Pathfinder 1E [LPF] Perception is Reality

Roped to the rest of the group and enchanted by Maui, Vincenzo ventures towards the line he cannot see. A little bit of experimentation and feedback from Barlo, and he can almost feel when he is upon the line. With the rope taut, Barlo, Ethane and Maui wait expectantly as the swordsman steps forward yet again. However, just as the battle of man vs illusion is seems imminent, the rope drops off Vincenzo....

[section]
Virtually stumbling as the rope loses tension, Ethane reels it back, finding the cord to be tied exactly as it had been, only no Vincenzo is held by it. A look of shock crosses his face and he yells, "Vincenzo, come back!"
[/section]

[sblock=Vincenzo Only]The world becomes a mixture of darkened grey shades. Ahead, the town of Tritower awaits, but it seems alien and strange. Terrain feature seem to simplify and outright disappear the further your sight strays from Tritower, and without turning fully around, you almost expect to see nothing but a flat expanse where rolling hills and a river valley once existed. The various sounds of the outdoors, such as wind rushing over the grass, disappear as well, momentarily leaving Vincenzo in an eerie silence. The silence ends when he hears an odd, incomprehensible sound behind him.[/sblock]

Barlo Hawkins, Human Bard


Barlo looks at the empty loop and was flabbergasted, “What in the hell?”

“Do you think he just slipped it off?” he asked Maui and Ethane.

He was hesitant to charge after the warrior without knowing more. But when it came to understanding and resisting the magical illusion, their companion had proven to not be very adept.

He hoped that Vincenzo would at least answer and wished had cast the message spell before they started to allow them to whisper at long distances to each other.

[sblock=Mini Stats]Character Sheet
Initiative: +4 Perception: +12
AC: 22 (20 flat-footed, 13 Touch)
HP: 65 Current: 65
CMB: +9 CMD: 22(20ff) Fort: +6 Reflex: +10 Will: +8
Current Conditions in Effect: None
Current Weapon in Hand: Nothing

Bardic Performances (lingering 2 rnds): 25/25 Remaining
Spells Remaining: Cantrips: [Message, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound]
1st Level 6/7 (DC16) [CLW, Feather Fall, Hideous Laughter, Timely Inspiration, Grease, Vanish, Charm Person, Silent Image]
2nd Level 5/5 (DC17) [Sound Burst, Heroism, Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Calm Emotions, Silence]
3rd Level 4/4 (DC18) [Haste, Slow, Phantom Steed, Confusion][/sblock]

Maui sat up immeadiately, hackles raised, as soon as Vincenzo disappeared. Not knowing was worse than facing danger, and he was not about to let his friend face danger alone. He could not speak so he let Barlo and Ethan know his thoughts on the matter the best way he could. He let out a roar of displeased anger which Taniwha also reacted to, springing up beside him and following the dire tiger as he sprang forward to the spot where VIncenzo disappeared, crossing the invisible line in an atempt to join his friend into whatever lay beyond it... Taniwha followed only a few steps behind.

[sblock=Vincenzo's actions] OOC: OH crap! IC: The Venzin swordsman looks about, more then a little scared, memorizing what he sees. He turns toward the sound and tries to return to where his friends should be.[/sblock]

[section]
A little at a loss for words at first, eventually Ethane has the presence of mind to answer Barlo's question. "I think I saw it go through him. I'm not sure thought, it just happened so suddenly. What the... Maui!"
[/section]

The two great cats surge forward to Vincenzo's location, who is now looking genuinely confused as he looks back towards the group. However, it is like he doesn't even register the presence of anyone else, staring around as if still trying to find you. When Maui and Taniwha come close, though, the swordsman seems to register them

[sblock=Vincenzo and Maui]Vincenzo turns to see what the odd noise came from, only to find... nothing. A great expanse of absolutely featureless, flat, grey nothing meets his eyes when he is looking away from Tritower. Sounds do come in from the great nothing, this time a single gasp of sound, followed by more silence. Just as the silence returns, suddenly Maui and Taniwha both bound upon him. From Vincenzo's perspective, it is as if they came from the edge of nothing, and are now with him.

As Maui appears to Vincenzo, his world goes grey. Tritower now appears in various shades of grey, and the further his eyes stray from the town, the more flat and homogenous the world becomes. It is almost as if Tritower is the only island of existence in a flat, grey world. Even Vincenzo's normally colorful garb seems subdued, although it retains its color.[/sblock]

"Maui, King Taniwah! Maui, what is going on. I lost every one. And you came from the edge of my vision that way and you were suddenly here!" Vincenzo is greatly alarmed and is not hiding it.

Barlo Hawkins, Human Bard


Barlo coiled up the rope as he watched Maui and his feline companion follow after Vincenzo across the illusionary boundary. Perhaps the shapedshifted druid had cut right to the crux of the issue. Vincenzo had not answered, either incapable of replying or not able to hear. Either way, he had no way of doing anything about it from where he stood.

Throwing caution to the wind as well, Barlo started after the two cats.

“Come on, Ethane. There is nothing I can do about from here anyway. In for a copper, in for a whole gold bar.”

Since he was able to see things earlier, Barlo hoped he had better resistance to the mind–effecting enchantments.

[sblock=Mini Stats]Character Sheet
Initiative: +4 Perception: +12
AC: 22 (20 flat-footed, 13 Touch)
HP: 65 Current: 65
CMB: +9 CMD: 22(20ff) Fort: +6 Reflex: +10 Will: +8
Current Conditions in Effect: None
Current Weapon in Hand: Nothing

Bardic Performances (lingering 2 rnds): 25/25 Remaining
Spells Remaining: Cantrips: [Message, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound]
1st Level 6/7 (DC16) [CLW, Feather Fall, Hideous Laughter, Timely Inspiration, Grease, Vanish, Charm Person, Silent Image]
2nd Level 5/5 (DC17) [Sound Burst, Heroism, Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Calm Emotions, Silence]
3rd Level 4/4 (DC18) [Haste, Slow, Phantom Steed, Confusion][/sblock]

It appeared that the dire tiger shrugged at Vincenzo's question while Taniwha paced around clearly put out at the change in his perception, trying to sniff at the air. Maui figured that his cat companion was being pretty smart, so he began to sniff around himself searching for his own scent and Taniwha's and then began trying to trace it back the way he had come.

[sblock=OOC] Roll for me if needed; I'm pretty sure the response is going to be that no scent is found but I just wanted to make sure. [/sblock]

Ethane nods to Barlo and the two remaining members of the group step forward, letting the strange magic wash over them. All standing roughly together, the group takes in what their senses tell them about the environment. To the north lays Tritower, or, more specifically, the southern tower of the three that form the town's namesake. However, due to the Tang river forking, the most obvious way into the city involves following the spar northwest to get to the Silver Road, then crossing into Tritower using the bridge there.

Generally, about everything is somehow wrong. Tritower itself is nothing more than a mixture of shades of grey. You can make out light shining down in parts of the city, but it's hard to determine much about it at this distance. There is a sense of subdual of your other senses as well. There is virtually no sound except those made by your own actions--moving, speaking, or even sniffing. There is absolutely no scent of any kind to Barlo, Ethane and Vincenzo, although Taniwha and Maui can make out the scents of their companions and that is it. Finally, the further your eye strays from Tritower itself, the more featureless the terrain becomes--behind you lays nothing more than a seemingly infinite flat, grey expanse.

Just as much in awe as the rest of you, Ethane wordlessly hands the rope back to Vincenzo.

[sblock=Map of Tritower]This was shamelessly stolen from a previous LPF game. Credit goes to SS21. I'll keep it original size and you can pull it down and refer to it at your leisure. You are due south of the south tower, looking north, with the Tang river on your right. I probably should have mentioned your proximity to the river in the Drow sequence, but I forgot to check the map. Sorry about that, although nothing should have changed in the resolution. Here it is:
[/sblock]

Barlo Hawkins, Human Bard


Barlo now realized what was going on. The border was like a barrier and he had been able to see through from outside at times. Someone had wanted Tritower to appear normal from a distance.

“Well, we have not gone all loony, so I guess we are fine for the moment. Shall we press on to the bridge to get across the river, of do you all want to experiment trying to pass back across through the barrier first?”

[sblock=Mini Stats]Character Sheet
Initiative: +4 Perception: +12
AC: 22 (20 flat-footed, 13 Touch)
HP: 65 Current: 65
CMB: +9 CMD: 22(20ff) Fort: +6 Reflex: +10 Will: +8
Current Conditions in Effect: None
Current Weapon in Hand: Nothing

Bardic Performances (lingering 2 rnds): 25/25 Remaining
Spells Remaining: Cantrips: [Message, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound]
1st Level 6/7 (DC16) [CLW, Feather Fall, Hideous Laughter, Timely Inspiration, Grease, Vanish, Charm Person, Silent Image]
2nd Level 5/5 (DC17) [Sound Burst, Heroism, Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Calm Emotions, Silence]
3rd Level 4/4 (DC18) [Haste, Slow, Phantom Steed, Confusion][/sblock]