Defeat has always been in his stars

[Attilius]

Attilius quickly takes a seat on one leg so as to limit his tall profile in these flat lands. He remains vigilant while the others weave their majiks and use The Way.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Jul 4, 2024 11:41:54 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Niachi is simply ignored.

The dispel apparently does not work as the stave continues talking, both addressing and not addressing the tari by continuing to deeply converse to Quila.

"I will have you know that I have been with you for a decent amount of time and have followed you both into the Plane of Fire and the dread Avernus, as I have done with my previous owner in his travels of the planes. To many other otherworldly places as well. If you do not wish my correspondence? I will simply watch and listen once more."

"Thanks for sharing this information, your naming of the infernal doomed place Avernus is welcome. I had not connected that name to it as of yet. Maybe after our mission, which does involve a high degree of subterfuge and stealth, we can talk more about traveling the planes and where your previous owner took you to. For all his failings, your previous owner was a trailblazer and brilliant in his own way."

After this, Quila partakes in a Nap, and casts one, and a Fold to a scouted position. She then lets Skrye do her thing using the elemental.

While waiting on results, Quila calls up energy from her nexus and manifests her Danger Sense in order to get early warnings if anything would endanger their position.

(OOC: Rolled 19, power score result, which affords me insights into how far away a danger is.)

[Niachi]

Pre-Nap:

With Greater Malison and Vampiric Touch active, Niachi stops interacting with the imprisoned bastard and focuses instead on what he has learned of the named place "Avernus"

Planes Lore:
Failed roll.

It remains a mystery to him. He casts Wizard Sight and checks out the area around them, and then a good scan on the staff for at least 3 rounds, more if longer focus time* increases what he sees.
CON roll: 6, success.

Post Nap, pre-Fold:

He stretches, flexes his replenished spellcraft and in a short meditation, he understands his reach of further arcana is deeper.

Spells active:
Strength (self) Str 12, 9-10 hours?
Wizard Sight: 8 rounds minus time spent scanning: 5 rounds minus any extra time*
Cat's Grace on Coden +2 to Dex, 6.8 hours
Cat's Grace on self:  Dex 18, 6.9 hours

Post Fold: 

He continues Wizard Sighting all around and more at the staff. While the earthsinger conjures her hulking elemental and sends it on its mission and Quila looks calm and alert, he mimes to the Templar to hold the staff out in one arm as far from her face as possible. Then he casts Message.
Keeping his hand concealed from the staff with his body, he points at each of his comrades, making sure to direct his point to Quila is directly at her and not at the staff.
CON roll 3: success.

He looks to 'Miuko and in a whisper only his uncle can hear:

[common: "This should help. Good range, need unblocked line between us. Can you speak Kreen?  We should prepare for the Hearth. I will be invisible and detecting same. We need to deafen it. Point back to whisper your reply"]


He turns to each other team member to relay the same covert communication method and its details, concentrating on their replies.
If anyone knows spoken Kreen, their Messaging is in that language. Subterfuge unfolds.

Spells active:

Strength (self) Str 12
Wizard Sight: 3-5 rounds
Cat's Grace on Coden +2 to Dex, 6.8 hours
Cat's Grace on self: Dex 18, 6.9 hours
Message: 45 rounds

Spells available:
3/3/3/2/1

Message:
When this spell is cast, the wizard can whisper messages and receive replies with little chance of being overheard. When the spell is cast, the wizard secretly or openly points his finger at each creature to be included in the spell effect. Up to one creature per level can be included. When the wizard whispers, the whispered message travels in a straight line and is audible to all of the involved creatures within 30 feet, plus 10 feet per level of the caster. The creatures who receive the message can whisper a reply that is heard by the spellcaster. Note that there must be an unobstructed path between the spellcaster and the recipients of the spell. The message must be in a language the caster speaks; this spell does not by itself confer understanding upon the recipients. This spell is most often used to conduct quick and private conferences when the caster does not wish to be overheard.

[AthasianLaborer]

‘Muiko Naps away his fatigue and ‘meditates to regain his focus’. He will immediately cast Know Alignment, before socially rejoining the party, beginning his attentions with Jermaine and casually scanning the party with the remaining duration.

He smiles broadly with closed lips at Niachi’s question, chuckling “No, not yet, nephew. Only last month, I’d have scoffed had you told me that I would meet one such as Chat’cho. I should probably put effort into learning it, but haven’t yet”

‘Muiko turns to look at Skrye, “speaking of learning languages, I do sincerely want to learn how to speak your native tongue, I hope you aren’t offended by my actions.”

‘Muiko strips naked and sits in a meditative pose that would be remembered from his metamorphosis into Gwin in the false tomb, casting Polymorph Self (@bob please roll well for the charade) and shifting into a chocolate on silver brindle coat, long hair Tari. He stands up saying “What better way to learn to speak like you than while using the same kind of mouth as you?” As he gathers his belongings, Yvera ascends to his shoulder, looming larger next to Tari ‘Muiko’s head. She idly spins ‘Muiko’s new ring about her arm like a bracelet, when he notices, he slips it off her arm and quickly secures it in an inside pocket.

“Can we start with ‘Hello’?” he asks Skrye as he looks up.

[DM Bob]

The stave detects as neutral & evil. But this might just be a read from the item proper and not the spirit inhabiting it. Magic works in well, magically mysterious ways. There is also the chance that Myron's own neutrality could have been affecting it... so maybe it was once more sinister? You might suspect this given the fact that your protection from evil did not appear to affect him. That bears some thought. Can an owner have a noticeable affect on an item's moral core?

You can read everyone else's alignments. The most troubling is if Attilius is still chaotic & evil.

Quila is able to sense the danger being that closer to the true tomb of Myron, but it's hard to really see what's going on over there. There is a general movement to the cocoon-y webbing, with worms wiggling all over in general... but larger undulations seem to be occurring further away.

Ten minutes pass and your elemental ally rises carrying the tome you've been seeking.

Now, quick question.

Are any of you carrying any wine? The stuff you used was consumed with the trip to and fro the fires of creation.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "You're an interesting creature. Never in all the story of my kind has anyone from other races ever attempted to look like one of us, as we are despise for most creatures all around the Tablelands, more within the City-States, nevertheless attempting to learn our language. Thank you for that" - speaking at Muiko - "Yet learning it in this way may be easier I imagine, you won't be able to speak it once you reverse to your original shape, as you won't have been practising in that way, if you know what I mean"

[OOC: Locate Object spell (7hrs).
AC 3, 48/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(5/5), 2ndLvl(4/5), 3rdLvl(4/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[AthasianLaborer]

"It has become quite obvious to me through my recent experiences with Chat'cho, knowledge can be found in places one might overlook if they're quick to judge.  I digress though, we need to focus on the task at hand and for that we should find some wine, if we find even a taste, I can make it enough.  Do we know for certain what we are to do to dispose of the items we've collected? Is it truly as simple as leaving them for the Eternal Hearth?" he says before losing himself to scratching newfound itches and some light grooming as he awaits further discussion of the matters at hand.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "Where is the closest populated location? Perhaps opening a portal there or to from where came from in first place and return could be an option, to gather some wine"

OOC: Locate Object spell (7hrs).
AC 3, 48/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(5/5), 2ndLvl(4/5), 3rdLvl(4/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[AthasianLaborer]

"No need Skrye, now that I think about it, I am sure there is a suitable amount still within the previous skin and as I said before, I can craft enough with my Will and a taste.  Do we have any liquids to transmute into the wine?  Quila can you prod the cagey old thing about any details, don't let him lie to you.  I am sure he'd enjoy watching us go on that wild aarakocra chase even more than he has had watching us so far!" he approaches Attilius extending a hand for the skin

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "Oh wine, the joys of a good harvest" - smiling at him

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila mutters a bit while they stand around, waiting for the elemental to return with the tome. She will recognize if she still feels watched, indicating that Aman might be scrying them for entertainment purposes.
If she does, she will first manifest her Truthear psionic power before she loudly speak into the skies, "Well then. We're almost done here. Do we follow any specific instructions for these items on the other side or just drop them for the place itself to set them ablaze?"

If there's no feeling of being watched she will still speak into the skies, wait a bit, and then try to Mindlink with Aman instead to ask him if there's any instructions.

(OOC: rolled 15 on Truthear, which is a power score effect. So I will recognize a falsehood even if Aman himself might not know it to be so. I rolled a 9 and 12 on Contact and Mindlink respectively if necessary, both are successful.)

[DM Bob]

Alas, no answer, nor feeling of being watched currently.

This might be a considered a distraction if he does intend on raising beasts of nightmares - one can only guess at what he needs to do to accomplish such fell deeds.

[AthasianLaborer]

"Quila, Skrye, could one of you Augur our collective future?  Ask a specific question of your patron since Aman is unavailable for questioning.  I'd word it thusly if I were you 'Is there a specific location within the Eternal Hearth that is necessary to destroy these items?'" 'Muiko says as he looks back and forth between the two of them.

[DM Bob]

You are unable to get a read on Aman using Locate Object.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye sits on the floor, using the earthen tools to summon the wisdom of her lords - "My Lords and Ladies, all mighty by your own merits by enlightening this follower of your sacred teachings, I implore your guidance to step forward in this important task in hand, as that one staines your faces with its unholy track" - making a pause - "Is there a specific location within the Eternal Hearth that is necessary to destroy these items?" - completing in this way the casting

[OOC: Casting Augury. Rolled 25% out of 78%, subjected to any penalties you may add Bob.

Locate Object spell (7hrs).
AC 3, 48/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(5/5), 2ndLvl(3/5), 3rdLvl(4/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]