The evening is spent learning about one another. It is an enlightening experience, as many of you have not associated very much with one another, and there's always been the ever present listening ears from the driver so far.

Sarnai takes in the conversation carefully, listening to each person in turn. She is the only mortal here, after all, and it is amazing to hear an entire pantheon display their plans for the world.

After many hours of tale telling and rest, Sarnai looks at the sky, and comments "The sun will rise soon. If you wish to use darkness to gain the element of surprise, you should leave soon."

The cave awaits in the far distance.

"So we go in head-on? In that case, I will take the lead," said Claire, moving to a position in front of the group. "Most of their weapons are unlikely to be able to damage my body."

She cast aside her scholar's cap and just as quickly shucked her tunic, throwing it aside to reveal her more usual (and nearly naked by Vissian standards) purple outfit. It would be more comfortable in a direct fight. "Everyone ready?"

The party was pearched infront of a small outcropping of rocks fairly close to the cave. They could see the guards awaiting outside their caves. They looked slightly anxious, and those who had mounts were mounted.

Sarnai stood well, well back from everyone else at the camp, knowing there was no good to come to her if she tried to fight alongside Gods*

It was twilight. In a few minutes, the light would come up, and any pretense at stealth would be impossible.





[ooc * - Unless Gaja orders her otherwise, of course]

"On your guard, everyone. Our adversaries' machines are near."

  Gaja clucks her tongue a few times.  She's actually leaning back against the rocks, and has definitely not displayed the kind of caution the others did.  "You are all very suspicious neighbors, you know that?  It's going to get you a reputation, and then no one will compete in games with you."  She rocks foreward onto tiptoe and stretches up, grasping for the last and brightest stars.  She was back in her dancing silks for this, in a gratuitous display of cheek.  Always send first... What is the word? An emissary?"

  She steps out into the open, raises her hand to the guards... and waits, as first hoofbeats and then the riders themselves crest one of the ridges to the far side of the cave.  It looks and sounds like scores of them, but the darkness makes it hard to tell.  They're still at least a mile off, but approaching with the kind of speed friendly visitors don't.

  "My people call it bait.  Move on silent feet.  The desert and I will keep them busy."

---

Miracle for Shining Mirage.  Have fun inside.

While Gaja draws attention, Plaga will focus on the visions of the dead. If she gets a sense on how people have died in this area, perhaps she could be able to accurately identify how intruders were dealt with and avoid the traps.

Death Word: "Such heroes also know the details of what, where, and how anything dies or is dying within 100 feet of them."

She moves together with the others, not wishing to waste Gaja's effort at creating an opening.

Increase was present but perhaps not overly invested in the theatrics and deliberation as the others. Anything short of Former Empire technology could be unmade and there was no mundane created object that could stand against his mental prowess and speed, at least if given time.

All the same he was impressed with Gaja's exertion of her Zenith power. Illusions of some kind? Or perhaps she was truly a conjurer. His lack of knowledge surrounding the supposedly magical was beginning to bother him.

Still he nodded in agreement with Gaja's words before turning to Claire, Plaga, and Vasati.

"Shall we be on our way then? I believe there was some such talk as to a hidden path?"

"Wait a moment, I'm scanning."

Vasati sighed.

"They have added to the story.  More traps and spells of warding to the main tunnel.  The thief could disable one work of magic, but the other would still be there."

A variety of magical energy was directed upon the cave from the distance, from a variety of sources. The riders looked even more uneasy, though they had not identified the pantheon yet: there was nothing visible about what they were doing.

The approaching hooves, a veritable army, began to fill the air, the distinctive sound muffled by the sands, but in such numbers and so close that it was impossible to ignore. The guards began to call out in alarm, and now all were ready for a battle.

Their leader, a large man on a particularly large, synth-silk barded riding horse, readied a long spear of unusual make: the front seemed heavier than it needed to be, and looked to the left and the right.

"They have numbers, but we can beat them. Hold up by the entrance and be prepared to ride hard on my mark!"

* * *


[OOC - The mercs appear to be holding]

"If you don't mind, I shall go ahead. I found my prey."

In the blink of an eye, Plaga bolted through the air, turning into a blurry shadow. Before the leader could even react, Plaga had crossed through the enemy forces and appeared behind the leader. Her dash hadn't gone unnoticed by the bulk of the forces, some of which couldn't withstand the dark energy emanating from the Doctor of Death.

00:21, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 6 using 1d8.  Fray Die.

OOC: I highly doubt that the leader is a lesser foe, but if he is in fact a lesser foe with fancy equipment, Plaga will instantly spill his guts in front of his warriors using Raptor's Red Plunge.
I'm gonna continue the post assuming it's not the case, i'll edit it if necessary.

Having reached his target, Plaga didn't bother with introductions and used the surprise factor in her favor, plunging into the leader's very soul with her eldritch powers.

00:23, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 22 using 1d20+4.  Plaga's Eldritch Powers.
00:23, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 13 using 1d10+3.  Damage.

In reply to Plaga, The Doctor of Death (msg # 11):

[OOC - As a reminder, combat has begun. The PC's may take all their actions now, as the guards do not have an anti-surprise ability.

The leader is a heroic mortal, and the mercenaries are mobbed up with AC 5 as they have decent armor and are mounted.]

Vasati's eyes went wide as the Doctor of Death revealed the speed and devastation with which she could strike.  He burst out laughing, moving far more slowly on foot to join the fray.  Unarmed and unarmored, he did not appear to be much of a threat however.  He had claimed he was a thief, after all, and not a warrior.  He rushed towards the nearest mercenary, pulling him down off of his horse, but didn't appear achieve much more than inconveniencing the man.

Claire finished her scan. "Nothing susceptible to electronic countermeasures. Engaging."

Mechanical wings sprouted from her back as she launched into the air, pointing her weapon at Plaga and her target, but as she tried to catch the leader on her targeting computer, it threw up an error: Plaga was too close and her shot risked damaging the both of them.

Instead, she hurriedly retargeted, firing her pink annihilation balls at the various troops in the mob.


11:40, Today: Claire Durand rolled 8 using 1d8.  Fray at the mob.
11:40, Today: Claire Durand rolled 7 using 1d20+6.  Firing on the leader.

Well, that didn't go too well - but 2 damage to the mob.

  Gaja closed her eyes tightly and took a steadying breath.  There would be no bait, apparently.  But for now, a blessing was a blessing.  With an angry, backhanded wave, she plunged the line of guards into utter silence.  A moment later, their leader's voice, screaming in hysterical terror, filled the air.  Gaja just stalked up the hill toward the cave mouth while she rebuilt her composure.  In the distance, the riders wheeled to a stop, remaining outside the ongoing combat.

---

Just shaping sound for now I guess.  Call it a direct attempt to demoralize the troops.  1HD fray, if nothing else.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Mon 18 Feb 2019.

Increase, having limited combat effectiveness, simply began to walk forward towards the cave mouth. He had seen the prowess of his companions before and believed that they would be sufficient to the task of killing or disabling the guards at the cave mouth.

All the same he was vigilant in his approach and used his passive exertions to reach out and assail anyone who survived the first wave of attacks.

Fray Die: 0
This message was last edited by the player at 15:09, Mon 18 Feb 2019.

The leader yells to stay silent, but his voice is almost drowned out by supernaturally loud calls of terror. His voice can still be heard. It doesn't help that he's also trying to vend off Plaga, who he was trying to keep distance.

The riders have had enough, and bail, their leader, annoyed, quickly rides off as well , not wanting to leave his men behind. The fact that four angry gods are now amoung them, there very presence inflicting casualties, doesn't help.

They ride fast and away from the group, and there's suddenly no one guarding outside the cave. Inside, there is a large group of prisoners staked out on the cave floor. Their eyes are blank and expressionless and they do not respond to the sounds of battle or anything else. They are quite filthy, even for poorly treated slaves, and give off a rank odor.

The cave has a natural bend, and some additional large rocks have been piled up to make it difficult to see around the corner. The captives look like they have been set up in this position recently.

There are also a few mundane tripwires set up that are fairly obviously placed, apparently to make it difficult to tip toe your way through.

  Gaja walks toward the cave mouth at an unhurried pace, more focused on the distant raiders. The horsemen begin moving again in pursuit of the retreating guard, though eventually they descend behind a ridge and don't immediately emerge. She approaches Plaga, but faces the tunnel.

  "You... pounce well." She looks as though she'd rather not be saying it, and waves at the traps ahead almost immediately. "Those people, they're dead, right?"

Claire paused a moment. "I don't think so. Engage silent-flying mode," she said as she softly began shooting herself into the air with cold-pressure jets instead of her usual ones. Floating over the tripwires, she landed near the captives.

"I'm here. What have they done to you?" She began humming a bit, and a feeling of peace, safety, hope and a little joy radiated out from her, along with inner strength to lift the captives' spirits.

Effort committed: (Both are commits, not expenditures)
1: Banner of Passion, in Claire's usual use.
2: Heart of the Lion extended to defend the captives against every other source of UMI.

"Haha, we sent the brigands running!"

Vasati shook his fist at the retreating mortals, having contributed little to nothing to the fight.  Instead he began to moved down the cave mouth, pointing out each and every trap that was there in a kind of running litany.

"The story said there was a trip wire here, ah yes, there it is.  When my uncle told it, he said there was a pressure plate just there there, don't want to step on that one.  My aunt disagreed, but better safe than sorry no?  Can't forget the trick with the light here, I don't exactly know how it works, something about condensed light being refined into a beam, never understood that part. It's here though, so step over it..."

He continued as he walked down the hallway.

"The legends say there are two spells of alarm now though, so the thief just walked into them.  It's not like he and his companions were subtle with the mercenaries in front, ha!"

When Claire took flight, he clapped his hands in delight.

"Much magic might influence their minds, but so can the promise of a whip, be careful!"

If he was worried, it didn't sound in his voice at all.

"In the tales, the corpses were a trap of some sort.  There were also some mages hiding just about the corner. THe prince snuck past them, but that doesn't seem to be this version of the tale's narrative structure."

Vasati called out, kicking at the ground, but staying well away from both the corpses and the place where her gestured to the alarm spell.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:41, Tue 19 Feb 2019.

OOC Note: Please halt the thread until Vasati responds to a PM I sent him.

Plaga has vanished, though you do hear screams from the running soldiers.


The captives are utterly unresponsive as Claire and Vasati approach, totally unaware of what's going on.

There is a momentary tinge as an alarm goes out: it is loud enough to be heard, but not particularly jarring.

Claire and Vasati are aware of two additional targets, humans well back from them, not visible due to a combination of clever camouflage, the bend in the tunnel, and stealth. Vasati and Claire notice as one of them casts an unfamiliar form of low magic.

In response, the captive screams, thrusting up their body at an utterly unnatural angle as synapses go into overdrive. A bluish white light fills their eyes and mouth, pulling out of the front for a few moments before there is an utterly blinding explosion of magical energy that fills an area around the chamber.


The captive is torn apart, and etheric energy fills the chamber. The devastating explosion engulfs Vasati and Claire. The explosion of energy is not as bad as you might think, but the energy is insanely agonizing, and you can feel something vital, essential your being being warped and twisted within you. Thankfully, you are strong enough to resist it.

[OOC - 5 damage from the first explosion, save vs Spirit to reduce to 3]

Nearby, a second later, the spectacle repeats as another captive writhes and then explodes, though this time the energy is DIRECTED towards Vasati and Claire's position. It is not quite so bad.

[OOC - 3 damage from the second, save to spirit to reduce to 2]

The two mages behind them look at Claire, who was utterly unaffected by the physical component of the blast, is still standing and Vasati is already getting to his feet.
"Oh shit." One intoned. They rapidly prepared to cast spells again.

[OOC - All of you can take an action now. The two captives are really quite sincerely dead. There are a few more still alive. None of you are near them, but the mages spells seem to be able to direct the traps towards you. The mages are AC 9.]

  "I think that if they're not already— Claire?!  Traps!  Vasati!!!"  Gaja rushes forward the instant the alarm sounds but isn't fast enough or close enough to stop the ambush.  In fact, she's still a solid five paces off when the first body's eyes begin glowing.

  "Buzh na-HIIIIINNNNNN"  The line rushes from her throat like a burst dam, and the spark of real panic giving it force is clearly audible.  So is the Pelagic accent she usually suppresses.  She skids to a stop as the first body explodes in front of her, arms thrown up to shield her face, but sings on through both, nearly louder than the explosions themselves.  "Saka-di theeee!"  The king of thieves flickers like a mirage, himself, or perhaps a dancing flame, and the blasts pass through him harmlessly.

  By the time the air clears, she's calmed enough to have noticed that, and covers her open mouth in a mocking imitation of surprise.  She slyly glances down the tunnel, at the mage who spoke up to curse, and with her hand already in place, blows him a taunting kiss.

---

"[The fire which drove him] could not be extinguished."
Miracle to emulate Verse of Deathless Glory and cover Vasati for the round.  Missed my attack and got nothing from Fray.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:54, Tue 19 Feb 2019.

Vasati stood there blinking, staring first at his hands and then at Gaja.  It seemed to take the man, who was clearly more than a man, a moment to process what had just happened.  After a moment the magnitude of what had just occurred seemed to dawn on him, and he caught Gaja with his most dashing smile.

"You!"

He said, bursting into laughter at the proclamation.  He turned and charged the two mages, shouting over his shoulder as he did.

"I knew you were magnificent the moment I laid eyes on you, I am pleased to see my judge of character is still so sharp!"

Then he was running towards the Mages, fists clenched to tussle.

It didn't take long for Plaga to rejoin the group. Having conveniently left while the traps were triggered, the necromancer missed the first round of action. Both allies and foes that looked at her would see that she was covered in blood, and was carrying the head of the leader of the bandits as if it was a grocery bag. There was something deeply unsettling about the way Plaga casually moved into the cave.

"You don't lose any time, do you?"

OOC: Skipping the first round since I was away doing bussiness with the bandits.

Dropping Banner of Passion, reclaiming Effort.

Claire stood completely unthreatened by the attack to her unliving body and invincible soul, but her lips twisted in silent fury at the murder of the captives, and her jets fired at full strength to propel her toward the enemy mages. On the way, she locked onto one of the mages and raiside her arm.

"Pray to the Creator for mercy, for you will find none from me."

Another of her trademark purple-pink spheres of annihilation blasted out toward the mage, though her targeting systems were still a little wonky today...

Heart of the Lion was already up. I take no damage from the trap (Constant effect, immune to emotional effects), and none of the party are in danger from the emotion-effecting part of the trap (Effort active) - only the damage to their living bodies.

06:50, Today: Claire Durand rolled 9 using 1d20+6.  Attack Mage #2.
06:52, Today: Claire Durand rolled 6 using 1d8.  Fray if applicable.

One yelled as he prepared his next spell. Surely that had been a fluke! The angulation beams missed, but created impressive holes in the wall.

The other took time to snarl back.

"The creator is a hollow lie, automoton! The only salvation is what man wrests from the world!"

Vasati walked up to the one who was casting, and slapped his across the face.

"Knock that off."

He growled as the mage flew back away from him as if struck by a hammer.  Vasati wasn't a small man, but he had to have been extremely well muscled under his vest and shirt to have struck that hard.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:21, Wed 20 Feb 2019.

Ordinarily, Claire would have been delighted to engage in philosophical debate with an intelligent man who disagreed with her on theology. But she already had a Reasoner friend who wasn't in the business of murdering slaves. So she responded in a soft monotone that was yet audible to all equally, the expression on her face blank as the targeting reticle in her eyes lined up with the man and eerie hymns in Old Din echoed from her speakers.

"Perhaps...but you will no longer be in this world."

Her targeting systems functioned adequately this time. Violet lasers fired directly from her eyes into the mage's center of mass, launching him back against the wall.

18:56, Today: Claire Durand rolled 7 using 1d10+4.  damage.
18:55, Today: Claire Durand rolled 11 using 1d20+6.  Attack.

Not my best rolling, but it'll do against defenseless wizards. 2 damage.

Flying back wasn't so bad on the mage. The gaping hole in his chest was another story.
He fell to the ground, mortally wounded.

The other saw how ineffective they'd been. Best not be captured, and he slightly altered the words of his spell.


* * *
Inside the cave, a simple scrying spell was dropped: they'd seen enough that this was a credible threat to a project that had cost countless lifetimes.. and lives.

A wizened hand "twisted" something in the air.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:57, Wed 20 Feb 2019.

Plaga didn't lose any more time, and focused on the surviving mages. Her gaze pierced their very souls, causing them terrible pain as they fade away.

11:16, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 13 using 1d20+4.  Gaze of Death.
11:17, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 6 using 1d10+3.
11:17, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 1 using 1d8.  Fray die.

2 damage

"Ha, the story gets better now that we get into it.  Some fool has opened a Night Road!"

Vasati wiped his bloodied hand on the dead mages cloak.  It was as if great rending talons had gouged the man's flesh, nearly ripping his head from his shoulders in the process.

"I'd never heard this version."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:00, Wed 20 Feb 2019.

Increase had largely dismissed the fighting and was instead detailing the nature and design of the trip-wire traps and light trap. The first was simple and the second was truly fascinating. He wished he could take the time to give it a proper study but suddenly there was explosions.

He turned his attention to the ongoing conflict and say mages casting spells, or at least attempting to. His allies were nothing if not brutally efficient at dispensing nuisances. All the same he had a sudden foreboding.

"Tread carefully and prepare yourselves! Danger is upon us."

Increase wasn't sure what or how but he braced himself all the same.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:11, Wed 20 Feb 2019.

  "Shhhhhh......"  Gaja raised a finger to her lips, and then there were no words for spells.  She entered the tunnel and approached the remaining magician at a saunter, hair catching the light in a golden halo around the head of her back-lit silhouette.  "Don't try to speak."  Her voice was bitter honey—sultry, empathetic, but underlain with a crueler amusement.

  "You are not the prize, little whisper-man.  You were offered as a sacrifice to the gods by the fools behind you.  Shh.  Dream of me."  The offer probably would have been difficult to ignore even if she weren't channeling the cosmic principle of betrayal.

---

Hit AC7+ for 2HD, +1HD fray maybe idk.  Shaper of the Sound is an Instant, so if his magic needs those words he can't say, it's not happening.

Claire raised an eyebrow at Gaja's sadism, but then focused on the silenced adversary. "It's your last chance to seek redemption. But I don't think you'll find it." She used her hand blaster this time, catching her foe squarely in his chest with a ball of annihilation in feminine colors.


18:28, Today: Claire Durand rolled 10 using 1d10+4.  Damage.
18:28, Today: Claire Durand rolled 15 using 1d20+6.  Blast the survivor.

4 damage. Since he's 6HD, no fray.

He staggers from Plaga's blow, and tries to raise his voice to cast the simplest spell he knows, but Gaja's voice prevents him from finishing one last spell.

Against the assemblage of gods in front of him, his magic is useless, and he falls quickly to your combined blows. All that remains are the stupefied, mindless captives and whatever awaits you deeper in the cave.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:43, Thu 21 Feb 2019.

"No time for redemption, the story is changing fast!"

Vasati shouted, running in the direction that the tales told him to go, while being careful to avoid every trap and trigger.

"The good news is that the storyteller decided to save the villain for another tale, had them slip away on the Night Road.  The better news would be that the villain left the treasure behind as a prize, but it's a prize only for greedy fools.  I think this story might have an even more explosive ending than before!"

He gestured vaguely in the direction of the corpses that had been detonated as he ran.

  "No...  No!  Vasati wait!" It took Gaja a shocked moment or two, staring at the now-paired corpses at her feet, before she managed to close her slackened jaw.  She held up a hand for the thief to stop, then wheeled on the others, her shock having already yielded mostly to disgust and fury.

  "Get out!  Both of you bloodthirsty idiots!  Out!"  She flung a hand up, pointing generally west, and didn't seem to be able to get the other one out of a fist despite some trying.  "We agreed last night!  No killing unless there is no other way!  But the first warm body you see, Plaga, you try to make it cold!  And Claire just executed a helpless prisoner! OUT!"  Gaja's ordinary grace had given way to enough of a rage she was trembling, and the vibrations seemed to be spreading into the walls of the cave.

  "GO ATONE!"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:06, Thu 21 Feb 2019.

Claire looked at Gaja. "He was helpless?" she asked, uncomprehending. "If you think I should atone, tell me what sins you believe I have committed. Our enemies were magicians capable of destroying these people with a spell." She gestured to the captives. "That justified immediate and deadly force."

She looked at Vasati. "This is Gaja's mission. If she wants to scratch it, then we should help carry out the captives. Can you find any way to free them from the traps?" Meanwhile, she flew over to the corpses of the two soul-blasted prisoners and made the Unitary Cross, then vocally recited the prayer for the dead over them while her speakers sang a soft requiem.

Plaga laughs at Gaja's outburst, wich would understandably make her even angrier.

"Who do you think you are speaking to, Gaja? I'm the Doctor of Death, and I decide who dies. But I also have the privilege to decide who is spared the liberation of death. Why don't you calm yourself and check the 'bodies'?"

If Gaja was to do so, she would find that none of the people that should have died today was actually death, and instead all their wounds had become stable.

"I also recall you collapsing an entire island out of anger, so allow me to point out that I'm much more merciful than you. Refer to accusing me EVER again."

  This time, the incident on the island doesn't draw a flinch. But then, she is distracted watching for the rhythm of breath. Gaja lowers her arm and takes a deep breath, looking mollified but unamused. "You might have mentioned this before." Then she turns with a sigh to retrace Vasati's footsteps.

  "I was wrong, Claire," she concedes without looking back. "No laws were broken."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Thu 21 Feb 2019.

Vasati has headed forward, bypassing the remainder of the traps.

[OOC-Anyone who wants to follow can, of course, or you can hang back to interrogate the prisoners.]

Claire followed along with Vasati. He'd need muscle behind him, and interrogation was Gaja's thing.

Plaga stayed behind for now, just in case Gaja needed a hand with the interrogation. With Plaga around, she could get as creative with the interrogation as she wanted.

Vasati is, of course, first to burst onto the scene, since he'd realized they were under a timer.

Minor magical light - a common enough enchantment among many thaumathurges- lit the cave in a prepetual bluish white glow, though there was still plenty of room along the sides for shadows.

The cave chamber's clearly been lived in a while, as there are a number of improvements made for basic living, at least in a spartan manner. Most of the furnishings were literally carved out of the rock.

There were a few hammocks and bedrolls in one section of the room, as well as a small area with a kettle, and a dug pit to store food. Two very fresh looking bodies remained on the floor: they had the same look as the slaves outside, though their bodies were in far better condition: well, still exploded, but they were wearing proper clothes and would have been in good health except for their very recent injuries.

While the living arrangements are spartan, the place has a selection of thaumaturgical equipment, some fairly common for those in the know, others custom made out of kit parts, and a few rare antiques. There are also a number of books and tablets, carefully preserved, and a bright republic "Breadboard" terminals with few circuitry kits of some kind that had been opened and ransackedquickly. A body was slumped over the computer, throat recently slit. The screen had been smashed and cracked.. with the body's head by the look of it.
A few of the books had very recently been removed from the library, judging by some conspicuous absences from the rows of books.


There were a number of those slaves, staked out on the wall. On a table near them were tools for force feeding food and water into them. Near them was a stone table that had clearly been carved out of the natural rock and polished to a fine finish. There were a number of surgical and thaumaturgical instruments, as well, about the table. There was a fair amount of blood around it, and the faint smell of antiseptic (usually made from light alchemical solutions.. or imported wholesale from the republic).

The entire room was blanketed in a light coating of ash, concentrated in some areas. Weird.

Finally, in the far corner of the room was a carved room with a blanked placed over the "door". You couldn't see past it. There was a marker denoting that people should STAY OUT.
The door was flanked by two humanoid constructs of brass.





All around you, the faint echos of the alarm spell continues. The golems don't seem to react to you, leaving you the only things moving in this chamber.

Claire looked at Vasati. "Look for any explosives or anything that might look explosive, please. I'll see if the system is automated"

She moved next to the damaged computer system and smirked. "Amateur work, threat minimal." She quickly found the hard drive and interfaced with the machinery, beginning an immediate search for any connection between the computer and any self-destruct systems in the cave.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:49, Fri 22 Feb 2019.

"The trap on the door was child's play for the thief to overcome."

Vasati said, as if narrating the story himself, though he was speaking rapidly

"But he could not deactivate it, only dance around it.  Others would not be able to follow.  Worse if he poured his soul into deactivating the arcanity that warded the door, he would have nothing left to stop the magic wreaking havoc with the prize."

He looked at Claire, dropping any pretense of the tale.

"The thief is going to have to just open the door, and leave the warrior to deal with the consequences."

He motioned to the two brass golems.

"Can you handle that?  I promise that in all of the tales, the thief returns to lend aide just as soon as he has stolen the prize."

If she gave any sign of agreement, he encouraged her to step back and then yanked open the door, ignoring the alarm as if it wasn't there while effortlessly evading the physical trap.  Then he was through the door, before anything should have a chance to react.  The prize awaited.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:31, Fri 22 Feb 2019.

Claire nodded. "Good hunting."

The accommodations drew Gaja's attention, not the hardware.  She walked over to the flat surface and ran a hand over it, coming away with a palm covered with soot.  It drew her attention occasionally while she kneeled to untie the slaves.  "Go on, Vasati.  You wouldn't cheat us with so many stories left to tell.  It's not your way."

  She stood when he gestured at the golems and moved away from the captives, brushing her hands together.  It really only spread the black smudge around.  "If you can't retrieve it, just get to safety.  We'll be fine with the statue guards.  Hurry."  When he vanished through the curtain, she stiffened as though expecting trouble.

"Wait."

His voice slightly more panicked than he might have originally wanted.

"I have a...foreboding about this door. There is a being, a force, beyond it that seems...deadly."

He shook his head, attempting to dismiss the reprimands his subconscious was lodged at such illogical remarks.

"Be careful is all that I mean. I feel as tho it might be potentially hazardous."

Vasati was already through the door, reckless in his abandon.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:48, Fri 22 Feb 2019.

Vasati ducked through the makeshift cloth that functioned as a door, gracefully avoiding the deadly looking blades that swung at him as he passed, and of course, another alarm began blaring. The two golems began to move to attack Vastati, though of course, in terms of speed, a powered down Automoton was no match for any of the Godbound (let alone a thief as adept as Vastati).

On the other side of the curtain was a medium sized room with another book shelf and additional thaumathurgic tools. A few antiques were scattered here and there, as were a few Bright Republic items of interment make, and a selection of money and items.

A "desk" had been carved from the bare rock facing the door. It would make excellent cover against anyone who entered.

On the table was a series of stones of different types and colours that seemed to "belong" together. Some of the stones seemed to float slightly off one another, suspended in air and held in place by some mysterious force. It was clearly a magical item. It seemed to be vibrating slightly.





[OOC - Vasati got in quick. Anyone else who wants in will have to draw some attacks  of opportunity from the automotons or kill them first. They are AC 3, 6HP.]

While Plaga had decided to stay behind, she figured judging by the noise the awakened automatons were making that her help would be appreciated. Calling forth those that had passed away, she raised 10 skeletons to follow her orders.

"Clear the path ahead for my companions"

Obediently, the undead march ahead, and swarm one of the constructs, gnawing and cleaving at it's body.

11:01, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 3 using 1d8.  Blood Like Water.

1 damage to closest construct.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:02, Sat 23 Feb 2019.

In reply to Plaga, The Doctor of Death (msg # 54):

[OOC - Ok, but the skeletons attack both constructs. Swarms can go after multiple people]

The story was almost over, and the thief had the prize in sight.  One final hurdle to be overcome, one final trap to be outsmarted.  Grinning like a mad man, and half convinced that this last expenditure of his power would be his final act, Vasati swiped the Bits of the table and placed them inside his coat.

"Such a shame to lose such a unique working of Theurgy."

He mumbled to himself, saddened by the loss of anything even as his heart sang with the joy of the tale.  For it was his nature to be infinitely greedy, to desire all that he could possess.  Luckily for both him and his companions, he desired the story of the Bits far more than he desired that of the Theurgy which guarded them.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:14, Sat 23 Feb 2019.

The air around the object begins to shimmer. Both Gaja and Claire can hear a high frequency buzzing from the thing.

"Oh."

Vasati said, sounding disappointed.

"A thief isn't going to be good enough for this then, we need the Mage to defuse to Theurgy, or else it is going to explode."

He ran back out to join the others.

Increase realized what was going on when he saw Vasati move into the room, the brief images of him pocketing the unstable items alerting him to their intrinsic danger. He moved forward, hurriedly, ignoring the automaton's to the best of his abilities and earning whatever damage such a foolhardy attempt would yield.

All the same he concentrated his zenith will and command over all created things and attempted to right the unstable construction.

Increase commits Effort for a day for an Artifice miracle. I want adjust the Bits.

1 HD Fray Die to Automaton

  Gaja grimaced at the sound, not immediately comprehending. "Explode" was clear enough, though. She pulled back from the melee of bones and machines, toward the barely-conscious prisoners. Increase was there to solve an impossible puzzle, but these people...

"Then help. They won't survive a blast if he's wrong." She hoisted one of the slaves over her shoulders and left at a labored jog.

Gaja grabs one of the prisoners. The prisoner reacts mindlessly, thrashing against you, but without any particular strength or determination or even co-ordination, and of course, it was bound, as like to protect itself as others. It does you no harm other than the stink.

Increase... does something. The buzzing ceases.


 The two automotons head towards him, but are blocked by a more direct threat - a squad of skeletons.

[3 Damage to the skeletons. Claire, I just realized you haven't acted in a while. You may take a double action. In case you can't tell, I'm playing pretty fast and loose here, since these things aren't a threat.].

"This is why you always bring a Mage."

Vasati laughed, He effortlessly avoided the spinning blades of the trap as he stepped through the door.  He walked over to Increase Scholar and placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"Well done."

The skeletons were keeping the automatons busy, and Vasati appeared to have forgotten about them entirely.

Claire looked at the automata and pointed her arm at the joints of the first one. "Activating heat tool. Disabling enemy automaton." She fired a beam of orange light at the first of the brass machines, causing it to glow a bit cherry-red...with no other effect. Only then did a helpful tooltip pop up in Claire's HUD.

"...Why wasn't I told that that tool was designed for working with lead, not brass?" she asked her helpful sub-components out loud. She quickly began altering the device and app to allow higher settings.

18:35, Today: Claire Durand rolled 12 using 1d20+6.  Second attack, Automaton #1.
18:34, Today: Claire Durand rolled 11 using 1d20+6.  Attack Automaton #1.

...The RNG is out to get me.

Whenever they get a chance, the skeletons continue their assault, eager to fulfil their master's desires.

01:51, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 3 using 1d8.  Blood like Water.
01:51, Today: Plaga, The Doctor of Death rolled 3 using 1d8.  Blood like Water.

1 damage to each automaton

Now that he was at least partially convinced that it wasn't about to explode, Vasati handed Increase Scholar the Bits and ran off to engage with the surviving automotons.  As before, he drew no weapons, and merely walked up and pushed the nearest construct in the chest with what amounted to a hard shove.  That didn't seem to matter much, as the thing slammed into the wall of the cave with enough force to cause a thin layer of dust to rain down from on high.

"Are we staying to loot the place throughly, or are we on our way out then?"

He said, sounding disinterested with the swarming skeletons and the fight even as it raged around him.


20:51, Today: Vasati the Infinite rolled 22 using 1d20+4.  Attack 1.

20:51, Today: Vasati the Infinite rolled 13 using 1d10+3.

4 damage.


This message was last edited by the player at 04:55, Tue 26 Feb 2019.

Deciding that combat was far less interesting then the items he had just been handed by Vasati he turned his attention to them. He began to scrutinize them closely and identify anything about their mundane properties as he could.

Number, size, shape, color, and possible material of the Bits if you please.

(OOC -Yeah, you are going to kill these things.)

The Automotons fall quickly to an instant army of undead, leaving the Gods in possession of the cave.

Inside the small room, Scholar studies the bits. Despite the fact he'd stopped the destruction, the bits still.. did whatever they did. That is, despite the fact that they were clearly separate components, they remained at the same distance to each other.

The materials were harder to identify, but the largest portions of the bits were two large pieces of stone. One side looked utterly new, like a stone mason had carved it yesterday. The other was cracked and charred, the surface more like obsidian than stone, with cracks running through it and jagged edges jutting out.

Scholar was observant enough to notice that the damage all seemed to be on one side of the "bits".

At the center, between the two stones were was a tarnished brass sphere. Perhaps this was the object's "center"? A few odd looking white and purple irregular pebbles surrounded the thing, occasionally drifting around it, but always remaining the same distance.

It was relatively small, and VERY heavy for its size, coming in at around 80 pounds.

Increase took his attention away from the Bits and looked to his companions who had just finished making short work of the automatons.

"Excellent work. Now that we have the Bits what shall we do? It will take me time and a place to focus before I can discern what their true purpose is."

Or at least it might take time and focus. For the moment he extended his zenith will to the object.

Commit Effort for Day to Miracle: Mark the Marker (Artifice)

I don't know if you figure this out on your own, but I wanted to be clear on something your character would have figured out. I can't remember if we ever discussed this, but the game ended shortly after that point (and I was super busy at the time).



Now that you have have time to reflect on this, and you've had time to think about it (and have just mentally reviewed the universities texts on the subject with omniscient scholar), something would have occured to you.

1) Gaja said that the items in the area were old bits of tech and clothes were from her people's older legends. She's a Howler. That means that stuff was from the old magitech empire that was destroyed when the Great Mandala blew up.

2) The item in question was the peice of an absurdly powerful artifct that would have taken an absurd level of resources/manpower to create: easily the single most imperssive feat of artifact engineering you've ever heard of.

3) It was unstable and was about to detonate with enough force to concern Godbound.

The bits were probably part of the Great Mandala.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:33, Wed 03 June 2020.

  Outside, Gaja barely makes eye contact, just sets her burden down near the rest of the survivors and turns to look back into the mouth of the cave. Nothing immediately explodes, a good sign for Increase's success, so within a few seconds she returns to the others.

  "There was a night road. No? Are we so lucky it has closed again?" She looks around the small chamber as though something might have escaped notice this long, her attention ultimately settling on Increase and the device. "Then just driving away the one who could make it open was a victory. "

Plaga had been quietly observing Gaja work, and in the end decided to speak up.

"Gaja, you seem intent on rescuing the prisoners... I don't think they have a chance. If you let me, I can make their ends peaceful. Not that it will matter, their souls have left them already. They are just a mass of pain left behind. Since you seem to care, I won't act unless you agree on it."

Increases eyes glowed and he began to speak, his voice almost reverent.

"So..so much power."

Tears of blood came from his eyes, his tearducts long since damaged by his life in Lom and peering into the heart of the Pyre.

"It's beautiful."

The visions stopped and the glow diminished until it was gone entirely. He blinked twice, clearing away the scarlet tears before looking to his allies. His composure returned to him and his placid expression meet Gaja's gaze.

"I believe the "bits" are a component of a much more massive structure, one that would require the efforts of lifetimes and thousands of mundane and magical forces. The sheer immensity of the structure points to it being from the Former Empires before the Fall of Man. That said I believe it deals in souls, harvesting and using them for power."

  "Then I will have to take—" Gaja began, but saw something in Increase's expression that stopped her.  "...very good care of them.  That is a dangerous power to hold."  She turned as she spoke, gesturing for Plaga to come in with the others, and shook her head.

  "Claire was right.  This was my... 'mission'.  So everyone I bring, and everything they do, is in my name.  I won't order them killed.  I have no vendetta, and they are no threat.  The dingoes will have their due, or they'll awaken in time to take shelter."  She rapped on the cave wall with her knuckles and dislodged a bit of stone, freeing a small stream of shining water.  "And if they do, they will survive long enough to recover their strength.  They deserve that chance."

  "Increase.  The bits, please."  Gaja held a hand out, palm upturned.  She made eye contact, but seemed emotionally withdrawn.  It was all the more striking for her typical expressiveness.  "Your debt is paid.  Vasati's too.  And Claire will have my aid on her terms, in her name.  Plaga... I've forgotten what we agreed.  You can tell me on the way back to the camp.  You have all played your parts very well."

Increase hesitated for a moment, his body reflexively recoiling from Gaja's outstretched hand. He looked down at his own hand, gripping the bits tighten then he consciously wished them to. A part of his mind understood. It was too powerful to simply let go, to give to anyone. No it had to be his, all his. Only he could command such power, such awesome might. No mortal being could command the colossus he had seen. With it he could become the master of all Reality.

No.

He could be God.

He shook his head, dismissing such nonsensical thoughts. There was no god, living or dead, and he was not in pursuit of becoming one. Using a supreme act of will he relinquished the bits to Gaja.

"A debt earned is a debt paid. Wield it wisely."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Tue 26 Feb 2019.

Claire looked at Plaga. "Can you tell me where the prisoners' souls are, and whether rites have been performed for them?"

She then looked at Vasati and gestured to the automata. "You have...some familiarity with the merchants of Vissio. Is the theotechnical scrap from the automata worth carrying back to sell in the city?"

As the others answered (or not), Claire began looking into what she had pulled from the computers' hard drives.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Tue 26 Feb 2019.

It's probably more valuable to the collegium, but you could get some cash for it, and there are a few pieces that Scholar might find valuable.

Claire is able to access the strange Bright Republic machinery.

"Rites... I don't think that this poor bastards died a normal death. Their bodies are tainted, their souls likely ripped from them. What was of the souls I cannot tell, but I highly doubt they have moved on... nor I think they are still within reach of salvation. Whatever was performed here must have been a very disturbing act of depravation."

Behind the mask, Plaga smiles as Gaja mentions a promise. "A favor owned is enough for me at this moment. When the time comes, I'll ask for your aid on my own affairs"

  The unexpected weight of the stones catches Gaja off-guard, and she nearly drops them before she gets both hands involved.  There's some clumsy fussing with them while she tries to manage with as little actual touching of the stones as possible, but she eventually gives up and balances them on a shoulder.  She looks unsettled by the whole thing.  "All right, then.  Enrich yourselves however you can here.  I will be outside where the sun can see these bits with me.  When you're done, maybe Sarnai will have breakfast ready."  Then she walks out into the dawn to study the floating rocks.

  She sets the stones down heavily in a sunlit patch of soil, then sits, cross-legged among the hoofprints.  For a time, she just watches the pebbles drift, studying the steps of their dance before trying to interfere, in case it starts to whine again and she needs to set things back. And then, after a short time or a long time, she starts things moving.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:41, Wed 27 Feb 2019.

Vasati looked about the cave, his large eyes gleaming in the dark.

"There must be plenty of wondrous things for us to pilfer, let us see what we can dig up, no?"

He opened himself up to the possibilities, letting the near infinite variety of potential.  He didn't need the gold, but that wasn't the point.  He didn't steal because he needed to, he stole because he enjoyed stealing.  It was who he was, and here he had been presented with what he hoped was a golden opportunity.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:56, Wed 27 Feb 2019.

Increase began examining the cave, first for structure and design and then for any devices or implements that caught his interest. The automatons were of lower priority. Compared to Claire they might as well be children's toys and he had no time for childish things.

Vasati is able to uncover wealth 5 within the cave. It's an esoteric collection only very specific antiquitors would be interested in, but there are a few ancient Howler empire artifacts.The books and artifacts were quite rare, but there wasn't much of a market for them.

There were a few sets of clothing and other bits of emphemera that were hard to identify.

Increase found a lot of interesting custom tools for arcano-magitech - basically items powered by magic. Most of them were custom made. He could tell they were for soul manipulation and there were a few simple items for automation as well, and construction of magical items.

The automatons aren't too interesting, though they were slightly augmented for long term use and to be highly resistant to the usual problems desert climate made for mechanical items.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:41, Thu 28 Feb 2019.

Claire dragged the scrap automata out behind her. "These might be of interest to the Collegium in trade." She figured that doing profitable business with the Collegium would pay dividends down the road.

Claire spoke to Gaja. "We did not find their master," she said. "I found records of a man with eyes like burning coals who led them, and who was dealing with technicians of the Bright Republic. We may have made an enemy."

  Gaja looks up when Claire approaches and takes in the information with a somber expression.  She stands before answering, and takes her time doing it.  "Let him be mine, then.  He brought dangerous magic to my lands; he was my enemy already.  Let his eyes b—  Wait!  Is that...?"  Hurrying over to where Vasati is hauling out a bundle of absolutely ancient fabric, she traces the detailing on one robe with a finger.  Her frown looks perplexed.

  "These designs are...  They are like ours.  Like the oldest of ours.  But not the same.  Rajachura, will you spare one of these robes?  When we leave here, I go to my elders, and this... I would like to know what they have to say."  She already looks grateful, in advance of his response.  It's a terribly devious trick, the worse for possibly being sincere.  She doesn't even act coy about it.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:12, Thu 28 Feb 2019.

"Of course, Signora Gaja."

Vasati handed her the entire bundle.

"What is the point of finding treasures, if not to share?  Did I not owe you a favor? And now I don't, what a wonderful ending for us both?"

Without pause, he moved towards Plaga.

"And for you, Signora Plaga.  The beginnings of our new venture together, no?"

He began handing her the accumulated wealth his raid had procured.

"On to the next tale?"

He asked once he was finished.

Claire nodded. "After I negotiate the sale of this with the Collegium's theotechnicians, I know some people who might tell a tale of dwellers in the dark," she said. "Who demand the sacrifice of humans. I should warn all of you that there will be some climbing involved, as the storytellers are on a cliffside."

Increase collected the arcano-tech tools, intent on making a proper study of them when he had more expendible time. He then noticed the books among Vasati's collection and approached him.

"Vasati. If you would be willing to temporarily part with those tomes I would be most interested in reading their contents."

If Vasati accepted then Increase would make a promise to return the favor on a later date but if he wished to keep with his windfall, temporarily or otherwise, Increase would accept without further comment.

He then moved to Gaja.

"These instruments seem related to soul manipulation and the creation of magical artifacts. They may have been used to create, in part, the Bits. Or perhaps derived from an understanding of its mechanisms. Finding whoever was responsible for their collection and construction could prove...useful."

"I am always happy to collect favors."

Vasati said, handing Increase each of the tomes he had looted.

"Let us go and greet the sun then, and hope the one who fled does not care overmuch to follow us."

If he was actually concerned about the powerful theurge who had escaped them, he didn't sound it.  He turned, and started to walk out of the cave.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:52, Fri 01 Mar 2019.

  Gaja gets over her immediate startled response in time to give Vasati a little bow of thanks, arms full of fabric.  She sets aside one of the better-preserved robes and spends a bit tying the other pieces into a sling that lets her haul the funny stones with most of the weight on one shoulder and hip, with the spare robe folded for padding.  She still grunts unhappily when she stands with the weight.

  "Thank you, Increase.  I expect you will be studying their use.  We should compare our discoveries when I return."  She smiles as a specific gesture of gratitude and turns back in the direction of the camp.  The extra weight makes her lurch forward, but that just lengthens her strides.  "Come on, then.  We will gather ourselves and pretend for a little to be people.  I will ride with you as far as the fort, but then I turn north.  At the latest, I will come down the coast in time for your dwellers on the cliff."

"I mean...."

Vasati sounded embarrassed, scratching at the back of his head as he spoke.

"If there is a desire for the companions of legend to stay together, there is a way we could be about Signora Gaja's business and see these story tellers both in less time then it would take us to cross the desert on foot.  It would leave us much less time to recover our strength though, for those who might need such things."

It was unclear by the way he spoke if he was one such.  Perhaps that was where the embarrassment stemmed from.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:03, Fri 01 Mar 2019.

  "Thank you, Vasati, but Sarnai and I will ride." Gaja gestured over her shoulder for the others to follow. She didn't turn, but her voice didn't really need to be pointed in the right direction. "Her training will take time. She is only first developing strength, and needs more."

"Then for us, it is time to go home."

There was a passion in his voice, a longing that was hard to describe.

"Increase Scholar, do you have wings of your own?"

Vasati said as they drew near the mouth of the cave and back towards the light?

Increase shook his head in the negative.

"No I do not. I am largely constrained to the land. If given resources I can fashion carts, carriages, and boats but I cannot fly. Perhaps with time I could also build vehicles that fly but that is not today."

"Do you mind being carried?"

He said with a smile, and it was pretty clear he wasn't joking.

Not seeing any objection, Vasati reached over and scooped Increase Scholar up in his arms.

It was a uniquely strange sensation.  Vasati was a large man, but there should have been some effort involved in lifting up the devotee.  When the thief snatched him, it was like he weighed nothing at all.  The feeling of being carried was all wrong as well.  It did not feel like one man holding another aloft.  It was as if Increase were being carried by some massive force, resting comfortably on the palm of an enormous creature he could neither see nor touch.  He felt enclosed by it, as if he could be engulfed by it completely.

Suddenly, Vasati crouched and leapt straight up into the sky.  There was a tremendous whooshing noise, as dust and sand went hurtling out in every direction in a fifty yard radius. At the pinnacle of his leap he dipped in the air, and there was the sound of enormous wings beating at the sky.  More wind and sand swirled and eddied with each invisible stroke, a storm of wind that was both there and not there.

"See Signora Gaja, now it's a true telling, and all the richer for it!"

He shouted, his voice more than loud enough to carry over the beating of unseen wings.

Increase seemed contemplative rather than fearful or awe-stricken by suddenly being seized and lifted into the air by Vasati. He looked around, mostly concentrating on the height and speed that they were accomplishing.

"I will have to invest in flying ships. They would prove more useful then I originally anticipated."

  Far below, and farther by the second, Gaja raised one arm high and waved at their departure.  The sound of wingbeats broke apart for an instant into the chiming of bells, before her voice—of course—reached them.  "So ends one verse.  Go and sing in the city.  I will come back when I can drive the leviathan away, I promise.  I finish what I begin." 

  The camp was still more than a mile distant, though, and through terrain difficult enough it would be treacherous if such treachery could touch her.  She returned her attention to the path ahead, and her thoughts to the one that stretched out beyond it.  Sarnai would need to eat soon, and the sweet girl would probably wait for at least some of them to return first.  Gaja cracked a smile and hastened her pace, nearly skipping despite the extra load.  It was time to go home.