Crimson Sands of Time

Piccolo hears its words and studies it carefully, trying to assess if it is speaking the truth

(insight 13)

Quote from shimshon123 >>

Piccolo hears its words and studies it carefully, trying to assess if it is speaking the truth

(insight 13)

 Thaxalia's eyes look in all directions, constantly roving. It's lifeless grimace reveals rows I'd sharp teeth dripping with saliva. The creature is utterly alien. It's body language is equally inscrutable, given the lack of joints other than the madibles and stalk eyes.

But its words, they're timbre and cadence, sound earnest.

"I accept your gift," Thaxalia tells Randy, its raspy voice choking out the words, "but as I have demonstrated, the wizards have done something to me that prevents me from using these devices as others do. Curse those foul humans." He mutters to himself. Then, recalling present company, adds, 'present company excluded."

(Thalaxia can't use the glyph keys. They don't know what to do about it, but they want your help with it but they are grateful for the offer of additional attunemnts. Based on all you've seen and done, it looks like what Thaxalia is doing with the glyph key he took from the wight should work. It just -- didn't.)

"Our little friend here is also prevented from leaving," Trisk will gesture toward where Piccolo recently appeared out of thin air, "perhaps the only way we can help either of you leave is to destroy the phylacteries and/or lich connected to them?"

Looking back toward Thalaxia, "If there is anything you can think of that will help us in that regard it would also, by extension, be helping free yourself from this gods forsaken place."

"You have our thanks. Actually no..." Randy mutters if Thalaxia allows him to go over to the rock and attempt what he couldn't. "If you want to thank someone, thank Ethan. He's the one the big heart, the one who agreed to this in the first place." If I had it my way... you would have been blasted to pieces by us. He thinks.

The gate opens for Randy.  Thalaxia's eye stalks squirm excitedly, quivering. 

To Randy, they say "I have waited so long to see beyond these walls. And now, I will find my vengeance.  Things in this world are very different from my own.  Seldom us there contact with your world, but it is exclusively these mages who come to our realm, abducting us.  Thank you for your help. I don't know how far I will get while so cursed, but perhaps I can find another ally to open these barriers of luminous smoke."

Ethan's expression doesn't change even in the slightest during this commotion, but at least he's thankful that they have an ally of some sort for now. "Rest assured, we'll do our jobs first and rid the whole of Thay of its misery. If there's nothing else you or anyones else needs from each other, we better get moving, otherwise the lich would become unbeatable by the time we deactivate everything." He starts trekking slowly to the other side, stopping occasionally to see if the blinded beholder is doing okay. If it does need help he'll back track and assist him to the most of his ability.

Thalaxia floats into the now-open east cavern. Past the beholder, you see the walls are the same dark shade of blue as the pool of water that fills the center of the area. Ripples spread across the surface as if the water has been recently disturbed. Around the cavern, narrow alcoves hold enormous globes of blue liquid suspended in the air. Fifteen feet in diameter, they float 4ft above the ground. Thalaxia stops at one and starts speaking in an alien language that sounds roughly like a kazoo caught in a garbage disposal. They seem agitated.

7

In the west side of the room is a black gate, and on the wall near it is a contact stone.

14

The beholder freezes for a moment, then shakes itself vigorously from side to side as it's eye stalks flail wildly. 1, 5, 3.

19, 21,  7

Thalaxia shoots three eye rays, striking various bubbles around the room. One beam dissipates slowly, remaining tethered to the bubble for the duration. Thalaxia struggles momentarily, and just as the thread of light vanishes, a large creature comes tumbling out of the bubble. The mass of tentacles writhing on the floor screeches a gurgling howl, lashing at the air.

Taxalia calls back, over their nonexisrent shoulder, "Someone needs a little attitude adjustment.  I do wonder, though, if this creature is cursed in the same manner as I."

"Do you recognize it? Could it also be from the Far Realm?"

Trisk hangs back to see what the new creature does after being freed from the bubble. He will change his permanent illusion into a similar looking creature but one that is calm and at peace in hopes of showing the newcomer there is no reason to be frightened or alarmed.

Persuasion: 6 

The sprawl of tentacles immediately freaks out and snarls at the illusory abolish. "This one is of a kind known to me, but it has been here longer thsn yiu by uncountable ages. That thing you brought forth.. it will interfere with my means of escape. You are in league with them, are you not? They all come fkr Thaxalia. The red robes hide me away and yet they come.. to find me..

At this Thaxalia rushes toward Trisk and, from 100 feet away bombards the shadar ki with eye rays 8, 8, 7.

@brianavery:

3 DC14 saves: 2 Wis and 1 Dex

<What's going on?>

All PCs are 'up' this is an alien creature in a terrible situation. It was wary, then grateful, now acting out if fear, but it is hostile. That said, its eye rays won't do outright damage, so you might still want to try to calm it down. Or you can just attack it, or run away. It's your call.

Trisk's WIS: 18 

WIS: 22 

DEX: 7 

The tiny Piccolo plays a very calm almost sleepy melody on her instrument, hoping to calm the creature (Full action: Persuasion: 22)

With musical telepathy, she conveys that they are friends, not foes.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

Trisk's WIS: 8 

WIS: 8 

DEX: 17 

 Trisk instantly falls unconscious as he feels the full effect of  Thaxalia's sleep ray.