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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zad" data-source="post: 3627410" data-attributes="member: 90">The Test of the Smoking Eye - Chapter 3 and 4The Test of the Smoking Eye – Chapter 3 and 4OOC Notes:Chapter 3: Exp is 1,000 for 9th, 915 for 10th.Chapter 4: Exp is 4,500 for 9th, 3,500 for 10th.Author’s Note:I’m catching up on a couple sessions and somewhat abbreviating the tale. I’ll probably make another post with more details on this.This Week’s Adventures:Penelope held the bit of bread in her paws as she slowly chewed on it. One nice part of being a familiar was not always having to eat in a hurry. I still don’t follow you, she thought. Explain the smell again.Ok, I’ll start over, I replied. But I’m just taking your word for it on the smell.Right, I keep forgetting. Not sure how anything can survive without smelling things but that’s my world for you, she shrugged.Just then Grinder got up again, agitated at the plane’s shifting aspect. Since the Test of the Smoking Eye had completed, the plane had done a lot of shifting in its aspect, and Grinder felt the need to poke around every time something changed.  He was diligent but not exactly one to think outside the box.“Grinder, it’s just the plane doing its thing again. No need to wake everyone,” I said. Grinder made a show of sniffing, and then relented. He returned to listening.“Right. Now, do we all understand the Test of the Smoking Eye was put in place by the former ruler of this plane to allow for a successor to take over?” I said aloud. Grinder was a little fidgety but was still interested.Grinder and Penelope nodded. The valet sat quietly.“So we went to the big church. After they destroyed the succubus, and ran off the salamander, they found the test.”He smelled funny too. All burnt, noted Penelope. Why didn’t he fight?“Because he knew he’d lose and he didn’t fancy that. He offered to leave and Astrid let him go because there was no point in fighting him. So the mummy…”…smelled funny the rat interjected, dropping her snack.“... told them they had to fight either the bebbilith or the angel,” I continued.  “They fought the bebbilith, and passed the test.”And that lead them to the next test running through all those big blister thingies and getting teleported a lot. I understand that part. Then we came here to the big funny smelling smoking skull thingy“Exactly. I suppose it was kind of predictable and I’m not sure why we didn’t just start here but there you have it. So as we went up, we found Saureya – the fallen angel fellow with the black wings. He had been staked out and was nearly dead, but they saved him. He knew Kaurophon and they didn’t seem to like each other.”Wonder why, Penelope snorted derisively. “Good taste, I can only assume,” I laughed. “Saureya said he was waiting to see who would come and pass the test and that he helped Adamarcus create the test. But it was clear there was a rakshasa and his bodyguard just ahead, so we moved up and killed them.”“After that they found the wizard – the Burning Skin. He said he was from the Prime too and didn’t want any trouble and was just studying things. And he smelled really funny” I added in anticipation.How did you know? You said you couldn’t tell! Penelope said.“Educated guess,” I replied. “Now Penelope this is where I think your smell problem starts. We moved up to the eyesocket of the big skull. There was another mummy there, and he said it was the Test of Sacrifice. He said bla bla bla ‘Sacrifice an ally to the plasma and Occipitus is yours.’”And that’s when Kaurophon tried to betray us right?“Yes. Kaurophon wasn’t very bright,” I said, even with Grinder growling at the mention of Kaurophon’s name. “I can’t really figure out what he was thinking. He was scared of the Prime and the Cagewrights. He turned on us. Everyone attacked him, but it was Maris’ lightning bolt that threw him backward into the fire. But why do we… she started.“I’m getting to that. Now because Maris was responsible for throwing the ally into the fire, she passed the test. The mummy pointed at her and said ‘Completed!’ Maris screamed, and fire shot out of her eyesocket. It settled down after a minute but her left eye had been replaced by a burning orb that gave off a thin wisp of smoke. The smoke is what you keep smelling. Maris is the ruler of this plane now, and this is a manifestation of that. But YOU Penelope are an extension of Maris. You rule this plane too now. You and Maris are one. As her eye burns, so does yours. And yours also smokes, and that smoke is what you smell.”So you mean to say that I’m going to have to live with this smell forever?!?“Or until Maris no longer rules Occipitus, yes,” I said.  “If I understood the conversation correctly, Maris can make the smoking eye disappear when she is not on Occipitus, and I would assume that applies to you too. But the smoky smell will persist.”I’m not sure I like this, the rat said, pouting. I didn’t think it was permanent.---------------------------------------------In the morning we returned to the Prime. Kris used a short incantation and a fresh wind swept in, and took us with it across the dimensions. The fresh air was short-lived however and was replaced the smell of blood and fire and war. In the distance I could hear someone singing a battle hymn. An arrow whizzed by Maris’ ear. There were a thousand sounds all around, and nearby a follower of Farlanghan ducked out of the way as a demon crashed to the floor gushing black ichor from his wounds.We were in Redgorge, and townsfolk and others were running towards large gates with improvised weapons. One screamed “We can’t hold it!”Then the door burst open, and dretches, vrocks and demonkin charged into the town.Loot:(From cysts)Bastard sword +1 holyBracers of accuracyCloak of Resistance +3Dagger +1 unholyMW full plate190 pp3200 gp5950 spDravot statuePlatinum music boxPortrait of Lady CelesteIvory harp with golden stringsEmbroidered silk mantleAmulet carved in ebony shaped like lightning boltAnother portrait – angel of some kind – same one we freed uulaaaluuuExpensive solid gold chalice inset with sapphiresScroll of plane shift (arcane)</blockquote>

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