Author Topic: STRATA- Chapter 1  (Read 131787 times)

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #640 on: November 15, 2016, 08:28:22 PM »
The "doctor" goes over to the shivering membrane, and in a display of his amazing scientific prowess, does what all the great scientists of the past have first done when presented with an impenetrable mystery: he pokes it with a stick.
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Offline SolEiji

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #641 on: November 15, 2016, 09:50:29 PM »
It can't hurt.

The substance is hard and unyielding, yet nearly frictionless.  It's like glass, but given that you had previously encountered this and confirmed it to be all be invulnerable to damage so it must be very hard indeed.

You may also recall that this isn't the only form of the slime you've seen.  And you remember it acting strangely during your first encounter with the Scissorman.
Mudada.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #642 on: November 15, 2016, 10:27:35 PM »
Akemi, not knowing better but having a firm default response to weird substances, goes up to the wall of odd slimb and punches it. What's the worst that could happen if a stick is fine?

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #643 on: November 16, 2016, 01:00:28 AM »
POW!

Well, it seems that fist does not break weird slime fungus, as the wall remains steadfast, vibrations rippling across the mass into nothingness.  However, you do pick up one more unusual property with direct skin to wall contact.  No, not the fact that it didn't eat your hand or anything, but rather that it's warm.  Like, living creature warm.  That's... unusual.  The slime is definitely not room temperature.
Mudada.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #644 on: November 16, 2016, 10:34:40 AM »
Wystan can't do his job if everyone in there is dead, but assuming they're all dead isn't a good way to do business.  He examines the front of the house, looking for signs of life behind any first floor windows, and for any potential ways in besides the front door.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #645 on: November 16, 2016, 03:35:07 PM »
"It's... warm? Does that mean it's alive?"

Just to check, Akemi poked it with her sword as well. Maybe it would bleed?

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #646 on: November 16, 2016, 03:59:25 PM »
Matsu says "Hmm... what an interesting conjecture. Let us observe it and put this hypothesis to the test!" He then pulls out a pair of glasses with magnifying lenses as well as a few interesting looking tools that look like small pliers, scissors, etc, and begins to poke and prod the "wall" with them, and observe if it has any reaction, and also to look for any substructures like blood moving through veins, or other fluid movements, which might indicate life.
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Offline SolEiji

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #647 on: November 20, 2016, 08:21:22 PM »
"Alive?  In a sense.  I do not know much of the wall huggers, but they are invulnerable to anything I can do.  But I have seen them move before.  I'm afraid I have no idea how to breach this.  Maybe if I...." Drosselmeyer faded away as he tried focusing on something.  Whatever he was doing, it wasn't working.  Or didn't seem to.

Akemi can confirm that her sword does not pierce these creatures immobile flesh, and Matsu can look into the silvery substance and confirm the existence of simple organelles indicative of several species of slime.  What is unusual is that none of these organic bits are in motion.  The entire thing is completely still, as if it is frozen in time.

Well, you did confirm earlier its quintessence-like properties.  It would also explain its apparent invulnerability.  It's locked out of time.  These slimes may be psionic in origin.

Quote from: On the Outside...
The front of the house has a large and fine mahogany double door, with the sound of distant thunder rumbling somewhere from behind it.  Upon the door there is a message inscribed in chalk.

"This place is bad. Proceed with caution, even then preferably not. Love, Faith."

The welcome mat at the base of the door has been disturbed, as if something was removed from underneath it.  Clearly you're not the first to arrive here.  And if you have the means, you might be able to pick up on footprints as well.  The most recent one indicates several people have been here, including at least one with larger feet than normal.  Maybe a dwarf.

Nearby is that well which was set upon a makeshift hill of dirt that seemed out of place.  It smelled of smoke, and there was a wooden door relieved of its hedges at the side of the well, a round smoked out area on one side which seems to suggest it was used as a cap for the well, and whatever fire occurred within.  The smoke has dissipated there, and small twinkling embers can be found below in the well.

Moving around the house, Wystan can find two alternative entrances.  One is merely a back entrance, which one has to scale a fence to enter the back garden, and then the back door.  Alternatively there is a small stable with a large door, presumably for holding a cart and maybe horses.  It's silent in there.  This large door is locked, but could potentially be breached to let you in.
Mudada.

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #648 on: November 20, 2016, 10:03:40 PM »
"Hmm... does anyone have a means to dispel magic available? Perhaps we could try that... It seems to be frozen in time... or out of it, depending on your perspective, I guess..."
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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #649 on: November 20, 2016, 10:12:15 PM »
"I can't say I would be able to dispel anything, but I could try making it cold. That would go about as well as stabbing."

Seeking some sort of insight, Akemi looked hard at the wall.


Offline ketaro

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #650 on: November 20, 2016, 10:21:58 PM »
Setting the safe down, Axejack could do little more in this situation than wait and hope one of the others could manage a solution. He figured there might be some help to be found in the Scissorman's belongings though.....maybe. The dwarf pulls out the book first and tries looking to see if it holds anything still within it's pages; helpful or not.

Offline SolEiji

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #651 on: November 20, 2016, 10:31:45 PM »
It's a good thing magic/psionics transparency is on, it means Know Arcana also counts for Know Psionics.

If these things are psionic related, psionic activity (whatever that entails) should have some sort of effect on them.  After all if they are capable of unsticking themselves from stasis as Drosselmeyer described them sometimes moving spontaneously on their own, they apparently have some sense or ability to interact with everyone else.

Axejack pulls out the burned book.  Its condition is terrible.  You cannot read its contents, but manage to see a few warped and mostly obscured sigils of some sort.  You get the general gist of it detailing symbols, the underdark, and something... is that a world map?  Too bad its a mess.

Skreeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaccctch!  Oh.  You felt the ground shift, and one of the doors behind you has started to bend inward unnaturally as the sound of splintering wood is heard.  Tick tick tick.
Mudada.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #652 on: November 20, 2016, 10:42:23 PM »
"From our friend's comments and my own experience... psionic activity... though I don't have any personal experience of it as opposed to magic, should be able to affect these. Maybe it would agitate them to move out of the way?" Akemi mused, looking over her shoulder at the splintering door. Well, if the doctor couldn't do something with his tricks, she would try her own spells...

Offline Nanshork

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #653 on: November 21, 2016, 11:25:41 AM »
Wystan looks into the windows of the house and decides that teleporting into that sounds like a horrible idea.

He walks back to the front of the house, then remembers that he's not alone.  "You might want to leave now, I expect things to get very....messy.  Also dangerous," he yells at the driver. 

That taken care of, first things first.  He tries to open the front door, but doesn't really expect that to work.  Deciding that climbing a fence is a last resort, he's already planning on trying to break down the door to the stables.

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #654 on: November 21, 2016, 11:50:27 AM »
Matsu tries to empathically link with the wall...
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Offline Psysama

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #655 on: November 22, 2016, 10:35:54 PM »
Magana walks up to the wall.  Man, I am hungry!  I wonder if this thing is edible. She proceeds to lick and try to eat the wall.
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Offline SolEiji

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #656 on: November 23, 2016, 06:26:56 PM »
Oh, what timing.

Matsu reaches his mind out, and as his psionic eminations ripple unseen through the world the wall softens and melts, attracted towards Matsu and away from the wall.  It was just this time that Magana was about to chow down on the unbreakable jawbreakers when they abruptly softened on her.  The tooth-breaking hardness may have been preferable, as a heavy coating of silvery quintessence is left behind on your teeth.  If any of the Arcana/Psionics knowledge buffs wish to chip in they may suggest you get that stuff off your teeth promptly, before your teeth become unstuck from time and you start taking damage.

But better news!  The door is now able to be opened!  Drosselmeyer's helmet began to glow fiercely as he activated his dark insight.  Hurry!  Behind you, the wall begins to crumble revealing an infinitely long hallway of stone, and a throbbing heavy spiritual presence rapidly growing through the room.

Quote from: On the Outside
Wystan is quick on the case, heading towards the front door.  The door isn't locked, but an incredible pressure seems to be holding it shut.  A strength check will be required to get it to budge, DC unknown.

"Is.... is ev'rything alright?  My god what happened here!"

CRACK!  The ground began to actively shake, and fissures began to appear spooking the horses.  Regardless if he intended to or not, your driver and his cart and making a hasty retreat.  Unfortunately it's also stranding you on rapidly destabilizing ground.  Make a DC 15 Reflex save, lest the ground start liquefying under your feet and sinking you knee-deep in the ground.
Mudada.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #657 on: November 23, 2016, 07:19:34 PM »
Wystan tries to get the door open, but the ground starts shaking and he fails miserably.  Ignoring the driver now that he's safe, Wystan tries to deal with the situation that he's in now.

As he starts to sink into the ground he decides that drastic steps call for drastic measure. He needs to get inside the house and find out if anyone is left alive in there.

He closes his eyes for a split second, and when he opens them he is surrounded by glowing weapons that slowly spin around him.  He concentrates and two of the largest ones fly into the door in an attempt to bash it down.

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Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #658 on: November 24, 2016, 07:37:47 PM »
Matsu yells "YES! It worked! Now let's get the hells out of here!" and grabs the doorknob, giving it a twist.
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Offline SolEiji

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Re: STRATA- Chapter 1
« Reply #659 on: December 09, 2016, 04:52:26 AM »
CRACK!

Outside of the house, ectoplasmic hammers swung into being, one of them hitting its mark and embedding itself into the wood of the doorway.  It immediately rebounded explosively, as the high pressure winds that were being held back were suddenly released.  The wind barely scraped over the half-sunken Wystan's head and he could see it visibly lash out as it carried trails of psionic pink-purple fog in its wake, sinuous tendrils of wind which seemed all too real, and whose touch tore massive gouts of dust and dirt from the ground.

Within the door was opened as well, releasing a blast of high pressure psionic wind that hurt the head with a deafening howl of wind that gave everyone a headache.  Everyone, knowingly or not, begins to accrue 1d10 temporary power points, a fact the more psionic members are likely keenly aware of occurring.  This deep pink=purple fog is rich in a powerful psionic essence whose very presence was having an effect on the mind.  Nothing could be seen beyond the howling chaos but a dim radiance in the distance, a shaft of sunlight escaping through a damaged door on the other side.  It made Drosselmeyer's job significantly easier in navigating through as he pushed on ahead.

"FOLLOW ME!"  The rat pushed forward, barely able to stand in the strong winds lashing about.  The party should be able to follow, as rats attempt to cling to your fleeing bodies in order not to be blown away or swallowed by the ever-growing maw of the abyss behind you.  The gravity shifted under your feet, turning your short but windy journey into an uphill battle, but with perseverance you will reach the door.

And for Wystan, half-sunk, the door would swing open to a torrent of feet and rats spilling forth (and 1d10 temporary power points from brief exposure).  The entire house lost its structural integrity, and with a titanic crash the walls, roof, and land buckled downward into a deep freefall.  The shift of the ground will be enough to eject Wystan who is dangerously close to the end of this new endlessly deep sinkhole in the ground.  The mists rising from the hole howled once more spiraling into the sky... and vanished.

The Marlowe Mansion had been completely eradicated from the surface of the earth. 

It wouldn't take much to recognize what it had become, an unsealed gateway into the underdark.


« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 04:55:25 AM by SolEiji »
Mudada.