============================================================================ DM: The Doctor PCs: Hayli, Laylara, Thurirl Litrix, Tylan Summary: The NPC from Hawthorn Abbey (Franz Yeluci) guides the group in a "vision quest" to find out what's behind this mysterious illness that's afflicting Hyan Luize and Wensel and others who were previously enslaved by the Formians. Turns out there's some kind of demonic artifact involved... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, Wensel and Hyan continue ailing... the scholarly shaman from Hawthorn Abbey, Franz Yeluci, has at last finished his preparations and is ready to undergo this 'vision quest' to find out what the exact nature of their affliction is. To that end, he has been engaged in intense meditation and ritual prayers for the last week. Now he is ready for the journey, but by all reports it is a dangerous thing, and he has called for people to assist him. Hyan's room in the hospital in Greystone has been set up...special candles and intricately painted symbols and circles on the floor around her bed... Tylan volunteered, both to help one of the few people he remembers who predate his time on the Ark, and also to get off the Ark for an extended time. At the moment he's pacing, fingers twitching, occasionally rolling his neck or shoulders, waiting for the call to go. Laylara stands in the room, yet close to the door. Her eyes apon Hyan and an almost distastful look to her features. She's obviously not comfortable here so close to Hyan's sickness. Yet she /is/ here to assist. Thurirl litrix has been examining Franz's preperations for the last week as much as Franz has been willing to let him. Curious and a little worried about what the shaman will be attempting and trying to deduce as much as possible in case something goes wrong, after all, what are the chances of that happening? That, and he's likely the best healer around with Hyan gone, and he knows he's no replacement. Thurirl litrix pages: I figure that if Franz get's incapacitated, I'm going to need to figure out how to get us back. And earlier, I would like to have asked Franz that very question, especially with Sviar staying. You paged Thurirl litrix with 'From previous discussions, it is akin to an astral voyage, but directed in a more personal way, calling for divine insight.' Hyan's room in the hospital in Greystone has been set up...special candles and intricately painted symbols and circles on the floor around her bed... (re)' Franz is sitting cross-legged on the floor. He glances up as Tylan and the others arrive. Hyan smiles palely and greets them each by name. "Thank you. Franz thinks he has the ritual worked out...but it will take much from him and from myself. We may only have this one chance. He cannot speak now... he has asked me to explain. We venture into the spirit realm, where he will call upon his guide. My soul will be held with his for the journey, so that he may find that which assails us so grievously. Our bodies will lie senseless. Should our spirit bodies suffer destruction...as long as our links are not severed, we should still live." Tylan nods. "So we need to protect you while we're there... or find something needed for this ritual, or...?" He's still not entirely clear, it would seem, other than remaining committed to helping out. Thurirl litrix says, "How do we protect your links and ours from what we encounter? As we would in this realm?" Hyan says, "You are needed to protect us in the spirit journey. Franz, who will be one with the guide, will be unable to fight. Our bodies here will be guarded by others." (NPCs/PCs not online) Tylan nods firmly. "Sounds good then. We'll make sure no harm comes to you. Ok, ready when you are." Thurirl litrix says, "What form does his guide take?" Thurirl litrix looks around at the others. "Looks like it's back to the dream realm or its kissing cousin." Hyan says, "That I do not know. But it will be clear once you have crossed tote other side." Franz gestures mutely for the others to sit around him inside the circle and clasp hands. His lips are pressed together as if keeping some terrible force inside. Tylan shrugs. "So be it. I'm all for kicking that place's ass some more or something." he replies, before moving to sit, extending his hands. Thurirl litrix takes his place and extends his gauntleted hands, face expressionless behind his dragon mask. Laylara grumbles to herself but moves to sit by Thu and offers her hand to him and then to Hayli to her other side. "MOre of the dream realm. As long as I am not put back to where I came from.." Hayli steps into the circle, too, reaching for for Tylan's hand on one side and Thurirl's on the other. Tylan nods. "We'll keep an eye on you too. Regardless, we go there, we keep them safe, we all come back and have our head priest back." Thurirl litrix says, "We get our friends and the friends of others back to us." Laylara says, "Anything to cure the illness that runs rampant aboard the Ark. I like foes I can fight rather then ones that weaken me to death." Hayli nods at Laylara's words, saying nothing -- nothing really need be said, after all. Franz opens his mouth and it's a whacked out shriek that emerges. It continues syllables never meant to be heard in the mortal world. It rings in your ears and your vision darkens...Hyan slumps in an apparent faint...and then everything turns a ghostly silver. You feel that if you put out your hand, it would go right through the bed. Franz stands. He cups a small globe of light and shadow in his hands, then presses them together and the light vanishes. Tylan tightens his grip a little, baring his teeth in something like a growl. Expecting a fight, already starting to push himself back into his less diplomatic mindset. It doesn't take long. Laylara blinks rapidly and looks about without releasing the others hands. Thurirl litrix holds tight to the others hands, but careful not to cut them with those taloned gauntlets. As usual, he is watching for the right moment to act and the right action to take. Hayli squezzes at Tylan's hand, trying to let him know she's there without speaking to do so. Franz stares out into nothing...he whispers softly, words of an ancient druidic prayer. A ghostly shape swims out of the silvery light, envelops him. A white deer stands where the human was, a yearling stag that looks at the group, and says directly into your minds, <> It springs off, right through the 'walls' of the hospital, which have turned ghostly. Likewise, all the inhabitants seem to have vanished now. It takes you on a long ramble out to the plains, then underground, it seems. A faint thought that seems to be Hyan's, <> Tylan is following as soon as instructed, hands at his swords, at the ready, glad to have a chance to be out running, rambling and chasing again. If he's cognizant of what's being said, its not entirely clear, but he holds up when others do, and only then. Hayli follows along, as well, her bow in hand not long after the trek begins. She's drifted towards the rear of the procession, where she and her arrows can provide support to melee at the front and cover the rear at the same time. Thurirl litrix follows with the others, not asking how they can keep up with a stag at a run. Watching, always watching. Figuring that whatever they seek willnot welcome them. Laylara calls forth her wings out of habbit as their mode of movement becomes ghostly. She follows with a small smile at the wonder of walking through objects. You must truly be in a different realm, as you have no trouble keeping up. Something about moving at the speed of thought...even underground, in the dark, there is the faint silvery glow. At first the stag goes in circles...the circles tighten. <> Laylara says, "I do not understand. Is this the cause of the sickness? What do you mean by binding crossing time?" Tylan doesn't bother to ask any questions, just trailing along, eyeing the deer as it circles, sweeping his gaze over the area, then proceeding forward. The stag finds its direction and slows to a walk. Each step slower and slower. <> Thurirl litrix at the words bound across time, Thu get worried. "Great, here we go again" You hear...at first it sounds like a harsh wind blowing over barren land, but then you hear a soft giggle infecting the sound. Hayli frowns. "I hear... giggling", she says... or tries to say. No telling how it actually comes out, in this spirit-walk world they're all in. Tylan pauses when Hayli speaks, looking back her way, apparently not having heard it himself. He gestures her forward. Laylara says, "Wait..wait a moment.." Hayli takes a step forward at Tylan's gesture, but freezes in place at Laylara's words, her free hand reaching back to her quiver -- in case an arrow's needed. Tylan draws his swords, then freezes, statue still as he waits for movement, or further information. Thurirl litrix listens, then tries not to The stag stiffens. <> Thurirl litrix snatches for his cloak and attempts to put the ends in his ears The next moment the faint giggling bursts into a deafening cacophany of mad laughter that sweeps over the silvery landscape before subsiding back into the whisper of wind... Tylan growls at the laughter, glancing around quickly to try and find the source of it, before spinning his swords in hand, tensing into stance as his movement slows, in case the situation gets worse. Hayli puts an arrow to string, without drawing it. Laylara blinks once and then looks from face to face in the small group in some concern. Thurirl litrix begins chortling uncontrollably, dropping the cloak with a look of panic in his eyes. He seems completely overcome with the giggles. Laylara says, "No..nonono..It was a Cacklestorm. Abyss bred..it's noise drives people insane." Tylan snarls, glancing around further, hands tensing on his blades, waiting for further sign, and readying for a fight. Hayli frowns. "Will he be okay?", she wonders, though her eyes are looking off ahead, from where the sound came. As the cackling storm fades away, it leaves behind it a new landscape superimposed on the darkness you were in before. Jagged rocks and barren ground, bones and iron. And two forms rise from the ground and shamble towards you... Thurirl litrix continues to let out peals of laughter the likes of which you have never heard from him before. Thurirl litrix falls over, laughing out loud. The Doctor says, "Roll inits. "XXX" represents a weird black object (monolith? piece of a wall? It's unclear from here). Th1 th2 are the things that are moving." The things crystalize into decayed humanoid forms...hung about with ice and exuding a terrible cold. One strikes at the white deer, the other at Tylan...blood glints redly in the silver. Tylan goes into his usual whirling frenzy, hacking away with his blades at blinding speed, silver, ice chips and flashes of flame flying, inflicting, in the end, fairly significant harm, but its still standing, and Ty's skin is taking on the cast of being covered in ice crystals. Laylara raises a hand and backs that familiar word of power even with her teeth suddenly chattering in the cold. The blast busrts from her fingers and into the earth farther away. Hayli launches three arrows at the thing menacing the spirit guide. "Franz! To me!", she says as she fires, stepping forward a bit. Two of her arrows strike home, but the third sails past the target. Franz (subsumed in the deer) withdraws from the fray, circling and scenting at the air. <> But he doesn't approach it while the creatures block his way. Thurirl litrix's sounds of laughing mixes in with the sound of blade and cold and blood. The icy undead things continue relentlessly, pressing the attack. The first one now aims its cold claws at Laylara, frosting her to the bone. The other one is no match for the agile and well-armored Tylan... Tylan lashes out with his blades, cutting deep into the creature that attacked him, a flash of ghostly green fire coming with the slash, bringing his foe down. Hearing the cry, he leaps backwards, landing in a crouch in front of the other, seemingly oblivious to the cold, and just intent on killing these things. Laylara bursts up from the ground and flys up and back in shivering agony. Yet her wounds seem to start to disappear slowly even as she withdraws to the air. Hayli launches three arrows at the remaining foe, even as the chill of the thing frosts her skin, and as she puts herself between it and Thurirl. In her care to not hit Tylan, she only scores one hit on it, though. Franz-deer hisses something behind the group, some kind of healing spell. His wounds stop bleeding quite so much. But his focus is still on the black lump ahead. It does draw the eye. <> Thurirl litrix has tears streaming down his face, it's just the laughing. Sure it is. One strikes out at Tylan, now that Laylara has moved away. It is stiff from the cold... the other gets up and moves towards Hayli, wounds freezing closed... Tylan lashes out at the new monster, trying to cut it down, not having noticed his former foe having gotten back up yet. Laylara fires down another blast even as she sail up higher. Yet the damage and cold seem too much for her to place it on target. Still..this time she is closer. Hayli drops her bow, whipping out her little sword. Even as she strikes at the one now in her face, she holds her gound to keep it off Thurirl. "Tylan!", she calls out, "This one's back on its feet!" The deer runs towards the twisted "monument". <> Thurirl litrix is trying to rise, yet everytime he starts to make headway, a peal of laughter knocks him on his red-plated rear. The two turn their chilly attacks on Tylan. Even in their frozen minds, they sense the source of the worst pain... Tylan goes into a whirling frenzy again, trying to get out from between the monsters, hacking deep into the one he was targeting before, not bothering to try and shift his position, his attack leaving it hurt but standing. Hayli side steps, trying to take advantage of trapping one between herself and Tylan's whirling blades... but her blade fails to score. Laylara soars high above the field of battle, healing slowly. She takes aim and trieds again to hit the foes...again blasting earth at the feet of the cold undead. The deer heads forward, unwilling to waste any time, with the goal in sight. He stands next to the black...thing...and bows his head, chanting softly... Thurirl litrix shakes off the laughter finally and calls for Bahamut to heal our wounds and "bless" our enemies with life. Thurirl litrix manages to get to his feet. The frigid corpses rattle and creak, wheezing as the positive energy blasts through them. Nevertheless, they concentrate on Tylan and rip into him... Tylan focuses on the one trapped between himself and Hayli, lashing into its side when it turns to attack him, dropping him for the second time, and letting him turn back to deal with the first. "Someone keep the drowdamned thing down!" Laylara steadies herself and draws in a deep breath even as she brings out a potion to hand. Yet she also points at the foes beneath her and blasts away, managing to hit this time. The blast arcs fro mthe first to the second and damages both with arcane energies. Hayli drops to one knee, upending her sword and driving it down into the fallen one with both hands, doing her best to finish it once and for all. Cold visibly frosts up the blade of her sword, channeling up into her hands and arms, even as she pulls her blade free. Thurirl litrix moves up next to the wounded and frozen elf warrior and lays a brief hand on him, a good portion of his skin grows under the frost. The remaining frosted corpse lashes out at Tylan ineffectually... Tylan focuses on the one before him, lashing out with his combinations of whirling blades, first frost, and then the glowing flame from Gravelight, another burst of flame as he cuts in deep with the follow up swing, dropping it before him. "Put it down and get to the stag!" The deer is...licking? at the stone now... Hayli scoops up her bown in the hand of her buckler-arm, dropping her shortsword as she gets to Tylan, saying a quick prayer for healing to the Morninglord. "Go, Tylan... I'll finish this one." Laylara knocks back the potion in her hand and sighs as abit more health flows into her frozen viens. Tylan begins moving to the deer, intending to protect it now in case thatlaughing thing or more creatures show up, as the others are making sure the things stay down. Thurirl litrix steps up as Hayli is speaking and puts his pick into the things skull and twists it a bit. Thurirl litrix will be moving after Tylan and will call up to Laylara, "If you come down to me, I'll heal you." As you get closer, it seems that the black thing is not just a random heap of stones. Three big slabs in particular seem to form an opening...as you get closer, it draws your gaze. A fog seems to drift from it... You paged Tylan with 'You hear voices...whispers that you can't quite make out. You feel drawn to the opening...' Thurirl litrix will stop halfway there and wait for laylara to come down. Laylara flys down warrily..eyes on the stone thing and glancing about for enemies even as she nears Thu. Tylan moves up the their guide, both swords out, circling, looking for signs of the laughing spirit as he shifts into his stance again, on the defensive, readying for further combat. Thurirl litrix lays his hands on laylara(woo hoo), and closes most of her wounds, her own body seems to handle the rest. Thurirl litrix says, "lets get to tylan and the guide" Hayli steps over and stabs the first one that went down right in the head, one more time, for good measure... then turns to start after Tylan, sheathing her sword along the way and pulling an arrow to put to string. Thurirl litrix will begin to move towards the spirit. "What's over there Tylan?" Laylara sighs in relief and smiles to Thu and nods. "Thank you.." Still her eyes are filled with..well fear.. It was a close call. Hayli stops ans frowns... "The rocks call to me. Everyone else stay back... Tylan, are you okay?" Thurirl litrix will stop moving at that. Tylan is as fearless and unhesitating as ever, rushing right forward to go on the defense, readying himself for all the monsters this place wants to throw at them, teeth bared in a feral snarl. "Fine." Hayli nods. "You felt the pull, too?", she asks of her husband, looking at the deer to see if it's about done... Thurirl litrix examines the spirit closely. "Why were you licking the stones?" Tylan shakes his head, spinning his blades. "Heard nothing, waiting for more monsters. Guard the spirit, right?" Thurirl litrix calls out, "As you were fighting, and I was laying there laughing, you were licking those stones, Tylan, be careful." The deer draws back. <> And mixed with the spirit's thoughts, a moan of pain from Hyan. <> Laylara tries to makes sense of the babling sprit's words. Hayli nods, lips going into a frown. "I hear... vague whispers, coming from down in there, calling to me. I felt a pull to go in... but shook it off", she explains of the portal. Looking over at Tylan, she begs the Morninglord for more of his warmth to heal Tylan. Tylan continues to growl at the stone, circling, spinning his swords, plunging his mind into his battle haze, readied to fight at a moment's notice, apparently still hearing nothing. Thurirl litrix says, "Hyan, is the sickness the chain, or what's here is the chain?" Thurirl litrix says, "Spirit, is the portal here, or in the world of the flesh, or both?" The deer starts and leaps away. <> says Franz. Hyan's voice echoes after. <> "How do we stop it, then?", asks Hayli. Franz says, <> Laylara floats around and tries to keep an eye on the moving Hanz-deer. Hayli frowns. "From the other side... whoever does so will be trapped there?", she says. Tylan snarls. "How do we destroy it?" he responds, eyeing the ruined blackness. Game: Thurirl litrix casts the level 1 favored_soul spell protection_from_evil. Base DC for saving throws: 14. Thurirl litrix will then approach the stones to examine them after casting a protection spell on himself The deer shifts this way and that, uneasy. <> And Hyan: <> Tylan growls. "Riddles, ranting... drowdamnit. And we don't have a drowdamned way out. What do we need to take where? Let's grab it and go." Thurirl litrix is peering at the stones. Thurirl litrix says, "Whatever built this, it's different from the Ark." Hayli nods. "Only one of us knows the way to the celestial realms", she says, quietly. "I was not in Celestia, but I was near there. If any one of us is to take the king stone, it is me." Tylan frowns, then nods. "If it will free them... how do we bring you back, or send anyone there?" Hayli frowns, adding, "But... I know only the one way to /get/ there, and don't think a stone can be taken by that means." Thurirl litrix says, "There is a spell, a powerful clerical spell that can move you between planes. Other than that, direct diety intervention, or maybe there is a arcane spell, but I wouldn't think anyone we know could cast it" Thurirl litrix says, "Either that, or ask a Celestial" Thurirl litrix says, "People, we may need to go to the Abyss to get the kingstone" Laylara shudders. Thurirl litrix says, "It wouldn't be the keystone, we'll have to check the mortal world." Tylan turns to the others. "So we have anyone powerful enough to cast that kind of spell? And of course we do, straight into the Demonwebs, drowdamned solution to everything." Laylara says, "Go to the Abyss...are you mad? Do you even know what layer you plan on going too?" Hayli says, "I... don't know if it will work..." Thurirl litrix starts poking around the stones, "that's what I'm looking for, some kind of clue." Thurirl litrix says, "the interesting thing is, I haven't felt any compulsion to shake off." Hayli looks at the portal. "But, I misspoke a moment ago. A /part/ of me knows the way, although it's kept from her sight... my sight... /our/ sight, while she's in this body with me..." Only one Hayli is talking this time, seems like, of the two souls in the body. "She... I would have to return to those realms, perhaps for good", she finishes, shaking her head. Confusing /herself/, she is... but what's new about that? Tylan shakes his head. "We can't get to the right place anyway. Let the clerics figure it out. We're not leaving anyone, and then we're saving Hyan." Thurirl litrix looks up. "I think I may have found something, I'd like to cast a protection from evil spell on you laylara, and could you look at it?" He sets a stone down and walks away from the stones. Laylara nods slowly to Thu, slowly moveing towards him and allowing him to cast the spell. Hayli glances at the rock. "It bears the symbol of Yeenoghu... but I don't recognize the other image", she says. Thurirl litrix says, "Demon prince of gnolls" Hayli nods. You paged Laylara with 'The spell does seem to protect you...you won't feel the compulsion or hear the whispering voices either if you go closer. Knowledge:the_planes and knowledge:arcana rolls to get more info out of the stone w/symbols that Thu found.' Laylara moves to look over the rock and studies it for a moment. Thurirl litrix looks to the spirit guide. "Hyan, do you think you can muster the strength for the spell?" Thurirl litrix says, "If we manage to get the kingstone?" You paged Laylara with 'Yep, there's the sign of Yeenoghu (gnolls and ghouls!) and a marking meaning his layer of the Abyss. Also a rather obscure one...Azael, you recall. A fallen angel...long destroyed, as far as you can remember. You don't know the details.' Thurirl litrix will keep searching. The deer circles, testing the sorceries laid in here. Hyan's voice is faint in your minds. <> Laylara nods slowly to herself. "You're right. This mark is the sign of Yeenoghu..god of ghouls and gnolls. This marking here is for his layer *she shudders* in the Abyss. This mark her is rather obscure. It's for Azael..a fallen angel who has been destroyed for a melenia or more...but I can't remember anything else about Azeal.. Tylan growls. "Then do it. I'll go there myself if it means we can end this. If it means I need to go kick Lolth in the ass myself I will if that's what it takes. Where are we going, how do we get there, how do we get back, and let's do it." Thurirl litrix looks up, "I've got something else You paged Thurirl litrix with 'Reads (only a little is left): ...curse the devourers...will destroy them...will fear us forever and leave this land...' (Abyssal) Thurirl litrix says, "We are figuring that out right now. I just want to make sure we get the right rock, I'd hate to do it and then have to kick another demon lord in the ass." Thurirl litrix reads aloud. "Curse the devourers...will destroy them...will fear us forever and leave this land... Laylara starts looking about as well now that she's protected with magics. Thurirl litrix says, "Wonder if this has anything to do with those ancient idiots who messed with time?" Tylan nods. "I dunno, sounds like fun." he replies with a smile, though clearly not wanting to go anywhere in the abyss he doesn't have to, still psyching himself up at the prospect. You paged Laylara with 'On another of the stones: You find a worn out carving of a gnoll standing triumphant over a heap of bodies. On one, you can tell that the body has tentacles or snakes coming out of its face.' Laylara inspects another rock and then another. "This is so bizare. Was this a monument to the gnoll god?" Thurirl litrix looks at the spirit guide. "This was destroyed in this world, but not the other. If we go back to the mortal realm, and travel here, will this be whole?" The deer pauses, looks at Thu. <> Thurirl litrix says, "And the other end? is that in the abyss? In another time? and is that where the kingstone is?" Franz says, <> Laylara says, "A battle site? This stone here depicts a battle." Thurirl litrix says, "Great, there's something under these evil stones." Thurirl litrix says, "A battle between who?" Tylan frowns, pacing. "So... the other side is the abyss? So.. we need to move these things to find out more?" Thurirl litrix peers over Laylara's shoulder Hyan's voice echoes after Franz, <> Thurirl litrix will then move to examine the dead Hyan is talking about. Laylara points out a stone where the gnoll god stands over a heap of bodies..one of hte bodies has tenticles on it's face. Most of them here do not have the full substance of the two undead that attaced you, but you can find old bones, pieces of armor and weapons, etc. The bones range in size from small to very very large and bestial. Thurirl litrix is looking at pile of bones after pile of bones. "Gnolls, goblinoids, dinosaur, mostly non-humans, a few humanoid. What a wouldn't give for a history buff for this region of a few centuries ago. Laylara says, "We'd have to go to the real world for that. Talk to the tribes and maybe find another city." Tylan nods. "So... we came here to find out that its not here, and itsin the Abyss, so we need to go talk to the tribes?" Thurirl litrix says, "Of course, you all know what Tentcles there is." He points to the image on the rock Laylara was holding. "Looks like there was a fight between nasties here a few centuries, maybe a millenia ago. But where does the old man fit in? And who are the devourers?" Thurirl litrix says, "And that we will likely have to come here in the flesh, and dig. Or at least, be ready for whatever is beneath here." Thurirl litrix says, "Ask a question, end up with 20 more, and no answer to the one you asked." Tylan nods. "Alright, that I can do. Maybe the temple of despair will know something? Or... well, you guys handle it. I'll bust heads when you figure it out." Thurirl litrix says, "We'll all have to work what connections we can. Spirit, Hyan, is there anything else we can learn here?" Thurirl litrix says, "Where is the thing you spoke of when we heard the laughter, Laylara? The thing that dropped me to the floor? What did you call it?" Franz says, <> And Hyan echoes, <<...longer can we endure? The war is not ended... must ask...must ask...>> and then <<...not here. In our own flesh.>> Thurirl litrix says, "right, lead us back." Tylan nods. "So... we go back, research, and then start the new trip. Alright then. Just like old times." And the white deer wheels, taking you back...back up through the rock, across the plains, in a more direct line than your initial journey, now that he knows the way. The Doctor says, "And I think that's it for tonight..."