Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, p12
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, Part 12
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Cesran, Seldan, Cryosanthia, Serene, Karelin, Aya, Merek
- Place: The Void Demon Tower in the Ethereal Sea of Mana
- Time: Tuesday, July 27, 2021, 7:38 PM
- Summary: The Unravioli Tentacles reach and rend all all who come in contact. Cesran, Merek, Aya suffer contact, Serene, Seldan, Karelin and Cryo are able to avoid them. Seldan's divination and Cesran's deep thoughts arrive at a conclusion, the tentacles and the tower are all one beast, and having manifest must obey rules even though they are of the void. Damage the tower! Statues are pulled down, Cryo stabs it, both have some effect. Merek's Anti-Magic Field does nothing, if anything strengthening that which attacks him. Cesran attempts a banishment, which fails. Serene draws Discord, and wills it to obey her, and stabs the tower in the hopes their alternates did leave something useful behind. They did, there is a shimmering, an inrush of mana, and when everyone can see the creature has become a swirling whirlpool of chaos and mouthes, with the void screaming out of them. Screams that will haunt their nightmares, if they exist long enough to have any.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Serene 6'2" 175 Lb Eldanar/Charn Female Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.
Cesran 6'1" 185 Lb Human Male A tall dark-skinned man
Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Seldan 5'11" 187 Lb Human Male Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Aya 4'7" 105 Lb Shadow Elf Female Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Karelin 6'2" 256 Lb Human Male Tattooed Korite warrior. Tall, dark and scarred.
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--= NPCS of Note =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Griva Brassbringer Khazdi Female Head of the Alexandrian Chapter of the Resurrection Society
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--= As the GM =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky!
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Previously
The adventurers confront the multiple Asumits, anticipating immediate battle. One addresses the group, the others continue their strange arrival and departure through gates. Questions are thrown and largely unanswered. Insults follow. Asumit explains he will be King of Nothing, and that what they are witnessing was not caused by him, but rather far back in time. He says he'll help everyone understand. A being appears, Asumit is touched by it, and breaks apart. Becomes nothing.
Then the the air around him begins to unravel, threads of ... something that was reaching towards you ....
The unraveler comes.
Karelin cuts at the tendrils. His sword doesn't survive. He pulls it back, but the runes wink out and the blade itself isn't whole.
"Aaaaand. That's it. I don't understand anymore." Cryosanthia says. "Wait, who was owed what now?"
"I, um?" Cryo's right hand flips through a quick casting. In her hand, an Icicle Dagger manifests, creating a tiny patch of fog.
"Stay close, I can parry." She looks ready to do so, a keen eye kept on Karelin's efforts, and results, "As much as it might help."
The blond haired Silverguard drops into a ready crouch, activating an aspect of his armour and moving faster than normal. Quickly, he traces a set of runes in the air. Unusual ones, in an archaic pattern. Normally, his use of magic will bring a boyish grin to his face, the simple rituals a moment of meraki that reveals itself on his countenance. Not so this time, his face is fixed with grim determination. "'Ware their touch. I will see what she reveals to me on how to fight this."
Cesran takes in all the information that he's been able to observe. He sees Karelin's attack against the threads and the sword become broken. "Stop don't attack the threads. Those aren't the unraveler. This whole tower is. We have to find a way to destroy it. That's the only way we can stop this from unraveling everything."
Now
GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/the planes+10: (6)+12+10: 28
"The tentacles are themselves unreality," Seldan answers Cesran, having completed his spell and studied the tentacles, and the tower. "As is the Tower itself. We stand upon the precipice of the Void, a piece of it that has been pulled, bound into reality by this Asumit," he agrees, bringing his gauntleted hands together in an expression of prayer. "And it is now present within the Sea of Mana and must be destroyed. However, because it is bound into reality, it must follow the Source's laws, the same laws that bind its shaper," he goes on swiftly, looking from face to face. "It may bend the rules and erase things, but it must have shape to do so. Perhaps by denying its shape, it may be unbound and banished."
So, they are in a tower and the tentacles are unmaking anything they touch, but besides the tower itself there aren't any targets besides just casting spells at the tower. Which could be valid, as the tower itself is shaped unreality.
GAME: Cesran casts Haste. Caster Level: 20 DC: 25
Cesran hastily casts a haste spell. Everyone is moving that much faster.
They are threads. Not quite tentacles, but ... threads. Slender slivers rippling through the room, erupting from the unravelling remains of Asumit like a fraying sweater rather than a body. Slivers of nothing.
They spiral out, stretching, leaving trails in the air like seams being more and more exposed, a nested mass of nothingness trying to touch each of you.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (14)+24: 38 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (1)+24: 25 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (9)+24: 33 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (3)+24: 27 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (4)+24: 28 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (16)+24: 40 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "So, hit on Cesran, miss on Aya, miss on Serene due to AC buffs," <OOC> Whirlpool says, "miss on Seldan, miss on Cryo, hit on Merek!" GAME: Cesran rolls will: (11)+23: 34 GAME: Merek rolls will: (11)+19: 30 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 12d6: (36): 36 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 12d6: (40): 40 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (5): 5 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Cesran used a Scarab of Protection.
The threads are ... avoidable.
Not easily, but avoidable. Cesran and Merek are the two who find themselves lanced by them, and it seems to leave them ...weaker. Sure, the pain of fraying souls is indescribable, and rightly so, but everything about them grows more threadbare. They're able to resist. Mostly.
... for now.
A deep, gutteral groaning fills the air.
GAME: Serene spends TWO uses of LAY ON HANDS. <OOC> Serene says, "72 HP restored to all within 30' of me. And I'll 5' step to try and include as many in that as I can."
Serene narrowly avoids the flaying that some of the others are struck by, twisting and turning her shoulder just enough to allow one of the lashing tentacles to slash by. While she does, she turns her head, and she Looks. Almost immediately its vileness seems to attempt to overwhelm her senses; like an oil slick, only one that seems to want to taint everything she sees, hears, touches, smells. It takes a moment to refocus and as she does so she resists the urge to spit and clear her mouth. And then she moves. Not far.. merely centering herself a little more amidst the group. As she does she appears graced with two faint but growing lights.. one, a white silvery luminance that grows in brightness until it pulses outwards, awashing over the others, cool and invigorating. The other remains with her, a faint, ghostly, almost flame like glow.
GAME: Merek casts Antimagic Field. Caster Level: 14 DC: 21
Merek will feel the power of the fraying come upon him, then it's taking away from the man, he seems to be scarred a bit while it dissolves a little of him into the stream. When he pulls away the man offers a little bit of that growling while he tries to pull the visor on which he keeps with him, an old Kulthian make, taking the time to move away with a nod in thanks to the healing.
The man keeps away from the magic of the party, then he will bring about a field of antimagic, which he tries to meet the Thread with, in an attempt to see if he can slow it.
Aya narrowly avoids the flailing ... threads of unweaving, looking from them, to the others mostly doing similar, then to the tower surrounding. "Don't touch them, try not to be touched, and bring down the tower..." she repeats, perhaps for clarity. "Did anyone happen to bring a khazadi engineer? Possibly a trunk of endless gobbers?" She moves little, uncertain that one location is better than another, given that the entire location is their enemy. Still, her eyes dart from one tentacle or another to Cryosanthia, Seldan, others, and back.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Haste gives me an extra attack, and +2 AC I believe." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "and with a high acrobatics, the defensive bonus for fighting defensive is +3 AC," <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so that will be a +5 to my current AC, Rolling attacks" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1-4: (15)+17+-4: 28 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1-4-5: (20)+17+-4+-5: 28 (THREAT) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1-4-5: (15)+17+-4+-5: 23 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1-4-10: (7)+17+-4+-10: 10 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1-4: (8)+17+-4: 21 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1d6+14: (2)+(5)+14: 21 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1d6+14: (4)+(5)+14: 23 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1d6+14: (1)+(1)+14: 16 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "You smash up some stone! It .. surprisingly breaks apart really erasily. Like its hollow."
Cryosanthia weaves as the threads reach out towards her. She is large, but she is poetry in motion, a graceful sweep of white scales that twirls and dodges back, avoiding all tentacles. She raises her weapon to parry a touch, but it would miss, and perhaps striking it is a bad idea, as Cesran has warned and Karelin demonstrated.
The Seer's casting prompts a frantic, "Merek what! ... oh. Do it over there, yes."
It's unsettling enough to be inside the enemy, and under attack from it, without having to accommodate companions' actions.
"I don't have any of those things. Do normal attacks even hurt it?" The whitescale answers and asks, ducking, weaving, and stabbing at the ground between her feet with her icicle dagger. It's a small weapon, but the wavy, ice blade is deadlier than it looks.
Whipping her tail for extra umph, she jabs, the point finding weaknesses and cracks and the stone crumbling. Almost as if it was hollow. "It... this the idea? Is this working? It'll take forever! Should we do this at the top, or the middle, or the base, or look for a guy in a towel?"
The tower's bond to reality is tenuous, it seems. The room itself is a challenge to envision. There are stone fixtures that might be brought down on the tentacles. The room is a kind of lab/workshop. There are plenty of tables. There are some fake ornate statuaries above you.
There is no stone that says 'key' on it. Nor carved images of a key.
GAME: Seldan rolls ranged+1: (5)+19+1: 25
"Ware, I mean to give us shelter!" Seldan's eyes had widened as the tentacles struck the mages. Mental note - don't get hit by those. He suits actions to words, backpedaling half a pace even as he chants another spell, this one both ominous and complex-sounding. Sigils, yes, but no fire - instead, a sickly green glow forms around his hand as he speaks the final words of power, and he turns his open palm towards one of the statues between them and the threads.
A burst of that sickly green glow forms itself into a beam, a straight line, striking unerringly the statue's base - and it teeters, totters, and crashes down with a resounding crackle of hard-abused stone as it hits the ground, placing itself between the group and the threads.
GAME: Cesran casts Banishment. Caster Level: 20 DC: 29 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+26: (19)+26: 45
The statuary designed by Asumit, twisted visages of ... something faceless and ancient, something horrible, collapses to the ground and shatters like an empty vase.
The ground is broken as well. In doing so, more threads are released. Things are indeed unravelling. These threads, all around you now, reach out to grab onto you.
That said, the tower seems inherently unstable and you've already shown you can damage it fairly easily.
GAME: Cryo spends ONE point of PANACHE. (5 remaining) (Total +9 AC) <OOC> Serene says, "Oh, I think Cesran put haste up, so 47 vs. my smite target, 35 otherwise." GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (5)+24: 29 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (16)+24: 40 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (19)+24: 43 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (17)+24: 41 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (15)+24: 39 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (8)+24: 32 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (10)+24: 34 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Cesran is hit, Aya is hit, Serene is missed, Merek is hit, Cryo is missed, Seldan is missed." GAME: Cesran used a Scarab of Protection. GAME: Cesran rolls will: (13)+21: 34 GAME: Aya rolls will: (18)+9: 27 GAME: Merek rolls will: (12)+17: 29 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 12d6: (31): 31 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 12d6: (38): 38 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 12d6: (48): 48 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (6): 6
Cesran flinches as the thread tries to lash into him, but the scarab that he wears to hold his cloak flashes as a shield of energy briefly flares to ward it off. There is a wisp of spoke that goes off the scarab before Cesran turns around and reaches into his pack to pull out an ink well. He holds it out before him as he addresses the tower and the threads, "This is an endless inkwell. An item that production an infinite amount of matter. Go back to the Void that spawned you!" He shouts out as he casts the spell Banishment aimed at the tower. There is a brief distortion of reality before it snaps back into place and Cesran swears, "Damn it!"
Destroying the tower is the goal.. and yet it releases MORE threadacles of unravioli? The moment the flailing begins, Aya vanishes in a very familiar Aya fashion: a puff of shadow. Gone to parts unknown would not be atypical for her ... or not?
She appears at the whitescale's flank, just in time to block a flailing threat that may or may not have struck the sith. Admittedly, 'block' may be a relative term, considering that any touch is apparently a bad touch, and her interposing forearms are left... smoking? "If we are to bring this down, sooner is preferred to later!"
When the threads pierce the anti-magic shell surrounding Merek, nothing happens to them. It's like they, themselves, are in tune with that. Not magical. In fact, it raises a point that should cross everyone's mind: you're in the god damn sea of mana. Why isn't the anti-magic shell having a big impact? Naturally, the answer is held within where you are: a veritable font of already existent anti-magic. What's a little more? The sea of mana has already been driven away. It's probably why, looking at it, your own magical items are so ... brittle here.
Like Karelin's sword.
In any event, the threads touch. They touch and lance through Merek, and Aya and Cesran, leaving each of them more than a little worse for wear as their very beings seek to come apart at the seams. Flesh rips and tears in vulnerable spots, like they want to break apart, dissolve. A gnawing emptyness and doubt fills their minds.
<OOC> Serene says, "I feel like I want to draw Discord and stab the tower." GAME: Serene rolls will: (4)+34: 38 GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5: (6)+20+5: 31
Serene doesn't dodge this time as another strand of tentacles fly at her.. but she is still left unscored as this time they almost seem to veer away at the last second of their own accord. Or some other unseen hand. Yet though her attention never strays from it, she does note the attempts the others are making at destroying the tower itself. And she hesitates. Though it lasts for barely a moment, it is telling. An absolute reluctance to touch that dark weapon on her hip. Yet she also remembers its eagerness.. its yearning to destroy. To bring entropy. And so she makes a decision. Perhaps not the wisest she has ever made, yet she can't escape the feeling that there is a reason the sword was left behind. That perhaps those doppelgangers had been at least partially swayed to help. To aid Hope. And so she draws it, and as she does so Discord assaults her.
For another moment she is frozen, focused on the battle internal, Discord pressing its will upon her as she resists its whispers. There's no room for finesse. Simply a raw clash of wills. And then the moment is done, and she seems to be in control. Long enough, anyways, to reverse the blade and then stab it into the floor.
Her intent is to dismantel, not to kill, if intent matters at all.
Discord pierces the tower floor you stand on seamlessly, barely seeming to cause harm at first.
Then, slowly, cracks begin to erupt in a chaotic circle all around it, spiraling ever outwards from the hollowed stones that compose the floor. Immediately, the ground beneath your feet feels ... wrong somehow, as if it's giving way, but not. Along the walls around you, the portals that you witnesses, the ones that Asumit was walking through in his many guises, swirl back to active life, energy blazing and burning from them as Discord seems to grant them new strength.
There's a shrieking sound as the tower itself seems to begin breaking apart all around you, dissolving into composite parts as the Sea of Mana rushes in. You can feel that too in the beacon of blazing magical energy that seems to suffuse your senses.
But somehow, you know, things are going terribly wrong at the same time.
Griva Brassbringer screams, closing her eyes tightly, blinded by the sheer power of the Sea's radiance. Blinding white fills your vision for but a moment.
When awareness returns, you are scattered across rocks floating on a raging river of magical energy, circling a great ... *thing*. The Unraveller has changed forms, forced out of the spire it had been drawn into. Now, it's many maws and hungry gaze falls upon you, accompanying madness, but at least brought into a more definable form -- but it is one of swirling chaos that now impedes the sea even further, and it's impossibly vast mouth is an opening to the Void itself. It opens it's maws and you can hear a cry come from it, one of indescribable rage and anguish that will haunt your nightmares into the future.
And you will have nightmares.
Cryosanthia says, "Oh, this is story worthy. So, on the way out we hit traffic (no surprise), because of an accident (also, no surprise). Days without accidents on the 401 are kind of unusual, truth be told."
Donna oh boy.
Cryosanthia says, "It wasn't entirely clear what happened from the layout of the vehicle. There was a white Semi tractor-trailer, which had jack-knived. It had managed to rip most of the front of the tractor off. The cab was intact, but the engine was exposed, the wheels had splayed out as if a broken axel."
Seyardu says, "oh, jeez. That sounds like a mess"
Cryosanthia says, "it appeared, that it crashed into the concrete median dividing the lanes, and then slid all the way to the outside lane, where it crushed a blue Semi against the concrete wall on the shoulder. It had gotten so tangled up with the Blue Semi, that from a distance the white trailer looked like it belonged to the Blue."
Cryosanthia says, "There was also a car with it's front punched down, in the general vicinity, so it was hit by something, but it wasn't clear what."
Cryosanthia says, "On the opposite side of the highway, the Eastbound, were parts of the White semi. I think it's hood and air conditioner, and other things. A good 8 feet of metal that had come off something and was lying in a lane."
Seyardu says, "I hope things were mostly alright. That sounds pretty bad"
Cryosanthia says, "The barrier between east and west, had a three foot chunk of the Concrete barrier shattered, and a large gap in it. Probably where the White semi hit it at full speed, 70 mph."
Cryosanthia says, "Also around, on the Eastbound side, was a burned out pickup. It was parked in a 'safe' position. Best we could figure was, it got hit by flying concrete barrier, bits of Semi, or both, and caught on fire. Wasn't so damaged it couldn't get to the shoulder, but then burned."
Cryosanthia says, "We were fine, it was a tremendous delay though, and the only route, so several attendees were also delayed by that. We left really early, so it helped. Westbound traffic was completely dead and blocked by all the wreckage.
Donna aaaaugh, that's awful. DX
Seyardu says, "It's good that you were still on time though!"
Cryosanthia nods, "Well, fashionably late, but enough."
Seldan says, "Holy smokes, howw fast were they going to throw shrapnel to the opposite side of the highway?"
Cryosanthia says, "it was pretty disturbing. There were a lot of ambulances. The two Semi cabs seemed intact enough the drivers were likely ok. Couldn't tell with the car or the pickup.
Seldan says, "Yes, wow."
Cryosanthia says, "No idea. I'm trying to find a report that gives more details."
Seldan pages: I have come to realize a thing.
Seyardu says, "401 gets a lot of traffic at fairly high speeds"
Seldan says, "How wide is the 401 at that point?"
Cryosanthia nods, "110 KM/H to 140 KM/H, which is 55 - 70 mph. Everyone drives really close. It's the worst highway in north America. Four lanes Eastbound, four lanes Westbound."
EVENTS: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit Part 13 is scheduled to start in 59m 15s.
Seyardu says, "They've been working on widening it for, god I don't know how long where I live"
Seldan says, "Ah, I see. Yes, I am accustomed to 4 and 4 at 55-70, but seldom does shrapnel get thrown that far."
Seyardu says, "Two seasons in canada, winter, and roadwork."
Jinks has connected.
Cryosanthia says, "Ah, here it is. https://www.thestar.com/local-oshawa/news/2021/07/27/video-update-traffic-tangled-by-truck-crash-on-hwy-401-in-pickering.html"
Cryosanthia says, "Um... damn..."
Seyardu says, "Jeez. Glad it seems injuries were minimal, at least"
Cryosanthia says, "We hit traffic because of the crash at 10:02, and passed it at 10:17"
Seldan says, "That could have been much worse."
Seldan says, "The crash itself is nasty, though."
Donna says, "'No serious injuries' is a frickin miracle."
Cryosanthia nods to Seyardu
Seldan says, "Yes, yes it is."
Donna says, "Beyond that harrowing, Cryo, how y'doing?"
Seldan says, "If the force of the collision threw debris into the eastbound lanes, they're very fortunate that it did not cause a secondary crash in the eastbound lanes."
Seldan says, "Driving down the road at high speed and having something come flying at you is very frightening."
Cryosanthia nods, "Well, it took out a pickup in the Eastbound, but it very well could have. The inner most lane had pieces of concrete barrier and truck in it."
Seldan says, "Yikes."
Seldan says, "But yes, how are you doing?"
Cryosanthia says, "Driver of the pickup must have been crazy lucky to get an on-fire vehicle safely off."
Seldan says, "Yes."
Delilah offers hug to anyone who wants one!
Cryosanthia says, "I'm Ok. We tried, but all distancing protocol went out the window. Some of my cousins very broken up, others a bit more 'such is life' about their father's passing."
Cryosanthia taks a hug.
Seyardu hugs as well
Seldan hugs.
Cryosanthia says, "There's going to be an argument later... I am not involved so I'll try not to get caught up in it."
Donna nods, hugs are on clearance today