[Planescape] Squaring the Circle Redux - IC

Cast of Characters

Burrow (Pl/male earth mephling/Drd11/NG) -- Ashy
Zoe Windwalker (Pr/female human/Fav12/CN) -- Thanee
Blade Stopthrust (Pl/female spiker/Ftr12/LG) -- Isida Kep'Tukari
Kiaros Ilivenia (Pr/male elf (ghost)/Rog7/CG) -- Serpenteye
Donner Hund (Pr/male halfling/Ftr6,Hnd6/N) -- Ferrix
Vladimir Kronenheim (Pl/male dwarf/Pal5,Nec7/Dustmen/LG) -- Kajamba Lion
Flaust Conkersforbrains (Pl/female tiefling/Rog6,Ftr3,Cha2/Xaositect/CN) -- deadestdai

Format

Please put speech in "quotes", thoughts in italics, and any game-related info such as skill checks or spell use in [brackets] at the end of your post. Use of colored text for speech is not mandatory, but appreciated, as long as the colors don't burn out my retinas. Once in a while, I'll be using spoiler tags, ; y'all should know the drill.

Please try to post at least once every other day (excepting weekends) if there is something for you to respond to. If a player has not posted in at least week and is holding up the game, I will NPC the character as necessary. If a player is gone for more than 2 weeks without posts or an explanation, then I reserve the right to declare him or her MIA and start recruiting for replacements. I understand that sometimes life just throws you a curve ball and you may suddenly find yourself short of time but please, please do the courtesy of dropping me a note in the OOC thread if you're going to be away (planned or not) for some time-- I'm willing to work around absences. Thanks!

And So It Begins...

From Pihnmid's Inscriptions, a handwritten collection of translated excerpts from the legendary Book of Inverted Darkness:


Rewind. A month ago found you storming the Citadel of Broken Souls on Minethys, the cold and blasted fourth layer of Carceri, alongside Sir Praetol, a paladin of great virtue from the prime world of Qua-Nosham. Qua-Nosham has long been plagued by the machinations of fiends, and Sir Praetol sought to take the fight to the enemy by striking at a baatezu outpost hidden deep in the Red Prison, for the devils had been particularly vexing in their attempts to sow misery and disharmony. The daring offensive caught the fiends off-guard and the defenders were slain to the last, the fortress left in ruins to be buried by the layer's relentless winds.

Curiously though, the force stationed at the Citadel wasn't as strong as expected, and an examination of the battle plans liberated during the attack soon revealed the dark of it. Not long before, a group of baatezu, including a few of the high-ups from the Citadel of Broken Souls, had raided a remote yugoloth fortress on Gehenna, and stumbled across a strange creature called the Maeldur there. The plans revealed little else, but it was clear from the language that the Maeldur was a being of great power. Immediately, the baatezu set about securing their prize, and wrapping it in utmost secrecy and spiriting it away from all prying eyes. In fact, it was only by luck that you managed to get ahold of these papers at all; they were due to be destroyed.

Unfortunately, not long after the return home, Sir Praetol fell prey to a strange wasting disease, one that has stymied the best efforts of the priests and healers of Qua-Nosham to treat it. A few others in his company have also fallen ill with the same malady but fortunately, the lot of you seem to have escaped unscathed (though it has not slipped beneath your notice that all that have succumbed to this mysterious illness were of a lawful bent). Therefore, before his lapse into into a deathlike coma, Sir Praetol charged you with uncovering the dark of the Maeldur and why the baatezu are so desperate to keep it from falling back into hands of the 'loths. He was most insistent upon this point, and you eventually agreed after it became clear he would settle for nothing less.

You returned to Sigil and spent several days parking your ears for latest chant, particularly about suspicious baatezu activities (well, more suspicious that usual), picking the heads of graybeards, and scouring magic shops and faction archives for any mention of the Maeldur. It all came up for naught until Kesto Brighteyes was able to pull a priceless old manuscript, motheaten and yellowed from age, from his fabled back room at the Parted Veil. True, you had to endure an hour or so of his Defiers' screed about the false superiority of the powers and how they're peeling everyone about their 'supposed' divinity but it has given you your only lead on Maeldur so far (see the excerpt above).... unfortunately, it's not a whole lot.

Further research on the Maeldur or Daru ib Shamiq have all hit the blinds and you're canny enough to know not to go rattling your bone-box too much about them. Whispers have a way of getting around the Cage, after all. However, your efforts have not entirely been in vain-- you turned up an old book entitled Localities on the Outlands: Volume IV, the Gate-Towns that notes a small estate by that name of "Daubei's Obscure Woe" was built in the gate-town of Torch. Granted, the mouldering tome is several hundred years out of date, but it's better than nothing. Looks like it's time to take a trip to Torch then; good thing you know of a portal to just the place in the Market Ward.

Tonight, however, you grab the chance to kick back and relax a little at the Ubiquitous Wayfarer. It's pretty lively in the tavern right now, with serving maids pushing through the crowds, taking orders, delivering drinks as fast as they can pour 'em, and laughing at the good-natured banter tossed their way. A quick glance around reveals a typical Sigilian crowd: Chaosmen and Guvners discussing philosophy over frothing mugs in one corner; a tiefling snuggling up to a bariaur near the fire; various primes, planars, and petitioners mingling freely (though a body would be hard-pressed to tell one from the other); a tanar'ri sitting with an aasimon at a nearby table; a pack of imps dancing around a band of singing githyanki over in another corner. The night is still young and tomorrow... well, who knows what tomorrow will bring?

OOC: Consider this a chance to get into character a little before we really sink into the meat of the adventure. Since you know where you'll be going in the morning, you're welcome to buy supplies and whatnot as needed-- just let me know. And for simplicity's sake, let's just say you all have rooms at the Wayfarer.

Links
Out of Character | Character Gallery | Image Gallery | Cant Dictionary

Supplementary Campaign Info

Magical Conditions on the Planes

Each plane has its own set of physical laws and interactions with the forces of magic. Certain types of magic can be nulled, enhanced, diminished, or simply altered. The actual changes vary as much as the planes themselves but in general, the following conditions apply:

• Nulled means that certain spells simply don't work on a given plane. These are usually based on elemental or philosophical opposites. For example, water spells never work on the plane of Fire. Certain "null" spells may be restored with spell keys, such as illusion magic on Mechanus.
  
• Diminished spells function at one level lower than normal. This occurs when a plane's composition and physics aren't conducive to that particular school of magic, but not to such a degree that the spells cannot function at all. For example, fire spells are diminished on the plane of Earth, so a fireball cast by a 5th-level wizard there inflicts only 4d6 points of damage. In addition, spells higher 4th level cannot be cast at all by anyone.
  
• Enhanced spells always function as though cast at one level higher than the caster's actual level. This happens on planes where that type of spell is conducive to the environment due to similarity or general fostering of such effects; for example, violent evocations on Gehenna mirror the violence of the plane. Thus, a fireball cast by a 5th-level wizard inflicts 6d6 points of damage, and the target's saving throw is made with a -1 penalty.
  
• Alterations are by far the most common changes to spells, and their effects vary so much it's impossible to catalogue them here. Spells so changed by the plane can manifest in a number of different ways. These effects shift from plane to plane and spell to spell, but some consistent patterns exist: For example, all fire spells on the plane of Ice produce explosions of steam rather than fire. Sometimes, only the appearance of the spell's effect changes, while other times, the general nature of the spell itself changes. On some planes, change to their opposite in effect or intent. On Mount Celestia, for example, death magic always reflects back upon the caster. Or the reliability of the magic itself may diminish, making any attempt at spellcasting an unsure proposition-- like casting transmutation spells in the Abyss.

Special Note: Under 2e, magical conditions only affect arcane spellcasters but I have expanded them to include all types of magic (both arcane and divine) in this adventure because I removed power level loss from the divine casters. Magical conditions usually do not apply to spell-like abilities or supernatural abilities, unless it's absolute prohibition (see below).


Spell Keys
Spell keys allow a caster to bypass some of the above restrictions. See, it's possible to learn the particulars of a plane's alterations and adapt spellcasting to those conditions. Spell keys enable the spellcaster to cast spells where such magic is altered or even completely ineffective, whether the limitation is due to a planar pathway restriction or a school alteration. These keys must be added to incantations, gesticulations, or required material components used to cast a spell and take different forms depending on where they're required. For example, on Ysgard spell keys are runes that are traced in the air or spoken aloud. On Mechanus they take the form of mathematical formulae traced on tiny cogs. On Limbo they constantly change, reflecting that plane's chaotic nature.

Some spell keys prove far more useful than others to a spellslinger. General keys allow a cutter to effectively cast any spell from a group of spells, while specific keys only affect one particular spell. A general key might restore all the spells of a particular school of magic-- such as all conjuration spells on Baator-- while another key might affect all wall-related spells on Limbo. A specific spell key would only restore invisibility on Arcadia or power word: kill on Mount Celestia, for example.

There isn't a spell key for every spell or school that suffers alterations, however. A few spells simply won't work on certain planes, no matter what a body does. These are planar absolutes and can never be bypassed (while even "null" spell types can be restored with spell keys). The most commonly known absolute prohibitions are listed below:

Planescape Sites
Mimir.net
Li Po's Hermitage
On the Wings of Mephits
Planewalker.com
Portalseeker.com
The Roaming Genasi Tavern

Blade Stopthrust, female spiker fighter

*Blade had claimed a suitably large table for her party, and asked for a pitcher of red wine to share with the others. She wore neat, silvery traveling leathers, pierced in places to make allowances for her body spikes, along with modest jewelry in iron and adamantine. This latest adventure promised adventure on a grand scale, and a quest to test a valorous heart.*

Though the road has been long, I'm glad to see we can help in some way.

"Zoe, would you care for some wine?" Blade asks politely, Zoe being the one in the party she tended to get along the best with. Flaust drove her to distraction the best of times, and a red rage during the worst, Vladimir's fixation on death disturbed her, Kiaros was disturbing in and of himself, and Donner often being too gruff. While she had an affection for them all, one did not need to boil the brain during the day off.

Kiaros, Ghost, Rogue

Kiaros raises his hand, the hand of a handsome young tiefling murderer and rapist, to signal one of the more attractive bar-maids.
"Another two glasses of wine, young miss, something red, spicy and potent," Smiling a devilish grin he adds, "like me." "And something light, sweet and hot, like you." He grins again, self-ironically.
She doesn't strike me as the type who requires too much in the way of subtlety.

Zoe Windwalker

Feeling out of place was something Zoe had grown accustomed to. It was not the same thing here in Sigil as it was back on Toril, but it sure was a strange place and yet fascinating, not unlike her company, a most unlikely band of adventurers, where she seemingly was the most normal person, if normal meant anything around here. And even for herself, this term was quite unfitting, as she was everything but normal, but this place, this cultural conglomerate, made her feel like that. Still, even after the few months she had lived here now.

This place, Sigil, was so full of mysteries, her restless soul could spend months upon months just to explore the city, and beyond the countless doorways, that led from here, the vastness of the planes was waiting for her. It was no coincidence, that she came here. Horatius, the shrine, the portal, it had been her destiny to come here, to meet new people, to go beyond the borders of reality, and to claim whatever prize was waiting for her.

Unlike the first few times, when Zoe was in a similar situation, she was now able to relax, drink with her friends and loose herself with the assurance, that they, as strange as some of them were, would be around to catch her, should she fall.

This was a good feeling...

“Yes, wine is good,” she answers to Blade. “We have a victory to celebrate and a friend to bemoan, not that we should give up on our hope to see him recover...”

Donner cleared his throat, loud and strong for such a small character, he tapped the table and ordered a bout of hot steaks for himself and his closest companions (Grizzle and the other two). He felt, for once, secure amongst friends that would not perish and leave him on his own again. Flaust and Kiaros were both off the deep end half the time in their own worlds, but Blade and Zoe reassured him constantly that at least he wasn't the only one with head on his shoulders.

"Wine would be good about now," he says giving another once over of the crowd, his gut enjoying the odd mixture the Cage reveled in.

Blade Stoptrust, female spiker fighter

"Sir Praetol's illness concerns me as well Zoe. I fear it is intended to strike all those of straight minds. But together I think there is little we cannot overcome, if our hearts are true," Blade says the last as a toast, and clicks her glass with Zoe's.

"Somehow I doubt that the Baathezu would concoct a disease specifically to target the lawful alignment. They are, after all, the most powerful and militant champions of Law in the Multiverse." He takes another drink from his glass, "Of course, it's possible that the Lawful Evil are exempted. It's also possible that such a loophole could be exploited by a skilled enough spellcaster to create a universal cure for the disease, or perhaps even reverse it against the fiends themselves." He shrugs the shoulders of his tiefling victim and empties his glass, "But what do I know? Evil is usually turned around to bite its own arse. That is a historical fact." He slurrs slightly, feeling the alcohol take effect in his mortal coil.

Vlad, silent until now, lets out a sigh. "If Sir Praetol's mind is in its proper order, then I don't think we need to worry about him. Either way, he'll be fine. Hoping for one outcome over the other is...wasteful." He occupies himself with his drink, a porter reminiscent of some of the brews of his family's holds.

As for the rest, Sigil is what it is, and Vlad holds no great affection for the city or the people within. His companions are, for better or worse, his companions, and, although he'd be hard pressed to admit it, he cares for them in his own peculiar way. He desperately hopes that they all achieve enough enlightenment to reach true death or to accept it -- there was something unnerving and disappointing about Kiaros's possession of the living -- to be so close, only to reject it, refuse it, and hang on to the trappings of life.

Serpenteye said:

Kiaros raises his hand, the hand of a handsome young tiefling murderer and rapist, to signal one of the more attractive bar-maids.
"Another two glasses of wine, young miss, something red, spicy and potent," Smiling a devilish grin he adds, "like me." "And something light, sweet and hot, like you." He grins again, self-ironically.

Click to expand...

The barmaid laughs playfully at Kiaros, "Ah, such a charmer," she says, her fingers drifting down to unconsciously smooth out the wrinkles in her dress. She takes everyone else's orders as well and soon returns laden with a large tray of various drinks. "Is there anything else you'd be needin'?" she asks brightly once they have all been distributed.

Ferrix said:

Donner cleared his throat, loud and strong for such a small character, he tapped the table and ordered a bout of hot steaks for himself and his closest companions (Grizzle and the other two).

Click to expand...

To Donner, she asks "What manner of steaks would you like, sir? Tonight, we've got Bytopian ni'aith filets, Abyssal varrangoin tenderloins, Pandemonian murska steaks, lizard kabobs from Tir Na Og..." She rattles off a list of meats, some more exotic than others, some Donner's never even heard of, and nothing so common as beef or pork.