If Thoughts Could Kill

[GruTheWanderer]

Rex's channelling of energy has no effect. Nor do the appeals for communication by Darian and Lysander. Darian's attempt to dispel is likewise ineffective.

Slowly, more of the viewer becomes apparent: a humanoid figure wrapped in black straps that cover it completely, trapping its arms at its sides and forcing the legs together. Even its head is entirely wrapped in leather straps - except for its eyes. The leather-wrapped creature seems to levitate under its own power.

Lysander feels a chill creep up his spine, as he recalls that mind flayer sensors are said to appear in just that way. The foul ones are also known to possess levitate and teleport ...

Everyone: actions?

 

[Lambent10]

"Mind flayer!" Lysander hisses. "What do you want? Speak quickly before we destroy you."

Lysander prepares to activate a mental barrier should the illithid go for a mind blast or other psionic attack [no game effect; it's a free action anyway], and readies a greater concussion if the mind flayer attacks in any other way.

 

[Victim]

OOC: We're just getting the image of the mindflayer, as if from Remote Viewing, right now, correct? Otherwise I'll stagger back a step while throwing Haste and Shield.

As the image of a mummy mind flayer appears, Darian retraces his previous steps toward the remote viewing sensor, except with far greater alacrity than previously demonstrated. Many of his spells would amount to nothing when matched against the Illithid's impressive resistance to spell attack. On the other hand, its significant telepathic prowess could turn his enhancement spells cast upon more martial individuals against the clear minded members of the group.

"Rex, your training in etiquette and public speech far exceeds mine. What would you consider the most appropriate rejoinder to the rather rude arrival of an uninvited illithid? A Magic Circle against Evil, perhaps?"

Darian then turns back to the mind flayer, "By the way, Levitate is an inferior spell and consequently fails to impress." He then casts the spell Endurance upon Lysander. The spell could prove helpful both immediately, or later if the illithid only sought to bait us now and planned to attack after most hastily cast magical spells had faded.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

The radiance of Pelor protects and repels. Rex calls up a circle against Evil.

 

[Keia]

"What in the world?!? Someone tell me that's not what I think it is." Verra asks. Verra shivers and those looking at Verra see him as those in a heat mirage, briefly, signaling the activate of his powers. As it clears, Verra has his dangerous bow in hand.

If that thing is actually here, Verra will manifest Haste (9 rounds) and follow it with Combat Prescience (+2 to attack rolls), on his move equivalent, he will snap is bow out of its glove of storing.

 

[Uriel]

Bellus will pull his Wand of True Strike from his Haversack, using it on himself. Bellus will try to take up a flanking position before attacking, thus (hopefully) getting a Sneak Attack.

 

[Lambent10]

"Wait! Lysander says. "Let's not jump into this too quickly. We've not angered any mind flayers recently, and we've done nothing that should attract attention except the vision - though we've told no one but the temple of Pelor so far, and they are beyond reproach. Though we don't know how it could know about this, it must be either quite powerful, in which case in would be foolish to fight it, or have knowledge pertaining to the vision and our quest. In either case, it would be to our advantage to talk to it rather than fight."

He turns towards the ghostly image of the illithid. "Why are you here? How did you find out that we saw the vision? Start talking, for your mere presence is already a mark against you."

 

[GruTheWanderer]

Lysander readies greater concussion. Darian casts Endurance on Lysander. Rex casts Magic Circle Against Evil. Verra manifests Haste and Combat Prescience and readies his bow. Bellus begins moving behind the sensor while drawing and using the wand of True Strike on himself.

The eyes of the figure burn like points of silver fire for a moment. A rainbow flash of light sweeps quickly away from the sensor's location, and four figures step forth. One is a dwarf with obviously arcane runes inscribed on his axe. Another is a shaven-headed human female in gray robes holding a wooden wand. The third is a male gnome, dressed in a bright red cloak and black leathers. The fourth is the leather-wrapped figure itself. Its eyes return to a bloated, featureless purple.

Initiatives: Rex 19, Lysander 19, Darian 13, Verra 10, Bellus 10. Actions, please!

 

[Lambent10]

OOC: I'll drop the greater concussion and hold my action until the first of the four makes a move. If it is an attack (including psionic combat modes, psionic powers, or conventional means), I will manifest stomp, aimed to affect all three who are not levitating, if possible. The DC will be 1d20 + 6 + one per two points from endurance. If I need to hold my action to recognize a psionic power being manifested (psicraft +14), I will do so, and as above, if it is an attack, I will use stomp.

 

[Victim]

OOC: Here's my tenative action, assuming that the other group is hostile and that nothing too unusual happens before my turn. Also, I'm going to be unavailable most of tommorrow.

IC: "Dispatch the illithid!" Darian shouted. Rex and Bellus were experienced enough combatants to coordinate their attacks and use the circle against evil to it's greatest effect. With luck, some of others would be freed of the mind flayer's compulsions when the protection effect included them. On other hand, he'd never seen an illithid in such strange garb before, so something unusual may be afoot.

Since their attackers no doubt had the advantage of preparation, it would fall on Darian's shoulders to rectify the situation. A dispel would be rather chancy - the scrying - remote viewing - had enough power to whether his previous dispel attempt. Also, if one of his comrades were to become enchanted, he'd need his last dispel to free them. However, one of his favorite spells could easily dismiss the potent Haste dweomers that were so common among battle mages and adventures. That would do.

"I'll try to buy us some time." Fitting, since he was about to unleash temporal spells. Then, carefully stepping away from any enemies that had closed within reach (or casting defensively if that's impossible), Darian incanted the transmutation Haste so he could respond to the attack more rapidly, and followed it with its mirror image, the Slow spell.

Slow: targets - illithid, human female, dwarf, gnome, and any hostile targets of opportunity; DC 22 or 24 against evil targets, lasts 9 rounds

0: 2 Mage Hand, Detect Magic, Light
1: X Endure Elements, X Resist Scrying, 2 Magic Missile, Shield, Reduce, B: Alarm
2: Levitate, See invisible, Endurance, Reduce, Glitterdust,
X Endurance, B: Protection from arrows
3: X Slow, X Haste, Forceblast, Fly, Forceblast, b: Dispel magic
4: Scrying, Gird the warrior, Polymorph Other, B: Minor Globe
5: Teleport, Teleport, B: X Dispel Magic