The more questionable holes can open up between anything, but often don't open up to anything. And something about subspace as opposed to... other space. Subspace that can go anywhere, or nowhere, other space overlapping, more defined. How ships use subspace very precisely, but how gods just avoid it outright.
Having been convinced that the portal is indeed not functioning correctly, the blue woman examines it more closely and then, using magic, flicks it on and then off again. Then she fiddles with it and makes it open up in different ways, perhaps to different places.
Then one of the connections fails and it just dies.
RHU
Aha! See? Broken.
BLUE APHEORI
It isn't the portal that is broken, but the world. It is dead, missing.
She jargons technobabble.
RHU
We didn't do it.
RADEK
I'm looking to fix things.
AMADI
What world was it?
BLUE APHEORI
Halora. Gone cannot be fixed.
AMADI
(looking sad)
Poor whales. They shall be missed.
RADEK
Don't be ridiculous. If something is missing, a replacement is in order.
The blue woman jargons about how that is quite impossible; you cannot replace what is gone from the universe, what never was.
RADEK
Just because we have no records of such a thing succeeding does not mean it can't be done!
BLUE APHEORI
Just because something has happened does not mean it cannot be removed from history, forward or backward.
RADEK
It's no wonder the world's falling to pieces when everyone's so bloody defeatist about it.
BLUE APHEORI
Defeatist? Nobody knows. Nobody notices. Some have only pieces, and others have nothing at all.
AMADI
I've fiddled with time, once. Except that wasn't me. It might have been more than once, too. I don't remember.
RADEK
Pah. Time. The only way I'm going to tamper with time is to generate more of it.
RHU
(wiggling the skull)
We have many pieces.
BLUE APHEORI
Fiddling will be the only way to know. Step in and out, and you will remember what is lost, but you may also cause the loss.
She launches into a new stream of jargon.
Radek's only partly listening, but he catches that holes are apparently space/time issues, and moving freely throughout space and time without being very precise can result in instabilities that make the effects much worse. (rolled 31 arcana)
RADEK
In and out of where?
BLUE APHEORI
Out of the world, out of time.
AMADI
Go out at breakfast, come back at midnight. But it doesn't seem to be working.
BLUE APHEORI
(to Amadi)
Your eyes are for seeing. Stay in the world.
AMADI
Not go home? Not dream?
RHU
(to Amadi)
Did you say "midnight" or "Midnight"?
AMADI
I'm not sure.
BLUE APHEORI
Dreaming is dangerous now. You as you will know more, but until then...
She jargons. It seems to be about Amadi. Something about the fragments not knowing the whole, and a single wrong step destroying ecosystems, and various odd metaphors. (Amadi rolled 25 arcana) Radek gets more - that Amadi needs to be remade before she can safely walk the universe, and for now she should be incredibly careful because she has great power but very little understanding of what she's actually doing. (rolled 23 arcana)
AMADI
(looking upset)
But - dreams!
BLUE APHEORI
Dreams shape the worlds. Dreams can also destroy worlds.
AMADI
Well they seem to be destroyed anyway.
The blue woman looks very sad, somehow.
BLUE APHEORI
The dreams are all that remain holding them together, and yet the Dreamer lies broken, dead. But dreaming.
AMADI
You... seem to know me... us, Her... better than most.
BLUE APHEORI
I should. I am...
(she stops, then looks at Amadi very directly)
I know too much. She isn't mine to know, but she is there. You dream even now. You do not need to leave.
The Apheori jargons, and Amadi half-tries to understand. (rolled 19 arcana) Something about dreams made stronger. Something...
AMADI
Why? How?
BLUE APHEORI
You were born of a dream made Key. We were all born of something.
AMADI
Do I... know you...?
BLUE APHEORI
She did.
AMADI
When?
Rhu will take out his giant ornamental key.
AMADI
...Midnight?
The blue Apheori jargons at Amadi. Now she's referring to not just before the break and the whole keys thing, but before you (or she) even came to Arling To. Before the person you all had been died... the last time. The one time that was real. (rolled 28 arcana)
AMADI
...Oh. That's...
(she looks rather impressed)
Who are you?
BLUE APHEORI
I'm the Apheori.
Underneath the words, Amadi almost hears, "I'm you," but then decidedly doesn't hear it at all.
AMADI
Oh! It's nice to meet you. Er, again.
RHU
(to Radek, whispered)
...I don't think kidnapping an Apheori would be wise.
The blue Apheori smacks the portal arch and it shatters.
BLUE APHEORI
Oh dear.
RADEK
Hrmph.
AMADI
We're trying to do something about... something. Oh, and I'm looking for midnight. Can you help?
BLUE APHEORI
Do you know what?
AMADI
Probably not.
The blue Apheori jargons something about keys. Something about using keys to close the universe. A littering. Options. (rolled 19 arcana)
AMADI
I have a key! I mean, I don't have it. I have a keeper!
(she points at Greibel)
He's my keeper.
Dawn doesn't have a key. I think. She thought? But I have a key.
Amadi gets the impression the blue woman doesn't actually want to be here, having this conversation, and is mostly just sticking around to be polite. (rolled 22 insight)
RHU
(waving the skull)
Don't forget Ellia!
Rhu beseeches Hazz'ridan to heed the Apheori. (rolled 28 religion)
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Rhu can hear)
Listen, and learn what you can, but under no circumstances should you antagonise any Apheori.
Oh, and do find the Dave.
Rhu sighs.
AMADI
Oh, you found Ellia!
RHU
Well, sort of.
AMADI
(to Apheori)
Why are you here?
BLUE APHEORI
It doesn't concern you.
AMADI
Oh. Are you sure?
RADEK
(staring longingly at his rope)
...Soon.
BLUE APHEORI
I am sure. My business is my own; for now I am only passing through.
RHU
(to Apheori)
As are we! Where are you headed?
BLUE APHEORI
Forward and on. It doesn't matter.
RHU
That's where we're headed! We should join forces. There's another... god... person you should meet, once she's done flying with dragons.
BLUE APHEORI
Go on.
RADEK
Well, we had to evict a dragon or three from this pocket dimension I recently acquired. And one had to be shot and decapitated, you see.
This lot was going to make sandwiches from its remains.
BLUE APHEORI
Delicious.
RADEK
Go ahead and join them, if you like.
AMADI
I'm really good with sandwiches.
BLUE APHEORI
Are you offering the remains after the sandwiches? Or are you offering the sandwiches?
RADEK
The remains. Ask Gravy if you want the sandwiches.
Radek thumbs towards the Gravedigger. She confronts him.
BLUE APHEORI
Sandwiches?
The Gravedigger nods gravely.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Sandwiches.
Radek lays out the rope, creating an effective open hole in the street allowing them full access to the pocket dimension and the headless dragon corpse within.
Rhu goes to check on the giant, who is still out cold on the road behind them.
The Gravedigger and Amadi make sandwiches while the Apheori watches curiously. (rolled 18 nature (Gravy), 20 arcana (Amadi))
Amadi is having so much fun with this.
The Gravedigger performs Zen Sandichery.
Amadi hands the first sandwich to the Apheori, and they continue making more. (rolled 29 nature (Gravy), 25 arcana (Amadi))
The Apheori tries the sandwich carefully. It seems like a very detailed process for her, examining and tasting every aspect of it.
BLUE APHEORI
Very nice. It is not poison.
Later, they run out of glue and finally stop making sandwiches.
Amadi joyfully hands out sandwiches to everyone, including random passersby.
Rhu sniffs suspiciously at one, then takes a tiny bite. It's oddly spicy and has a strong hearty flavour.
RHU
Oh, yum! Where did you get horseradish mayonnaise from?
BLUE APHEORI
Do you offer the remainder of the dragon?
AMADI
I don't think we need it. Dawn has more. They're alive, though.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Trade secret.
Radek salvages some Alchemist's Fire out of the remainder of the dragon.
RHU
(to the Apheori)
Do you know how these Holes in the universe are formed? We're trying to figure that out. We could probably give you some of our dragon if you can help us... make a Hole in a pocket universe.
BLUE APHEORI
You may as well ask how the universes themselves are formed.
RHU
Ah.
BLUE APHEORI
You wish to make a hole? Why?
RHU
Um...
Rhu gestures to Radek.
RADEK
To discover how to close it.
BLUE APHEORI
How?
RADEK
I can't answer that until I have a hole to study. Keeping one in an enclosed space is simply the safest and most convenient method available to me.
BLUE APHEORI
Oh. Go on, then.
Radek waggles one of his napalm thingies.
RADEK
(he waggles one of his napalm thingies)
What do you mean to do with these? You're welcome to the rest of the corpse, but I might have a use for them.
BLUE APHEORI
Then I will take the rest.
RADEK
By all means.
The blue Apheori kneels down on the dragon and sticks her hands in the dragon corpse, and then the rest of it goes all glowy and disappears.
Rhu looks on in surprise.
RADEK
Huh. Convenient.
BLUE APHEORI
Now. How can I help?
Radek jargons at the blue Apheori about his theories on dangerous intentional hole-creation, with various caveats and notes about incompetent wizards, and some other things he didn't even realise he knew. (rolled 32 arcana (natural 20))
Ganelon (Radek): JARGON SPILLS FROM ME EYE-HOLES.
She jargons back with more stuff about the precise sorts that might lead to it, and proposes a particular sort of possible spell, if it helps.
Radek nods, sets up a second, more mundane rope for an exit, and, with the Gravedigger holding onto the other end and Greibel vaguely helping, he jumps down into the rope-hole with it. Amadi and the Apheori peer in after him.
Realising what they're planning, Rhu crouches behind the giant in an attempt to hide from any unfortunate results. Then it occurs to him how silly he's being and he goes and holds onto the other end of the rope as well, instead.


INT. Pocket dimension
Radek drops to the bottom, using a loop of rope for his foot. Not letting go of the rope with his other hand, he stretches, then casts the spell the Apheori had suggested. (rolled 13 arcana (natural 1))
The spell fails, and, as planned, explodes.
It is a catastrophic failure. First the spell explodes. Then the pocket dimension explodes, expanding horribly outward, filling the space between the universe, covering the boundaries between subspace and other space and real space.
Radek doesn't explode, but suddenly he's not all there either. He gets the sensation he's everywhere at once, seeing many, many words, and even more nothing. (rolled 12 reality)
It is horrifying.


EXT. Arah - golden twilight
The golden light permeating Arah suddenly shifts. It's still golden, but... different. Darker. More orange?
It occurs to Amadi, looking down from the opening, that Radek may have just single-handedly destroyed the universe. (rolled 4 reality) And she had had so much trouble cleaning up after the last time this had happened...
There's a weird tension on the rope while at the same time it goes slack - even, perhaps, weightless.
The Apheori glances between the hole and those on rope duty worriedly.
RHU
(looking at the suddenly changing light)
Err...
(panicking (rolled 2 reality))
We should pull him back. Something's happened. Something's not right.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(into his radio)
Horns to Grumps. What's your situation, over.
RADEK
(over the radio)
I can see... entire worlds.
Rhu starts trying to pull Radek back. (rolled 16 strength)
RHU
We don't have much time!
THE GRAVEDIGGER
What's wrong, Rhu?
RHU
Radek... I... he ...
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(into his radio)
That sounds like crazy talk, Radek. And not the usual crazy talk. Say something Radekian.
RADEK
(over the radio)
Shut up and listen.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(into his radio)
That'll do.
RADEK
(over the radio)
I think the spell worked. I'm looking at the universe from the outside. It's a confusing mess.
AMADI
It's ruined! Bloody ruined!
RADEK
(over the radio)
Does it look like I can be extracted from your end?
The blue Apheori looks in the hole again, then looks at the others and shakes her head.
Amadi turns to the Apheori, looking very upset.
AMADI
He bloody ruined it!
BLUE APHEORI
It's not over.
Amadi looks very concerned.
The Gravedigger and Greibel pull too. (rolled 14 strength) With their combined efforts, they start making some progress.
RADEK
(over the radio)
What does the hole look like?
RHU
It's not working! He's still in there! We have to get him out, Gravy! We have to get him out!
Rhu keeps pulling.
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Rhu can hear him)
You idiots.
Rhu comes to your senses a bit and stops pulling the rope quite so frenetically. (rolled 18 reality) He looks around, confused.
RHU
Sorry, what did you say?


INT. Pocket dimension
From Radek's perspective, as he hangs in the strange, vibrant darkness at the heart of all things, it seems as though the exit is pulling away.
Not knowing what else to do, he tries to fix it. All of reality, all at once. (rolled 31 arcana) And it almost works. The magic he throws around shoves some of the bits back together, and reality almost solidifies, the different worlds fading almost from sight. Almost. In the process, he learns things, too, about the nature of the holes...
RADEK
Fascinating, really...
(into his radio)
Hey, Gravy, are you all lowering me down back there?
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(over the radio)
Nope, still pulling back here.
Radek tries throwing some more magic around in an attempt to make things better. (rolled 17 arcana) This time it doesn't achieve much.


EXT. Arah - orangy twilight
The city's glow is definitely orange now. Passersby are no longer passing by. Everything outside a certain radius seems blurred, out of reach. Dark. Red. Or purple?
The Gravedigger, Greibel, and Rhu, are still pulling at the rope, but the force on the other end, if that is even what it is, is immense. They don't lose any of it due to their collective deadweight, but neither do they make any progress. (rolled 8, 7 strength)
The blue Apheori casts some magic in an attempt to help, but it doesn't acheive anything noticeable either. She looks mildly annoyed.
Amadi glances around determinedly, then jumps into the hole, holding onto the rope, descending into the abyss in a horrible deluge of colour.


INT. Pocket dimension
As Amadi descends, her colour pulls the massive everywhere hole back into one place, one singular, positional hole. (rolled 29 arcana)
The pocket begins to stabilise again. As it does, the worlds fade completely, and instead everything is here, all here, all the hole, all the wrongness and hunger and dark reaching out of here, into Arah, into the colour.
RADEK
Oh, hello Amadi.
AMADI
You're just ruining everything and I hate cleaning up!
Amadi is distracted by pretty colours.
RADEK
Well, I'm already putting it back together.
RADEK
You saw everything break the first time, didn't you? Was this what it looked like back then, too?
AMADI
Well, that green wasn't there before... but that orange was.
Radek stops working at trying to actually fix it and instead tries to make sense of all the colour. (rolled 26 arcana) It's bleeding from Arah. It's a magic of sorts that isn't even entirely magic, just a sort of background noise of the universe... it shouldn't be visible.
RADEK
(into his radio)
There's residual... er, "magic" bleeding in from Arah into the visible spectrum. I say magic for your benefit, but this is different from what I'm used to.
He gets no response.
RADEK
(into his radio)
...And it's turning red.
Continuing to get no response, he goes back to trying to fix it all from there, with Amadi's help. (rolled 26 arcana) This makes some progress, though it's a little unclear what.
Off to the side, the massive coallescing hole pulses in its singularity, wreaking havok on stuff and things.
RADEK
(into his radio; somewhat less than calmly)
I could really use an extraction here, gents.
AMADI
(shouting in no particular direction)
And heave, ye lubbers!


EXT. Arah - reddish twilight
The twilight is now decidedly reddish. But it's in particualy really only reddish further away, outside the immediate radius of the area near the hole. Right up close, especially closer to the rope and the Apheori, it's almost normal.
The Apheori tries some more magic, this time casting it out into the red space around them, but it just fades into nothing. Suddenly she looks genuinely terrified.
To the others, it also seems like she's moving really, really quickly.
The voice that comes out of the radio no longer sounds anyting like Radek. In fact they can't understand him at all - it's very high pitched and all much too fast, a rapid jumble of squeaks and chips.
They try harder to pull Radek out. Rhu just falls over. (rolled 3 strength (natural 1)) Greibel and the Gravedigger heave. (rolled 21 strength) Something else on the other end heaves back.
RHU
Oof.
Sitting on the ground, Rhu prays for help. (rolled 29 religion (natural 20))
Suddenly a massive shrouded tentacle monster appears next to the opening in a swirl of thick black smoke.


INT. Pocket dimension
Radek and Amadi continue trying to fix the hole, gathering it, stabilising it, reshaping it into something else. (rolled 22, 21 arcana) It seems to be getting more difficult the more progress they make.
RADEK
(To Amadi)
Well, no answer on the radio. How do you feel about just popping us both out of here if the exit closes?
AMADI
You want to be... popped?
Amadi produces soap-bubbles.
RADEK
Er, no. Teleported. Spatially displaced. To a safe location. Safely.
AMADI
Oh.
Amadi looks bored.


EXT. Arah - reddish twilight
The tentacle monster looms. It's Hazz'ridan. It is very definately Hazz'ridan, or some sort of avatar.
The Apheori takes a step backward away from it.
BLUE APHEORI
You...
Rhu remains on the ground, praying furiously. (rolled 28 religion)
Slowly things outside the pocket begin to become more normal. The rope is resisting less, the light less red. The Gravedigger and Greibel tug again, and this time it's almost enough. (rolled 14 strength) The rope becomes unstuck.
Around them, passersby are moving again, passing them by, giving the tentacle monster a very wide berth. It is almost as though nothing happened. Almost.
The blue Apheori hesitates, then bows uncertainly to the tentacle monster.


INT. Pocket dimension
Amadi waggles a goose at the hole. She wants it closed, or at least stable, and magics it with the goose. And with Radek's help, it finally becomes real - one hole, one place, one single thing, not quite stable, but not quite broken either. One last step and it will be done. (rolled 31 arcana)
Then, together, they stabilise it completely, and suddenly it is simply a hole, mostly harmless, suspended in nothing, no longer doing horrible things to the pocket dimension, though the colours remain as they were. (rolled 28, 31 arcana)
Then they're rising as the others pull them back out of the pocket.


EXT. Arah - golden twilight
The light is still a bit odd, but it is now much more consistently so. Hazz'ridan is still there, right outside the opening.
Radek leaps off the rope energetically, winding up right in front of Hazz'ridan. He pays the tentacle monster no attention at all.
RADEK
Hahahaha! Good job, all of you!
Amadi floats out of the opening and continues juggling geese. Both she and the geese appear to be weightless.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Oh dear. Oh, dear, deary dear.
Radek is smiling.
RADEK
(pointing to his face)
You see this? This is what progress looks like!
THE GRAVEDIGGER
Wrinkly?
RADEK
And none of that hogwash you hear from psychiatrists, either!
RHU
(to Greibel)
Did you give him any of your stuff?
BLUE APHEORI
It's a step. It looks like the hole is still there, however. Will you be able to close it?
RADEK
I don't know yet, but it's there! And patching things up from the inside was very informative.
(he bundles up his rope)
In any case, it's been contained and rendered safe for transportation.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
I hope you had more fun closing a Hole than I did.
Rhu makes sure Radek is alright, laughter and smiling notwithstanding, and then approaches the tentacle monster.
RHU
My Lord...
HAZZ'RIDAN
My loyal servant. You have done well.
Rhu bows before Hazz'ridan.
HAZZ'RIDAN
Guard the scienceman. He will be your beacon.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(to Radek)
So what did you learn?
Radek technobabbles his knowledge at the Gravedigger. (rolled 28 arcana) The Gravedigger's eyes glaze over. (rolled 4 arcana (natural 1))
Meanwhile the blue Apheori nods in a satisfied fashion, quietly bids everyone goodbye, and skulks away.
AMADI
(shouting after the Apheori)
It was nice meeting you! Maybe we'll meet again some day!
BLUE APHEORI
I trust we will.
AMADI
Maybe I won't be me or I'll have forgotten you but I'm looking forwards to it!
RADEK
...
(he snaps his fingers at Gravy)
Hello? Anyone in there?
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(he shrugs)
Not a scienceman.
RADEK
I can't even hate you for saying that right now. It's so nice having less-than-useless assistants.
(he addresses Radek)
HAZZ'RIDAN
Radek. Your understanding will bring you to your goal, an end to begin the worlds anew. Good-
Amadi interrupts him by flipping out of her weightlessness and crashing her fist into Hazz'ridan's avatar's nose.
RHU
Um.
Amadi turns, smiling, to Radek.
AMADI
Yeah, you were pretty great.
RADEK
(with considerable difficulty)
I... appreciate your help.
AMADI
I helped? I helped!
Amadi beams.
Hazz'ridan vanishes.
Rhu bows before the space previously occupied by the tentacle monster.
RADEK
Yes. You helped.
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Rhu can hear him)
Radek has earned my blessing. His actions far outweigh his distaste for gods.
RHU
Huh. Really.
(turning to Radek)
Radek, Hazz'ridan thanks you and gives you his blessing. He says that your actions far outweigh your distaste for gods.
RADEK
(he puts up a hand)
Don't care. I'm feeling charitable; who wants a better weapon? Or armor, really. Magical reinforcement.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
(waving his hands)
Oooo, ooo, oooo.
(he hops up and down)
Me!
Radek points at Gravy.
RADEK
Yes, you. Gravedigger.
The Gravedigger nudges Rhu.
THE GRAVEDIGGER
He picked me!
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
Don't do that.
AMADI
(to Hazz'ridan)
Well don't be an annoying prick!
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
You're one to talk.
AMADI
(to Hazz'ridan)
Hey! I was helpful! He just said that I was helpful! I'm totally helpful!
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
Punching people is not helpful.
AMADI
(to Hazz'ridan)
Depends on the people. I'm not sure you qualify as people, anyhoo.
(she ponders to herself)
Then again, I'm not sure I qualify, either.
HAZZ'RIDAN
(such that only Amadi can hear him)
Nor should you.


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Session 24 (Overview)
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A pound of flesh is never enough.