Return [To Madness]: Act 1, Scene 2

[Styrius]

Pwr activation: Disintegrate:[1d20]=6
Axid uses his mind on the two handed sword the snake lady is wielding.

[TristenC]

Stephen reaches out with his will, probing to contact the reptilian fighter woman's mind, but finds it fortified against such intrusions! The necromancer halfling commands his Drow and spectral undead to attack and subdue the sword-wielding warrior woman. Thallena and Nidrith immediately rush through the shimmering portal, hopping the short distance down to the stone floor. The trauma of dimensional travel causes their bodies to twitch and jerk as they reel from the effects.


The snake warrior raises her powerful blade yet again, the weapon poised to destroy Alrius. At the very crux of her swing, the weapon flashes green and scatters into innumerable tiny motes of fading green light, as if disintegrated by some unseen force!! Shock is obvious, even on that serpentine face. The momentary disbelief affords her would be victim an opening, and the juju-zombie strikes her squarely in the torso with his fist. The blow stops dead, utterly ineffective, and his second swing goes wide. Weaponless, the snake-woman flees to the North. Alrius takes advantage of the opportunity, but misjudges his parting shot and stumbles to the ground! Shortly the muffled sounds of grinding stone fills the chamber with the statue, but the party can see nothing new from their vantage point.

The quartet of eerie green figures continue to swipe at the downed undead, but to no avail. Allikhain targets the melee and a spark of azure light bursts from the center of the group; a familar burst of dispelling magic. The effort, however, seems insufficient to eliminate the figures… Ke'Sha peers past the others, blowgun at the ready, but his intended target is nowhere to be seen from beyond the glittering doorway. The shimmering visage of the Spectre Mourkol floats effortlessly above the floor; his form moves unhurriedly as if strolling through a garden. The incorporeal undead drifts through the Dimensional portal and continues his stride through empty air as if no gravity, enemy nor Psychoportive Devotion demanded the barest heed from him. With grim and deadly countenance he drifts to the right and down behind the statue, out of sight of those above. In a moment, an almost alien reptilian shriek can be heard as the spectre meets his target. Suddenly a massive column of flame erupts before the portal, surrounding and searing the still stunned juju-zombie and wight! The fire subsides, and those who look can see they have been scorched to no small degree.


[Actions Round 3?]
[Disintegrating an enemy fighter's sword in the middle of combat made me laugh so hard ]
====

R2 init:
Drommacus (1+ ): 1
Stephen (2+Contact): 2
Jagrinder (4+hold): 4
Gur (4+): 4
Nidrith (2+3 nat attk): 5
Axid (5+Disintegrate): 5
VF4 (2+3 natural attk): 5
Allikhain (3+3 sp): 6
Jack (7 hold): 7
VF3 (4+3 natural attk): 7
Alrius (4+3 nat attk): 7
Thallena (5+3 nat attk): 8
VF1 (5+3 natural attk): 8
Landro (10+ hold): 10
T (2+9 M2H): 11
Mourkol (8+3 nat attk): 11
[3 troll zom and Skel: Init 8+ x]
VF2 (9+3 natural attk): 12
Ke'Sha (8+5 Blowgun): 13
E (9+8 Sp): 17

Drommacus holds

Stephen attempts to use his Contact ability on the Snake Woman!
Contact Initiation Roll (Wis-1/-4/-7) 20/17/14: [1d20]=15, pass!
Stephen attempt to contact Ms Snakey (Tarrana's) mind: Failure! Her mind is Closed!

Jagrinder holds

Gur holds

Nidrith moves South 25 feet to enter the Dimension Door and drops 6 feet to the ground.
Nidrith is stunned for 1 round (unable to move or attack)


Axid attempts to use his Disintegrate ability on the Snake Woman's Sword!
Wis -4 = 12, need 12 or lower!
[1d20]=6, pass!
item carried by Tarrana, her save applies
Save vs Disintegrate [1d20]=3, Fail!
Tarrana's sword is Disintegrated!


VF4 attacks Alrius. No Effect


Allikhain casts Dispel Magic centered on the Figures
vs VF1 [1d20] = 3, fail! VF1 unaffected
vs VF2 [1d20] = 11, fail! VF2 unaffected
vs VF3 [1d20] = 10, fail! VF3 unaffected
vs VF4 [1d20] = 3, fail! VF4 unaffected
Allikhain DM [1d20]=3, [1d20]=11, [1d20]=10, [1d20]=3


Jack holds

VF3 attacks Alrius. No Effect

Alrius bashes with his right fist at Tarrana
Thac0 15 vs AC ?
[1d20] = 14, hit!
No Damage!
Tarrana is Protected!

Alrius bashes with his right fist at Tarrana
Tarrana
Thac0 15 vs AC ?
[1d20] = 4, Miss!


Thallena moves South 25 feet to enter the Dimension Door and drops 6 feet to the ground.
Thallena is stunned for 1 round (unable to move or attack)

VF1 attacks Alrius. No Effect

Landro holds


Tarrana Flees!
Alrius gets an attack of opportunity!
Alrius bashes with his right fist at Tarrana as she flees (+2)
Thac0 15 vs AC ?(+2)
[1d20] = 1, Fumble!
Alrius falls prone!
Alrius aoo vs T [1d20]=1, [2d4]=5


Tarrana moves North past the statue and out of sight! Then ???


Mourkol flies EastSouth 40 feet to enter the Dimension Door and passes through. (Incorporeal, unaffected by the dimensional stun!). Mourkul flies NorthWest 25 feet to engage Tarrana in melee.
Thac0 13 vs AC?
[1d20]=19, Hit!
[1d8] = 5 damage (negative energy)
Tarrana is Barely Scratched!
Tarrana is Drained of 2 levels of Life Energy!!


[3 troll zom and Skel: Init 8+ x] hold, no orders

VF2 attacks Alrius. No Effect


Ke'Sha moves East 5 feet to look through the Dimension Door, but cannot see his target from here.


E???
A Column of Flame erupts around Nidrith and Thallena!
Nidrith and Thallena save vs spell [1d20]=6, [1d20]=9, [6d8]=12
Both Fail and take 12 damage!
Nidrith is Damaged! [23/35 Hps]
Thallena is Damaged! [16/28 Hps]

[Lord Torath]

Stephen’s eyes go wide after discovering the snake-woman’s mental defenses.

“Little Miss Scaley has received formal training in the Way.” he quietly tells Axid. “I’m going to check to see if she’s still nearby.”

He mentally repeats the warning to his mindlinked companions before summoning his Will and casting his thoughts out to detect any living minds in the area, using his mastery of telepathy to improve the results.

=====================================================================

Stephen will attempt to use Life Detection (Power Score: Int-2+1 = 18 - DM Checks - cost is 3 PSPs if successful, or half that (round up? Round down? CPsiHB p28 doesn’t say) if unsuccessful. If successful (and not a Nat 18) Stephen will use Power Manipulation to attempt to get the Power Score result - detect all living things within 300 feet.

Power Manipulation roll for Life Detection (Int) 19: [1d20]=3 Cost: 5 PSPs

Edit: Stephen will maintain the Dimensional Door (2 PSPs)

[Nocturno]

"Big guy, Jack, I think you will need to get those blades a work out."
=======================================
"Oy, here we go." Jack will follow the Giantkin, but will not go in before him.
He will delay an attack if he can after movement, or not. But will follow Landro if he goes through.

[Lord Torath]

“Quick reminder - going through the portal I've opened will leave you dazed for about a minute. It might be safer to take the 'blood bubble'.” Stephen says to Jack. “Also, I think the glowing 'statues' might be illusions. They don't appear to be solid at any rate.”

[BishGada]

Ke'Sha instructs Mourkol to declare the warrior woman is near him, then to continue his assault on her. Nidrith and Thallena are instructed to attack the warrior, while Alrius stands up and instructed to observe the giant statue and the golems that attack him. Then to look at the mirror next to him and try to move it or if it won't move, to break it.
Ke'Sha asks Gur to scan the room behind the portal using his magic detection, prays a short incantation and dark fire bursts out of his eye socket, pours through the dimension door and touches Thallena, restoring her shape.
"There is either a spell caster down there or the undead triggered a trap!" Ke'Sha shares his assumptions regarding the burst of flame they saw.

=================================
(OOC: Not sure what happened but I posted yesterday and it is gone missing. I post again with the links from unseen servant.

I noticed you wrote in one of the rounds that the south mirror was damaged by a spell, so I thought it might be of relevance. Then there are four mirrors in the room and four golems, and the statue stands in their midst, and also the icons you use look alike. It might be coincidence or a misdirection, but it worth trying.

Also, Styrius, GREAT IDEA with disintegrating the sword! I play for so many years and first time I see such a smart use of the spell!

Ke'Sha casts Dark fire of Basheba on Thallena: [1d4+10]=2+10=12

Nidrith attack: Nidrith atk01 [1d20]=20 dmg01[2d4]=7 atk02 [1d20]=7 dmg02[2d4]=5

Thallena attack: Thallena atk [1d20]=16 dmg [1d4]=1 + Drain

Mourkol attack: Mourkol attack: [1d20]=19 dmg [1d8]=6 + 2xDrain

I assume the drain lowers her HP, but is it something perceivable as damage? Since Stephen wanted her alive but if the drain is not apparent as wounds would be, she might die by mistake...

Ke'Sha can still later cast speak with dead, or if she rises as a spectre she may regain her memories and be compelled to answer the group questions.
)

[Nocturno]

Jack will look at Landro, and say, "Let's go!" He will start to head to the bubble.

[Styrius]

[1d20]=12
Axid uses clairvoyance and places it where the grid lines converge just to the west of the “|” on the north end of the map.

[TristenC]

[Ooc] Yeah, the drain will lower max hps and they retain the numbered damage accumulated so far. So if someone with 100 hps had 10 damage (90/100 Hps) and was drained so they lost 20 permanent hit points, their new total would be (70/80 Hps). Ke'Sha would be familiar with how a drained person typically looks: sickly, sallow cheeks, ashy complexion, more severe the farther they have been drained. These physiological indicators go away gradually over days as the victim adjusts.[/ooc]


Stephen moves close to the portal and reaches out his Will in a familiar and practiced Way to sense the life-force of those around. Carefully he begins to manipulate the nature of this power, attempting to dial into a oneness with his mental senses… yet… Nothing… not even the sense of those around him comes through… curious… Axid, instead, steps back and reaches out in a different way. In his mind's eye he reaches for the space beyond the great crystal statue. As the image begins to bloom in his mind he strikes a harmonic resonance within, and the sounds beyond come to the Dwarven Psionicist as well!

Axid can see the Snake-like warrior woman dodging and trying to evade the Spectre Mourkol. However, another snake-like figure stands in the NorthEast corner of the room. This one too is human-sized with the head of a serpent. He wears long robes of green and red, and a mace hangs at his belt. The fingers of one hand appear to be snakes! Beside the figure to the North is an open panel in the wall a full 10 feet wide and tall like a massive secret door! The Drow undead Nidrith moves into view, striking the snake woman as well, but the blow seems to have no effect! The combat there goes on in silence.

Thallena waits dutifully as her master, Ke'Sha, begins to prepare his spell. Two of the green figures split off to attack her, but they seem equally ineffectual against the Wight as they were to the juju-zombie… Alrius ignores his assailants and reaches up to the base of the mirror, now bent away from the wall by Allikhain's force missiles. With a great effort the undead pulls and pries at the panel, attempting to move it. The polished metal mirror appears to escape it's mountings and pops free of the wall, coming to the ground with a tremendous Crash! It stands, dented and somewhat worse for wear, leaned against the blank and featureless stone of the South wall.

Abruptly Axid hears newly revealed snake-man muttering, apparently outside of the magical silence, as he draws forth some sort of unholy icon! Those beyond the portal hear a sibilant voice rise from the NorthEast corner of the room, Slavesss of undeath! Ssserve me! In Vytholusss name! Immediately the juju zombies and the wight turn to face the snake-like priest. Dessstroy the Ssspectre!! Alrius turns from the mirror, and Nidrith from the Snake-woman. The Drow undead draw their dark blades as Thallena steps away from the Dimensional Door just before Ke'Sha's spell is finished! She strides past the statue and out of sight of all but Axid. The Dwarf alone witnesses the wight as she swipes at the Spectre! Mourkol sneers at the useless attempt, though distracted by the magical blade of Nidrith… The snake woman takes the opportunity to back cautiously away from the melee, still staggering from the spectre's strike! She and the other serpent-person move through the opening to the North and out of sight. A grinding of stone echoes in the room as the secret door slowly closes…


Back in the chamber above, Allikhain moves to peer through the portal as well, speaking a secret word of activation and her eyes begin to glow violet. Scanning the area below she shakes her head. I don't see anything down there that is hidden by invisibility… she shares. Landro and Jack voice their intentions to go below, Careful you two, we still don't know much about those green Figures. Allikhain cautions as they approach the scaly-metal hands and the odd transport..

Jack and Landro hold their hands forward and count together, reaching out to touch the blood bubble at the same time. The translucent crimson orb bends out to engulf them both, pulling them inside! Just as before the sphere slides down into the shaft, but another does not form, the hands seem to have stopped bleeding… The two can see their descent for a few feet, but suddenly everything goes pitch-black; shortly there after, utter silence ensues… Abruptly the eerie green light of the lower chamber embraxes them, though the deafening silence persists. To those beyond the portal it appears a massive pair of arms lowers the bubble from the dark, setting it gently down by the statue's feet. The Firbolg and Human set off towards the figures attacking Alrius. As they get some distance from where they landed, suddenly they are able to hear again as if leaving a zone of silence!

Jack positions himself behind one of the figures, his magical longsword and dagger drawn. With a vicious one-two combo he slashes and stabs at the towering shape's torso. The weapons carve swaths through the irridescent creature, shearing off tiny verdant crystals that sparkle and shatter in the air as they burst into trails of colored smoke; quickly vanishing. The figure turns toward the rogue, eerie green mist seeping from its 'wounds'. Landro's immense sword sweeps over Jack's head, blasting through the figure's neck. Emerald smoke pours from the stump as the head spirals weightlessly through the air, dispersing into the aether. The body crashes to the stone floor, shattering into a myriad of glass-like shards which quickly begin to sublimate as well. The Firbolg swings at the second figure nearby, but his blade goes wide; burying itself in the ornate frame of the silver mirror!


[Actions Round 4?]
[Lol, Landro's init speed is so slow he goes in 3-5 business days

Ke'Sha could not hear Mourkol's answer because the Spectre is in the area of Silence. I went ahead and put it on the map since enough people have noticed/ gone through it at different angles. Just easier for me to track this way Also, Ke'Sha has lost control of Alrius, Nidrith and Thallena! He can regain control in the typical way by using his Control Undead ability, but he needs to be in sight of them to do so. Currently he only has line of sight to Alrius.]
====

R3 init:
Drommacus (1+ ): 1
Stephen (2+Detect Life): 2
T (2+): 2
Jagrinder (4+): 4
Gur (4+): 4
Axid (5+): 5
Nidrith (2+3 nat attk): 5
VF4 (2+3 natural attk): 5
Allikhain (3+3 activation): 6
VF3 (4+3 natural attk): 7
Alrius (4+3 nat attk): 7
Thallena (5+3 nat attk): 8
VF1 (5+3 natural attk): 8
Jack (7+2 MLS): 9
Mourkol (8+3 nat attk): 11
[3 troll zom and Skel: Init 8+ x]
VF2 (9+3 natural attk): 12
E (9+3): 12
Ke'Sha (8+5 DFB sp): 13
Landro (10+13 M2H): 23

Drommacus holds

Stephen attempts to use Life Detection
[1d20] = ??
Stephen does not detect any life around him (even the paety in the room!) spends 2 psps
And Power Manipulation
(19) [1d20]=3, pass Cost: 5 PSPs


Tarrana goes on the defensive (improving her AC by ???) Waiting for E


Jag Holds
Gur holds

Axid attempts to use Clairvoyance
(Wis-4), Need 12-
[1d20]=12 Power Score result!
Automatically gains Clairaudiance as well!

Nidrith is commanded to attack Tarrana
Nidrith moves NorthWest 35 feet to engage Tarrana in melee!
Nidrith bashes with her right fist at Tarrana Under full defense (??)
Thac0 15 vs AC ?+??
[1d20] = 20, Crit!
No Damage!
Tarrana is Protected!

Nidrith bashes with her left fist at Tarrana Under full defense (??)
Thac0 15 vs AC ?+??
[1d20] = 7, Miss!


VF4 moves NorthEast 25 feet to engage Thellena in melee!
VF4 attacks Thallena. No Effect


Allikhain activates her current Persistence: See Invisibility and watches through the Dimension Door.


VF3 moves NorthEast 25 feet to engage Thellena in melee!
VF3 attacks Thallena. No Effect


Alrius stands, watches the Figures, then moves to the mirror.
Alrius tries to move the mirror,
The mirror is sufficiently damaged and breaks off the wall!


Thallena Holds, waiting for Ke'Sha to act


VF1 attacks Alrius. No Effect


Jack moves to the Blood Bubble and holds, waiting for Landro so they can ride together


Mourkol Swipes at Tarrana Under full defense (??)
Thac0 13 vs AC?+??
[1d20]=19, Hit!
[1d8] = 6 damage (negative energy)
Tarrana is Hurt!
Tarrana is Drained of 2 levels of Life Energy!!


[3 troll zom and Skel: Init 8+ x] Hold

VF2 attacks Alrius. No Effect

Erthane uses ???
E CU [1d20]=2, Fail! Mourkol is unaffected!
Alrius, Nidrith, and Thallena automatically Affected!
Erthane moves North 10 feet and out of sight!

Alrius draws his sword and turns to face North!
Nidrith draws her sword and threatens Mourkol!
Thallena, ready, moves NorthWest 25 feet to engage Mourkol in melee!
Thallena is unable to harm Mourkol!

Tarrana, ready, moves NorthEast 35 feet and out of sight!
The Secret Door closes!


Ke'Sha's target (Thallena) is out of range!


Landro moves to the Blood Bubble.
Jack, ready, and Landro try to touch the Blood Bubble at the same time (dex check each) so they can ride together
Landro (11), Jack (16) [1d20]=10, [1d20]=4, both Pass!

Landro and Jack are lowered into C1


Jack, ready, moves SouthWest 25 feet behind VF2
Jack stabs with his Frost Brand Longsword in his right hand at VF2 (AC?) from behind (+2)
Thac0 5 vs AC ?(+2)
[1d20]=10, Hit!
For [1d12+9]=4+9=13 damage!
VF2 is Damaged!

Jack stabs with his Magical Dagger (+2/ +3vs Large creatures) in his left hand at VF2 (AC?) from behind (+2)
Thac0 5 vs AC ?(+2)
[1d20]=11, Hit!
For [1d3+9]=1+9=10 damage!

Jack FrostLS And MDag [1d20]=10, [1d12+9]=4+9=13, [1d20]=11, [1d3+9]=1+9=10


Landro moves SouthWest 35 feet behind VF2 and VF1
Landro slashes with his Magical Giant 2-Handed sword (spec) at VF2 (AC?) from behind (+2)
Thac0 0 vs AC ? (+2):
[1d20] = 19, hit!
For [3d6] = (10 x2) +11 => 31 damage!
VF2 is Destroyed!

Landro slashes, a second time, with his Magical Giant 2-Handed sword (spec) at VF1 (AC?) from behind (+2)
Thac0 0 vs AC ? (+2):
[1d20] = 1, Fumble!
Landro's Weapon gets Stuck in the Mirror Frame!

Landro M2-H [1d20]=19, [3d6]=10 x2+11, [1d20]=1, [3d6]=14 x2+11


Here is the figure of the Snake-man Priest Axid saw before it fled North through the secret door

Map Notes:
The tiny blue circle with the Black dot inside is the point of Axid's Clairvoyance/ Clairaudience.

The purple circle is the area of 'Silence', centered around where the Blood Bubbles land

The red bar is where Axid saw the secret door before it closed.

The figure with the black dot is destroyed, there is no body left over, the token is just to mark where it was for now.

The red circles on the undead indicate Ke'Sha is not currently in-control of them.

[BishGada]

'Hmm... How rude... no honor between necromancers...' Ke'Sha thinks to himself. 'I should have been better prepared.'
He immediately acts to regain control over his minions.
================================================================================
(OOC: Can Ke'Sha instruct Mourkul to move closer to the dimension door, so that Nidrith and Thallena will be in line of sight again? For now he wants to regain control on Alrius and instructs him to attack the figures.
I think Ke'Sha has automatic control over the ju-ju, can Alrius attack at the same round or only on the next one?

Also, can we figure (or role something like Arcana in 5th edition) from our experience, what kind of 'protection' the warrior lizard woman had? Was it stoneskin, magic that absorbs HP like phantom armor, or some other immunity?
)

[Styrius]

Axid verbally relays what he sees/hears to Stephen. He can relay to the rest of the group.

[Nocturno]

Jag will come around to watch through the portal for now.

[Lord Torath]

<Axid says he saw another snake-man – probably the one who cast the flamestrike. He and Miss Scaley fled through a secret door to the north. I think he may have taken control over Ke’sha’s minions.> Stephen shares with Jag, Jack, and Ke’Sha.

He then takes a deep breath, attempting to center himself, and pulls again on his Will, once more sending it out, searching for living minds.
=============================================
Stephen will again use Life Detection with Power Manipulation to catch everything within 100 yards, assuming the initial check is successful.
Power Manipulation roll for Life Detection (Int) 19: [1d20]= 10

He will also maintain Dimensional Door.

[Nocturno]

Jack will move to the one Landro missed handily.

[BishGada]

Ke'Sha thinks to himself, "Not for long... " and instructs Mourkol to fly out of the wight and jujus reach and to position himself in a way that Ke'Sha can see all the undead and control them again. He also ponders what made the lizard woman immune to the jujus attacks but not to the Spectre.
==========================
(OOC: Ke'Sha tries to regain control over the undead.)