The Crux of the Matter

[Velmont]

OOC: It is the first adventure that I have full control of Hogarth, and he appeared in the adventure just before, in M4. If you want to know a bit of what happen to Hogarth before we meet him, look at the discussion that start at post 410 in this thread. For being in this adventure, I think trying to stop something that could destroy Gundar creation and create some order in this region is a good thing in his favor. I think Hogarth have been a faithfull follower, but it is hard to tell he had been following strictly the tenets of his faith.

If he become a young adult, does that mean he loses his penalty to his physical stats? Does he loses his bonus to mental stats? Generally, if it affect only his body, it would be only physical, but wouldn't gain again the mental stats bonus if he would reach again the age he has presently.

And by teh way, drwaing the cards are purely an OOC choice. If I had followed IC, I think Rinaldo wouldn't have risk it, neither Hogarth, but that's only me

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Wait, Hogarth was Middle-Aged and suffering penalties and bonuses? I didn't know that. Yes, both of them go away)

 

[Velmont]

Well, if he lose his bonus, he is even more intelligent and charming then ever

Edit: OOC: Oh well, I forgot to apply them, so there is no change finally.

 

[Erekose13]

ooc: i figured that being a little girl with an incredibly low wisdom would somewhat determine his fate... and i love that item. the flavor and changes you've made are very cool.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Edit: OOC: Oh well, I forgot to apply them, so there is no change finally.

(OOC: Forgot to apply the mods? Ah, in that case, good thing he drew that card--now his stats are right )

ooc: i figured that being a little girl with an incredibly low wisdom would somewhat determine his fate... and i love that item. the flavor and changes you've made are very cool.

(OOC: Yup, this deck of many things amuses me. The one in the DMG bores me with its ham-fisted heavy-handed effects. I think Vanitri is a shoe-in to draw cards, but I'll wait for Bront to return so that I can't be blamed if he draws something bad. Meanwhile, I'll have Laynie draw)

*Laynie decides to follow Tenebrynn's (and likely Vanitri's) example and draw from the deck, choosing four cards. She receives the following:

A powerful Sorceress stands on a table on which are various articles: swords, wands, pentacles, cups, dice, balls, bells, and others. One hand holds a double-ended wand pointed towards the Heavens and the other hand points towards the Earth. Over her head is a lemniscate curve, the symbol of eternity and infinity. The table, which resembles an altar, is surrounded by growing things.

The crowned Queen of Wands sits on her throne, a wand in her hand, a black cat familiar at her feet. She is fair blonde with pale blue eyes. The card is reversed

A master artist carving pentacles in stonework is regarded approvingly by two robed figures, one of whom holds a set of plans from which the crafter has been working.

A winged supernatural being hovers over a man a woman, two lovers, behind each of whom flourishes a different tree. The man looks at the woman, but she, though open to him, looks up at the supernatural messenger.

(OOC: Effects--1st card Laynie gains 2 Int (as if she needed more!). The second card indicates an enemy soon to be encountered. The fact that this description (which I took directly off the card) is an excellent description of pretty much any important enemy that would be in this tower is highly ironic. The third gives her a % bonus on earned XP and a 'promotion' in an 'organisation', if she is a member (becoming a student at the Academy works for this one I guess). The fourth gives her bonus Charisma based on her Int / 6, rounded down and an additional circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks against anyone to whom she would be romantically inclined. In this case, the bonus is 3--I always laugh when someone draws that card because I had a player in a FtF game who ALWAYS drew it, much to his chagrin of his uncharismatic Barbarian (who quickly became a charismatic Barbarian) .)

 

[Rystil Arden]

Ashnar thinks that it is foolish to meddle with a chaotic item like this card deck, but he won't stop his companions from doing so - if they don't want to heed his and the aspects' earlier warnings regarding the item, it is their problem. After the fact, though, for some reason he simply cannot think of Tenebrynn as foolish for trying this. Rather, he takes some quick looks around the laboratory for other interesting items.

*Ashnar, clearly a 'fuddy-duddy', decides not to draw from the Deck of Many Things. Instead, he looks around for more magic items. Besides the ones already mentioned as immediately salient, he finds a crystalline orb of some sort, a staff of ebony and gold, a small slender rod-like object with a coiling pattern around it topped by a sapphire, a pair of stylish ladies' shoes, a sort of combination dress/robe for the lady wizard with a sense of style, a silvery shield, and there's still more places to look--that's just at first.*

*However, as he does this, the humming grows and there is a sudden violent surge of magical energy!*

(OOC: It is clear everyone was in the room, and everyone has specifically stated so except Bront, who is away. Nonetheless, it wouldn't make any sense for Vanitri to not be there, so I feel comfortable with saying he was obviously there for this glorious Wild Surge!)

*Tenebrynn gets her own theme music, which follows her around and plays appropriately themed orchestral accompaniment for her mood and actions. In an ironic twist for a magic item salesman, Rinaldo becomes temporarily allergic to magic items and begins sneezing uncontrollably until he puts at least ten feet between himself and any magic items (including his own possessions that are magical). Vanitri and Tenebrynn are affected by a Cause Fear centred around Hogarth and become deathly afraid of the man, who is still aging backwards towards young adulthood. Of course, as they begin to flee from Hogarth, Tenebrynn's theme music begins to play a foreboding chase theme. A local Reverse Gravity under Laynie's feet causes her to fall towards the ceiling and stay there for the moment, standing on the ceiling as if it were the floor. Ashnar's gender is reversed, as he undergoes a gradual but rapid metamorphosis into a female over the course of six seconds. Finally, a creature that Ashnar (Ashnarra?) recognises easily as a Lemure devil appears next to Vanitri. It takes a swipe at him and misses as he runs away. If anyone feels like killing the pathetic thing, it shouldn't be hard with 9 HP and it will be unsummoned by the defeat. Otherwise, it'll fade shortly anyway.*

 

[Velmont]

"What happened?" *atchoum* Rinaldo starts to scatch his hand. "What was that?" *sneeze* Rinaldo starts to scratch his back. "Why is that armor becoming so inconfortable" Rinaldo removes his hat and scatch his head before returing to scarcth his back.

[SBLOCK=OOC]What are the penalty I have while sneezing... because removing all magical items means I am almost defenceless... And what about Hogarth? Because we have little idea of his zeal, we suppose he wasn't zealous enough to gain those HP?[/SBLOCK]

 

[Knight Otu]

(Does Ashna(r) have any reason to assume whether hir change is temporary or lasting? Also, is it save to assume that sie knows about the resistances and immunities of the lemure?)

This is going to take some getting used to Ashna(r) thinks regarding hir change. I guess the Tower itself doesn't like us. "No one's going to recognize us when we get out of here," sie muses out loud as the lemure appears.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Velmont--the effect on Rinaldo is equivalent to the Nauseated condition.

KO2--Ashna/r doesn't know the duration of any of these wild surge effects. It feels like it was instantaneous though, although that's just a feeling, call it woman' intuition

As to the Lemure, Kn: the Planes was probably high enough to know all the standard Baatezu immunities and resistances that the lemure shares, though not the specifics of the lemure.)

"True, though I don't look forward to falling from the ceiling when gravity goes back to normal," Laynie observes in response to Ashnar, "Hey, at least I'm not the only one who can wear most of these magic items without looking silly now."

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Oh, I forgot Hogarth--I don't know. It seems like living alone in a big cave might be pretty devoted to the god of earth, though if I remember he was partially only there due to kidnapping. You guys were in that previous adventure and he's your cohort, so you know the character of Hogarth best. I'll let you make the call if he merits the favour of the Judgment card)