The Oculus

[DM Bob]

Enemy's Slumber, 5th of Dominary - Late afternoon

Current Locations: Kreen Empire, The Messenger - Forward compartment, "The Oculus"

Efurth Rin'Dahlan leads you to the right through a hallway and into the room he has referred to simply as the Oculus. As he enters the circular chamber (presumably at the front of the giant almond-shaped craft), light music comes from... well, somewhere. A small chair (throne?) grows from the floor, as if out of roots, wax or clay. He sits here and a tendril drops from the low ceiling curling about his tiny neck and into his thick dreads. Crossing his legs, he simply closes his eyes and appears to enter a light trance-like state. To the other end of the room, a membrane is seen - the other hallway you have not transversed. To this side of the room and to the front, there is a pinkish cast to the wall, roughly five feet high and a few feet wide.

Like an open wound that has begun to scar and heal.

Three rounds have passed since Hurk/Markus last asked.

Efurth begins to hum gently.

[Attilius]

Sept 4, 2023 9:16:06 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Three rounds have passed since Hurk/Markus last asked

TY 👍

HurK watches and listens...

[AthasianLaborer]

Ande remains vigilant for any intrusions, she places herself between Efurth and the unexplored membrane with her nocked bow between her and the membrane.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Eslyk gets nearby Ande, keeping ready and listening for any approaching steps from the other side of the membrane

[OOC: Failed Detect Noise]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila shuffled into the room along with the others.
Her thoughts stray to what Erfurth told before. This Messenger, the Seed, was meant as a last resort of the halflings some 14,000 cycles again to repopulate Athas in case something went wrong. What was that contingency? And why didn’t the halfling recognize HurK for what he is? The only logical conclusion to that would be that half-giants were not around 14,000 years ago. We should definitely question Erfurth on that.

And given the Strange’s effect on Erfurth, and the damage done to the Messenger’s hull, is there any reason to assume there is some lingering dangerous disease or mold in the organic ship?

And could a Strange be mistaken for a mobat?
To that effect she tries in her mind to compare both creatures, are they the same size roughly, could they make the same tracks?
Knowing full well it’s not her own expertise, Quila shares her concern by stating to the group, ”Does anyone know whether this creature we saw, this Strange, could be mistaken for a mobat? So that the tracks we found we think were mobat were actually from one of these abominations?”

[Deleted]

Chat'cho has absolutely no idea what's going on around here. This spaceship(?) is kind of out of her league. She just sticks to Ande's shoulder, waiting for the opportunity to do something she's actually good at.

[Attilius]

Sept 4, 2023 18:51:44 GMT -12 Quila Oris (John M.) said:

”Does anyone know whether this creature we saw, this Strange, could be mistaken for a mobat? So that the tracks we found we think were mobat were actually from one of these abominations?”

"Hmmm... possible? We can check the dead one and compare its hand prints when we get back..."

[DM Bob]

The tiny a halfling begins to speak, but not in his normal singsong voice. This new tone is INCREDIBLY deeper, straining the wee man's small vocal cords. He also turns to look you in the eyes, his own pupils glowing with white-blue light.

"IT IS GOOD TO HAVE COMPANY ONCE MORE, EVEN AFTER SUCH FOUL EVENTS."

It seems to be speaking the trade tongue, or perhaps that's just how it's being understood. The words reverberate through your very core.

"FEAR IS A NEW THING FOR US. HOPE WAS OUR PREVIOUS STATE."

"THESE STRANGE TRIED TO TAKE SOMETHING FROM US, THE STORIES OF MY CREATORS & OUR KNOWLEDGE TO MOULD LIFE. WHILE THEY HAVE BEEN STOPPED FOR NOW, WE FEAR THEY HAVE BEEN LED BACK TO OUR VERY BIRTH HOME."

"IF IT IS IN YOUR HEARTS AND SOULS TO FURTHER ASSIST US, SOMETHING WAS LEFT NEAR THE CONDUIT. SOMETHING THAT FESTERS, LIKE A CANKER. COULD YOU REMOVE IT? WE FEAR TO COMMIT THE OTHERS AT THIS TIME. AS IT RESIDES WITHIN US, WE CANNOT SIMPLY BURN IT OUT."

[Attilius]

The half giant strains a smile through his continued concentration
"Would be our pleasure ship. Hope will be yours once again. Where is this conduit and what does this festerous 'canker' look like?"

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "Which are the abilities of such creature? I have many questions for you but maybe it's not the right moment, perhaps when we deal with this creature? How many are in total?" - asking curiously but also seriously

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"We should go to the back of the ship via two approaches. That's tactically smarter. However, we do want to know what we would be up against. Eslyk is right, if it's another creature how deadly are its touches. Or is it not a creature like the other one?"

[DM Bob]

"ALL I KNOW IS THAT I CAN FEEL IT, LIKE A BURNING CYST UNDER ONE'S FLESH. I CAN SEE THROUGH MY CREATOR'S EYES AND HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS. BUT THIS... I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU ARE THE SAME... BUT CAN YOU SEE THROUGH YOUR OWN SKIN? I CANNOT, SO I ASK YOU TO DO THIS FOR US."

"MY CREATOR-BROTHER HAS TOLD YOU WHERE MY CONDUIT LIES, DO YOU NOT REMEMBER?"

[AthasianLaborer]

Ande will take the hint and lead the way if Niachi doesn't, bringing Chat'cho along on her shoulder. "I will see you in the Conduit" she states to Coden and Quila before she heads out.  She will proceed through the membrane in front of her while keeping her bow up and an arrow nocked and ready.

"Chat'cho, be ready with your spells, flame would likely be helpful?" she says to Chat'cho as she hustles down the hallway towards the Conduit.  If Niachi takes point, Ande will follow, otherwise she leads.

[DM Bob]

[3 more rounds pass]

Your separate groups pass familiar, yet alien corridors en route to the Conduit. You both end up seeing the conduit chamber open up before you simultaneously.

To the far side of this room is truly a breath taking sight. Beyond a large panel of crystal, azure vortices swirl. It is hard to tell how far back the light goes in context to the length of the Messenger. The vortices' arms trail away from you, as if an image of flames coming out of the end of a shooting star. A warmth is felt, as if standing before a blazing hearth.

Then you see it. The front right floor of the room is swollen with grime green mold, some crawling up the corner of the glass-like wall separating you from the sheer power of the Conduit's twirling arms. It appears to be causing the floor of the very room to swell and sore. A foul smell of filth and decay wafts from the mass, yet it appears to be growing.

[Niachi]

As we regroup, Nachi at the point stops, looks around with a "can you believe this shit" expression.

After a full visual sweep of this space, he calls for a quick strategy huddle while we keep eyes etc on the mold, and while their 1/4 giant is still 1/4 size.


"Aye, fire spells feel good for this, but the Seed might not approve. What kills invasive life without harming the host? HurK, how much time left before we need to get you outa here?"