D&D Act Three Scene V - Time to move on

Fourier

Goodie's ship hovers overhead, powerful tractor beams siphon gold from the pyramid. They arrive in a hatch and Goodie carefully loads them into a locker.

At the same time Ekbard and Menace fly in, dive and Menace scoops up plenty of coin in sacks given to them by Zha'satep. This are left next to a camp.

Zha'satep himself has breakfast with Ash, the two dwarves, Kim, Ipiz and Kuma. He looks far less mummified now, his skin losing the cracked appearance.

"A long time since I shared a meal with others" he muses as he chews down on some fried lizard.

Ipiz stands looking at the horizon, the blue dragons are flying toward them, with a younger dragon, only a bit bigger than a man, flying between them.

"So, what will all of you do now?" Zha'satep asks.

sKeith

Ekbard, happy with the amount of gold packed goes in search of Ipiz. When he finds him he says,
"So, the sand storm has been stopped, you gonna get the caravans flowing again I presume. We should get back to Zassan and see how your men are doing getting the truth out of stumpy. I'll then head west and see if I can help the problem with the food supplies coming from the Neros islands. Let me know when you are ready to leave."

sKeith

Ekbard goes off in search of Kidunli.
"What's up Mud? How come you didn't come join us in the pyramid? If its money, go grab as much gold up there as you can carry. Your man, the dwarf guy that your lassie was infatuated with, is out of the scene now, maybe you can try again, maybe there'll be sparks this time. I'm going to go to Neros, I hope you'll join me."

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

"So, what will all of you do now?" Zha'satep asks.

Kyokuma crunches a tail, spitting out the bones.
"Not a clue. I have no master, I have no duty, and frankly my own concerns seem a little petty in light of the events of the last few weeks. Why hunt the killers of my former employers when dark gods and crazy mummies - with no wish to offend! - are causing havoc out there. You're looking much better by the way. Is that a problem? Again, I wish not to offend but I've never heard of a mummy or a lich with good skin."

sKeith

Ekbard looks at the axe. "where does you mouth go? you dont weigh a thing here, right, so where does you mouth go, and how much can i fit in there?" Ekbard begins pushing gold into the axes mouth, eventually there is no gold left. Ekbard picks up the axe, noticing that it is still near blooming weightless, "now, don't open your mouth until we get back to Ekbard towers, okay". Axe, with a stuffed face nods.

Tigger

i fly to the shire and leave the gold with them to invest in educationnand healthcare and set up a social system the details of i wont bore you with here but its nbasically a benelant despotic beaurotrocy where i am the absolute power and then i fly to ekkys towers to meet up.

sKeith

Ekbard is at a counter banging the axe's head off a desk, "come on, spit it up, I know you have more in there".
Just then Goodie enters, ekbard looks up and says, "oh, Hi Goodie, i found this statue once, on an island off the shire coast, and inside it there was a time machine with multiple settings, well one of those settings intrigued me alot, but I never pressed it, the setting said "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THIS SETTING", but I'm feeling up to pressing it now, are doing anything else? wanna join me?"

Tigger

sKeith wrote: »

Ekbard is at a counter banging the axe's head off a desk, "come on, spit it up, I know you have more in there".
Just then Goodie enters, ekbard looks up and says, "oh, Hi Goodie, i found this statue once, on an island off the shire coast, and inside it there was a time machine with multiple settings, well one of those settings intrigued me alot, but I never pressed it, the setting said "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THIS SETTING", but I'm feeling up to pressing it now, are doing anything else? wanna join me?"

Hell yeah.

sKeith

"Helm or ship?"

Tigger

sKeith wrote: »

"Helm or ship?"

Ship we might need the helm afterwards and it’s a limited resource

sKeith

Ekbard follows goodie to the ship. "okay, i could see the shire from this island, so should we start at the shire coast near chesterfield and scan the coast until we find an island with a big ass statue on it."

Tigger

sKeith wrote: »

Ekbard follows goodie to the ship. "okay, i could see the shire from this island, so should we start at the shire coast near chesterfield and scan the coast until we find an island with a big ass statue on it."

Ok we’ll gonto chesterfield

sKeith

Can you tell the ship to go high up and search for islands with huge statues on them, there can't be that many.

sKeith

When the ship eventually finds the platform with the statue, Ekbard leads the way to the big toe, "mind your step, i ripped up the stairs to use as a paddle." They ascend to the foyier, enter the beer hall though the doorless entryway. and proceed down the stairs to the axe room.

"Okay, see that rod over there, do you thinnk you are able to hit the eight point with an arrow?"

Tigger

Yeah
I use an arrow of +1 accuracy

Fourier

The arrow lands on the 8th setting.

The whole statue shudders.

An image of a handsome young mage appears.

"Hi, I am Styosiplicaliculapus. Hehe..." he pauses "...a bit of a mouthful I know"

"You have activated our eight test setting, obviously the statue is not yet complete as all operators are not mad enough to activate it in the case of the real tower being constructed...."

"I have recently been made chief geomancer of Kyrtin...wonderful isn't it?! Now Ursula to the south has a lead on us and the enemy to the east has some powerful people...."

"....so we've gone a bit further and used as a basis the pit of eternity in Dwacatra....."

The statue shakes once more.....

Fourier

"...the Dwarves molded material at a deep enough level to literal breach into the Outer planes....primal chaos.......imagine that under our control....and now I have the chance to be more than just a mage..."

He removes a glove, revealing a slightly rotted hand.

"There are consequences....but I have been in contact with a being from these planes....

....the Gods warned me in a vision....ha, they are outdated...the called the thing an abomination....sounded like they were afraid..."

Fourier

Realm of the Gods:

BandyLegs is enjoying his 186,745th mighty ale since his ascension at Vergadain's beer hall. Vergadain himself is swallowing some fried dragon.

"You had me going lad, thought ye might die several times, but ye always pulled through, hahahahahahaha" he slaps BandyLegs on the back.

"Raising them humans, haven't done that in centuries, good work out"

He goes for a bite of T-Rex when the entire halls shake.

"What the fuk.....Dumathoin?"

The Dwarven mining god rises.

"Vergadain, is that Outer energy?"

The halls shake again.

Necro

Bandylegs stays seated and continues onto his 186,746th ale since his ascension.

'Hey, Vergie, ye having the rest o'that dragon?'

He sneaks a slice of T-Rex onto the plate as well. His cares are no longer for the mortal realm.

That's Ash's problem now.

But he sometimes wonders what Goodie, Ekbard, and all the others are doing. He bothers not with checking in on them too much anymore.

Too much free ale.

'Did Nír fart again lads? Honestly everytime he lets rip ye run around like it be the apocalypse!'

Fourier

Dumathoin frowns.

"Tis a serious matter, you lower kinds who can still manifest better get down there. That includes you BandyLegs, get to the gateway, they'll fashion ye a material body."

Banjo

Kyokuma thanks the mummy for a delightful meal, says her goodbyes and leaves. At the hole in the temple she pauses to survey her surroundings, looking for guidance on which way to head next. The sun beats down as expected, on the vast expanse of sand she anticipated. The Orc warband though, that was not in her prediction. 20 or so at a guess. Hard to tell at this distance. And something else a whole lot bigger, holding a banner - two crossed severed legs with the feet twisted backwards over a bloodied skull. The Ruptured Ankles! A gruff voice calls out
"I hear you were looking for me. That makes me want to go looking for you. The Hachikyusan clan destroyed our lands. You murdered my tributes. You will pay - in blood!"
"Oh thank god, I thought you were going to say gold. Blood I have. But you're all the way down there," she says, pointing with the sun ring of her bow, "and I'm all the way up here." She nocks an arrow. "I hope you brought a bucket!"

They charge.

Edit : Has everyone moved on? Heh heh. OK, just so I can look back on this one day, here's what happened on my rolz board....

This is the moment when all her training will pay off, when she will become the warrior she was born to be.

Except she is not a trained warrior, and no amount of hacking at dummies or lopping limbs off a willing victim has prepared her for open bloody warfare. She slices her blade at the throat of the leading orc but he easily ducks and his comrade catches her off balance, stabbing at the joins of her armour. She tries to use her momentum to come around and sweep low but they anticipate her, parrying the sword and another cut, this time carving her below her arm. She screams, pulling her arms back instinctively, catching one below the throat, the force half-severing his head. As he falls, their chief pushes forward - he will have his due. He bellows, swinging a two headed axe down. Kuma dives to the side, avoiding the axe but feeling something slash across her ear, just above the lobe. She never wore earrings anyway, it's fine. Her shoulder knocks an orc off balance and he tumbles down the steps. He doesn't get up.
 
The leap has taken her away from the opening in the pyramid wall. There's nowhere to retreat now. What was it the teachings said? "The way of the Samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man." She grins. They're not men. She's not a man. Do the rules still apply? Let's see...
 
She points her sword at the chief. "Nice axe. It's going to get you killed." He laughs. They all laugh. She's bleeding, she's favouring one side and she has nowhere to run. He roars again, waving his axe in the air before heaving it down hard like an angry green lumberjack with a grudge against the Lorax but everything that makes it a great tool for intimidation makes it woeful in a fight against a faster foe. She steps out of the arc of it's swing, reversing her grip and bringing her own sword up in a counter arc that uses his own momentum, meeting his hands at the wrist and suddenly they're not his hands any more. Swaying forward to regain her balance she propels herself up and at his jaw, her forehead connecting with a sickening crunch that sends him toppling down the steps.

And just like that it goes quiet. They're not laughing any more. No jeers, no taunts, no thumping of swords on armour. They're not doing anything. Kuma stands, picks up the axe with the hands still grasping the hilt and tosses it down the steps after its former owner, each clang ringing out across the otherwise still desert. She screams, blood bubbling at the corner of her mouth. And they run, they run as if there's somewhere else to go in this desolate waste. But the ogre stands fast, and his handlers with him. She spits. **** it, beats being scorpion food.

From there it is like training, sidestepping the Ogre's club almost nonchalantly, pirouetting and using it to springboard up for a clean cleaving cut across his neck and as he staggers back, his new mouth a bloody geyser, she sheathes the sword and crouches to catch her breath. Something trickles down her leg. She can't help grinning at that thought that she hopes it's blood and that she hasn't soiled herself in all the excitement. Another orc runs. She reminds her self to practice that grin in the mirror, it seems to really work. The others three though, they are here for the long haul. No matter, it's a decision they'll regret for the rest of their lives. Which, as it turns out, is a mercifully short time.

(OOC : It's not important, but that's how the fight played out, and after only one active night before the end I thought she deserved to have her last stand so I'm editing this in just before the edit window expires. Except it's not her last stand, she bloody won. Anyway, Back to the original thread. )

She limps to the base of the pyramid, finding the chieftan's handless corpse lying beside one of the covered wagons the Ruptured Ankles used to follow her. She buries her masters sword in his heart, climbs into the wagon and gees the camel into motion. It doesn't matter where it's going. Not any more. She let's the camel take the lead.

Necro

Bandylegs frowns.

'For fu.... you're actually serious? Fine. Mind my ale, this willnae take long.

Betty, Citra - keep the bed warm fer me!'

Bandylegs heads for the gateway.

Banjo

The camel stops abruptly and Kyokuma flops out of the drivers seat. Shes not sure how long she was out or where she is. A village of some kind, maybe? Not home anyway. Not yet. But soon. Hailed as a great hero. Maybe granted a parcel of land. Riches. Maybe father would finslly respect her, and Nori would call her big sister, and she'd shove their respect and her fist down their throats.

Through eyes she sees a well. That's enough - she rolls onto her back, the effort tearing open the barely crusted over cut in her side, and empties her wineskin over her face. Something blocks out the light. A little girl wearing a sun hat. She's smiling, an odd tight-lipped smile. It looks wrong somehow but Kuma is grateful for the shade.
"Little girl," she croaks, "is there a healer or a grown up... Is your mother around?"
"Mother is away" she chirps, and there's no missing the teeth. "But she's close. She's very close." The girl leans down and Kyokuma is too weak to fight back.

Fourier

The Statue:

The image begins to flicker.

"Oh, genuine planar incursion...I'll be back once it is dealt with..."

A creature of the Outer Planer manifests in front of Ekbard and Goodie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84zAfb4b58

Necro

As he heads down the hallway towards the gateway, Bandylegs descends from the upper levels.

There are many rooms dotted around the place.

'OY! Xanthea - close the door if yerself and Duncan are busy in the future!

Elin, have ye finally let it go about our little spat in Thurmunton? Aye, I know it was ye who were creepin' about on me floor the other night - I told ye, the doors are unlocked, no need fer sneaky stuff! Hope me drawers didn't frighten ye too much, Betty has her pleasures and Bandy dinnae mind seein to 'em! It's the afterlife after all lass - live a little!

Saeros, I told ye before, the trees cannae grow up here - what ye hopin' to do - plant them on a cloud?

Glad ter see ye made it Flak - has anyone ever told ye you and Saeros look alike? '

He makes it to the gateway and notices Vergedain and Dumathoin standing beside it.

'Tell me again why ye cannae do this? I did enough, more than you that's fer sure Dumathoin. Mining God? Fer fleck's sake.'

Tigger

Necrominus wrote: »

As he heads down the hallway towards the gateway, Bandylegs descends from the upper levels.

There are many rooms dotted around the place.

'OY! Xanthea - close the door if yerself and Duncan are busy in the future!

Elin, have ye finally let it go about our little spat in Thurmunton? Aye, I know it was ye who were creepin' about on me floor the other night - I told ye, the doors are unlocked, no need fer sneaky stuff! Hope me drawers didn't frighten ye too much, Betty has her pleasures and Bandy dinnae mind seein to 'em! It's the afterlife after all lass - live a little!

Saeros, I told ye before, the trees cannae grow up here - what ye hopin' to do - plant them on a cloud?

Glad ter see ye made it Flak - has anyone ever told ye you and Saeros look alike? '

He makes it to the gateway and notices Vergedain and Dumathoin standing beside it.

'Tell me again why ye cannae do this? I did enough, more than you that's fer sure Dumathoin. Mining God? Fer fleck's sake.'

ook
flack aint ded

Fourier

The creature is walloped by the arrows, bleeding heavily and turns its eyes to Ekbard who falls under its mind control. Ekbard then turns to Goodie and speaks in an odd stilted manner.

"Where are those we used to deal with on this plane? Speak now, before our Master arrives, he may grant you a quick death"

Tigger

Fourier wrote: »

The creature is walloped by the arrows, bleeding heavily and turns its eyes to Ekbard who falls under its mind control. Ekbard then turns to Goodie and speaks in an odd stilted manner.

"Where are those we used to deal with on this plane? Speak now, before our Master arrives, he may grant you a quick death"

oh they are in Galway i'll just go get them i teleport to my ship

Fourier

"What?" wonders the creature. "Some city perhaps"

The halfling vanishes.

Just then another gateway opens, black shadow streaming in front of it, purple coils of energy poring out.

"Chaotic? Has the Master sent you? From Eberron? Why do you take their form?"

Tigger

shields on turrets to manual
ship attack time

Fourier

The statue walls start coming down giving Goodie a clear shot.

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

"What?" wonders the creature. "Some city perhaps"

The halfling vanishes.

Just then another gateway opens, black shadow streaming in front of it, purple coils of energy poring out.

"Chaotic? Has the Master sent you? From Eberron? Why do you take their form?"

(Chaotic)
What are you doing here? The Queen summoned you to Illmarrow. And who's been messing with the machine. Hellfire! Quickly, you must treat with Her Majesty. Leave these for to me. I'm more appropriately uh. 'dressed'

Tigger

Fourier wrote: »

The statue walls start coming down giving Goodie a clear shot.

i fire the tractorbeam at ekky

Fourier

Ekbard is pulled out of the statue, breaking out of the mind control.

What are you doing here? The Queen summoned you to Illmarrow. And who's been messing with the machine. Hellfire! Quickly, you must treat with Her Majesty. Leave these for to me. I'm more appropriately uh. 'dressed'

She seems powerful and mad.

"Yes of course............the Master comes"

sKeith

Ekbard attemps to ride the mind control.

Tigger

as we fly fast i aim at the rod with a long range arrow as its long range
i aim for any other setting on the rod

Tigger

sKeith wrote: »

Ekbard attemps to ride the mind control.

what mind control

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Ekbard attemps to ride the mind control.

Ekbard some how grabs hold of the web of magic from which the spell is constructed, zip lines it into the statue and kicks the aboleth in the face.

"But that's literally impossible" it says stunned, before vanishing from this plane.

Fourier

The image of the mage returns in front of Othegre.

"....so I spoke to this abomination....he wants me to assess our plane for him....see if it is worthy....be like a judge of this place.....

It's real name can't actually be articulated, but I call him Soet, after the squid stew mother used to make. He kinda looks like a squid.

Anyway those are my notes for any future history. That eight setting is only for me to speak to him, bends time enough for him to approach this plane."

The projection vanishes.

Banjo

Hi Ekkie. I suppose you're wondering where I've been. Well, good news - I have all the answers in this song.....

Fourier

BandyLegs appears in front of Othegre and Ekbard. A perfect nude dwarven body, groin obscured by a tastefully groomed full fiery red beard, shining golden and with a mighty axe stands in front of them. The sheer majesty of it nearly brings them to tears.

Necro

'Ah for fu... Dumathoin ye prick! Ye could at least have given me a towel!

Honestly it's a mess up there, Nír sh1tes all over the place and it causes avalanches, Vergadain's bad breath givin the wastelands the plague... I dunno what ter do with 'em!'

He leans on his axe, smiling.

'So, what's the crisis? Did ye miss me?'

Tigger

Fourier wrote: »

BandyLegs appears in front of Othegre and Ekbard. A perfect nude dwarven body, groin obscured by a tastefully groomed full fiery red beard, shining golden and with a mighty axe stands in front of them. The sheer majesty of it nearly brings them to tears.

"ship" try to tractor the fighter again as we go past

sKeith

Necrominus wrote: »

'Ah for fu... Dumathoin ye prick! Ye could at least have given me a towel!

Honestly it's a mess up there, Nír sh1tes all over the place and it causes avalanches, Vergadain's bad breath givin the wastelands the plague... I dunno what ter do with 'em!'

He leans on his axe, smiling.

'So, what's the crisis? Did ye miss me?'

"What crisis? Who you talking to?"

Necro

sKeith wrote: »

"What crisis? Who you talking to?"

'I don't fleckin' know Ekbard! Those two great lummoxes Vergie and Dumbo were all panicky about some crisis here. Very short on the details..

I be the newest lad so I get the short straw o'seein' what's wrong.

So, what did ye do this time? Blow up Zassan... again? How's Ash keepin'?'

sKeith

Ekbard turns and walks up the stairs, looking at the steam flowing upwards as he climbs. He then leaves through the beer hall that has no beer, out the doorway that has no door, down the stairs with the missing stair, out on the platform, he waves at goodie to come down and pick him up.

Necro

Bandylegs watches Ekbard leave.

'What crawled up his arse and died?'

He looks up at the sky.

'What the hell are ye ravin' on about Vergie, it's perfectly fine down here!'

He regards Othegre.

'How's Eberron treatin' ye? I know things now.'

He winks at her.

'Like what ye see? Ye should try dyin' fer reals. I've got the most amazin' room in the clouds - ye should come visit sometime. All the cool kids are up there. Except Dumathoin. He's an angry man... probably cos he only be a God fer Mining. Mining? What do we even need a God fer Mining fer?

What ye been up to anyways?'

Fourier

The sea heaves up with tremendous force sending Goodie's ship into the ocean. Goodie clambers safely onto the statue platform.

A massive portal opens up.

sKeith

OOC: what does a portal look like, is it white black or can we see the destination thru it?

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

OOC: what does a portal look like, is it white black or can we see the destination thru it?

Ekbard looks into the portal, but it is difficult to comprehend, strange abstract shapes vibrate amidst a oddly hued void. Something approaches.

sKeith

Ekbard throws one end of a rope into the portal and holds onto the other.