NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sagiro" data-source="post: 402351" data-attributes="member: 726">Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 152 The Company abruptly stops talking and listens for a moment.   Then they are all leaping backward out of their chairs and scrambling for weapons, except for Morningstar, who begins to cast detect thoughts.  As the others are arming, she casts about for minds and discovers one more than there should be.  A few seconds later she pinpoints that extra mind up near the top of the chimney, right at the source of the noise.  And the round after that she skims its inhuman surface thoughts, which are of frustration at being unable to descend any lower, and determination to keep trying.Morningstar reports this to the rest of the party, and there is some tempered relief that the wards of the Greenhouse are still working.  Kibi goes over to the fireplace and cautiously extends his head, to look up with his darkvision.  He sees a swirling mass of cloud-like vapors up near the very top of the chimney.  He pulls back and stands up.  “I think it’s an air elemental.  It can’t get in.”“An air elemental?” Aravis raises his eyebrows.  “It must have been summoned, by someone outside…”“Should we go out, then?” Step is already headed for the door.“Wait!” says Morningstar.  “I’m not prepared for a fight.  I don’t think we’re ready, in case it’s… another one of P’s simulacra.”“We should at least try to spot him out the windows,” says Dranko.  The front door of the Greenhouse begins to shake.  The Company looks on, weapons drawn, tense, as the door rattles loudly, glows softly for a moment and then quiets.  “Ha!” says Ernie.  “That won’t work either.  Abernathy sure did…”“What’s that?”  Aravis barks sharply, pointing at the center of the room.Several heads swivel to look, but there is just empty air above the living room table.“I see nothing,” says Step, frowning.“There was a blurring in the air,” says Aravis.  “It was almost like… it was the size of a scrying sensor, like someone was casting Clairv…”Everyone sees what happens next.  A dark shape like a doorway’s shadow appears in the center of the Greenhouse living room.  It flickers out, flickers back in again.  It warbles like a reflection on a disturbed pond.   Then it winks out, leaving another soft glow behind.  Step lunges forward and swing his sword through the spot, harmlessly.  Grey Wolf casts see invisibility, but sees nothing. Aravis looks thoughtfully at the spot for a few seconds before speaking again.  “That was someone trying to dimension door into the house.  Looks like it failed.”From upstairs, another sound.  A window is rattling.  Dranko takes the stairs two at a time while the others fan out to various other windows.  Kibi also casts see invisibility, and soon everyone is looking out of windows, hoping to spot their attacker.  Dranko finds one window entirely frozen over (on the outside) and very cold to the touch, but unbroken.  Minutes pass.  Nothing.An hour later, it seems that they have weathered the storm.Flicker summarizes general sentiment.  “This sucks!”The Company spends the remainder of the day inside, continuing to make plans and lists for magic item creation. The main list is long.  On it are numerous potions and scrolls as well as wands, amulets, sashes, vests, shields, and (to Ernie’s delight) a new Flying Carpet.  Divided up efficiently among the many party members with the requisite feats, it could take two or three months to make everything on the list.  This discovery segues into a discussion of what urgent tasks the Company might have to undertake – or might want to undertake – in the near future.   Maybe they should go to Kivia now, to find Het Branoi and its Eye of Moirel.  But what if Aravis (and the Crosser’s Maze) are needed in the meantime?The debate continues for hours before they decide to consult a higher power.  Morningstar prays for a few minutes for the spell of commune before retiring to her room, invoking a personal darkness, and asking for the wisdom of Ell.Is leaving for Kivia in order to get the Eye of Moirel the best course of action to prevent the Emperor from coming through to Charagan?NOIf we leave for Kivia in nine weeks, will the Crosser’s Maze be needed before we return, to prevent the Emperor from coming through to Charagan?MOST LIKELYWas “P” or his agents responsible for today’s attack on the Greenhouse?YESHave “P” or his agents tried everything he (or they) can to get into the Greenhouse?NOWill “P” try again?YES, OR AN AGENTWould we be likely to be successful in finding and taking out Parthol Runecarver?NO, NOT AT PRESENTAre the Eyes of Moirel safe in the Greenhouse?AS SAFE AS THEY WISHIs pursuing the Black Circle the best course of action to prevent the Emperor from coming through to Charagan?NOIs pursuing the Sharshun the best course of action to prevent the Emperor from coming through to Charagan?NOIs investigating Calnis the best course of action to prevent the Emperor from coming through to Charagan?NOIs pursuing the remaining red-armored soldiers the best course of action to prevent the Emperor from coming through to Charagan?NOMorningstar offers a prayer of thanks for these divine answers.  “You’re welcome,” a voice sounds in her soul.   She returns to the others to share her new intelligence.  “That’s good news,” says Dranko.The others turn to look, puzzled.“It means we shouldn’t feel like we need to run out and kill Parthol Runecarver.”“Yeah, that’s a relief,” says Flicker, rolling his eyes.“What I think it means,” says Aravis, “is that I’d better figure out how to use the Crosser’s Maze to stop the Emperor, and soon.  I’ve spent a lot of time inside it, moving around, testing it, probing it.  But I still don’t know how I’m going to use it for what we really need it for.  I have an idea, though.”“Yeah?” Grey Wolf asks.  “Why do I think we’re not going to like it?”“Oh, it shouldn’t be that dangerous,” Aravis assures the others.  “I intend to seek out previous Keepers of the Maze and ask their advice.”“You can do that?” Ernie asks, wide-eyed.“It should be possible,” Aravis nods.  “I’ll craft myself an amulet of intellect over the next week or so, since I think I’ll be helped by a, um, deeper understanding, if you will, of certain aspects of the Maze interior.  Then I'll go in.”No one says anything for a moment.“I noted that Ell said “P” wasn’t finished with us,” Grey Wolf says despondently.The Company sleeps uneasily that night.…to be continued…</blockquote>

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