There is a sudden quietness around you as you begin to prepare for your journey. Sego is still sitting on the couch of White Luwak, eyes sternly gazing toward the crowd doing their business outside. Even you, Dvark, Cob, and Eremoz, who have moved to check on what is causing the building panic outside can only hear your own breath for a moment.
A moment passes.
Another moment passes.
As you begin to think that perhaps Sego's tale has made you paranoid, a gasp and a scream suddenly reverberate outside the White Luwak. The crowd parts and a middle-aged tiefling man rushes his body onto the glass door of the White Luwak. The glass cracks, fractures spidering out, but the door holds firm to the assault. The man straightens, head and body still stuck on the door, and gazes intently into the shop. Dvark, Cob, and Eremoz, you notice that the man's gaze is focused on Karm, specifically on the bag he is holding.
"Found it," the man rasps and grins. His voice is rough and gruff as if he had gone without a single drop of water for days. This close, you can see that the man is drenched with sweat. Black blood with a slight greenish tinge trickles from his ears and bloodshot eyes. There is madness in his gaze as well as a sense of accomplishment and peace.
With a victorious exclamation, the tiefling man begins to seize and fall to the ground. His body twitches and contracts, shaking uncontrollably before stopping and going limp on the ground. There is a smile of contentment on the man's face.
The crowd begins to approach slowly, still reeling from the suddenness of the event, when suddenly the body deflates. They quickly back away and begin dispersing; some start to call the guards.
It was such a profound and horrifying sight to see a perfectly normal body -- albeit ill-looking -- shriveling and withering before everyone's eyes. A sparkling gaseous substance seems to waft out of the body, filling the air around it. All of you cannot help but take a step backward as the gaseous substance slowly coalesces to form a humanoid figure. The figure is see-through and seems to shift in and out of reality itself; one moment it seems to be solid, then another its form seems to lose its cohesiveness. It is unlike anything you have ever seen before.
The figure slowly moves its arm and points in Karm's direction before slowly phasing through the glass door into the White Luwak. A voice reverberates from its very presence, echoing through the White Luwak. "Target found," it says.
A flutter of paper makes you turn to see Sego standing and pointing a finger at the figure. For a brief moment, nothing happens. You feel your heart drop before a silvery-white crystal ball grew around the figure and shrinks until it disappears in a faint pop. The figure is no longer there.
"Go to the station and board the train," Sego says. "You must arrive at Bast Trench. Do not lose the box."
Another scream echoes through, now louder and causing the crowd outside the shop to mobilize away and out of the mall as quickly as they can. From within the crowd, you can see that two more of these nearly transparent figures emerge and begin heading in your direction at a very fast pace.
"Go, now. Run as fast as you can. I know each of your capabilities and this is not an enemy you want to fight."
{{What do you do?}}
{{From what I gather, the marching order will be Cob scouting from the air, Dvark at the front followed by Drexon, Karm, and Eremoz at the tail. If so, I want Cob to make a Survival check to determine whether you remember and can find the way to the station or not. You can make this with an advantage as you have been in the city for some time, more than the others.}}
Edit: {{It seems that I didn't see Cob's action, but that's fine. We'll say that Cob gets the front view from outside the shop.}}
{{We have not really spoken about the plague on your village, Vosan, but the symptoms that you heard from the passing crowd are quite similar to the plague. For information, the yet-to-be-named plague starts out with lethargy, strange greenish-yellow rashes, bloody vomit with a greenish tinge, and loss of strength in the lower extremities, before leading to a feverish death. The crowd spoke of a man that was escorted out of the mall having some of these symptoms.}}
"That was just nasty," Cob says, barely above a whisper. "Possession?"
He doesn't think about it long as he hears Sego shouting at the others to run. He orients himself in the mall for a brief second, trying to remember the way to the train station.
"Quiet, quiet, quiet," Cob says to the crowd in general. "How can I think?"
Survival: 15
Once he thinks he knows the correct direction, he calls down to the others.
As he moves to the door, and through it back into the mall itself, Drexon pockets his playing cards and in their stead retrieves a small blue crystal. He mutters another incantation under his breath and a translucent blue aura briefly surrounds him.
He then moves out the door behind Dvark and Eremoz, ensuring he sticks close to Karm.
"What can you see? Are those things blocking our path?", he telepathically sends to Cob.
"Thanks. Distance shouldn't be a problem, but it only lasts a couple of minutes at a time. If you come back close to me periodically, I can link our minds again as many times as needed", Drexon thinks back to Cob.
"Cob says we need to move, let's get moving", he says to the others.
Just before the tiefling busts through the door, Dvark takes a step back nervously running his hands through his hair. The anxiety on his face clears as Sego urges them to leave.
Dvark nods to Drexon "If I haven't said it enough already stay close."
Dvark opens the door and starts in whatever direction Cob leads. Taking up a brisk pace he pulls an amulet with the symbol of the Dusk Weaver on it and holds it to his chest muttering under his breath. "Night mother, grant this group protection that we may carry our burdens to their destination."
Alright its showtime! says Karm as he bows down and stretches his legs before hurrying through the door. Don't take it personally, but i will leave you all behind if i have to.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
{{Alright, 15 is good. I'm going to roll to make this interesting: 1}}
Cob, you have been performing at this mall and its vicinity for the last week and easily find a path that will lead the group toward the eastern exit. From your place up in the air, you can see that this is not a closeted incident. You can see one, two, perhaps three more shriveled husks on the ground and the translucent beings hovering above them in the Streets of Jobaya and Cornerstone Klem section of the Re-Shop Mall, all of whom seem to start heading toward your -- or the group's -- general direction.
You lead the group toward the exit, swerving around several shops to scout ahead a bit and advising the others with a path of least resistance. Several mall guards begin taking a stance around your particular group in a loose circle as they help maneuver the crowd to the other exit.
All of you hear a shattering of glass nearby and see one of the translucent figures take form right beside one of the mall guards. It touches the guard and they fall down, screaming in pain as pinkish energy seems to be sucked into the translucent figure's form. For a moment you expect the guard to shrivel just like the bodies you have seen, but the guard remains quiet and unmoving. The figure just goes on, moving closer toward Karm. You glance toward it for a moment and see that it just moves through the guard's body and the crowd as if they are intangible.
You run and run, and you finally make it out of the mall proper. You can see none of the excitement that is happening inside, but that changes as you and the panicking crowd step out of the mall in a sprint. A couple more shattering of glass sounds behind and to the side of the group and all of you can see that three translucent figures are closing in on you. One of the figures moves straight through a large burly goliath carrying a large crate and it shudders as if in pain for a moment.
Unfortunately, as Sego has warned you, the streets are crowded today from the sale at the nearby open market. Many carriages filled to the brim with crates and barrels move rapidly down the streets, giving you little chance to pass safely. Even at the lot immediately outside Re-Shop, a maze of carriages has blocked the way to take the mall shoppers' purchases.
{{I want all of you except for Cob to make an Acrobatics or Intelligence check to either vault over the carriages or to time your movement with the carriages.}}
{{The DC was 10, but Dvark lowered it to an 8. We'll go ahead a bit while we wait for Karm's roll. We'll resolve it as we go.}}
Dvark, you look to the left, to the right, and find no clear path for the group. You grasp your amulet and shout out as loud as you can. A wind blows and caresses your face as your voice triples in volume, rattling the carriages' windows and even shaking them a little. Several people that are loading the carriages look toward you for a moment and open a path, both in surprise and a hint of fear. Unfortunately, it is not large enough for someone your size and you have to shimmy out with a little difficulty.
Drexon, seeing Dvark passing through the small gap between a couple of carriages, you leap up to the coach seating, nearly trampling the coach driver that has been resting on it. You spend a moment to apologize before you land on the other side beside Eremoz.
Eremoz, with the open path blocked by Dvark, you reach up to the roof of the carriage and leap. The carriage tilts a little as your massive form vaults over the carriage and clears the distance easily. You can hear grumbles from the carriage owner and the laborers standing around the lot as some of the items on the carriage tumble out again when the carriage rights itself.
Looking back, all of you see that your three chasers are not in sight. You sigh in relief for a moment before dread creeps down your spine when they emerge through the middle of the carriage unharmed and unblemished. One seems to be 10 or maybe 15 feet away from Dvark as he slips out of the carriage pile and rejoins the group. Another emerges right into a female halfling and the woman screams before blood begins pouring down her eyes and she falls down, unmoving and seemingly not breathing.
You look for a moment for your last chaser and notice that the creature stops for a moment when they fail to pass through one carriage bearing the emblem of an eagle. This is the carriage of the Bank of Yvraithe. A runic sigil on the carriage flares and the translucent figure is rebuffed from phasing through. The guards standing beside the carriage are taken aback for a moment before unsheathing their swords and slashing at the creature. Their blades seem to pass through the creature's body harmlessly before one abandons their blade and takes another from the carriage. Each slash of this new blade on the creature is accompanied by a gleaming golden spark and leaves behind an impression on the creature's body. The creature begins to phase in and out of existence more frequently with each slash the guard makes before it shatters and doesn't reform again.
"Contact the city guard," the guard says. "Tell them the Re-Shop Mall is being attacked by unknown creatures. Tell them that simple weaponry will most likely do nothing to these creatures and to bring their casters."
Cob,{{we'll still use the last check}}, you have two options. You see a path to the south that will lead you to the market that is currently having a sale. There will be more obstacles for your chaser to go through and you will be able to maybe hide in the crowd. You look ahead and see another path, a narrower one through an alleyway. The group will have a harder time maneuvering there, but you can arrive at the station a little faster.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Drexon notes the words of the guards regarding regular weapons and casters, then turns to find Cob. The telepathic link will need to be renewed, but he needs the Fairy to come within 30 feet to do that.
He is also starting to feel a buzz from the panicked crowd as well, but he shakes it off, self preservation being the stronger driver at this moment.
Perception: 18 (If he spots Cob he will wave to him to come closer, and reset the telepathic link once he is within 30 feet)
While following the others quickly bows down mid "run" to produce a glowing sigil on the ground looking similar to the one on the cart by casting swiss army knife
{{I think I have a problem with the dice roller. It doesn't show the same value in the pop-up for some rolls, not even the same die, so I can't check the one with the manipulated dice roll notice.}}
Karm, you swerve around the carriages, ducking and slipping through any gaps you can see. You easily get the timing between each passing carriages. As you see the sigil flares, you stumble a bit in your run, writing the same sigil on the ground. You look back and notice that the translucent figures pause for a moment and move around the sigil. They are still heading toward you specifically, but you just added an extra 10 to 15 feet distance between them and the group.
Karm shouts back to the entities You really want this box, huh? Take it then i am done with this! Karm slides his bag to the front puts his and into it and casts swiss army knife again producing a replica of the box in his hand. He takes it out of the bag and drops it mid run I really can't be bothered with this.
{{Karm, I don't think the cantrip can be used like that as I think it will disappear after you drop it (the spell says lasts until the end of your next turn, which means 6 seconds), but I'll allow it this time because we are not yet come to the point where we are rolling for initiative or using the 6 seconds per turn combat.}}
{{The creatures will make an intelligence check against your save DC 4, 6, 1}}
The three creatures pause in their stride to look at the fallen box, and two rush toward it. The other one keeps staring at you, Karm, and continues the chase.
As it gets closer and closer to Karm, a bolt of crackling energy bursts from Cob. A bolt of eldritch energy shoots toward the creature, staggering it with melodious music that crescendoes as the energy pierces through its body. It loses its form for a moment, but it reforms and continues its movement toward Karm.
{{Yes, I think the dice roller is a bit problematic. The first posted roll is 7, 5, and 17, but it changes after I edit the post to add narration.}}
There is a sudden quietness around you as you begin to prepare for your journey. Sego is still sitting on the couch of White Luwak, eyes sternly gazing toward the crowd doing their business outside. Even you, Dvark, Cob, and Eremoz, who have moved to check on what is causing the building panic outside can only hear your own breath for a moment.
A moment passes.
Another moment passes.
As you begin to think that perhaps Sego's tale has made you paranoid, a gasp and a scream suddenly reverberate outside the White Luwak. The crowd parts and a middle-aged tiefling man rushes his body onto the glass door of the White Luwak. The glass cracks, fractures spidering out, but the door holds firm to the assault. The man straightens, head and body still stuck on the door, and gazes intently into the shop. Dvark, Cob, and Eremoz, you notice that the man's gaze is focused on Karm, specifically on the bag he is holding.
"Found it," the man rasps and grins. His voice is rough and gruff as if he had gone without a single drop of water for days. This close, you can see that the man is drenched with sweat. Black blood with a slight greenish tinge trickles from his ears and bloodshot eyes. There is madness in his gaze as well as a sense of accomplishment and peace.
With a victorious exclamation, the tiefling man begins to seize and fall to the ground. His body twitches and contracts, shaking uncontrollably before stopping and going limp on the ground. There is a smile of contentment on the man's face.
The crowd begins to approach slowly, still reeling from the suddenness of the event, when suddenly the body deflates. They quickly back away and begin dispersing; some start to call the guards.
It was such a profound and horrifying sight to see a perfectly normal body -- albeit ill-looking -- shriveling and withering before everyone's eyes. A sparkling gaseous substance seems to waft out of the body, filling the air around it. All of you cannot help but take a step backward as the gaseous substance slowly coalesces to form a humanoid figure. The figure is see-through and seems to shift in and out of reality itself; one moment it seems to be solid, then another its form seems to lose its cohesiveness. It is unlike anything you have ever seen before.
The figure slowly moves its arm and points in Karm's direction before slowly phasing through the glass door into the White Luwak. A voice reverberates from its very presence, echoing through the White Luwak. "Target found," it says.
A flutter of paper makes you turn to see Sego standing and pointing a finger at the figure. For a brief moment, nothing happens. You feel your heart drop before a silvery-white crystal ball grew around the figure and shrinks until it disappears in a faint pop. The figure is no longer there.
"Go to the station and board the train," Sego says. "You must arrive at Bast Trench. Do not lose the box."
Another scream echoes through, now louder and causing the crowd outside the shop to mobilize away and out of the mall as quickly as they can. From within the crowd, you can see that two more of these nearly transparent figures emerge and begin heading in your direction at a very fast pace.
"Go, now. Run as fast as you can. I know each of your capabilities and this is not an enemy you want to fight."
{{What do you do?}}
{{From what I gather, the marching order will be Cob scouting from the air, Dvark at the front followed by Drexon, Karm, and Eremoz at the tail. If so, I want Cob to make a Survival check to determine whether you remember and can find the way to the station or not. You can make this with an advantage as you have been in the city for some time, more than the others.}}
Edit: {{It seems that I didn't see Cob's action, but that's fine. We'll say that Cob gets the front view from outside the shop.}}
Dvark:
{{We have not really spoken about the plague on your village, Vosan, but the symptoms that you heard from the passing crowd are quite similar to the plague. For information, the yet-to-be-named plague starts out with lethargy, strange greenish-yellow rashes, bloody vomit with a greenish tinge, and loss of strength in the lower extremities, before leading to a feverish death. The crowd spoke of a man that was escorted out of the mall having some of these symptoms.}}
"That was just nasty," Cob says, barely above a whisper. "Possession?"
He doesn't think about it long as he hears Sego shouting at the others to run. He orients himself in the mall for a brief second, trying to remember the way to the train station.
"Quiet, quiet, quiet," Cob says to the crowd in general. "How can I think?"
Survival: 15
Once he thinks he knows the correct direction, he calls down to the others.
"Come on, this way," Cob shouts.
As he moves to the door, and through it back into the mall itself, Drexon pockets his playing cards and in their stead retrieves a small blue crystal. He mutters another incantation under his breath and a translucent blue aura briefly surrounds him.
He then moves out the door behind Dvark and Eremoz, ensuring he sticks close to Karm.
"What can you see? Are those things blocking our path?", he telepathically sends to Cob.
Cob taps the side of his head.
"Nice trick," Cob thinks back to Drexon. "So far so good. But we need to move."
Cob flies up a little higher if possible to get a better view of what lies ahead, his fiddle in one hand and bow in the other.
"How close do I need to stay for your mind talk power thing to work?" Cob asks as he scans ahead.
"Thanks. Distance shouldn't be a problem, but it only lasts a couple of minutes at a time. If you come back close to me periodically, I can link our minds again as many times as needed", Drexon thinks back to Cob.
"Cob says we need to move, let's get moving", he says to the others.
Just before the tiefling busts through the door, Dvark takes a step back nervously running his hands through his hair. The anxiety on his face clears as Sego urges them to leave.
Dvark nods to Drexon "If I haven't said it enough already stay close."
Dvark opens the door and starts in whatever direction Cob leads. Taking up a brisk pace he pulls an amulet with the symbol of the Dusk Weaver on it and holds it to his chest muttering under his breath. "Night mother, grant this group protection that we may carry our burdens to their destination."
Alright its showtime! says Karm as he bows down and stretches his legs before hurrying through the door. Don't take it personally, but i will leave you all behind if i have to.
{{Alright, 15 is good. I'm going to roll to make this interesting: 1}}
Cob, you have been performing at this mall and its vicinity for the last week and easily find a path that will lead the group toward the eastern exit. From your place up in the air, you can see that this is not a closeted incident. You can see one, two, perhaps three more shriveled husks on the ground and the translucent beings hovering above them in the Streets of Jobaya and Cornerstone Klem section of the Re-Shop Mall, all of whom seem to start heading toward your -- or the group's -- general direction.
You lead the group toward the exit, swerving around several shops to scout ahead a bit and advising the others with a path of least resistance. Several mall guards begin taking a stance around your particular group in a loose circle as they help maneuver the crowd to the other exit.
All of you hear a shattering of glass nearby and see one of the translucent figures take form right beside one of the mall guards. It touches the guard and they fall down, screaming in pain as pinkish energy seems to be sucked into the translucent figure's form. For a moment you expect the guard to shrivel just like the bodies you have seen, but the guard remains quiet and unmoving. The figure just goes on, moving closer toward Karm. You glance toward it for a moment and see that it just moves through the guard's body and the crowd as if they are intangible.
You run and run, and you finally make it out of the mall proper. You can see none of the excitement that is happening inside, but that changes as you and the panicking crowd step out of the mall in a sprint. A couple more shattering of glass sounds behind and to the side of the group and all of you can see that three translucent figures are closing in on you. One of the figures moves straight through a large burly goliath carrying a large crate and it shudders as if in pain for a moment.
Unfortunately, as Sego has warned you, the streets are crowded today from the sale at the nearby open market. Many carriages filled to the brim with crates and barrels move rapidly down the streets, giving you little chance to pass safely. Even at the lot immediately outside Re-Shop, a maze of carriages has blocked the way to take the mall shoppers' purchases.
{{I want all of you except for Cob to make an Acrobatics or Intelligence check to either vault over the carriages or to time your movement with the carriages.}}
"They're getting closer," Cob thinks to Drexon. "You have to get past those carriages."
He looks back at the ghostly shapes.
"You keep going and if they get too close I'll try knocking one or two of them down."
Intelligence:2
(If I make it through:)
using Thaumaturgy to triple the volume of his voice and yell "MAKE A HOLE! TRAIN TO CATCH!"
persuasion?: 16
Acrobatics: 12
Drexon rushes through the crowd towards the road, busy as it is with carriages.
”They’re closing in, no time to wait folks, let’s get passed those carriages. Cob will try and slow them down”, he says passing on Cob’s message.
As he approaches the carriage he whispers his words of luck, and tries to leap across.
Acrobatics: 17
{{The DC was 10, but Dvark lowered it to an 8. We'll go ahead a bit while we wait for Karm's roll. We'll resolve it as we go.}}
Dvark, you look to the left, to the right, and find no clear path for the group. You grasp your amulet and shout out as loud as you can. A wind blows and caresses your face as your voice triples in volume, rattling the carriages' windows and even shaking them a little. Several people that are loading the carriages look toward you for a moment and open a path, both in surprise and a hint of fear. Unfortunately, it is not large enough for someone your size and you have to shimmy out with a little difficulty.
Drexon, seeing Dvark passing through the small gap between a couple of carriages, you leap up to the coach seating, nearly trampling the coach driver that has been resting on it. You spend a moment to apologize before you land on the other side beside Eremoz.
Eremoz, with the open path blocked by Dvark, you reach up to the roof of the carriage and leap. The carriage tilts a little as your massive form vaults over the carriage and clears the distance easily. You can hear grumbles from the carriage owner and the laborers standing around the lot as some of the items on the carriage tumble out again when the carriage rights itself.
Looking back, all of you see that your three chasers are not in sight. You sigh in relief for a moment before dread creeps down your spine when they emerge through the middle of the carriage unharmed and unblemished. One seems to be 10 or maybe 15 feet away from Dvark as he slips out of the carriage pile and rejoins the group. Another emerges right into a female halfling and the woman screams before blood begins pouring down her eyes and she falls down, unmoving and seemingly not breathing.
You look for a moment for your last chaser and notice that the creature stops for a moment when they fail to pass through one carriage bearing the emblem of an eagle. This is the carriage of the Bank of Yvraithe. A runic sigil on the carriage flares and the translucent figure is rebuffed from phasing through. The guards standing beside the carriage are taken aback for a moment before unsheathing their swords and slashing at the creature. Their blades seem to pass through the creature's body harmlessly before one abandons their blade and takes another from the carriage. Each slash of this new blade on the creature is accompanied by a gleaming golden spark and leaves behind an impression on the creature's body. The creature begins to phase in and out of existence more frequently with each slash the guard makes before it shatters and doesn't reform again.
"Contact the city guard," the guard says. "Tell them the Re-Shop Mall is being attacked by unknown creatures. Tell them that simple weaponry will most likely do nothing to these creatures and to bring their casters."
Cob, {{we'll still use the last check}}, you have two options. You see a path to the south that will lead you to the market that is currently having a sale. There will be more obstacles for your chaser to go through and you will be able to maybe hide in the crowd. You look ahead and see another path, a narrower one through an alleyway. The group will have a harder time maneuvering there, but you can arrive at the station a little faster.
{{Which way do you lead the group to?}}
Drexon notes the words of the guards regarding regular weapons and casters, then turns to find Cob. The telepathic link will need to be renewed, but he needs the Fairy to come within 30 feet to do that.
He is also starting to feel a buzz from the panicked crowd as well, but he shakes it off, self preservation being the stronger driver at this moment.
Perception: 18 (If he spots Cob he will wave to him to come closer, and reset the telepathic link once he is within 30 feet)
Intelligence for Karm: 7
While following the others quickly bows down mid "run" to produce a glowing sigil on the ground looking similar to the one on the cart by casting swiss army knife
{{I think I have a problem with the dice roller. It doesn't show the same value in the pop-up for some rolls, not even the same die, so I can't check the one with the manipulated dice roll notice.}}
Karm, you swerve around the carriages, ducking and slipping through any gaps you can see. You easily get the timing between each passing carriages. As you see the sigil flares, you stumble a bit in your run, writing the same sigil on the ground. You look back and notice that the translucent figures pause for a moment and move around the sigil. They are still heading toward you specifically, but you just added an extra 10 to 15 feet distance between them and the group.
Karm shouts back to the entities You really want this box, huh? Take it then i am done with this! Karm slides his bag to the front puts his and into it and casts swiss army knife again producing a replica of the box in his hand. He takes it out of the bag and drops it mid run I really can't be bothered with this.
Cob eyes the routes ahead of them. Hiding isn’t helping, he thinks to himself.
He dips down closer to the group when they get away from the carriages.
”Straight through the alley. Fast as you can. If the city guard know what’s happening they might keep these ghosts out of the train station.”
He then pauses in the air and decides to see whether he has anything that might give their pursuers pause.
While the apparitions are still a distance away, Cob closes his eyes for a moment then runs his bow over the fiddle, one strong note echoing out.
”Buttercup.”
Crackling energy leaps forward and races towards the closest ghost.
Casts Eldritch Blast Attack: 19 Damage: 10
{{Karm, I don't think the cantrip can be used like that as I think it will disappear after you drop it (the spell says lasts until the end of your next turn, which means 6 seconds), but I'll allow it this time because we are not yet come to the point where we are rolling for initiative or using the 6 seconds per turn combat.}}
{{The creatures will make an intelligence check against your save DC 4, 6, 1}}
The three creatures pause in their stride to look at the fallen box, and two rush toward it. The other one keeps staring at you, Karm, and continues the chase.
As it gets closer and closer to Karm, a bolt of crackling energy bursts from Cob. A bolt of eldritch energy shoots toward the creature, staggering it with melodious music that crescendoes as the energy pierces through its body. It loses its form for a moment, but it reforms and continues its movement toward Karm.
{{Yes, I think the dice roller is a bit problematic. The first posted roll is 7, 5, and 17, but it changes after I edit the post to add narration.}}