I'm still in a stupor after the True Nexus creation. We have spent several days discussing what to do now that this Nexus is under the control of Demigorgan. We must not allow him to control it. Other then that, I have had time to work and study the changes to Anne. I think she will refrain from aging as an elf, but will continue to age as a ghost does, with mental revelations as she did last time she left me.
We have heard much about the Raven Queen now, and her true identity. Apparently our world is built on the back of a powerful god, whom the Raven Queen once served. Somehow the flow is allowing this gods energy to pervade the world. I...I think I am somehow tied to this god. I don't know what this could possibly mean, but it frightens me. This god is angry, so angry. But I don't think its necessarily going to destroy the world. If we fused the nexus's we could possibly release him properly. But we will see.
Anne is happy, and its good to see. She can focus a lot better on my lessons too. But I can't seem to get any further on my fusion idea. I need more study and practice. For now I think we shall leave it at there.
This session starts at Oraculum. Isaline, Biger, Ed, and Vsheer were there. (Ed and Biger fronm the fuge thing). Zahar and moe's character appear from Mowrlyn, Joseph and Simone come from Alexandria or so (Simone is quaked away from her progress to Sigil). Admatha and Sahret were at Nifelheim (They had jsut made an agreement with Levistus). (levistus said he'd release the tarrasque piece to Sahret if he can gather everything else that''s needed. (The components needed: 2 bodies.. a piece of a pseudonatural, the remnants of the tarrasque and a blessing from [vecna?]). The last thing I did was talking to Dragontamer.
Everyone appears at the nexus under in Oraculum... the NPCs are quaked away. We have a wierd opportnity... 5 NPCs will be brought here or kept here. (This is OOC). (The marilith is still there in addition).
Options Eraja (Chosen) Boris Sophia Fochlucan (Chosen) Silius (Chosen) Another one of those big geomancers (The above are geomancers for plot resolution)
Vance Sahret's brother
(Above for plot fun)
Bloodletter Vanquisher [Bad idea, since Isaline wants him dead.] Kas Arwel and her tarrasque A kung fu master (Joel's) (Above for killing things)
Mordlwyn (Priestess of the black... She's good with nexuses and powerful). (Chosen) Sahrit (Sahret's evil brother). (chosen)
The five we chose are here, along with like all of these PCs and the Marilith (Named Nanith)
This cavern is ginormous. There's an inverted nexus... and several hundred feet away there's another. Zahar is in one of the nexuses.
After the vertigo the quake fades, we're all looking around/... Sahrets are staring at eachother, Priestess off the black watching them...
Ed Says what we're gdoing here... Lots of people buff.
Vhisr appears as a generic green dragonborn
Joe is a human wearing a robe, he's a runemage, has shadows cloaking him
Sahret: good: Mithral breastplate half elf, glowing eyes, maybe eladrin... Evil: Black dragonscale armor, looks very similar, but more like eladrin. Hoy sym,bol is the same as Eric goldsmith, both have a brand on their hand.
Zahar: Same as normal
Moe's character; Dariel: Elven, Druid, dressed as a nomad.
I give my description. Isaline: Noticeably human, looking close to 50 yrs old, big sc ar down right side of face... has an eyepoatch. Has changed armor from imperial stuff to stuff fitted with the raven queen's marking... looks a bit different. She also has a Nightmare.
Simone: Attractive elfish looking thing with red hair. Traveling clothes, rapier. You like her.
Kith: About a foot tall... bottom half in shape of a cricket, shrowded in shadows, has two scabbards for swords on his backs, one is empty. He is different than before... instead of being a bit faded and wilted as a fey, he now seems far more vibrant, more lkie a normal fey.
Admatha: Female dwarf in the trademark balck robes of Admatha.
(Zahar is on fire)
The Marilith nanith: Wearing balck robes carrying small wooden weapons none of which are carried.
Mordlywn: Vaguely draconic, partially draconic.
Silius is wearing geomancers robne, he seems ready to help
Sophia fochlucan: An elf, stressed, staring at the two Sahrets with concern
Eraja: Dressed as a nomad, halfing,
We need to uninvert one of the nexuses, then slowly combine the energies of the two,
Silius Says that combining the nexuses blow stuff op../. Need something that can ward off the energhy of the nexuses from eachother.
Joseph says he might be able to buffer it, since he's controlled the two energies in smaller amounts. Joseph is examined, to see how he did this a bit.
The Marilith suggests that siezing the surface nexuses. Also says going surface side could prevent hte explosion from being bad if they pyull the ley line.
(THe plan: revert ione nexus, Joseph acts as a wall. Eraja says they need to figure out some powqerful thing... something that can withstand the two energgies like Joseph. MAubne M<porwl;dyn... or... Sahret. Mowrldelyn divinations to see if there's a good focus for the balanced energy... they used a seed for the + nexus, so they need a neutral foxcus. She sense that several such things are within our reach, but doesn't knwo what they are. Zahar says maybe he could do something. Simone has also volunteered) The Invisirings are shown to DSilius, but Silius does't l;ooked surprised really, but he tries to hide it, (Simone can revitalize at both). Good Sahrit can't refresh. Admatha coudl refresh at sboth when alive, and now neither. Perhaps using multiple sources could prevent them from being destroyed/. They might be able to test stuff. We spend about a half hour trying various thing.. There's great potential for all these ideas. As Zahar suggested, using one object wouldn't work well... But there still needs to be an Object, for the seed. The people could help channel, but we still need an object. The object will be consumed... but how long will it be? We don't know how much power it'll need.
Marilith suggests we have a direction.
Length of the ritual is about an hour... but they won't notice right away. After the hour of restoring the nexus, how long will the combining take? Kith is willking to fight Grazzt, get captured, and then he'll be tortured, distracting Grazzt. We are offered a solution to the charm. We can basically link all our will saves.
The two parties
Biger's Party: Joseph, Kith, Zahar, Sahret,
Isaline's party: Admatha, Ed, Vshir, Simone
mowrdlyn can communicate betweent he two groups...
Team ritual: Joseph, Zahar, Admatha, Simone, (previous are in the ritual). Dariel (Will be healing joe...) Sahret G and Sahret E, and teh Geomancers, Mordalwynn, Silius
Team distraction: Biger, Kith, Isaline, Ed, Vshir, Ninith.
(Marilith says they're immune to electricity but they prefer spells that involve ophysical injury.)
The buffs: Magic vestment, All stat buffs, Protection from energy all, resist energy all, Barkskin +5, darkvision, my buffs... I shield other everyone for wounds.
One of Kith's swords cannot be buffed, wierd.
We all make the save.
We decide tpo go up about 10 minutes before the ritual finishes.
We go into the marilith's portable hole, she said we'd teleport up to the nexus area. 54 sense motive said she isn't working at cross purposes to us.
She lays down the portable hole so we can all get out.
We are teleported in, There are fresh dead bodies of eladrin in one of the rooms. The other rooms also have dead researchers and more dead eladrin. There's a lot of unusual shit here.... Lots of crazy stuff here. These people were stabbed, not clawed/teethed to death... atackers of multiple sizes. No living guards inside. (She has 3 gnolls shrouded in black that only Isaline can say. They probably killed the people inside since they had the right weapons)
There is a person outside the door. it's eds master. "Ed, what a coincidence" She didn't killl the people outside... Ed says we need a ruckus.
Kith vanishes. The ramps are a few hundred feet.
The Marilith says she'll hold the door, and soon aware of the threat posed by this place. She says she will hold the position while we gather attention.
Marilith poiunts out that the ley line will disappear into the ground in about 20 minutes. When that happens, it will be obvious what's goin on if they're in the building.
There is a rumbling from the buildiung so we go and ambush some patrols. We take out some patrols, they get off some cries for hepl and that's about it. After a few minutes, there's clearly a cry going out that there is something goign on. Grazzt keeps talking about traitors in their midst... starts getting rallying cries from the audience.
More patrols are coming our way, and we march towards Grazzts Podium. We charge up the ramp in the hopes of creatng an enormous distraction. There are two Hezrou. 3 eladrin, and a Nabasu, medium sized batlike creatures, immune to elec...
Isaline lances the Nabasu, but it is under half vitality.
Immediately thereafter, a marilith appears behind him. Its wearing the full armor that the groups of mariliths that kill all of the [p;laqued have been using.
Then Ed Carges the nabasu. it is dropped. One Hezrou is Winded. (We felt a large upswel on the dark nexus energy). From the buulding a large creature from two heads... Its demogorgan. It calls upon its true followers to show their proper alliegance. The marilith and the the teacher leave as well.
At this point, grazzt stops his speech.
Isaline and Bella share a smite and Full attack the marilith. It is dropped. Barely.
ed Tears apart a Hezrou in a turn... gets the extra attacks against Eladrin. We... shred these guys badly.
Clever girl Eladrin D doors out. So does the other.
Grazzt is still up top, loudly decrying the servants of Demogorgan. He says "My city..... Our City!" Demogorgon begins summoning demons. The auditorium where Grazzt is giving his speech is quickly depopulating. People are fleeing, because OMGWTF Demogorgon. Balors For Demogorgon. We start making our way towards grazzt... proper boss fight style. He's giving a rallying speech. It is very clear that he's an exceptional orator, and he is visibly more competant the more he speaks.
Kith lets out Amplify. Grazzt sees Kith and Grazzt casts a spell We feel ourselves under the effect, We resist with a 45 Will save. Kith Says he's on his way... We keep walking towards him. Demogorgon's force follows us up the ramp... It clambers up the ramp. Grazzt has a lot of numbers and a lot of the Delhians.
Kith calls out "I'm coming Araris!" With his amplified voice.
Kith says if I can get her away. This is a very overwhelming situation to be in. despite the fact that Demogorgon has most of the Balors on his side, there are still like 10 to 1 odds against us, even in terms of power. It would not be a winning proposition to get to the spire as things stand... but once Demogorgon's fighting,
Isaline invokes something. Isaline is asking for help... Isaline Prays... We all see, over the spire, a black rift of shadow open in the air. We see numerous chains with spikes and barbs of a sort attack grazzt, the mariliths are ripped to shreds in short order, Grazzt manages to get his sword out, and deflect some chains, but he is quickly torn apart and sent back to his realms. There is an intense nbrightness... a familiar voice "This is against our pact. You will cease this and come with me." (It's Pelor), it's looking up. From on top of the platform its a bright light looking up
On there there's a figure we can see descend fromt he portal, 8-10 ft tall, with a metallic mask over its face. Pelor reaches out a face, and they touch and its over.
Down below (Those above, don't see this.) Everyone sees: The two nexuses have started to fade.. energy noticeably dimmer, the energy is flowing through the common ley line through the center, the energy coalesces in the center. A pillar of light shoots up through.,,, not white light, more like water,,, siome translucent energy. We can tell this is a wholoe new form of energy that feels clean... It's neither + nor -, leaves us neither full njor exploding with life, but it does feel (The humans notice it but don't feel different... it feels very different... they've never been nexused before, but this is going through and refreshes them...) The warforged get recharged, but its in a different way than a Positive charge... We feel with boundless energy... ((Out of game, We warforged don't have to shut down every night that we use this energy... We have 30 days of not needing to sleep, which can be distributed as needed.))
It shoots in a column of light.. and washes down like a geyser... and a new nexus has formed that's about twice as wide around as the old ones were. This is a nexus in balance. And it feels completely unique. Dariel has a primordial sense that this nexus is in balance with nature. Sahret also understands this (The druid one does... and the ranger), Everyone can refresh from this energy.
As this energy washes over ann, her ghostly form solidifies adn her flesh stabilizes, and she looks actually alive. Joes bond to her feels the same, but she is no longer undead. She is a living person. She can still be incorporeal, but can now manifest as living flesh.
Admatha. She knows that Withered have no souls, beause nerull has them. She knows her soul is tethered to her physical form, but in Nerull's care. She feels herself return to her body. She is alive again (The dwarf she was using falls over dead). She feels she has finally achieved fullness... like this is what she's been looking for and her thirst is quenched. She feels she still has her connection to Nerull. She retains all of her incorporeal traits and possesion shticks, but she's a humanoid, and she can have a con, she's alive again.
Zahar sought the center of this explosion and as it washes over him, his body transforms as he loses control, his hand becomes a paw, and it courses up his arm, but his other hand is fine, and the two warring philosphies collide within him. He has a visceral understanding of the dualkity he's been looking at... that the two styles are one and the same... unified in purpose, 2 sides of a coin. And when the energy clears, and in the middle stands not a Deva, not a Rakshasa.... but a human.
((We were able to get the girl. )) Ley lines are connected to the Nexus. They are fine. This city is now the best city ever ever. We should build sigil mark 2.
Admatha is a bit disturbed... Rock is still uncomfortable but she can walk on it. (The dwarven body falls to the ground, then the portable hole opens, then A teenaged, grayish looking body pokes its head oiut of the portable hole looking very confused. Grabs the dwarven body Pulls it in, dons the robes,dons them.) She folds up the portable hole and packs it away.
Joseph feels One link of a chain breaks, and he's slightly freer. But he's still quite chained. Maybe if doing this to every nexus in the work, it'd work.
In this energy, lies the key to everything.
4/17/2010
Recap:
(Past friday session...) The vanquisher was brought in (The players had a choice again). Cilius Vartara did not disappear. Said there are going ot be demons coming very very soon, because they will find a way down ehre and kick our asses... so lets leave... They climbed into his portable hole and they teleported to Arx. They discussed what the next move would be. Lots of conversations. What was decided: The consensus was that we need to retake Oraculum. We need manpower... so people say seek the empire and nmomadsm aid... and the underdark and noncorrupted delphians... there are treaties with all. Anf the 3rd group would travel to Tatenda to see if Jonas is there. The Vanquisher said he would be willing to help, but he's ina a bad military situation. The hords attacked terminus... Raided it, but were counterassaulted byu the platipods.
Arwel is going to Tatenda, Zahar and Sahret are leaving for manavendra, a lot of the Cilius Vartara and Fochlucan and some others are going to the warrior tribes. (Vanquisher left... who traded for Sahrets corpse.) Dark Sahret Quaked away. Dariel felt it was his duty to go to the nomads.
All of these are still at Arx.
We are on our way to the Nomads. (We get to choose an NPC to birng with us). Ed's master was chosen. Dariel is an air elemental.
The disorientation fades... Admatha is alive again! She's wearing her robes and her body. The Tsen Tribe. Retaking Oraculum is a priority... and we need actual armies as well. We ask Ed's mistress why she's here. Ed drops to a knee.
Mylosval (Ed's master) says Demogorgon has thorough control of the city... it's pretty stable under his control. We ask what happened it he nexus chamber... She says that De,mogorgon was summoned ina manner similar to Grazzt. A result of the machines that were used to deepen the connection to a nexus... Made the pasage wide enough to pass through. The Nexus was too large/thick... too much energy was there. She says It wasn't intentional when Grazzt arrived, but The Marilith did it intentionally here.
We ask Demogorgon's strengths... a being of incomparable power. It took 1 nexus to be significantly delved into for grazzt to come through... For Demogorgon, two AND a summoning were needed.
Ed asks Her about the Tsen tribe... she was born there, doubts things have changed. She says she has other things she needs to do but offers advice in dealing hte elders.
She says "THe warriors have typically consisted of younger nomads. Many of the older ones leave... They have the youngest elders of the tribes. They felt that the Delphians would bring about a great calamity... She's not sure who the elders are anymore... but if we were to approach them and speak of halting calamitous action. It is possible they'll be moved to our cause, bnut they'll be difficult to move to do anything." She tells Ed his style came from here.
Simone asks if there's anythign they respect above all else. They respect warrior traditions. THey havbe interesting vierws on life and death. Death is a thing to be celebrated... it is caused byt he flow, and takes them somewhere they can't otherwise go.l Birth is a welcoming into the world of the flow. When they come of age, they are given independence.
Most egregious faux pas? Betraying the ways of the nomads and joining hte delphian cause would be evil.
Simone seems a bit uncomfortable, but really, who's surprised. Neither Darial and Ed's mentor are evil.
We're somewhere in the wastes. Simone makes a map to show us where we are. Ed's menotr is closer to her objective.
Ed comments about Admatha being in her body. SHe's wigged out about needing food and water. She's healed by positive energy. And is damaged by inflicted. She is really wigged out by this. Simone asks who Ed's master was... what he knows about her... She came to Ed when he was close to snapping. Simone says The mentor is very pitiable. She approached the gnomes when they were having difficulty getting ed to do what he was designed to do. Ed, at least indirectly, influenced her life... as far as she remembers, Ed is responsible for the death of someone close to her. This is part of her past... before she trained Ed. Ed postulates that it might have been him. Ed asks Simone what she saw about him in a similar matter... She says She's seen Ed be a magician, a spy... etc. Ed isn't sure they should mention this to her since she didn't mention it.
Based upon where we know she was, relative to where she was before, she could be heading for anywhere east of us or reasonably close north or south. Anyuwhere in the wastes or the empire could have been an objective... Imptempestivous is out that way. (We move 2 hexes a day with D-Door speed).
(Admatha's body is 15 years old.)
Simone says that she's coming from Oraculum. She helped make sure that the nexus location remained undisrutbed... Simone says say the mentor involved in striking against some of Grazzt forces and involved in summoning demogorgon... Simone knows she was a participant... Doesn't know why or to what ends she did it.
The Nexus looks Grayish on Ed's map. Like a verdant gray... full of energy, but not the white or dark energy... It's a brighter spot on the map.
Simone does his vision seeing thing to Admatha. Simoen says there's a large hole in her past. Admatha's a bit confuse.d.. Says he saw her in a cave... They met there, she knwos the one... and he saw her at oraculum... and there's nothing in between. (So when she was undead... nothing.) She asks Simone if there was anything before the cave. Simone says she didn't see anything of note.
There's an artifact that allows you to see through scrying... It's attuned to Jonas right now. It only worked agaisnt him because Jonas taught him and he had an artifact to break Jonas's nondetection... the priestess of the black as it. It's the attuner... the attuned tool is in Dariel's posession.
Ed and I discover that we don't need to rest.
Admatha's angsting. Arwel... Scrying her just became impossible.
Admatha's kinda incorporeal. Kidna floating a bit. Admatha seems a bit confused... and wasn't walking... Wasn't really paying attention. A week passes...
I know that the leaders of the Tsen tribe are dermithor (A warrior) and Eglarian (Who is a druid) They've had shared leadership dof ra while.
Dariel also knwos that Dermithor is one of the most proficient in their fighting style which is a fluid, mobile one. They don't have the same kind of formalities, so the other nomads respect them a bit... they're less traditional and more tolerant of visitors. They dont' go out of their way to make contact with people, but they have the most communication... they've traveled into the wastes and out to Terminus. They visit fochlucan occasionally. They have very unusual propensity for pets/animal companions... thye have a herd of gray renders... Rangers have to be chosen by it... If something goes bad, they kill the gray render. They're excited about being in battle because its something that seems to be a necessity from time ot time, so they savor it. They accept that the flow can change how the battle went, its casualties. Rememebr they celebrate death (Esp. in battle). They primarily worship Corellon and Ehlonna. They see corellon as a bit of a paternal figure to Ehlonna. (Makes 100% whole grain sense!). Plenty of rangers don't have gray renders companions, but many do. Dermithor has a gray render, Eglarian has a griffin. Is is general knowledge for Nomads.
On day 7 we get up there. We see the nomda camp... It's mid to late afternoon... we see people removing parcels and such from gray renders. Getting their camps set up. The hordes aren't really in a hurry to get anywhere. A bunch of people are practicing their martial arts... To Ed, it is very familiar to his mentor's style... it's the same style. Ed doesn't quite use the same style... Ed pursued his style in ways more appropriate for him.Cyrian (Darial;s owl) is let free.
Dariel iontroduces himself. Most of these look youngish... Simone looks a bit more elfish.
(Admatha's body is half orc half drow). Simone and Admatha disguise themselves...
Darial is lead off into the camp. Simone and admatha and I follow. Ed gets to know what the warriors are like.
We're brought to a man who lacks hte youthful mindset of the others. He looks between us. Simone Has probabyl met the leaders once in passing. He asks what brings us out all this way. Dariel says we travel with him.
Its part of why we're here. (The flow changing quickly.) Dariel Says the Tsen might knwo of what the harian are trying to do... Eglarion asks about the Jonas progress... dariel says he was sent to track him... Allows Simone to speak. Simone... It's been a while... what brings you here of all places? We introduce ourselves...
Simoen:L As you're aware, there's a lot of chaos...
We go to a meeting halll... there are some basic woodcraft chairs that can be folded for storage... we set up...
Ed recognizes the style of those warrios... very freee flowing... quick strikes, much of movement, never staying in one place... unpredictable movement, lots of deception and acrobatics.
Simone: Not sure how much of this you've heard, but... ((Simone looks at him... he's lived many variants of the same life, likke most people. He's an elder of his people... a few centuries old... he has done quite a lot for his tribe. He has fought alongside them in battle against the hordes but seldom left for any length of time... Recently he spoke to a bunch of people talking about the demon hordes.))
Simone: So you're obviously aware of the demons that the delphians are being toyed with by. Terminus has fallen at least twice now. To the last of my knowledge, the Vanquisher and his horde have taken the city and are protecting it against creatures from deep in the wilds... Ela says that that's unusual, and also what he's heard.
Simone says the empire has its own problems... now it has new and special ones... plaguq tainted undead... Elag says that prophecy says that that problem will be dealt with soon. Simone explains about nexuses... And inverted nexuses. Elag says that yes, this has happened in delphian cities... knows that it wasn't the first such one... no such nexuses are in his territory... Admatha says that she knows of people who need inverted nexuses to live... since the empire didn't need them, the empire inverted them for these people.
Simone says that Rory beardthicket is causing trouble with them.. Inverted nexuses have demons and other things come out of them...
(Elag whispers "Tell dermithor to come here at once" to a messenger)
Elag says that it's interesting that Dariel's people are doing anything... (Has heard about Jonas' thing).
(The messenger is noted by Ed.) Ed asks if he can join in a tgraining session... He's asked basic questions... waiver stuff... He works his way up... There are some people there... they don't grapple at all but are great at getting out of grapples. They are all great at escape artist. They seem to have given up on stuff like focused fight to optimize mobility. They ask where Ed learned to fight. Ed says his mentor's name, some of the older warriors nod, but they don't speak much. Clear recognition... but not much worthwhile nmow (She was an instructer)... They are surprised Ed could learn that style... they are surprised to learn that warforged can learn things of this complexity.
Demithor walks in. (He's an elf). He is filled in to the conversation.
Simnone: "The reason i bring the nexuses up, is because there are two more types of nexuses..." Demithor: "The one that brought our cousin into the world, and the oraculum one" Eglarion says "We have had a visitor."
I ask about the one that brought their cousin into the world, Dariel says that's him.
Eglarion says that Sibil, the plenipotentiary of Oraculum. We explain that we're here to ask for help.
Simone explaisn that the oraculum nexus is special... oraculum is currently in the hands of demons. We explain that we -really- don't Demogorgon to have it. Egla asks about the ubernexus to Dariel. Dariel says its unique... and closer to true balance
She tries to stick her hand through the guy, but it doesn't work. So she uses the table to demonstrate... Eg asks what she was before, she replies dead.
Eg's leery about having hte empire at that nexus because clearly they'll want to kill it.
elders say: This is clearly something of importance, and yet,.. why... we always quesiton why things happ[en int he order that they happen. We aren't sure the plague is stopped or not (Note to self, askt he order of the common shield about it). The Elders hold the Delphians responsible. Jonas saw something years ago that caused him to follow the path he was on. He wanted to stop the flow and hte calamity.
Admatha says that there are members of all factions who have caused hte problems of the world. Eg says that he supposes one of them is responsible for this, (Jonas), but they're acting against it. Arx is a pact made with people who. Admatha is fuming because Arx knew exactly what happened because Admatha and Co tried to warn them.
Simone says that by perhaps the horde has caused many troubles, and I understand that you want delphjian dthe emprie to pay for their own mistake,s but we'tre in a situation that requires us not to point blame, but to prevent further mistakes.
Eg asks what forces we'd bring to bear to bring to secure ORaculum...
Simone butters up Eg... "You've the wisdom to avoid making these mistakes..." THen goes on about how they sghouldn't pay all of them.
Elders say that this is a cause... its completion could undo much of the harm that has been done... but how will the delphians pay for what they've done. He asks whose lives will be given for this... Simone says everybody would pay a price.
We are asked if we came here first. Elders say that its interesting that so many come to us after dismissing us for so long....
Elder: Well, *He thinks* arx still stands, doesn't it? (This is F-16 session). (Admatha's still ghritting her teeth). Asks this of Simone... "Are there soldiers there that might help undo what they've done?" There are 3 remaining delphian cities that haven't been destroyed.... *thinks a bout that...*
I say that we want everyone to have an equal opportunity. We say that delphians helped create the nexus I suppose. We say we want him in a position to help protect the nexus.
Simone asks for us to protect it together! They say it won't be easy, SImone agrees, but says it's difficult... The elders say they had been approached recently... is it because we are table or because we've been extincted? Simone says they have the wisdom to avoid these mistakes... We are here of our own accord... Eg asks who we represent.
Simone says she likes to travel, has seen things in and out of this world that are amazing... me, personally, i hate all fo the chaos that is going on... while I'm not very old, i was under the impressiont hat things had not been necessarily peaceful, but more stable than this... and only in the last year or so has all of this chaos started. And while I don't want to get back to how things were, I beleive if nothing is done, thigns will only get worse. And as a citizen of this world, I'm doing what I can to try and trrestor esome sense of balance and stability and try and cure the imbalances others have caused.
Eg: As someone less eager to rub the Delphians noses in their mistake, they may listen to you, if you can make them admit their mistakes...
Simone says that we'll talk to them to see if we can make them understand in this manner. Elders say "we have other matters to attend to, but I will ask them to come and see hyou." They leave.
Ed sees Demithor come back. And "Is that with them" is basically the response. Not spitefully said.
After not too long, a woman walks in. She's an eladrin, dresse din nice but not well kept clothing. (This is Sidalfus).
"Well, this is highly unusual... I am told you wish to speak to me on matters. You were there, you understand the probelsm we experienced... you may have more recent informationt than I have."
Simone says it's a very unusual time. We mention that Oraculum was there. She was here to solicit aid against terminus. (Where the Terminus). Simone explains that the vanquisher and the horde took ove terminmus, then the platipeople are now assaulting it. (Sidalfus seems horrified at the thought of the vanquisher there, and moreso at the wildfolk there.)
Simone mentions that we want to retake oraculum. She doesn't know what's been going on in oraculum. Only sibil's report... Sibyl spoke of grazzt taking hte city... And how he'd been attempting to secure access to more prophecy. Anything anyone ever prophesied abotu was to be given. Come to thinkm of it you were mentioned. (I mention that we were on wanted posters there.)
Admatha mentions the nexus. We mentionagain that we don't wan thte nexus in the hands of the demons. Simone says we came here for a similar purpose. Sidalfus is getting. I good hope her and she takes a slow breath... She says we don't have much choice other than stopping hte demons. Terminus is basically lost, she realizes... not that it matters, since they couldnm't refresh there. Admatha says they were warned that that would be the problem... Sid says they were first... Admatha says Arc did it first and they were warned...
Simone asks why they did it. It wasn't an easy decision to make... To start with they were trying to discover all they could about hte nexuses. Trying to aver thte problems that would be arriving. bigger nexuses provide better prophecies... So they tried to enlarge their nexus. And they vaccinated to deal witht he positive overflow (The pseudonatural thing).. They expanded research and some researchers were going mad... citizens were having trouble too... There were already plans to move citizens away, and then this energy type came along and perhaps thought it would be safer. In retrospect it obviously was not, but our people were sickening... changing. We wished to prevent that. (I sense that while she doesn't regret the decision she regrets the consequences.) She says and then there was Oraculum... and Arx... doesn't knwo why they inverted
Admatha said that arx was warned of the consequences. Some people there wanted to use the negative energy.
(The empire's been around for 600 years. Admatha says that the underdarkians have been surviving by inverting nexuses for 1000s of years... it was a msall community before the empire, which allowed explosive growth.
Dragontamer is the regent for the 4th emperor.
Sid says so... now that we've finished dredging up the past...
Simone: Brings us to today and why we're here... we need to reclaim Oraculum, because protecting that nexus is THE most important thing we can do (Sid "At least, keeping them out.
Admatha mentions that the plague is a problem.
Another woman says "It just so happens that that nexus was the solution to the plague... at least in oraculum" (It's Sibil.)
Sib: "The fact of the matter is, I saw that those who had fallen victim to the plague were cleansed... back to the way that they were... they were surrounding in clouds of vermin., flies, etc... gone.. There was no trace of the plague... everything reverted to the way it was... And the people who had been turned were alive again. (Admatha says "Seems to be a theme of that nexus")
Ed Comes in and gives Sid the look. She Sighs. Ed: "Madam.. I trust you are well." Sid: "It has been a trying year on some. I imagine you know very well, as you suffer siugnificant losses yourself as a result of this plague. Perhaps we can simply agree that mistakes took place." Ed says that Hellrot... And Admatha says it came formt he 7th layer, but he didn't send it (He didn't say he didn't cause it, just that he didn't send it.) There's a possibility it was asmodeus. Sid and Sib aren't really sure what to do abotu this... And Sib was in oraculum and its been a week. She's nodding and thinking. Sibil says "The dead were not restored, the undead were."
Sibil starts pacing. Ed mentions that the demon can call other demons... The only inverted nexus on the grid is Arx... and by the grid, I mean our three cities... They'll need to use older calling methods. Sibil says that they can increase their army y about 50-75% (Call demons).
Sib says we'll need an army. Sib says she came here because she knew that Sidalfus was still alive and was asking hte Nomads... the empire hates the delphians, the hordes out of the question similarly...
Sib says they don't trust the empire nor their alliegances at the current time. Their internal issues leave them very questionable allies right now.
ed asks what forces the three delphian cities have left. Sib says they still have forces but they aren't very militant people... we're mostly researchers... we have great defensive capabilities *Looks at Biger*... However in terms of brute force, not as much... Sib says they're more disagreement.
ed: "So it's a big case of "I told you so.""
Oraculum's defenses... There's an outer wall (It remains completely intact... it's basically a maze that doesn't have an endpoint that leads you into the city.) You could go over or under the walls, of course, but moving an army in that faction is nontrivial... but moving some guyss in would be possible... we would need to bribe or otherwise get a guy on our side. There's a question. (Trying to see if any of the former guards from oraculum have the codes to get into oraculum). Sibyl says she needs to be within a reasonable distance of the city to make it work. She controls teh codes and can change it from a safe distance. So we can breach those trivially.
Ed asks if there are any other defenses we could use to retake the city. (She is not charmed, but she was rather annoyed that she was charmed.) Demogorgon, being of greater power may choose to dismantle all fo the defenses, but if they've not been, then I could cause them to activate which may help us in our cause. not all will be effective, but every bit helps.
The inner city is controlled by ramps... I can retract these ramps... they'll probably be there... Sib says she can lower the upper city. So we won't need scaling ladders. Moe says that he can see why they don't want to talk to these people. Dariel remains quiet.
Sib says that the city defenses won't be a concern... the concern is the demons.
Admatha mentions that the Horde would be good too, and The underdark (Since they have experience in fighting demons.) Coming up from underneath is another front... Admatha says that she's not hte best person to speak to them depending on who runs the council.
Ed asks simone what needs to happen: SImone addresses the delphians: "You need to realize that though you had the best of intentions, those intentions are what landed us in this situation."
Sib says "Some actions which were not properly conveyed to us are the reason for much of this difficulty. However had certain people simply come to us int he first place, we would have had the knowledge to make appropriate preparations.
Admatha rants about Arx... And lists those responsible when prompted. So says that maybe the extremely aggressive treatment was why the other cities weren't warned, but Eraja tried to spread the word... (Eraja was at.) Admatha says that she died at Fochlucan. Ed says And then there's the incident at Terminus. Terminus was inverted because they hadn't been warned.
Simone says that The importance isn't the blame, it's about accepting responsibility... The delphians need to admit to the Nomads that the delphians made a mistake, and the delphians consider this... Situationally, it seems that there's little choice now. (The people of arx can use both nexuses. )
Admatha admits she was a withered undead. And that she could refresh at both nexuses, but it hurt. and this nexus didn't... and dark sahret was downstairs who can only use the inverted kind and could also use this new nexus, so this could be.
Ed mentions that we warforged didn't need to rest when charged on this nexus. And they've been trying to do that for like -ever-.
As long as we approach the underdark well... they would prpobably be willing to help.
Zahar was going to the empire for aid. So we need someone to talk tot eh vanquisher... Kith and/or Simone could get to that. Simoen says taht when they were in arx before leaving for here, something attempte.d.. there's been a new type of quake... it didn't change anything outwardly apparent... except that it attempted to remove all anything relating to the vanquisher after we had met with him... not only was his chair empty, but the chair was pushed in.
The ordering expands the flow, that quake kinda seemed like the inverse. You take all the possibilities and lock it into one. Collapsed all possibilities into one. (It didn't work on Simone, Zahar, or Cilius). It was ripped from his history, not his memory.
Sid asks where she thinks he endedd up.
Ed gets out and starts working with the troops to determine ktheir usage.
So ultimately, The delphians need to own up... we tell them this. They look at eachother... "It would be easier if we have Cilius."
Simone says this is about responsibility, not justifications. Tell them that you've learned from the experience. I suppose it is ironic that I will be the one to go and speak with him then. Sib in fact, didn't do anything wrong (She didn't decide to invert a nexus, and her city jsut got fucked by Grazzt...) And she's the one apologizing because she wants her city back, dammit.
(There's the fourth type of nexus remember... an ordered one).
(Zahar's past was not changed. He was plural until he became a human. It's unknown if he's still plural.)
Admatha's sending goes through. She gets a response. When she's done, she looks up and smirks. (I'm casting scrying... trying to reach the order of the common shield).
Three enter the tent with sib and the two elders. Sibyl is looked at by Simone. (Trying to see into her very recent past... this doesn't even register).
They all come back in. eglarion says "It seems we have worked out an arrangement that will be beneficial to all of us. Sibyl has agreed to attempt to gather the remaining delphian forces for these efforts. We have agreed to gather up some of our warriors so that we can coordinate for this attack. We are in agreement of the idea that the empire should be kept as distant as possible from the conflict, but understand that they may need to be present to take the city.
Our forces are substantial but there's still the question of actually taking the city. We are thankful for your help here.
We ask if there are other tribes that might be willing to help. Eg says that this would not be the most productive use of our time.
Suggested next step; the hordes and/or the underdark people. The vanquisher says he'll be willing to talk to us if we go to Terminus to meet him.
The room gets more tense as Admatha announces this bit. Dermithor looks like he's going to say something, Eg waves him off (The indicationm being that he already knew that.) The two delphians say nothing but give eachother a frizzimfraggle look.
He says they'll start a migration... say it will take about a month (The wilds are about half the world., and the next quarter or so is the feywood.)
Admatha tells us where abig underdark city is (Its near Heimdall). May as well hit terminus first.
Simone dislikes the empire because there's no flow.
Admatha says we could always go to fochluican and travel underneath... Simone says she could teleport far... and I mention that I can give another use of it! Simone says she hasn't been down there in a month or two... but it was kinda unstable... a bunch of people fighting over whether or not they should assault to defeat nexuses... lots of chaos... Admatha asked who the head of the council was in Tane'klenya. From Arx (they're trying to make a ship to get into theordered city.) we could teleport to Tane'klenya. So we're going to tane, dropping Dariel off in Arx (i've given Simone a second use of the teleport).
More Politics
I'm still in a stupor after the True Nexus creation. We have spent several days discussing what to do now that this Nexus is under the control of Demigorgan. We must not allow him to control it. Other then that, I have had time to work and study the changes to Anne. I think she will refrain from aging as an elf, but will continue to age as a ghost does, with mental revelations as she did last time she left me.
We have heard much about the Raven Queen now, and her true identity. Apparently our world is built on the back of a powerful god, whom the Raven Queen once served. Somehow the flow is allowing this gods energy to pervade the world. I...I think I am somehow tied to this god. I don't know what this could possibly mean, but it frightens me. This god is angry, so angry. But I don't think its necessarily going to destroy the world. If we fused the nexus's we could possibly release him properly. But we will see.
Anne is happy, and its good to see. She can focus a lot better on my lessons too. But I can't seem to get any further on my fusion idea. I need more study and practice. For now I think we shall leave it at there.
Session notes 4/17/2010
4/3/2010
This session starts at Oraculum. Isaline, Biger, Ed, and Vsheer were there. (Ed and Biger fronm the fuge thing). Zahar and moe's character appear from Mowrlyn, Joseph and Simone come from Alexandria or so (Simone is quaked away from her progress to Sigil). Admatha and Sahret were at Nifelheim (They had jsut made an agreement with Levistus). (levistus said he'd release the tarrasque piece to Sahret if he can gather everything else that''s needed. (The components needed: 2 bodies.. a piece of a pseudonatural, the remnants of the tarrasque and a blessing from [vecna?]). The last thing I did was talking to Dragontamer.
Everyone appears at the nexus under in Oraculum... the NPCs are quaked away. We have a wierd opportnity... 5 NPCs will be brought here or kept here. (This is OOC). (The marilith is still there in addition).
Options
Eraja (Chosen)
Boris
Sophia Fochlucan (Chosen)
Silius (Chosen)
Another one of those big geomancers
(The above are geomancers for plot resolution)
Vance
Sahret's brother
(Above for plot fun)
Bloodletter
Vanquisher [Bad idea, since Isaline wants him dead.]
Kas
Arwel and her tarrasque
A kung fu master (Joel's)
(Above for killing things)
Mordlwyn (Priestess of the black... She's good with nexuses and powerful). (Chosen)
Sahrit (Sahret's evil brother). (chosen)
The five we chose are here, along with like all of these PCs and the Marilith (Named Nanith)
This cavern is ginormous. There's an inverted nexus... and several hundred feet away there's another. Zahar is in one of the nexuses.
After the vertigo the quake fades, we're all looking around/... Sahrets are staring at eachother, Priestess off the black watching them...
Ed Says what we're gdoing here... Lots of people buff.
Vhisr appears as a generic green dragonborn
Joe is a human wearing a robe, he's a runemage, has shadows cloaking him
Sahret: good: Mithral breastplate half elf, glowing eyes, maybe eladrin... Evil: Black dragonscale armor, looks very similar, but more like eladrin. Hoy sym,bol is the same as Eric goldsmith, both have a brand on their hand.
Zahar: Same as normal
Moe's character; Dariel: Elven, Druid, dressed as a nomad.
I give my description.
Isaline: Noticeably human, looking close to 50 yrs old, big sc ar down right side of face... has an eyepoatch. Has changed armor from imperial stuff to stuff fitted with the raven queen's marking... looks a bit different. She also has a Nightmare.
Simone: Attractive elfish looking thing with red hair. Traveling clothes, rapier. You like her.
Kith: About a foot tall... bottom half in shape of a cricket, shrowded in shadows, has two scabbards for swords on his backs, one is empty. He is different than before... instead of being a bit faded and wilted as a fey, he now seems far more vibrant, more lkie a normal fey.
Admatha: Female dwarf in the trademark balck robes of Admatha.
(Zahar is on fire)
The Marilith nanith: Wearing balck robes carrying small wooden weapons none of which are carried.
Mordlywn: Vaguely draconic, partially draconic.
Silius is wearing geomancers robne, he seems ready to help
Sophia fochlucan: An elf, stressed, staring at the two Sahrets with concern
Eraja: Dressed as a nomad, halfing,
We need to uninvert one of the nexuses, then slowly combine the energies of the two,
Silius Says that combining the nexuses blow stuff op../. Need something that can ward off the energhy of the nexuses from eachother.
Joseph says he might be able to buffer it, since he's controlled the two energies in smaller amounts. Joseph is examined, to see how he did this a bit.
The Marilith suggests that siezing the surface nexuses. Also says going surface side could prevent hte explosion from being bad if they pyull the ley line.
(THe plan: revert ione nexus, Joseph acts as a wall. Eraja says they need to figure out some powqerful thing... something that can withstand the two energgies like Joseph. MAubne M<porwl;dyn... or... Sahret. Mowrldelyn divinations to see if there's a good focus for the balanced energy... they used a seed for the + nexus, so they need a neutral foxcus. She sense that several such things are within our reach, but doesn't knwo what they are. Zahar says maybe he could do something. Simone has also volunteered) The Invisirings are shown to DSilius, but Silius does't l;ooked surprised really, but he tries to hide it, (Simone can revitalize at both). Good Sahrit can't refresh. Admatha coudl refresh at sboth when alive, and now neither. Perhaps using multiple sources could prevent them from being destroyed/. They might be able to test stuff. We spend about a half hour trying various thing.. There's great potential for all these ideas. As Zahar suggested, using one object wouldn't work well... But there still needs to be an Object, for the seed. The people could help channel, but we still need an object. The object will be consumed... but how long will it be? We don't know how much power it'll need.
Marilith suggests we have a direction.
Length of the ritual is about an hour... but they won't notice right away. After the hour of restoring the nexus, how long will the combining take? Kith is willking to fight Grazzt, get captured, and then he'll be tortured, distracting Grazzt. We are offered a solution to the charm. We can basically link all our will saves.
The two parties
Biger's Party: Joseph, Kith, Zahar, Sahret,
Isaline's party: Admatha, Ed, Vshir, Simone
mowrdlyn can communicate betweent he two groups...
Team ritual: Joseph, Zahar, Admatha, Simone, (previous are in the ritual). Dariel (Will be healing joe...) Sahret G and Sahret E, and teh Geomancers, Mordalwynn, Silius
Team distraction: Biger, Kith, Isaline, Ed, Vshir, Ninith.
(Marilith says they're immune to electricity but they prefer spells that involve ophysical injury.)
The buffs: Magic vestment, All stat buffs, Protection from energy all, resist energy all, Barkskin +5, darkvision, my buffs... I shield other everyone for wounds.
One of Kith's swords cannot be buffed, wierd.
We all make the save.
We decide tpo go up about 10 minutes before the ritual finishes.
We go into the marilith's portable hole, she said we'd teleport up to the nexus area. 54 sense motive said she isn't working at cross purposes to us.
She lays down the portable hole so we can all get out.
We are teleported in, There are fresh dead bodies of eladrin in one of the rooms. The other rooms also have dead researchers and more dead eladrin. There's a lot of unusual shit here.... Lots of crazy stuff here. These people were stabbed, not clawed/teethed to death... atackers of multiple sizes. No living guards inside. (She has 3 gnolls shrouded in black that only Isaline can say. They probably killed the people inside since they had the right weapons)
There is a person outside the door. it's eds master. "Ed, what a coincidence" She didn't killl the people outside... Ed says we need a ruckus.
Kith vanishes. The ramps are a few hundred feet.
The Marilith says she'll hold the door, and soon aware of the threat posed by this place. She says she will hold the position while we gather attention.
Marilith poiunts out that the ley line will disappear into the ground in about 20 minutes. When that happens, it will be obvious what's goin on if they're in the building.
There is a rumbling from the buildiung so we go and ambush some patrols. We take out some patrols, they get off some cries for hepl and that's about it. After a few minutes, there's clearly a cry going out that there is something goign on. Grazzt keeps talking about traitors in their midst... starts getting rallying cries from the audience.
More patrols are coming our way, and we march towards Grazzts Podium. We charge up the ramp in the hopes of creatng an enormous distraction. There are two Hezrou. 3 eladrin, and a Nabasu, medium sized batlike creatures, immune to elec...
Isaline lances the Nabasu, but it is under half vitality.
Immediately thereafter, a marilith appears behind him. Its wearing the full armor that the groups of mariliths that kill all of the [p;laqued have been using.
Then Ed Carges the nabasu. it is dropped. One Hezrou is Winded. (We felt a large upswel on the dark nexus energy). From the buulding a large creature from two heads... Its demogorgan. It calls upon its true followers to show their proper alliegance. The marilith and the the teacher leave as well.
At this point, grazzt stops his speech.
Isaline and Bella share a smite and Full attack the marilith. It is dropped. Barely.
ed Tears apart a Hezrou in a turn... gets the extra attacks against Eladrin. We... shred these guys badly.
Clever girl Eladrin D doors out. So does the other.
Grazzt is still up top, loudly decrying the servants of Demogorgan. He says "My city..... Our City!" Demogorgon begins summoning demons. The auditorium where Grazzt is giving his speech is quickly depopulating. People are fleeing, because OMGWTF Demogorgon. Balors For Demogorgon. We start making our way towards grazzt... proper boss fight style. He's giving a rallying speech. It is very clear that he's an exceptional orator, and he is visibly more competant the more he speaks.
Kith lets out Amplify. Grazzt sees Kith and Grazzt casts a spell We feel ourselves under the effect, We resist with a 45 Will save. Kith Says he's on his way... We keep walking towards him. Demogorgon's force follows us up the ramp... It clambers up the ramp. Grazzt has a lot of numbers and a lot of the Delhians.
Kith calls out "I'm coming Araris!" With his amplified voice.
Kith says if I can get her away. This is a very overwhelming situation to be in. despite the fact that Demogorgon has most of the Balors on his side, there are still like 10 to 1 odds against us, even in terms of power. It would not be a winning proposition to get to the spire as things stand... but once Demogorgon's fighting,
Isaline invokes something. Isaline is asking for help... Isaline Prays... We all see, over the spire, a black rift of shadow open in the air. We see numerous chains with spikes and barbs of a sort attack grazzt, the mariliths are ripped to shreds in short order, Grazzt manages to get his sword out, and deflect some chains, but he is quickly torn apart and sent back to his realms. There is an intense nbrightness... a familiar voice "This is against our pact. You will cease this and come with me." (It's Pelor), it's looking up. From on top of the platform its a bright light looking up
On there there's a figure we can see descend fromt he portal, 8-10 ft tall, with a metallic mask over its face. Pelor reaches out a face, and they touch and its over.
Down below (Those above, don't see this.)
Everyone sees: The two nexuses have started to fade.. energy noticeably dimmer, the energy is flowing through the common ley line through the center, the energy coalesces in the center. A pillar of light shoots up through.,,, not white light, more like water,,, siome translucent energy. We can tell this is a wholoe new form of energy that feels clean... It's neither + nor -, leaves us neither full njor exploding with life, but it does feel (The humans notice it but don't feel different... it feels very different... they've never been nexused before, but this is going through and refreshes them...) The warforged get recharged, but its in a different way than a Positive charge... We feel with boundless energy... ((Out of game, We warforged don't have to shut down every night that we use this energy... We have 30 days of not needing to sleep, which can be distributed as needed.))
It shoots in a column of light.. and washes down like a geyser... and a new nexus has formed that's about twice as wide around as the old ones were. This is a nexus in balance. And it feels completely unique. Dariel has a primordial sense that this nexus is in balance with nature. Sahret also understands this (The druid one does... and the ranger), Everyone can refresh from this energy.
As this energy washes over ann, her ghostly form solidifies adn her flesh stabilizes, and she looks actually alive. Joes bond to her feels the same, but she is no longer undead. She is a living person. She can still be incorporeal, but can now manifest as living flesh.
Admatha. She knows that Withered have no souls, beause nerull has them. She knows her soul is tethered to her physical form, but in Nerull's care. She feels herself return to her body. She is alive again (The dwarf she was using falls over dead). She feels she has finally achieved fullness... like this is what she's been looking for and her thirst is quenched. She feels she still has her connection to Nerull. She retains all of her incorporeal traits and possesion shticks, but she's a humanoid, and she can have a con, she's alive again.
Zahar sought the center of this explosion and as it washes over him, his body transforms as he loses control, his hand becomes a paw, and it courses up his arm, but his other hand is fine, and the two warring philosphies collide within him. He has a visceral understanding of the dualkity he's been looking at... that the two styles are one and the same... unified in purpose, 2 sides of a coin. And when the energy clears, and in the middle stands not a Deva, not a Rakshasa.... but a human.
((We were able to get the girl. ))
Ley lines are connected to the Nexus. They are fine.
This city is now the best city ever ever. We should build sigil mark 2.
Admatha is a bit disturbed... Rock is still uncomfortable but she can walk on it. (The dwarven body falls to the ground, then the portable hole opens, then A teenaged, grayish looking body pokes its head oiut of the portable hole looking very confused. Grabs the dwarven body Pulls it in, dons the robes,dons them.) She folds up the portable hole and packs it away.
Joseph feels One link of a chain breaks, and he's slightly freer. But he's still quite chained. Maybe if doing this to every nexus in the work, it'd work.
In this energy, lies the key to everything.
4/17/2010
Recap:
(Past friday session...) The vanquisher was brought in (The players had a choice again). Cilius Vartara did not disappear. Said there are going ot be demons coming very very soon, because they will find a way down ehre and kick our asses... so lets leave... They climbed into his portable hole and they teleported to Arx. They discussed what the next move would be. Lots of conversations. What was decided: The consensus was that we need to retake Oraculum. We need manpower... so people say seek the empire and nmomadsm aid... and the underdark and noncorrupted delphians... there are treaties with all. Anf the 3rd group would travel to Tatenda to see if Jonas is there. The Vanquisher said he would be willing to help, but he's ina a bad military situation. The hords attacked terminus... Raided it, but were counterassaulted byu the platipods.
Arwel is going to Tatenda, Zahar and Sahret are leaving for manavendra, a lot of the Cilius Vartara and Fochlucan and some others are going to the warrior tribes. (Vanquisher left... who traded for Sahrets corpse.) Dark Sahret Quaked away. Dariel felt it was his duty to go to the nomads.
All of these are still at Arx.
We are on our way to the Nomads. (We get to choose an NPC to birng with us). Ed's master was chosen. Dariel is an air elemental.
The disorientation fades... Admatha is alive again! She's wearing her robes and her body. The Tsen Tribe. Retaking Oraculum is a priority... and we need actual armies as well. We ask Ed's mistress why she's here. Ed drops to a knee.
Mylosval (Ed's master) says Demogorgon has thorough control of the city... it's pretty stable under his control. We ask what happened it he nexus chamber... She says that De,mogorgon was summoned ina manner similar to Grazzt. A result of the machines that were used to deepen the connection to a nexus... Made the pasage wide enough to pass through. The Nexus was too large/thick... too much energy was there. She says It wasn't intentional when Grazzt arrived, but The Marilith did it intentionally here.
We ask Demogorgon's strengths... a being of incomparable power. It took 1 nexus to be significantly delved into for grazzt to come through... For Demogorgon, two AND a summoning were needed.
Ed asks Her about the Tsen tribe... she was born there, doubts things have changed. She says she has other things she needs to do but offers advice in dealing hte elders.
She says "THe warriors have typically consisted of younger nomads. Many of the older ones leave... They have the youngest elders of the tribes. They felt that the Delphians would bring about a great calamity... She's not sure who the elders are anymore... but if we were to approach them and speak of halting calamitous action. It is possible they'll be moved to our cause, bnut they'll be difficult to move to do anything." She tells Ed his style came from here.
Simone asks if there's anythign they respect above all else. They respect warrior traditions. THey havbe interesting vierws on life and death. Death is a thing to be celebrated... it is caused byt he flow, and takes them somewhere they can't otherwise go.l Birth is a welcoming into the world of the flow. When they come of age, they are given independence.
Most egregious faux pas? Betraying the ways of the nomads and joining hte delphian cause would be evil.
Simone seems a bit uncomfortable, but really, who's surprised. Neither Darial and Ed's mentor are evil.
We're somewhere in the wastes. Simone makes a map to show us where we are. Ed's menotr is closer to her objective.
Ed comments about Admatha being in her body. SHe's wigged out about needing food and water. She's healed by positive energy. And is damaged by inflicted. She is really wigged out by this. Simone asks who Ed's master was... what he knows about her... She came to Ed when he was close to snapping. Simone says The mentor is very pitiable. She approached the gnomes when they were having difficulty getting ed to do what he was designed to do. Ed, at least indirectly, influenced her life... as far as she remembers, Ed is responsible for the death of someone close to her. This is part of her past... before she trained
Ed.
Ed postulates that it might have been him. Ed asks Simone what she saw about him in a similar matter... She says She's seen Ed be a magician, a spy... etc. Ed isn't sure they should mention this to her since she didn't mention it.
Based upon where we know she was, relative to where she was before, she could be heading for anywhere east of us or reasonably close north or south. Anyuwhere in the wastes or the empire could have been an objective... Imptempestivous is out that way. (We move 2 hexes a day with D-Door speed).
(Admatha's body is 15 years old.)
Simone says that she's coming from Oraculum. She helped make sure that the nexus location remained undisrutbed... Simone says say the mentor involved in striking against some of Grazzt forces and involved in summoning demogorgon... Simone knows she was a participant... Doesn't know why or to what ends she did it.
The Nexus looks Grayish on Ed's map. Like a verdant gray... full of energy, but not the white or dark energy... It's a brighter spot on the map.
Simone does his vision seeing thing to Admatha. Simoen says there's a large hole in her past. Admatha's a bit confuse.d.. Says he saw her in a cave... They met there, she knwos the one... and he saw her at oraculum... and there's nothing in between. (So when she was undead... nothing.) She asks Simone if there was anything before the cave. Simone says she didn't see anything of note.
There's an artifact that allows you to see through scrying... It's attuned to Jonas right now. It only worked agaisnt him because Jonas taught him and he had an artifact to break Jonas's nondetection... the priestess of the black as it. It's the attuner... the attuned tool is in Dariel's posession.
Ed and I discover that we don't need to rest.
Admatha's angsting. Arwel... Scrying her just became impossible.
Admatha's kinda incorporeal. Kidna floating a bit. Admatha seems a bit confused... and wasn't walking... Wasn't really paying attention. A week passes...
I know that the leaders of the Tsen tribe are dermithor (A warrior) and Eglarian (Who is a druid) They've had shared leadership dof ra while.
Dariel also knwos that Dermithor is one of the most proficient in their fighting style which is a fluid, mobile one. They don't have the same kind of formalities, so the other nomads respect them a bit... they're less traditional and more tolerant of visitors. They dont' go out of their way to make contact with people, but they have the most communication... they've traveled into the wastes and out to Terminus. They visit fochlucan occasionally. They have very unusual propensity for pets/animal companions... thye have a herd of gray renders... Rangers have to be chosen by it... If something goes bad, they kill the gray render. They're excited about being in battle because its something that seems to be a necessity from time ot time, so they savor it. They accept that the flow can change how the battle went, its casualties. Rememebr they celebrate death (Esp. in battle). They primarily worship Corellon and Ehlonna. They see corellon as a bit of a paternal figure to Ehlonna. (Makes 100% whole grain sense!). Plenty of rangers don't have gray renders companions, but many do. Dermithor has a gray render, Eglarian has a griffin. Is is general knowledge for Nomads.
On day 7 we get up there. We see the nomda camp... It's mid to late afternoon... we see people removing parcels and such from gray renders. Getting their camps set up. The hordes aren't really in a hurry to get anywhere. A bunch of people are practicing their martial arts... To Ed, it is very familiar to his mentor's style... it's the same style. Ed doesn't quite use the same style... Ed pursued his style in ways more appropriate for him.Cyrian (Darial;s owl) is let free.
Dariel iontroduces himself. Most of these look youngish... Simone looks a bit more elfish.
(Admatha's body is half orc half drow). Simone and Admatha disguise themselves...
Darial is lead off into the camp. Simone and admatha and I follow. Ed gets to know what the warriors are like.
We're brought to a man who lacks hte youthful mindset of the others. He looks between us. Simone Has probabyl met the leaders once in passing. He asks what brings us out all this way. Dariel says we travel with him.
Its part of why we're here. (The flow changing quickly.) Dariel Says the Tsen might knwo of what the harian are trying to do... Eglarion asks about the Jonas progress... dariel says he was sent to track him... Allows Simone to speak.
Simone... It's been a while... what brings you here of all places? We introduce ourselves...
Simoen:L As you're aware, there's a lot of chaos...
We go to a meeting halll... there are some basic woodcraft chairs that can be folded for storage... we set up...
Ed recognizes the style of those warrios... very freee flowing... quick strikes, much of movement, never staying in one place... unpredictable movement, lots of deception and acrobatics.
Simone: Not sure how much of this you've heard, but... ((Simone looks at him... he's lived many variants of the same life, likke most people. He's an elder of his people... a few centuries old... he has done quite a lot for his tribe. He has fought alongside them in battle against the hordes but seldom left for any length of time... Recently he spoke to a bunch of people talking about the demon hordes.))
Simone: So you're obviously aware of the demons that the delphians are being toyed with by. Terminus has fallen at least twice now. To the last of my knowledge, the Vanquisher and his horde have taken the city and are protecting it against creatures from deep in the wilds... Ela says that that's unusual, and also what he's heard.
Simone says the empire has its own problems... now it has new and special ones... plaguq tainted undead... Elag says that prophecy says that that problem will be dealt with soon. Simone explains about nexuses... And inverted nexuses. Elag says that yes, this has happened in delphian cities... knows that it wasn't the first such one... no such nexuses are in his territory... Admatha says that she knows of people who need inverted nexuses to live... since the empire didn't need them, the empire inverted them for these people.
Simone says that Rory beardthicket is causing trouble with them.. Inverted nexuses have demons and other things come out of them...
(Elag whispers "Tell dermithor to come here at once" to a messenger)
Elag says that it's interesting that Dariel's people are doing anything... (Has heard about Jonas' thing).
(The messenger is noted by Ed.) Ed asks if he can join in a tgraining session... He's asked basic questions... waiver stuff... He works his way up... There are some people there... they don't grapple at all but are great at getting out of grapples. They are all great at escape artist. They seem to have given up on stuff like focused fight to optimize mobility. They ask where Ed learned to fight. Ed says his mentor's name, some of the older warriors nod, but they don't speak much. Clear recognition... but not much worthwhile nmow (She was an instructer)... They are surprised Ed could learn that style... they are surprised to learn that warforged can learn things of this complexity.
Demithor walks in. (He's an elf). He is filled in to the conversation.
Simnone: "The reason i bring the nexuses up, is because there are two more types of nexuses..." Demithor: "The one that brought our cousin into the world, and the oraculum one" Eglarion says "We have had a visitor."
I ask about the one that brought their cousin into the world, Dariel says that's him.
Eglarion says that Sibil, the plenipotentiary of Oraculum. We explain that we're here to ask for help.
Simone explaisn that the oraculum nexus is special... oraculum is currently in the hands of demons. We explain that we -really- don't Demogorgon to have it. Egla asks about the ubernexus to Dariel. Dariel says its unique... and closer to true balance
She tries to stick her hand through the guy, but it doesn't work. So she uses the table to demonstrate... Eg asks what she was before, she replies dead.
Eg's leery about having hte empire at that nexus because clearly they'll want to kill it.
elders say: This is clearly something of importance, and yet,.. why... we always quesiton why things happ[en int he order that they happen. We aren't sure the plague is stopped or not (Note to self, askt he order of the common shield about it). The Elders hold the Delphians responsible. Jonas saw something years ago that caused him to follow the path he was on. He wanted to stop the flow and hte calamity.
Admatha says that there are members of all factions who have caused hte problems of the world. Eg says that he supposes one of them is responsible for this, (Jonas), but they're acting against it. Arx is a pact made with people who. Admatha is fuming because Arx knew exactly what happened because Admatha and Co tried to warn them.
Simone says that by perhaps the horde has caused many troubles, and I understand that you want delphjian dthe emprie to pay for their own mistake,s but we'tre in a situation that requires us not to point blame, but to prevent further mistakes.
Eg asks what forces we'd bring to bear to bring to secure ORaculum...
Simone butters up Eg... "You've the wisdom to avoid making these mistakes..." THen goes on about how they sghouldn't pay all of them.
Elders say that this is a cause... its completion could undo much of the harm that has been done... but how will the delphians pay for what they've done. He asks whose lives will be given for this... Simone says everybody would pay a price.
We are asked if we came here first. Elders say that its interesting that so many come to us after dismissing us for so long....
Elder: Well, *He thinks* arx still stands, doesn't it? (This is F-16 session). (Admatha's still ghritting her teeth). Asks this of Simone... "Are there soldiers there that might help undo what they've done?" There are 3 remaining delphian cities that haven't been destroyed.... *thinks a bout that...*
I say that we want everyone to have an equal opportunity. We say that delphians helped create the nexus I suppose. We say we want him in a position to help protect the nexus.
Simone asks for us to protect it together! They say it won't be easy, SImone agrees, but says it's difficult... The elders say they had been approached recently... is it because we are table or because we've been extincted? Simone says they have the wisdom to avoid these mistakes... We are here of our own accord... Eg asks who we represent.
Simone says she likes to travel, has seen things in and out of this world that are amazing... me, personally, i hate all fo the chaos that is going on... while I'm not very old, i was under the impressiont hat things had not been necessarily peaceful, but more stable than this... and only in the last year or so has all of this chaos started. And while I don't want to get back to how things were, I beleive if nothing is done, thigns will only get worse. And as a citizen of this world, I'm doing what I can to try and trrestor esome sense of balance and stability and try and cure the imbalances others have caused.
Eg: As someone less eager to rub the Delphians noses in their mistake, they may listen to you, if you can make them admit their mistakes...
Simone says that we'll talk to them to see if we can make them understand in this manner. Elders say "we have other matters to attend to, but I will ask them to come and see hyou." They leave.
Ed sees Demithor come back. And "Is that with them" is basically the response. Not spitefully said.
After not too long, a woman walks in. She's an eladrin, dresse din nice but not well kept clothing. (This is Sidalfus).
"Well, this is highly unusual... I am told you wish to speak to me on matters. You were there, you understand the probelsm we experienced... you may have more recent informationt than I have."
Simone says it's a very unusual time. We mention that Oraculum was there. She was here to solicit aid against terminus. (Where the Terminus). Simone explains that the vanquisher and the horde took ove terminmus, then the platipeople are now assaulting it. (Sidalfus seems horrified at the thought of the vanquisher there, and moreso at the wildfolk there.)
Simone mentions that we want to retake oraculum. She doesn't know what's been going on in oraculum. Only sibil's report... Sibyl spoke of grazzt taking hte city... And how he'd been attempting to secure access to more prophecy. Anything anyone ever prophesied abotu was to be given. Come to thinkm of it you were mentioned. (I mention that we were on wanted posters there.)
Admatha mentions the nexus. We mentionagain that we don't wan thte nexus in the hands of the demons. Simone says we came here for a similar purpose. Sidalfus is getting. I good hope her and she takes a slow breath... She says we don't have much choice other than stopping hte demons. Terminus is basically lost, she realizes... not that it matters, since they couldnm't refresh there. Admatha says they were warned that that would be the problem... Sid says they were first... Admatha says Arc did it first and they were warned...
Simone asks why they did it. It wasn't an easy decision to make... To start with they were trying to discover all they could about hte nexuses. Trying to aver thte problems that would be arriving. bigger nexuses provide better prophecies... So they tried to enlarge their nexus. And they vaccinated to deal witht he positive overflow (The pseudonatural thing).. They expanded research and some researchers were going mad... citizens were having trouble too... There were already plans to move citizens away, and then this energy type came along and perhaps thought it would be safer. In retrospect it obviously was not, but our people were sickening... changing. We wished to prevent that. (I sense that while she doesn't regret the decision she regrets the consequences.) She says and then there was Oraculum... and Arx... doesn't knwo why they inverted
Admatha said that arx was warned of the consequences. Some people there wanted to use the negative energy.
(The empire's been around for 600 years. Admatha says that the underdarkians have been surviving by inverting nexuses for 1000s of years... it was a msall community before the empire, which allowed explosive growth.
Dragontamer is the regent for the 4th emperor.
Sid says so... now that we've finished dredging up the past...
Simone: Brings us to today and why we're here... we need to reclaim Oraculum, because protecting that nexus is THE most important thing we can do (Sid "At least, keeping them out.
Admatha mentions that the plague is a problem.
Another woman says "It just so happens that that nexus was the solution to the plague... at least in oraculum" (It's Sibil.)
Sib: "The fact of the matter is, I saw that those who had fallen victim to the plague were cleansed... back to the way that they were... they were surrounding in clouds of vermin., flies, etc... gone.. There was no trace of the plague... everything reverted to the way it was... And the people who had been turned were alive again. (Admatha says "Seems to be a theme of that nexus")
Ed Comes in and gives Sid the look. She Sighs.
Ed: "Madam.. I trust you are well." Sid: "It has been a trying year on some. I imagine you know very well, as you suffer siugnificant losses yourself as a result of this plague. Perhaps we can simply agree that mistakes took place." Ed says that Hellrot... And Admatha says it came formt he 7th layer, but he didn't send it (He didn't say he didn't cause it, just that he didn't send it.) There's a possibility it was asmodeus. Sid and Sib aren't really sure what to do abotu this... And Sib was in oraculum and its been a week. She's nodding and thinking. Sibil says "The dead were not restored, the undead were."
Sibil starts pacing. Ed mentions that the demon can call other demons... The only inverted nexus on the grid is Arx... and by the grid, I mean our three cities... They'll need to use older calling methods. Sibil says that they can increase their army y about 50-75% (Call demons).
Sib says we'll need an army. Sib says she came here because she knew that Sidalfus was still alive and was asking hte Nomads... the empire hates the delphians, the hordes out of the question similarly...
Sib says they don't trust the empire nor their alliegances at the current time. Their internal issues leave them very questionable allies right now.
ed asks what forces the three delphian cities have left. Sib says they still have forces but they aren't very militant people... we're mostly researchers... we have great defensive capabilities *Looks at Biger*... However in terms of brute force, not as much... Sib says they're more disagreement.
ed: "So it's a big case of "I told you so.""
Oraculum's defenses... There's an outer wall (It remains completely intact... it's basically a maze that doesn't have an endpoint that leads you into the city.) You could go over or under the walls, of course, but moving an army in that faction is nontrivial... but moving some guyss in would be possible... we would need to bribe or otherwise get a guy on our side. There's a question. (Trying to see if any of the former guards from oraculum have the codes to get into oraculum).
Sibyl says she needs to be within a reasonable distance of the city to make it work. She controls teh codes and can change it from a safe distance.
So we can breach those trivially.
Ed asks if there are any other defenses we could use to retake the city. (She is not charmed, but she was rather annoyed that she was charmed.) Demogorgon, being of greater power may choose to dismantle all fo the defenses, but if they've not been, then I could cause them to activate which may help us in our cause. not all will be effective, but every bit helps.
The inner city is controlled by ramps... I can retract these ramps... they'll probably be there... Sib says she can lower the upper city. So we won't need scaling ladders. Moe says that he can see why they don't want to talk to these people. Dariel remains quiet.
Sib says that the city defenses won't be a concern... the concern is the demons.
Admatha mentions that the Horde would be good too, and The underdark (Since they have experience in fighting demons.) Coming up from underneath is another front... Admatha says that she's not hte best person to speak to them depending on who runs the council.
Ed asks simone what needs to happen: SImone addresses the delphians: "You need to realize that though you had the best of intentions, those intentions are what landed us in this situation."
Sib says "Some actions which were not properly conveyed to us are the reason for much of this difficulty. However had certain people simply come to us int he first place, we would have had the knowledge to make appropriate preparations.
Admatha rants about Arx... And lists those responsible when prompted. So says that maybe the extremely aggressive treatment was why the other cities weren't warned, but Eraja tried to spread the word... (Eraja was at.) Admatha says that she died at Fochlucan. Ed says And then there's the incident at Terminus. Terminus was inverted because they hadn't been warned.
Simone says that The importance isn't the blame, it's about accepting responsibility... The delphians need to admit to the Nomads that the delphians made a mistake, and the delphians consider this... Situationally, it seems that there's little choice now. (The people of arx can use both nexuses. )
Admatha admits she was a withered undead. And that she could refresh at both nexuses, but it hurt. and this nexus didn't... and dark sahret was downstairs who can only use the inverted kind and could also use this new nexus, so this could be.
Ed mentions that we warforged didn't need to rest when charged on this nexus. And they've been trying to do that for like -ever-.
As long as we approach the underdark well... they would prpobably be willing to help.
Zahar was going to the empire for aid. So we need someone to talk tot eh vanquisher... Kith and/or Simone could get to that. Simoen says taht when they were in arx before leaving for here, something attempte.d.. there's been a new type of quake... it didn't change anything outwardly apparent... except that it attempted to remove all anything relating to the vanquisher after we had met with him... not only was his chair empty, but the chair was pushed in.
The ordering expands the flow, that quake kinda seemed like the inverse. You take all the possibilities and lock it into one. Collapsed all possibilities into one. (It didn't work on Simone, Zahar, or Cilius). It was ripped from his history, not his memory.
Sid asks where she thinks he endedd up.
Ed gets out and starts working with the troops to determine ktheir usage.
So ultimately, The delphians need to own up... we tell them this. They look at eachother... "It would be easier if we have Cilius."
Simone says this is about responsibility, not justifications. Tell them that you've learned from the experience. I suppose it is ironic that I will be the one to go and speak with him then. Sib in fact, didn't do anything wrong (She didn't decide to invert a nexus, and her city jsut got fucked by Grazzt...) And she's the one apologizing because she wants her city back, dammit.
(There's the fourth type of nexus remember... an ordered one).
(Zahar's past was not changed. He was plural until he became a human. It's unknown if he's still plural.)
Admatha's sending goes through. She gets a response. When she's done, she looks up and smirks. (I'm casting scrying... trying to reach the order of the common shield).
Three enter the tent with sib and the two elders. Sibyl is looked at by Simone. (Trying to see into her very recent past... this doesn't even register).
They all come back in. eglarion says "It seems we have worked out an arrangement that will be beneficial to all of us. Sibyl has agreed to attempt to gather the remaining delphian forces for these efforts. We have agreed to gather up some of our warriors so that we can coordinate for this attack. We are in agreement of the idea that the empire should be kept as distant as possible from the conflict, but understand that they may need to be present to take the city.
Our forces are substantial but there's still the question of actually taking the city. We are thankful for your help here.
We ask if there are other tribes that might be willing to help. Eg says that this would not be the most productive use of our time.
Suggested next step; the hordes and/or the underdark people. The vanquisher says he'll be willing to talk to us if we go to Terminus to meet him.
The room gets more tense as Admatha announces this bit. Dermithor looks like he's going to say something, Eg waves him off (The indicationm being that he already knew that.) The two delphians say nothing but give eachother a frizzimfraggle look.
He says they'll start a migration... say it will take about a month (The wilds are about half the world., and the next quarter or so is the feywood.)
Admatha tells us where abig underdark city is (Its near Heimdall). May as well hit terminus first.
Simone dislikes the empire because there's no flow.
Admatha says we could always go to fochluican and travel underneath... Simone says she could teleport far... and I mention that I can give another use of it! Simone says she hasn't been down there in a month or two... but it was kinda unstable... a bunch of people fighting over whether or not they should assault to defeat nexuses... lots of chaos... Admatha asked who the head of the council was in Tane'klenya. From Arx (they're trying to make a ship to get into theordered city.) we could teleport to Tane'klenya. So we're going to tane, dropping Dariel off in Arx (i've given Simone a second use of the teleport).
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