Hole, the

Log Info

• Title: the Hole
• Emitter: Cryosanthia, Braelnoir
• Characters: Jinks, Kira, Mikilos, Seyardu
• Place: W02: The Wilderness
• Time: Sunday, November 06, 2022, 11:00 AM
• Summary: Today is the day. The aid Jinks has rallied arrives at the vouivre's caravan. Last-minute instructions are delivered and individuals are reminded of important information. The group needs to press into the center of the town and brave the undead carrion worm-dug tunnel to resolve the spreading, extraplanar cancer thriving in the depths below.

---

Alexandros Wilderness: The Ruined Town of Ashenvale

Previously

Far to the North of Alexandria is a recently ruined town. Abandoned before being overrun by wights, the destruction of the undead awoke some alien pathogen, A flesh cancer that was consuming the countryside until a scorched earth policy of containment was achieved. The Mayor, her Assistant and their exceptionally interactive Swiftclaw have brought adventurers to solve the problem.

Much talk has been had about the problem. Even a Loremaster was summoned out of the weave.

The gnome clears his throat.. He's trembling as he breathes, eyes rolling back, turning from milky-onyx to smoke in his sockets.

"It's not of Ea..." His voice is impossibly distant. A tiny tendril-- a ghost of a spiked pseudo-pod crawls out from the collar of his shirt, up his neck and around his cheek. "A rot... corruption that feasts and perverts without guidance." The tendril crawls into his smoke-filled socket and sprouts, branching and reaching and branching again like the groping tongue of a flatworm. "No mind to guide it..."

There's the echo of a thump from somewhere else. The gnome's sleeve has torn away and the ghost-image of lumpen, rotting flesh cascades down to pile and burble at his feet.

"There's properties... change as they touch new..." he belches as his face deforms from within. "The great and swollen might explode-- it can touch the Weave and corrupt it. Consume magic. It reaches for the Source."

"The pools resonate madness."

With the last observation the gnome collapses into a ghostly mound, meat, muscle, flesh, and bone with no organizing principles.

Jinks stands above the horror as it collapses away into quickly-dissipating smoke.

"... Mulria's sideways smile," he chokes right before turning away and retching up his dinner.

"The discolored clump... stretching between the two pools," Jinks offers, leaning with one arm braced against far side of the wagon as he catches his breath. He leans forward a little and spits, trying to clear the taste of sick at least a little.

"It's not a brain but it's a central cluster... a cyst or a main nerve. That needs to be destroyed." He sighs, heavily. "Between the pools that resonate with the Void to fracture your mind. And the large clumps that will explode if they can't tear and consume...

"Help, please," he pleads.

He is helped. The stragglers gathered.

Now

All that remains is to enter what is left of the town.

Mikilos sighs, rubbing at his brow. "Okay, numbers. How wide is the hole down? Is it a straight shot all the way? The chamber at the bottom, how wide, how tall, how deep are these 'pool'? The... nerve cluster? How far from the hole down, which direction? Let's try and form something of a plan. I'm still on the idea to drop in a couple of Freezing Spheres, fly down, freeze the Nerve Cluster solid, smash it to bits. Maybe shift the bigger pieces out towards the Void."

Help was sought. That is enough for Kira; the details of the problem are important for determining how best to render aid. They are irrelevant in determining whether or not to render aid; that is never really a question, at least for her. It is near-enough along her path back towards the city, also, that it is easy enough to divert to. She arrives wrapped in her simple cloak, with it and the rest of her clothing showing signs of travel.

Looking about as she enters the town... or the remains of one, it is not too difficult so spy a few familiar faces, even if not recently so. As she nears, she offers greetings with a wearied-if-genuine smile. "Hello, everyone. What help is needed?"

"The hole is twenty feet wide. Seems uniform, straight down." Retzi answers, crossing her arms and leaning on windowsill, apparently rocking her legs from side to side behind her. "At least a hundred and twenty. If you drop something in the center it will make it through the bottom, sometimes. That seems one hundred and eighty feet down."

"It's disorienting, but it comes through the ceiling on the west side, the cavern is circular, seventy feet tall, two hundred feet wide."

Yolo nods.

A bass feminine voice, deeply rumbling adds, "It shoots."

Seyardu had already been out this way once before, and it was only a matter of time until some actual call for aid was made. The cleric was waiting with the others, resting against their polearm and regarding the scen laid before them.

"Any task made should be properly considered, just because fire had no effect does not mean that freezing it will be the correct option. And I do not expect it to mount no form of defence should we actually go down towards it all."

Yolo stares at Seyardu when she arrives, a frown on her face and a tightness around her eyes. She forces her face into something less severe, and attempts a friendly wave with a cheery, "Hello."

A heartless attempt at best.

She's much more enthusiastic when she suggests, "I know! You could run and jump in the hole and stick a huge healing potion in your mouth so you're healed back when you smash against the ground. That's an adventuring way to go, right?"

She looks around, "The least useful of you could try that, open the way for the others." She knuckles at her chin, surveying the others.

"You're welcome to try, Miki," Jinks offers, returning from his brief walk a little steadier on his feet. He's buttoned his fine coat up and the high, stiff collar swallows his neck entire. "The further away we can fight it, the better, but wrapped into the Weave as it is..." The gnome isn't confident in the effects of magic down the tunnel, clearly. "... well, we'd have to go down and make sure it's dead, regardless."

"The meatballs aboveground suffer nothing from my illusions. It stands to reason that the parent-thing spawning them will be similarly immune. I can still aid and bolster-- and I have my bow-- but I'll be fighting from the back wherever we start." He offers a thin smile and the jewels about his face glitter as he offers a nod at the fresh arrivals. "The creatures through the ruined town are only a concern because of their numbers; they're relatively weak and quite slow. Most will ignore us if we don't come too close."

There's a quiet snort and a sideways-glance at the vouivre. "Moist of us can fly. Some don't even need to rely on magics," he waves a hand at the Silver Guard's mount.

"See!" Yolo bobs her head, "That's even better."

<OOC> Ashes says, "Okay, it's about 2 miles to the center of town, where you need to be. If there's spells you want to cast now, that can be done. If you want to discuss more, floor is yours. If you want to go there, it's straightforward, a DC30 of your choice of: Perception, Stealth, Survival, Escape Artist, Acrobatics or Athletics. Failing will mean you need to pose taking some extra time. Epic fail, you take some damage and still get there."
GAME: Kira rolls perception: (14)+24: 38
GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (16)+28: 44
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Dance: (13)+26: 39, "(Acrobatics)"
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (8)+8: 16

Kira looks further into the town, towards the indicated vicinity of the hole regardless of whether she can see it directly. She then looks back to Jinks and the others. "So... we need to move past the ... infected to the hole. If magic may not work, would it be safest to set ropes and climb down? Or be carried down in turns? Once it is stopped, will the afflicted recover?" She is curious to see the destination for herself, and it is probably best that they start sooner rather than later, so she has no problems moving forward and making the discussion a mobile one.

The approach is not difficult. The small Flesh lumps rarely move, and when they do it is a random sludge in a direction, not always repeated. Only drawing very close to one stimulates a reaction. A violent one, as the Seer demonstrated earlier.

It's not a long walk, but it is an empty one. No sounds, only the wind, absent the everpresent rustle of leaves. It's unsettling.

The Town Hole

The town's center is dominated by the ruins of a large indoor market. The great building has collapsed into remnants of walls, broken roof timers, charcoal and soot. Large lumps of Flesh, resembling muscle, beef jerky, connective tissue and lumps of fat are scattered. A congealed layer covers them, and as wetly plastered soot and debris around their base.

The center of the market is raised, the floor burst up from below. A circular, well like hole descends deep into the earth. The edges are coated in a layer of flesh and slime. A dark artery to the below.

Drifts of soot and charcoal are piled against ruined walls. The Flesh lies amongst the collapsed structures, marking where a being feel and was overwhelmed.

Mikilos murmurs a short spell, robes fluttering a little as he rises into the air a few feet, staying close to the ground, but picking his way carefully towards the hole, avoiding 'flesh lumps' as best he can. "I have some rope, but not enough for the full length. I suspect conjuring more would end poorly."

<OOC> Mikilos figures 16:13-ish, vairying with where the rest of the party goes. Looks like at least one Lump we won't be able to avoid
GAME: Jinks casts Read Magic. Caster Level: 15 DC: 18
GAME: Jinks casts Tongues. Caster Level: 15 DC: 20
<OOC> Jinks says, "Longshot spells but better to have and not need. Those'll be 150min durations before we leave camp."
<OOC> Kira can just be with the others in the 15 or 16 vertical.
<OOC> Jinks says, "16,12, please, Cryo"
GAME: Mikilos casts Fly. Caster Level: 18 DC: 24

Most of the bard's spells are of a shorter duration but he does perform a few quick songs before they leave. Neither have any fantastic or obvious effects but the last line of the second song seems to trip over itself with overnumerous voices in a variety of languages. He snaps the fingers of his right hand once to produce a bejeweled rod and disappears it with a flourish. Satisfied with that, he unslings his blackwood and dark-metal compound bow and joins the others on the move into the center of the town.

As promised, the meat offers little in the way of obstacle as they go and the gnome spins, twirls, leaps, and rolls well clear of their slow curiosity and the occasional bone-missile.

Details become clearer as the marketplace is approached. Lumps of hungry Flesh remain inside the shattered building. One is resting near the edge of the hole. It pulsates and stretches out, touching the side and bulging over the edge.

It drops out of sight.

The rest of the surrounding meat is quiescent. For now.

Mikilos approaches the hole with caution, half certain something is going to leap out, a tenth certain his Flying will cut out if he gets too far over the edge. "Figure hook up what rope we have, even if only enough to reach part way. Better than nothing if we end up needing it."

<OOC> Ashes says, "how high flying?"
<OOC> Mikilos says, "5' or so"
GAME: Jinks casts Mirror Image. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+15: (5)+15: 20 (Caster Level check)
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay Jinks you feel resistance but it works"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+5: (3)+5: 8
<OOC> Jinks says, "9x Jinks"

Seyardu was much slower than the others moving through the area, needing to stop and make sure what she saw was a threat, or avoid tripping over herself. She did eventually reach the area, and looked around.

"I do not like this. The entrance is not large, and more of those things linger around. If we went beneath, they would be able to cut off our escape from above with sheer mass, yet others may be drawn uf we attempted to clear them out beforehand. Abd as Jinks said, scrying did not work properly, there is no guarantee we will be able to teleport out."

The gnome hums as the center of town is reached. He moves a hand through the air and it leaves behind ghost images. Before the quick gnomish limerick is done, there are nine of the fancy little men moving in, around, and through each other. Again, the creatures aren't like to be fooled by the simple trick but it helps to at least feel like the distraction is there.

"Even up here it took some effort to pull that spell into being. I can only imagine it becomes more difficult the deeper we're forced to go..." Jinks mutters just loud enough for the others to hear. He looks to Mikilos and then back at Kira. He opens and pins back the flap on his quiver.

The hole resembles a lava tube or the burrowing trail of a giant worm. One that left its casing behind. The walls are covered, in globules and streaks of grease that in places forms a thickness of congealed gelatin, and others a lump similar to those lurching through the surroundings.

<OOC> Seyardu says, "I'll trust jinks and put up some longer lasting spells now"
<OOC> Seyardu says, "any objections to mass bears endurance and bless?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Caster check please Seyardu for each, DC20"
GAME: Jinks casts Alter Self. Caster Level: 15 DC: 20
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+15: (4)+15: 19 (Vs DC20 - Fail)
<OOC> Ashes says, "These caster level checks are similar to overcoming Spell Resistance. Specifically, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Ioun Stone (+1 caster level), and Robe of the Archmage, woud apply"
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay Jinks, you have a choice."
<OOC> Ashes says, "let your spell fail, or cast a spell 1 level lower (or higher) to pump it enough to make it happen."
<OOC> Jinks says, "I'm not sure how you mean, Cryo. Like, use a lower-level spell slot in addition to the normal one?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "yes, use another spell slot"
GAME: Seyardu casts Mass Bear's Endurance. Caster Level: 14 DC: 22
GAME: Seyardu casts Bless. Caster Level: 14 DC: 17
<OOC> Seyardu says, "bear's endurance, then bless"
GAME: Mikilos casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 18 DC: 22
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+14: (7)+14: 21 (vs DC20 - Success)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+14: (20)+14: 34 (vs DC20 - Success)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (2)+18+2+2+1+2: 27
<OOC> Seyardu says, "and if there's time a normal angelic aspect"
GAME: Jinks casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 15 DC: 19
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alter Self is 2. There's a CLW for an extra 1-slot."
<OOC> Ashes says, "that can be done Seyardu. Make the casting poses! Okay, thanks Jinks."
GAME: Seyardu casts Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 14 DC: 21
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+14: (14)+14: 28 (vs DC20 - Success)
<OOC> Seyardu says, "And +2 temporary health per level (well, it increases max temporarily) for anyone who doesn't already have a +4 bonus to con"

The preparations continue, Jinks (all of them) performing different parts of a complex harmony as one flips a small, yellow-brain scale with a thumb. He catches it, rolls his wrist, and reveals the empty palm as the gnome shifts and changes. Fine olive-toned skin turns to scales, he sprouts a snout and a tail, and his posture shifts as his transformation into a kobold completes. An exceptionally fine-dressed and bejeweled kobold. The bard reaches up to feel the shape of his new face, lamenting the (temporary) loss of his well-trimmed goatee.

Mikilos murmurs again, wrapping a thin layer of holy protection around himself. The elf frowns mildly at the pushback to the spell, but forces the weave to completion with raw power. Finding a soild timber near the hole, he pulls a coil of rope from his haversack, securing one end. "Who else has rope?"

<OOC> Ashes says, "you can tie the rope off easily enough Mikilos"
<OOC> Ashes says, "roll perception DC20"
GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (16)+28: 44

If what you say is true, then we should make any preparations now, before they become nigh impossible to do."

"Celestial mother, grant your blessings upon your children, fill them with purpose and the strength to see this task done. And grant this one a fraction of your power, to better aid as capable." They offer in prayer with their holy symbol held aloft, suffusing the small gathering with vigor, while a pair of large leathery wings sprouted instantly out of the cleric's back. "I have some more rope in my bag if needed. If we cannot deal with the foes up here, then do we simply deal with the source quickly enough before they block our exit?"

Mikilos ties off the rope, then pauses, blinks, and slowly drifts back from the opening. "...it's breathing. The entire opening, it's breathing." Stareing a moment, the wizard rouses himself and nods to Seyardu. "Hopefully they're too mindless to block the opening. But if they do... we still need to stop what's down there."

Lumps of nearby Flesh quiver. The presence of bodies near the hole is stimulating some response.

"If it comes to weapons, bludgeons are likely to be your best option. If you stab or cut it fast and hard enough it doesn't matter, though." Jinks sidles up to Mikilos and glances down the tunnel. "It's immune to fire..." he's repeating now, perhaps in hope of cementing it for the others.

"... I don't have more rope," he admits. Maybe someone thought to get some from the vouivre. He can always ride down on Silver should Serene allow it. He has plenty of experience riding flying moutns at this point.

One it is indicated, it is obvious. There is an air current, out of the hole, pausing, reversing, just like a tide or as Mikilos described it: Breathing. Steady, unsettling, it's pace does not change.

The Flesh creeps closer.

<OOC> Kira has unlimited rope.
<OOC> Ashes says, "how is that possible?"
<OOC> Kira says, "Robe of Infinite Twine. Can draw 50' or twine or 10' of hemp rope from it per turn."
<OOC> Seyardu says, "given the slime things moving close I'll still use my 100 feet of rope to speed it up"
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay. With that they won't attack before you both are done."

Kira is concerned of the magic-affecting thing, though she does not often use spells. She watches Serene and Mikilos do so, and then rope retrieved and tied off. "Oh! I can help with the rope..." She reaches beneath her cloak and begins pulling at a loose strand of her rough-woven robe. The strand is pulled out slowly as simple hemp rope, and continues to pull. It isn't rapid, but it is continuous. "You never know when rope or twine will be useful..."

It progresses normally, at first. A keen eye would notice oddities, a exceptionally smooth looking strand of hemp, a bump in the weave. As more rope is withdrawn, the abnormalities increase, there are more lines, the rope is wet, softer, looking less like hemp and more like braided meat, more like the Flesh carpeting the town.

It will serve, as rope, but it's not for the squeamish.

<OOC> Ashes says, "starts as hemp, ends as braided intestines"

There's enough rope, over two hundred feet, although the final segment barely qualifies as rope.

"Do you still want to try and send spells down, Miki, or do we descend to meet it head on?" The Jinksbold would pale if his flesh weren't scales. As it is, the little black reptilian eyes go wider as the sight of the spooling offal, his snout opens, and his lizard-tongue curls as he gags audibly.

"My enchantments aren't of the longest durations... and I imagine our presence is sensed. Who knows what it can rally given enough time?"

Kira notices the shift in the rope less from appearance and more when it seems to become... squishy. This sparks a gasp, a pause, and a prompt check of herself to ensure she is still pulling from the robe and not, somehow, beyond(?) it. Further pause as she tries to rationalize the conflicting information.

<OOC> Kira will move to avoid it while reeling out rope.

"This is from its affect on magic... right?" That must be it. Kira certainly hopes so. Looking at the others for assurance and then around has her notice the nearing lump of ...flesh. Not that in hand, but moving her way. "I... I think this is enough. We should probably hurry..." She steps around the lip of the hole, away from the approaching lump before cutting the ... line to her robe and readying to pitch the free end down.

<OOC> Jinks says, "It's OK. Start singing as a Swift (inspire Courage +3) and full attack 18,10."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Shortbow. So this'll be Piercing, magic, cold iron, and silver for DR purposes. manyshot, rapid shot, deadly aim."
GAME: Jinks rolls weapon8-2-3+3+1+1: (19)+20+-2+-3+3+1+1: 39
GAME: Jinks rolls weapon8-2-3+3+1+1: (14)+20+-2+-3+3+1+1: 34
GAME: Jinks rolls weapon8-2-3+3+1+1-5: (12)+20+-2+-3+3+1+1+-5: 27
GAME: Jinks rolls weapon8-2-3+3+1+1-1-: (14)+20+-2+-3+3+1+1+-10=24
<OOC> Ashes says, "all hit"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+2+3+1+1+3+6: (3)+2+3+1+1+3+6: 19
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+2+3+1+1+3+6: (1)+2+3+1+1+3+6: 17
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+2+3+1+1+3+6: (3)+2+3+1+1+3+6: 19
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+2+3+1+1+3+6: (1)+2+3+1+1+3+6: 17
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+2+3+1+1+3+6: (3)+2+3+1+1+3+6: 19
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, it takes the first 4 to kill it, and it's rather unsettlingly bubbling and growing."
<OOC> Ashes says, " The last shot on the 17,10 does damage, but it seems a lot of it regenerates"
<OOC> Seyardu says, "I don't know what I want to do"
<OOC> Seyardu says, "I guess I'll delay then"

The fancy, portable-hoard-wearing kobold gives a hiss when he sees the smaller balls of meat beginning to press in. "Decision time," he suggests after making a closed-mouth chirrupp from his narrow throat. Lizard nostrils flare as he sucks in air.

"I went to my brother to ask for a loan

'cuz I was busted..."

The Hymn swells out of those simple words. Pushing out past the tainted Weave and re-threading reality. Arms are stronger. Wills firmer. Reactions sharper. An odd sort of inspiration to come from such a scamp rag.

<OOC> Mikilos says, "Edge over the side, cast a Sphere straight down the shaft, then head down keeping next to the rope"
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, make the caster check DC24. Then .. well 'how fast can you go down a rope' is a loaded question, unless you tack 'safely' on it."
GAME: Mikilos casts Freezing Sphere. Caster Level: 18 DC: 27
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (8)+18+2+2+1+2: 33 (vs DC24 - Success)
<OOC> Mikilos says, "Walking speed? So, 30' down?"
GAME: Mikilos rolls 15d8: (69): 69 (Freezing Sphere)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18 (Bursting Flesh Reflex - Fail)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (20)+6: 26 (Bursting Flesh Reflex - Fail)

Seyardu brandished her polearm, but seeing Jinks' arrows piercing one and causing it to bubble up, she just dodges and shoves out of the way of the closest one. "They may burst is impaled, we must be wary!"

Mikilos nods to Jinks, stepping to the edge and pulling a small crystal from his pocket. "We don't know what's down there, but I'd prefer it at least a little frozen." Murmuring, his hands weave for a moment, pulling a pale blue ghost orb from the crystal, and shooting it straight down the shaft. "But you're right, the locals are moving in." A flash of pale light from below, the sound of breaking ice, and the wizard starts down the shaft himself, flying, but keeping close to the silk/hemp/snew franken-rope.

The freezing sphere vanishes into the depths of the well. There is the distant sound of it exploding, a shattering of crystals. Something was hit.

GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (20)+13: 33 (Bursting Flesh Shooting Mikilos)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (19)+13: 32
GAME: Ashes rolls 8d8+16: (39)+16: 55
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d4: (2): 2 (2 rounds reload)
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay you're hit by a blast of flesh and bone, come up from the depths where you just shot"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Kira had to AFK, she said she'd follow down the rope"

With all the wrathful vocalization of a flytrap siezing an insect, Mikilos finds himself a target of something in the stygian depths. An ichor drenched spear of femurous bonetrailing acrid smoke is it's writ of berievement.

There is a muddied >THUNK< as the foul projectile strikes true, piercing the elf's defenses to drive deeply into the very core of him, while strands of cosmic dribble slap about his figure like noodles flung petulently against a statue. Is it tingling, or cold... or, in just in his head?

Wait, no... it's lukewarm, with a smell of vinegar, burnt hair and lavender.

Mikilos reels from the hit, but rights himself quickly. "I'M OKAY! ...mostly. You only need one kidney, right?"

In the Aftermath, Kira approaches the edge and answers down, "Maybe two."

<OOC> Jinks says, "Maintian Courage song as free."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Glove of storing free in/out to Haste with Quickened Rod."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Shadowbard as my standard. Swift to start second song (Inspire Competence +5). Move to climb down."

GAME: Jinks casts Haste. Caster Level: 15 DC: 21
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+15: (1)+15: 16 (EPIC FAIL) (vs DC24 - Fail)
GAME: Jinks casts Phantasmal Web. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+15: (15)+15: 30 (vs DC24 - Success)
<OOC> Jinks says, "So it's Shadowbard and not Phantasmal Web. Got approval for the new spell but it hasn't been added."
GAME: Jinks rolls Athletircs+5-5: (12)+Athletircs+5+-5: 12 (-5 Quick Climb, vs DC5 - success)
<OOC> Jinks says, "I think 10' to get "in" the hole and that leaves me with 20' as a kobold. So I'd descend 10' down."

The glittering kobold watches Mikilos descend in the wake of his frozen missile and nods, the eight other versions of him echoing the gesture in their own way. He takes his clawed hand from the drawstring of his bown and the bejeweled rod returns just long enough to join his words. The normal gossamer threads stretching between his allies that he would tug are thick ropes of snot, instead, and droop away to fall *plip-plop* on the ground. Undeterred, the gnome continues, ducking towards the hole and away from his shadow.

The flat bit of kobold-shaped darkness peels away from the ground to stand and begins singing his own song, joining the other nine of him as they all start down the rope. The Hymn is practically a palpable thing now.

"I hate to beg like a dog without his bone,

but I'm busted..."

The harmony has become a call-and-response with the shadowy bardform. And the song echoes down the tunnel.

<OOC> Seyardu says, "I'll go down the hole too, use my action to channel healing, and I'll exclude any slimes I can see and the walls of the tunnel"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 7d6: (24): 24
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, you're on the rope, climbing down with the group, you should pose some of that"

Well, everyone was going down the hole now, there was no sense lingering on the edge. The makari cleric hopped over one edge, and down the rope, stopping short to hold out their holy symbol. If the wall were breathing, she wasn't going to accidentally heal the passage. "You should not be the first to jump into danger Mikilos." The cleric notes.

Kira watches as others begin the descent. Her flash of concern at - whatever that was that she does not wish to think too hard about - hitting Mikilos is somewhat assuaged as Seyardu calls upon holy aid. Kira joins them in climbing down the rope, hoping to move quickly, but not -too- quickly.

GAME: Mikilos casts Haste. Caster Level: 18 DC: 24
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (11)+18+2+2+1+2: 36 (vs DC24 - Success)

Mikilos nods his thanks to Seyardu. "I really should have learned that by now. Think was a lucky hit, but definately hurt." Murmuring once more, the elf tosses invigorating energy to his allies, speeding their motions. He drifts slowly downward, leaving time for others to catch up.

<OOC> Ashes says, "1 Serene, 2 Kira, 3 Sey, 4 JinksBold, 5 Mikilos"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d5: (2): 2
<pre>GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (20)+13: 33 (THREAT)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (11)+13: 24 (Confirmed)
GAME: Ashes rolls 8d8+16: (43)+16: 59
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d2: (2): 2 (2 rounds before can shoot again)

Whatever fel intelligence guides these unwholesome blots upon Ean soil now directs new kindled ire in the direction of the Sentinel from the deep dark below.

Preceded only by a low whistling, a whorled harpoon of corrupted bone sheathed in half congealed blood that tears past the insufficient clearance to slam into Kira's native flesh. As before, this too, brings the clotted caress of the chaos between worlds to cling to cloth, flesh and stone with the same acrid airs as Mikilos.

<OOC> Kira will continue to descend as able and use LoH on herself.
GAME: Kira spends ONE use of LAY ON HANDS.
<OOC> Ashes says, "climb to descend, DC5 athletics, -5 to hustle it, also you have haste, so that doubles your speed, so you'd do regular move of 30' right?"
<OOC> Kira's speed is 60 with or without Haste and will hustle if she can without running over others.
GAME: Kira rolls athletics: (19)+11-5: 25 (vs DC5 - Success)
GAME: Kira rolls 7d6: (16): 16

Kira yelps as she is struck, looking down into the dim. She remains more concerned with those on the rope below her than what lies below. "We need to get down as quickly as safely possible," she urges as she shimmies her way down. Once at a suitable places to pause for just a moment, she calls upon The Healer's Grace to tend her wounds.

<OOC> Jinks says, "zoom-zoom down the fleshy rope."
GAME: Jinks rolls Athletics+5-5: (4)+6+5+-5: 10 (-5 fast climb, vs DC5 - Success)
<OOC> Ashes says, "so your descent is how much Jinks?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "60' move with Haste. Half-move with the -5 check is 30', then double for double move is back up to 60'."

"My brother said 'there ain't a thing I can do,"

"My wife and my kids are all down with the flu,'"

The call-and-response continues, voices dropping in and out of harmony. The ostentatious kobold scampers down the patchwork rope in a blur, surrounded by shadows and after-images. He chances a glance down the tunnel, trying his best to pierce the darkness and see the cavern floor below.

Even if he knows he won't like the look of it.

<OOC> Seyardu says, "keep moving down with everyone else, channel some more healing"
<pre><OOC> Ashes says, "okay, so with haste that's 30' down, because you're standard to channel, and 'fast climb' with a -5 athle roll?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "You're +5 from my song to skill checks. That would offset the -5. Your call."
GAME: Seyardu rolls athletics: (18)+0-5+5: 18 (-5 fast climb, +5 Jinks' Song, vs DC5 - Success)
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, you catch up with Mikilos"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 7d6: (26): 26

Now was not the time for any further admonishments, now Seyardu's attention was on keeping everyone safe. The cleric holds out their holy symbol, and sends out another wave of healing energy, mending the wounds that were remaining, and had just been opened.

<OOC> Mikilos says, "Head down to level with Jinks and Kira, toss another Freezing Sphere. Since got shot without provoking for a round, may as well provoke"
<OOC> Ashes says, "DC24 Caster check"
GAME: Mikilos casts Freezing Sphere. Caster Level: 18 DC: 27
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (17)+18+2+2+1+2: 42 (vs DC24 - Success)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (3)+6: 9 (Burst Flesh Reflex - Fail)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19 (Burst Flesh Reflex - Fail)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 15d8: (79): 79
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, The Freezing Sphere explodes somewhere in the depths"

Mikilos keeps a hand on the rope as he drifts down to the others, launching another sphere of frozen light. "Corruption is getting stronger, but if stays at this rate should be okay ay the bottom. Hopefully." The sound of breaking ice echoes from below. Hopefully is actually improving matters, long term.

<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, one of the small ones falls in from the top, falls past y'all, AOOs Sey, who is the first thing it passes."
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+5: (15)+5: 20
<OOC> Ashes says, "also, who can see in the dark? It's getting dark. Jinksbold and Sey can, not sure about mikilos and Kira"
<OOC> Ashes says, "it's not 'dark' here, you are in a pretty wide well"
<OOC> Ashes says, "but when you hit the cavern there will be a cone"
<OOC> Mikilos has low-light, and many many gee-was that cast light
<OOC> Kira has no special eyeballs. :(

The climbing light is obscured as something occludes the entrance to the well. Glancing up, the perfect circle of light has a bite out of it. A fleshy lump oozing over the edge.

F

a

a

a

a

l

l

l

l

i

n

g

.

.

.

.

.

It passes by Seyardu at great velocity. A reaching mass of flesh just missing her. Even faster it accelerates past the lower climbers. There is a wet splatter deep below.

<OOC> Kira will keep on climbing. "Not much I can do otherwise, unless someone else is in need of healing."
<OOC> Kira will keep on climbing. "But I think Seyardu is handling that magnificently."
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, so you get another 60' then"
<OOC> Ashes says, "you can see something below, it looks like half a heart valve, big old lump of something"

Kira continues her descent into darkness. Bone-flinging, flesh-slinging, and icky-sticky darkness. "I can see something. I think we're nearly to the bottom!" That and the rope is all squishy, too.

Something gross and obscene. A flesh-flap, flexible and blocking the opening, but also swollen and distorted. Like a heart valve, overcome by sepsis, infected and spreading contagion with every beat.

GAME: Jinks rolls Athletics+5-5: (6)+6+5+-5: 12
GAME: Jinks spends TWO uses of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.
<OOC> Ashes says, "you are getting to the 'turns into a flesh rope' rope, and also at the -150 that Kira is"

Jinks squeezes against the wall when the meatball goes tumbling by, his gear and armor clattering quietly and a lyric catching in his throat. It's here and gone quickly, though, and he makes up for lost time by pinching the rope between his polished (and now meaty) boots and just slides down with his hand and forearm looped to keep him from tumbling away at speeds.

"... and I was just thinking about calling on you

"cuz I'm busted...."

<OOC> Seyardu says, "That's alright, I'll just keep moving down"
GAME: Seyardu rolls athletics: (10)+0-5+5: 10 (vs DC5 - Success), down to -90'

Seyardu keeps moving down.

GAME: Mikilos casts Freezing Sphere. Caster Level: 18 DC: 27
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (2)+18+2+2+1+2: 27 (vs DC25 - Success)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 15d8: (72): 72
<OOC> Ashes says, "you catch up with Jinks and Kira, you can see the fleshy lumps"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19 (vs DC27 - Fail)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8 (vs DC27 - Fail)

On the one metaphorical hand, the 'rope' slides past easily, the snew fibers gliding under the fingertips. On the other hand... ew. And on the literal other hand, another sphere of pale blue light is launched downwards by Mikilos, this time a result observed, if not fully understood. "...is that a heart?"

GAME: Ashes rolls 1d3: (3): 3, "1 Kira, 2 Mikilos, 3 Jinks"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d3: (1): 1, "1 Kira, 2 Mikilos, 3 Jinks"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (20)+13: 33 (THREAT)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (10)+13: 23 (Confirmed)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+13: (13)+13: 26, "on Kira"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Pretty sure you lose dodge/haste bonuses to AC if you lose DEX. It's a crit."
>GAME: Ashes rolls 8d8+16: (35)+16: 51
GAME: Ashes rolls 4d8+8: (15)+8: 23
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d4: (3): 3 (3 rounds reload)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d4: (2): 2 (2 rounds reload)

Time for a grisly heart to heart with the resplendent gnomebold, it seems.

As un-joined life again dares chance it's impulses, there is a ripple in the alien mass; half scabbed heart wrought of sinuous craggy jerky slickened with vileness the consistency of pulped strawberries, burnt chili... and the clinging, defensive expulsions of some enormous, eldritch hagfish.

A faint sucking sound interlaced with the creak of a twisting rope, accompanies the irregular, jagged wound that rends itself open at the closest relative point of the foul mass to Jinks.

Without waiting for a full aperture, the 'valve' undulates and contracts to hurl forth a another shaft of purloined bone, slathered in the chunky crimson sludge that strikes to home in a most troubling section of the bard's body, with only it's inherent cragginess that's kept it from simply passing through.

<OOC> Ashes says, "you are 60' from the heart valve thing, and then what you can see past it, looks like ground is further away, another 80'"
<OOC> Ashes says, "the meatball is a 'heart valve'"
<OOC> Ashes says, "K/dungeoneering, k/nature, k/the planes DC30 for something that wasn't determined in earlier scenes"
<OOC> Ashes says, "you're down at -190'"

"It does look something like a heart..." Kira confirms that much to Mikilos. Though hearts don't usually spit out weird bone spikes like the second that Kira catches. Unless they're coming from beyond it? "This isn't the end," Kira calls back as she reaches the valve(?), "there is more further below. "Some sort of doorway?"

The Sentinel, for her part, is once more beset by a grimly whistling projectile from down under as that occurs. It sunders flesh with it's arrival, though it does not embed itself nearly so deep in the woman's flesh, though momentum of it's sudden stop slathers its eldritch, protoscabrous slurry about her robes and wound.

<OOC> Jinks says, "What are the blue and yellow dots?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Blue is the radius of Mikilos' Freezing Sphere."
<OOC> Ashes says, "Yellow dots, you'll see in a minute" (reach)
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright. Attempting to cast dancing lights. 60' down from me (the furthest I can see in the dark) and then send them *up to* 100' down"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Gonna free action the quickened rod again. Will decide pending my rolling a d2 instead of a d20 for CL."
GAME: Jinks casts Dancing Lights. Caster Level: 15 DC: 18
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+15: (14)+15: 29 (vs DC25 - Success!)
<OOC> Ashes says, "the lights go down, they enter a cavern, it seems like they're approaching a mirror, as you see a faint reflection and they get brighter,"
<OOC> Ashes says, "then it seems like they're coming back up at you. You have twice as many of your lights."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Gonna single move at half speed (-5). Then Ready to cast Bard's Escape when Seyardu and Mikilos are in my space."
<OOC> Jinks says, "So 30' down."
GAME: Jinks rolls Athletics+5-5: (15)+6+5+-5: 21 (vs DC5 - Success)

"... ooooow, Hith's taint," Jinks grimaces. The puckering/flapping flesh-wall identified as the source of the missiles makes him grimace. Again, the protective buffer of the false-images proving to be of no benefit. The rod winks into existence again and he concentrates, sending down a quartet of glowing orbs to spiral into the darkness and meet their twins in the floor's reflection.

"I can see the bottom!" He shouts, twisting his kobold snout up and then down. The images continue to sing behind his call.

"Well, I am no thief, but a man can go wrong when he's busted..."

The kobold scrambles down a short distance to anchor in between Mikilos and Kira as the rod vanishes again. "Miki, Seyardu, if you can get to me I can get us to the floor..!"

<OOC> Seyardu says, "I'll move down and channel healing"
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, make the channel roll"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 7d6: (24): 24
<OOC> Jinks says, "My readied action can't trigger, Ashes, so don't sweat it."

More bone spears flung upwards, and more injuries. The cleric continued sliding down, not even bothering to put away the bloody holy symbol at this point as it emanated further magical energies. "Yes, please do so. Anything to stop everyone from getting further injured by that thing hurling bones." She calls back.

<OOC> Mikilos says, "Head down to join Jinks, start casting Summon Monster 7. Huge Air Elementals"
GAME: Mikilos casts Summon Monster VII. Caster Level: 18 DC: 28
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (9)+18+2+2+1+2: 34 (vs DC25 - Success)
<OOC> Jinks says, "Just move as far as you can, Mikilos. We can't line up this spell with all spread out as folks are."
<OOC> Ashes says, "he gets down to you"

Mikilos flies down to join the Rave of Jinkses... Jinkies? The many Jinks. "Are we confidant we want to reach the floor?" The magi gestures, tracing out a rapid circle of runes in the air, the faint glow of symbols spinning to a wide portal. The air starts to swirl and crackle.

<OOC> Ashes says, "okay. 2 beat on Kira since she's close"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+24: (16)+24: 40
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+24: (15)+24: 39
GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+14: (9)+14: 23
GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+14: (11)+14: 25
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (8)+30: 38 (vs CMD39 - Fail), "grab attempts"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (4)+30: 34 (vs CMD39 - Fail), "grab attempts"

Once the fel valve's territorial bubble has been breached, twin quivering, expansive folds of aberrant flesh, glistening in ropey crimson ichor, erupt with boneless, yearning malignancy toward Kira, who twists out from the grisly embrace at the last second. Sloppy flails of the vile slime are cast in all directions as the two halves clap wetly together, but it would seem for the moment, that it is thwarted

<OOC> Kira says, "These are the flesh lumps hitting me?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "yes. Map 2 shows the two at the bottom of the well. Map3 has a top down view, showing orientation"
<OOC> Kira nods, cross-references maps, apologizes. "Ok. I will attack the one 'north' of me. Flurry, ki point for additional attack."
GAME: Kira spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0: (3)+19: 22
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0: (7)+19: 26
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0: (11)+19: 30
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0-5: (18)+19+-5: 32
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0-10: (1)+19+-10: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0-115: (18)+19+-115: -78
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0-15: (15)+19+-15: 19
GAME: Kira rolls damage0: aliased to 1d8+3: (4)+3: 7
GAME: Kira rolls damage0: aliased to 1d8+3: (7)+3: 10
GAME: Kira rolls damage0: aliased to 1d8+3: (6)+3: 9
GAME: Kira rolls damage0: aliased to 1d8+3: (2)+3: 5
GAME: Kira rolls damage0: aliased to 1d8+3: (1)+3: 4
<OOC> Jinks offers a +3 to hit and damage with Inspire Courage.
<OOC> Kira did forget about that. :/
<OOC> Ashes says, "ah, I see the +3s. Okay, NOrth 1 is dead after 4, you can punch the other, but it isn't killed"

Kira manages to prevent the tendrils from getting a good hold of her, hopefully without swinging the rope (and the others) too much. Just because she isn't entrapped doesn't mean it isn't... gooey. "Hurry! Get to the bottom!" At least while they are focused on her they are not accosting the others.

She responds directly, and mostly with her feet (to keep hold of the rope). A rapid one-two-one-two of stomping heals at the thing. While it is made of flesh, it being a living thing in any sense on this realm is ..debatable. Even if the one gushes copious amounts of blood everywhere after Kira stomps into it.

<OOC> Jinks says, "I'll just continue performing as a free action. Turn."
GAME: Jinks spends TWO uses of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.

The transformed gnome continues to sing from his kobold shape, perched on the rope and bolstering his allies with little else to add.

<OOC> Seyardu says, "keep going down I guess"
<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls athletica: (6)+athletica: 6 (double move)
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay that gets you around Kira's level. Make the pose"

Some were still wounded, but Seyardu needed to be more sparing with her healing, as she was already feeling winded from just getting everyone down here in one piece, and there was still no telling how much farther to go. So instead they focused on getting as far down as possible, trying their best not to think about the robe they were using.

<OOC> Mikilos says, "Head down to about 8-25, between the two, throw one more Sphere at 14-28 or so, then finish my elemental summon"
GAME: Mikilos casts Freezing Sphere. Caster Level: 18 DC: 27
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (13)+18+2+2+1+2: 38 (vs DC35 - Success)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d3: (1): 1, "tsk, one elemental"
GAME: Mikilos rolls 15d8: (57): 57
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+14: (2)+14: 16 (Heart Valve Reflex - Fail)
<OOC> Ashes says, "sphere goes off, does damage, there's a 'reflection' of it, so it looks like two spheres, the second one also its the one on the ceiling."
<OOC> Ashes says, "your Air elemental appears, but it's... got some solidy bits"
<OOC> Ashes says, "basically you have a half-flesh tornado, a little like those gyro roasting sticks exploded"
<OOC> Mikilos says, "...I forgot it could attack this turn. Ah, fly up to 13:23 and smack the meatball there"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (17)+30: 47, "okay, meatball gets an AOO as it approaches (blindsense)"
GAME: Ashes rolls 3d6+15: (13)+15: 28 (DR5/-, 23 dam)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+17: (4)+17: 21 (miss)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+17: (20)+17: 37 (can't be critted)
GAME: Mikilos rolls 2d6+6: (6)+6+3: 15

Mikilos takes a slow breath, then flies downward, past the ruined 'valve' and towards his elemental portal. Hovering a moment, the mage launches another blue sphere towards the base of the 'nerve cluster'. The spell bursts, freezing the alien flesh there, but an 'echo' flashes above, near the top of the structure.

The portal opens, and a huge elemental flies out, formed much like a stereotypical genie, with a swirling vortex of wind for a lower half, and a humanoid top half. Mostly humanoid. Kinda humanoid. A humanoid crafted from raw hamburger, slick with a layer of congealed blood that slow drips down, only to be wisked away to a fine pink mist by the lower half.

Shawarmageddon, the corrupt elemental, flies up towards the top of the cluster, taking a solid hit as he approaches, and returning a solid blow of his own.

The Chamber

The well bursts through the ceiling, off to the side of a cavern that is shaped like a disc, a sloped ceiling upwards, a depression below. Appearing as both a sink-hole and collapse, it's as if a volume of dirt was removed both above and beneath, cratering open a space. Loose rubble is scattered across the floor, the ceiling is equally jumbled and broken. Interspersed are the same Flesh Lumps seen above, but larger. Cracks spider away from this cavern, some plugged completely with the unearthly growth.

It is cold. Waves of light just at the edge of the visible spectrum radiate outwards, a glowing pulse spreads into a ball from a point in the exact middle of the cavern, dozens of feet off the ground. The area is surrounded by a meatball of flesh, suspended between two ponds of flesh, an ugly nerve cluster. There's a shimmering in the air, bisecting through that bulbous mass, like the surface of an actual pond. A mirage of a mist.

<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, so the one the well attacks Kira, the one near the well on the ground doesn't, and the one with the elemental attacks that"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+24: (14)+24: 38 (Flesh Valve on Kira)
GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+14: (9)+14: 23
<OOC> Ashes says
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+26: (8)+26: 34, (VS CMD39 - fail) "grab attempt"
<OOC> Ashes says, "the pond attacks Schwarmageddon"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Schwarm's AC 22, 18 touch"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (17)+30: 47
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (1)+30: 31 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (2)+30: 32
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+30: (4)+30: 34
GAME: Ashes rolls 3d6+15: (14)+15: 29 (DR5/-, 24)
GAME: Ashes rolls 3d6+15: (6)+15: 21 (DR5/-, 16)
GAME: Ashes rolls 3d6+15: (7)+15: 22 (DR5/-, 17)
<OOC> Mikilos says, "Poor Schwarma, we barely holding on."

SSCHHHHHHLORRR-WHOHKK!

With a savage celerity ill fitting the sheer volume of the ooze crusted limb that had emerged from the well, with a chorus of a thousand rupturing sinews, to slam into Kira's side, and, with all the fury and momentum of a Dranian Moose, it claims right of way. Strands of viscous muck droop like rope bridges between this alien form and what, or who stands near it in the aftermath.

Meanwhile, as the sinewy cyclone appears near the pond's surface, something within, something fierce, sends forth pseudopods to undo this new intruder. Splinters of ill integrated meat and cosmic ichor both as cast about the chamber as the tentacles drive again and again into Shawarmageddon with the power of a rhino's charge before drawing it beneath the surface to it's ruin.

<OOC> Kira will kick at the other flesh glob that's still next to/attacking her.
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0+3: (4)+19+3: 26
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0+3-5: (12)+19+3+-5: 29
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0+3-10: (5)+19+3+-10: 17
GAME: Kira rolls weapon0+3-15: (1)+19+3+-15: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Kira rolls damage0+3: aliased to 1d8+3+3: (7)+3+3: 13
GAME: Kira rolls damage0+3: aliased to 1d8+3+3: (5)+3+3: 11
GAME: Kira rolls damage0+3: aliased to 1d8+3+3: (4)+3+3: 10
<OOC> Ashes says, "it's destroyed, bloody spray of chunks and somewhat unsettling, they don't fall normally"
<OOC> Ashes says, "some fall directly down at normal speed, others fall and hover around Mikilos' level, and a few fall part way there,"
<OOC> Ashes says, "then fall up and stick to the ceiling and start rolling in the direction of the flesh pond"

Kira is already covered in gore and/or ooze and/or she does not wish to know from the attacks upon her and her striking back. She maintains her grip on the rope and kicks out at the remaining one near them once more. When it 'pops' and erupts, things get even more ...weird. Some of the splatter falls normally (sorry to those below!), some falls and then hovers around Mikilos (sorry!) and some falls... upwards(?!) to stick to the ceiling and then roll/ooze towards the pond of flesh.

Kira should probably say something. Unfortunately, she has no idea what to say. 'Eww' isn't really helpful, not anything new at this point.

<OOC> Ashes says, "does your Loremaster do k/Military Theory Jinks?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "I could, theoretically. I get mods and can even roll untrained but the bonus will suck cuz I don't invest in that one."
<OOC> Ashes says, "so it's not completely eaten"
<OOC> Ashes says, "well on your turn we can talk about something"
GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of LORE MASTER.
GAME: Jinks spends TWO uses of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.
<OOC> Ashes says, "your dancing lights are on the floor and the ceiling. let me page you some things."
<OOC> Jinks says, "alright. ill let go of the rope as a free and fall to the cave floor in that case."
<OOC> Jinks says, "I can't fail the acrobatics to reduce falling damage by 10'"
<OOC> Ashes says, "you take no damage. You accelerate, but when you hit midpoint of the cavern, you decelerate,"
<OOC> Ashes says, "hen you roll as you land and there's no damage"
<OOC> Ashes says, "there are 9 of you on the ceiling now though, ghosts"

The bard's song turns in on itself, an endless coda becoming rounds warping into a cacophony of nonsense, gibberish, and mad ravings from the darkness between the stars. The shadows cease to be images playing through the very-real kobold and instead are a writhing conglomerate creature-- like some minion of a ancient, dead god dreaming in an alien lake.

"The cyst. At the center." Jinks is flying now, spiraling like an anemone gone for a swim in rough waters. "Counter it with abjurative magics: dispel, disjunction..."

The kobold isn't flying, he's falling. A blur of thirty-six limbs.

They-- bard and his shadow-- hit the floor of the cave, fall fully into it, and bounce back up to stand on the floor.

The monstrous illusions-- the gibbering octuplets-- writhe and gnash on the ceiling.

The bardsong continues never having been interrupted. "The death of each lump pushes the cyst further into the Weave..."

"It's making the magic worse..."

<OOC> Ashes says, "Sey, what do?"
<OOC> Seyardu says, "then I guess I delay since there's not much for me to do"
<OOC> Ashes says, "if you have k/the planes and can beat a DC35 there is some info"
GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/the planes: (17)+5: 22

Seyardu is stuck at the bottom of a pit, waiting for people to get injured. It's a horrible feeling, knowing that any attempts at magic beyond that would fail, or be distorted like the elemental from before. She turns to the gnome, or what is the gnome, and shake s her head. "We can't kill the creatures? Then what can we do?" She asks the kobold.

"The nodule..." The shiny kobold and his shadow-double are still disoriented after the fall and rebound from the far side of the looking glass. He glances at Mikilos and then back to Seyardu. "... Miki might have it."

"Cold seems to freeze the incursions? Or fewer, larger attacks and spells? Less time for the corruption to push between the threads..."

He might be speculating.

<OOC> Ashes says, "Mikilos, what would you like to do? Also, caster check to control Schwarmageddon"
<OOC> Mikilos says, "Take some gnomish advice, heads towards the node and hit it with Disjunction"
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (9)+18+2+2+1+2: 34 (vs DC38 - Fail)
<OOC> Mikilos says, "Fully prepared to RPP a reroll if the disjunction fails, but okay with letting Schwarma run free"
GAME: Mikilos casts Mage's Disjunction. Caster Level: 18 DC: 30
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (3)+18+2+2+1+2: 28 (vs DC38 - Fail)
<OOC> Mikilos says, "and that's a reroll..."
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+18+2+2+1+2: (3)+18+2+2+1+2: 28 (vs DC38 - Fail)
GAME: Mikilos casts Polar Ray. Caster Level: 18 DC: 29

"Then we cut it off from The Source!" Well, the archmage does. Flying closer towards the node, Mikilos can almost see the magic twist and writhe, his elemental slipping free of control, the spells in his mind churning and slipping, the ink written bubbling on a mental page. A sliver, a tiny sliver of mana, honed to the sharpest of edges, sent towards the node, cutting not the node itself, but the magic that supports it.

The mental scalpel jumps and bucks in the elf's hold, turning, not cutting clean. A second burst of arcane energy forces the sliver, the cut unclean, but complete, forced through with inelegant power.

Hey, whatever gets the job done.

The Disjunction

It's the smallest cut.

The effects ripple outwards from one of the most offensive of magic spells. A spell that disconnects and destroys magic itself.

The pulse of light, coming at regular intervals, coursing through the misty veil that bisects the room, stutters. The Flesh pools, reflections of each other, reflections of reality through an un-fun house mirror spasm and shoot out tendrils and pseudo pods in all directions. The boil betwixt bubbles, huge pustules forming and exploding microscopic spray throughout the cavern, as it disintegrates.

Revealing... Space. The other side of the cavern, twisting impossibly around a point. A wind, rushing in. A void. Not nothingness, ethereal or Astral, a protean plane of emptiness and stars. The cavern, the walls have vanished. With it, the sense of self and other. The boundaries of body are distorted.

One becomes aware of flesh hanging off bone, of sinewy and cartilage, skin, muscle, fat and the purposeful arrangement of organs. How they hang like fruits off a fleshy tree. A comprehension coupled with a lack of understanding. A healer with advanced knowledge might bear the revelation. The sensation of cell to cell. The feeling of Flesh.

FLESH. A soft, goo-like substitution. The attempt to form into a comprehensive being. A being that spreads on the fabric of reality. Through the ground, through the rock, through the remaining life. This awareness holds the sensation of discrete forms, a human, kobolds, a makari, a dawn elf, a swirling mass of air and meat, but more. The tendrils of flesh permeating through the rock, growing up beneath fractured buildings. Which vanishes.

Until the only awareness is one of orbiting a greater mass, a planet, a star. Distances are difficult to judge when organs are unreliable, non-existent. A giant spinning ball of bubbling matter. That grows, and grows. A cancer that crashed through to a fertile substrate, sucked back through the portal that birthed it.

A sense of self returns, with nausea, vertigo, an unending scream in the back of the mind. The awareness of an illness inside, the last slithering touch of an alien entity being pulled away. Like one's muscles are being flensed without breaking the skin. The unearthly light fades, replaced with true darkness and the sound of gravity, so long denied, re-asserting itself.

Merciful darkness returns, honest, pure, darkness of the bowels of Mother Ea. It's gone. The Flesh is gone. With it the framework holding the Hole together, it's collapsing.

Jinks manages to somehow enjoy the experience even less on the third pass. The immaculate liar confronted with the ultimate mythology of the Flesh and its impossibly finite and plastic nature. Perhaps the darkness is truth and the tiny pinpricks of light are only a joke.

But a joke's enough.

The kobold's feet come up off the ground as he rouses the armor's enchantment. Claws dig through the encroaching darkness to bundle up roiling shadow. He shapes it carefully-but-quickly and bends, sending the trotting pony across the space between he and Kira. It prances into a trot, growing into a nightmare of a draft horse, all spinning shadows and internal thunder.

"It's real," he promises. "(So real,)" the shadow-kobold reassures.

The little, scaled dandy is floating up now and considering Seyardu. Does she need a ride?

GAME: Jinks casts Shadow Conjuration. Caster Level: 15 DC: 25
<OOC> Jinks says, "Kira can choose to fail her Will save. If she does it's a Phantom Steed (as the spell of the same name). 100' base speed fly."

Seyardu is just turning back to see what Mikilos was doing when the world turned into, something. The makari wasn't sure, they weren't sure they wanted to figure it out. A return away from that twisted vision was a welcome relief, even if accompanied by an overwhelming urge to vomit. One urge that they're able to swallow, which is further unpleasant, as they blink and shake away everything.

"We need to leave now." The cleric urges. "Stay close to me, everyone. I can get us out of here if necessary, but we would need to travel back here." She shouts over to the others.

Mikilos takes a moment to sort himself out mentally. Two feet, two hands, one heart, roughly 15 meters of intestine, all accelerating at 9.8m/s^2.... wait.

The featherfall spell is cast too late to fully stop the fall, but does ward off a broken leg. Or neck.

A groan, a bit more sorting out, and a mage light glows near the elf's shoulder. "....everyone okay? Anybody dead, let us know..." And then the ceiling starts to rumble, and Adventuring instinct kicks in. "Crap, let's go, let's go, let's go! Gather in, grab hands, and hold on to your lunch!"

Kira may not be one to spill or rend it, but she has seen blood, flesh, organs. Mostly in the context of doing all she can to keep the important parts of others where they should be; supposed to be. This is ... so far removed from as to be utterly, overwhelmingly alien... and yet just familiar enough to make it... worse. She isn't as adept as Seyardu at holding her gorge. It isn't even a consolation that anything she gets on her clothing wouldn't be noticed with everything already there.

She fails to keep her lunch, but does reach out with a hand for the others. Anywhere but here seems a very very good place to be right now.

Teleportation is a signature spell, the sign of a powerful magic user. The trope of a powerful villian. The hallmark of a last second rescue. And sometimes, sometimes, it's a sideways lurch, a sudden jolt, and your stomach in your throat (NOT literally). But there's fresh air, and sky above, and the cracking and rumbeling of stone in the not too far distance.

Whatever rocks were clustered up on the ceiling have fallen, crashing all around in the darkness. The roof of the cavern is about to follow. The Hole is collapsing, clods of dirt, chunks of paving from far above join rocks dropping out of the crumbling earth.

"No. Any teleportation is an absolute last resort here." The cleric shouts, grabbing the woman a bit roughly, and dragging her on to the horse. "I do not want anyone turned into a pile of meat by any teleportation mishaps."

With that the cleric took to the skies with a shower of blood from the flapping of wings, keeping pace with the others exiting through physical means, in case she did need to risk any further magic.

Jinks' reptilian eyes watch Seyardu's jostling of Kira. He notes her reluctance to teleport. He grabs at the darkness again, cultivating an ovoid egg. He tosses it towards the makari cleric and a hatchling bursts free. It lands, devouring the distance at speeds as it grows into a waiting swiftclaw. It chuffs and dips, offering its back to the Seer.

"It's real," the bard reiterates. "(... as you or I,)" confirms the shadow.

Then, the tinkling of immaculate mithral links and the glittering man is up and out through the roof, snout leading the way up, up, and up into the open air. He floats there, arms out to either side, and he considers the remains of the town from his bird's-eye view.

GAME: Jinks casts Shadow Conjuration. Caster Level: 15 DC: 25

Teleportating is definitely the easier way out. Instant, precise, only a moment of feeling turned inside then out and the disorientation of dislocation.

Flying hundreds of feet up a collapsing hole makes for a strenuous comparison. Falling rocks are consistent hazards, impossible to avoid, and only narrowly non-fatal.

Clear, open air brings with it relief and the best vantage point so witness a small, localized earth-quake.

The town drops a good seventy feet at the centre. The crater spreads out two miles, a depression that seems punched in by some great hammer. A dish of a canyon with a fifteen foot drop edge delinating its borders and how far the corruption has spread beneath it.

The quake, the shake, the shockwave will be felt for miles. It has not escaped the Vouivre's attention, as she waits patiently as their safe distance. Nor has the unexpected absence of the Flesh. All three jolt, startled, staring silently as the soot and dust rises. They oversee the greatest charcoal pit in existence.

Yolo finally speaks first. "That's going to fill with water, isn't it? We didn't have much luck with a lake last time."

Combatty

MAP1
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m58chajy3a5

MAP2
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m1hz7yxop2n

MAP3
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m3t8lhygeax

===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 7 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     24   Kira             1  
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     23   Jinks            1  
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     19   Seyardu          1  
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  >> 10   Mikilos          1   <<
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     10   The Flesh        1  
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 ==============================================================================