[Unbounded World:The Aeterian Expedition] (Now With New And Improved Amulets!)

[hafrogman]

Seeing the creature fall, Teppic turns back to Duncan.

"Never mind."

He then knelt down to check on Taslia's condition, as well as that of their former foe.

"Does anyone know what this thing is? And more importantly, can we expect to face more of them before this journey is over?"

 

[Lichtenhart]

"Good job, Lochan. Talsia, are you all right? What did that... thing do to you?"
As Duncan sheathes his sword, its glow disappear. He frees Talsia from the grip of the dead guard and helps her on her feet, checking if she's got any wound he could help mending.
Then he turns to the temple guard, hoping the enchantement that allows him to speak and understand Aeterian is still working.
"Please go summon a cleric, maybe we're still in time to save your friend here."
The brown warrior checks on the temple guard that was first attacked, hoping he's still in time to stabilize him and save his life. If he's not, he'll close his eyes and put his hands on his chest.
Then he rejoins his companion to look at the city guard instead.
"Have you ever seen anything like this? It looks like this poor guy got possessed by something... Well, you've seen it. I'm wondering how many people already know of our quest. Too many, if you ask me. We've got to hurry."
He kneels to see if the strange being left any sign on the man, that could help identify it, or if was carrying some weird object that could explain what happened. Duncan hates when he doesn't understand something.

 

[Kalanyr]

The temple guard looks at the soldier
"I'm a cleric, and there's nothing I could do for him. He's on his way to Aeter's Throne now. He will be duly honoured and the appropriate ceremonies performed. "

Duncan's inspection confirms the temple guard's assessment, the other guard is definitely dead.



As Duncan searches the body he finds little of interest the guards robes (which serve as the equivalent to Masterwork Padded Leather armour), a Masterwork Khopesh still in its scabbard, a Masterwork heavy shield across the guard's back, along with a Masterwork Mighty Composite Longbow (a little experimentation shows its draw is for someone significantly weaker than Duncan), 20 Masterwork Arrows, 2 Potions of Cure Light Wounds and 2 Gold Pieces, but as he searches over the body there's a slight shimmer and feeling of disorientation which expands outward catching the others in it.

As the shimmer touches each of the others they too feel the slight sensation of nausea.

When the shimmer clears each of you feel slightly different, every one else seems to be moving slightly slower, and you can see a glowing sigil, in an incomprehensible script on the back of each of the other's left hands.

OOC - You each gain 2040 XP, and for the purposes of treasure tally the Mark Outside Time, is valued at 102,000 GP, its obvious effect (the apparent slowing of time) is to add a +5 insight bonus to your AC, and a +3 insight bonus to your attack rolls.

Edited for clarity.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Duncan as the shimmering begins to surround them, Duncan jumps on his feet and unsheathes his claymore all at once.
"Now what's this new devilry?!" he shouts.
Then the shimmer clears and he sees the mark on his companions. All of them.
"Grim'ktash-na!" he curses in ignan, as he always does when he's scared. He points the sword at his comrades as he's unsure of what has happened to them.
"Now let's stay calm and nobody will get hurt. Talk to me. Are you all still yourselves?"
He switches position, still pointing his sword at them, to check his own left hand for anything strange.

 

[hafrogman]

Teppic jumps at Duncan's sudden exlaimation. He too had noticed his mark, but was considering it deeply when the swordsman yelled out. He stands slowly and holds his hands up to placate his companion.

"I am still myself, as are the others, I am sure. I wager that you are correct in part of your assumption, however. This is probably the first stage of whatever madness or disease possesed this man. We have been touched by some strange force. If it spreads or worsens, then we have cause for concern. However, for now I believe there is nothing we can do but embark on our journey as planned, before more of these. . . people can track us down and possibly exacerbate the effect."

 

[DrZombie]

"I'm still myself, although I must admit there are plenty who'd wish they'd be me." Skor sais, still looking suspiciously at the corpse. "I say we cut off his head and nail it to the city gates, just to be sure noone else gets any funny ideas. I allways find that it discourages others from attacking you. Well, that is, untill their sons get of age, then you just do it again." He shrugs at the disgusted looks he's getting.
'"Is the lady allright?"

 

[Lichtenhart]

OOC: DrZombie, there's something for you to see in the OOC thread.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

"Thanks, I'll be fine in a moment." Talsia says, hastily muttering a prayer to Paradox. (Restoration, healing all Wis damage/drain. assuming that it works) As her mental faculties recover, she breathes a sigh of relief that the strange creature did not damage her ability to draw strength from her deity. Seeing that the others are uninjured, she mutters a few more prayers to heal her own wounds. (Spontaneously curing, getting rid of an Augury, a Searing Light and a Divination to heal 9d8+42 hp)

She gasps at the sign that appears on her and her companion's hands, by now baffled with the situation. Regaining her composure, she thinks, and then turns to her companions, "I will interrogate our enemy's body with questions through my magic-do you have any questions you would like to ask it?"

 

[Ferrix]

Lochan looks upon the body of the former city guard with dismay, disregarding the snap reaction from Duncan, unstringing and shouldering his bow he moves slowly forward. Resting his hand on Talsia's shoulder he pauses before speaking, "perhaps knowing where he had been when he contracted this affliction could lead us to a starting point."

 

[Lichtenhart]

As his companions speak with thier own voices and seem quite normal, Duncan lowers his sword.
"Ehm, Teppic, disturbing the dead with questions isn't a capital offence in this country, right? Otherwise we would have to carry him away, possibly without getting caught. Talsia, ask him if he noticed strange marks on his body before becoming that thing. I'd really like you to be wrong, Teppic, if you don't mind." he says with a wry smile.