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The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Under The Eclipse: Updated May 19th!
- Thread starter Zubkavich
- Start date
Broccli_Head
Explorer
very cool!
can't wait to see what's in Dog-Eared Pages. Hey! How come Karen didn't go and visit Conroy?
can't wait to see what's in Dog-Eared Pages. Hey! How come Karen didn't go and visit Conroy?
Zubkavich
First Post
Session Six: Shifted Worlds and The Past
Cautiously entering the store, Karen looks for anything out of the ordinary. Sedrick is chatty as always, spinning trivia and greeting her friends. While Setakawa and Onan browse the books, Sedrick shows Karen his new pet, a large owl that sleeps soundly until he shakes the cage while taking it off the shelf. Karen verbally prods at Sedrick, trying to find out why he’s acting nervously. He dodges her questions, getting coffee for the four of them and moving books randomly from shelf to shelf.
When Onan and Setakawa head upstairs to look for some obscure periodicals, Sedrick follows them and discusses the wealth of knowledge to be found on the shelves around them.
Karen shrugs her shoulders and searches the main floor for any signs that things are wrong at the store. As she’s scanning the shelves, she notices a tiny bit of movement coming from behind a few of the books. Quietly, she moves towards it and carefully pulls a book out to see what’s behind it. Standing there, looking up at her innocently, is a tiny figure with butterfly wings on his back. His skin and wings seem to shift patterns, like a chameleon, warping to blend in almost perfectly with its surroundings. Fascinated and smiling, she watches as the tiny faerie folk shyly slips back behind the books.
As Sedrick comes back down the stairs, Karen stammers to speak, overwhelmed with what she’s just seen. Sedrick looks at her intently. Sedrick’s normally frantic face changes to a far more serene one and his stuttering voice becomes confident and smooth. Although shocked, Karen doesn’t feel afraid.
“I didn’t want it to happen this way. I wanted you to have more time to train and learn. But the transition is happening far too quickly.”
“You, you know about all these weird things?” she says with surprise.
“Yes I do.” He says with a smile.
Sitting her down, Sedrick tries to explain to her the depth of what she’s gotten herself into. Another world, a place called Coral, is slowly shifting into our own. Creatures and spirits from this place are being transported to Earth, trying to gain a foothold. This shifting happens in a long cycle. The peaks of the cycle are decades apart but are growing shorter each time. At each peak, Coral has a chance to shift over completely, causing destruction and chaos. From what Sedrick knows, there are beings on the other side who are trying to implement a full shift, and others who are attempting to stop it. When the last cycle peaked, Sedrick was just barely able to bring it to a halt.
“So, you can just do it again, right? You can kick these guys’ asses and stop it from happening again?”
“No.” he says with a regretful frown. “The last time killed me.”
Sedrick isn’t a ghost, but he isn’t alive either. He doesn’t know how or why, but he’s been here all this time, trapped in the bookstore. He’s been alive since the 1900’s and hasn’t aged a day since 1925. He’s been watching, researching and waiting for someone who can stop the evil bleeding over from Coral when the next cycle arrives.
He explains that the only customers that come into the shop are people who have the potential to see the supernatural. The fact that Karen applied for a job, stayed after hours and enjoyed being there gave Sedrick a good indication that she might be the one he was looking for. When the book from Coralsmythe mysteriously arrived and was addressed to Karen, it confirmed his suspicions.
Karen tells Sedrick all about her encounters with the supernatural and how Onan and Setakawa are tied into everything. Gathering them all in the main room, Sedrick explains to them how he became involved with Coral and the powers of magic.
Opening his bookstore in 1923, Sedrick kept all manners of strange things on his shelves. One of these was an old telegraph that he was given as a present. One night while he was reorganizing the inventory, the telegraph started to tap out a message in Morse code. It seemed impossible; the telegraph was unhooked and covered in dust! Shocked and amazed, he started to transcribe the messages that came clicking forth. Sometimes the messages would be days apart but slowly, information began to come together. Wondering if he had gone mad, he tried to stay away from it, but in the end his fascination got the best of him and he continued to write down the words being sent.
The messages were from a woman named Shaeline Coralzeffen. Over time, she taught Sedrick about the creatures that were finding their way to Earth from her world. If he could learn to find the beasts and to wield the magical power that was slipping over as well, he could stop the shifting before it got out of control. Over the course of the next year and a half, he learned how to unleash magic with words, gestures, items and his own inner strength. As these skills were developing, he gathered a few people who seemed drawn to the bookstore and inadvertently to the occult. At first, all of them were in disbelief at his claims of other worlds and monsters. Soon enough, the proof became overwhelming. Several encounters with things science could not explain would forge a strong bond of friendship between them.
Sedrick noticed that the magic he used carried with it several benefits and many curses. Although he was able to “sense” where the creatures could be found, they were drawn to him too, putting him and his group in constant danger. As well, he noticed that people without the knack for the occult couldn’t see the monsters for what they really were. Worse still, the disbelievers who interacted with him and his friends when the supernatural was apparent forgot who he was. Somehow, their memories were altered by their brush with the unknown.
It all came to a climax in 1925. Sedrick and his group tracked down a particularly powerful creature. This beast was the key which would allow the complete shift of Coral to Earth upon the cycle’s zenith. After a titanic battle, Sedrick’s final spell destroyed the creature, but killed the entire group as well. This ended the cycle and set the shifting of Coral back until the next peak. Although he thought he was dead, Sedrick awoke later; alive somehow but unable to leave the store.
Now, over seventy years later, the next peak is looming closer each day and Karen doesn’t seem to have the luxury of time that Sedrick enjoyed. The creatures shifting over this time seem far more intelligent and organized. They’ve blended into the populace and are working their way towards the full shift with more zeal than ever before.
The pieces start to fit together and Karen realizes that she’s been sensing creatures for quite some time. The ants crawling in unison were a sign; a way for her to know which way to go to find the stitched-face monster. Mr. Melt didn’t recognize her the other day because he’s been too close to the supernatural, but has no way of believing in it. The magic was already altering her life, whether she wanted it or not.
She has no way of knowing if Conroy is the same as Melt or if he has a knack for the occult. If Conroy can see what they see, then the creatures will be drawn to him. Wounded and in the hospital, he’d be easy prey, even under the guard of the mafia. Not willing to take that chance, Karen decides that they have to go to the hospital to check on him and if necessary, get him out.
Onan thinks it’s crazy to try and sneak into a hospital that’s going to be guarded by the mafia and probably the police as well. He wants to go back to just being a financial planner, and not fearing for his life. Karen tells him that after this mission to the hospital, he can leave whenever he wants, but that she needs his help this time. Onan thinks it over, and finally agrees. He tells her that he can heal Conroy with the help of some powerful totems. It will also require the powder of a ground up bull’s horn for strength and the blood of a pure virgin man for healing. Setakawa thinks they can find the horn at his friend’s curio shop, but that the blood might be more difficult. They head out to gather the items, leaving Karen to try and filter through all the things she’s learned and plan out how they’re going to get in to see Conroy.
“Don’t you think all of this is just strange?” she remarks to Sedrick.
“I’m a dead wizard trapped in a magical bookstore with faeries running around. Nothing surprises me anymore” he says with a grin.
Sedrick tells Karen to clear her mind as much as she can. He wants her to try and read Coralsmythe’s book again. Slowly, she opens it up and fans the pages before her eyes. The pages flip, but never seem to stop or come to an end. They flutter by and as she watches, the words seem to dance across the pages. The words, which seemed so random before, now form sentences when they are flipped. She can finally learn their secrets.
The book shows her a simple incantation that will start her connection to Coral. She has to try and begin the process, to connect herself to Coral’s magical properties. The sooner she can do that, the better her chances are of growing in power. Pricking her arm with a pin and letting blood come forth, she speaks the arcane words aloud and weaves patterns with her fingers through the air. The blood seems to write symbols on her arm before it disappears, leaving only a tingling sensation behind. Looking around the bookstore, she feels a little bit different: more aware and calm. Sedrick smiles at her progress.
Onan and Setakawa return a few hours later with the blood and powder. When she asks them where they found the virgin blood, they won’t tell. She looks at them with a smirk and says:
“So, which one of you is the pious one?”
They refuse to answer, leaving her quite amused.
Before they head out, Sedrick gives them an item to help them enter the hospital unnoticed. It’s a pair of ice cubes that he’s infused with sorcery. When pressed together in someone’s hand, they make the person and those nearby invisible. It’s powerful magic, but will only last until the ice melts. Karen thanks him and puts them in a thermos to keep them cold until they’re needed. Then, all three of them head out to the hospital, expecting the worst.
Cautiously entering the store, Karen looks for anything out of the ordinary. Sedrick is chatty as always, spinning trivia and greeting her friends. While Setakawa and Onan browse the books, Sedrick shows Karen his new pet, a large owl that sleeps soundly until he shakes the cage while taking it off the shelf. Karen verbally prods at Sedrick, trying to find out why he’s acting nervously. He dodges her questions, getting coffee for the four of them and moving books randomly from shelf to shelf.
When Onan and Setakawa head upstairs to look for some obscure periodicals, Sedrick follows them and discusses the wealth of knowledge to be found on the shelves around them.
Karen shrugs her shoulders and searches the main floor for any signs that things are wrong at the store. As she’s scanning the shelves, she notices a tiny bit of movement coming from behind a few of the books. Quietly, she moves towards it and carefully pulls a book out to see what’s behind it. Standing there, looking up at her innocently, is a tiny figure with butterfly wings on his back. His skin and wings seem to shift patterns, like a chameleon, warping to blend in almost perfectly with its surroundings. Fascinated and smiling, she watches as the tiny faerie folk shyly slips back behind the books.
As Sedrick comes back down the stairs, Karen stammers to speak, overwhelmed with what she’s just seen. Sedrick looks at her intently. Sedrick’s normally frantic face changes to a far more serene one and his stuttering voice becomes confident and smooth. Although shocked, Karen doesn’t feel afraid.
“I didn’t want it to happen this way. I wanted you to have more time to train and learn. But the transition is happening far too quickly.”
“You, you know about all these weird things?” she says with surprise.
“Yes I do.” He says with a smile.
Sitting her down, Sedrick tries to explain to her the depth of what she’s gotten herself into. Another world, a place called Coral, is slowly shifting into our own. Creatures and spirits from this place are being transported to Earth, trying to gain a foothold. This shifting happens in a long cycle. The peaks of the cycle are decades apart but are growing shorter each time. At each peak, Coral has a chance to shift over completely, causing destruction and chaos. From what Sedrick knows, there are beings on the other side who are trying to implement a full shift, and others who are attempting to stop it. When the last cycle peaked, Sedrick was just barely able to bring it to a halt.
“So, you can just do it again, right? You can kick these guys’ asses and stop it from happening again?”
“No.” he says with a regretful frown. “The last time killed me.”
Sedrick isn’t a ghost, but he isn’t alive either. He doesn’t know how or why, but he’s been here all this time, trapped in the bookstore. He’s been alive since the 1900’s and hasn’t aged a day since 1925. He’s been watching, researching and waiting for someone who can stop the evil bleeding over from Coral when the next cycle arrives.
He explains that the only customers that come into the shop are people who have the potential to see the supernatural. The fact that Karen applied for a job, stayed after hours and enjoyed being there gave Sedrick a good indication that she might be the one he was looking for. When the book from Coralsmythe mysteriously arrived and was addressed to Karen, it confirmed his suspicions.
Karen tells Sedrick all about her encounters with the supernatural and how Onan and Setakawa are tied into everything. Gathering them all in the main room, Sedrick explains to them how he became involved with Coral and the powers of magic.
Opening his bookstore in 1923, Sedrick kept all manners of strange things on his shelves. One of these was an old telegraph that he was given as a present. One night while he was reorganizing the inventory, the telegraph started to tap out a message in Morse code. It seemed impossible; the telegraph was unhooked and covered in dust! Shocked and amazed, he started to transcribe the messages that came clicking forth. Sometimes the messages would be days apart but slowly, information began to come together. Wondering if he had gone mad, he tried to stay away from it, but in the end his fascination got the best of him and he continued to write down the words being sent.
The messages were from a woman named Shaeline Coralzeffen. Over time, she taught Sedrick about the creatures that were finding their way to Earth from her world. If he could learn to find the beasts and to wield the magical power that was slipping over as well, he could stop the shifting before it got out of control. Over the course of the next year and a half, he learned how to unleash magic with words, gestures, items and his own inner strength. As these skills were developing, he gathered a few people who seemed drawn to the bookstore and inadvertently to the occult. At first, all of them were in disbelief at his claims of other worlds and monsters. Soon enough, the proof became overwhelming. Several encounters with things science could not explain would forge a strong bond of friendship between them.
Sedrick noticed that the magic he used carried with it several benefits and many curses. Although he was able to “sense” where the creatures could be found, they were drawn to him too, putting him and his group in constant danger. As well, he noticed that people without the knack for the occult couldn’t see the monsters for what they really were. Worse still, the disbelievers who interacted with him and his friends when the supernatural was apparent forgot who he was. Somehow, their memories were altered by their brush with the unknown.
It all came to a climax in 1925. Sedrick and his group tracked down a particularly powerful creature. This beast was the key which would allow the complete shift of Coral to Earth upon the cycle’s zenith. After a titanic battle, Sedrick’s final spell destroyed the creature, but killed the entire group as well. This ended the cycle and set the shifting of Coral back until the next peak. Although he thought he was dead, Sedrick awoke later; alive somehow but unable to leave the store.
Now, over seventy years later, the next peak is looming closer each day and Karen doesn’t seem to have the luxury of time that Sedrick enjoyed. The creatures shifting over this time seem far more intelligent and organized. They’ve blended into the populace and are working their way towards the full shift with more zeal than ever before.
The pieces start to fit together and Karen realizes that she’s been sensing creatures for quite some time. The ants crawling in unison were a sign; a way for her to know which way to go to find the stitched-face monster. Mr. Melt didn’t recognize her the other day because he’s been too close to the supernatural, but has no way of believing in it. The magic was already altering her life, whether she wanted it or not.
She has no way of knowing if Conroy is the same as Melt or if he has a knack for the occult. If Conroy can see what they see, then the creatures will be drawn to him. Wounded and in the hospital, he’d be easy prey, even under the guard of the mafia. Not willing to take that chance, Karen decides that they have to go to the hospital to check on him and if necessary, get him out.
Onan thinks it’s crazy to try and sneak into a hospital that’s going to be guarded by the mafia and probably the police as well. He wants to go back to just being a financial planner, and not fearing for his life. Karen tells him that after this mission to the hospital, he can leave whenever he wants, but that she needs his help this time. Onan thinks it over, and finally agrees. He tells her that he can heal Conroy with the help of some powerful totems. It will also require the powder of a ground up bull’s horn for strength and the blood of a pure virgin man for healing. Setakawa thinks they can find the horn at his friend’s curio shop, but that the blood might be more difficult. They head out to gather the items, leaving Karen to try and filter through all the things she’s learned and plan out how they’re going to get in to see Conroy.
“Don’t you think all of this is just strange?” she remarks to Sedrick.
“I’m a dead wizard trapped in a magical bookstore with faeries running around. Nothing surprises me anymore” he says with a grin.
Sedrick tells Karen to clear her mind as much as she can. He wants her to try and read Coralsmythe’s book again. Slowly, she opens it up and fans the pages before her eyes. The pages flip, but never seem to stop or come to an end. They flutter by and as she watches, the words seem to dance across the pages. The words, which seemed so random before, now form sentences when they are flipped. She can finally learn their secrets.
The book shows her a simple incantation that will start her connection to Coral. She has to try and begin the process, to connect herself to Coral’s magical properties. The sooner she can do that, the better her chances are of growing in power. Pricking her arm with a pin and letting blood come forth, she speaks the arcane words aloud and weaves patterns with her fingers through the air. The blood seems to write symbols on her arm before it disappears, leaving only a tingling sensation behind. Looking around the bookstore, she feels a little bit different: more aware and calm. Sedrick smiles at her progress.
Onan and Setakawa return a few hours later with the blood and powder. When she asks them where they found the virgin blood, they won’t tell. She looks at them with a smirk and says:
“So, which one of you is the pious one?”
They refuse to answer, leaving her quite amused.
Before they head out, Sedrick gives them an item to help them enter the hospital unnoticed. It’s a pair of ice cubes that he’s infused with sorcery. When pressed together in someone’s hand, they make the person and those nearby invisible. It’s powerful magic, but will only last until the ice melts. Karen thanks him and puts them in a thermos to keep them cold until they’re needed. Then, all three of them head out to the hospital, expecting the worst.
Buddha the DM
Explorer
Man I liked this latest installment. You have an excellent knack for storytelling.
Broccli_Head
Explorer
Z.,
I love how you have integrated the magic into a modern setting and I love the premise of Coral and the attempt to come into our world.
So when do we get an update of Karen Frost as a spellcaster?
And stats for her geek squad?
I love how you have integrated the magic into a modern setting and I love the premise of Coral and the attempt to come into our world.
So when do we get an update of Karen Frost as a spellcaster?
And stats for her geek squad?
Zubkavich
First Post
Just posted up a thread up with a pdf for a new FX item I created based on the ice cubes Karen was given in Session 6.
Eldritch Ice Cubes
Eldritch Ice Cubes
Buddha the DM
Explorer
Me too!! Me too!!
