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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Finished - The Last Word : 9/20/15)
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<blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 3213822" data-attributes="member: 198"><p>Don't forget the stuffed mind flayer they now have. They've got all sorts of horrible ideas, like setting it up with a <em>magic mouth</em> to greet salesmen at the door with a "Braaaains!" That neighbourhood is going to go to hell.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p>To start off the updates, here's a short one. Since I'm still really busy with work and likely to be for at least a week, I'll shoot for a number of short, regular (daily or every two days) updates until I get caught up. </p><p></p><p>*********************************************************************</p><p><strong>Handled over email:</strong></p><p></p><p>The Angels wait only for Nameless to use the scroll, which is of <em>analyze dweomer</em>, to study the ring. The way that his eyes light up serves some indication of its nature even before he explains. It is of a kind he has not seen or heard of before, allowing the wearer to imbue the spells he casts with certain effects, making them more powerful, last longer, reach further, and the like. The fact that it allows casting of some minor spells and provides keener understanding of magic is almost irrelevant. Nameless quickly dons it, as the group departs hurriedly.</p><p></p><p>By the time they leave Rotting Blade, the sky is slightly darker, or at least so they imagine. Crossing the first set of hills to the northeast, they find another small line of them approximately a mile to the east, running almost directly north across their path. As the travelers approach, even with the lower visibility of the Wastes, its atmosphere polluted by smoke from the numerous fire pits and small volcanoes, they can make out the rough shape of a column of smoke and fire almost directly northeast. </p><p></p><p>As the Angels approach these hills, the shape of the column grows clearer, even as the rise of the hills hides its source. Soon enough, they find their way over one of the lower slopes, emerging onto one end of a rolling plain. As is usual in this area, at points it rises into small mounts, a couple of them glowing with volcanic activity. One of them completely overshadows the others, and for that matter every volcano they have seen here or elsewhere, which stands just over two miles away. </p><p></p><p>This one is absolutely huge, not so much in height as in width. The crater at the top, the source of the smoke column, from the edges of which liquid flame trickles in slow red streams, must stretch a mile in diameter, and the volcano’s base is twice as wide. Perhaps only because they know what it supposedly contains, the volcano seems almost alive, a dark, malevolent beast crouching low over the landscape around it.</p><p></p><p>As the Angels near the southwestern side of the volcano, following the directions provided by Vraria, they find it growing progressively darker, the pall of smoke cutting off the sunlight. While on the way, they catch sight of a silvery gleam near the base. As they approach, they see movement near it, and in the general area. Orienting themselves towards the gleam, with the low foothills and broken land around the base, they are able to approach all the way till nearly a quarter of a mile from the volcano.</p><p></p><p>Looking at the Lake of Fire from behind a low hillock, the Angels now see that the silvery light outlines a doorway, low on the volcano’s side. A tiger-headed humanoid sits beside the doorway on a rock. Moving restlessly around it are three more of the scaled, six-legged cats they had seen earlier in the day. As they watch, they see more movement in the area. Dozens of creatures are moving around the base of the volcano. There are a few more of the cats, as well as some of the large lizards they saw before, and more unusual beasts that they do not recognize. Off to the east, perhaps half a mile away from them, there are dozens of humanoid figures, perhaps members of the Carrion Tribes. Like the animals, they seem to be simply watching the volcano, not moving any closer to it. </p><p></p><p>“Let me get a better view,” says Nameless, who has already been casting a spell as they approached. He completes it, and an <em>arcane eye</em> pops into existence about twenty feet from the creature sitting near the door. It shows no signs of noticing the invisible sensor, nor do the three creatures nearby.</p><p></p><p>Looking through the sensor, Nameless can see that it appears to be a rakshasa, of the yellow-and-black furred variety. It is dressed in fairly ornate robes and does not wear any armor or obvious weapons other than a curved dagger at its belt. It does have many pouches at its belt, as a spellcaster might have, and a couple of wands hanging by its side. As far as Nameless can make out an expression on the feline face, it seems bored, turning once in a while to look at the door as if expecting or hoping for something to occur.</p><p></p><p>The three creatures nearby are the large scaled, six-legged cats they had seen (on the way back from Burning Keep) feeding on the carcasses of the lizards they had killed. The creatures move around aimlessly, but stay close to the rakshasa. At one point, it says something to one of the cats that is straying (unheard by Nameless, since the sensor only relays visual information) and the cat growls and returns, to plop down on a rock nearby. </p><p></p><p>As Nameless moves the sensor around, he sees that the other creatures (some more cats, a few of the lizards, what look like a pair of large snakes with spines along their backs, and a small group of dog-like creatures that he thinks have scales like the cats but only four legs) are all staying in groups fairly well separated from each other, though they do all move from place to place. They all seem fixated on the mountain. The snakes and the dogs are close to the direct path between where the Angels are and the doorway. They could find a path that gives all the creatures a wide berth, but would have to take a fairly winding approach to do so, which would take twice or thrice as long to cover the ground.</p><p></p><p>When Nameless turns the sensor towards the doorway, he finds the area beyond somewhat hazy, like looking through a thin mist, which makes visibility difficult. Beyond the doorway is what looks like a stone chamber, evidently carved, since the floor is smooth. The silvery light emanates from what looks like silver fire (much like the kind often involved with Gareth) that flows in streams up and down the walls of the chamber. There seem to be no such streams on the floor and the ceiling is too high (the doorway is only six feet high and about five feet wide) to see. </p><p></p><p>When Nameless tries to move the sensor through the doorway, it stops at the threshold as if encountering some barrier. He moves it around and checks around for chinks that it can squeeze through, with no success. When the sensor is right up against the doorway, however, he catches a glimpse of something he could not see through the haze from further away. At the limits of his vision, about fifty feet in, lies one end of what looks like a large snake. It must be at least ten feet long, since he can see a good seven-eight feet of it and not far enough to see the head. There is a pool of blood around it and something flat and brightly colored on the ground at the far end on either side, or at least he thinks so through the haze.</p><p></p><p><strong>End of email segments</strong></p><p></p><p>Nameless ends the spell and quickly explains what he saw. “I think that’s a couatl in there.”</p><p></p><p>“Couatl?” asks Six.</p><p></p><p>Gareth answers. “They are holy creatures. Relatives of the dragons. Some say that the Silver Flame was created when the couatls sacrificed themselves at the end of the Age of Demons to bind the rakshasa rajahs.”</p><p></p><p>“Want to bet that our two buddies killed it?” asks Korm rhetorically. “Nameless – any sign of them?”</p><p></p><p>“No.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s not good,” says Six. “How do we get to the door?”</p><p></p><p>“I can transport most of us,” says Nameless, “But we need to get closer. Then we can show up and surprise the heck out of that rakshasa.”</p><p></p><p>“What about all those other critters? I get the feeling they’ll be interfering, and some should reach that door pretty quick.”</p><p></p><p>“Maybe…,” begins Nameless, when Luna interrupts with a warning growl, seconds before Korm says, “Quiet! I just heard something.” </p><p></p><p>The Angels turn quickly, just as a scarred and tattooed form looks over a nearby ridge at them. Behind it are a dozen more, all holding weapons.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="shilsen, post: 3213822, member: 198"] Don't forget the stuffed mind flayer they now have. They've got all sorts of horrible ideas, like setting it up with a [i]magic mouth[/i] to greet salesmen at the door with a "Braaaains!" That neighbourhood is going to go to hell. :D To start off the updates, here's a short one. Since I'm still really busy with work and likely to be for at least a week, I'll shoot for a number of short, regular (daily or every two days) updates until I get caught up. ********************************************************************* [b]Handled over email:[/b] The Angels wait only for Nameless to use the scroll, which is of [i]analyze dweomer[/i], to study the ring. The way that his eyes light up serves some indication of its nature even before he explains. It is of a kind he has not seen or heard of before, allowing the wearer to imbue the spells he casts with certain effects, making them more powerful, last longer, reach further, and the like. The fact that it allows casting of some minor spells and provides keener understanding of magic is almost irrelevant. Nameless quickly dons it, as the group departs hurriedly. By the time they leave Rotting Blade, the sky is slightly darker, or at least so they imagine. Crossing the first set of hills to the northeast, they find another small line of them approximately a mile to the east, running almost directly north across their path. As the travelers approach, even with the lower visibility of the Wastes, its atmosphere polluted by smoke from the numerous fire pits and small volcanoes, they can make out the rough shape of a column of smoke and fire almost directly northeast. As the Angels approach these hills, the shape of the column grows clearer, even as the rise of the hills hides its source. Soon enough, they find their way over one of the lower slopes, emerging onto one end of a rolling plain. As is usual in this area, at points it rises into small mounts, a couple of them glowing with volcanic activity. One of them completely overshadows the others, and for that matter every volcano they have seen here or elsewhere, which stands just over two miles away. This one is absolutely huge, not so much in height as in width. The crater at the top, the source of the smoke column, from the edges of which liquid flame trickles in slow red streams, must stretch a mile in diameter, and the volcano’s base is twice as wide. Perhaps only because they know what it supposedly contains, the volcano seems almost alive, a dark, malevolent beast crouching low over the landscape around it. As the Angels near the southwestern side of the volcano, following the directions provided by Vraria, they find it growing progressively darker, the pall of smoke cutting off the sunlight. While on the way, they catch sight of a silvery gleam near the base. As they approach, they see movement near it, and in the general area. Orienting themselves towards the gleam, with the low foothills and broken land around the base, they are able to approach all the way till nearly a quarter of a mile from the volcano. Looking at the Lake of Fire from behind a low hillock, the Angels now see that the silvery light outlines a doorway, low on the volcano’s side. A tiger-headed humanoid sits beside the doorway on a rock. Moving restlessly around it are three more of the scaled, six-legged cats they had seen earlier in the day. As they watch, they see more movement in the area. Dozens of creatures are moving around the base of the volcano. There are a few more of the cats, as well as some of the large lizards they saw before, and more unusual beasts that they do not recognize. Off to the east, perhaps half a mile away from them, there are dozens of humanoid figures, perhaps members of the Carrion Tribes. Like the animals, they seem to be simply watching the volcano, not moving any closer to it. “Let me get a better view,” says Nameless, who has already been casting a spell as they approached. He completes it, and an [i]arcane eye[/i] pops into existence about twenty feet from the creature sitting near the door. It shows no signs of noticing the invisible sensor, nor do the three creatures nearby. Looking through the sensor, Nameless can see that it appears to be a rakshasa, of the yellow-and-black furred variety. It is dressed in fairly ornate robes and does not wear any armor or obvious weapons other than a curved dagger at its belt. It does have many pouches at its belt, as a spellcaster might have, and a couple of wands hanging by its side. As far as Nameless can make out an expression on the feline face, it seems bored, turning once in a while to look at the door as if expecting or hoping for something to occur. The three creatures nearby are the large scaled, six-legged cats they had seen (on the way back from Burning Keep) feeding on the carcasses of the lizards they had killed. The creatures move around aimlessly, but stay close to the rakshasa. At one point, it says something to one of the cats that is straying (unheard by Nameless, since the sensor only relays visual information) and the cat growls and returns, to plop down on a rock nearby. As Nameless moves the sensor around, he sees that the other creatures (some more cats, a few of the lizards, what look like a pair of large snakes with spines along their backs, and a small group of dog-like creatures that he thinks have scales like the cats but only four legs) are all staying in groups fairly well separated from each other, though they do all move from place to place. They all seem fixated on the mountain. The snakes and the dogs are close to the direct path between where the Angels are and the doorway. They could find a path that gives all the creatures a wide berth, but would have to take a fairly winding approach to do so, which would take twice or thrice as long to cover the ground. When Nameless turns the sensor towards the doorway, he finds the area beyond somewhat hazy, like looking through a thin mist, which makes visibility difficult. Beyond the doorway is what looks like a stone chamber, evidently carved, since the floor is smooth. The silvery light emanates from what looks like silver fire (much like the kind often involved with Gareth) that flows in streams up and down the walls of the chamber. There seem to be no such streams on the floor and the ceiling is too high (the doorway is only six feet high and about five feet wide) to see. When Nameless tries to move the sensor through the doorway, it stops at the threshold as if encountering some barrier. He moves it around and checks around for chinks that it can squeeze through, with no success. When the sensor is right up against the doorway, however, he catches a glimpse of something he could not see through the haze from further away. At the limits of his vision, about fifty feet in, lies one end of what looks like a large snake. It must be at least ten feet long, since he can see a good seven-eight feet of it and not far enough to see the head. There is a pool of blood around it and something flat and brightly colored on the ground at the far end on either side, or at least he thinks so through the haze. [b]End of email segments[/b] Nameless ends the spell and quickly explains what he saw. “I think that’s a couatl in there.” “Couatl?” asks Six. Gareth answers. “They are holy creatures. Relatives of the dragons. Some say that the Silver Flame was created when the couatls sacrificed themselves at the end of the Age of Demons to bind the rakshasa rajahs.” “Want to bet that our two buddies killed it?” asks Korm rhetorically. “Nameless – any sign of them?” “No.” “That’s not good,” says Six. “How do we get to the door?” “I can transport most of us,” says Nameless, “But we need to get closer. Then we can show up and surprise the heck out of that rakshasa.” “What about all those other critters? I get the feeling they’ll be interfering, and some should reach that door pretty quick.” “Maybe…,” begins Nameless, when Luna interrupts with a warning growl, seconds before Korm says, “Quiet! I just heard something.” The Angels turn quickly, just as a scarred and tattooed form looks over a nearby ridge at them. Behind it are a dozen more, all holding weapons. [/QUOTE]
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