Echolocation
Explorer
Session 40 - Holy Glowing Arm Batman!
Courtesy of Lisandra's player
With grizzly rumours of ritual murder and shocking nightmares pushed neatly aside, our undercover constables head to board their train headed to Sid Minos. The mood aboard was quite sombre and reclusive, with many passengers only visiting the meals cart in passing, keeping to themselves in the wake rumours there may be a killer on board.
Some time after departure, Cassie's new friend, Dan the eye doctor, came to visit the cabin, brandishing a fetching pair of eyewear with tinted lenses. After a brief fitting and lecture on the proper use of such an accessory, Dan thanked Cassie for all her help with studying such esoteric anatomy and left her with his address in Vendricce before saying his goodbyes.
As hush and privacy fell upon the cabin once more, Lisandra finally pulled herself from quiet reverie. She thanked Ella for the kindness shown that morning, when the Oracle had awoken in tears. They gathered under a cloak of secrets as Lisandra explained what she had been dreaming of since they left Beaumont. She reveals that she believes them to be memories of the first spirit she ever encountered, her mother, who bore the same face as the half-eladrin visage the demon wore at the arena. She told them of apparent Vekeshi rituals, strange blades and betrayal, before the dream ended with the demon holding her arm out, flaying back the skin so the Clergyman could scribe something into the bone. The pain was so unbearable she awoke from the shock. She hoped that this new development would not cause any disruption with their mission ahead. Grateful for the support of her teammates, the oracle pressed on and rerouted focus to the job at hand; no one was about, so who should they peek in on with the help of a little clairaudience-clairvoyance?
The lucky winners were Verzubak, Dan the eye doctor and the only somewhat suspicious pair left in first class, Luc Jierre and Octavia. A listen into Verzubak’s car revealed, unsurprisingly, the sounds of rolling dice. He noticed the scrying sensor and seemed quite amused at the idea that he was important enough to spy upon. A peek into Dan’s car revealed the old man asleep, wearing a pair of sunglasses with a broad grin on his face, clearly content. Meanwhile, back in the Musgrave’s suit, Angharad was resisting the urge to prank the distracted Lisandra, and Ella took the opportunity to magically examine the oracles arm, which now seemed to contain a strang necromantic aura, though the magic was obscured by the density of the flesh and skin around it. Ella quietly informed her colleagues and suggested perhaps they hold off on telling Lisandra to avoid distracting while they still had work to do.
Finally the peek into Luc’s suite revealed the pair having a gestured conversation. Ottavia seemed to be persuading a nervous Luc before the pair came to a conclusion and left the suite together. Not a few moments after Lisandra regained her senses, the pair knocked on their door bearing gifts. A ornate, femeinine necklace detailed with clergy scripture and cosmic motifs for Lynette, and a matching, more masculine designed bracelet for Henri.
Ottaivia explained, via Luc, that they had been shopping in Nalaam when she saw the gifts, and she had wanted to wish Lynette all the best for her wedding after hearing she was engaged to a Cergy man. The set was designed to be worn by those linked by blood, and she thought the star motifs were appropriate given their Risuri origin. A sweet gift indeed, without any malicious intent it seemed, as Bheed stepped forth as the dutiful bodyguard to inspect the items for any magical auras. He caught both Luc and Octavia in his gaze and confirmed that they were just as devoid of magical auras as their gift was.
Before the pair took their leave, Lynette hesitantly asked if she could impose on them a little and inquired if Ottavia had ever seen any kind of divine magic like what happened to her arm at the arena before. Ottavia asked if she could see Lynette cast a spell. With Cassie's permission, she cast a simple Guidance spell on the tiefling. After observing and considering the situation a while, Ottavia signs a response to Luc and conveys that she is concerned that Lynette’s power does not come from a God, like her own does, and suggested the Clergy could potential help diagnose the case for her, but it is not possible them to lift all curses, her own deafness for example. The medium went a little paler at the mention of curses and Ottavia continued to sign, conveying that not all members of the Clergy are corrupt like Father Balthazar was. Grateful, Lynette thanked them both again for their time, and for the lovely gifts, and once her dutiful bodyguard Bheed was finished with inspecting the gifts (and the givers) for magical auras, the pair departed.
Curious to gauge their post-conversation reactions, Cassie cast invisibility on herself to follow them back to their suite, and Keyhole to watch them through the door. Ottavia spent some time calming Luc’s frayed nerves, assumingly from the social interaction, and the pair settled in to play some cards.
The team spent the rest of the day sifting for leads, chatting with the train staff, looking for ring-wearers and gathering information. The cleaning staff, all ringless, were all fairly wary of the wealthier passengers (even Henri and Bheed), with the female staff commenting that Olivert Boone was very uncomfortable to be around. The guards echoed sentiments about the wealthy, and Law confirmed he hadn’t seen anything else particularly noteworthy to report. Cassie discovered the staff gets the option for some time off in Vendricce and though Doris and Xorin will return for the round trip, Malia will be taking time off. Ottavia greeted them with a smile in the hall on their way back to their suite, noticing that Henri and Lynette both wore the gifts she’d given.
Fresh out of any further work, the team assembled back in their quarters, not too far from their evening department to Sid Minor and then… something strange happened. The lamp lights in their suite flicked red to signal nearing their destination, but then deepend into a purple hue. The sounds of the train and passengers around them became muted and the sky outside turned black.
Ella cast detect magic, which took more effort than it normally did, and picked up nothing unusual as Lisandra check the corridor outside to see if anyone else was experiencing the same issue. She saw Malia patrolling, but her body was translucent like a spirit. Lisandra called out, but was completely unheard. In fact the chief of security walked right through her on her way passed.
John opened the window to look around outside and saw at the front of the train a glowing purple light on the first car and as Lisandra rejoined them she shared her concerns that Malia may not be the issue… and that they were more likely the incorporeal ones.
Ella deduced that, somehow, they were on another plane. Not one that they had experienced before, but perhaps the place souls go once they pass through the Bleak Gate; a place called Nem, a plane of death and ruin. Not dead ourselves, but Lisandra explained that spirits don’t wander too far from their bodies upon death and with their bodies travelling on a train still, if they didn’t find a way back fast, they may find their spirits permanently untethered from their bodies with little hope of ever returning to them.
With that revelation, the group jumped into action and Ella cast Haste to quicken our journey. Lisandra opened the hatch in the roof just outside the cabin door and climbed onto the train roof - knowing from past experience that leaping over the carriage roofs was faster than running through them opening doors. Everyone followed, John safely converting Sydney into a small stone figurine for safe travel before climbing up to join them.
Leaping from carriage to carriage, Lisandra took the lead and quickly came upon a collection of Reapers wielding scythes. Her arm began to glow with a bright, white light, but not painfully so this time. It seemed to be radiating with a unique connection to this plane. She heard it whispering to her, though she couldn’t make out the words, she felt like she could channel the energy in her arm to her advantage. Magic missiles came barreling over her shoulder as Ella hit three of the spirits and Lisandra leaped across to strike into melee, slaying one of them. As it’s spirit faded, the scythe came down for one last swipe and the medium’s arm grew brighter, deflecting the blow completely. The remaining spirits were taken care of without much trouble, John shooting right through several of them in short succession from a distance, obliterating them.
As the conflict settled, the hatch in the car Lisandra stood on flung open and a familiar skeezy tiefling crawled his way out, crying out in distress for something to get away from him. When he noticed the group assembled he paused in shock, demanding to know what the hell the team was doing here. Spirits began to rise up from the train. Potentially hundreds of transparent, indistinguishable figures encircled him. The most visible stood just behind him with their own livers and hearts in hand, intestines wrapped around their throats, pointing accusing fingers at Olivert. They matched the description of the ritual deaths reported at each Enclave. It seemed they had stumbled onto the serial killer the passengers had been gossiping about.
When Ella asked him if he recognized the women, he admitted to murdering them, under duress he insisted at Angharad’s further interrogation. When pressed further he revealed that his gun was not just a fancy magic gun, it was possessed by a demon, one who he needed to satiate every so often or it would rob him of his own life and find a more agreeable wielder. He also revealed he was headed to Vendricce, working as a bodyguard for Luc Jierre. The name drop may save his life, at least for a little longer, as Team BAD repress their inclination to shoot the murderous bastard, or leave him stranded in Nem with his victims.
Will Team BAD get the answers they seek? Will they be enough to stop John shooting Olivert in the head for his crimes? Will they make it back to their bodies in time or should we have all brought back up characters to this session? Find out today, on the extraplanar adventures of Team BAD!
Courtesy of Lisandra's player
With grizzly rumours of ritual murder and shocking nightmares pushed neatly aside, our undercover constables head to board their train headed to Sid Minos. The mood aboard was quite sombre and reclusive, with many passengers only visiting the meals cart in passing, keeping to themselves in the wake rumours there may be a killer on board.
Some time after departure, Cassie's new friend, Dan the eye doctor, came to visit the cabin, brandishing a fetching pair of eyewear with tinted lenses. After a brief fitting and lecture on the proper use of such an accessory, Dan thanked Cassie for all her help with studying such esoteric anatomy and left her with his address in Vendricce before saying his goodbyes.
As hush and privacy fell upon the cabin once more, Lisandra finally pulled herself from quiet reverie. She thanked Ella for the kindness shown that morning, when the Oracle had awoken in tears. They gathered under a cloak of secrets as Lisandra explained what she had been dreaming of since they left Beaumont. She reveals that she believes them to be memories of the first spirit she ever encountered, her mother, who bore the same face as the half-eladrin visage the demon wore at the arena. She told them of apparent Vekeshi rituals, strange blades and betrayal, before the dream ended with the demon holding her arm out, flaying back the skin so the Clergyman could scribe something into the bone. The pain was so unbearable she awoke from the shock. She hoped that this new development would not cause any disruption with their mission ahead. Grateful for the support of her teammates, the oracle pressed on and rerouted focus to the job at hand; no one was about, so who should they peek in on with the help of a little clairaudience-clairvoyance?
The lucky winners were Verzubak, Dan the eye doctor and the only somewhat suspicious pair left in first class, Luc Jierre and Octavia. A listen into Verzubak’s car revealed, unsurprisingly, the sounds of rolling dice. He noticed the scrying sensor and seemed quite amused at the idea that he was important enough to spy upon. A peek into Dan’s car revealed the old man asleep, wearing a pair of sunglasses with a broad grin on his face, clearly content. Meanwhile, back in the Musgrave’s suit, Angharad was resisting the urge to prank the distracted Lisandra, and Ella took the opportunity to magically examine the oracles arm, which now seemed to contain a strang necromantic aura, though the magic was obscured by the density of the flesh and skin around it. Ella quietly informed her colleagues and suggested perhaps they hold off on telling Lisandra to avoid distracting while they still had work to do.
Finally the peek into Luc’s suite revealed the pair having a gestured conversation. Ottavia seemed to be persuading a nervous Luc before the pair came to a conclusion and left the suite together. Not a few moments after Lisandra regained her senses, the pair knocked on their door bearing gifts. A ornate, femeinine necklace detailed with clergy scripture and cosmic motifs for Lynette, and a matching, more masculine designed bracelet for Henri.
Ottaivia explained, via Luc, that they had been shopping in Nalaam when she saw the gifts, and she had wanted to wish Lynette all the best for her wedding after hearing she was engaged to a Cergy man. The set was designed to be worn by those linked by blood, and she thought the star motifs were appropriate given their Risuri origin. A sweet gift indeed, without any malicious intent it seemed, as Bheed stepped forth as the dutiful bodyguard to inspect the items for any magical auras. He caught both Luc and Octavia in his gaze and confirmed that they were just as devoid of magical auras as their gift was.
Before the pair took their leave, Lynette hesitantly asked if she could impose on them a little and inquired if Ottavia had ever seen any kind of divine magic like what happened to her arm at the arena before. Ottavia asked if she could see Lynette cast a spell. With Cassie's permission, she cast a simple Guidance spell on the tiefling. After observing and considering the situation a while, Ottavia signs a response to Luc and conveys that she is concerned that Lynette’s power does not come from a God, like her own does, and suggested the Clergy could potential help diagnose the case for her, but it is not possible them to lift all curses, her own deafness for example. The medium went a little paler at the mention of curses and Ottavia continued to sign, conveying that not all members of the Clergy are corrupt like Father Balthazar was. Grateful, Lynette thanked them both again for their time, and for the lovely gifts, and once her dutiful bodyguard Bheed was finished with inspecting the gifts (and the givers) for magical auras, the pair departed.
Curious to gauge their post-conversation reactions, Cassie cast invisibility on herself to follow them back to their suite, and Keyhole to watch them through the door. Ottavia spent some time calming Luc’s frayed nerves, assumingly from the social interaction, and the pair settled in to play some cards.
The team spent the rest of the day sifting for leads, chatting with the train staff, looking for ring-wearers and gathering information. The cleaning staff, all ringless, were all fairly wary of the wealthier passengers (even Henri and Bheed), with the female staff commenting that Olivert Boone was very uncomfortable to be around. The guards echoed sentiments about the wealthy, and Law confirmed he hadn’t seen anything else particularly noteworthy to report. Cassie discovered the staff gets the option for some time off in Vendricce and though Doris and Xorin will return for the round trip, Malia will be taking time off. Ottavia greeted them with a smile in the hall on their way back to their suite, noticing that Henri and Lynette both wore the gifts she’d given.
Fresh out of any further work, the team assembled back in their quarters, not too far from their evening department to Sid Minor and then… something strange happened. The lamp lights in their suite flicked red to signal nearing their destination, but then deepend into a purple hue. The sounds of the train and passengers around them became muted and the sky outside turned black.
Ella cast detect magic, which took more effort than it normally did, and picked up nothing unusual as Lisandra check the corridor outside to see if anyone else was experiencing the same issue. She saw Malia patrolling, but her body was translucent like a spirit. Lisandra called out, but was completely unheard. In fact the chief of security walked right through her on her way passed.
John opened the window to look around outside and saw at the front of the train a glowing purple light on the first car and as Lisandra rejoined them she shared her concerns that Malia may not be the issue… and that they were more likely the incorporeal ones.
Ella deduced that, somehow, they were on another plane. Not one that they had experienced before, but perhaps the place souls go once they pass through the Bleak Gate; a place called Nem, a plane of death and ruin. Not dead ourselves, but Lisandra explained that spirits don’t wander too far from their bodies upon death and with their bodies travelling on a train still, if they didn’t find a way back fast, they may find their spirits permanently untethered from their bodies with little hope of ever returning to them.
With that revelation, the group jumped into action and Ella cast Haste to quicken our journey. Lisandra opened the hatch in the roof just outside the cabin door and climbed onto the train roof - knowing from past experience that leaping over the carriage roofs was faster than running through them opening doors. Everyone followed, John safely converting Sydney into a small stone figurine for safe travel before climbing up to join them.
Leaping from carriage to carriage, Lisandra took the lead and quickly came upon a collection of Reapers wielding scythes. Her arm began to glow with a bright, white light, but not painfully so this time. It seemed to be radiating with a unique connection to this plane. She heard it whispering to her, though she couldn’t make out the words, she felt like she could channel the energy in her arm to her advantage. Magic missiles came barreling over her shoulder as Ella hit three of the spirits and Lisandra leaped across to strike into melee, slaying one of them. As it’s spirit faded, the scythe came down for one last swipe and the medium’s arm grew brighter, deflecting the blow completely. The remaining spirits were taken care of without much trouble, John shooting right through several of them in short succession from a distance, obliterating them.
As the conflict settled, the hatch in the car Lisandra stood on flung open and a familiar skeezy tiefling crawled his way out, crying out in distress for something to get away from him. When he noticed the group assembled he paused in shock, demanding to know what the hell the team was doing here. Spirits began to rise up from the train. Potentially hundreds of transparent, indistinguishable figures encircled him. The most visible stood just behind him with their own livers and hearts in hand, intestines wrapped around their throats, pointing accusing fingers at Olivert. They matched the description of the ritual deaths reported at each Enclave. It seemed they had stumbled onto the serial killer the passengers had been gossiping about.
When Ella asked him if he recognized the women, he admitted to murdering them, under duress he insisted at Angharad’s further interrogation. When pressed further he revealed that his gun was not just a fancy magic gun, it was possessed by a demon, one who he needed to satiate every so often or it would rob him of his own life and find a more agreeable wielder. He also revealed he was headed to Vendricce, working as a bodyguard for Luc Jierre. The name drop may save his life, at least for a little longer, as Team BAD repress their inclination to shoot the murderous bastard, or leave him stranded in Nem with his victims.
Will Team BAD get the answers they seek? Will they be enough to stop John shooting Olivert in the head for his crimes? Will they make it back to their bodies in time or should we have all brought back up characters to this session? Find out today, on the extraplanar adventures of Team BAD!
