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Augustia (Conflicted): 4d6 6 1 5 1 Sucher: 1d6 1
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Mar 10, 2014 21:04
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When you're done with everything feel free to narrate yourself going downstairs in the morning, Dena and Kayne will be waiting.
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Mar 10, 2014 21:41
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Naděje Naděje stumbles down the stairs a bit, still looking tired after a night of sleep. She still tries to maintain her optimistic personality, but clearly all the magic she's doing is taking a toll on her.
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Mar 12, 2014 02:10
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Mudgett When Naděje reaches the common room she clearly heard the sound of Mudgett diving in to his fourth helping of eggs and some strange orange colored gravy. "Nadeje, join me, try the... What was it called? Sinfjotli? It's delicious." Arcanist (Positive): 2d6 4 Augusta and the S'engouer (Complicated): 1d6 3 Mustache Ride fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Mar 12, 2014 |
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Mar 12, 2014 02:33
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I AMMM ALLIIIVVEEEE! I've just finished the last of the stuff I had to do before break, and now I have a whole week to rest, recharge, and be the best DM in the world. There should be a full update tomorrow, but for now... Last night, you had a dream. Where once there was terror and unease at the very thought, now you've almost come to welcome this one like an old friend. It's been by your side nearly every night since Lily first summoned you. Sure it's still a bit creepy, but more like a scary story retold too many times around a campfire. Sometime through the night it sidles up close under the covers, like a loyal nuzzling pet. Already you begin to see the familiar sights of the unnamed mountain...  There is a temple on an impossibly fog-soaked mountain. Carrion birds flit amongst the stones, ominous shadows in a dark place. A great door terrible in size stands before you, barring the way. Your vision returns to you and you are inside. A black-clad knight strides atop a black-clad horse. The pair stand before a massive wrought-iron gate. A mailed fist pounds mournfully against the heavy wood. He lacks the conviction to pull it open. He will die with the rest. His onyx shield is crested with the head of a rubied dragon. The head springs to life, suddenly animated with hell-fueled fury. You and your companions are locked in battle with the blood-red monster. The wind whips at your face, ripping tears from your eyes, breath from your lungs. You will never again draw breath. Your heart will be still, forever. One by one your party is struck down atop the lonely cliffs. Because they are weak, and they will never be strong enough to protect what they love. You are alone in unending, everlasting darkness. Forever alone, amongst the nothingness. In front of you is a dimly-lit corridor, blocked by another gate. Behind that gate sits three more gates. You friends have fled you. Your loved ones perished. Four gates in darkness. Four harbingers. The gate does not open. It will never open. Because you are already dead. Now you are on a wide, desolate plain, watching helplessly. A great black rock the size of the moon hurtles across the sky. It strikes the land with a world-shattering impact. Your vision begins to sway, your ears begin to roar. I have come. আমি ছাই আপনার বিশ্বের চালু হবে এবং আপনি ধুলো মধ্যে কিছুই হতে হবে
Doomsayer fucked around with this message at 10:37 on Mar 14, 2014 |
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Mar 14, 2014 10:33
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Wander Of course he recognizes the dream as soon as it comes. It gets worse every time he has it, and this time is no exception. Sitting bolt upright, he makes his way downstairs as if pursued. The rest of the party is enjoying breakfast peacefully. "I'm not hungry," he murmurs, brooding over their apparent impending doom. He pokes his head outside for a moment, dreading what might be out there... pre:Wander HP 200/200; Recoveries 11/11 (9d8+6) AC 26 PD 27 MD 23 Melee Attack: 1d20+15; 9d8+15 Skill Check: 1d20+14+ability mod Favored Enemies: Demons, Dragons Captain Walker fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Mar 14, 2014 |
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Mar 14, 2014 18:20
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As the last of you arrive downstairs, you hear a panicked start and a loud *thump* from underneath your table. Shortly after you hear Dena's voice: "Whazzat? 'm up, 'm up..." He crawls out from under the table and pulls himself into a chair just as Kayne enters the bar. "Well well, welcome back to the land of the living. I took the liberty of doing something productive with my morning. Well, tried to, at any rate. I couldn't find anyone who knew enough about Gebroke Siele to help you find your way there. I mean there's the wizards up in Myrmion's Bluff, that big tower you saw on the way back from High Gardens, but they are not letting me in anytime soon." "Didja tell'm th' oth' thing?" Dena asks, tucking into a bowl of utterly unappetizing-looking goop. "Hush Dena." Kayne hisses at him. Dena just rolls his eyes and turns toward the party: "Look, hate t'break it t'ye, ye seem like nice'n folks, but y'aint the Heroes o' Destiny or wha'eer bollocks ye've been fed. Them blokes came through her... oh, 'bout a monf back ne. Grant' an audience wif the beards, then trekked of'inna th' wastes." He shrugs, still eating. "Sorry." So basically, Dena was mocking you last night. Seems like someone's already come through and sniped your rightful destiny! Those dicks. Since Joran had his little oracle dream, he actually does have a map into the wastes of Pandemonium toward the Bastion, side-stepping the quest necessary to get similar knowledge. Because you have it, you're more than welcome to just immediately leave This Shithold and set off toward Bastion. You can still do the little sidequest dealie in the city if you'd like, and you might still get some useful information or a magic item out of it or something, but you have officially removed all the plot barriers present in the city, so it's up to you!
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Mar 15, 2014 23:08
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So, stay in This Shithole or leave for the wastes?
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Mar 17, 2014 22:54
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Mudgett "Myrmion's Bluff sounds like it could tell us more about this place" Mudgett says while reaching over the table and grabbing Dena's plate. "Why don't we try to ask there." Mudgett says between mouthfuls of yellow meat and green gravy as he looks on at the others. SIDE QUESTS!
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Mar 17, 2014 23:51
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Joran Joran nibbles at a much lighter breakfast than Mudgett has, a simple plate of toast, jam, and eggs. "I agree; perhaps they know something of these...usurpers, as well." gently caress yeah sidequests
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Mar 17, 2014 23:54
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Kayne nods. "Alright gents, your funeral and all. I should warn you: the Myrmites are a bit... odd. Foremost scholars on the planes there are, but all that knowledge comes at a price. A price taken out on their head, if you catch my drift." She takes a draught from a mug and looks around. "Hells, we live in a developed part not all that far from the center, and I'm pretty sure everyone here is pretty drat mad." Everyone all squared up on their levelling? Got all your items and spells and poo poo up to date?
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Mar 18, 2014 01:55
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Joran "One could argue that we are mad for making the journey here; I don't think a few scholars will give us any trouble," Joran replies with a smug grin. yep
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Mar 18, 2014 08:36
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"Remember," Kayne points a finger at Joran. "these glasses respect power. Show them a little muscle, and they will fold like a house of glass." "Aye." Dena mumbles, barely having made his way into a chair. "'berks, the lot f'em." Kayne and Dena sketch you out a rough map of the city and wish you a rough approximation of safe travels. Nice folks. You know, as far as assassins go. Myrmion's Bluff itself seems like as good a place to start as any, so you set off toward the little corner of Morroiherri, the district it's supposedly in. Hopefully it's not too hard to find.  It wasn't hard to find. Not a lot of freaky-rear end wizard towers with horns and spikes and poo poo on them in town. More than you might expect, but still not that many. It seems that once there was a grand walkway that connected the tower to the rest of the city, but it seems to have long crumbled into rubble, replaced by a series of makeshift wooden scaffolds that clearly don't see much traffic. It gives a worrying creak as you step on it. As you move further along the pathway, the air grows more and more chill, little flecks of ice swirling around your head as you approach the front door. As that door looms into sight, you see the reason why.  "I can help wort?" the ice golem worts.
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Mar 18, 2014 09:54
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Wander "How d'you do. Here to see the wizards. Don't mind us." Wander steps deftly off the bridge and into the entryway. pre:Wander HP 200/200; Recoveries 11/11 (9d8+6) AC 26 PD 27 MD 23 Melee Attack: 1d20+15; 9d8+15 Skill Check: 1d20+14+ability mod Favored Enemies: Demons, Dragons
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Mar 18, 2014 16:25
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"Nar." The golem steps into your path, blocking the door. "Appantment?"
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Mar 18, 2014 21:06
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Mudgett Pulling out his spell book and flipping through the pages as if it were an appointment calendar, Mudgett responds to the golem, "Yes, we have an appointment with High Fróðleik Hvat HannNafn regarding his work on the enhancement of ice crystals in high functioning constructs. Please show us to his chambers please." With this, Mudgett closes his book of runes, which causes a large thunderclap and attempts to enter the tower again. yur a wizard, harry: 1d20+9+5 21
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Mar 18, 2014 21:45
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The golem nods slowly, as if struggling to process this information. "Yerrrsss, der name ist not fghamiliar, bhut yar will be instructood inside." "And so, our Heroes stood before the ancient door of Myrmion's Bluff, ent-" "Holy hells are you still talking? We all left, like, hours ago!" "What!? Get back in here! We've only barely entered Pandemonium, we've got so much further left to go!" "How thick is that godsdamned book? You've been reading for what feels like months!" "Sit back down or so help me I will fetch a switch!" "Shoulda switched you off..." "*Ehkhrrm.* Now where was I?" Entering the huge toothy door is a fairly unpleasant experience, and you get the impression that it's not something one does often. The foyer is completely empty. No desks, no people milling about, just an empty floor upon which is covered a massive wall-to-wall runic fresco. With no one around you're able to really get a sense of the place for what it is. Creepy as hell, is what it is. You can feel magic just humming through the walls, but the room is empty. Utterly and completely empty. There are no doors, no windows, and the only light comes from some candles and lanterns hovering in the air. Just when you think about turning around, the floor begins to vibrate. It's subtle at first, but then the runes begin to glow, the light spreading outward form the center until it reaches the edge. For a brief second the light becomes too much to bear, flooding the room in a brilliant flash. Then you're standing in a different room. It sort of looks like the foyer, but it's a bit smaller, and there's a huge window on the back wall, though you note that it doesn't exactly let in a lot of light. Bits of statuary and bookcases dot the walls of the study, and there's just enough sun that the desk in front of you only needs to be lit with a solitary candle, apparently enough for the hooded figure scratching away at a scroll with a quill. "Greetings," the hooded figure says with a woman's voice. "I'm Archbishop Ekbeallash." She looks up.  "How can I help you?"
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Mar 20, 2014 09:19
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Joran Joran politely bows to the woman. "Good day, Archbishop; we were told that perhaps the denizens of this tower would be able to tell us more about this realm."
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Mar 21, 2014 01:24
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"Why of course. You wish to know more about Pandemonium? I'm not sure what I'll be able to tell you; surely as mortals travelling to the outer planes you were quite prepared for what to expect? I'll answer any questions as best as I can, however."
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Mar 21, 2014 04:15
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Joran "Many people have called us fools in the past few days, if that gives you some impression on our knowledge of this plane." Oh god what do we ask
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Mar 21, 2014 04:25
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Wander "We're curious about something called the Bastion, firstly. I understand you helped another group find it recently? Could you tell us about it--what it is, who lives there, will they be amenable to polite conversation, like yourself, or only moved by steel and spell?" pre:Wander HP 200/200; Recoveries 11/11 (9d8+6) AC 26 PD 27 MD 23 Melee Attack: 1d20+15; 9d8+15 Skill Check: 1d20+14+ability mod Favored Enemies: Demons, Dragons
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Mar 21, 2014 18:06
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 post incoming tomorrow! I started writing it tonight but it's been half an hour and I'm only like halfway done 
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Mar 22, 2014 10:58
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The scritching of her pen stops, then is slowly set down. The Archmage rubs at the fleshy burned part of her skull where her temple would be and sighs heavily. "I had hoped maybe you didn't know. I felt it when you walked in, but I thought maybe you were unaware, maybe you just got lost on a camping trip in the Chaos Scar or something. But no, I could never be that lucky I suppose." She leans back and takes a long, hard look at you. "I'm not going to tell you where Bastion is. If it makes you feel better, I didn't tell the other lot either. Granted, that's because I don't know where it is. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. You know why? I'm not going to tell you for the same reason I didn't tell them: you're Heroes." She shakes her head slightly. "Now, I want you to be clear in understanding me here. I'm not saying you're good guys, rescuing cats from trees and slaying evil and whatnot, I'm saying you're Heroes, with a capital H. It's confusing, I know, Common has a bad habit of conflating the two. There's other terms for it, Abyssal calls you Bipakṣa, some of the wood elves would call you Moushekhela, a dwarf might call you Vili if he was feeling charitable." She takes a sip from a goblet on her desk. It looks quite painful. "I don't know how much you know about Heroes, they aren't exactly common these days. Day may have been that I would've gone so far as to call you the Last, had I not turned away five more just like you not a month ago. There's a lot of misconceptions, most of 'em stemming from that little linguistically problem I mentioned earlier. Not many yet living on the mortal plane remember the Age of Heroes and the horrors it wrought. Few remember the cities that burned when Meyas marched his armies, when Finnoc the Divine Usurper razed Circadia to the ground, when Augustia and Mier'dames bathed in the blood of mortals. But really..." She scratches at her hood. "drat, this is hard. I haven't had to explain it in a while. Let me go back a bit, if you don't mind. You know magic, right? Old bearded men wave their arms around and fireballs come out? I'm sure you're aware there's two kinds: arcane and divine. Arcane magic comes from men, divine magic comes from the gods. Easy, right? Except like anything worth knowing, it's not quite that simple." She takes another sip. "See, I don't think magic is as divided as morts make it out to be. The arcane and divinity overlap a lot more than either one would like to admit. But there's more to it than that. I think the druids came closest in their understanding, even if they didn't quite know what it meant. Magic is something more than mortals make it out to be. It's not just another kind of electricity, a natural phenomena to be harnessed by men and used. It has a... I don't know, a sentience to it. It pushes people in certain ways, makes them do things they might not otherwise. It's not an obvious thing, it's subtle, but the influence is there." She waves a finger around in the direction of some of your more obvious equipment. "I see you have items imbued with magic. A sword wants nothing more than to be used. Have you ever felt them sway you? Whisper something in your ear? Cause you to act out of character?" She shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not. Like I said, it's a subtle thing. But here's the deal: magic is everything. It is everywhere. It does not appear and disappear on a whim, it flows through every living thing in the cosmos, ever present, ever controlling. It seeks to bring balance to all things: good and evil, law and chaos, light and dark. Through its influence, through force of nature, Magic attempts to weigh the scales. I don't think magic itself has a morality, but it becomes influenced by what it touches, swirling back and forth, taking on new knowledge, new beliefs. But since it has a consciousness, a will... well, that means we already have a word for it, don't we? We tend to call it 'destiny' or 'fate'. These forces are one and the same, a low background hum of magic driving events toward a foregone conclusion. It may take days, years, or millenia, but like all natural phenomena, Fate prefers equilibrium." The archmage takes a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "Now Heroes... Heroes are wielders of magic. I don't mean all Heroes are wizards, of course, but even if they don't realize it that destiny magic flows through them. When a tracker hears an impossibly small whisper on the wind, when light favors the thief just so, when a great warrior cleaves through a hundred enemies and then roars for more challengers... it's all magic. Not Arcane, not Divine, but this primal fate that is present in everything. Actually, here, let me give it a new word. Let's call this Fate Jadu, just to prevent confusion if only on my part." She waves a hand dismissively. "So what does that have to do with you? What does that have to do with Heroes? Well you see, Heroes are at once significantly less special and, at the same time, much more so than the stories would have you believe. 'Hero' is a term for someone who can manipulate that Jadu to their own ends. See, there's a difference between mortals like you and immortals like me and everyone else in Pandemonium, and it's not just that we live longer. Hell, there's plenty of mortals that live a long-rear end time. But y'see, mortals get Free Will, or at least so they claim. I would dispute the 'free' part of that, but it's Will just the same. And it's that Will that makes Heroes so powerful. To be a Hero is to be able to manipulate the Jadu to your own ends, to impress your will upon it." She sighs, apparently having trouble keeping her own lecture on track. It's clearly something that weighs heavily on her mind. "Yet, the Jadu flows through everything, it is the very lifeblood of the universe. So do you see now what makes a Hero such a formidable force in the cosmos? You can manipulate Fate itself. Destiny bends to your will, drives you forward. Yet the Jadu is not a beast to be tamed, it still lifts you up, and bends you to its Will in turn. Heroes are, in a sense, almost a gravitational force in that way. Jadu flows through you, swiftly and easily, like a river through a canyon, and yet the canyon is eroded by the water. It is a fire that burns hot and bright, but burns all the same. This interaction of Hero and Jadu, it breaks the equilibrium that the Jadu strives so hard to enforce. It causes chaos, the release of energy, an ionization that cannot stabilize. Every great Hero throughout history has been like an explosion of complete and utter uncontrolled power." The archmage cocks a scorched brow. "Do you not believe me? How many have died to bring you to Pandemonium? How many lives have been claimed in the name of your crusade? How many delivered screaming into the afterlife? Even if you did not put blade to every throat, would armies not prostrate themselves before you? Think back to the last time you were looked upon in the street, the last time innocent people saw you stride past. Was it love in their eyes? Was it joy at the peace and stability you offered them? No, it was fear. It was terror. Their throats clenched and their breath stopped at the very sight of you, because you are better than they are, stronger, and with you comes annihilation. You are a force of nature they cannot stop, one they cannot abide, you could end each and every one of them with little more than a sideways glance, even if they would not admit it." She picks her pen back up absentmindedly and then puts it back down. "Do you see then why I tell you this? Do you understand what terrible news I have delivered? Heroes they are... not natural. They pervert and distort the Jadu, and yet are at the same time fed by it. No matter what justifications you may have, no matter what morality you claim to hold, you are an aberration. You are destruction given human form. Death comes for all things, and yet you do nothing but give him fresh steeds." She drains the last of her cup. "So no. I will not tell you where Bastion stands. I will not aid you in bringing about Armageddon."  
Doomsayer fucked around with this message at 03:56 on Mar 23, 2014 |
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Mar 23, 2014 03:53
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Wander Wander stares for a long moment at the archmage. His eye twitches involuntarily as he struggles to maintain control. Finally, he speaks in a low, menacing voice with an edge sharper than any of his axes. "You self-righteous, faceless oval office. Do the struggles of lowly mortals mean nothing to you? If we don't stop whoever is defying the Ban of the Unborn who will? You? I'm not saying that we don't have too much power, it would be nice if some of our friends and allies could do what we do. But we're not here to cause the apocalypse, quite the opposite in fact. And how do you fit Naděje into your smug vision of the world? The woman who has spent her whole life working miracles for peace, and never asking for anything in return. She's a hero with a lowercase H. No reason we can't be both. Sure would be satisfying to smash that ugly mug in--but because that's not the heroic thing to do, I can restrain myself. We're off to the Bastion--by the way we know where it is already--and we were hoping you could tell us how to save the world without causing lasting damage. But you won't, because a Hero pissed in your cereal one morning. gently caress you very much." Wander turns on his heels and walks quickly out. pre:Wander HP 200/200; Recoveries 11/11 (9d8+6) AC 26 PD 27 MD 23 Melee Attack: 1d20+15; 9d8+15 Skill Check: 1d20+14+ability mod Favored Enemies: Demons, Dragons
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Mar 23, 2014 04:46
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"Is that what you think?" She calls after Wander. "That I tell you this out of spite? Out of malice? No, I tell you this so that you might still be redeemed. You seek to stop someone from utilizing the Bastion's power for their own. But why else do you pursue them so feverishly? Where do you think your own power comes from? Why do you think you have left so many dead in your wake? Heroes feed on war, on destruction. With every act, every life taken, a Hero grows stronger. It becomes an addiction. Do you think yourselves better than all other mortals? Do you really believe you will be able to turn from such strength? Do you think you can do what no other Hero has managed?" She stands up, glaring after Wander. "Even if what you say is true, even if you destroy whomever or whatever seeks to use the Bastion for its own purposes and are able to walk away from it, able to walk away from such an incredible engine of power, what happens then? You will retire to a quiet farm life, living out your days in peace? No. Your axe shall remain in hand, your sword will always know battle. You could no more stop than you could cease to eat or breathe." She thrusts a finger at Nadeje. "Even this one, pious and pure as you claim her to be, could bring about untold destruction. Do you think my intent was to call you evil, that I think you are a villain tying up damsels in the night? No, I only ask you to listen. Heroic deeds will always cause a ripple in the Jadu. No matter how righteous your intent, your actions echo across the planes. You will drive others in your wake, innocents will be harmed as a consequence of your actions, and true villains will rise to meet you. The Jadu strives for balance, great evil exists because great good exists. Every foe you smite, every quest you uphold, it only brings greater evil before you. You grow in strength from death, and so Death must respond in kind. That is the lesson I am trying to instill in you."
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Mar 23, 2014 05:04
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Joran Joran silently watches Wander walk out, then asks the Archbishop a simple question: "So then our quest is hopeless?"
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Mar 23, 2014 05:06
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The archbishop shrugs. "I suppose that depends on what you believe your quest is. You tell me, seer."
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Mar 23, 2014 05:08
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Joran "Our quest, as I am aware of it, is to restore the Ban and bring peace to the mortal realms." "And, if I may ask another question: this fate, this Jadu, can it not be manipulated into equilibrium?" Hashtag Yoloswag fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Mar 23, 2014 |
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Mar 23, 2014 05:10
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Naděje After being told she's at least indirectly responsible for evil, Naděje pauses for a moment in thought. Eventually, she pipes up, "What makes you think we're the ones causing a need for balance? By your own logic, strong amounts of evil need a strong amount of good to balance itself. Everything we've done has been reactive. We've been attacked many times then responded. From where I'm standing, it seems more like we are the balancing force. The Armageddon is already coming. We're here to stop it."
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Mar 23, 2014 11:51
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Joran "I believe the Archbishop's point is that even the greatest evils possess the qualities of capital-H Heroes, and that they tear the equilibrium of fate in one direction as we tear it in the other." Nadeje's words get him to thinking, though; it is true that the group had set out to end the apocalypse before it began, so is it really possible that a second, separate Armageddon would be coming, and triggered by their own doing? Insight: 1d20+11+4 35
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Mar 23, 2014 21:34
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Snarl aka Teledrial Snarl listens to the old woman. But she doesn't really say anything he doesn't already know. Perhaps not in such fancy words. But he is a druid, and he knows that magic is more than what others think. And really Heroes are no different than any other animal. Death follows so that life may breed. It is the circle of nature. He isn't really sure where the downside is that she is talking about. So he just stoops there waiting for someone to figure out where they have to go.
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Mar 23, 2014 21:52
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Archmage Meltyface shakes her head at Nadje's question and begins to speak, but Joran gets to it before she can. "The orc has the right of it. Perhaps you must fight whomever resides in the Bastion, perhaps not. The Jadu strives for equilibrium, and extremes on either side are what throws things into chaos. Evil grows as ever more powerful threats rise to meet it, and it grows inside. Such extremes will inevitably lead to destruction whether it comes today or a millenia from now. You've admitted yourself that you are not sure what awaits you in the Bastion"Hashtag Yoloswag posted:Joran The Archmage's theory gives definition to something you're fairly sure you already knew. There is indeed a kind of background melody of magic in the universe, and it does indeed seem to flow through you and bolster you, and you can use it to your own ends without even thinking about it. It makes sense: how else are you able to grow so strong? Through greater and greater deeds you have grown almost impossibly strong. You've walked the lower planes, gone toe-to-toe with dragons, beasts so fierce that the defeat of just one of them was cause for the writing of songs that lasted for centuries in the retelling. And you've killed two, and will probably kill two more before the week is up. Your muscles seem to work beyond the realm of mere physics, you're able to endure hardships that would destroy armies, let alone a single man. And that makes you very, very dangerous. Dangerous enough to end the world? You'd like to think not, but if anyone has the power to do so, it would be a Hero, good or evil. You doubt it would be intentional, generally even the most power-hungry villains know that no purpose is served by destroying their own existence. But, should two extremes clash hard enough...
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Mar 23, 2014 21:59
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Joran "I'm sure you are growing weary of our questions at this point, but I have one last thing to ask: do you know of the Scorned of Xizael, and can you tell me if they possessed captial-H Heroic qualities?"
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Mar 23, 2014 22:02
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The Archmage turns her palms up. "The Scorned? Aye, I suppose they were Heroes, though they've been dead for... well, I'm honestly not sure. A millennium at least."
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Mar 23, 2014 22:16
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Joran Joran arches an eyebrow at the Archmage. "We just conversed with the Last of the Scorned a day ago; it was she, in fact, that allowed us to travel to this plane, although I believe the ritual drained the last of her life."
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Mar 26, 2014 05:08
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"Indeed? Well that is interesting then, normally a mortal of such power can be noticed, even from here. Granted, I have not been keeping the closest of eyes on the mortal plane. Normally the Jadu takes the life of Heroes quite a bit earlier in their lifespan. Could have sworn she died ages ago."
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Mar 27, 2014 00:06
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Mudgett "She wasn't really all that alive, actually. Seemed like she was using some sort of magically enhanced biomechanics to keep herself in a perpetual state of being angry, although she warmed up when we talked to her nicely. Anyways, before we go gallivanting towards the Bastion, I'd really like to learn more about this plain. Anything you can tell us regarding its existence, and any special places we should absolutely visit as tourists while we're here?"
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Mar 27, 2014 01:35
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The Archmage stares long and hard at Mudgett before nodding. "I suppose there's not much harm in telling you. Pandemonium is a place of incredible magical energy, but it is... unfocused, uncontrolled. Many have tried to harness the plane's power for their own, and almost all have been driven mad or killed in the attempt. Many wizards can draw power from the elemental planes to conjure fire, freeze the air around them, that kind of thing. But Pandemonium, it may as well be elemental chaos, like trying to hold a lightning bolt while wearing wet copper armor. But, like all the elemental planes, amazing unrestrained power reacts even more powerfully to one with the Will to bend it. If you can step into the Empty Lands without being immediately obliterated? Well, then Pandemonium becomes a very powerful tool indeed. It's plain even to these wounded eyes that you lot are planetouched, am I right in guessing you have walked the lower planes? I suppose I should commend you on not being driven mad, but to the Heroes of Old that was little more than a pleasant Sun Day's walk." The Archmage sighs and re-drains the last of her refilled cup. "But the Bastion is not, strictly speaking, of Pandemonium. Technically, it is not 'of' anywhere, at least in the way we would normally conceive of it. It lies in a space between planes, where none are able to reach it. See, even if one knew where to find it - and there are almost none who do - only mortals are..." She hesitates for a moment. "Well, I should say that only mortals should be allowed to enter, I know not what the current state of it is. But for even a mortal to enter requires an incredible amount of power, power that hasn't been seen since the Age of Heroes. But if there is anywhere in Pandemonium that can help you, I think it's a place you'll find with my help or without it." She tugs absent-mindedly at the parchment in front of her. "Have you heard of the Tower of the Gods? It's a place that is, at once, both on this plane and outside of it, and yet on all the other planes at once, save the material. There are other such places in the planescape, but the Tower of the Gods is by far the most powerful. If I've told you nothing else, you realize now how powerful mortal Will is, yes? Mortal Will is what gives birth to Heroes, allows them to twist the Jadu to aid them, to rise beyond mortality and become legend. Imagine then, what the combined Will of all mortalkind could build? What wonders it could accomplish? It's not difficult to guess, as it has already been done, it has been done since the first mortals had the capacity to think it." She looks at your faces, perhaps searching for meaning. "The Gods. Will gave birth to the gods. There were things before the gods, before mortals, perhaps even before Jadu, but what those things were I could not speculate. But so long as there have been mortals, there have been gods to protect them, to guide them. The gods are humanity's answer to their own question. They are concentrated Will given immense power, more power than a single mortal could ever conceive of, and yet without that belief, without that Will, the gods would not exist at all. Like you, most mortals do not comprehend the power they wield." She stands up and pushes her chair in silently. "So the gods are concentrated beings of Will, in a plane of immense power that can be bent by a powerful enough Will. Do you see where I'm going with this? The Tower of the Gods is a place where... Well, it's hard to describe in mere language. I suppose the best way I can put it is that it's a beacon for divinity, a place where the Gods, or perhaps reflections of the gods, reside. A sort of physical manifestation of Belief in a place where mortalkind cannot see it. Does that make sense? I suppose it does not really matter if it does, I feel a Hero in this time, in this place, will find the Tower whether they wish to or not. Luckily for you, that is your next destination, for obviously the gods have knowledge that I have not. But it is not information they give freely; certainly not as freely as I have given it. It is a place where you will be tested. You will be tested not on your strength, or your wit, but on your Will. Your conviction, your being, your very soul will be brought to trial." She sighs, giving you a long look. "When that happens, I suggest you do not lie."
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Mar 27, 2014 22:51
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Wander Outside the chamber, Wander is listening to the archmage as he hangs his head against the wall. His allies are asking all the right questions, of course. But he's still mulling over his own motives for trying to save the world. Am I really that drat selfish? "I am ready to be judged," he murmurs to no one in particular, hoping to believe it himself. pre:Wander HP 200/200; Recoveries 11/11 (9d8+6) AC 26 PD 27 MD 23 Melee Attack: 1d20+15; 9d8+15 Skill Check: 1d20+14+ability mod Favored Enemies: Demons, Dragons
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Mar 28, 2014 16:31
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 04:55 |
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"Do you have any further questions? I would hate to keep you from your fool's errand."
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Mar 29, 2014 01:45
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