Holes/Session 14/raw
A fragment of the Garden of Remembering
< Holes | Session 14
Apheori (GM): Ganelon: Did it not do anything? Apheori (GM): What do I do? Do I just paste that into it? Ganelon: Into the macro text box, yes. Apheori (GM): Oh. Huh. 27 Ganelon: There you go. Now make it show in the macro bar. Apheori (GM): Already done. How do you do it without the buttons? Ganelon: Just typing all that in, basically. Apheori (GM): Oh. Ganelon: You can enter it into the chat. Apheori (GM): Huh. Ganelon: And again, you have to have the thing selected for the "&tracker" line. Otherwise it just gives you a number and you have to add it yourself. Apheori (GM): Yeah, it updated the sphinx when I had it selected. Silly sphinx always getting good rolls. Ganelon: Well, I am glad to be of assistance. Apheori (GM): Thank you, seriously. Ganelon: And now I will take my leave, from R20 at least. Gaurav: here! Is it just me, or is that a robot with the soul of a mouse under that table? Frezak (GM): must be abig table Apheori (GM): It's trying to be under it. It's not really succeeding. Gaurav: It is! Unfortunately, the mouseforged is bigger. Frezak (GM): I'll make soothing mousesounds. Apheori (GM): It's cowering in fear. Gaurav: "Mouseforged" is probably the single coolest word we've come up with this campaign, and we came up with "noodle-armed grump" Frezak (GM): it's a pretty good word. Whoever came up with it should get XP. Apheori (GM): You get 2pe. Gaurav: Is that like a toupee? Bear Soup Guy: 2 Pie Experience Frezak (GM): gravy does not need more physican education he's a shovelesman Radek: Ha-hah! Fantastic! Apheori (GM): Fine. Radek: Gentlemen, I give you the Mouseforged. Ganelon: It's becoming an in-character thing. Rhu looks nervously at Radek. This is probably the first time he's heard Radek laugh, ever. Ganelon: So says I. The Gravedigger: Rhu, any idea why the dead things reanimated? Frezak (GM): how dare you steal my word you maggot Rhu: Not off the top of my head. (pokes at the skeleton closest to him) Mouseforged cowers and looks for an escape. Gaurav: Should that be a heal check or a religion check? Greibel: Is he....um? Gaurav: Eh, might as well do both. Frezak (GM): i'd give mousie some food, but warforged can't eat Bear Soup Guy: Oh, I have porridge talk now The sphinx jumps out of Dave's arms and onto the mouseforged. The porridge wiggles gleefully Rhu: rolling 1d20+10 heal check to see if there's anything he can tell from the bones in terms of what where they might have come from, cause of death ( 18 ) +10 = 28 Dave: Ey! Apheori (GM): Rhu: They're corroded. And glowing slightly. You think it was some sort of dark magic. Rhu: rolling 1d20+8 religion check to see if there's anything religious which might explain animated dead things ... seeing as Rhu has a power specifically for undeads, I guess he has some sort of training in such matters. ( 1 ) +8 = 9 Bear Soup Guy hums Losing My Religion Gaurav: ruh roh Apheori (GM): They look undead. Gaurav: You mean redead. Apheori (GM): You've studied undead. Gaurav: unundead. Is there like a theory of undeadiness? Apheori (GM): For all you know they might reundead. Rhu pokes at the skeleton warily with his maul Rhu: I don't know why they didn't die, but they might reanimate. Ugh. Undead. Apheori (GM): The skeleton clatters. Rhu: Do you think ... Mr. Mousie ... will get scared if I walk over to the dead elf over in that corner? He seems nervous. Apheori (GM): At some point you notice something in the skeleton bones. Dave walks over to the mouseforged. Dave: It's petrified. Cute? Gaurav: What do I notice? Apheori (GM): A key on a chain. Rhu: Huh. Rhu bends down and picks up the key Radek: I wonder. Frezak (GM): have we come across any locked things? Radek: Greibel, speak to the Mouseforged. Gaurav: Lokshmi is a god of lock pickers Greibel: Oh right, good idea... Apheori (GM): Frezak: Not that couldn't be forced. Greibel heads over hesistantly Frezak (GM): i'm not sure that would work. since it doesnt have mouse senses any more... Ganelon: Looks it not like a machine? Mark it, Greibel. Bear Soup Guy: That's why he wonders Ganelon: It would be spoke to. Bear Soup Guy: Nature check I suppose Rhu: He might find squeeking ... reassuring? Apheori (GM): Also it has a sphinx sitting on it. Gaurav: That has to be pretty terrifying for a mouse. Bear Soup Guy: rolling 1d20+12 Mouse Talk ( 2 ) +12 = 14 Gaurav: Mouse Chat Apheori (GM): What do you try to say? Bear Soup Guy: squeak squeak squeak Gaurav: Mouse Shooting The Breeze Bear Soup Guy: I try to calm the mouse down Ganelon: What art thou that usurp'st this body of wood, together with that fair and warlike form, in which the majesty of soldiers past built, did sometimes march? By heaven, I charge thee, speak. Apheori (GM): The mouseforged does nothing, just sits there, petrified. Greibel shrugs Ellemerr: Gan, you are a wonderful, wonderful man. The porridge jumps down onto the mouse next to the cat Rhu: Hey, we should heal up, since we're out of encounter. I think some of us might need some rest on some of our powers, too. I'm fine, I just need a breather. Radek: Hrm. Disappointing. Gaurav: Aw, poor mouseforge. Gan: damn. You're doing all our speeches from here on out. Amadi makes clanky noises from inside her trusty tank. Ganelon: I'm quoting Shakespeare, silly. Ellemerr: Not enough people do that. Ganelon: It's one of my favourites, mostly because I get to use it when people return from long absences of communication. Ellemerr: Wheee I mostly just shout "Get thee to a nunnery" every once in a while. Apheori (GM): It's like a cattery, but for nuns. Frezak (GM): AN eatery Get your nun here hot nun nun-on-a-stick Ganelon: Nun on a bun? Frezak (GM): Nunstrips. Ellemerr: ... I'm sorry for making this happen. Frezak (GM): Get you a nundrum. Apheori (GM): Heh. So the mouseforged flips out and attacks Dave. The sphinx winds up with a face-full of porridge. Bear Soup Guy: Oh dear Gaurav: Uh oh Frezak (GM): do we like dave? Apheori (GM): I don't know. Do you? Bear Soup Guy: Sure, Dave's cool Ganelon: I'm going to refrain from answering on Radek's behalf. I as a player am pretty cool with Dave. Apheori (GM): rolling 1d20 + 8 ( 8 ) +8 = 16 Ellemerr: Does Radek like anyone whose not mechanical? Gaurav: We definitely like her better than we like Devourer the Sphinx at the moment. Ellemerr: Noooo, Nameless is nice...! :3 Gaurav: Has anybody's passive perception picked up Amadi in the vat yet? Apheori (GM): rolling 1d6 + 4 ( 4 ) +4 = 8 Frezak (GM): I thought she liked it in there. Apheori (GM): Wow, that's not very impressive. Frezak (GM): I'll go charge the mouseforged if I can? Ellemerr: Dawn is just some silly copy of me who doesn't remember enough things to be impressive. Frezak (GM): BAD MOUSEFORGED Ellemerr: Or confusing. Bear Soup Guy: I think we're just sort of accepting Amadi in the vat as normal for today Apheori (GM): You can totally charge it. Greibel takes 4 damage, Dave takes 8. Rhu: I think we should back up and just .. give him some space. Ganelon: Radek liked, uh... Rurik, was it? Ellemerr: Oh right, yeah. Apheori (GM): Sphinx mauls the mouseforged. Frezak (GM): Charge! Gaurav: Are we in initiative? Ganelon: The guy he offered to make rifle and laser-weapon blueprints for. Frezak (GM): rolling 1D20+9+1 ( 13 ) +9+1 = 23 VS AC. Ellemerr: I remember, Gan. Apheori (GM): We're not in initiative. It's just madness right now. Frezak (GM): Does rurik talk without moving his mouth? Apheori (GM): That totally hits. Frezak (GM): So I would prone mousie. The Gravedigger: Bad Mousie! No! Gaurav: Are the doors still on their hinges? Apheori (GM): rolling 1d8 + 4 ( 7 ) +4 = 11 So sphinx damages the mouseforged, you prone the mouseforged and send the sphinx flying. Frezak (GM): I'll accept that outcome. Can I wrestle the Mouseforged. Apheori (GM): The sphinx still has porridge all over its face and is making funny noises. Ganelon: Funny "displeased cat" noises? Gaurav: The sphinx or the porridge? Or _both_ Apheori (GM): You can... if you want to wrestle it? Amadi starts whistling "I'm odd", the deleted song from Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Frezak (GM): Well, is it still moving? Apheori (GM): Actually, you're not sure which is making the noises. It might be both. Rhu walks over to the north doors and closes them. Can he bolt them? Apheori (GM): They sound somewhat distressed, kind of angry, and a little bit like bad pop music. Yeah, it's moving. Rhu: "The porridge and the sphinx" would make an awesome movie. Dave goes to the sphinx and peels the porridge off its face. (From Amadi): To Sphinx's head: "That's the spirit! Now, harmonize!" The sphinx warbles. The Gravedigger: Radek, what do we do with this? Can you... lock up it's movement? Stop it hitting people, Apheori (GM): Rhu: No bolt, but there's a box you could put in front of them. The Gravedigger: *? Rhu puts the box in front of the door Apheori (GM): Unfortunately the doors open out of the room so it wouldn't do much good. Bear Soup Guy: XD Rhu: rolling 1d20+10 heal check on the dead elf to check for anything of interest ( 7 ) +10 = 17 Rhu moves the box out from in front of the door Radek: This is your own fault for making me use a mouse's soul rather than something more pliable. Frezak (GM): Could I... manhandle mousie into a tank? And then seal the tank? Apheori (GM): The dead elf smells really bad. Bits of it are all over the room. It's like it exploded. Twice. Ganelon: Can I do what he wants, though? Lock up its joints? Apheori (GM): Rhu: But despite the damage you think what killed it was something a lot less interesting. Gaurav: What sort of something? Apheori (GM): Gan: Yeah, probably. Gaurav: Something innocuous. Ganelon: I'll give it a shot, then. rolling 1d20+11 ( 5 ) +11 = 16 Apheori (GM): Gravy can also manhandle it. Frezak (GM): I will if Radek fails. Well, try Apheori (GM): Radek: It smacks you - not hard enough to do much damage, but hard enough to hurt. Do you keep trying or back away? Ganelon: Back away. Ungrateful thing, biting the hand that feeds it. Frezak (GM): you never fed it Ganelon: It no longer needs to eat! The sphinx: Feed it, then. Feeeed it to me. Let me have it. Frezak (GM): I'll... gravyhandle it. Dave strokes the sphinx. Apheori (GM): Fine. You gravyhandle it toward a tank. The Gravedigger: it's for your own good! I'm sorry, Mr.Mousie. The sphinx: They takes it... Gaurav: Oooh, tank, good idea! The Gravedigger: BACK OFF, CAT The sphinx stalks toward it, ignoring Gravy. The Gravedigger: someone help me here? Amadi comes out of her tank, purring at the sphinx. Dave rubs against Amadi's legs, but seems too distracted to entirely stop. Amadi: Such a hunger, you'd eat the world if we let you. The sphinx rubs against Amadi's legs, but seems too distracted to entirely stop. Apheori (GM): Sorry, wrong one. Frezak (GM): DAVE EW Apheori (GM): >.> Ellemerr: That would've been amusing. Amadi picks up the sphinx. The sphinx purrs loudly - like a warning. Apheori (GM): The tank doesn't seem to want to shut. The Gravedigger: Damn. Amadi stuffs her head in the sphinx's fur and talks in a foreign language. Gaurav: Aw Frezak (GM): feast of fur! Apheori (GM): Radek: You notice it's probably because of how it was opened - emergency release vs... properly. Frezak (GM): can I force it shut? Using my consistent 1's on Str? Ganelon: Can it be reset? The sphinx sticks a pawful of claws on Amadi's shoulder and mutters something. Radek: Hold on. This was opened in a hurry. (From Amadi): Once upon a time the world was made of stories. Nothing was real and everything was delicious and there were no limits but imagination. (To Amadi): It's not just hunger. It's fear, release. There's something more, can feel it, can feel it. It's in there, and I must have it. Ganelon: Is it permanently damaged? Apheori (GM): Doesn't seem to be. Need to put the pieces back, basically. Ganelon: Another tech skills roll, then? Gaurav: Does the mouseforged seem any less nervous now? Especially since Devourer seems distracted? (From Amadi): Shush, dear, dear fearsome soul, dear dead one from the empty lands. These are important men. One of them's a Keeper. Let them try what they must and be patient, for a bit. (To Ellemerr): You'd need to tell it a really good story in order to overcome its hunger for the mouse's story. That story is huge. Apheori (GM): Slowly the sphinx relaxes, but it still stares at the mouse with hungry, hungry eyes. Dave realises her arm is covered in blood and stares at it in utter confusion. Ganelon: ...Is the Sphinx dying? Apheori (GM): The mouseforged seems to have given up hope and is just cowering again. Is it? Who knows! Rhu: (to Sphinx) What is up with you? I thought you only ate stories? (From Amadi): There was no patience in the world before the world. What the folk wanted, they would have, for they could imagine it and it would be there. There was no hunger, in the time before time, but for one: the hunger for something new. Something more. Ideas were made and realized and they filled the world, which grew and grew, and - Apheori (GM): Gan: Yeah, tech, sorry. Ganelon: rolling 1d20+11 ( 2 ) +11 = 13 YEEEAH Amadi: (in normal voice, to Rhu) Silence, if you please. Ganelon: Spent all my brilliance on the soul thing, apparently. Apheori (GM): You almost get it, but can't figure out where one of the pieces goes and the door mechanism falls apart. Amadi keeps muttering strange words to the sphinx. The sphinx falls into the rhythm of the words, purring, but still watches the mouseforged out of one eye. Apheori (GM): (I mean back to the state it was, not wrecked entirely.) Ganelon: Oh. Radek grumbles to himself. "Shoddy craftsmanship." Apheori (GM): Your modifier is sufficiently high that you'd need a 1 to wreck that entirely. It's not exactly high-tech. Ganelon: If I don't succeed, it's probably the fault of whoever built the thing! Apheori (GM): Totally. Bear Soup Guy: That's the spirit! Ganelon: Things seem to have calmed down, but I'll make another attempt. The sphinx: Arah. (From Amadi): One day, there were no more ideas. The world was full of everything that could be imagined. Imagination had run dry. The folk had grew weary of the hunger, purring within them, but they were tired. They could think of nothing more to sate it with. Gaurav: I imagine Radek accidently improves it while trying to fix it. Ganelon: "Aha! Now it will NEVER open!" The sphinx: This story... The sphinx hisses and bits Amadi's ear. Frezak (GM): Ear damage Rhu: HEY! Amadi looks scorned, and gently puts the sphinx down. Amadi: Have it your way, then. Apheori (GM): Amadi: You get the impression you've scared the sphinx. Really scared it. Like this story has meaning to it... Ellemerr: Well of course it does~ Rhu: (to Amadi) You okay? Apheori (GM): Heh. Yeeees. Ellemerr: And now you won't be hearing the end of it. The sphinx backs away from Amadi, looking around uncertainly. Ganelon: You heartless wench. Telling the sphinx a story and not us. Amadi: I got a cat bite in my ear. Radek: I can fix that. Dave: Inside it? The Gravedigger: How did you do that? Tell me how to do that! PLeeeease Ganelon: TELL ME HOW TO SCARE THE CAT Amadi: Do what? Put... cat bites in your ear? Dave examines the ear. The Gravedigger: Make the cat run away. Dave: It appears to be bleeding. Amadi: I think you pluck them off trees. I'm pretty sure you do. Then you... store them, for a while. In jars. With pickle-juice. I have blood inside. It's a nice thing to have. It's supposed to stay inside, I think. Dave: Oh. Greibel: rolling 1d20+10 Greibel perceptions around this corner of the room since he's still over here and there's a bunch of upturned desks and crazy stuff here ( 3 ) +10 = 13 Amadi: You have blood inside, too. Isn't that glorious? Dave looks down at her arm. "So I should probably fix this." Amadi: Probably. Poor sphinx. He's been there for so long... Apheori (GM): Greibel: The skeleton has some things you could loot. The desks are pretty messed up and their stuff is all over the floor. Radek: Are you /all/ dying over there? Apheori (GM): Also that box. Rhu: (to Greibel) Do you know anything about the care and pacification of large fierce felines? Apheori (GM): With the talk folks' stuff. Gaurav: "Talk folks"? Amadi: I'm only dying if sphinx infected me with something. I don't think it can do that. Dave: Where? Apheori (GM): Tank folks* Ellemerr: I'm totally a tank folk. Apheori (GM): Totally. Gaurav: HUH Greibel: (to Rhu) A housecat - piece of cake. A mountain lion - fun challenge. This thing... (throws his arms up) Amadi: I wonder what it's like to have an infection... Gaurav: That could be useful Dave: Where was the sphinx? I should know this, but I don't. Rhu stays where he is and doesn't take his eyes off the sphinx Dave: At least I think I should? Amadi: You really don't know a whole lot of things, you know. Rhu suddenly realises what Dave is saying Dave: Yes. Rhu: (to Dave) Oh! I know this. He was in the City of the Dead. I think that's what it was. Amadi: Poor little dear in the deadlands... Rhu: Everybody was dead, and there was a tower. Amadi: Did it fly? Rhu: He came back with me. I think Hazz'ridan might have sent us both back. Via a beach, as I recall. No, but it kept changing. It was pretty weird. Amadi: You're probably not important enough. Amadi shrugs. Dave: Are there livelands? Rhu: This seems likely. Livelands? Frezak (GM): A TOWER? Dave: I don't know. There should be live lands if there are dead lands. I should have a name, and a past. There are people here, but what is here? Why am I here? Gaurav: Did Gravy say that? Frezak (GM): No, Me. A GIANT TENTACLY FACE? Amadi: Be Dawn. You're not quite Dave, after all. Rhu: (to Dave) Just be glad you're here. We were on Sarathi. It was awful. Holes everywhere. Amadi: Or be... Tanzania. Amadi shrugs. Gaurav: No face. Lots of tentacles, though. They were cold and enveloping. Frezak (GM): Heh. Ellemerr: Any masks? Frezak (GM): Someone mentioned a ... box? Dave: Dawn. Who is Dave? Apheori (GM): There's a box in the corner. Bear Soup Guy: Right, I should be looking through the box I guess Frezak (GM): THat thing top-left? Amadi gives Dawn a pointed look. "You're not Dave." Gaurav: Ellemerr: Not in through the Hole Rhu fell through, but a woman did give us a mask carved on a rock when we arrived in this town. Frezak (GM): Anyone done anything to it? Greibel looks through the box and the skeleton corpse Dave: Are you, then? Gaurav: BSG: Don't let the box eat you! Bear Soup Guy: Oh, that thing up there is totally a chest Amadi smiles the sort of smile someone smiles when other people do what the smiler wants them to. "No." Frezak (GM): ohhhh Bear Soup Guy: And it looks like a coffin AIn't going near that Apheori (GM): Skeleton has a dented ring and some coins lodged in its spine. Frezak (GM): REVEAL YOUR SECRETS UNTO ME No gems in it's gold-plated legbones? Apheori (GM): Box got distorted because this thing uses the alt key to not align to grid and that's a window manager function. Bear Soup Guy: rolling 1d20+2 inspect the ring for magicks ( 12 ) +2 = 14 Apheori (GM): IT MIGHT HAVE MAGICS. Or it might just be dirty. Bear Soup Guy: CLOSE ENOUGH Gaurav: Lodged to its spine, eeks. Greibel takes out the ring and puts it on, admiring it and rubbing it a bit Ganelon: Pah. Frezak (GM): I'm just going to go and be brave and try to open it. Ellemerr: Genie?! Ganelon: Your magicks are soggy. Bear Soup Guy: "I AM THE GENIE OF THE RING!" "DON'T ASK HOW I GOT INSIDE A RING. IT'S COMPLICATED." Frezak (GM): THINGS COME IN BOXES I GOT THIS Rhu takes up a position beside Gravy, just in case. Frezak (GM): Wood. Gaurav: Hey, if it is a coffin, it's right up Gravy's alley Frezak (GM): Maybe step behind me? i'm made to take damage. Apheori (GM): Frezak: Box has a bunch of random things. Looks like some implements, rations, clothes, armour, a few books, some weapons, a black mask, and a really mouldy piece of cheese. Frezak (GM): Yeah! Gaurav: Ew. Frezak (GM): MASK Rhu: Ew. Frezak (GM): And what KIND of armour/weapons? Bear Soup Guy: yay armor Ganelon: That's a lot of stuff. Amadi pokes Dawn. "Would you tell our dear that it's too scared of the end and it shouldn't be? I don't think it'll listen to me for a while yet..." Apheori (GM): Some rotten leather armour (no, you don't know how that happened), a set of chainmail, a few daggers, a longsword, some kind of rod/wand. Rhu flips through the books Apheori (GM): The books are in several languages. ROLL HISTORY. Ganelon: History! Rhu: rolling 1d20+3 HISORY THE HECK OUT OF THAT SHIT ( 12 ) +3 = 15 Gaurav: er (From Ellemerr): I can read those, eh? Gaurav: that is inadequate historage Apheori (GM): Dude, this one looks like deresi. You can read them all, the question was if you'd recognise any. Frezak (GM): I'll toss the rodwand at the Artificer. Apheori (GM): Well, you could have more than recognised, but you didn't. So neener. Ellemerr: Hah Ganelon: A rodwand, eh? Ellemerr: Silly Hazz... Gaurav: :( Dave asks Amadi if she knows how to fix her arm. Frezak (GM): rodwandthing Apheori (GM): I don't know the difference between rods and wands, okay? >.> Gaurav: What is deresi? Frezak (GM): Rods are wider and shorter. More like a whacking stick than a poking stick. Apheori (GM): A language. The deresi people aren't very well-liked, beyond being like the common understanding of gypsies you don't really know anything about it. I guess it's a rod. Amadi: You... put the blood back, and... no, you probably just puts the skin back, and then the blood will... respawn. Or make more. One of those. You could ask sphinx to lick it, but I don't think it is sphinx saliva that has healing properties... Ganelon: Is it magical? (To Ellemerr): Sphinx saliva actually does have healing properties here. XD Apheori (GM): Yes! Ganelon: How magical!? What does it DO? (From Amadi): Well... ooops? xD Apheori (GM): I have no idea. Ganelon: BAH. (To Amadi): Pfft. You meant what you said. Bear Soup Guy: Greibel could probably take it if Gan doesn't want it Gaurav: It might just be a +1 rod or something? Bear Soup Guy: Druids use wand rod things, right? Ganelon: I don't think so. Frezak (GM): I think they use both. Gaurav: I need implements. Implements of Hazz. Frezak (GM): Oh, druids. No. Amadi: I always mean what I say, but do I say what I mean? Bear Soup Guy: Right now he has a staff which seems similar Oh okay Amadi looks puzzled. Dave: What? Frezak (GM): Druids have Staves and Totems. Ganelon: Rhu uses holy symbols and Greibel uses staves. Rods are... warlock things. Bear Soup Guy: Ah totem, that was the other thing Frezak (GM): Artificers use rods too. Also INvokers. Dave: I do not think the sphinx is in much of a mood to help. Frezak (GM): Are the daggers/sword any good? Amadi: Tell him he's too scared of the end. It probably won't help, but it should still be said. Apheori (GM): One of the daggers is covered in green rust. The other is black. The sword looks quite nice. Frezak (GM): A black dagger? Rhu: (to Dave) I don't mind that he doesn't want to help. I mind that the next time we're fighting someone, he's probably going to be on both sides at once. Ellemerr: I want the rust! Dibs on the rust! Frezak (GM): Black metal, or coating? Apheori (GM): They don't seem to be magical, but you have no idea what to make of the dagger. It's just... black. May not even be metal. No light bounces off it. The Gravedigger: Radek, any of this magical? This dagger at least looks weird. Radek: Let me see that. Gaurav: What are the stats on the sword? Dave: (to the sphinx) Ghezrau? Rhu: I have a bad feeling about that dagger. Dave: Are you... afraid of the end? The Gravedigger: generally things that eat light are probably bad, yes. Ganelon: rolling 1d20+11 Arcana for identifying of the magicks. ( 12 ) +11 = 23 Apheori (GM): This the dager? dagger Ganelon: Yeah. Apheori (GM): You have no idea. Rhu: rolling 1d20+8 religion check on that dagger ( 9 ) +8 = 17 Apheori (GM): The sword is well-made, kind of fancy but still practical. It's probably a +1 too. Frezak (GM): ooh Ellemerr: I like "kind of fancy but still practical" Apheori (GM): Rhu: It reminds you of the sea. And the tentacles. Rhu: I imagine my maul does more damage than that, though. Frezak (GM): I think Rhu is the only one that can even use one. Ganelon: We can use anything magical. Frezak (GM): longsword, shortsword, or greatsword? Ganelon: Thanks to meeee Apheori (GM): Longsword. Frezak (GM): Oh, right. Yeah, that's true. Radek can just shift the +1 to something. Examinings on the Chainmail? The sphinx stares at Dave sullenly. Ganelon: Actually I need to pick up that ritual. Rhu: Er, could somebody please look up the damage dice on a longsword? I don't have PHB1 with me right now. Gaurav: Sorry ooc Ganelon: Otherwise I just have the much less efficient "disenchant and then slap +1 on a thing" method. Frezak (GM): longswords are 1D8 Ganelon: It's a +3 1d8. +3 is attack. Gaurav: Thanks! My maul is +3 vs AC (although my powers let me use my WIS, which is +5) with 2d6 damage, so I think I'll stick with my maul? Rhu: There's ... something familiar about that dagger. Apheori (GM): The chainmail isn't very interesting. Rhu: Could I please hold it? The Gravedigger: What, it's a dagger from the world of the dead? Sure, but I'll go stand over here.... Radek: Well, I can't make sense of the thing. Apheori (GM): It's a good material, but that's all. Rhu: No, from the other place. The beach. And the tentacles. It's something with do with Hazz'ridan. Amadi: Tentacles! Rhu picks up the dagger Rhu: May I keep it? Frezak (GM): IT EXPLODES INTO BATGOATS Dave: I think that might be mine. Gaurav: uggg no not the batgoats Dave: I hear it singing. Radek: I could run tests, but... not tonight. Amadi turns to see the sphinx leave. Frezak (GM): That doesn't sound good. Radek: I'll be busy enough tonight as-is. Dave: Gleaming like dark suns. The sphinx wanders off and disappears. Amadi: Like the poo of the rhino who ate the moon! Amadi giggles. Dave frowns, then nods. Rhu looks at the dagger, then up at Dave Rhu: (to Dave) You should have it then. Dave: I... Dave hesitates. Dave: I don't want to touch it. The Gravedigger: Buy a glove! Amadi giggles more, then breaks into laughter. Gaurav: But not a glove made of light. It'd just eat it. Rhu: Are you sure? I could hold on to it until you need it again. Dave visibly relaxes. Dave: Please do. Amadi stops abruptly. Frezak (GM): Glove made of fish. Apheori (GM): Gross. Frezak (GM): It's what rich people have. Ellemerr: Chocolate buttons. Gaurav: Just stuff your hand down a fish's gullet and call it a day. Frezak (GM): SO, ABOUT THIS MASK. Ellemerr: MASK BLACK MASK Is it lace? Frezak (GM): Liquorice. Flies. Gaurav: Yum. Ganelon: Porcelain. Ellemerr: Black. Lace. Mask. Very fancy. Got this sort of symbol on it. Apheori (GM): The mask is for the top half of the face, it's black, lacy and sparkly, and while it has eye holes, they're covered with more black. Gaurav: This sounds familiar. Ellemerr: It has swirls going off on the sides and the top. The top-swirls look sort of fiery. Frezak (GM): DOES IT FIT GRAY? *gravy (From Ellemerr): Does it belong to someone? Gaurav: If it doesn't, you can tie it between your horns. (To Ellemerr): You and/or Davedawnfragment. Rhu wanders over to check in on Mr. Mousie. Apheori (GM): It doesn't look like it'd fit Gravy, judging by the relative sizes. Frezak (GM): bah Amadi: That mask isn't mine. Amadi looks very intently on it. Amadi: at* Give it here. Gaurav: don't she'll eat it Dave picks up the chainmail and slips it on. Dave: A chainmail shirt. For the office warrior. Amadi: Dave. Is this Dave's stuff? All of it? Gaurav: Now I'm imagining a chainmail with a built-in, chainmail tie. Dave: You said it wasn't yours. Amadi points at Dave, sort of accusingly. "You're not Dave." Dave: Are you? Amadi frowns. Amadi: ... No. Gaurav: Who's playing Dave? Is it Ellemerr or Apheori? Or both? Is it a Mystery? Ellemerr: Mystery plays Dave Apheori (GM): I'm playing Dave. Ellemerr: Or so she would have us believe. Dave rubs her temple. "Ow..." Dave: So many words, so many phrases. What do they all go to? Gaurav: What's Mr. Mousie up to in his tank? Dave: It's not... supposed to hurt to think, is it? Apheori (GM): Gaurav: Hiding from you. Amadi: You're so full of holes! Amadi throws her arms in the air in frustration, then grabs the mask and thrusts it at Dawn. Ganelon: Alright, can I heal check on Not-Dave here to make sure she's not dying? Amadi: WEAR IT! Dave takes it sceptically, then after a moment, puts it on. Gaurav: Aw, poor mousie. Apheori (GM): Suddenly all of Dave is covered in a sheen of black, apparently emanating from the mask. Gan: You totally can, though I promise nothing while she's wearing that. Rhu: (to Greibel) Can you get through to the mouseforged? Amadi narrows her eyes at Dawn. Greibel: I can give it a try Amadi: Tell me your name. Greibel: Easier while he's stuck in one spot I imagine. Although if I were trapped in that tank I don't think I'd be too willing to speak with my captors. Rhu: (to Dave) WOAH SHINY The Gravedigger: Magic! Radek: Hrmph. Amadi: Tell me your NAME. Bear Soup Guy: Did I miss the part where Dave put on a Mask of +1 Attraction? O_o Dave: Names. Ellemerr: Possibly. Bear Soup Guy: Well Greibel wants to talk to the mouse now Dave: Names! I don't know! There are too many, so many names! Amadi: TELL ME YOUR NAME! Greibel: rolling 1d20+12 Nature talk with mouse ( 8 ) +12 = 20 Rhu: rolling 1d20+8 religion check to ask for Hazz'ridan's blessing in helping shiny!Dave come to term with herself ( 7 ) +8 = 15 Dave rips off the mask and throws it at Amadi. Dave: I DON'T KNOW! If it's mine of if it's hers or if it belongs to the dreamer or the other dreamer or the dreams because they all dream and there are always names. So many names. Broken names, known names, names that are traded, names that change, and they're all there and not there and... gods, what... Dave falls to her knees, clutching her head. Amadi looks bitterly at Dawn, bends to pick up the mask, and blinks in and out of existence as she picks it up. The Gravedigger: Oh, great. Another insane magic lady. Apheori (GM): Greibel: You get through to it this time. Talk. Ganelon: Is Dave back to "normal" with the mask this time? Er, with it off? Apheori (GM): Right, when she took off the mask the black went away. And Amadi took the mask with her when she disappeared. Or did she disappear? Greibel: (to the mouse) Hello? I'm sorry that you're locked up like this but my friends were afraid you might hurt us. Are you alright? Apheori (GM): Did she just blink? Ganelon: rolling 1d20+8 Heal ( 19 ) +8 = 27 Ellemerr: I thought I just blinked. I considered disappearing. Hazz'ridan sends Rhu a vague and not very helpful warning. Ganelon: Nice token. Apheori (GM): Okay, then them ask blinked with you. Sorry. >.< Ellemerr: Cool. Gaurav: did she just blink once, or is she ... flickering? Rhu looks around nervously Rhu: rolling 1d20+12 perception check to hear any sounds from outside the room ( 2 ) +12 = 14 Apheori (GM): Greibel: The mouseforged calms down a bit and makes some strange noises. You think it's asking you why it can't... feel. Frezak (GM): Jesus. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, RADEK? WHAT HAVE YOU MADE Ganelon: Science. Duh. Frezak (GM): Oh, right. Amadi sighs, her anger draining. She stuffs the mask into several layers of clothing that might conceal a pocket. "Gods indeed... I'll envy you your holes, little sisterling." Frezak (GM): Ew. Amadi: I'll hold on to this. It's not mine, after all. Frezak (GM): Ladyholes. Ganelon: I still need results from that heal check. Apheori (GM): Gan: You check out Dave. Her arm seems to have already mostly healed, despite the amount of blood. Her head, though, gives you concern - she seems to be in serious distress, like a stroke or something. Ganelon: Ah. Greibel: (to the mouse) Ah...I don't know much about this. My friend over there with the constant stare of disapproval put your soul into some sort of machine man? You were dead, and he brought you back with this evidently more functional body. I can see you're having some time to adjust to it however. Gaurav: Huh. Rhu walks over to both doors, first the north, then the south, and peers out to see if he can see anybody or hear anything Rhu: rolling 1d20+12 perception checks through the doors if that helps ( 1 ) +12 = 13 Gaurav: This is good Frezak (GM): YOU CREATE A TRAP Apheori (GM): Greibel: You don't think the mouseforged really understands any of that, but it seems happy with the attention. Gaurav: I'm getting all the low rolls out of the die Frezak (GM): There wasn't one. But there is now. Greibel: Hmmm Apheori (GM): Rhu: You see a sphinx fly out of the corridor to attack you. Frezak (GM): RHUUUUUU Greibel stops trying to convey a whole lot of meaning and just continues to say words in an encouraging tone Ellemerr: Sorry! I TRIED to calm it! Apheori (GM): On second glance you realise it was just a shadow playing tricks on you. There's nothing there. Rhu: AAAAAAAAAAAA Rhu falls over backwards Rhu: which door was that? Apheori (GM): South. Ganelon: Alright, so. Rhu gets up The Gravedigger: RHU Ganelon: I'm going to separate Dave and Amadi here. The Gravedigger: What happened? Ganelon: And just drag the former somewhere else. Rhu: I -- there was a shadow. It played tricks on me! Always count the shadows. Or something. Ganelon: Or attempt to. I mean, I can't really force any such thing when my strength is 8. Apheori (GM): She is incredibly light. You have no trouble at all moving her. Rhu: I don't like this room. We should move on. The Gravedigger: Yeah. I think we're done here. Radek: You need to stop talking to Amadi. Greibel: (to Rhu) What don't you like about it, the corpses or the ruins of questionably legal scientific meddling? Amadi: I'm NOT Amadi. SHE isn't Dave! Amadi grumbles and stomps off. The Gravedigger: Hey, sandwich lady. What's going on? Radek: Particularly because you seem to care about what she says and it's causing you stress. Dave whispers something unintelligible and then just lies there. Gaurav: Hey, what's wrong with Dave? sorry, ic Rhu: Hey, what's wrong with Dave? Amadi: You don't want to know. Nobody wants to know. You're all hiding in your holes. The Gravedigger: Hey! I dig holes! I can't hide in them! Have to be outside to dig holes! Amadi looks sullenly at the shadows in the corridor. The Gravedigger: DOn't they teach you kids anything these days? Oh dear. Now I sound like Radek. Apheori (GM): The shadows look back and blink. Gaurav: This party is polarizing around an Amadi-Radek continuum Ack Never trust shadows that play tricks with you. It only gives them ideas. Amadi waves at the shadows. Rhu examines Dave Rhu: rolling 1d20+10 heal check on Dave ( 18 ) +10 = 28 Radek: Anyway, you should stop thinking for a while if you want to recover. Dave smiles at Radek. Radek: I recommend unconsciousness. Apheori (GM): Rhu: She segfaulted. Radek: Sleep if you feel like being wasteful. Ganelon: Explain, please. Apheori (GM): But seriously, it looks like a stroke to you as well. Ellemerr: What's that mean` Apheori (GM): Bad joke. >.> Ellemerr: Still, what's it mean? Gaurav: Rhu is not technically adept enough to get that bad joke. Apheori (GM): When a program accesses memory out of bounds, it crashes. I think that's a segfault, unless I'm mixing that up with something else. Gaurav: Ellemerr: she tried to look up a memory location that doesn't exist. Ganelon: That's a null reference exception. (To Ellemerr): Which is exactly what happened. Ganelon: But it might also be a segfault. (From Ellemerr): BWAHAHAHAHAHA Ellemerr: AWESOME Ganelon: There, my obligation as Team Medic is done. Apheori (GM): So Dave takes Radek's advice and falls unconscious. Gaurav: What is a stroke like in our current time period? Should we be hustling to get her to a hospital, or are our medkits sophisticated enough to deal iwth the occasional brain/bleeding problem? Apheori (GM): Except Rhu notices she might actually just be dead. Rhu: Um. Apheori (GM): Radek too if he's still paying attention. Gaurav: rolling 1d20+10 heal check on Dave to see if she really is dead ( 1 ) +10 = 11 OOOOOOF Ganelon: You and your 1s. Apheori (GM): RHU KILLED DAVE. Gaurav: Rhu constructs a trap on Dave's face Amadi sits down and extends a hand to the shadows. Gaurav: "I'm sorry, did you need this trachea?" Ganelon: I probably am not still playing attention. I'm gonna go check up on Project Mouseforged. Apheori (GM): The shadows approach slowly, drifting about like black snow. Radek: How are communications coming along? Apheori (GM): Okay, so Rhu probably thinks he killed Dave. Gaurav: Well that's depressing Rhu: ... guys I think Dave's dead Radek: ...What? Rhu: I don't know, she seemed fine, and then ... I don't know Frezak (GM): I poke Dave. Amadi is muttering to the shadows. Dave is poked. Rhu keeps checking on Dave, trying to see if she's breathing and whatnot, all of this under the effect of the 1 I suppose Rhu: I ... I think I messed something up Apheori (GM): The shadows whisper back, comforting, distrusting, full of grime. Radek: Out of my way. Rhu: She was having some kind of stroke, and I tried to see what it was ... (From Amadi): (shadowlanguage?) There you are, half by half, there you're not. You're all bits and pieces, are you not? Do the pieces fit together? If one is lost, what happens then? If one piece of the puzzle doesn't fit with its sibling... Apheori (GM): She's not breathing or anything. Rhu steps out of Radek's way, still mumbling nervously to himself (From Amadi): And if one piece is lost, what will happen to the whole...? (To Amadi): This isn't it. This wasn't. The pieces hungered, the bits were lost. The puzzle Ganelon: I'll use an infusion on her. (To Amadi): 's gone, the world. The mouse knows. Do you know? Where. No. You can't know. Nobody can know. Nothing nobody. This is it. You are here. Well is welllll. Rhu mumbles a prayer to Hazz'ridan Ellemerr: If it's any consolation, if she keeps being dead it was my fault. Frezak (GM): Epinephrine spike! Apheori (GM): Do it. Ganelon: They wake up dying unconscious people just like all other heal abilities. Rhu: rolling 1d20+8 religion check ( 9 ) +8 = 17 Ganelon: And if she's at negative HP, it becomes her surge value +2. Frezak (GM): Except she'd wake up with Radek over her face. And maybe choose to go back to being dead. Amadi mutters, "All is well, and those who know cannot be." Gaurav: Frezak: The city of the dead is full of sphnixes. Sphinxes EVERYWHERE (To Rhu): You didn't kill her. You couldn't. (To Rhu): She and Amadi are mirrors, keys. Guard them. They will see you through. Ganelon: That's a risk we must take. Gaurav: If I died and went there, I'd probably kiss Radek when I got back. Ganelon: Also, more likely she'd just have a face full of beard. The sphinx walks out of the shadows and approaches Amadi. Ganelon: It's longer than I am tall. Apheori (GM): XD Frezak (GM): I HAVE PASSED DEATH INTO THE CLOUDS Apheori (GM): Quite the beard. Frezak (GM): EW. Amadi: There you are. I was just going to try to find you. Frezak (GM): THESE CLOUDS SMELL. Rhu looks over Radek's shoulder The sphinx jumps onto Amadi's lab and hisses something about stories. Rhu: Any luck? Amadi: If you ate the mouse's story, could you give any of it back? Stuff pieces in a hairball? Apheori (GM): What does a surge do? The sphinx: The pieces are there. The words... I can give a story same as take. A smaller one. For words. Amadi: I think we need a... a bezoar. From the belly. For the poison. Ganelon: It restores HP. Your surge value is 1/4 your max HP, rounded down. The sphinx: Poison. Ganelon: But that's mechanics. Basically, this heals her and should wake her up if there's anything wrong. The sphinx: Okay, she wakes up. Apheori (GM): Oops. Anyway, she wakes up. Gaurav: Are we going to have to bezoar this? Apheori (GM): But she's still not breathing. Rhu: Oh THANK GOD Gaurav: huh? Frezak (GM): Shit. UNDEAD. RHUUUUU Amadi: brb Dave: What? Ganelon: While Rhu is distracted I rob him of two healing surges. (If his player will allow this) Frezak (GM): You sure? I have... 13. I am made of solid surges. Ganelon: Well it's not like we can't heal him with yours if he runs out. Artificer healing is weird! Gaurav: Oh, he's HORRIBLY distracted. His passive perception is 22, though, so you might have to be sneaky Apheori (GM): So Dave's just lying there staring weakly up at Radek. Probably because of the beard. Rhu: (to Dave) Hey! You okay? Apheori (GM): I don't think she fully grasped its... extent before. Gaurav: Does she actually grasp its extent? Apheori (GM): I doubt it. Ganelon: Good. Radek: She's still dead. Rhu: No, she isn't. Look at her! She's still a bit out of it, yes ... Ellemerr: Right. I should be back. Sorry about that, my keyboard died. I'm sure nobody missed me. Dave tries to sit up and grabs Radek's beard by accident. Apheori (GM): The sphinx didn't notice. Rhu: Hazz'ridan said she was a key or a mirror, I'm not sure which. But she's important. As is ... Amadi? I think he meant that one (indicates Amadi) We're supposed to guard them. Which I suppose involves not killing them. (mumbles) Sorry about that. Radek: Hey! Rhu unconsciously makes a hand-washing gesture with his hands Radek: Hands off the hair. I'm not a ladder. The Gravedigger: That's true. He's not a ladder. I have seen ladders. And they don't look like grumpy old men. Dave: Sorry, love. Radek: I'm not /that/ either. Dave falls back and stares at the ceiling like it's utterly fascinating. Greibel: Cheer up, grumpy old love The Gravedigger: Yes you are. Ganelon: She's still not breathing? Greibel smirks (From Amadi): (in sphinx-head) They don't want you to eat the mouse's story. They won't like it if you do. The Gravedigger: You lovable grumpy old man, you. Apheori (GM): Only enough to form words. Other than that, no. Ganelon: Does she have... a pulse? Apheori (GM): Nope. Ellemerr: Did anyone check if she did before? Apheori (GM): Nope. The Gravedigger: SO, we going now? Gaurav: Does Rhu notice that she's now undead? On the one hand, she's sitting up and talking, and seems sensible enough. But Rhu has some experience with the undead. Apheori (GM): Well, actually, neither Rhu nor Radek noticed it not being there. Before. But she was having some kind of stroke. What kinds of undead would he have experience with? Ganelon: When you say experience... Apheori (GM): XD Gaurav: Gan: shut your face Ganelon: Do you mean "read it on the internet" experience? Frezak (GM): I thought there weren't undead where we came from? Ellemerr: Tell me when you want the end. I'll see what I can get from the... Ellemerr pats the sphinx and goes back into the room. Ganelon: Oh, come on. I'm not needling for THAT kind. Frezak (GM): LIke, since a super long time? Gaurav: I dunno. I kind of imagine that there are minor undead outbreaks, which is why Avengers even have powers targetting undead? Apheori (GM): Right. They do sometimes come up, but only... very specific kinds. Not zombies. Amadi pokes the glass of the tank of the Mouseforged. Frezak (GM): Rhu back home: "ONE DAY they will COME! And I'll be READY! I'll show them! They said I was MAD!" Gaurav: Maybe he's only fought skeletons so far? Ellemerr: And that previous thing was also IC. Apheori (GM): There was a kind of engineered vampire that became popular for awhile, for instance. Greibel: (To Amadi) Care to give it a try? I only seem to be conveying vague emotions at the moment. Ganelon: Was it a pea? Apheori (GM): Skeletons might happen sometimes with too many teenagers around. The sphinx follows Amadi. Gaurav: Is undeadness like a disease which breaks out, or is there always someone who has to animate the undead? Dave: Gravedigger, would you help me up please? Gaurav: breaks out by itself Amadi: (to Mouseforged) Do you even know what you know? You should tell the Keeper. You're much better off telling the Keeper. Frezak (GM): I LIFT HER With manly arms. Well. Elfy arms, technically. Mouseforged asks Greibel if it wants the it. Gaurav: I've never met an elf who didn't want the it. Apheori (GM): Gravy: You wind up picking her up well off the ground and realise half her weight seems to be chainmail. Greibel: I, um...yes. Yes, I certainly do want the it. That is if you're willing to part with....it. The Gravedigger: You're super light. Some kind of diet? Apheori (GM): Her wings dangle somewhat uselessly. Dave: I don't think so? Frezak (GM): Does she LOOK undernourished? Mouseforged tells Greibel about large spaces, with noises and hunters and food. Ganelon: I'm pretty sure that's not it. Mouseforged then tells Greibel about the silence, the noise, and the smell. The dangerous feelings. The air that hunted. The death. Ganelon: Radek's undernourished and you would still need to put in some kind of effort to pick him up. Amadi looks at the Mouseforged with hungry eyes. Mouseforged then talks about the silence. The dead food. The dead hunters. The no space in the large spaces. Frezak (GM): Hey, Gravy isn't a doctor. Apheori (GM): She doesn't look malnourished. Greibel: Right. Of course. It's okay, the death is over now. You've been given new life. You can be something more. Frezak (GM): Technically, he's an underdtaker. *undertaker Mouseforged: Hunter? Ganelon: Griebel seems pretty okay with the whole "animal soul in a machine" thing. Amadi says in something almost less than a whisper, "Don't be giving it ideas..." Frezak (GM): Well, the animal soul was preserved... The sphinx: Prey. Bear Soup Guy: Greibel's frustrated with Radek for messing with the balance of nature and science that way, but he understands his motivations Ganelon: He does? Amadi strokes the sphinx and purrs. Genuinely. Apheori (GM): Isn't Greibel's wisdom through the roof? Ganelon: Or does he just think it was to be nice and save a formerly-living mouse's life? The sphinx purrs in tandem. Frezak (GM): Radeks motivations are science. Ganelon: Exactly! Frezak (GM): Gravy pushed it on Radek because HE wanted Mr.Mousie back. Ganelon: I did it for PROGRESS! Also to show off. Maybe. A bit. Bear Soup Guy: He does allow some leeway because it did save the mouse's soul, and also he's intrigued by the whole affair Gaurav: Should humans even be able to purr? Dave: (to Gravy) You know, you're very tall. Ellemerr: They really shouldn't. Bear Soup Guy: He's still making up his mind about whether it's ethical or not, and he figures Radek is the guy to find out since he has the know-how The Gravedigger: Healthy living. Apheori (GM): Also, as a general note, the chainmail didn't have wing holes. She just put it on over her wings. Ganelon: So when it said "hunter", was it in a language we could all understand? Apheori (GM): Radek may or may not notice how strange it looks. Ganelon: Fixing that would take time. Apheori (GM): The sphinx used the same language as Greibel. Ellemerr: He means the mouse. Forged. Apheori (GM): Oh, right. Ganelon: Actually it might even take skills he doesn't have to make holes in the chainmail. Apheori (GM): The sphinx said the opposite. Nobody understood the mouse except Greibel and maybe Amadi. Ganelon: Alright. Ellemerr: Maybe the sphinx, too. Apheori (GM): Maybe. Gaurav: There isn't any way the Mouseforged might remember what the Warforged was up to back before it was Moused, is there? Apheori (GM): Unlikely. Ganelon: I don't think so. It's just a shell. Apheori (GM): The sphinx could eat it and find out, though. But only Amadi knows that and she don't want it. Ellemerr: Well, that's not quite it, either. Apheori (GM): Nope. Ellemerr: But she has been keeping it from it. Apheori (GM): I oversimplify. Ellemerr: I know. Apheori (GM): Is Gravedigger still holding Dave? Frezak (GM): No, I let her go. Apheori (GM): Okay. Dave: Am I dead? Amadi yawns, without breaking off the purring, and says to Greibel in a tired voice, "Knowledge is hard. It's difficult. Holes are simple. Sometimes when you get knowledge, you don't use it to plug your holes, because it's scary. But you... you should... at least consider. Probably. I think." Gaurav: I honestly have no idea why Rhu is up to, so let's just say he's praying to Hazz'ridan in thankgiving for bringing Dave back from the dead. Radek: From a medical perspective, yes. Dave: But that should only work for a few minutes at most. Greibel: (To Amadi) I feel like you know more than you appear to. I'd like to learn from you but that's proving rather difficult. Apheori (GM): XD Ganelon: He's not talking about the medicine, he's saying that a doctor would declare her dead Amadi: Well... maybe in time... maybe when it doesn't leak out... maybe when I'm... someone else. Greibel: Fair enough Greibel goes back to speaking with the mouse Amadi saunters tiredly over to Dave, her purring dying away. "I'm glad you're not a missing piece, even if you are so full of holes." Then she gives Dawn a little hug and falls asleep on her chest and disappears. Apheori (GM): She may be talking about something else, then. Dave pauses for a bit, and then just says, 'Okay'. Ellemerr: Or on her shoulder. Whatever's convinient. Apheori (GM): SHE'S LEARNING. Ellemerr: I'm a dreadful teacher. And I claim no further responsibilities for the sphinx. The sphinx tries to squeeze past Greibel and stares at the mouseforged. Ellemerr: Also, goodnight and sweet nightmares and good games. Radek: That's the spirit. Just stop listening to lunatics and I guarantee you'll feel better for it. Bear Soup Guy: Bye Ellemerr! Apheori (GM): Sweet nightmares. Gaurav: Good night, Ellemerr! Radek: As for your current situation... Dave: Yes? Radek glances behind him, at the Mouseforged. Dave looks as well. The porridge suddenly hops onto Greibel's shoulder. Radek: I could put you in that if your body's about to shut down. Greibel looks back at Radek incredulously Dave looks at it for a bit, then frowns at Radek. Greibel: Oh, I see. So you'd put this creature through the torment and fear of this experience of being in this unknown and unfamiliar body, after having lived through death itself, and then you would just as quickly snatch away its sudden opportunity at a second life. Dave: I think it already has. I'm not alive. I'm not dead, either. Greibel: You graduated from Mad Scientist University, I presume Radek: What? Don't be ridiculous. I'd build a mouse body first! Dave: This is my body. I'm not parting with it. Radek: It would be a perfect opportunity to study the workings of a Warforged shell! Dave: Even if I am some sort of zombie or something. Greibel contemplates the mouseforged (From Ellemerr): That's my Dawn! Especially since we might need that body. Damn, leaving is hard. I'm doing it now I swear! Dave: Am I a zombie? Radek shrugs. "Suit yourself." Greibel: I think it would prefer a mouse body, yes. Dave tries to remember what she did to the skeletons, and then tries it on herself. Gaurav: What did she do to the skeletons? Apheori (GM): She sent out a burst of radiant energy that hurt them. Gaurav: So she's attacking herself? Apheori (GM): rolling 1d10 + 10 ( 10 ) +10 = 20 Ganelon: Radek wouldn't just /kick out/ the mouse soul. Apheori (GM): Yes. Ganelon: That's not nearly deranged enough! Apheori (GM): And I think she may have killed herself. Frezak (GM): Again? Apheori (GM): XD Ganelon: He'd either try to put two souls in one body or build a second one. Bear Soup Guy: I underestimated Radek's ingenuity =D Greibel just sees Unethical Science Person Frezak (GM): BUT RADEK IS UNETHICAL SCIENCE PERSON Ganelon: He may or may not have graduated from Mad Scientist University, though. Apheori (GM): RHU: What's your anti-unded power? Ganelon: I do not deny this allegation. Frezak (GM): It was one of those correspondence courses for mad scientists; Bear Soup Guy: ^ Frezak (GM): because haveing a physical shcool would be bad. Bear Soup Guy: He got a certificate Gaurav: It's "abjure undead" Apheori (GM): Ah. Okay. Gaurav: "You send a brilliant ray of radiant power at an undead foe, compelling it to stagger toward you." Ganelon: Or just explode, apparently. Frezak (GM): It's a radiant laser lasso. Apheori (GM): So not quite what Dave did. Gaurav: I think maybe all the Divine classes have special and unique anti-undead powers Apheori (GM): So Dave almost killed herself again with a blast of radiant damage. She falls over and says 'ow'. The Gravedigger: Don't do that! Rhu: Did you just attack yourself? The Gravedigger: I don't hit myself with a shovel, you don't hit yourself with mystic lasers! Dave gets up and says, "I had to try." Dave: You've never hit yourself with a shovel? The Gravedigger: No! Why would I? Dave: To learn. But if you have already learned through less... painful methods, there would be no need. I don't know what those are. I think I'm a zombie. The Gravedigger: I know what would happen! It'd hurt! IT'S A SHOVEL. There's no mystery to shovels! Dave: This wasn't a shovel. The Gravedigger: It's a big bit of metal on a stick! Well, yeah. Greibel: Well, with the right drugs... The Gravedigger: THere is that. Dave: This... it's specifically for the undead. It doesn't harm the living. The Gravedigger: Oh, yeah. Let's all get crazy on drugs in a secret underground laboratory. Rhu: Ah. So you ARE undead? Greibel: I thought you'd never ask! Dave: So it would seem. Apheori (GM): I love Greibel. Greibel takes a toke for the dungeon master The sphinx sits on the mouseforged's lap while Greible is distracted and stares intently at its 'face'. Radek: Well, not to worry. Rhu: Have you ... I hope this isn't a personal question, but ... have you ever been undead before? Dave: Before what? Frezak (GM): Robolap. Rhu: Before now. Before you got here. ... Back when you were in these tanks, I guess. Which tank were you in? Dave: I don't know. I don't remember. Rhu nods Rhu: There seems to be a lot of that going around We need a plan. We could keep going, or we could camp here for the night. Frezak (GM): How DID greibel get here? Greibel: I'd love to camp next to all of these potentially-reanimatable corpses! Radek: I need time to prepare these blueprints. Greibel: I had a moment of great and powerful insight Radek: Anywhere will suffice. Greibel: And then I tripped on the doorway Frezak (GM): Didn't he NOT teleport? Rhu: Greibel: there's, like, one empty room in that corridor we came through. All the rest of them are filled with bones. Frezak (GM): I didn't follow what he and sphinx were doing to get here. Rhu: Dead bones, but better the potentially-reanimatable corpse you know ... Frezak (GM): And we can just go down the hall to get back to the town. Bear Soup Guy: We had Amadi with us first We came in the door, went to a cat shrine, then I got insight and wandered around and got here Rhu: We could go back to the teleporter and get back to that town with all the policemen Dave slips out of the chainmail and leaves it in a heap on the floor. Frezak (GM): The city of six million blustering guards. Apheori (GM): What did you guys do with the stuff in the box ? Gaurav: Frezak: that's unfair, there was also a philosopher with a pigeon on his head Rhu: None of that stuff's any use to me. I think we should leave it here, and come back for it if we need it. Ganelon: Well, I have a rod. Radek: If it's magical, I can /make/ it useful. Ganelon: The longsword will be handy, this I guarantee. Apheori (GM): Where is the sword? And the books. Ganelon: I think Gravy has the sword? Frezak (GM): I don't think I took it out. Radek examined it. Ganelon: Well, I guess he can take that too. Someone else will have to deal with the books. He doesn't have time for rigorous study this night. Frezak (GM): So is that Dave's HP at... 2? Apheori (GM): Yes. And she wants the sword. Frezak (GM): HINT HINT, HEALER. Damn. KILL HER TAKE THE LOOT Apheori (GM): Naw, she'll get better. Unless you kill her. Ganelon: I don't kill her. And if she can actually use the sword, she's welcome to have it. Frezak (GM): Fine. Apheori (GM): Well, that remains to be seen. Frezak (GM) grumbles. Gaurav: Rhu has the shiny light-eating dagger Ganelon grumbles in tandem. Apheori (GM): Since apparently she can't use armour either. >.< Frezak (GM): Remind me what was in the books. Ganelon: What's her class? Apheori (GM): Invoker. Gaurav: I tried to read them but couldn't. THey were in Deresi. Frezak (GM): What language is Deresi? Gaurav: them -> the books Apheori (GM): No, no, you could read them. One was in deresi. Frezak (GM): As in, from where, Apheori (GM): Another was full of weird ritual stuff. Gaurav: "The deresi people aren't very well-liked, beyond being like the common understanding of gypsies you don't really know anything about it. " Ganelon: Oh yeah, a sword won't do an Invoker any good unless they're an oddball who takes feats for weapon-implement proficiency. Apheori (GM): One seemed to be a catalogue of grain harvesters. Frezak (GM): What PLANET are deresi from? Apheori (GM): You don't know. Frezak (GM): Ritual book? Apheori (GM): She's got the feat. Don't ask why or how Gaurav: If they're gypsy-like, the popular perception would be that they end up everywhere maybe. Frezak (GM): I can at least look through it to see if there's anything usable. Across HOLES? Apheori (GM): But having a feat and actually being able to use it to any effectare completely different things. Ganelon: If you say so. Apheori (GM): MAYBE. MAYBE NOT. Frezak (GM): Technically, she could 'wield' it. Ganelon: If she proves unable to use it, I'll touch the thing and it will EXPLODE INTO MAGIC DUST Frezak (GM): DUSSSSST Rhu: Let me do a perception check on the books to see if anything jumps out. Otherwise, meh. We can come get them later if we need to. Apheori (GM): ...one of them is a ritual book. You want that. >.> Ganelon: Oooh Frezak (GM): I don't suppose I could use Gravyvision to speed-read them. Ganelon: What's the ritual? Gaurav: I wonder what the effect of crit failing a perception check on a book would be. Rhu: rolling 1d20+12 ( 18 ) +12 = 30 Apheori (GM): I forgot. >.> Ganelon: ... Can... can I choose? Gaurav: I don't want a ritual book. I can't do rituals. YES Apheori (GM): What would make sense? Gaurav: Choose wisely Ganelon: Give me a theme. Apheori (GM): My main problem is I have no idea what rituals any of you could necessarily do. Ganelon: Radek can do all of the non-religion ones. Apheori (GM): For instance it'd be hilarious to give Amadi something but I have no idea what she can do... Ganelon: He was built for this sort of thing. Frezak (GM): I'm helpful because I can't do magic. Gaurav: Can't druids do rituals? There's a ritual for talking to animals in PHB1 I think. Ganelon: I took feats just for alchemy and ritual casting. Only one was free. There are nature rituals. Bear Soup Guy: Isn't that Animal Messenger? Because I have that Ganelon: I don't recall a "speak to animals" one, but Animal Messenger is a thing, yes. Gaurav: oh right that's what I meant Ganelon: Now, what I would *like* is Transfer Enchantment since it would let me do stuff like put a +1 on, say, a dagger, and move that to Gravy's shovel. For cheap. Apheori (GM): It's water walking. Ganelon: But I was actually planning to shop for such a thing. Not just find it. Bear Soup Guy: Of course it's water walking Dave wonders why anyone would need a ritual to walk on water. Gaurav: Founding religions Frezak (GM): You'd best be buffing Greibel's Bong implement. Bear Soup Guy: XD Ganelon: I totally will if I can get a +1 thing to transfer the enchant over from. Otherwise, resources are sparse. I could make a thing +1 but that's about it. Gaurav: Wasn't there something magical in the chest? Ganelon: Two things - a sword and a rod. Apheori (GM): Wait, dammit, that wasn't the water walking one. Ganelon: I don't know what the rod does. Apheori (GM): Can I take that back? Ganelon: I don't mind. Frezak (GM): ROD OF CAVERNOUS EXPLORATION It's a maglite. Ganelon: It will be DUST! Gaurav: There's a ritual in PHB2 called "Glib Limerick" And "Pyrotechnics" Ganelon: Oh yes. The latter makes fireworks. Gaurav: "Tree shape"? Turn into a tree Apheori (GM): THIS ONE was the floating disk one. Frezak (GM): If you pick excavation, it's PVP time. Gaurav: hehe Apheori (GM): The ritual. Gaurav: Tenser's Ganelon: Ooh, nice. I don't have that one. Dave takes the sword and puts it on, then looks around for her staff, finds it, reshapes it slightly into more of a can, and then strikes a bit of a pose with it. Apheori (GM): a cane* Dave: This is right. Rhu: It suits you. If we get moving now, do you think Mr. Mousie can come with us? Or is the cat not going to let him out of his tank? Greibel: I think only the cat knows the answer to that The Gravedigger: Well, at least he can't starve now. Greibel glares at the sphinx Dave: Would he starve? Radek: Never. The Warforged require neither food nor sleep to remain operational. The Gravedigger: He's probably go even more mad. Left alone, undying, in the dark. Dave: Do you? The Gravedigger: I... Might want to stay with him. Rhu: Now that you mention it, I am getting a bit peckish. Dave: There's a piece of cheese if you want it. Dave holds up the mouldy hunk of cheese. Rhu: ... er, no, thanks. It's a little, err Off Dave: Is it? Okay. Rhu: It'll make you sick And you seem pretty sick already Dave sniffs it. Gaurav: Is there any food in the Adventurer's Kit? Frezak (GM): SHould be. Dave eats the cheese. Rhu: Ew. Frezak (GM): Ew. I'll just see if she pukes. If not, well. Rhu: On the plus side, at least it can't kill her. Probably. Rhu steps away from her anyway Rhu: So: move on or set up camp? The Gravedigger: Probably? Radiant cheese? I'd... rather not leave Mousie on his own like this. Rhu: She died and then ... undied. Maybe she'll redie? Who knows? Death is the strangest of dead ends. The Gravedigger: Clearly it isn't much a dead end if people plough through it. Rhu: One person's dead end may be another person's open doorway. But they must not forget that their own dead end is waiting for them. The Gravedigger: Uh-huh. Rhu: I think it makes sense to set up camp. Maybe Mousie will be calmer in the morning. Maybe Dave will be feeling better. Or, after that cheese, considerably worse. Dave: Whaaah. Rhu: Maybe the cat will eat us all and we won't need to close the holes after all. The Gravedigger: Maybe we'll get murdered by the cat. Dave: That was strong. Greibel: Right. I don't think we should be moving at the moment. Dave pockets some other stuff out of the chest, including the rest of the books. Greibel: We need to rest, and I refuse to leave Radek's abomination behind to fend for itself. Radek scoffs. Rhu: (to Dave) Thanks! I'd take the books, but I'm already carrying around no end of odds and ends. What's with his partially digested light fixture, for example. The Gravedigger: I can carry that if you want. Rhu: Let's move these tables into a square and set up camp in the middle. Give us a bit of cover. The Gravedigger: Or use the tables to barricade the doors. Rhu: Naah, it's fine, I -- ew, bit of tentacle They open outwards. The Gravedigger: Oh. Fair point. Rhu: We could still move them there for cover, in case we're attacked. Gaurav: How do people usually set a watch? Or should we just let Radek stay up? Frezak (GM): Well, if we're doing.. 8 hours... then we each take 2 hours. UNless Dave doesn't sleep at all. The sphinx: She's never tried it. Apheori (GM): Sorry. Radek: Just push the corpses out of the room first. Apheori (GM): That wasn't the sphinx. Ganelon: And he's not a great watchman. Rhu: Good idea. And good point. Frezak (GM): all righty, then. Apheori (GM): Greibel: The sphinx is talking to the mouseforged. Greibel listens in Frezak (GM): oh dear Can I listen in too? Apheori (GM): No. Gaurav: brr Apheori (GM): Greibel: It's very circular. The sphinx is leading the mouse around its story, never quite getting to any of the real parts. Discussing smells, walls, settings, times over any incidents. Gaurav: creepy How is Mr. Mousie responding to this story? Bear Soup Guy gives a worried and confused look in Rhu's direction Apheori (GM): The mouse is filling in the actual details at the promptings. Bear Soup Guy: Is he talking about being dead or before that? Gaurav: ... is that story-eating cat playing with its food? Rhu is getting ready for bed Apheori (GM): It's unclear. Gaurav: brr Apheori (GM): Do you rearrange the furniture? You can. Also Dave is sitting on a table reading a book with a very strange expression on her face. Ganelon: Skeletons and the nasty corpse in particular. They go outside. Frezak (GM): I'll take first watch. Ganelon: I'll take a table and chair. Apheori (GM): Top or bottom? Frezak (GM): I can take extra watch, since I don't really need the extended rest benefits. Gaurav: Can we move the chest? We could move the two big tables to one of the corners and set up a little box to hide behind Ganelon shrugs. Ganelon: The bottom one looks all set up already. I'll do my writing there. Gaurav: Or behind/next to Mr. Mousie if that'd make Greibel/Gravy feel better With your back to the door? Frezak (GM): Yeah, that might not be a super idea. Given that we might have skellies. Gaurav: Btw: I'll be leaving for class in about 25 mins And in case I forget to mention this then, a very nice gentleman has offered to remove my wisdom teeth on Monday, so I _might_ miss D&D next week Frezak (GM): WHAT BUT YOU NEED WISDOM YOU'RE THE BLOODY AVENGER Bear Soup Guy: That sounds like a euphemism for someone planning to beat you up =/ Gaurav: I probably won't miss D&D: I'll be in bed in agony, and won't have much else to do probably, hopefully. So I _should_ be there. But just letting you know in case I don't show. haha -2 to WIS except ... the wisdom teeth are at the back of your mouth? So it'd have to be quite the beating up. Bear Soup Guy: Punch to the ear region Gaurav: left and right, up and down Frezak (GM): Precision punch. Gaurav: a very skilled beater upper then Bear Soup Guy: Tooth bullies must be very thorough Frezak (GM): Called shot: Wisdom Teeth. He had tiny, but powerful hands. Gaurav: Frezak: btw I listened to the Dark Sun podcast you recommended, and we need a monk on this team they could precision punch maybe Frezak (GM): YEAH MONKS And a Gahj. Apheori (GM): Right, then. Show up or I'll... uh... Frezak (GM): spit goats? Apheori (GM): I don't know. Gaurav: force me to drink fizzy drinks through a straw? apparently that's the worst thing you can do when wisdom toothing Frezak (GM): Wisdom de-toothing. Gaurav: Wisdom undead Frezak (GM): Wisdom toothing would be placing new ones in people's mouths. Gaurav: A lucrative industry in some countries. Bear Soup Guy: Or riding an enormous wisdom tooth down a wave or sand dune Gaurav: o.0 Frezak (GM): ooooh Apheori (GM): So y'all rest here? Ganelon: Seems to be the plan! Frezak (GM): yep. Rhu is already asleep. Rhu: How many hours of sleep do we need? Gaurav: Sorry ooc Apheori (GM): Not very many. Frezak (GM): Extended Rest, to recharge surges and powers, is 6 hours. Gaurav: How do we maintain a watch while we sleep? Frezak (GM): Easy. We take 8 hours as a group. And everyone takes 2 hours. Of watch. Apheori (GM): Dave spends the entire time sitting on a table reading a raunchy romance novel. Gaurav: Ah okay excellent There were raunchy novels in here?! Perception fail Frezak (GM): GAH OUR QUEST FAILED Gaurav: It will be later revealed that this room contains a small switch marked "Holes in the universe: on/off" and we failed perception checks and never saw it Bear Soup Guy: XD Apheori (GM): Naw, it just didn't stand out in the box. Gaurav: Hey, there probably was some sort of hole-related research going on in here at some point, maybe. Apheori (GM): It had a pretty uninteresting cover like the grain harvesters one. Bear Soup Guy: I think some of the papers had to do with that Gaurav: Did we investigate the console and tanks and suchlike? I remember looking through the papers ... Heh, makes sense. Apheori (GM): Yeah, they were researching the holes. You look over some of it again and realise the people in the tanks came out of those holes. Gaurav: When do we get action points? Bear Soup Guy: This is the stuff Radek will be studying tonight, yes? Gaurav: If he doesn't get distracted by the raunchy novels Ganelon: No, he's making blueprints tonight. Frezak (GM): We'd have 1 AP after the rest. Bear Soup Guy: Oh right Ganelon: Then he's got research notes to study. And then maybe after that he can get to these foreign books. Apheori (GM): He'd have to get them from Dave first. Bear Soup Guy: Right, I meant the research notes Frezak (GM): What if it's the same thing? Raunchy Research. Ganelon: Then it's probably nothing he cares about. Bear Soup Guy: Research into HOLE SEX Frezak (GM): hooooles put things in things come out hoooooles Gaurav: Any research can be made raunchy probably Ganelon: I'm sure you could research the effectiveness of making research raunchy. Apheori (GM): You guys are terrible. Bear Soup Guy: Terribly cute :3 Gaurav: quick, make the cute face! :3 Frezak (GM): no. Ganelon: Yeah, I'll pass. Bear Soup Guy: Suit yourselves Apheori (GM): So I guess you all rest, you take turns with the watch, nothing really happens, Dave giggles a lot, and The sphinx and mouseforged never stop their... whatever they're doing. And Radek does whatever the hell Radek does. Ganelon: Blueprints! For a rifle and these standard issue laser handguns. Apheori (GM): Oh, right. Frezak (GM): I'll maintain my shovels and gear. Apheori (GM): Amadi also appears next to Greibel and pokes his ear at one point. Gaurav: pfft Bear Soup Guy: Greibel probably smiles Frezak (GM): Wisely. Mysteriously. Gaurav: is anybody keeping an eeye on the mouse? Or do we think they'll be fine? Frezak (GM): Soon, child. You too will know the secrets of the Ear. Apheori (GM): The sphinx is. Gaurav: hes not one of us X-| anywho, it's Community Ecology o' clock! Thanks for a fun game, see you all next Tuesday with swollen face and less wisdom! Frezak (GM): We migh as well kill Rhu now. Bear Soup Guy: Bye Gaurav! Ganelon: See ya!