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22:20, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals.

Posted by TakmarinFor group 0
Infused
player, 28 posts
AC 17 HP 17/65
Inactive
Wed 29 Sep 2021
at 03:44
  • msg #159

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Infused felt magic being absorbed back into his body once again, his eyes taking on a soft white glow. The raging elements were gone, now replaced by simple, cleansing life energy. He felt pieces of himself moving, not of his own accord, and found one of Sand's 'forged was helping to restore his function. It was good to see 'forged doing the work they had been built to do. It felt natural, and right, and -

These undead did not. Infused climbed back to his feet, lifting the flaming sword as he did so, and he scanned the battlefield for signs of life as well as undeath.
Gar
player, 35 posts
Thu 30 Sep 2021
at 04:00
  • msg #160

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar remained on the ground, sobbing tears that would not come, though drips of blood flowed down his tortle cheeks to the ground. Gar held his eyes closed more for comfort than anything....it somehow felt right, as when his eyelids were open, he felt the void.

...the absence.

The tortle realized that with his sight gone, already his other senses were trying to compensate for it's loss. The tortle had mused at this (along with millions of other things in his life), but this was not the way he had hoped on proving it.

He heard movement, even the sound of a familiar voice of infused. His head came up at the sound, eyes closed. "Infused.....are you alright?" His voice was strained, almost weary. He heard other sounds, movement - subtle but movement none the less. He did not know if it was friend or foe.

he felt on the ground, again grabbing his staff, he clutched it almost like a lifeline, then made his way to feel his satchel. His spellbook was still there.

Oh gods He thought. My spellbook - my magic!

his head turned as if looking for something. "What has happened?'
Mathorn
player, 110 posts
Elven Ranger
Thu 30 Sep 2021
at 15:51
  • msg #161

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

As the last skeleton vanished, Thorn continued to scan the forest for danger. At the same time, she mentally directed Sel’zir and the spirit she had conjured toward each other, a sensation somewhat akin to bringing her hands together without looking at them. She felt the restorative power, very faint now, vanish as it merged with the spider.

The immediate threat may have been dispatched, but unwilling to trust to that, she signaled Aisling to survey the area. Assuming he found nothing concerning, once he returned, she would set him to collecting any bits of his metal which may have flaked off during that necromantic assault. She could repair him when next they made camp.

Chakrams lowered, but still at the ready, Thorn padded her way silently toward the remains of the false beholder. Stopping some distance away, she studied the creature. Most of the orbs it had harvested were still intact.

“Would having Gar’s eyes assist a cleric in restoring his sight?” she asked the others. She knew priestesses to be capable of performing literal miracles, but had no notion of their spells’ parameters or requirements. She let the familiar bitterness mingled with longing flow through her, but only briefly. She may be a mere ranger, but the success of her healing spell rendered her safer and more independent.

Still, she rather hoped the answer to her question was no; she’d much rather burn the thing than go digging through it. But a mage without his sight was of extremely limited utility, so she would do what was necessary to increase the chances of restoring his vision.

Thorn moves Healing Spirit to Sel'zir
Heals: 3
Aisling spends 10 minutes scouting 1 mile radius.
Aisling Perception: 6, 17

Sand
player, 161 posts
Warforged
Battle Smith artificier
Fri 1 Oct 2021
at 11:38
  • msg #162

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Magically brought back to his hand, the spear was ready to be thrown again as Sand scanned around for more foes. But the forest was eerily quiet, except for the noises the companions made. Laboriously, his legs weighting a ton, he made his way to the sobbing tortle.

Sand will help Gar.

Touching him, he focused his magic through his spear and casted an healing spell, without too much hope that would restore his eyes. Hearing Thorn ask about the eyes, he perked up.

Sand doesn't know but thinks Thorn has good idea. Let's find Gar's eyes. Maybe Thorin can help? Sand not good enough.


Today: Sand rolled 9 using 1d8+5.  Sand cure wound on Gar
Gar
player, 36 posts
Fri 1 Oct 2021
at 11:51
  • msg #163

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar flinched at the touch of Sand as he approached. He felt the healing energy the warforged channeled unto him, and though it helped the pain, he still felt the void of no sight. The tortle stood, supported by the staff and smiled. “Thank you Sand.”

He rested his hand on his shoulder as spoke to Thorn. The wizard’s logic overtook his sense of hope, and though the thought of the others helping him get his eyesight back, he knew magic, and though healing magic was not his scope, he believed that to regain his eyes would take powerful magic.

The tortle, his eyes closed, smiled. “You are good enough, my new friend - do not doubt your skills.” His smile was genuine at the comment - despite his injury, he was blessed with his friends.

The tortle sighed as he allowed the warforged to lead him. “It seems some challenges lie ahead.” He muttered, more to himself than anyone
Sand
player, 162 posts
Warforged
Battle Smith artificier
Fri 1 Oct 2021
at 12:55
  • msg #164

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Sand nodded his head at Gar's comment about his skills then realized the wizard could not see the gesture.

Sand knows Sand is good... good at building, at fixing objects. Sand is not as good fixing living beings.

Somehow, that inability to heal the grievous injury disturbed him, like a memory trying to claw back to the surface of his mind. He felt like he should be able to do something more, much more. Fragments of prayers, glimpses of half seen gestures and locations, and a urge to hold the broken jade symbol came to him, and he froze, as he tried to push past, to remember more, but without success.


Today: Sand rolled 19 using 1d20+5.  Sand Int roll. –
Gar
player, 37 posts
Fri 1 Oct 2021
at 23:56
  • msg #165

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar felt the pause in the warforged and stopped with him. His instincts told him Sand was thinking of something more than concern…his pause was not sudden or urgent, but hesitant. “You have done well sand….living or not, you are a good man.” He didn’t push what was going through his head - his own thoughts were personal until spoken.

“…and if you ever need advice, I am here, my friend. Talking and listening is one thing I can do well now, it would seem.” The tortle managed a weak smile at his own joke - at least he kept a semblance of some of his old humour, though distant.

“Sand - tell me what you see please”
Infused
player, 29 posts
AC 17 HP 17/65
Inactive
Sat 2 Oct 2021
at 02:22
  • msg #166

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Seeing that the threats had been eliminated, Infused spoke the command to extinguish the sword's flames and rushed to Gar's side. Sand was trying to heal him, which was far more than Infused could do himself. Magic was a thing he had never been able to master, no matter how much teaching he had received. The magic that lived within him was not his own to command, he could only struggle to keep it contained, or unleash it to do as it pleased; hoping he could at least direct where its flows went when it did manage to escape his grasp.

Seeing that Gar was healed, but his eyes not restored, Infused felt...sad. Even when he went inert, Infused could still see. He could not sleep or dream like other people could, and he could not close his eyes, so sight was a thing he had always lived with. He knew darkness, of course, so he understood what Gar would now be seeing, but to see darkness (and only darkness) for all of your life? That was a challenge Infused did not wish to face himself.

Nevertheless, Gar seemed to be in fairly good spirits about the whole thing. "Gar? Your eyes are gone, my friend. Not damaged; simply gone. Reach out to your familiar, Gar. Maybe she can be your eyes for you. If you can get her to sit still long enough to be of use, this time."
Gar
player, 38 posts
Sat 2 Oct 2021
at 02:48
  • msg #167

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar heard infused come over and speak, and had a look of relief on his face. “Infused, my friend….it’s good you are ok.” He bowed his head and listened as he spoke and nodded his head. “I had thought that also. Lyn was dismissed when that ‘effect’ came across. Gathering from the fact she is gone and I was injured, I’d guess we all were similarly effected.”

He reached his hand out, touching empty air before finding Infused’s arm and nodded. “When things are calmer, I will. Luckily one of the spells in my ring was the familiar spell - I was saving it for a changed form, but this is far better.” He grasped both the warforged. “While I’m adjusting, I may need some help walking. And while like this, my spell book is all but useless….luckily what spells I have memorised I can utilised, but some need sight.”

The tortle held his hand to his lips, chanting, the rest noting a ring in his finger. Within moments, a pop sounded, and the same small brown owl reappeared. She flew around Gar hooting and making sounds. Gar frowned and held a hand up. “Yes, I know that hurt…..yes, it hurt me too……no, I didn’t summon you to send you back.”

The owl continued to hoot, then settled on his shell with a ruffle of her feathers. Gar smiled. “Yes….I’m glad your back too, now we have some work to do.” He closed his eyes, feeling the channel between himself and the owl. The tortle sighed with relief as he let the link go. He clicked his fingers at the owl popped into the dimensional pocket. “At least I have that….I can see through Lyn’s eyes when needed.” Despite the fact he was still blind, he had a small measure of relief.
Andraste Giltris
player, 169 posts
Half-Elf Female
Envoy of Rau
Mon 11 Oct 2021
at 16:16
  • msg #168

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Everything hurts! It was not the sharp immediate pain on a dangerous injury but the steady burning ache of a body pushed passed its limits and protesting further activity. But we are not done yet, so I will just need to endure.

Turning to where Thorn stood with her two companions a give her a short bow from the waist. "Thank you for your help, they were more dangerous than I expected."

Walking forward towards where Gar stood calling softly to him to let him know I was there. "May I touch your face? I want to look at the wound." With his consent I lightly turn his head from side to side while looking at the empty sockets. "I do not think there is anything I can do to heal this but if I can I will. In the meantime," I say as I wave Harmony over, "if you wish you can ride Harmony, at least until we get to more open ground."

Once Gar was settled in Harmony's saddle I return to gathering the remaining bones and the mass of eyes and bringing them to the oven for disposal when another thought occurred to me. "These creatures were not undead but were instead used as a frame for these strange plants. If we build a fire break perhaps we can burn out the remainder so that it will not be able to attack anymore travelers."

Summary
Medicine: 16
This message was last edited by the player at 16:36, Mon 11 Oct 2021.
Sand
player, 163 posts
Warforged
Battle Smith artificier
Mon 11 Oct 2021
at 16:27
  • msg #169

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Sand still had that weird feeling that he should be able to do more to help Gar, and was struggling to reconcile what he was feeling with what he was living. He tried to concentrate on the now and slowly made his way to the pile of eyes... why was he so tired? He had never felt that before. Finally arriving, he delicately sorted through, trying to find Gar's eyes. He picked up some likely prospect, without being fully sure which ones belonged to the tortle, that he had known for only a few days. He needed help.

Infused, what eyes would belong to Gar?

Has the other warforged was looking, the artificer looked around for more dangers and realized something when he looked at the half constructed funerary oven.

This will not be enough. The entire forest is infested by what animated those skeletons. To protect future travelers, the woods must be burned and destroyed.
Gar
player, 39 posts
Tue 12 Oct 2021
at 00:14
  • msg #170

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar smiled as Andraste came to him, speaking softly, he nodded, allowing her to look at him. He opened his eyelids, showing his empty eye sockets. On her words, he smiled. “I expected as much, my lady - to regain my eyes would take art of a strong level, and I fear there are many beyond that. Given time, you may get there.” The owl in his shell hooted a few times, and the tortle smiled. “Yes Lyn….I like her too.”

At the offer of the horse, he nodded. “I am heavier than I look….it’s the shell. For now I will hold her side. When we leave, then I will climb up, but will only ride while the terrain is hazardous. I insist if the road is flat, that I walk, even if harmony stays at my side and leads me.”

With sand looking for his eyes, the tortle again closed his eyelids and smiled. “Sand….even if you found them now, they will be damaged beyond salvation. I fear only clerical magic may get my eyes back…..don’t worry friend, I’m sure we will find a way.” Despite his confidence, he had a t8nge of fear in his voice.
Infused
player, 30 posts
AC 17 HP 17/65
Inactive
Wed 13 Oct 2021
at 03:07
  • msg #171

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

"Eyes are not a thing I specialize in, but I will do my best to help with their location." Infused set to looking for Gar's eyes, despite the tortle's lack of concern for them. Some magic was strong enough to not require components, but Infused well knew that the stronger the magic the more likely it was to require an object of power, or an object of focus, in order to perform. He did his best to find his friend's eyes, and failing that, would look for a method of carrying the whole disgusting eye-creature-thing's - corpse? - along with them.

22:04, Today: Infused rolled 15 using 1d20+1.  Investigation.
Mathorn
player, 111 posts
Elven Ranger
Wed 13 Oct 2021
at 17:54
  • msg #172

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Thorn had just begun to search for Gar’s eyes in the corpse – the proliferation of closed lids, pulped balls and severed stalks stymieing her progress – when Giltris proposed burning the forest. What was the female’s obsession with fire? Did it appease her deity?

Without conscious thought, Thorn flowed to her feet, her sudden protectiveness of this ancient wood strong enough that for a moment paranoia made her wonder whether the impetus originated in some external force. Perhaps Sand was correct – the land was corrupted and attempting to manipulate her?

Then Aisling cried out overhead and Thorn realized what she was feeling: not merely a personal respect for Nature and for this forest that had existed millennia before their births and would endure ages after their deaths, but also something deeper, bred in her very flesh and bone. Thorn was one of the Sy’Tel’Quessir, and she was beginning to think that they were not called Wood Elves merely due to dwelling in the forests, but because they were connected to them, in a way she could not begin to understand. Burning this place would not harm her directly, of course, but she wondered if it might diminish her people, somehow. And if the upheaval had destroyed many groves . . .

She pushed that troubling speculation aside to focus on the immediate issue. “You may express your gratitude by heeding my words,” she replied to the half-elf, “Undoubtedly, Sand is intelligent and certainly correct in his assessment that many have fallen throughout this forest.” She turned to address him directly. “But you do not draw your magic from Nature. I do. I have sensed the wellspring of this wood; it is untainted. My spell touched Giltris and Infused. Did either of you detect corruption in it?” She crouched again to study the nearest skeleton more closely. After a careful inspection, she continued, “The vines, even the bones themselves were mere tools in the hands of this necromancer. There’s nothing unnatural about them. Burning this place would protect no one and cause great harm.”
This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Wed 13 Oct 2021.
Sand
player, 164 posts
Warforged
Battle Smith artificier
Thu 14 Oct 2021
at 03:07
  • msg #173

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Sand carefully sifted through the mass of eyes, and realized that this eye creature had probably been active for a very long time...  humanoid eyes, cat like eyes, demonic eyes, eyes that he could not determine the nature of, there were hundreds of eyes.

But not only eyes. Among the mass, he extracted a pair of goggles, that he put aside to examine more fully. The most surprising find was a mechanical eye, the blinked when he picked it up. Intrigued, he wiped it clean and looked at it closer, being rewarded by another blink.

What are you? Sand needs to know.

Before he could extract the tools needed for the ritual of identification, Thorn gave her opinion on Andraste and his idea to burn the forest. Her passionate plea did not fall on deaf ears, even if he was lacking physical ears.

Sand must say that Thorn is probably right. Someone used the forest to do harm, probably for a long time, judging from eye monster, but it is not the forest fault. Sand still thinks that the corpses must be burned. Cleaning the forest of the corpses will reduce the ability to do harm.

Taking his spellbook, he flipped through the pages and settled on one.

Sand found items in eye monster, Sand will require time to determine what they are.

He started a low chant while holding the mechanical eye... the googles would follow.

Ritual Cast identify on the eye and the goggles.
Gar
player, 40 posts
Thu 14 Oct 2021
at 12:19
  • msg #174

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar, standing with eyes closed looked like he was looking at the sky.  In reality, he was getting used to listening - now his sight was gone, he heard everything....the wind rustling the leaves, the sound of steps on the ground, even tbe breathing of Lyn on the edge of his shell.

As if sensing his thoughts, tbe owl pecked him on the head, playfully, causing him to flinch, but smile. "Your too cheeky for your feathers miss" The owl hooted indignantly as he listened to the others,  leaning on his staff. "I believe Thorn is right....this thing that attacked us was an outside source, not the forest itself. You heard it's words, how it spoke - it is an living being, and the trees are as much pawns as the bones here."

The tortle sniffed, then continued. "Whatever it was had some power to reach us so remotely...and that spell, though I do not know, is utilised by nature and arcane arts. Do not blame the forest, as the thing that attacked us is a spellcaster of some type."

When Sand mentioned identifying items, the tortle sighed....he loved discovering magical items and their nature.
Andraste Giltris
player, 170 posts
Half-Elf Female
Envoy of Rau
Tue 19 Oct 2021
at 02:21
  • msg #175

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

"As you wish." Continuing with her work it took a moment for something else Gar said to  fully register. "I did not hear anyone speak to us. Who spoke to you and what did they say?"
Gar
player, 41 posts
Wed 20 Oct 2021
at 16:55
  • msg #176

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

The tortle listened to Andraste's words and looked as if he was looking down, despite his eyes being closed. "I do not remember the exact wording, but whoever sent the dark pulse spoke that he was taking back what was rightfully theirs and that if we interfere, they would make us pay and would send something worse to vertigo....and something about mushrooms?"

The tortle shrugged, muttering something. "Whats so bad about mushrooms?"
Sand
player, 165 posts
Warforged
Battle Smith artificier
Thu 21 Oct 2021
at 02:07
  • msg #177

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Sand was having difficulties trying to decipher the powerful magic coming from the mechanical eye and if he had eyebrows, he would be frowning. Shaking his head instead, he grunted as he finished the ritual. Looking at the blinking eye, he almost restarted the ritual, certain that he had made a mistake. But looking at the spellbook he realized that this was not the case. The magic was really resisting him.

He was not strong enough.

Putting the eye aside, he picked up the goggles and chanted through the words again, before nodding.

These goggles allows to see much further, it can be useful. But the mechanical eyeball is too powerful for the identifying magic. Sand senses strong alteration magic in it but can not say more. Maybe it needs to be accorded to someone to reveal its powers. Sand heard about such items but never encountered one before.

He picked up the eye, calmly blinking, and approached Gar.

Sand hesitates, Sand does not not what will happen. But maybe Gar would want to get closer to the magic of the eye?
Gar
player, 42 posts
Thu 21 Oct 2021
at 14:04
  • msg #178

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar listened as sand spoke, a slight smile on his face. "Do not get frustrated my friend...some magic is obscure and can be difficult - even someone like me, whio has sp3ent most of his life in such things, ocassionally get stuck."

Never the less, the thought of the eye intrigued him. "This eye - can you describe it to me please? what does it look like, what is it made of, any detail will help."
Sand
player, 166 posts
Warforged
Battle Smith artificier
Sun 24 Oct 2021
at 12:22
  • msg #179

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Sand marveled at the calm the Tortle was displaying and nodded, before realizing, again, the wizard could not see him.

Sand senses very strong magic coming from the eye, alteration and abjuration mostly. It is a metallic sphere about an inch in diameter with one side showing a round green iris, like a human eye. It can blink with a mechanical shutter that is sliding over it. Sand feels like it is dormant. Sand thinks it needs to be activated, that maybe attuning to it is the way. Does Gar want to touch it?

The artificer waited for the wizard's answer, as the eye blinked again.
Gar
player, 43 posts
Mon 25 Oct 2021
at 07:59
  • msg #180

(IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar held out his hand and nodded, hoping sand was watching the movement.

As the eye was placed in his hand, he furrowed his brow, remembering something of such items. He could feel the intricate device, but felt no magic exuding from it, indicating to him if it was magical, it was indeed dormant. He tilted his head up, memories of something he heard once coming to him. “I remember my former master mentioning such magical items. He said that some need to be in pairs to activate….I wonder if this is such as one.”

The tortle sighed. “I wish I paid more attention to him now…at the time I was more intent on certain magic”
Takmarin
GM, 264 posts
Thu 4 Nov 2021
at 14:54
  • msg #181

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

After the battle with the vile oculus swarm that took Gar's eyes from him and the mysterious wave of necrotic energy that surged through you from an unknown and surprisingly angry stranger, the heroes kept moving through the moss covered forest, using the directions provided by Thorin.

The forest itself was hard to traverse and therefore, very slow going; it was not only because of the light fog, but the constant alterations required by Sand to forge a traversable path for the cart.  There were a number of times the heroes stumbled or tripped on the roots of the trees or the cart lurched from hitting a root Sand had missed, as the roots to the trees native to this forest were mostly above and covering the ground; the roots creepily arched and bent like spider's legs that fanned out from the center of each tree.

The constant stepping over roots and watching each of their steps, left each hero slightly perspired, even under the cooler air and canopy of the forest trees.

As the party continued to head Northwest, after a good three hours of aggravating travel, they came across the large sinkhole the hunters had mentioned in their notes to Thorin.

Light shined through the gap in the canopy of trees like a beacon, down into the sinkhole, creating an unearthly feel to it all.  The sinkhole itself was quite large, reaching close to 200 feet in diameter on the surface. About 50 feet down into the depths of the sinkhole, it opened up into a larger cavern, expanding well past that size underground.  The hole itself looked like it could be over a 1000 feet deep and the the roots of the trees had already started to creep their way down the sides of the large hole.  The sheer size of the hole was unsettling, once again showing the extent of the god's powers used during the upheaval.

Gar
player, 44 posts
Fri 5 Nov 2021
at 07:11
  • msg #182

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Gar stayed close to sand and the horse offered to him, but despite that, and closing his senses to use Lyndra’s sight at dimes, the tortle stumbled. He heard others stumble, and was relieved he wasn’t the only one, but it was clear that the majority was the now blind tortle.

As they came to the sinkhole, he stopped with the others, sensing the openness of the area. He sniffed and spoke. “What are you seeing?”
Infused
player, 31 posts
AC 17 HP 17/65
Inactive
Fri 12 Nov 2021
at 05:58
  • msg #183

Re: (IC) 2: Search for the Seals

Infused spoke to Gar, filling him in on what could be seen. "A sinkhole, some...two hundred feet, maybe more, in diameter. The hole goes down fifty feet or so, with a huge cavern below. The cavern easily reaches one thousand feet below, probably more."

Then he looked to those who'd come from the village, "This is the hole we were seeking?"
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