Time: Call of Dagon +3

There's the singin' in the rain that trumpets ineffable joy. And then there's singin' in the rain at the compulsion of a slavering god of the deeps. This is that type of singing, and even an alien lifeform such as Dawnstone can perceive this, with or without the aid of his innate telepathic ability. As if to reinforce this perception, Ravex and Brother Zelias leave the front of the inn on their way to the wharf, singing as they do so with no awareness that they are singing in their skivvies with an accompaniment of similarly clad somnambulists.

The water pulls you down
Together we'll ride the night current
We'll ride the night current forever
The water pulls us down

There's no chance that another voice could drown out that of a god's. But pain can. Pain can scream louder than any god. That's whay Lyriel thinks as she wickedly cuffs the back of the rank man's head with the hilt of her dagger (man-at-arms hit for 14 dmg). He staggers from the force of the blow but his legs regain their rhythm, a steady bump-thump on their way to the shore (man-at-arms fails his save again).

Gethin is 1.5 minutes behind Ravex and Brother Zelias.

Lyriel is 1 minute behind them.

Dawnstone is with them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:26, Sat 16 July 2011.

In reply to Autarch (msg #45):

Dawnstone shook his head. I must act-now! Forgive my roughness...he sent to the two. His telepathic abilites could not stop the call, but maybe something else could. A shock to the system

The crystal being stomped its staff into the ground. In front of the pair, formed a snake-like thing made of fire and rock. It shot up in front of them, and a heat came off it and lent a slight glow to Brother Zelias. Then it proceeded to to strike the man with its form...

(OOC-Free action, Summoning Spirit companion in front of the two. Brother Zelias gets 4 temp hp.

Standard action-spirit does protector's strike on Brother Zelias, trying to snap him out of it. Holding back the damage so that the temp HP absorbs the worst of it-but the pain will still be felt. Protector's strike also gives temp HP to allies next to it-so both Brother Zelias and Ravex will get another temp hp (replaces any remaining temp HP).

As the spirit is in front of them both, they will get +2 to all saves. However, if they try to move away from the spirit without shifting-it will get OA on them both, attempting to hit them and again, give them another save at +2.

I am assuming I do not need to roll to hit in this particualr situation-as they are more or less ignoring everything and not really fighting me.)

  Reasoning with the sleepwalkers seemed like a futile task, and lay about though she might, Lyriel knew that she couldn't keep everyone in. Eventually their numbers would win through and she'd be forced aside or simply trampled. Then again, simple noise might work where words would fail, and if making the noise also provided a second hindrance to simply walking out the door...

  Without abandoning her self-appointed post, Lyriel half-turned and swept her sword across the high shelf to one side and overhead; a deflecting stroke that sent the plates and platters clattering to the nearby floor, where they shattered into hundreds of smaller fragments.

  This considerable cacophany had the side effect of filling the area near the door with improvised caltrops. If the sound of dozens of pieces of crockery shattering all at once wasn't enough to startle these people awake, perhaps getting a few shards stuck into their feet would jolt them back to their senses. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do, but it was still preferable to the deaths that would otherwise await them.

 
  Std: "Caltrop" the area near the door.
  Move: None.
  Minor: Poised Assault (+1 to attack rolls).

  Lyriel will OA anyone who attempts to pass through the door - and they'll need to Bull Rush or otherwise get her out of the way to get through at all. She strikes to KO, not to kill.
 

  Edit: There's a caveat to this: if Gethin clearly does not seem to be sleepwalking - and from the prior interaction upstairs it was apparent that he is not - then she'll let him pass, although she'd prefer that he help her to deal with the people here rather than running off after those who've already left!
This message was last edited by the player at 05:46, Wed 20 July 2011.

Gethin continues to force his way through the crowd, trying to get out the inn door and to reach his friends.

OOC: It looks like he'll eventually meet Lyriel holding the door.  Let me know when.

Ravex stops in his tracks and growls. Suddenly, he feels cold, wet, half-naked, and unhappy. He looks around dumbly for a moment, then turns to look at Dawnstone. "Hey, you... uh, what the hell is going on here? Who are you?"


10:18, Today: Ravex rolled 15 using 1d20+2. Save Ends. SUCCESS

The monk's movements were sluggish and lethargic, very unlike his usually quick and simple agility, as the strange being spoke in his mind and conjured some sort of ghostly presence near him. But as the voice echoed in his brain, his mental discipline developed through years of training snapped into place. His strong-willed mind drove the watery call from his thoughts.

His posture returned to its usual state - appearing utterly dignified yet completely relaxed. He regarded the newcomer for a long moment. Thank you. Your timely intervention appears to have freed my mind from some sort of compulsion. He sent his thoughts in Dawnstone's general mental direction.

10:36, Today: Brother Zellias rolled 18 using 1d20+2. Save.

In reply to Ravex (msg #49):

I do not know what happened...he mentally sends back. All I know is there was a voice in both your minds telling you to jump into the water-and you sang of your own deaths. I must hurry, there is a chance to save others from this fate. He begins to head to the harbor, planning to help anyone else who he can sense the alien presence in their minds. I am called Dawnstone, Shaman of the Elemental spirits. However, he starts to head off quickly. If you feel able, I could use your help.

(OOC-Doing the same plan as it seems to work. Putting the spirit in the way of a group of people. As they ignore everything around them as they are in a trance, they will move past it without shifting. Giving the spirit an OA and hitting them-lightly (1 hp subdual damage). As they are next to the spirit-they will get +2 to the saves he is granting.)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:37, Wed 27 July 2011.

Time: Post Call of Dagon, Pre-dawn

Cold, wet, half-naked, and unhappy...and feverish with night chills, Ravex realizes.  But not riding the night current, he thinks with relief--Dagon's call still resonating within but no longer pulling him.

Brother Zelias likewise shivers with ague, his legs unsteady (just flavor, only current effect is -2 will). It would have been nice to rest his legs, let the night current carry him along forever, he muses until the measure of his sanity returns, after which he thanks DawnStone (BZ's third paragraph).

Lyriel's improvised caltrops free three guests of their night swim mania, including the man who had arrived the night previous aboard The Ashenport Carriage. Wearing only his nightshirt, the man hastily returns to his room. Strange. He seemed to have the beginnings of slits on the sides of his neck, Lyriel observes.

DawnStone proves most effective at restoring sanity: he saves a party of six guardsman and their merchant, the half-elf lady from the night before.

The survivors stare at the group of heroes standing by the wharf, their faces saying what their voices fear to: Help us. It takes no great calculus to perceive that the locals didn't feel the call the same as the visitors.

Even with the adventurers' heroics, Dagon will not be riding the night current alone this time.

  "Secure the building. No one comes in except by the front door, and no one goes out until I get back," Lyriel instructed the two survivors who hadn't beat a hasty retreat back to their rooms, and with a low, slow, one-handed sweep of her sword - pointing rather than striking - she further indicated the crockery shards. "And see if you can find a broom to clear this away."

  With that, she headed out into the streets and hustled toward the docks. The call had ceased, which was a welcome relief, but she wasn't certain whether that meant that its other victims had been released.

Ravex huffs his displeasure at the entire situation and stomps back toward the inn to get his armor... or go to sleep... or get new orders, depending on what the others concluded was going on.

"Always with the magic-tosser mumbo-jumbo... and in the water no-less. I hate water. It's for the fish... damn the rain, too." He fumes, looking at Gethin as though to say: "Well, what now holy man?

Time: Before Dawn

Having dispatched her orders and begun her way to the docks, Lyriel discovers Ravex and the others returning from there. Their expressions tell her all she needs to know: there is nothing to be done.

Everyone assembles in the common room, the dragonborn warrior, human paladin,  wolfish swordswoman, human monk, and the ... DawnStone, whatever it might be, along with the ashen-faced guardsmen (six), two merchants (the half-elf, Terza, and the merchant, Jandal), and the one traveler who arrived the night before. Everyone is there, that is, save for the fomerly omnipresent hotel staff.  No Sannuel with his oiled mustache, no Relina with her creamy expanse of bosom, and no Menelda with her talk of "blinks."

Two of the guards shuffle off to the kitchen to make some coffee, apparently too distraught to go alone. There is to be no more sleep tonight, not in this town, not for its visitors.

Terza speaks first, no, beseeches the heros first, "For my and my fellows' safety, I offer you 500 pieces of gold."  Too shaken to speak, Jandal lays out 300 more pieces of gold, his contribution clear.  Lastly, the young man with the curious neck retrieves a bottle of whiskey from his pack and sets it with the gleaming pile of coin. It might not be worth much but its value, given the night's horrors, seems to surpass that of the gold.

"We have the worst luck with hotel service," Gethin mutters, noting the absence of the help.  At least they didn't offer them any cheese.

The paladin pours liquor for Ravex and Zellias, then leaves the bottle in the middle of the table for the others.  He addresses the wolf-woman and the crystal-man.

"Thank you for your help, friends.  I fear my comrades would have been drowned without it."  He glances at his half-on-half-off armor, but says nothing more about that.

"I am Gethin Ballider, paladin of Pelor."

  Once back at the inn, Lyriel took a few moments to get dressed before joining the gathering downstairs; she folded her hands on the table initially, keeping them in sight among the strangers, but when the bottle was passed around, she poured a half-shot for herself and subsequently kept one hand around the glass.

  "I accept your commission, though truth be told, my own safety is as much at stake as your own," she replied courteously, her voice noticeably low but only slightly rough by human standards. She'd become acquainted with the merchants and their business over the last few days, but the new arrivals were another matter, so she then turned to them to introduce herself. "Lyriel Renard. This was to have been a trade mission, but it seems that I've been drawn into something more serious."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:17, Mon 25 July 2011.

In reply to Autarch (msg #55):

DawnStone looks at the shiny coins. He knew something about trade. The tribe who thought him showed him barter for things and goods. As he did not sleep or tire he was a good worker-and had value from that standpoint. He also knew he would need such things for new magic items to help carry out the spirits will. So he would have to use it-even if he found the concept odd. Have almost no physical wants or needs would do that to someone-he learned that quickly enough.

The yellow crystalline eyes looks over the room at the others. Greetings...they all heard in their minds. Having no mouth kept one from speaking, after all. I have been named DawnStone-I serve the spirits. They called me here-warning of a evil on the rise. As always, they are correct. If I can be of aid to you, I will. This...thing...cannot be allowed to claim more victims.

  Lyriel briefly tensed as the voice rang out in her mind; having just come through the Call of Dagon, her initial reaction to this second mental intrusion was one of alarm. She relaxed again when it became clear that this was no attack, merely a form of communication, although what was said ensured that she didn't relax completely.

  She turned in her seat to directly face the crystalline creature, responding with actual (if somewhat agitated) words. "What spirits? You know what's going on here?"

"If I had to guess," Gethin pours himself a shot, "the locals have struck a deal with Dagon whereby he gets visitors and they get..."  He pauses in contemplation, then sips cautiously at his whiskey.  The paladin was not a hard drinker.

"I don't know.  Lots of rain?  Left in peace?"

He turns to the traders.  "You've been here longer than we, or maybe you've heard rumors on the road.  Do you know what this is?"

In reply to Lyriel (msg #59):

The crystal being cocks its head to one side. Seeing the anger in her voice more of a change in her mental communication. As one could hear the change of tone in someone's voice-he could see her anger and fear as a change in the color of her mental communications-the lights that came along with her words.

There are spirits all around you. Life makes them. As does any natural force of the world. Fire. Light. Wind. All of witch sense aberrations. Disorders. Changes to the natural world. It makes them reach out and seek entrance to this world-in order to put such things to rights. To do that however, they need a channel into this world. They guide this person-and shaman allows them a physical presence.

He looked over the wolf woman. You, of all people-do not know this? You bear the mark of the link between nature and spirit yourself-in you very flesh...

  "You mean the primal spirits, though I've never heard of them needing intermediaries." That part, at least, made sense. The crystalline creature's next statement did not, though she'd grown used to humans and others making that sort of assumption and had long since ceased to be either perplexed or annoyed by it. Mildly amused, yes, and her response - delivered with the faintest hint of a smile - reflected that. "But the only relationship I have to spirits are the sort that you find in a bottle: the wine trade forms a large part of House Renard's business."

  "Business, however, will have to wait," she concluded, rising as she turned back to address the gathering as a whole. "We need to put a stop to whatever is going on here. I intend to find out what the mayor has to say for himself, and anyone who feels they can hold their own in a confrontation is welcome to join me. Everyone else should barricade themselves into this place so they can't be drawn or dragged out if someone or something else comes calling."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Mon 25 July 2011.

In reply to Lyriel (msg #62):

The crystal being nods. I have nothing to fear from drowning. May I recommend myself to see what is occurring below? In addition, I doubt any beast down there would find my substance appetizing...

Gethin nods.  "This is something I wish to do, also.  But my comrades and I come from a recent battle against evil in some other place.  We are wounded and weary.  We will need rest before we can undertake another quest."

"Speaking of comrades... where's Farren?"

OOC: Our extended rest was interrupted.

No need to go into the whole "where's Farren" thing on my account.  I just think it would be weird not to even mention her.

As though to emphasize Gethin's point, Ravex releases a mighty yawn, punctuated by a smack of the lips and a scratch of the butt.

  "Whatever is out there isn't going to wait for our convenience. We need to act now. Farren...?" Lyriel looked over the crowd, trying to place each face among those she knew, because she certainly didn't know everyone's name. "The elf? I haven't seen her since last night. If you didn't stop her on the way to the docks..."

Time: Dawn (or what passes for it)

Behind the constant rains and stone-thick clouds, the lightening of the sky is all but imperceptible. Still, dawn has come, and Ashenport should be rising as well.

It is not. Even as the first few moments of morning creep past, the town remains utterly still. No doors slam, no shopkeepers huddle against the rain as they rush to start the new day’s business. Other than yourselves and your fellow outsiders, not a soul stirs. The only signs of life are a few large gulls, undaunted by the rains, that perch among the town’s roofs, like flies converging on a bloating corpse.

The two guards return from the kitchen with steaming mugs of coffee and good news.  The Smooth Sailing Inn and Tavern, while lacking a staff, does not want for larders and kegs. They report of ample quantities of salted pork and fish, potatoes, onions, loaves of hard, crusty bread, apples.   If they're going to have to barricade themselves in here, at least they won't have to resort to "eatin our own boots."

One of the man-at-arms, a skinny lad gripping a spear tightly with his white-knuckled hands, stares out one of the windows and echos Gethin, "Sheets and sheets of rain. Gonna drown this whole town. All that rain. Not right. This isn't right," his voice whispery quiet--just heard over the torrents.

His mouth continues moving, "So much rain. It's gonna drag you down. You're gonna ride the night current. All of you. Cold and wet and dead, you're gonna ride it forever."

OOC Yes, an interrupted extended rest which means you do recover your surges but not your dailys. Ravex and BZ do not make rolls for their disease progression. If you want to explore the town, just let me know which building on the map you want to head to.

In reply to Autarch (msg #67):

He looked about. They would run out of food eventually. Not to mention beings of flesh got sick in such conditions. They longer they stayed here-the worse it would be.

We need to go to the source. This creature will keep sending out the call until all are drowned. However, with the right ritual-I could grant you all the ability to breath water for a time-hours, in fact. However, I do not know this ritual. Is there someplace in this town where it could be acquired?

"We passed only a general goods store on our way in.  Not likely they'll sell rituals."

"Let's go explore the town," Gethin decides, with a sudden putting away of weariness.  "See if we can find a magician's shop."

"The side alley leading away from the water looks promising.  And I'd prefer to stay away from water for now, anyway."

Gethin rushes down the last of his breakfast and finishes arming himself.  "You stay here," he tells the merchant's caravan.  "Lock the doors.  Three short raps and it's us."

OOC: I suggest we head east down the side street, past 1a (which I'm guessing is a stable), and see what buildings 3, 8, and 9 are.