Grimnir listen to Oorr and thinks about the visions he had. "This machine made of metal and stone that I saw, could it be a weapon? Could that help us? We should ask the Stone Giant of the present".
Later on, Grimnir stood in front of this noble. This shadows made him think that, like the illithid, this humanoid could be from the past. "We are actually coming from the surface but we are sent by King Bruenor on a perilious quest. Who have I the pleasure to talk to ?"
OOC: Would Grimnir know of a famous noble man with six fingers? History: 0 + 2 (if you allow guidance)
A slight smile crosses his lips for just a moment, and his eyes widen in delight. "Oh, the surface... well, you just became ten times more interesting. I am but a simple traveler, looking for knowledge. What passes for interesting on the surface world, friends?" says the figure, in a sickly sweet manner. He tosses the book he was glancing through to the nearest Galeb Duhr, and gives you his full attention.
You have. In fact, this is an echo of the demon lord, Graz'zt. And it's a good thing it's just an echo, or else just being in his presence would have severe madness inducing properties.
You know Graz'zt to be the embodiment of evil within beauty. His followers tend to be indulgent and hedonistic, but ultimately go mad under the demon lord's influence.
Oorr, you can tell this is a powerful being, and possibly a demon lord, though you can't name him just from memory. Belwar seems to recognize him though.
As you examine the echo, flits of shadow and light pass through the figure, and you seem to understand that what you are viewing is an echo of the past.
"Oh, the surface... well, you just became ten times more interesting. I am but a simple traveler, looking for knowledge. What passes for interesting on the surface world, friends?"
Grimnir feels no danger coming from this very charismatic person and continues to discuss. "On the surface, not much to my knowledge. Nothing compare to what is happening in the Underdark. Where are you coming from ?"
Brox, what you see before you appears to be a beautiful being, but it almost makes you sick to look at him. You don't know who he his, nor have you ever learned of anything like him, but something about the figure doesn't sit right with you. You also note this as an echo from the past, but can't recall having ever encountered such a creature before.
"Oh, the surface... well, you just became ten times more interesting. I am but a simple traveler, looking for knowledge. What passes for interesting on the surface world, friends?"
Grimnir feels no danger coming from this very charismatic person and continues to discuss. "On the surface, not much to my knowledge. Nothing compare to what is happening in the Underdark. Where are you coming from ?"
The man smirks. "Oh, I'm from far away. Taking a bit of an unscheduled detour as it were." He begins to thumb through another book. You note on the spine it reads Races of the Underdark and Their Weaknesses. "I'm sure there must be something of interest about the surface you can tell me. Perhaps..." but he breaks off as his eyes read something in the book. His smirk widens into a glowing grin. "Ah, yes, this will do nicely. Sorry friends, but I must be off. Can't let an opportunity go to waste. Maybe we'll run into each other again soon..." and the figure vanishes in mix of light and shadow.
Grimnir is curious about this figure and quite anxious by the title of the book. "Strange lad, this one"
He calls upon a Galeb Duhr and asks: " Say, could you give me the book that this 6 fingers gentleman was reading, the title was "Races of the Underdark and Their Weaknesses.". Do you know which information he found ? or which page was he reading ?"
Grimnir is curious about this figure and quite anxious by the title of the book. "Strange lad, this one"
He calls upon a Galeb Duhr and asks: " Say, could you give me the book that this 6 fingers gentleman was reading, the title was "Races of the Underdark and Their Weaknesses.". Do you know which information he found ? or which page was he reading ?"
The Galeb Duhr retrieves the book, and flips it open to the last place the figure was browsing. It seems to be a long chapter on the history of the interconnections of the Derro and the Duergar within Gracklstugh. It starts with their introduction to each other, and then the continual confrontations. It ends with the efforts of a group of adventurers to disrupt a renegade sect of the Council of Savants efforts to summon demons, and then subsequently unearthing a dragon egg.
Brox looks at Grimnir in confusion. "What do you mean, This is us? Please explain!"
Then Brox starts to look around the books more worried. "Maybe our actions had consequences. We should try and find out more about how we influenced this chaos, even if unwillingly."
Pondering how the echo of Graz'zt and the book he's reading might affect you, you push on towards the Halls of the Present. You pass under a door with an inscription above it in Dwarvish.
The present is like sand, ever flowing and escaping one’s grasp without mercy or respite.
Inside the room, you find stacks and stacks of books, scrolls, and tablets. You also see Galeb Duhr hastily writing things down in tablets on desks and tables. In the center of the tables is a stone giant, presumably Urmas, Keeper of the Present. You see them snatching papers out of the air, reading them, and then sending the papers flying towards the tables, where the Galeb Duhr then transcribe them to more permanent forms.
You approach the giant, and they give the slightest nod as you approach. "Forgive me, travelers, for my work cannot be interrupted, lest the news of the present not be passed into record. I see you have a stonespeaker crystal already. Focus on it, and you will receive your visions of the current times. Should you have questions, you are free to ask, but I will continue to work," says Urmas. You gather around the crystal in Belwar's posession, and similar to the visions of the past, you see images play out before each of you individually.
Belwar, you receive a vision of familiar figures in a place you have visited:
You see a circle of small hooded figures, their forms hunched and emaciated. Their gestures and movements are jerky, indicative of the madness possessing them. They are chanting, swaying to their own words. And then they stop as the glow of faerzress rises around them, whispering to them in unintelligible sounds. The derro cackle and dance, their hands glowing with a power that isn’t theirs. The vision shifts, and suddenly gray dwarves stare down at the red-hot metal on their anvils. The constant rhythm of their hammering falters. Suddenly, brother turns against brother as minds turn inward upon themselves. Sparks fly and a city burns.
The derro of Gracklstugh create more chaos in the city of the duergar.
Brox, you learn more of another demon lord that was loosed on the Underdark. One you have not known of before now.
A hunched and rotting creature with the head of a fiendish hyena swings a triple-headed flail at a beholder, crushing it. As the eye tyrant falls to the floor, a pack of hyenas leaps onto the corpse and tears off its eyestalks while the demon lord licks the gore off his weapon. As the hyenas feed, they transform into slavering, cackling gnolls before your eyes.
Grimnir, you see a familiar face, awash in a sea of chaos.
A kuo-toa community in ruins. Smashed and crushed structures with survivors fallen prey to madness and the predations of Underdark monsters.
Obscene altars and shrines are everywhere, many of them depicting elements of Demogorgon’s twisted iconography — spirals and “Y” shapes, two-headed creatures, manta rays, and tentacles.
Shuushar the Awakened is among Sloobludop’s survivors. He is the sole point of calm and reason in the ruined settlement, and the various factions of the kuo-toa show him respect. Shuushar mediates disputes between the kuo-toa and supervises the allocation of their dwindling resources. Even so, the kuo-toa monk isn’t sure how long he can sustain his people and keep them from destruction.
Oorr, your vision speaks to the dark elves, and the dark goddess they follow.
You behold the true form of the Demon Queen of Spiders — that of a black, bloated arachnid with the head of a female drow. Nestled in the webs all around her are thousands upon thousands of gray eggs. Lolth knows she is being scried, her fury tangible as her mind reaches out to find you. Her shriek of rage as she’s shut out by the powerful wards of Gravenhollow echoes in your mind as the vision is suddenly torn away to darkness.
Your eyes clear, and you are back with Urmas, who, against their suggestion to the contrary earlier, has stopped to stare at the four of you. "There is another here, not an echo, who you should meet. When you leave this place, you will find him," says Urmas, who then returns to their work.
After the second round of visions, Brox just feels deflated and powerless. She struggles to see the next step, the path her party needs to take to halt this destruction.
She knows, she is the light bringer, she cannot give up hope. But in this single moment, she doesn't carry the light, she doesn't see any hope.
Grimnir listen to his companion and the different visions. "Shuushar, he is alive... This is a glimpse of hope. But the other visions are terrifying. We need to focus on our task and find out how to close this rift between our realm and the Abyss"
He then continues: "Urmas, Keeper of the Present, can you tell us what and where is this machine made of metal and stone that I saw in my vision? Also is the wizard who created this rift still alive? He may know how to close it. If not, who would have enough arcane knowledge to help us close this rift? "
Grimnir listen to his companion and the different visions. "Shuushar, he is alive... This is a glimpse of hope. But the other visions are terrifying. We need to focus on our task and find out how to close this rift between our realm and the Abyss"
He then continues: "Urmas, Keeper of the Present, can you tell us what and where is this machine made of metal and stone that I saw in my vision? Also is the wizard who created this rift still alive? He may know how to close it. If not, who would have enough arcane knowledge to help us close this rift? "
Urmas continues to work, not looking away from the papers and writings they are filing, but they respond, "The machine of metal and stone lies even now at the center of the Labyrinth, far to the South. Be wary, for as we speak, two demon lords stalk each other throughout the maze. As to your other questions, seek the one I spoke of that you should meet, who currently studies the movements of the faerzress."
Sensing that the stone giant is busy with their present job, you decide to leave for now, and meet this person they seem so intent on you finding.
You make your way out of the library, winding down halls, until you eventually end up in a common area. There are comfortable chairs and couches spread around, with pillows and blankets. Several whispy figures sit quietly and read books, as galeb duhr bring them hot drinks and pastries. Not far from you are two figures that are not hazy in the slightest, indicating that rather than being echoes, these are two solid beings that are actually here in the present. When you enter in a short distance to the room, the two figures approach - one a withered drow clad in dark flowing robes, and the other a hulking gray-skinned monster resembling a spiky humanoid toad, its wide mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. The drow’s pinched and lined face speak to his great age, and his red eyes narrow and appraise you carefully as he approaches.
The drow elf introduces himself. "Ah, yes. Hello, my name is Vizeran Devir, and this is my bodyguard... Kleve."Vizeran indicates the humanoid toad next to him. "Pardon me for rushing up to you like this, it's just... well you're the first non echoes I've seen in weeks of being here, and I could really use some conversation that was rooted in the past or the future. Would you care to join me for a drink?" Vizeran turns and motions to a set of couches and lounges with short tables near them. "The attendants will bring you any drink you can think of. I don't know how they do it, but they obviously have a lot of reference material."He turns and goes to sit down on one of the lounges, while Kleve walks silently behind him, the bodyguard's eyes never diverting from staring at you.
"Tell me," Vizeran continues, "What brings you to Gravenhollow?"
Brox steels her muscles and wrinkles her brows. With a quick side-eye to Belwar, she steps forward.
"My name is Brox, we are trying to fight the demons that have started roaming the underdark. Do you know anything about this? Seeing as it was one of yours who unleashed them?"
Her blunt way, her overpowering presence, all meant to strike fear in this travellers heart. She ends her sentence with an orc-typical snarl, showing her tusks.
A slight smile crosses his lips for just a moment, and his eyes widen in delight. "Oh, the surface... well, you just became ten times more interesting. I am but a simple traveler, looking for knowledge. What passes for interesting on the surface world, friends?" says the figure, in a sickly sweet manner. He tosses the book he was glancing through to the nearest Galeb Duhr, and gives you his full attention.
You have. In fact, this is an echo of the demon lord, Graz'zt. And it's a good thing it's just an echo, or else just being in his presence would have severe madness inducing properties.
You know Graz'zt to be the embodiment of evil within beauty. His followers tend to be indulgent and hedonistic, but ultimately go mad under the demon lord's influence.
Oorr History check: 21
Oorr, you can tell this is a powerful being, and possibly a demon lord, though you can't name him just from memory. Belwar seems to recognize him though.
As you examine the echo, flits of shadow and light pass through the figure, and you seem to understand that what you are viewing is an echo of the past.
Grimnir feels no danger coming from this very charismatic person and continues to discuss. "On the surface, not much to my knowledge. Nothing compare to what is happening in the Underdark. Where are you coming from ?"
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
History Brox 19
Brox, what you see before you appears to be a beautiful being, but it almost makes you sick to look at him. You don't know who he his, nor have you ever learned of anything like him, but something about the figure doesn't sit right with you. You also note this as an echo from the past, but can't recall having ever encountered such a creature before.
The man smirks. "Oh, I'm from far away. Taking a bit of an unscheduled detour as it were." He begins to thumb through another book. You note on the spine it reads Races of the Underdark and Their Weaknesses. "I'm sure there must be something of interest about the surface you can tell me. Perhaps..." but he breaks off as his eyes read something in the book. His smirk widens into a glowing grin. "Ah, yes, this will do nicely. Sorry friends, but I must be off. Can't let an opportunity go to waste. Maybe we'll run into each other again soon..." and the figure vanishes in mix of light and shadow.
Grimnir is curious about this figure and quite anxious by the title of the book. "Strange lad, this one"
He calls upon a Galeb Duhr and asks: " Say, could you give me the book that this 6 fingers gentleman was reading, the title was "Races of the Underdark and Their Weaknesses.". Do you know which information he found ? or which page was he reading ?"
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
The Galeb Duhr retrieves the book, and flips it open to the last place the figure was browsing. It seems to be a long chapter on the history of the interconnections of the Derro and the Duergar within Gracklstugh. It starts with their introduction to each other, and then the continual confrontations. It ends with the efforts of a group of adventurers to disrupt a renegade sect of the Council of Savants efforts to summon demons, and then subsequently unearthing a dragon egg.
"hummmm, this is weird... this is us !"
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Brox looks at Grimnir in confusion. "What do you mean, This is us? Please explain!"
Then Brox starts to look around the books more worried. "Maybe our actions had consequences. We should try and find out more about how we influenced this chaos, even if unwillingly."
Pondering how the echo of Graz'zt and the book he's reading might affect you, you push on towards the Halls of the Present. You pass under a door with an inscription above it in Dwarvish.
Inside the room, you find stacks and stacks of books, scrolls, and tablets. You also see Galeb Duhr hastily writing things down in tablets on desks and tables. In the center of the tables is a stone giant, presumably Urmas, Keeper of the Present. You see them snatching papers out of the air, reading them, and then sending the papers flying towards the tables, where the Galeb Duhr then transcribe them to more permanent forms.
You approach the giant, and they give the slightest nod as you approach. "Forgive me, travelers, for my work cannot be interrupted, lest the news of the present not be passed into record. I see you have a stonespeaker crystal already. Focus on it, and you will receive your visions of the current times. Should you have questions, you are free to ask, but I will continue to work," says Urmas. You gather around the crystal in Belwar's posession, and similar to the visions of the past, you see images play out before each of you individually.
Belwar, you receive a vision of familiar figures in a place you have visited:
The derro of Gracklstugh create more chaos in the city of the duergar.
Brox, you learn more of another demon lord that was loosed on the Underdark. One you have not known of before now.
Grimnir, you see a familiar face, awash in a sea of chaos.
Oorr, your vision speaks to the dark elves, and the dark goddess they follow.
Your eyes clear, and you are back with Urmas, who, against their suggestion to the contrary earlier, has stopped to stare at the four of you. "There is another here, not an echo, who you should meet. When you leave this place, you will find him," says Urmas, who then returns to their work.
"These visions are... unfeathering, to say the least. I wonder who is this other guest."
After the second round of visions, Brox just feels deflated and powerless. She struggles to see the next step, the path her party needs to take to halt this destruction.
She knows, she is the light bringer, she cannot give up hope. But in this single moment, she doesn't carry the light, she doesn't see any hope.
Grimnir listen to his companion and the different visions. "Shuushar, he is alive... This is a glimpse of hope. But the other visions are terrifying. We need to focus on our task and find out how to close this rift between our realm and the Abyss"
He then continues: "Urmas, Keeper of the Present, can you tell us what and where is this machine made of metal and stone that I saw in my vision? Also is the wizard who created this rift still alive? He may know how to close it. If not, who would have enough arcane knowledge to help us close this rift? "
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Urmas continues to work, not looking away from the papers and writings they are filing, but they respond, "The machine of metal and stone lies even now at the center of the Labyrinth, far to the South. Be wary, for as we speak, two demon lords stalk each other throughout the maze. As to your other questions, seek the one I spoke of that you should meet, who currently studies the movements of the faerzress."
"Very well, let's find this person then..."
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Sensing that the stone giant is busy with their present job, you decide to leave for now, and meet this person they seem so intent on you finding.
You make your way out of the library, winding down halls, until you eventually end up in a common area. There are comfortable chairs and couches spread around, with pillows and blankets. Several whispy figures sit quietly and read books, as galeb duhr bring them hot drinks and pastries. Not far from you are two figures that are not hazy in the slightest, indicating that rather than being echoes, these are two solid beings that are actually here in the present. When you enter in a short distance to the room, the two figures approach - one a withered drow clad in dark flowing robes, and the other a hulking gray-skinned monster resembling a spiky humanoid toad, its wide mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. The drow’s pinched and lined face speak to his great age, and his red eyes narrow and appraise you carefully as he approaches.
The drow elf introduces himself. "Ah, yes. Hello, my name is Vizeran Devir, and this is my bodyguard... Kleve." Vizeran indicates the humanoid toad next to him. "Pardon me for rushing up to you like this, it's just... well you're the first non echoes I've seen in weeks of being here, and I could really use some conversation that was rooted in the past or the future. Would you care to join me for a drink?" Vizeran turns and motions to a set of couches and lounges with short tables near them. "The attendants will bring you any drink you can think of. I don't know how they do it, but they obviously have a lot of reference material." He turns and goes to sit down on one of the lounges, while Kleve walks silently behind him, the bodyguard's eyes never diverting from staring at you.
"Tell me," Vizeran continues, "What brings you to Gravenhollow?"
Brox steels her muscles and wrinkles her brows. With a quick side-eye to Belwar, she steps forward.
"My name is Brox, we are trying to fight the demons that have started roaming the underdark. Do you know anything about this? Seeing as it was one of yours who unleashed them?"
Her blunt way, her overpowering presence, all meant to strike fear in this travellers heart. She ends her sentence with an orc-typical snarl, showing her tusks.