Renew the Pact: N'pacier Atol'ciel, p3
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: N'pacier Atol'ciel, part 3
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Thurid, Braelnoir, Zaxx
- Place: Somewhere in the Desolation, N'pacier Atol'ciel
- Time: Thursday, April 08, 2021, 2:33 PM
- Summary: The adventurers spend some time resting in the shade, then cast light spells and explore the crack in the Sky Island. It goes all the way through, in the middle of the island is the lizard's cave. In the ceiling is a strange, round boulder that seems some kind of siege weapon shot. They climb up to investigate, and discover their magic items and spells stop working in close proximity to it. Prying it free, it falls, causing a rumbling. They roll the shot out of the cavern, with Braelnoir getting bumped along the way. Once it is clear, the Sky Island starts accelerating upwards. Thurid, summoning the power of Angoron, runs to the other side and manages to, briefly, hold that end down. The others are being pelted by things falling off the island, struggling to get the shot further away. Lars is doing something. Finally the island is six feet off the ground and picking up speed, they all jump aboard, at which point it climbs faster and higher into the sky.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Braelnoir 5'11" 146 Lb Human Female A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver. Thurid 7'1" 249 Lb Giantborn Female Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman. Zaxx 5'2" 152 Lb Shadow Elf Male Compactly built, bald man with dark skin and pointy ears. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
It's the aftermath of fighting the fire lizards. Three fire lizards, which made a passable effort passing as dragons. The party retreated into the shade, to bandage and heal while the beasts' corpses blocked the entrance and slowly drained.
Some time passed, everyone is a healed as they are going to get. Lars looks around, "So, shall we check out the cave? Ladies first!"
Thurid nods her head at Lars, her lips twitch as she almost says something, but she keeps her council on what passed through her mind. She stands from where she had been resting, and picks up her hammer once more. "Before we head in, everyone gather here. I will instill something on your person with light- in case we are seperated." she says, and she re-blesses her own hammer with a murmured prayer. The head of it glows a brilliant blue hue.
<OOC> Thurid says, "I'll cast Light on an item of choice for everyone. Will last for 80 minutes." <OOC> Zaxx says, "Zaxx' everburning torch for backup." <OOC> Thurid says, "can cas Light on a weapon or worn item to free up hands."
Braelnoir grumbles and gets herself to her feet, testing the mobility her bandages leave her, then looks to the Warrior, "Thanks luv, mebbe on m'sword, then." and she steps over, "Should work even if I keep it'n the sheath, right?"
Thurid nods her head, "Aye, that it will." she says, and lays her hands on the Blade, murmuring a moment before the light instills the steel of Brael's blade as well. When sheathed, the light will be hidden- much like a hooded lantern. Handy that. Her own hammer is slung over her back, glowing away happily.
The crashed sky island isn't that large, perhaps two hundred feed in diameter, and around three hundred feet tall. The crack runs right through it, and it is split at least half-way up it's verticle surface.
The passage continues in. The other side isn't directly visible, but enough light seeps in there's an impression where it is. It stays roughly the same width, large enough for the fire lizards, until there is a cavern of sorts, halfway in.
This is the lair, evidenced by piles of chewed bones, shed scales, and piles of small rocks that approximate nests. The ceiling arches up.
Firestarter and Lars dutifully lined up for light spells. The orange hobgoblin wanted her gauntlet to glow, and the bard selected his lute.
<OOC> Thurid says, "Everburning Torches are considered to be subject to the Continual Flame spell, minimum CL for which is 3" GAME: Zaxx rolls 1d20+5: (10)+5: 15 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+3: (16)+3: 19 <OOC> Braelnoir says, "in case i use mine"
Zaxx gets up and makes pinching motions close to Lars' face, "I would be fun to see you go first, maestro, but the ladies are more durable. Set the spell anywhere it is convenient, please, but I well and genuinely do not require any." He moves with the party.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Roll concentration DC15, 4 times then please." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Zaxx, roll against DC15, with 1d20+whatever caster level your torch is." GAME: Thurid rolls cleric+wisdom: (16)+8+4: 28 GAME: Thurid rolls cleric+wisdom: (11)+8+4: 23 GAME: Thurid rolls cleric+wisdom: (7)+8+4: 19 GAME: Thurid rolls cleric+wisdom: (9)+8+4: 21
Though tempted, Thurid does not smash the Lute when it's handed over for the spell, and is more than happy to enchant Fire's gauntlets. "We should explore the extent of this passage before venturing deeper into the cave, incase anything else lays in wait here." she says. "Seems the fissure runs the length of it." she gestures towards the hints of daylight visible at the other end. And then she begins leading the way through, at least until she can see daylight at the other end of the tunnel.
"It would be fun to see you go first too, ranged specialist, but we aren't testing the worst way to enter battle." Lars snaps his fingers back in Zaxx's face, smiling cheerfully.
He hangs back, picking randomly at his instrument and using it as a torch, effectively.
Firestarter sticks with Braelnoir.
And then Zaxx's everburning torch goes out, which it shouldn't, and all the continual light spells flicker once, but stay on.
Braelnoir gives the place another lookover now that there's more light about and nods, "Looks that way." She glances to Firestarter and nods though the sudden flameout of the torch gives her a moment's pause. Hmm. She gives 'star a thumbs up, then, "A'ight, cut th'cackle fer now. We're in it. Walk soft, talk soft." and off she starts, scanning corners and high places.
Thurid nods her head at Braelnoir- walking softly isn't exactly her strong suit, as her previous companions can attest, but nevertheless she makes an attempt. She unhooks her hammer from the loops on her back to hold it in both hands, hunches her shoulders a bit to create a marginally lower profile, and keeps her own eyes peeled too.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll perceptions, DC15" GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (9)+10: 19 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (6)+12: 18 (Lars Perception) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11 (Firestarter Perception) GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (8)+12: 20 GAME: Zaxx rolls Perception: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL)
Something is up in the ceiling of this cavern. The ceiling is more a crack than a dome, the walls slant up until they touch. There seems to be a boulder stuck up there. Very smooth, with faint lines.
Zaxx fisheyes the deying torch, frowns more, keeps marching, watches the newly visited area carefully.
Firestarter rubs at her forehead, "Dammit, why am I along on this? Lars, why am I along on this?"
The bard carefully calls back, "'Star, babe, we're having a nice day out with Braelnoir and her friends. Look around please, what do you see?"
Nothing stands out, it's a cave lair that's been inhabited for a long while. Although, ominously, the glow around some magic items is weaker than usual.
Braelnoir knowing 'star knows the sign from back when Lars almost made a trophy/chum out of her, uses one hand to get the hob's attention and signal, "Deadfall?" before drawing to a halt. <Handspeech>
She straightens from her creep and looks back to the others, whispering, "There's a worked rock wedge up there, not sure what ta make of it."
As Firestarter seems to be having a moment of clarity, she signs, "Got your back." as discretely as she can. <Handspeech>
"He claims, of your own volition. If that is not the case..." Thurid murmurs, her knuckles whitening a bit as she squeezes the grip of her hammer. But she continues casting her eyes about the cave, following the contours of the walls until she is looking straight up. "Passing strange." she adds. "Never seen a cave like this." she murmurs.
"If you can land it on him, sure." Firestarter signs back. <Handspeech>
"Teleport doesn't work if you aren't willing, wouldn't be here if you didn't want to be." Lars counters, then stares up at the rock. "Do you think it's some kind of cannon ball?"
Zaxx mouthes, "Deadf...?" He forms an "Oh!" with his lips and looks down, then the dark man moves his foot back from over the steep, steep vertical threat.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls knowledge/engineering: (6)+6: 12 GAME: Braelnoir rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (5)+5: 10 GAME: Braelnoir rolls knowledge/military theory: (19)+12: 31 GAME: Zaxx rolls Knowledge/Engineering: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Zaxx rolls Knowledge/Dungeoneering: (18)+10: 28 GAME: Zaxx rolls Knowledge/Military Theory: (7)+9: 16
The boulder looks very smooth, unnaturally so. It is the size of something that a trebuchet or catapault could shoot'. A shot that size entering the sky island-boulder might split it, if it were fired hard enough. If that was the case there should be a groove around somewhere. This cavern was formed by a fast fracture, with minimal wind erosion, supporting the siege engine shot theory.
Braelnoir smirks a little for a moment, then looks up at what had her attention. She shuffles around to get slightly different angles on the rock in question. "Looks like it got lobbed by an engine, mebbe a treb'r catapult... maybe a mangonel. It's been worked, though, that tells me standin' army." She scratches at a bandage a moment and continues, "Stride never had engines ta huck a rock that fuckin' big. That's probly th'one that did the business, there oughta be a groove about."
"Place was under siege then, you reckon?" Thurid responds to Braelnoir, as she looks up at the rock. She eyes the walls of the cave a moment, "I could climb up, take a closer look." she suggests.
Zaxx hunkers and carefully(genuinely, this time) explores the make of the shaft. "That is my take, too. It looks like an impact of a mortar cannon or magical catapult munition. Not even dwarves can make something that smooth. The entire thing we are in. or got in through, is the result of the impact of the munition, or munition-like, item."
<OOC> Thurid has a rope, but neglected to ever pick up a climber's kit. Whoops. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC25" GAME: Thurid rolls athletics: (11)+10: 21 GAME: Braelnoir rolls athletics: (2)+11: 13
Thurid slings her hammer back over her shoulder. She heads on over towards the wall, leans down to scoop up some dust from the sandy floor and rubs her hands together, and then makes an attempt at scaling the wall. The first few feet are fine, but she doesn't make it particularly far- the ages of sand scouring have smoothed the stone walls too much to have any decent handholds, and she eventually looses her grip and falls back down to the ground. "Should have brought some stakes." she grumbles.
"Might be best if you did. The only spell I've got is gaseous form, and that wouldn't be too helpful up there." Lars says, coming closer and looking up. He watches, as Thurid, then Braelnoir make their attempts.
"Well, I could try. You'll catch me if I fall, right?" He winks with a grin, somehow finding enough light in here for it to sparkle off one of his incisors.
Zaxx takes out his dwarven pulley gun, grumbles a blessing to the Maker, and fires. It whizzes through te air and trails the climbing coil behind it. *Thunk!* The mul gestures, "Peruse at your leisure."
Braelnoir focuses on her manysleeves to alter her clothing again, securing the scythe to her back to free up her hands. While she's not a poor climber, the particulars of the sheering of the stone seem to be giving her some trouble and she ends up on her back in time for Zaxx to break out the pulley launcher.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "with that rope attached it's DC5" GAME: Thurid rolls athletics: (8)+10: 18 GAME: Braelnoir rolls ahletics: (4)+11: 15
Thurid eyes the dwarven pulley gun, and she frowns a moment. Not a huge fan of technology, she heads on over to the robe and gives it a couple of brief tuggs to make sure it will actually support her weight, before she begins to scale the wall, hand over hand and feet against the rock face. "Might've said something." she adds.
As Thurid climbs, she feels her magic items shutting off, strongest first, until they all are off when she is right near the shot. Oddly, the light cantrip lasts the longest, but the Jotun gets a headache. Suddenly, she feels less strong, less wise. The rock has strange grooves in it, that seem a bit like lattitude lines that meet up on the other side. Almost orange-wedge-ish. It resembles possibly a headless beetle or spider.
For the others, nothing seems to happen as the Jotun climbs, but as she reaches the top of the rope, where the walls come together to make the ceiling, her continual light cantrip on her hammer goes out.
Thurid continues climbing, at one point she seems as though she is slipping- her arms suddenly go somewhat slack, but her muscles swell and she regains her grip from whatever disturbed her. "The bullet is ensorcelled. An anti-magic field, I'd wager." she calls down to her companions from the darkness she suddenly finds herself in.
Zaxx climbs when it is his turn. "A dampening through anti-magic, at least. That explains why the isle sank all the way to the Ea." the cursed warrior comments.
GAME: Zaxx rolls athletics: (9)+14: 23
Braelnoir lays there a second and makes an active decision to bring air into her lungs before crawling to her feet. Yeah, that happened. Sigh. She waits till Thurid's up to, then, "Hafta get me one'a those..." On Thurid's declaration, she frowns in thought, "Lastin this long?" Huh. She draws back a moment and spends a bit of time fussing with her own rope, trying to resecure her scythe in a sort of sling before she starts to climb after, "This." grunt, "gets" huff, "better'n" puff, "better!" As she nears the top, her attire beneath the armor becomes a black, kilted affair of black leather, though her hair is once more out of control.
Sigh.
Climbing in an anti magic field wasn't part of today's agenda, or she'd have braided it or something.
"Wait a second 'Star," Lars says, putting his hand on her forearm.
She yanks her arm away, "I'll go when I want to." Firestarter takes the rope and climbs after Braelnoir.
"Where are you going? Is there someplace to stand on up there?" The bard calls up, "It's gone dark."
"Mayhap if we could dislodge it, we might be able to re-awaken this islands slumbering enchantments." Thurid suggests to the others from the top of the rope. "I can give it a try, though it would be easier could I call upon a blessing to aid me." she grumbles.
There aren't a lot of places to stand. Holding onto the rope and bracing against the two walls using convenient protrusions is necessary.
"Get you clear of it and I'll give it a shot!" Thurid calls out to the others after sizing up the ball.
Braelnoir dangles there for a second, then, "A'ight, I'm comin' down, folks might wanna get clear down there!" and she starts easing back down to get out of the way.
Warned, Firestarter lets herself down before she gets stepped on.
Lars, likewise, backs up.
Zaxx gets his meteorite metal blade out and cuts around the lodged piece to make the removal easier, but then the combative priest*person summons the might of her ancestors for which the mul gets out of the way.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, with the two of you working on it, it will dislodge it." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Roll DC15 Athletics to avoid behind hit by it when it comes down." GAME: Thurid rolls athletics: (3)+10: 13 GAME: Zaxx rolls athletics: (5)+14: 19 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 2d6: (6): 6
Once everyone gets clear, Thurid adjusts her position on the rope. She coils her arm around the rope, and then grips it in one fist, then braces her back against the sloping ceiling. She places the soles of her feet against the smooth surface of the boulder, makes one final adjustment to her grip on the rope, and then braces herself.
She grits her teeth, adjusts her footing, and begins to push. The muscles in her calfs and thighs swell, as do those in her neck and shoulders, becoming vascular as her blood vessels swell to supply ample oxygen. Her cheeks begin to redden, and her face takes on a grimace of effort as she pushes out a strained grunt, veins on her temples throbbing. It seems it is all for naught- until the massive stone shifts, and dust and debris cascades from the ceiling
With one finall yell of effort the stone breaks free, pulling with it a small avalanch of time worn masonry which pelts Thurid- though she tries to bunch up to shield herself, it is difficult as she has lost her bracing with the loosening stone, and she is left largely helpless against it as she dangles from the rope with that one bound up arm.
Braelnoir watches what she can from dirtside, though the afflited lighting makes it dubious at best. The precipitous debris coming down, however, is clear enough, "Shit!" She moves closer, bringing her spiked gauntlet up in a waarding posture again as she calls up to the folks she didn't see come down with it all, "Y'alright up there?"
Rocks fall.
Everybody is standing clear.
Except the two on the rope, who aren't hit by the falling rock as squeezed against the nearby walls as it passes. It feels somewhat akin to being run over by a giant rolling pin.
The rock takes a little longer to fall than it should, not significantly, perhaps an extra half-second of flight. It thumps into the cave floor with a loud crack.
All the magic and lights go out on the ground. All magic items at the top of the rope are restored, including the cantrips. It's by the light of these that a strange mineral core of this boulder is revealed. Silvery, streaked with green and purple hues.
A rumbling starts.
Zaxx flicks the dark blade and sheathes it. He asks of the cleric, "Are you well?" The mul ensures he can retrieve the pulley and begins to get back down, "The rock may start to take off. Let's get out of here."
GAME: Zaxx rolls athletics: (7)+14: 21 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you get down fine" GAME: Thurid rolls athletics: (7)+10: 17 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also down fine"
Thurid coughs and sputters as the dust clears, still slowly rotating in place and dangling from the rope. She finally grabs it again and stops her spinning after a few moments. She uncoils her arm from the rope and then lowers herself down it, "Could have thought that through better." she says, a might horsely, "But I'm well enough." she responds to those asking after her.
And then the stone catches her attention, "That certainly can't be good..." she says then, at the rumbling and unatural appearance at the core of the rock. She bounds across to it, and then puts her shoulder to the stone to try and roll it out of the cave. "No, we need to get it out of here!" she retorts to Zaxx. "We're here to restore this place, remember!?"
"You're right, I think it's lifting off." Lars calls back, shuffling through his belt, pulling out something. "It's getting brighter. Which way? Way we came, right? C'mon 'Star."
"I'm going where Braelnoir picks." The orange hobgoblin snarls.
The stone is heavy, but not too hard to roll on rock.
Braelnoir finds herself in the uncomfortable position of needing to make sure Lars lives at least long enough to get everyone home, and so she starts to herd him back. She turns back in time for Thurid to shoulder in on the boulder and she calls, "Wait! Careful how ya touch that!" After all, the trippy colors in the alloy could just be some kind of tempering.. or it could be another piece of Animus.
"Aha, Worry not! Even if it is..." Thurid grunts, "Angoron works through me." she adds as she continues rolling the stone down the cave- momentum overcome with her initial shoving, it gets easier to continue rolling. "I'm sure if it is a shard of the fallen one, he'd take no offense at being touched by a fellow god in a time of need." she says as she continues rolling it towards the exit- the one not blocked by several fire lizard corpses.
Zaxx packs the launching apparatus and jogs to get out of here, "Save your prestations for later, please."
Moving in to help, the silver tressed Korite replies, "Wouldn't bet on't. M'brother tried invokin' Eluna ta talk t'one, an'is damn face near exploded." She sounds a little too skeeved to be blowing swamp gas about the affair. A few more rolls, and, "Least two other folk got taken over b'touching them things." Another roll or so, "But... this could just be a nethercite shell or somethin'."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "the North route is the shorter one but it has more turns" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, reflex DC20 to get it out, others can help if they want" GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (18)+4: 22 GAME: Braelnoir rolls reflex: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6: (2): 2
"North route," Firestarter tells Lars, moving in beside Braelnoir to aid in the pushing. The route is a bit winding, and tight. On the walls are clear scrape marks where the lizards passed. This wasn't their favourite entrance.
A few times the boulder bounces off the wall, and a few times it is cushioned by someone between it, and the wall. Braelnoir is caught at least once between it and a hard place.
Still, with extra hands and the Jotun's effort, it's being moved outside.
Lars follows behind the group, providing commentary. "It's lifting on the other side."
The overhead is shifting.
Thurid continues guiding the rock and shoving it along, providing the momentum and is surprisingly deft on her feet- not keen to repeat the squashing she got while on the rope. "Aha! That's where they went wrong. Actions speak louder than words." she says with ample bravado- and likely a degree of ignorance. But nevertheless, as none of them have grown any extra limbs or been sent to an extradimensional maze just yet, things seem to be going well. "Aye, makes sense. This thing'll be disabling the enchantments where it rolls!" she calls back to Lars as she keeps up the pace of shuffling it along.
Braelnoir wheezes a pained, "Kor's balls!" as she spends a moment or two caught between the anti-magic rock and the hard place. Huffing and puffing for a couple after freed, and she rejoins the efforts to get the projectile outside, still grumbling, "Sonuvabitch..." She doesn't go into any more detail now, the audience isn't entirely one of her liking. Still, her actual comrades should probably get a more thorough heads-up once they're home.
Zaxx lacks the bulk to push a rock for a prolonged time. He can be ahead to warn of trouble.
Trouble... yes... stuffs falling, stuffs flying... The Sky island looks like it's rolling over onto where the shot is going.
Once the rock- and the team- are finally clear of the cavern Thurid comes to a halt. She bends over, hands on her knees, and catches her breath after the exertions. "Well, that was exciting." she huffs, finally turning to look back at the Atol who they have just dethorned, figuratively speaking.
"The big rock is turning. It causes a loss of cohesion. It moves in the way of our escape route, maybe. I hope we can get out without the anti magic rock rolling back on you." The crossbowman informs.
The bard's observations and the Warrior's speculations seem correct. As the stone is removed the enchantments resume their effect, starting furthest away where the field is weakest. The far side of the sky island has already lifted six feet off the ground. Light is leaking through underneath.
The near side, with the rock, has hovered up a foot off the ground. The sky island not only towers above in an overhang, with clods of earth and small pebbles falling down, it seems to be accelerating upwards.
Birds, something, disturbed by the sudden motions of their home, have abandonned ship in a large cackling horde, with a loud rustle of wings.
The island is listing hard, but also floating up.
"It's not working!" Lars shouts, waving his wand at the side of the sky island. "Right, I'm too close. This way!" He runs North-west, along the face, grabbing at Firestarter's hand to pull her along.
The orange hobgoblin yanks her wrist free, and looks at Braelnoir.
The party is effectively 'outside' in a cave mouth. Anyone standing in front of the outside faces might experience the sky island rolling over on them. Or it might keep floating up. Pushing the shot further away is also an option.
Lars is attempting to do something, which isn't working right where he is, so he's moving.
Anyone with airship experience would know, the way the sky island is lifting asymetrically, it's going to sway like a crazy pendulum.
GAME: Zaxx rolls knowledge/engineering: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Braelnoir rolls knowledge/engineering: (18)+6: 24
"Well stop gawking and put yer backs into it!" Thurid calls out, mainly for the attention of the gents who are leaving the large ladies to do all the heavy lifting. She goes back to the rock, "Need to get it further away, lest the island topple over onto us. Fire, a hand?" she adds to the Hobgoblin as she begins trying to shove the rock further from the Atol. It's more difficult now it's in the sand, no doubt.
The little rock is neutralizing whatever magical 'lift' this island has, and it's got a radii of effect, so that's why the sky island is turning over, its centre of gravity/inertial is being messed with. The sky island seems to have enough thrust to get off the ground right now, and keep going up. With the shot where it is, it will cause a lot of pendulum effects. If you push the shot ball further, it will rise in a more stable path, but it will be higher in the air when the shovers try to board.
Firestarter jumps in to help, placing her hands low on the rock. She's digging into the sand with knees and feet. 'UHHHHHHNN!' Her muscles bulge, not as much at the Jotun's, but she's got an energy to her. Her skin is nearly glowing.
Braelnoir looks to 'Star and nods, flicking a quick sign of "Soon." Then puts her back into the boulder, "Lars, eyes up! Make sure it ain't gonna roll on's! She's right, our rock's too close so she's tryin' a lift one cheek attatime! We open distance it'll stab'lize, but get higher by the time we can get back to't!"
Thurid glances back, and thinks a moment. "I've an idea. Keep pushing!" she tells the others, and then she breaks off from the rock and begins to bound back through the cavern- up the ever increasing slope. Once she is far enough away from the rock, she will call upon her god's blessing once more.
Zaxx is too busy dodging falling pebbles to respond.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+16: (18)+16: 34 (Lars UMD)
Lars is not helping, or if he is its in some obscure way that doesn't involve pushing the rock. He is leaving that to the large, very capable ladies. Instead he's moved up on the North-ish face of the west cheek, and is shaking his wand at it. Rather frantically. Nothing seems to be happening. He starts singing.
- Oh I'm a Miner and a digger by my trade,
- And I look up all the scree and slag piles that I've made,
- I've dug till I'm all dust out, all in stiffness and in pain
- And I am leaving, I am leaving but the mines they still remain.
- Digger hai! Digger Hai!
His wand sparks into life.
<OOC> Thurid says, "I'm going to run to the far side, and I'm going to enlarge myself once I'm out of range of the magic rock." <OOC> Thurid says, "Aim is to get to the far side and try to hold it down." <OOC> Thurid says, "I'll enlarge person, and also use Might of Gods. Will give me a strength of 28 and a carry capacity of 3600lb." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "once you're 30' away Thurid, seems like your personal magic is working again" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "the ground is flat the sky island is lifting up off it, so the inner cavern foor was ground and is staying put" You paged Thurid with 'you can run to the far side, it's 55+80, so 135', which you could do in a round at a run, but it already seems 10' off the ground on the far side' Thurid pages: I'll be 14' tall once I cast the spell. GAME: Thurid casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 8 DC: 15
Thurid's flesh swells and her eyes flash with light as she barrels through the cavern- each bound longer than the last as her legs lengthen and thicken to the size of tree trunks, her mighty shoulders scraping against the cavern walls as she bounds through. She comes to a skidding stop at the far side of the cavern, which is lifting from the ground. "Mountain highest, grant me your strength!" she bellows to the heavens, and is answered by a thunderclap. She turns around, and for a moment it is not Thurid standing there, but Angoron himself. Massive hands reach out, and grab at the surface of the rock, and she digs her heels into the sand underfeet.
- "Gods above, be my witness. The earth moves not without my leave!" she bellows out as once more her enormous muscles swell.
Braelnoir doesn't like that Lars's doodad is working again. She likes it somewhat less than the fact he's not doing his job, but, backing the Warrior's play, she throws her weight against the Party Pooper and tries to keep it moving, "C'mon, heave!"
Zaxx simply stares at Lars, open mouthed.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC40 do you get Strength Check?" <OOC> Thurid says, "Strength 28, and I can use Strength Surge to get an additional +4 modifier to the roll." <OOC> Thurid says, "So I can hit it, but I'll need to roll an 18" GAME: Thurid rolls strength+4+4: (3)+5+4+4: 16 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "use the free reroll" GAME: Thurid rolls strength+4+4: (1)+5+4+4: 14 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, here's what happens, you succeed but you take the difference you missed it by as damage." GAME: Strenuous Strength damaged Thurid. -24 Points
"I'm heavin'" 'Star growls in a happy way. She's covered in dust, sweat, pushing a rock. She starts laughing, and while it doesn't make moving the weird artillery munition, it seems easier. She can't stop laughing, "This is insane!"
And the Party Pooper is far enough away from the cracked sky island it's having a negligible effect.
Which isn't exactly a good thing, as the Mul'niessa, the Arvek Nar, and the Silver-haired Merc are twenty to forty feet away from the edge of it. Lars is still waving his wand around. It's hard to see what he's doing, little pebbles, clods of dirt are falling from above and dust is raising as the whole island lifts. There are closer spots and it's six feet in the air.
On the far side, it's even higher, fourteen feet, and rising. Her hold is firm, her strength unyielding. Boulder meets Mountain, and the Mountain is winning. Somehow, she's holding it down. An impossible weight for her to lift, or move, with the right lever and fulcrum it still can shift.
It shifts her way. She is the pivot, and it HURTS!
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (8)+4: 12 (Firestarter Perception)
Thurid digs her fingers in, nails splintering and blood slicking her grip, but she just grips harder. Her bloodshot eyes bulge out of her skull, and she grits her teeth so hard she looks as though she might split them. The triangle of her neck throbs with effort, and her nose begins to bleed. The muscles in her arms spasm and deform under her skin, but still she holds fast. Her feet begin to slide in the sand, and she bears down pushing out a cry of effort and pain through her grimace, and still she holds fast. "Pulley.... Gun!" she bellows across, hopefull they will hear her even if she can't hear herself over the ringing in her ears and the stars in her vision.
GAME: Thurid rolls strength+4+4: (3)+5+4+4: 16 GAME: Strenuous Strength damaged Thurid. -24 Points GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (2)+12: 14 <OOC> Thurid says, "I have 68 max, yeah, so I've taken 48 so far puts me at 20." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "there was 6 from the rock rolling pin over you" <OOC> Thurid says, "Ah, right, so I'm at 14"
'Star is following Braelnoir's lead. The two can get to various places on the rock, or Lars with some hustle. There's too much detrius falling off the island to see what he's up to. Zaxx is halfway to the rock, working onh his pulleygun, Thurid is all the way away on the other side of the Sky Island. Where, Thurid is changing its dynamics by holding down a side. Still, it would take some hustle and time to get to her.
And the Sky Island is going up.
Zaxx calls out, "I am very sorry. Now I must flee all the way."
This Gods damned rock weighs a lemur-scrompin' ton!
Brae, redfaced with effort under her crunchy red vneer from earlier, grunts, "Useless" huff, "Gawdamn" puff, "REMF!"
She slaps the stone to get Firestarter's attention, "C'mon, we're gonna get left behind!" She turns, then, and starts to haul ass back toward the rising stone island, "We need ta get a line up there!"
Lars really, really wants her to kill him....
Ghisha.... you've just been replaced.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, it's DC15 Athletics to get a good hold" GAME: Braelnoir rolls athletics: (3)+11: 14 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (13)+9: 22 (Firestarter Athletics) GAME: Braelnoir rolls athletics: (13)+11: 24
After closing the distance, the human Korite tries to scramble up onto the rising stone, but her fingers loose purchase, and so it's on her second attempt that she manages to latch on and start to gain altitude in addition to the island itself just a bit behind Firestarter. "EVERYONE HANG ON!" Brae calls in her Sergeant's bellow. She considers for a moment investing in her rage, to capitalize on her talons, but the impact on her mind could be a hinderance in such a... fluid situation. She needs to stay sharp, in lieu of pointy.
It's far enough away, it must be. Firestarter abandons the munition and runs towards the sky island, following Braelnoir. To the left cheek, or eastern check, depending on how one views it.
Already this side is six feet in the air, it's necessary to jump a little, scrabble and pull up. Which she manages. A gauntlet that melt into things helps, even if it doesn't melt rock all that well.
The Mul'niessa is reloading his pulley gun, they take a few minutes to reset and there hasn't been a few minutes. He heard, he calls back, "Great luck, all!" He also runs for the rock face.
To Lars, who has been singing and doing who knows what.
N'pacier Atol'ciel continues to float upwards, the Korrite, the hobkin, the other two if they're one, are negligible, invisible.
The only influence is the far side, where the possessed Angorite is holding it down. It's straightening up. It's going up.
<OOC> Thurid says, "I'll switch from holding it down to climbing, myself, now." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "It's essentially even now Thurid across the bottom, 14' off the ground. Ok, DC15" GAME: Thurid rolls athletics+4: (16)+11+4: 31
Something pops, a shoulder perhaps, and Thurids grip begins to loosen- she stumbles into the rock, but seeing that the other side is lifting evenly as well now, she steels herself and gathers her resolve. Her feet begin to lift from the sand, and finally she allows them, bracing a knee against the rock she reaches up to find another hand-hold, wincing in the pain it causes her overstrained muscles and damaged joints. She closes her eyes for a moment as she prepares herself, and then snaps her eyes back open again.
With her good arm, she hefts herself up, digging her toes into the rock face, she manages to begin scaling the side of the rock, one arm hanging limp by her side, but clawing her way up tooth and nail.
Her team, as far as she can tell, clinging to the island like ticks, Brae starts to look around for handholds to plan her route. She looks to Star, glad to see the Hobgoblin as herself for now and sighs. Maybe one of the others can read scrolls and they can jsut pitch Lars' ass off this thing.
Fantasize later, Sarge, mission's not over, yet.
The ground rushes away. It's like falling in reverse. The anti-magic rock vanishes first, then the dead lizards. The height becomes dizzying. Perhaps best not to look. There's a wind, blowing down, from the motion through the still air.
N'pacier Atol'Ciel once more hangs amongst the clouds, with adventurers hanging off its sides. Clinging desperately.
It's a long way down.
Maps
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