Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Meandering in behind everyone else, Nova eyes the bell KD muses about. Lost in thought, she bumps into the artificer when she stops abruptly upon noticing something with the altar. Her eyes go wide in surprise when she reaches out and stops Fae. Nova steps back to chill out in the doorway. However, it doesn't stop her from craning her neck to see what all the fuss was about.
When KD's hand touches Fae, the wizard goes rigid and turns so abruptly to stare at the woman who dares to try to get ahead of her to the altar, her hood falls back. KD is met with a stare so intense. No longer hiding in the shadows of her hood, Fae's pupils were like glass orbs so dark, so black, so void of colour... It was like getting lost in the depths of a cosmos in search of any shred of light. Then a flicker amongst the surface, KD was staring at her reflection through Fae's eyes. There was a sense of vulnerability like her mind could be poked and probed if prompted.
Let's take a breath and make sure you aren't taking a step you regret.
Fae let's go of her tongue she didn't realize she had been biting. She pauses, and breathes. The darkness in her eyes fade away like ink pulling away from a page. The wizard's vibrant purple hued irises return. She blinks and she starts to hear Hamish chatter along. Her whole body releases tension as she gives her head a shake. "I'm sorry..." Fae steps aside, but not away.
Inhaling another new breath, the wizard does her best to answer Hamish's question. "Some serve him, some study his magics, some are born with it..." She stares down at the base of the altar while KD moves in to complete her inspection. "As for me," Fae shifts her weight and clears her throat. "As I learned I was born with magic," She gestures with her hands, indicating her scars she had shared before. "Divination manifested with it." She glances up with clear vibrant eyes. "That's why my eyes go black..." Fae exhales as she admits these facts. "Therefore, I study to gain knowledge; to learn what's within my control, and what's not; what it means to do, and don't; and if I do, or if I do not..." Having come to suspect that she comes from a line of powerful divination wizards, there was responsibility in what that could mean for her, her abilities and her responsibilities. But right now, all she could think about is the one person that made her feel safe... She looks back to the alter.
During the conversation, KD comes to notice that the altar has stone rollers built into it and can be pushed 3 feet to the south.
just an unstable unicorn.
KD listens to Fae, though her eyes don’t leave the shrine. She looks at the mechanism and tries to puzzle out how it works. She also looks in the dust on the floor - does it seem like the shrine has rolled at all recently?
Investigation: 10
Onu, still lingering between the entrance and the altar looks back over his shoulder as KD begins examining the mechanism 'Do you need Help with that my friend?'
Hamish casts Guidance on KD
Everything seems to be completely untouched since demise of the four humanoid skeletons, besides Fae’s entrance.
just an unstable unicorn.
KD reluctantly, and then eagerly, accepts Onu's help and then Hamish's guidance.
Investigation: 10 plus 4
Everything still seems to be completely untouched since demise of the four humanoid skeletons, besides Fae’s entrance.
just an unstable unicorn.
KD looks to Fae. "Up to you. Should we try to see what happens if we move the shrine off those rollers? We can try, Hal can help. If you want. We could also look to see what those priests were carrying, if they still have any clues on them. This is your domain. That thing in the bell tower still has my hackles up but maybe I'm being paranoid."
She kneels down by the nearest skeleton to see if she can tell what killed it, and also look through remains to see if it's been looted already, if there are any clues or items left over.
Investigation (assuming help and guidance, and assuming I need to roll again): 24 plus 4
But she defers to Fae here.
"I'm here for this." Fae gestures to the altar. "Nothing else." Her eyes fall over it. "They perished seeking refuge here, defending knowledge, and protecting this sacred altar." She says as KD inspects the bodies of the fallen.
It's true. It looks as though the priests were almost defenseless, cut down by great axes. Orcs. Like the raid Fae spot of prior.
The wizard steps forward. "Perhaps there's simply something under it." She reaches her hand out. After a brief almost shaky pause, she finally had come to this moment... Fae places her palms upon the altar with the intention of pushing.
Upon contact with the altar Fae's eyes cloud over black. A soft gasp escapes her, and she goes rigid, unmoving.
(Fae's incapacitated for 1 minute.)
(Setting up for longer posts for an RP dump on the weekend. Please feel free to post if your characters react/do anything before then so I can incorporate things for them too :) )
just an unstable unicorn.
KD looks up in the belfry to see if anything's moving or plummeting. If so, she and Hal try to pull Fae out of the way. If not, she pauses, not sure how the caster's mystery worked. She says, "Fae, are you hurt? Can you hear me?"
Onu pulls his blade free from its scabbard, but otherwise holds his position, his head swiveling and drinking in the situation.
'KD, be a dear and see if we can get her unhooked from that thing, I've got a bad feeling that we're in over our heads...'
Hamish is scared and hurries over to Fae and lays his hands on her. He casts Protection from Evil and Good
"H-Hold on Fae. We've got you. Please come back to us."
KD looks up. Nothing's moving, nothing's falling, nothing's changed. Looking behind her, Nova stands there attentively in the doorway. She gives an enthusiastic wave and smile. All is quiet with the exception of KD and her companions.
Onu stands en guard while KD, Hal and Hamish move in to Fae's side. The artificer and her loyal defender try to pull the wizard away while the cleric places his hands on her to ward her from evils that exist. Should anyone try to pry Fae's fingers from the alter and/or come into contact with it...
KD
(KD becomes incapacitated for 1 minute.)
KD's senses fall away as she blinks. She begins to feel light as a feather, buzzing with a magical sensation, like slipping into a dream. She comes to realize she's floating. Up and up she goes, from the altar room up through the roof and over Savras Shrine. Further and further she goes, she now has a full birds eye view of the grounds. Clear of threats thanks to her and her companions, she dives down and soars. Directly south, not wavering east or west. She soars over the rolling hill tops, free as can be.
The sword mountains grow into view, it's highest peak just off to her right. It was breathtaking. Then things grew darker, ever so cold the closer she got, and faster she went. The wind whips by and unable to slow down, she dives for a stone fortress perched on the icy northeast spur of that very peak. Up atop the roof of that very fortress, a dragon with sleek profile, a spined crest and glistening pure white scales stained in blood, sleeps. There's an axe embedded in it's back.
Then, KD feels a sudden loss of her 'flight'. She 'falls' out of the sky, back into her body.
(This was a vision presented to KD via the divination shrines altar, an experience similar to a dream.)
Hamish
(Hamish becomes incapacitated for 1 minute.)
Hamish's senses fall away as he blinks. He begins to feel heavy like his body is reminding him how exhausted he is, how much he's been stressing himself to the point of almost quickening his condition. Anxiety also plagued him. While buzzing with his fears, there was this magical sensation that rests over him like a weighted blanket tucking him in and coaxing him into a dream.
Then it all falls away. Blinking awake like he just woke from a refreshing nap, Hamish felt a sense of renewal, a blessing from his god. There was calm. There was purpose. There was, hope. There was a plan and he knew what he needed to do to clear himself of his curse before it consumed him entirely. He would be free.
Then suddenly, he had the sense he was falling.
(This was a vision presented to Hamish via the divination shrines altar, an experience similar to a dream.)
Those coming to look at her hands notice that Fae's not necessarily stuck. She was holding on tight, refusing to let go, resisting as if an outside force was trying to pull her away from something, something she wanted to see. Something she needed to see. Blackened glossy pupils darted side to side like she was seeing things. A tear drips down her cheek. "No..."
Fae's Vision
"Thrice-Cursed."
Back straight, legs folded under them, a massive hulking frame with pale-grey skin, bastard wings and stunted horns raises to his feet from a signature meditative state. "Yes, Mistress." Coming up to his full height, the tiefling slips off his hood, shrugs his shield from it's shoulder mount down into position on his fist and draws his weapon - shaking out a heavy chopping blade into a full-sized pole arm-like weapon. He stands at attention.
A woman with short blonde hair in a dark green gown and a plunging neckline enters. She encircles the guardian, her boots quietly carrying her along the soft ground as she runs her hands along his muscled frame and leans in. "I need you." Words smooth as silk pour from her mouth. "Our rival is weak," She walks her nails along his body, "And needs to be protected." Reaching his chin, she pets it. "We need him alive to keep authority busy. Go to the Fortress and protect his layer. Kill any one who dares."
"As you wish."
All begins to pull away... They weren't talking in front of a bricked building... Those were scales. Green ones. And for sure that's... But no matter how hard Fae tried to hang on... To stay... Just a little longer...
(This was a vision presented to Fae via the divination shrines altar, an experience similar to a dream.)
"Please... I miss h..." Fae's tugged out of her vision.
All three, KD, Hamish and Fae, all tumble back onto the ground at Onu's feet and the altar rolls away revealing an unlocked wooden coffer tucked inside a 1-foot-square cavity in the floor.
just an unstable unicorn.
Onu looks down as his three companions land at his feet 'Well then, you all look like you've seen' he cuts himself off mid-quip after locking eyes with KD and sees the pallor of their skin and the shock in their eyes. Dropping to his knee he reaches out a hand to pull KD back to her feet before turning his attention to Fae to make sure she's ok as well.
Hamish takes a stretch as if waking up from a nap, "Whew, that was great! I could get used to that feeling. It's all going to be fine." He looks at Fae and sees that she looks troubled. "It's clear to me that you did not have the same experience I did. Do you want to talk about it?"
KD didn’t even mean to touch the altar. But her fingers slip and she freezes for a minute, mind elsewhere. Then her eyes dart open, she looks around to orient herself and ensure her people are okay. She says, “Dragon. White dragon. Sleeping, in a keep in the Sword Mountains. Someone shoved an axe in its back. Maybe it’s the same dragon we keep hearing about. What does it mean, Fae?”
She gives Onu an “I’m okay” look and a “trouble is coming” look at the same time.
Fae holds her head as she gets up, head throbbing. Once on her feet, the softest single sniffle comes from her as she wipes her cheeks with her sleeves. Taking a deep cleansing breath the wizard corrects her posture and finally lifts her head. Violet eyes fall over the group looking to her as she tries to maintain a brave visage. She swallows a lump in her throat.
After a couple attempts, Fae reaches for her journal and opens it. She starts focusing her racing mind by beginning to sketch what she heard KD describe. Once she was in a flow, she could speak. “The visions were unique. A guide or a warning.” The divination wizard continues. “The dragon is a known threat.” Glancing up, her eyes meet KD. “Now you know where he lays, and that he’s weakened.” Then she glances down back to her page and begins to solemnly sketch a winged muscular figure walking up towards the dragon. “And he’s been assigned a guardian.” She adds.
just an unstable unicorn.
KD sits down right next to Fae and helps with the drawing, offering suggestions and additions to get everything she saw in the vision right, down to the last detail. She knows that it will remain in her head for a month or more, but she wants to help Fae get a handle on it and perhaps help the arcanist draw out more detail from her own vision.
She will look around for traps around and in the coffer and, fingers tingling, will try opening it if it seems safe.
Investigation: 19
Her eyes keep darting up to the belfry, and if Hal can manage a way to climb up to take a look himself, she'll encourage him to do that.
Onu reaches over to Help steady KD's trembling hands, holding back the edges of the coffer to give clear access to the space.
He whispers to her as he leans over 'A dragon? How are we supposed to confront a dragon?'
KD is very accepting of help, and calms herself with a steadying breath after Onu intercedes.
Investigation help roll: 18
"It would be a problem like any other problem. Just bigger. We'd find out what we could. You know, case the place. From very far away, hopefully. We'd look for vulnerabilities. You know, soft spots. We'd note any hard assets to neutralize. You know, the old Distractify, or the Pied Piper. We'd check out any remaining defenses and disable what we could. You know, cut the tripwire. Then, I don't know, we'd pretend to be heroes for one day?" KD says to her friend. She sighs. "My past is getting harder to outrun. You're supposed to keep me dishonest." A small smile.
Something occurs to her. "Fae, or Nova, is there supposed to be some answer for Hamish's... condition? Should he try to touch the altar and maybe learn something about what to do?"
It's been a very long day. She's not even trying to get up -- she's exhausted and could fall asleep seated on the floor, but her mind is active and busy for the moment.
On her to do list:
-Search the coffer
-Check out belfry to find out what's really up there
-Search the grounds (including the bodies of the orcs and ogres and any stashes of items they may have hidden away, and any sign of what they were doing here)
-Rest
-Eat
-Learn more about the altar and shrine, and anything Fae might know
-Learn about what Hamish needs to get better
-Try to piece together the bits and bobs they've learned about this dragon (Fae seems to know a lot. They've had little crumbs here and there as they've taken on jobs in the area, and some of them relate to the dragon.)
-Learn more about her craft, to be able to protect herself and her people more