The Crux of the Matter

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Well, keep in mind that the game isn't balanced around assuming players can sell for 90% of the price We'd just better never let Rinaldo near a PC with craft feats or the two of them are liable to make hundreds of thousands of GP

Anyways, if you're ready, you can go do the Zone of Truth now and continue)

 

[Velmont]

(OOC: Well, keep in mind that the game isn't balanced around assuming players can sell for 90% of the price We'd just better never let Rinaldo near a PC with craft feats or the two of them are liable to make hundreds of thousands of GP )

I don't plan to do that, and I don't plan to make it with Hogarth(iel) either. Before going with the Zone of truth, Hogarth will cast Divination, using the incense we gather from the wild magic room. The question will be:

"How can we proceed to neutralize this tower and save the six members of this party who has entered the tower?"

[SBLOCK=Hogarth's Spells]Spells:
spells (5/4+1/4+1/3+1/1+1)
0: Detect Magic(x2), Guidance(x2), Read Magic
1: Bless, Doom, Magic Weapon, Shield of Faith, Animate Rope(D),
2: Augury, Silence, Spiritual Hammer, Zone of Truth, Bull's Strength(D)
3: Dispel Magic, Prayer, Protection from Energy, Magic Vestment(D)
4: Divination, Spell Immunity(D) [/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

*A ghostly voice, filled with the timbre of the earth, recites the following poem:*

'Blind man's bluff
Sure enough
Clinging from the edge of oblivion
Mortals cannot tread
Where devils led
Enchantment lost to the pursuit
Of folly
Follow the path of hope
Follow the path of destruction
And rain will wash away the stain.'

 

[Velmont]

Rinaldo looks at Hogarth and Vanitri. "What do you think of this?" Hogarth look at Rinaldo. "That is... pretty... obscure and... cryptic... I would... need to... meditate... on it." She tells in Common.

"Blind man's bluff
Sure enough
Clinging from the edge of oblivion"

"We've been blind to Sin true motive. She fight us for her survival. So she told me, and she is right about it. destorying the Crux would have killed her."

"Mortals cannot tread
Where devils led"

"Most likely my negotiation. I wanted to have all at first, to trick Sin. Have her gone, have this tower gone, have my friends back, have Laynie safe..."

"Enchantment lost to the pursuit
Of folly"

"That I'm not sure what it means."

"Follow the path of hope
Follow the path of destruction
And rain will wash away the stain."

"Sin have put doubt in my heart, because she has given me hope, hope to see my kids again, hope to save my friends... I just hope we will be able to help Laynie too." tells Rinaldo.

"Vanitri, you still trust me? You'll stay here? I know the idea of giving Laynie is not an idea you like. I don't feel as I have the right to do such trade, but you are aware that the tower can blow teh entire world into pieces, including Laynie... but I hope I'll be able to find a way to save her."

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: I think Vanitri is very upset but reluctantly acquiescant to Rinaldo on this one, as mentioned in the post

"I wouldn't have agreed to that, but it's your soul my friend," Vanitri says. "Bring 'em down, and lets see her work her magic, but realize, that at this point, we've lost. There's no way to prevent her from getting the Crux without you sacrificing your soul, and you've forfieted Laynie as well."

In the interest of time, we can probably continue--if he doesn't agree, the only real other choice is to try to destroy the Crux and forfeit Rinaldo's soul, which Vanitri can still do at any time if he decides that way )

 

[Velmont]

OOC: Fine let's go back to Sin. Do we have incense of 25 gp value left for the Augury spell, and a set of marked sticks, bones, or similar tokens of at least 25 gp value? I would like to cast it afte rteh bargain to make sure it is a good one in the eye of Gundar.

Rinaldo and Hogarth leaves the Crux room, leaving Vanitri alone again. Rinaldo carry Ashnar, hoping that time, he will be able to return his other firend to live.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Incense yes. Marked sticks, bones, etc--no, unfortunately not on the long list I gave you. Augury isn't on the Wizard spell list, so Elayna Valsice didn't have the focus for it. Since Hogarth could always cast level 2 spells, you probably should have bought it before leaving if you wanted to use Augury )

*Rinaldo and Hogarth head down with Ashna's corpse to Sin.*

"Ah, ready for the truth-telling I see," Sin invites, "Please, by all means cast the spell. By the way, once I ascertain that the spell is legit, is it all right if I require you to say that you have no intention of destroying me and my children while you are within the effect? It is, after all, an area spell."

 

[Velmont]

"I understand. As you are aware, the spell can be resisted. I ask you to not reisst it and neither I will. To make sure it is teh case, Hogarth will detect the magical aura affecting you, and if he see the aura of teh spell on you, it will be perfect. I invite you to do teh same before I answer your question."

Hogarth will start by casting Zone of Truth. He will then cast detect magic and try to see the faint aura she is suppose to affect her. Without spellcraft, I doubt (s)he will eb able to detect the aura as an enchantment. Rinaldo will not resist the spell but will wait for Hogarth and Sin answer about the detect magic before answering.

"I tell you that actually, I have no intention to kill you or your children. I cannot tell you I like you, but I can tell you are gaining my respect. What I would like out of this negotiation, it is your help to bring back Ashnar and Tenebrynn, neutralize this tower, and find a way to have Laynie free from you once all that will be done."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Ah, that Detect Magic thing's not going to work, darling. The spell is just a 20-foot radius emanation, rather than targetting all creatures in a 20-foot radius emanation. Thus, you'll find the magic aura in the emanation, but not on any specific creature's in the emanation, whether or not they resisted. You're fine to use it if oyu like, but that's what'll happen--you can test it by having her check you also," Sin suggests.

 

[Erekose13]

(OOC: Okay, that means XP. Everyone, including dead Ashna, gets lots of XP--level 8 chars get 9250 XP for the encounter, level 7 chars get 9591 XP, level 6 get 10275. Yes, you read that correctly. Since this is a guaranteed level up, I'll avoid giving any of the other XP out yet so you don't run into the most idiotic SRD rule ever--the one that makes you lose excess XP if you are about to double-level

ooc: this include those of us who are neither here nor dead?