A nice night's sleep was earned in the triple-bed bedroom of Captain Dov's inn. The party was too tired to open their chest right away, and rightly so -- Rhymus needed health and rest, everyone needed spell slots back, and everything that had happened was just too overwhelming.
In the morning, Rhymus ate grapes and only grapes for breakfast. Magress leaves the room to find an Artificer, but in the meantime Valdulk and Rhymus attempt to open the chest. He manages after a short while to find a hefty 106 gold and two decently large diamonds.
"What could this chest hold -- why, it's a mountain of gold!" - Rhymus, even after seeing what was inside while underwater
But the chest was still heavy... Rhymus borrows a knife from Valdulk and tries to pry the bottom panels out to see if it has a false bottom, but breaks his blade in the process. On further inspection, he deduces that there isn't a false bottom, yet the chest still clearly has something else inside...
"Let me look," said Valdulk.
They lifted the chest and jangled it. Something with weight clearly bounced around inside the actual chamber of the chest. He put his hand inside and felt a cold, neutral magical presence inside. So, what else to do but tip it upside down?
Valdulk angled the chest. Something that he couldn't see but was clearly heavy fell out and tumbled against the floor, landing a few feet away. "Great," he said. "Where did it go?"
--
Back with Magress, who had climbed down the stairs looking for Artificer Vara (the mage that lent them the Deep Sea Suits), asked the old woman at the front desk of the inn where he could be.
"Ah, Vara," said Karindt. "He's on a mission."
"Ah, Vara," said Karindt. "He's on a mission."
"Any idea when he'll be back?" Magress was impatient.
"No, son," she said. "However long it takes."
He went back upstairs to find Valdulk on his hands and knees feeling at the floor, and Rhymus stomping away at something he couldn't see.
"Uh..."
"I'll go left," Valdulk said, crawling to the door.
"Don't take this as a slight, but I'll be coming from the right," said Rhymus as he flanked him with his stomps, each looking for the item. They eventually found it, and with a large glass flask Valdulk scooped it up, feeling the magical presence jangle around inside. Rhymus had some things to say about the container -- "Are you dense? Would this even hold incense?"
"I've clearly got it," Valdulk replied. "We don't know what it is."
"We best be getting back now," said Magress. "To present our mission."
They left the inn and bid farewell to Karindt, as well as Dov and Vara, who were on a mission to eliminate the other parasitical fish monsters. But upon leaving the town (and noticing that, even overnight, more trade ships were in the bay than before) Rhymus immediately cast Find Steed, and brought about a Fae goat as large as a pony named Trigore.
And upon summoning the mount, Loki appeared once more.
Before he could get up to any real shenanigans, they tried asking him what he saw in the vial. Loki was confused -- "You don't just see that small lantern in there?" They had their answer as to what it was, now, but not what it did or how to make it take corporal form.
Loki decided that he had better things to do, and simply told them to treat Trigore nicely and bounced. They needed to make it back up the White Nail Cliffs, and the only way was a narrow stairway. Magress and Valdulk got up easily, but when it came time for Rhymus, Trigore planted his hooves and refused to go up.
"I cast Speak with Animals," says Hunter. Magress, now speaking with Trigore, asks, "Why won't you walk up the steps?"
Trigore's eyes looked in different directions. "It's steeeeep... I'll faaaaaall..."
"You've GOT to be kidding me," said Valdulk (in real life, his player was losing it).
Rhymus rolled well enough to drag the poor goat up the cliff, but when they got up there he froze up and fell over, rolling onto his back with his legs splayed.
They get to the Yggdrasil outpost, meeting again with the elf with whom Rhymus shared a pickle. She greeted them, and asked if they successfully completed the mission. "We did," said Valdulk, looking the other way.
"Oh good," she said. "What did it happen to be?"
Magress looked her in the eyes, shaking. "Deep... sea... parasites!!!"
She watched him in horror. "Oh my!"
It was clear he was losing his mind at this point... something wasn't right with Magress.
The elf mage opened the portal and sent them on their way to Gallanai, as it seemed that the Yggdrasil corporation had finally gathered the resources to contract other Mobile Magic Circle mages. They stepped through the portal and noted the man who helped open it on this end -- a mage with a purple pointed hat and purple flowing cloak, both covered in stars.
Loki decided that he had better things to do, and simply told them to treat Trigore nicely and bounced. They needed to make it back up the White Nail Cliffs, and the only way was a narrow stairway. Magress and Valdulk got up easily, but when it came time for Rhymus, Trigore planted his hooves and refused to go up.
"I cast Speak with Animals," says Hunter. Magress, now speaking with Trigore, asks, "Why won't you walk up the steps?"
Trigore's eyes looked in different directions. "It's steeeeep... I'll faaaaaall..."
"You've GOT to be kidding me," said Valdulk (in real life, his player was losing it).
Rhymus rolled well enough to drag the poor goat up the cliff, but when they got up there he froze up and fell over, rolling onto his back with his legs splayed.
They get to the Yggdrasil outpost, meeting again with the elf with whom Rhymus shared a pickle. She greeted them, and asked if they successfully completed the mission. "We did," said Valdulk, looking the other way.
"Oh good," she said. "What did it happen to be?"
Magress looked her in the eyes, shaking. "Deep... sea... parasites!!!"
She watched him in horror. "Oh my!"
It was clear he was losing his mind at this point... something wasn't right with Magress.
The elf mage opened the portal and sent them on their way to Gallanai, as it seemed that the Yggdrasil corporation had finally gathered the resources to contract other Mobile Magic Circle mages. They stepped through the portal and noted the man who helped open it on this end -- a mage with a purple pointed hat and purple flowing cloak, both covered in stars.
"What, is he Walt Disney?" - Titus
"Thank you, good sir!" said Valdulk.
The mage was shaking. "Springing Mobile Circle magic on a man as old as I all of a sudden... how cruel!"
Valdulk hugged him as tight as he possibly could. "Your role in helping our party will be remembered!"
The mage struggled. His back cracked with a piercing echo as he looked up at the sky. "Ohh..."
Valdulk hugged him tighter. "Good man!"
The man's back gave a final snap, and with the party about to let loose I looked up at my players (after rolling his con saving throw) and could only say, "...He's dead."
They collectively lost their minds at that. I wasn't even kidding, he rolled a natural 1 and didn't have the constitution to survive against Valdulk's strength modifier. But in their backpack, the vial was quaking around. Holding the limp body of the mage he murdered with kindness (manslaughter actually, I would say), Valdulk watched Rhymus withdraw the vial from their bag and watched as it shook with a bright blue light. It flashed, suddenly taking complete form as a lantern, and shooting light back into the body of the mage.
He breathed in, living once more.
"Wh... what happened?" He was beside himself with confusion. "My vision suddenly went dark..."
"Ah, you're fine," said a sweaty and apprehensive Valdulk, patting him on the back. "Off you go!"
The mage started walking away, emanating an unpleasant scent. He also walked with an awkward gait, as if... well, I'm sure you can tell. "I need to change my underpants," he murmured on his way to the bridge.
In the meantime, the group withdrew their newly corporal item.
"This brings people back?" Magress asked no one in particular.
"I have a thought," Rhymus began. "We only use it on us, and for others not."
"Yeah, yeah!" Valdulk fist bumped him.
"Well, what do we do next?" said Magress.
"There's only one quest that requires out skillage..." Rhymus put his fingers on his chin, eyes narrowed in a single direction. "We must stop the poisoning of the village."
"But first," said Valdulk, "we should gather some supplies."
And so they set out to the rest of the city. Valdulk accompanied Rhymus on his way to Gron with blacksmith, whereas Magress held up his tattooed hand. "Ra! Give me guidance! Where should I go?"
The sun shone down onto the path ahead, and Magress followed it to a bridge crossing the thicket point of the river. It was bustling with people, but a particular person (hooded, it looked like), stood from his seat and immediately chucked a knife at Magress.
He dodged and restrained the man. "Zone of Truth! Where are the Artificers?"
He was confused. "I don't know?"
"Alright," he said. "Next... does this hurt?"
Magress moves to stab him, but the assassin dodged. "No."
They continue their fight for a few short blows before the guards come to help. As Magress had cast Zone of Truth, they deduced quickly (by way of the head guard being unable to not tell them that he regularly sniffed his wife's underwear) that the assassin had started the scuffle. They restrained him and took him away, leaving Magress to ponder why Ra sent him in a direction that threatened his life.
--
Meanwhile, Rhymus and Valdulk come across a withered old woman. Rhymus kneels to help heal her, and when he does he discovers it was Loki messing with him all along. He gets angry -- Loki does mess with him quite a lot -- but they settle on an agreement that the next old woman Rhymus will see, Rhymus will punch (how they got there is beyond me).
The mage was shaking. "Springing Mobile Circle magic on a man as old as I all of a sudden... how cruel!"
Valdulk hugged him as tight as he possibly could. "Your role in helping our party will be remembered!"
The mage struggled. His back cracked with a piercing echo as he looked up at the sky. "Ohh..."
Valdulk hugged him tighter. "Good man!"
The man's back gave a final snap, and with the party about to let loose I looked up at my players (after rolling his con saving throw) and could only say, "...He's dead."
They collectively lost their minds at that. I wasn't even kidding, he rolled a natural 1 and didn't have the constitution to survive against Valdulk's strength modifier. But in their backpack, the vial was quaking around. Holding the limp body of the mage he murdered with kindness (manslaughter actually, I would say), Valdulk watched Rhymus withdraw the vial from their bag and watched as it shook with a bright blue light. It flashed, suddenly taking complete form as a lantern, and shooting light back into the body of the mage.
He breathed in, living once more.
"Wh... what happened?" He was beside himself with confusion. "My vision suddenly went dark..."
"Ah, you're fine," said a sweaty and apprehensive Valdulk, patting him on the back. "Off you go!"
The mage started walking away, emanating an unpleasant scent. He also walked with an awkward gait, as if... well, I'm sure you can tell. "I need to change my underpants," he murmured on his way to the bridge.
In the meantime, the group withdrew their newly corporal item.
"I have a thought," Rhymus began. "We only use it on us, and for others not."
"Yeah, yeah!" Valdulk fist bumped him.
"Well, what do we do next?" said Magress.
"There's only one quest that requires out skillage..." Rhymus put his fingers on his chin, eyes narrowed in a single direction. "We must stop the poisoning of the village."
"But first," said Valdulk, "we should gather some supplies."
And so they set out to the rest of the city. Valdulk accompanied Rhymus on his way to Gron with blacksmith, whereas Magress held up his tattooed hand. "Ra! Give me guidance! Where should I go?"
The sun shone down onto the path ahead, and Magress followed it to a bridge crossing the thicket point of the river. It was bustling with people, but a particular person (hooded, it looked like), stood from his seat and immediately chucked a knife at Magress.
He dodged and restrained the man. "Zone of Truth! Where are the Artificers?"
He was confused. "I don't know?"
"Alright," he said. "Next... does this hurt?"
Magress moves to stab him, but the assassin dodged. "No."
They continue their fight for a few short blows before the guards come to help. As Magress had cast Zone of Truth, they deduced quickly (by way of the head guard being unable to not tell them that he regularly sniffed his wife's underwear) that the assassin had started the scuffle. They restrained him and took him away, leaving Magress to ponder why Ra sent him in a direction that threatened his life.
--
Meanwhile, Rhymus and Valdulk come across a withered old woman. Rhymus kneels to help heal her, and when he does he discovers it was Loki messing with him all along. He gets angry -- Loki does mess with him quite a lot -- but they settle on an agreement that the next old woman Rhymus will see, Rhymus will punch (how they got there is beyond me).
They make their way to Gron's forge. Rhymus was able to haggle with rhyme and got their prices (for extending his flail and affixing Valdulk's arcane focus to his sword's hilt) lowered to 162 gold instead of the original 312.
At the same time, Magress is infuriated with Ra. Ra has rarely helped him out in times of need and has so far led him into the path of danger. Ra, being a merciful god, is saddened at Magress's words. He is busy, and can't often lend help to every mortal he watches over. But unlike the angry Zeus and easily-angered Odin, Ra is kind and gentle. He agrees to retract his power from Magress and allow his underling, Anubis, to lend him his abilities and guidance instead.
With the three having met up again after this, Magress discovers that with Anubis's powers he can come back from death (with a limit), and see the last three seconds of a corpse's life. He tests it out on a bit of meat in the market, and witnesses the sheep's last few seconds of life -- staring at a wooden wall while the cleaver comes down.
Valdulk and Rhymus have decided that they want to make grog, however. They visit a market stall where an elf woman is selling herbs, spices, and plants. They purchase a swamp root, a disgusting swamp flower, and a potted mandrake (along with earplugs). They also acquire the most important ingredient, a carrot-like "boil root," which gives the grog its texture.
They make it back to Gallanai Yggdrasil HQ, where Lamerie allows them to start the fermentation process in the kitchen. Rhymus tries to add his blood to the mix (Valdulk stops him), they plug their ears to kill the mandrake root, and overall successfully annoy the hell out of their coordinator, Dren von Sven.
Magress sits at the bar and contemplates his place as an adventurer. Did he want this? Can he still be a Paladin? What does the future hold?
Lamerie leaves to head to the market. Dren von Sven sorts through his papers, and the three members of the party continue to --
Suddenly, they feel lightheaded.
And... one by one, they tumble over, unconscious.
--
TO BE CONTINUED...
Valdulk and Rhymus have decided that they want to make grog, however. They visit a market stall where an elf woman is selling herbs, spices, and plants. They purchase a swamp root, a disgusting swamp flower, and a potted mandrake (along with earplugs). They also acquire the most important ingredient, a carrot-like "boil root," which gives the grog its texture.
They make it back to Gallanai Yggdrasil HQ, where Lamerie allows them to start the fermentation process in the kitchen. Rhymus tries to add his blood to the mix (Valdulk stops him), they plug their ears to kill the mandrake root, and overall successfully annoy the hell out of their coordinator, Dren von Sven.
Magress sits at the bar and contemplates his place as an adventurer. Did he want this? Can he still be a Paladin? What does the future hold?
Lamerie leaves to head to the market. Dren von Sven sorts through his papers, and the three members of the party continue to --
Suddenly, they feel lightheaded.
And... one by one, they tumble over, unconscious.
--
TO BE CONTINUED...
--
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