There is an otherworldly tearing sound and then a constant scream as if of a woman in agony fills the air.
A black void opens before Fergus and a strange form steps through flickering in and out of focus as it does so, when it comes into focus it can be glimpsed a rough somewhat feminine form as if carved from ivory, where its eyes would be are black pits and where its arms should be are serpents similar to those seen before but these are of an onyx hue. Its mouth is open and fanged and a stream of rancid blood runs from its eyes, ears, nostrils and lips.
The scream continues ceaselessly as if from the air itself as it steps off of the pattern and regards those assembled without expression....
Facing Almeric, away from this thing came from, when the screams began Ori turns his head around quickly and reaches steps up/reaching out to Fergus to pull the man back behind him. Ori tried to put himself between this thing and the party. He wanted a fight, though Ori wasn't sure he really could fight this thing. But he was willing to give it a shot. Ori stood tall and tried not to show the worry on his face. "Well your not my type, but what the hell, I'll go a few rounds with ya."
Cainneach looks on in absolute horror, in disbelief that Fergus could have unleashed this thing ... It couldn't have been intentional, could it? His first instinct is to grab Salt and get the hell out of there as fast as he can run, but seeing Ori step up bravely to confront this monstrosity forces the ranger to pause for a moment. What does Almeric want us to do? Where is Famh, is she safe? Will we have to fight Fergus as well, or is he still on our side? Stuck in that uncomfortable limbo between fight and flight, Cainneach falls back on his training and quickly readies his bow, then draws and nocks an arrow, all while uttering a fervent prayer to Morkaan to keep him and his companions safe. Salt, brave though he may be, seems to recognize the evil power of the thing confronting them and tries to hide behind Cainneach. The ranger growls to his canine friend, "Go to Famh, keep her safe, boy!"
Turning to check with Cainneach some detail of the pattern that is emerging in her mind, Famh freezes for an instant at the horror before her. As she does, the shock jars the last pieces into place, and she suddenly guesses why the remains in this chamber appeared to come from neither Thulander nor Mercanian. "Karvala's bones!!!," she cries in a voice that rises above the spectral woman's, pointing at the larger of the two skeletons. " 'ware his beann sidhe, lest she keen our deaths too!"In a sudden wild flash of intuition, she uses her fae hand to brandish the second staff which still rests between its fingers, flourishing it warningly between the disemodied spirit and ... her friends. She is careful to keep it far enough away that the spirit could not just lunge forward and seize it.
"What in the hells! Is this thing after me?!"Fergus cries out as Ori pulls him back, fire crackling in his hands as he prepares to send it back to where it came from.
Fergus does not hear it, but feels a chuckle from within. Though horrified by what has been unleashed, he dare not go against his patron's whims.
Startling at the shriek that fills the air, Tana whirls around to face the new potential foe. Noting carefully that the others appear to be standing off against it and that it has yet to enter a hostile state.
She blinks blearily at the figure, gaze flickering back between the strange form and Fergus. Though her stance tenses as well, she opts to prod for a conscious mind first – her internal voice trying to grasp onto something solid for communication.
Cursing himself under his breath for not reactive quick enough, the Capellar throws himself at the deamonic creature. Moving around Fergus quickly, so that he can see and is able to attack both the creature and the scribe, sword and shield at the ready. Almeric presents his sword, point first, at the creature, believing in the protection of the Relic of St Ambrosius in his possession.
"Moon Goddess? Karvala? As a duly-designated representative of the Worshipful Knights of St Withan of Barada, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin, or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension."
Startling at the shriek that fills the air, Tana whirls around to face the new potential foe. Noting carefully that the others appear to be standing off against it and that it has yet to enter a hostile state.
She blinks blearily at the figure, gaze flickering back between the strange form and Fergus. Though her stance tenses as well, she opts to prod for a conscious mind first – her internal voice trying to grasp onto something solid for communication.
'Hello?'
The response is not so much words but something.....older.....a chill dark void of utter nothingness opens within her mind threatening to draw in all warmth, life and emotion until all is empty....
Cursing himself under his breath for not reactive quick enough, the Capellar throws himself at the deamonic creature. Moving around Fergus quickly, so that he can see and is able to attack both the creature and the scribe, sword and shield at the ready. Almeric presents his sword, point first, at the creature, believing in the protection of the Relic of St Ambrosius in his possession.
"Moon Goddess? Karvala? As a duly-designated representative of the Worshipful Knights of St Withan of Barada, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin, or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension."
The entity ignores Ori, Cainneach and Thatch...it lingers for a moment in its regard of Famh, Tana and Fergus...but its attention is arrested by Sir Almeric. It obviously wants to move past him and out of the chamber but for some reason the blade stymies it.
It remains motionless but the volume of screaming increases and the air grows colder.....
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Famh maneuvers carefully around until she stands close beside Cainneach, leaving just enough room that she will not impede his archery if she slings. When she sees that he is sending Salt over to guard her, she whistles to the well-trained hound and points to a spot as close to her on her left side as she is to Cainneach on her right. Since the spectral woman showed no fear of the staff, she has her fae hand bring it to the spot she dropped the other one and then allows that spell to lapse.
Once all this is done, she takes out a small flask from her pouch and raises it to her lips. You think you see rosemary steeping in the pale amber liquid, and thyme, and rue, among other herbs; those who are close enough feel their nostrils thrill to the fiery raw-spirit scent of uisgebeaugh. Then, contrary to what you would expect from the healthy swallow she has just taken, her breathing begins not to quicken but to calm. Soon she is drawing in deep slow breaths that seem to gradually fill her with vigour. Cainneach is close enough to catch the farthest edge of the breeze that she is drawing in, as are Ori and Fergus just before him. The air they catch has none of the stale deadness they have been breathing in this ancient tomb; it tingles as sweet and pungent as the meeting of sea air and moorland heather must have smelled in the steading of her birth just outside Brymstone. All who smell that air feel refreshed, and the horror of the screaming spectre eases for a moment in their hearts. The faerie glamour by which she works her magic, too, dims in her eyes at first but actually grows stronger again as she breathes in that sparkling air. Then ...
"Wild surge 77: results to be quote-edited in after roll"
...(oh, this is funny. And so appropriate for Famh too:)
77–78
You cast polymorph on yourself. If you fail the saving throw, you turn into a sheep for the spell’s duration.
If she makes the save, she can choose to polymorph into any beast whose CR is equal to or less than her level (2); and in either case the transformation will last for one hour or until she drops to 0hp or dies. She will assume the statistics and hp of her new form (I would request of DM that the false life hp carry over); and all her gear melds into the new form. If successful, I would like her to transform into one of the following creatures if it exists in Legend and request guidance picking the nearest equivalent if it does not.
(actually a couple things seemed aprop. If really means I can only pick a "beast"; giant swan calls up legend of Etain and several oth. fr. Celt myth, but is not as useful perhaps in the current situation as the other two I was considering, a giant eagle or a giant elk. In RP terms, the elk calls up echoes of her musings about Cainneach not too long ago ... also QUITE formidable in battle and probably a shared image in the legendary vocabulary of all the characters, being so similar to the famed (giant)white stag; and the swan is a very Famh-like image that she might lean into for its grace in spite of being less traditionally a warrior image and damage dealer. She might even be drawn so equally to these three archetypes that she'd mentally toss a coin (d8: 1-2=giant swan; 3-5=giant elk, 6-8=giant eagle: 4)
WIS save: 12 (Famh's WIS 10)
...and then her form seems to surge and flow as fluidly as the breeze had. One moment the slender auburn-haired Thulish girl is there, gazing upon the spectre warily and her companions -- one in particular -- protectively. The next, a majestic female giant elk stands where Famh had been. But her eyes have not changed, nor has the somewhat rare richness and warmth of her fur's auburn hue. She still looks on those she cares about with the same protective wariness, but she adds a warning hoof stamp as she lowers her massive horns and glares at the spectre.
Thatch pauses, one hand still on the stone walls of the room where he was searching for hidden openings, as the other-worldly scream tears through the air. He turns quickly, taking in the scene before him. “Fergus, what did you do? Who or what is that?”he knocks an arrow to his bow and pulls it back in a half-draw, keeping ready for whatever happens next. He shares a wild look between the snake-like creature and the majestic elk that also just appeared near where Famh was standing. “Cainneach, what is going on right now?”
Almeric is suddenly emboldened into arrogance at the thought of the apparant power he can wield against fiendish creatures such as this! The power bestoyed upon him by The Saviour throught the Relic of St Ambrosius and his warrior monk status.
Sensing the sword and the relic are having a warding effect on the creature, Almeric tries to herd it into the far corner furthest from the door.
"Spirit of Evil, I dismiss thee hence! Back, I compell thee. Back! I compell thee in the name of The Saviour Gatanades!" Almeric forces the creature back at sword point, into the far corner of the room
"Close the doors! It cannot be allowed to leave here! It will return whence it came or be destroyed!"
Held Action = Almeric will attack if the Fiend tries to pass him with his (holy) sword = 25 (Nat 20!) Damage 9 (Holy) Slash!
Thatch pauses, one hand still on the stone walls of the room where he was searching for hidden openings, as the other-worldly scream tears through the air. He turns quickly, taking in the scene before him. “Fergus, what did you do? Who or what is that?”he knocks an arrow to his bow and pulls it back in a half-draw, keeping ready for whatever happens next. He shares a wild look between the snake-like creature and the majestic elk that also just appeared near where Famh was standing. “Cainneach, what is going on right now?”
Cainneach is having flashbacks to their earlier visitation by the unicorn with the bizarre name ... what in the hell was going on now? Another near mythical beast, but now Famh is nowhere to be seen. In spite of the danger presented by the latest spectre to menace them, in his puzzlement Cainneach is compelled to carefully regard the mighty elk and ...
(I have no idea why my last two posts w/rolls are showing as potentially manipulated. They haven't even been edited! And when I first submitted, it showed an 8 for the Perception roll, so I'm going with that.)
... is apparently too distracted by the whole ongoing mess to recognize his dearest Famh, post-transformation. He and Thatch stand side by side, bows drawn, looking quite majestic themselves, and Cainneach half turns his head toward his friend to reply, "The feck if I know what this portends, but I think Almeric's either going to save us or get himself killed. And I hope that giant elk's on our side!" He then yells loudly over the keening wail of the spectre, "Tana, close that door, and Salt, find Famh!" Finally, Cainneach narrows his eyes and focuses intently on their adversary as she and Almeric do their halting dance. A green haze fills his field of vision, but their grim foe is strikingly clear to the ranger.
Bonus Action - Hunter's Mark (fixed upon the spectre, bonus 1d6 to hit w/weapon attacks, requires concentration) Action - Ready Longbow - attack vs. spectre: 16, damage (piercing): 13 w/Hunter's Mark (held until spectre either breaks past Almeric or attacks)
There is an otherworldly tearing sound and then a constant scream as if of a woman in agony fills the air.
A black void opens before Fergus and a strange form steps through flickering in and out of focus as it does so, when it comes into focus it can be glimpsed a rough somewhat feminine form as if carved from ivory, where its eyes would be are black pits and where its arms should be are serpents similar to those seen before but these are of an onyx hue. Its mouth is open and fanged and a stream of rancid blood runs from its eyes, ears, nostrils and lips.
The scream continues ceaselessly as if from the air itself as it steps off of the pattern and regards those assembled without expression....
Facing Almeric, away from this thing came from, when the screams began Ori turns his head around quickly and reaches steps up/reaching out to Fergus to pull the man back behind him. Ori tried to put himself between this thing and the party. He wanted a fight, though Ori wasn't sure he really could fight this thing. But he was willing to give it a shot. Ori stood tall and tried not to show the worry on his face. "Well your not my type, but what the hell, I'll go a few rounds with ya."
Cainneach looks on in absolute horror, in disbelief that Fergus could have unleashed this thing ... It couldn't have been intentional, could it? His first instinct is to grab Salt and get the hell out of there as fast as he can run, but seeing Ori step up bravely to confront this monstrosity forces the ranger to pause for a moment. What does Almeric want us to do? Where is Famh, is she safe? Will we have to fight Fergus as well, or is he still on our side? Stuck in that uncomfortable limbo between fight and flight, Cainneach falls back on his training and quickly readies his bow, then draws and nocks an arrow, all while uttering a fervent prayer to Morkaan to keep him and his companions safe. Salt, brave though he may be, seems to recognize the evil power of the thing confronting them and tries to hide behind Cainneach. The ranger growls to his canine friend, "Go to Famh, keep her safe, boy!"
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
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Turning to check with Cainneach some detail of the pattern that is emerging in her mind, Famh freezes for an instant at the horror before her. As she does, the shock jars the last pieces into place, and she suddenly guesses why the remains in this chamber appeared to come from neither Thulander nor Mercanian. "Karvala's bones!!!," she cries in a voice that rises above the spectral woman's, pointing at the larger of the two skeletons. " 'ware his beann sidhe, lest she keen our deaths too!" In a sudden wild flash of intuition, she uses her fae hand to brandish the second staff which still rests between its fingers, flourishing it warningly between the disemodied spirit and ... her friends. She is careful to keep it far enough away that the spirit could not just lunge forward and seize it.
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
"What in the hells! Is this thing after me?!" Fergus cries out as Ori pulls him back, fire crackling in his hands as he prepares to send it back to where it came from.
Fergus does not hear it, but feels a chuckle from within.
Though horrified by what has been unleashed, he dare not go against his patron's whims.
Startling at the shriek that fills the air, Tana whirls around to face the new potential foe. Noting carefully that the others appear to be standing off against it and that it has yet to enter a hostile state.
She blinks blearily at the figure, gaze flickering back between the strange form and Fergus. Though her stance tenses as well, she opts to prod for a conscious mind first – her internal voice trying to grasp onto something solid for communication.
'Hello?'
Noire Havensong | Harengon Archfey Warlock 6/Lore Bard 4 | Westmarch - Guild of the Phoenix (Discord)
Tanatari Crelieu | Kalashtar Druid 2 | Damian_May's Sleeping Gods
Jynx Starrkeep | Changling GOO Warlock 2 | Astien's Tyranny of Dragons
DM | Eberron Eternal (Discord)
Cursing himself under his breath for not reactive quick enough, the Capellar throws himself at the deamonic creature. Moving around Fergus quickly, so that he can see and is able to attack both the creature and the scribe, sword and shield at the ready. Almeric presents his sword, point first, at the creature, believing in the protection of the Relic of St Ambrosius in his possession.
"Moon Goddess? Karvala? As a duly-designated representative of the Worshipful Knights of St Withan of Barada, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin, or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension."
OOC = Couldn't resist, that's worth Inspiration right?
The response is not so much words but something.....older.....a chill dark void of utter nothingness opens within her mind threatening to draw in all warmth, life and emotion until all is empty....
The entity ignores Ori, Cainneach and Thatch...it lingers for a moment in its regard of Famh, Tana and Fergus...but its attention is arrested by Sir Almeric. It obviously wants to move past him and out of the chamber but for some reason the blade stymies it.
It remains motionless but the volume of screaming increases and the air grows colder.....
( Sure, why not.)
Famh maneuvers carefully around until she stands close beside Cainneach, leaving just enough room that she will not impede his archery if she slings. When she sees that he is sending Salt over to guard her, she whistles to the well-trained hound and points to a spot as close to her on her left side as she is to Cainneach on her right. Since the spectral woman showed no fear of the staff, she has her fae hand bring it to the spot she dropped the other one and then allows that spell to lapse.
Once all this is done, she takes out a small flask from her pouch and raises it to her lips. You think you see rosemary steeping in the pale amber liquid, and thyme, and rue, among other herbs; those who are close enough feel their nostrils thrill to the fiery raw-spirit scent of uisgebeaugh. Then, contrary to what you would expect from the healthy swallow she has just taken, her breathing begins not to quicken but to calm. Soon she is drawing in deep slow breaths that seem to gradually fill her with vigour. Cainneach is close enough to catch the farthest edge of the breeze that she is drawing in, as are Ori and Fergus just before him. The air they catch has none of the stale deadness they have been breathing in this ancient tomb; it tingles as sweet and pungent as the meeting of sea air and moorland heather must have smelled in the steading of her birth just outside Brymstone. All who smell that air feel refreshed, and the horror of the screaming spectre eases for a moment in their hearts. The faerie glamour by which she works her magic, too, dims in her eyes at first but actually grows stronger again as she breathes in that sparkling air. Then ...
===========================
Casting false life: gain 8 temporary hit points
Wild surge 77: results to be quote-edited in after roll
BA: Convert sorcery points (2 points to regain one 1st level spell slot)
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
...and then her form seems to surge and flow as fluidly as the breeze had. One moment the slender auburn-haired Thulish girl is there, gazing upon the spectre warily and her companions -- one in particular -- protectively. The next, a majestic female giant elk stands where Famh had been. But her eyes have not changed, nor has the somewhat rare richness and warmth of her fur's auburn hue. She still looks on those she cares about with the same protective wariness, but she adds a warning hoof stamp as she lowers her massive horns and glares at the spectre.
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
Thatch pauses, one hand still on the stone walls of the room where he was searching for hidden openings, as the other-worldly scream tears through the air. He turns quickly, taking in the scene before him. “Fergus, what did you do? Who or what is that?” he knocks an arrow to his bow and pulls it back in a half-draw, keeping ready for whatever happens next. He shares a wild look between the snake-like creature and the majestic elk that also just appeared near where Famh was standing. “Cainneach, what is going on right now?”
The form is flickering less now becoming more......solid.....it seems to be looking for a way to pass Almeric without drawing close to him.....
Almeric is suddenly emboldened into arrogance at the thought of the apparant power he can wield against fiendish creatures such as this! The power bestoyed upon him by The Saviour throught the Relic of St Ambrosius and his warrior monk status.
Sensing the sword and the relic are having a warding effect on the creature, Almeric tries to herd it into the far corner furthest from the door.
"Spirit of Evil, I dismiss thee hence! Back, I compell thee. Back! I compell thee in the name of The Saviour Gatanades!" Almeric forces the creature back at sword point, into the far corner of the room
"Close the doors! It cannot be allowed to leave here! It will return whence it came or be destroyed!"
Held Action = Almeric will attack if the Fiend tries to pass him with his (holy) sword = 25 (Nat 20!) Damage 9 (Holy) Slash!
Cainneach is having flashbacks to their earlier visitation by the unicorn with the bizarre name ... what in the hell was going on now? Another near mythical beast, but now Famh is nowhere to be seen. In spite of the danger presented by the latest spectre to menace them, in his puzzlement Cainneach is compelled to carefully regard the mighty elk and ...
Perception 18
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(I have no idea why my last two posts w/rolls are showing as potentially manipulated. They haven't even been edited! And when I first submitted, it showed an 8 for the Perception roll, so I'm going with that.)
... is apparently too distracted by the whole ongoing mess to recognize his dearest Famh, post-transformation. He and Thatch stand side by side, bows drawn, looking quite majestic themselves, and Cainneach half turns his head toward his friend to reply, "The feck if I know what this portends, but I think Almeric's either going to save us or get himself killed. And I hope that giant elk's on our side!" He then yells loudly over the keening wail of the spectre, "Tana, close that door, and Salt, find Famh!" Finally, Cainneach narrows his eyes and focuses intently on their adversary as she and Almeric do their halting dance. A green haze fills his field of vision, but their grim foe is strikingly clear to the ranger.
Bonus Action - Hunter's Mark (fixed upon the spectre, bonus 1d6 to hit w/weapon attacks, requires concentration)
Action - Ready Longbow - attack vs. spectre: 16, damage (piercing): 13 w/Hunter's Mark (held until spectre either breaks past Almeric or attacks)
Salt - Perception 7 (sniffing around for Famh)
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( Probably best everyone rolls for Initiative, Ready actions will resolve first.)
Cainneach Initiative 24
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Ori 12
Initiative = 1