Harmony displays an impressive burst of speed just before she leaps, landing in equally perfect form around a foot further than Olive. The goblins fall to a hush as their last competitor takes his turn, matching Harmony's speed. With a roar, the creature jumps further than even Isabella, impressive for its lithe form. Rather than celebrate, it stomps angrily toward the goblin leader. "Dangit, I told you it should have been the furthest wins! Why'd you fall for their best two out of three idea?"
The goblins bicker for a moment, until their leader shouts, "Enough!" He points angrily toward their camp, and the other goblins mutter and walk off toward their tents in the swamp. "We lost at our own games, even if you used magic to win. Take the statue's power, I don't even care. We'll find something else out here; maybe we'll find one of those fire creatures that's been appearing and take it. I will not return to Skunkpaw a failure!"
"Huh, goblins are sore losers in this world too. When I was a kid, this furry goblin used to always get better marks than me in school and rub it in my face. I really hope he didn't end up here too. But he'd have to transcend planes to do that. I'd like to see him try! Abraxas, care to check out this statue with me?" Jove begins to prepare detect magic as a ritual.
Abraxas politely applauds his colleagues. "Well done," he says. "Far better than I could ever accomplish."
He turns toward Jove. "Absolutely." Abraxas would like to consider the statue and consult all the arcana he can. He'd like to think about it in terms of history and make a general investigation of it while Jove completes his ritual. He takes books from his bag as he does this, eventually with one under his arm, one open in his left hand, and a finger of his right hand holding a page in another.
"Fire creatures, the goblin said," he mumbles to himself at one point.
None of Abraxas's knowledge of arcana helps his understanding of the statue or the behavior of its surroundings, but upon diving into his memory, he recalls a tale of a relic that stood for hundreds of years on Toril; a powerful artifact in a temple that was said to change those who touched it. He cannot recall the name of the deity, but followers of the temple claimed the relic was part of the essence of the deity, and that touching it would allow a direct connection to the deity's power. Most would leave with subtle changes, but those who were deemed worthy claimed to have gained communion and even conversed with the deity.
The statue is fully sealed over beneath the thick layer of ice, which seems to have grown outward from it. The cold temperature begins to bite at the party as Abraxas makes a walk around the statue, having a difficult time investigating beneath the ice.
After ten minutes, Jove completes his ritual; magic registers to his senses within range.
OOC: Jove can use an action to see an aura around any magical object within view and range if he would like.
"This is reminding me," Abraxas says, "of rumors of an artifact once on Toril. What was the name of the deity? Hmm. But the followers said if you touched the artifact--which they claimed was a shard of this powerful being--you might talk with the god. You might be changed by touching it as well." He puts the book in his left hand back in his bag and pulls out a much smaller one. "If this statue is like that artifact, the changes from touching it might be the mutations we've heard of? Though it seems we haven't seen examples of any of the mutations. At least not obvious ones."
Abraxas opens the smaller book and uses one of the larger volumes as a makeshift desk to record all his observations.
He shivers and commits to spend more time with those boots when they next rest.
Jove first sees his boots radiating an aura of enchantment. Then, nothing but white - the aura surrounding the Ice Basilisk flaring to his senses like a brilliant star. The others simply see his eyes suddenly rolling back into his head as he faints backward into the snow.
For Jove:
One second you were staring at the bright aura emanating from the Ice Basilisk; the next you find yourself in a wooded glade, shrouded in shadow. The sky cannot be seen through the canopy, and the darkness seems abnormally thick. Surrounding you along the perimeter of the circular glade are snakes. A man crouches on a log across from you, his eyes shrouded, his grey skin cloaked by a snakeskin cloak.
He slithers across the glade to you; his legs are moving, yet his movement somehow registers to you as a smooth, serpentine passage.
"So many have sought my favor, yet none have had the strength of person to reach me here, until you. Who are you? You don't seem terribly impressive to me. How is it that you have succeeded where hundreds have failed?"the man asks in a smooth, measured voice.
Harmony was happy as she had jumped even further than Olive. But she was quite surprised when the goblin had went even further than Isabella had, now really glad that Isabella and Olive had won their jumps. Then the leader spoke about having lost at their own games, of course still accusing them of using magic to win as she pouted. These goblins are really really sore losers. The leader continued to say that they can take the statue's power as he didn't care now, how they'll find something else like a fire creature that has been appearing around here and taking it before leaving. Harmony stuck her tongue out at them before seeing that Jove and Abraxas were going to check out the statue. She didn't know a lot about magical stuff, so she let those two handle this, shivering from the cold coming from the ice that is off the statue while listening to Abraxas talk about how this reminds him of rumors of a relic on Toril. Guess that would explain the mutations then, though why did this artifact appear here in this world along with them? All of a sudden, she watched as Jove's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell backwards into the snow. "Jove!" she called out as she ran over to him. "Jove, wake up!" Harmony was calling out, lightly shaking him while holding his head up and so worried. What's going on, what is happening to him?! Is that statue doing something to him?
Because of his unconscious state, Jove instinctively curls into a ball and begins sucking his thumb.
I'm Jove. You seem so wise, yet you don't know how I can succeed. I succeed because I know what is coming. Look at me. *he motions to his "tattoos"* These are the stars above us, or what most people call stars. I see them for what they really are, a future demise. I know what is coming. Do you?
The man grins wickedly, and the snakes at the perimeter of the circle begin to sway and hiss. Gradually, their hissing becomes a cacophony of words; not Common, or any of the other languages you know, for that matter, but a language that you understand nonetheless.
"I know what is coming, human. We are coming. We are in motion. This world's heroes died long ago. You know so much, yet you know so little. You will be my conduit for what is to come. I will be your guide, through your demise."
You find yourself unable to move as the circle of snakes grows narrower, and closer, speaking their strange language. "It suits us. Such power within. Our conduit for what is to come."
The snakes cover you, writhing their way into your skin. There is a searing pain as the man reaches his hands toward your head, and then darkness.
You awake with Olive kneeling over you, checking for a pulse. Harmony stands nearby in a nervous sweat.
Jove is breathing, though neither Harmony nor Olive's attempts to wake him are working. He carries no wounds or signs of damage, but is unconscious with eyes rolled back into his head, showing milky white.
Then, just as suddenly as he fainted, he sits up with a gasp of terror.
Abraxas has been making his way toward his friend, tucking his books in his bag as he approached. He knows enough about medicine to see that Olive knows more about it than he does. He halts when Jove bolts up and gasps, hoping Jove is clearly himself.
Iz looks at Olive, rolls her eyes and says, "Wizards..." before approaching the basilisk herself walking around it while observing, careful not to stare it in the eyes.
Jove gasps. Then gasps again, as he realizes he was sucking his thumb. He quickly wipes it off.
"It was really weird. I was somewhere else for a bit. It was like a dream. It sort of felt like earlier when we ended up here. Did you all notice any magiks at play? Oli, did you notice anything?"
Jove is naturally not trusting of people. Olive and Iz have both tried to help the group, and Jove is familiar with Abraxas and Harmony, so he trusts that lot. Oli has just sat on the sidelines. He is suspicious of why he is actually here. He listens intently to Oli's answer. To see if he is phased by the direct questioning, if he is nervous or anything. Insight: 19
OOC: Whoops, probably should have seen that as a possibility.
Oli looks a little shaken, but that doesn't keep him from scribbling more notes into a book as he watches the proceedings. "No, nothing. You were casting some sort of spell, and then you were out," he says, snapping his fingers to accentuate his point.
A wave of heat suddenly washes over the party, and ice surrounding the statue rapidly begins to melt, revealing the plain stone statue of the basilisk beneath. The melting water washes away a small part of the ground at its base, into a small tunnel moving beneath the statue.
For Jove:
While Oli carries a mace and wears leather armor, it has become obvious that he doesn't have much of an ability to defend himself. He seems nervous about most of what is happening, though his curiosity lends him a sense of bravery. He does not seem more nervous or phased by your questioning.
Jove says, "Woah. Okay. That is quite the heat flash. Something is going on here." And he takes off his jacket.
When he does so, he commands his (still invisible) familiar to go look at what Oli is writing down. He uses his Eyes of the Runekeeper to read through the eyes of his familiar.
Goblin DEX: 17
Goblin Athletics: 22
Harmony displays an impressive burst of speed just before she leaps, landing in equally perfect form around a foot further than Olive. The goblins fall to a hush as their last competitor takes his turn, matching Harmony's speed. With a roar, the creature jumps further than even Isabella, impressive for its lithe form. Rather than celebrate, it stomps angrily toward the goblin leader. "Dangit, I told you it should have been the furthest wins! Why'd you fall for their best two out of three idea?"
The goblins bicker for a moment, until their leader shouts, "Enough!" He points angrily toward their camp, and the other goblins mutter and walk off toward their tents in the swamp. "We lost at our own games, even if you used magic to win. Take the statue's power, I don't even care. We'll find something else out here; maybe we'll find one of those fire creatures that's been appearing and take it. I will not return to Skunkpaw a failure!"
With that, he stomps away to join the others.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
"Huh, goblins are sore losers in this world too. When I was a kid, this furry goblin used to always get better marks than me in school and rub it in my face. I really hope he didn't end up here too. But he'd have to transcend planes to do that. I'd like to see him try! Abraxas, care to check out this statue with me?" Jove begins to prepare detect magic as a ritual.
--- --- We want Grung! --- ---
~https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=DragonbornDoug ~
Abraxas politely applauds his colleagues. "Well done," he says. "Far better than I could ever accomplish."
He turns toward Jove. "Absolutely." Abraxas would like to consider the statue and consult all the arcana he can. He'd like to think about it in terms of history and make a general investigation of it while Jove completes his ritual. He takes books from his bag as he does this, eventually with one under his arm, one open in his left hand, and a finger of his right hand holding a page in another.
"Fire creatures, the goblin said," he mumbles to himself at one point.
Death on the Water and Baldur's Gate Bodyguard
Abraxas History: 27
None of Abraxas's knowledge of arcana helps his understanding of the statue or the behavior of its surroundings, but upon diving into his memory, he recalls a tale of a relic that stood for hundreds of years on Toril; a powerful artifact in a temple that was said to change those who touched it. He cannot recall the name of the deity, but followers of the temple claimed the relic was part of the essence of the deity, and that touching it would allow a direct connection to the deity's power. Most would leave with subtle changes, but those who were deemed worthy claimed to have gained communion and even conversed with the deity.
The statue is fully sealed over beneath the thick layer of ice, which seems to have grown outward from it. The cold temperature begins to bite at the party as Abraxas makes a walk around the statue, having a difficult time investigating beneath the ice.
After ten minutes, Jove completes his ritual; magic registers to his senses within range.
OOC: Jove can use an action to see an aura around any magical object within view and range if he would like.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Not knowing much about magic, Olive stands back and lets Jove and Abraxas handle this.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Oh, you know Jove is definitely using his action to see the aura of the statue!
--- --- We want Grung! --- ---
~https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=DragonbornDoug ~
"This is reminding me," Abraxas says, "of rumors of an artifact once on Toril. What was the name of the deity? Hmm. But the followers said if you touched the artifact--which they claimed was a shard of this powerful being--you might talk with the god. You might be changed by touching it as well." He puts the book in his left hand back in his bag and pulls out a much smaller one. "If this statue is like that artifact, the changes from touching it might be the mutations we've heard of? Though it seems we haven't seen examples of any of the mutations. At least not obvious ones."
Abraxas opens the smaller book and uses one of the larger volumes as a makeshift desk to record all his observations.
He shivers and commits to spend more time with those boots when they next rest.
Death on the Water and Baldur's Gate Bodyguard
Jove CHA Save: 20
Jove first sees his boots radiating an aura of enchantment. Then, nothing but white - the aura surrounding the Ice Basilisk flaring to his senses like a brilliant star. The others simply see his eyes suddenly rolling back into his head as he faints backward into the snow.
For Jove:
One second you were staring at the bright aura emanating from the Ice Basilisk; the next you find yourself in a wooded glade, shrouded in shadow. The sky cannot be seen through the canopy, and the darkness seems abnormally thick. Surrounding you along the perimeter of the circular glade are snakes. A man crouches on a log across from you, his eyes shrouded, his grey skin cloaked by a snakeskin cloak.
He slithers across the glade to you; his legs are moving, yet his movement somehow registers to you as a smooth, serpentine passage.
"So many have sought my favor, yet none have had the strength of person to reach me here, until you. Who are you? You don't seem terribly impressive to me. How is it that you have succeeded where hundreds have failed?" the man asks in a smooth, measured voice.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Harmony was happy as she had jumped even further than Olive. But she was quite surprised when the goblin had went even further than Isabella had, now really glad that Isabella and Olive had won their jumps. Then the leader spoke about having lost at their own games, of course still accusing them of using magic to win as she pouted. These goblins are really really sore losers. The leader continued to say that they can take the statue's power as he didn't care now, how they'll find something else like a fire creature that has been appearing around here and taking it before leaving. Harmony stuck her tongue out at them before seeing that Jove and Abraxas were going to check out the statue. She didn't know a lot about magical stuff, so she let those two handle this, shivering from the cold coming from the ice that is off the statue while listening to Abraxas talk about how this reminds him of rumors of a relic on Toril. Guess that would explain the mutations then, though why did this artifact appear here in this world along with them? All of a sudden, she watched as Jove's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell backwards into the snow. "Jove!" she called out as she ran over to him. "Jove, wake up!" Harmony was calling out, lightly shaking him while holding his head up and so worried. What's going on, what is happening to him?! Is that statue doing something to him?
"Harmony calm down. I'm going to try to see what's wrong, but I need you to keep your head on."
Medicine: 21
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Because of his unconscious state, Jove instinctively curls into a ball and begins sucking his thumb.
I'm Jove. You seem so wise, yet you don't know how I can succeed. I succeed because I know what is coming. Look at me. *he motions to his "tattoos"* These are the stars above us, or what most people call stars. I see them for what they really are, a future demise. I know what is coming. Do you?
--- --- We want Grung! --- ---
~https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=DragonbornDoug ~
For Jove:
The man grins wickedly, and the snakes at the perimeter of the circle begin to sway and hiss. Gradually, their hissing becomes a cacophony of words; not Common, or any of the other languages you know, for that matter, but a language that you understand nonetheless.
"I know what is coming, human. We are coming. We are in motion. This world's heroes died long ago. You know so much, yet you know so little. You will be my conduit for what is to come. I will be your guide, through your demise."
You find yourself unable to move as the circle of snakes grows narrower, and closer, speaking their strange language. "It suits us. Such power within. Our conduit for what is to come."
The snakes cover you, writhing their way into your skin. There is a searing pain as the man reaches his hands toward your head, and then darkness.
You awake with Olive kneeling over you, checking for a pulse. Harmony stands nearby in a nervous sweat.
Jove is breathing, though neither Harmony nor Olive's attempts to wake him are working. He carries no wounds or signs of damage, but is unconscious with eyes rolled back into his head, showing milky white.
Then, just as suddenly as he fainted, he sits up with a gasp of terror.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Abraxas has been making his way toward his friend, tucking his books in his bag as he approached. He knows enough about medicine to see that Olive knows more about it than he does. He halts when Jove bolts up and gasps, hoping Jove is clearly himself.
"Jove?" he says. "What happened?"
Death on the Water and Baldur's Gate Bodyguard
Iz looks at Olive, rolls her eyes and says, "Wizards..." before approaching the basilisk herself walking around it while observing, careful not to stare it in the eyes.
~♡~
Jove gasps. Then gasps again, as he realizes he was sucking his thumb. He quickly wipes it off.
"It was really weird. I was somewhere else for a bit. It was like a dream. It sort of felt like earlier when we ended up here. Did you all notice any magiks at play? Oli, did you notice anything?"
Jove is naturally not trusting of people. Olive and Iz have both tried to help the group, and Jove is familiar with Abraxas and Harmony, so he trusts that lot. Oli has just sat on the sidelines. He is suspicious of why he is actually here. He listens intently to Oli's answer. To see if he is phased by the direct questioning, if he is nervous or anything.
Insight: 19
--- --- We want Grung! --- ---
~https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=DragonbornDoug ~
(OOC: Not gonna lie, I always think that people are talking to Olive for a second when they talk to Oli).
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
OOC: Whoops, probably should have seen that as a possibility.
Oli looks a little shaken, but that doesn't keep him from scribbling more notes into a book as he watches the proceedings. "No, nothing. You were casting some sort of spell, and then you were out," he says, snapping his fingers to accentuate his point.
A wave of heat suddenly washes over the party, and ice surrounding the statue rapidly begins to melt, revealing the plain stone statue of the basilisk beneath. The melting water washes away a small part of the ground at its base, into a small tunnel moving beneath the statue.
For Jove:
While Oli carries a mace and wears leather armor, it has become obvious that he doesn't have much of an ability to defend himself. He seems nervous about most of what is happening, though his curiosity lends him a sense of bravery. He does not seem more nervous or phased by your questioning.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Jove says, "Woah. Okay. That is quite the heat flash. Something is going on here." And he takes off his jacket.
When he does so, he commands his (still invisible) familiar to go look at what Oli is writing down. He uses his Eyes of the Runekeeper to read through the eyes of his familiar.
--- --- We want Grung! --- ---
~https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=DragonbornDoug ~
"There's a tunnel beneath the statue. Should we head down?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Abraxas looks warily at the tunnel. Can he perceive where the heat is coming from? 5 Is it the tunnel? The statue? Oli's snapped fingers?
What happened to Iz? She was closest to the statue when the ice melted, Abraxas thinks.
Death on the Water and Baldur's Gate Bodyguard