Planescape 3.5e - Cold Black Mask

[Cage-Rattler]

Sindr Mogh:[sblock] ooc: Sindr's Spellcraft Check:1d20+12 [19,12] = (31). There is a faint aura of Enchantment about the leering iron mask. What may come as a surprise is the fact that an identical aura, also faint, surrounds Hagen's body as well.

Almost as an afterthought, Sindr opens the shutters and peers outside. No raven-sized auras fall under his gaze. [/sblock]

"No good can come of it."

Hagen says nothing, and an awkward silence falls over the room. After a moment, the archivist turns toward the door. "I'm quite famished," Hagen muttered over his shoulder. "I think I'll take the landlady up on her offer of cucumber soup." He paused.

"Perhaps I'll see the rest of you down there in a few moments."

With that, he exited the room.

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"You could go and see if Kalel can help you scrounge somethin' up."

Lilly knew a hint when she heard one, and she went off in search of the bariaur. Dinah gently shut the door after her and sighed.

"Things have been getting bad. A mean bunch of cross-trading pikers calling themselves the 'Black Dogs' started banging around here, and they've taken to scragging any poor prime sod they come across; powers-know-why. Some of the local touts who work with me tried to run them out; two of my bloods got written into the dead-book." She sighed again.

"On top of all that, the Bellringer's demanding his usual garnish and I don't know if I can scrape together enough jink to pay him off and keep my kip."

 

[Zurai]

Sindr frowns deeply at the results of his magic. "The mask bears an aura of enchantment magic - and Hagen has an identical aura. Whatever it is, it has absolutely affected his mind. I think it'd be best if we ensure that Hagen is never alone until we get to the bottom of this." Suiting actions to words, Sindr will head down to the common room at Hagen's heels. "Oh, I detected no illusion auras nearby - I think our feathered friend is at least out of sight for the moment." he says over his shoulder as he leaves.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Heinrich looks troubled. "I fear I do not yet have the strength to drive out such unwholesome auras, are you able, Sindr? I would see our friend safe again as soon as possible." The possibility of fell magic tainting the mind of his friend seems to fill the priest with equal parts anger and sadness at his own inability to combat it directly.

[sblock=ooc]
Well, that's what I get for giving up CL 5.
[/sblock]

 

[Ambrus]

The whisper-gnome turns suddenly from the window when the bewitched man makes to leave the room. He'd crossed worlds to find his old friend and wasn't about to let Hagen out of his sight until the curse upon him was broken. Sudden celerity and a lightness of step carries the wayfarer effortlessly across the breadth of the room in an instant; easily in time to gently lay a hand on the human's sleeve as he takes his first step into the hallway. "Hagen, you're forgetting; the innkeeper said that the cucumber soup would only be ready in the morning. But I'd be happy to go fetch you something to eat elsewhere if you're hungry now. It's been a long day for you after all. You should stay here and rest."

 

[Cage-Rattler]

Hagen, who had already made it half-way out of the room, stopped when the gnome caught his sleeve, with Sindr a step behind.

"You're right, István, I did forget," he sighed. "And I'm sorry I was so curt. I just hate the idea that, after coming all this way after me, you and the others will find me untrustworthy or a liability.

"I'm sure you and the others are hungry as well," he smiled at István's offer of food. "Maybe they have some leftovers down in the kitchen that they're willing to part with; that way you won't have to look far. I think some food and some rest will do us a world of good."

 

[Zurai]

Heinrich looks troubled. "I fear I do not yet have the strength to drive out such unwholesome auras, are you able, Sindr? I would see our friend safe again as soon as possible."

Sindr shakes his head quickly. "Counter-fire is my specialty, not counter-magic. I'm afraid enchantments are ... not my most ... studied ... field of magic, either."

Hagen, who had already made it half-way out of the room, stopped when the gnome caught his sleeve, with Sindr a step behind.

"You're right, István, I did forget," he sighed. "And I'm sorry I was so curt. I just hate the idea that, after coming all this way after me, you and the others will find me untrustworthy or a liability.

Sindr protests violently, "No, no, no! Not at all, Hagen! I would still be in Thay - if I was even still alive - if it weren't for you! I'm not going to let some gods-damned enchanted mask interfere with that. It's just that, until we can find out what this mask is and what it's done to you, we need to be careful. The temple of the Nine Hells does not get involved out of charity. I think charity is grounds for being expelled from that particular creed, at the least." Sindr smiles brightly at his friend.

"Come now, sit down, Istvan will get some food for us all. Let's sit and discuss magic for a time, like we used to. I was studying those horses, y'see, an' I t'ink if I alter th' Weave like dis..." He guides Hagen to a chair in the room and plops down on one of the beds himself, breaking back into his dialected speech pattern as he starts to ramble about his theories on casting spells of flight, weaving tendrils of minor magic into the air to illustrate his points.

 

[Dire Lemming]

The mirth quickly vanishes from Anthony's face as Dinah speaks, and he listens quietly to her with growing concern.

"Hm... I can at least help with the jink." He says, quickly taking out his coin pouch and holding it open to her. He'd never have considered doing something so careless with his money in front of anyone else, but his trust in Dinah was absolute. "How much do ye need?"

 

[Ambrus]

István nods comfortingly to his friend as he turns and goes back into their room. "I'll be back shortly." With that the whisper-gnome gently closes the door behind him and silently steals downstairs in search of the odd tri-ocular innkeeper to see what food she might have available.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Pierce, somewhat nonplussed at her employer and company's virtual dismissal of what is for her an amazing revelation, follows behind Sindr and the others. Auras of enchantment were not something she could deal with, other than by applying steel to the offending party with as much presicion as possible. And that might be inadvisable, considering the lengths they went to to locate this Hagen fellow.

"My pardons Cinder..." she asks quietly when he winds down a little on his topics of magical discourse. "Was I entirely off-base in calling out Hagen's odd speech? The description seemed very apt for my home plane. Otherwise, I fear I have little to offer to this discussion but stoic silence."

 

[Cage-Rattler]

Downstairs, István managed to procure a day-old loaf of bread, some hard cheese, and a jug of water from the tiefling proprietor. Cang Lao, the githzerai-trained human, gave him a friendly nod from his bunk, but otherwise let the gnome go about his business.

Upstairs, Hagen and Sindr animatedly discussed various aspects of the Art. Although the archivist didn't possess the same aptitude as some of his companions, he was fascinated by the history and "technical" aspects of the Art.

When Pierce politely interjected, Hagen paused and looked thoughtful.
"Acheron, was it? I'm afraid I don't know very much about that particular realm; save that's one of the so called 'lower' planes, and it serves as an eternal battlefield of sorts. Do any of you recall what I said about Acheron exactly? Perhaps there is a clue in my words."

Pierce Spinecrusher:[sblock] ooc: The layer of second layer of Acheron, Thuldanin is rumored to hold all of the multiverse's tools of war. The odd mask that these primes are so worked up over seems to be made of the same black iron that all objects (and people) on Thuldanin eventually transform into.[/sblock]

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"How much do ye need?"

A look of guilty horror came over Dinah's face. "Oh, Tony, I didn't mean -- I was just thinking out loud, I guess. Keep your money; you worked hard for it. I'll find some way to manage."