Bigar takes Utar's hand and rises. "I almost died here today... There is much I still need to learn. Natural talent is not enough when you dance with the Weave." He'll survive just fine, but the greenling is burnt and weak.
Rag gives Graxx the stink eye as the tribesman tries to clean himself. His next comment is one that invokes sportsmanship rather than a grudge: "You took my kill."
While Doozey takes brief respite after stabilizing Elisande and refuses any healing of the girl's wounds for now, Neya calls the group's attention to the boiling cauldron. Dornal shares a suggestion in response to the monk's concern: "Perhaps Thokk here can help you flip the whole thing over. I doubt these grounds can get any more cursed than they already are."Holding his head in pain and turning to Utar, the dwarf changes subjects: "Speaking of curses, that cold-loving hag got something in my head. Any chance you have a remedy for that... Arrhhh!"
A moment passes and Doozey feels ready to attempt the next step of his plan regarding Elisande. The ranger lays out a few instructions and, secret clan concoction in hand, makes sure the teenager imbibes a healthy amount of it. There is no ceremony to it. Whatever magic or alchemy goes in preparing the specialized potion is something Doozey has never shared and is only manufactured in solitude. Surely there is a lot more to it than just drinking a potion, but those standing around can't be sure the girl won't start growing fur out of her ears and become a werebadger herself. Furthermore, no one, not even Doozey, knows how its magics may react to powerful fiendish and/or fey-ish transformation the hags forced the girl through.
Then, the reaction begins. Elisande is still lying down on the ground, her head gently propped up by the stoutling. However, the air around her is all but peaceful. Swirling strands of pure magic surround the entire party from one moment to the next. "The Weave!" Bigar exclaims "It is making itself visible. It is responding in a chaotic manner." He looks concerned. "Quick. Everyone! Find cover and ..." The greenling is interrupted by a blast of magical essence. The magic within the girl reacted to the hunter's potion, causing some sort of chain reaction with the magical veil the hags had in place in the village... no, the entire islet. There is no escaping it.
Everyone is forced to the ground in a sudden flash of swirling purple and cyan energy. The wild strands of the Weave try to find the path of least resistance in regaining their balance, and most of the released energy finds this path to be Elisande herself, but not all of it. No new pains are felt or wounds acquired, but something awakens inside everyone still alive in the village. Their innate powers, be it their understanding of magic or natural prowess, is suddenly and permanently enhanced. Whether CRAP knew it or not, saving Elisande meant taking in some of the power injected into her onto themselves. Thankfully, that power was no longer entirely tainted by the hag's foul influence, although that is unlikely to hold in Elisande's case. She was too far gone to be completely cleansed.
Your people have extraordinary luck, which you have learned to mystically lend to your companions when you see them falter. You’re not sure how you do it; you just wish it, and it happens. Surely a sign of fortune’s favor! When an ally you can see within 30 feet of you rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to let the ally reroll the die. The ally must use the new roll.
When you use this ability, you can’t use your Lucky racial trait before the end of your next turn.
Fortune favors you when someone tries to strike you. You gain the following benefits:
Increase your Dexterity, Constitution, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
When a creature you can see hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to force that creature to reroll. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you roll initiative at the start of combat or until you finish a short or long rest.
When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.
If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).
You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:
You gain one skill proficiency of your choice, one tool proficiency of your choice, and fluency in one language of your choice.
Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn’t already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.
You are exceptionally speedy and agile. You gain the following benefits:
Your speed increases by 10 feet.
When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement on that turn.
When you make a melee attack against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.
You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:
You gain one skill proficiency of your choice, one tool proficiency of your choice, and fluency in one language of your choice.
Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn’t already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.
Your exposure to the Shadowfell’s magic has changed you, granting you the following benefits:
Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You learn the invisibility spell and one 1st-level spell of your choice. The 1st-level spell must be from the illusion or necromancy school of magic. You can cast each of these spells without expending a spell slot. Once you cast either of these spells in this way, you can’t cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. The spells’ spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.
Your inner fury burns tirelessly. You gain the following benefits:
Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
When you hit with an attack using a simple or martial weapon, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time and add it as extra damage of the weapon’s damage type. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Immediately after you use your Relentless Endurance trait, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack.
You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:
You gain one skill proficiency of your choice, one tool proficiency of your choice, and fluency in one language of your choice.
Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn’t already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.
As mesmerized as he'd been confused at the development, Bigar's words fell on deaf ears in the case of the halfling well before the world abruptly decided to turn topsy turvy and nearly blinding all at once. But as things begun to settle once more, Doozey gradually crawled up onto his knees and then to his feet, rubbing at his eyes.
"Okay... That's... That wasn't expected. Freaking Mudbloods and their con-...." He pauses staring at his gauntleted hands in confusion. "Great. Now I'm seeing double." He further complained. Those looking at Doozey see little outward change in the stoutling until meeting his eyes directly. At which point they could swear there was a faint flicker of light across the eyes before the iris of the left one turned a faintly luminescent steel grey.
"Ah, good. That settled quick at least. Everyone alright? Bit of a surprise there wasn't it?"He jests half-heartedly before his attention shifts immediately back to Elisande with worried look about the visage.
After the blast of magic, Neya feels her head buzzing, causing some slight dizziness. Was it pain? No, it doesn't seem like it it.
It actually seems like her senses have been more finely tuned, but not like last time. It's more like a greater general awareness.
Opening her eyes while standing up, she notices something. Parts of her body and clothing are either changing colors or going in or out of sight in random places. After a moment of panic, thinking that whatever strange magic that was within Elisande and Doozey's potion may have corrupted her in some way, she calms down some to try steady her mind. With that, the strange effect ends.
"That was peculiar..." she makes a mental note, aloud.
She didn't receive any sort of physical change. But that's not to say explosion did nothing to her, as her shadow is noticeably darker than anyone's.
"All of my parts are where they're supposed to be." She says after appraising herself.
Gripping his trident and looking at his closed hand, Thokk nods at Graxx and responds in a similar tone as the tribesman: "And I fell stronger than I did a moment ago... an unexpected blessing from a strange source, it seems."
Dornal is still waiting on Utar to help him with the massive cursed headache he got from Exirsa, and has not had a chance to check himself for new powers. He reaches for Neya, thinking she is Utar in his confusion.
Rag looks at Graxx, giving him the stink-eye: "You took my kill". The roguish halfling does not seem to realized he is repeating himself.
Bigar dusts himself off and begins to speak, though the words come out in languages he has not spoken before. In fact, Doozey remembers trying a couple of them earlier and receiving no response from the greenling.
In Draconic:
"I feel mentally sharper... Wait, what is this language I am uttering?"
In Sylvain:
"Strange, the damage to the Weave around this village must have awakened abilities within us..... wait, I am now speaking another language entirely."
In Halfling:
"This can come in handy, but will there be any costs to pay later?"
Elisande is still unconscious and just as damaged as she was before the flash of magical power. She is battered and bruised, cut and bleeding, but still medically stable.
Utar picks himself up from the ground, then looks to Bigar, following the first part of his speech but losing his way with the rest. Opening his own mouth to speak, a stream of oddly melodic notes spill forward. Alien and strangely off kilter words pour out of the half-orc.
In Celestial:
"Uh, that first part is definitely Draconic, Bigar. No idea about the rest. Dornal, I will see to that curse personally, but maybe once we're back in Phlan? I'm don't know about the rest of you but, I'm spent. Any ideas what just happened there?"
Looking at the faces of the rest of CRAP+, Utar coughs and follows up in Common, "Uh, what happened to us?"
Doozey starts to answer Graxx, only to hesitate briefly at Rag's assertions and let out a hoarse chuckle. Though if this draws his fellow halfling's attention, he'd wince a bit, before then smiling more apologetically. "There'll be plenty of other hunts, Mr. Rag. No need to get too hung up on one."He further assures before with a twitch of the ears being drawn to Bigar's plight.
"No. Or at the very least I doubt it, Mr. Bigar. That tithe was paid in the backlash that, uh... frankly we're lucky to have survived."He explained. As his eyes drifts over to Dornal and Utar, the halfling appears momentarily startled at something, and then squinted for a moment before quickly rubs at his eyes. For unbeknownst to all save himself, there had appeared to be two Utar standing in roughly the same place, though one was more translucent at the other.
And while the solid one seemed more frustrated over something, the other appeared almost... self-assured? Excited? It was hard to make out, thus prompting him to squint more at the version with a thoughtless wish to see Utar well. Then just like that, the translucent one became solid and the former solid one... vanished before his eyes!
--> Using Bountiful Luck so Utar can re-roll that one. (@MB: Way to give me a chance to use that feat already! xD)
By the time he finishes rubbing his eyes, the luminescent band of grey in the one eye had grown dull and faded for a few seconds before returning to the new normal. "Uh.. *ahem*.. Mr. Utar. If you could help Mr. Dornal? It seems whatever the hag did was a deeper curse than expected." He requests, subconsciously rubbing at his own still inflamed neck. "Oh, and, uh, sorry, Mr. Graxx. Uhmm... I... It seemed to have worked. Mostly. So, you can bring her around. Just, uhm... I-It'll be fine. It'll be fine. She might be a bit disoriented, but uhm... yea. It'll be fine."He assured, yet it wouldn't take much insight to grasp some clear uncertainty from the halfling.
"Thanks for weakening the fiend for me Rag. You can have the next one. I'm just glad it did not kill me or you..." says Graxx with a smile as he begins to feel the pain from his injuries now that his rage has subsided.
Graxx nods to Doozey.
"Let's see if I can bring her around."
Graxx will use 5 Health Points of Lay on Hands on Elisande. He will kneel down next to her and place his hands gently on both her shoulders.
Rag frowns in response to Graxx and then looks at Doozey but does not share in his fellow halfling's chuckle. Instead, he only says: "More hunts? As long as you pay..." Doozey then turns to address Bigar, who tilts his head to one side as to say "maybe..." in response to the stoutling's comment.
All faces turn to Utar as he, too, speaks in a new tongue, and this one no one but the Tormite understands. Doozey and Utar talk about addressing Dornal's curse but don't arrive at an agreement on how or when for now, maybe because the cleric is speaking in a different language. Utar then turn in thought, trying to understand what has happened to CRAP+. Doozey sees him struggle at first. Everyone else only sees a pensive half-orc muttering to himself.
@Utar:
Arcana-wise, you are convinced that Bigar's warning during the magical event is probably right. A conjunction of strong magical powers disturbed the Weave enough for it to lash out in search of its equilibrium. Chaotic strands of magic detached from the source, that is, Elisande, and searched for new paths to ground themselves. These paths of least resistance were the other living and conscious beings near Elisande. Most of the disrupted magical force still returned to the girl, though. You wouldn't be surprised if she has managed to maintain some of the power the transformation had granted her.
Religion-wise, there is little to add. That said, you fear that the worship-like behavior the hags received in this village might have had something to do with how their vile magic within Elisande reacted to the invading magic of Doozey's concoction. They are dead, you are certain, but their presence is not 100% gone. You just feel it so. You may want to talk to Elisande about this whenever the girl wakes up.
The conversation shifts toward Elisande's state, with Graxx agreeing to jolt some life back into the girl. One of Tempus' mandates are to treat those who fought bravely, so the girl receives some of his light through Graxx's hands. The girl blinks awake a moment later and asks for her blind goat friend. She finds the half-skull nearby and hugs it, as if the animal was alive and whole. Only then she turns to the group: "Outsiders... Watch'ye doin' 'ere?"
Doozey blinks owlishly at the girl, then looks back and forth between her and Graxx a couple of times. "Uhm..."He scratches the side of his cheek. "You... don't remember what happened? Anything?"The question is accompanied by a searching and concerned look as he, more or less, tried to get a better feel for her true emotional state of being.
"Or perhaps better yet, uhm... what is the last thing you remember?"He asks as well. If ever her attention starts shifting to many a corpses or guts about, Doozey immediately goes to put both hands at her cheeks and keep her eyes on him.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Taking Dornal to one side, Utar begins a process of assessment with the dwarf, trying to ascertain the cause of the curse afflicting him and whether he might be able to at least offer respite.
(OOC Assuming that some kind of check is needed here and have taken a shot. Utar will upcast dispel magic at fourth level if he thinks it will help Dornal.)
Neya is curious about the (formerly) flying heads of the (former) villagers, especially with their strange obsession with kissing. She goes over to investigate their remains to try to discern what exactly they were.
General Int roll: 13 (if Religion applies, it becomes 17)
"I remember bits 'n pieces."Elisande responds. "Comin' back to de village, large pot of stew, dancin' 'n chantin'." She looks up as if trying to recall more details. "Nah... dat's 'bout it."She seems unfazed by all the gore about the village. "Where's evryun? Wait, 're ye finally takin' me to the big town?"
As Graxx turns away from the girl, he catches Bigar's gaze: "I hope we don't have to spend the night here."
@Doozey:
The girl is clearly changed. She still has that innocence and curiosity she displayed back when you first met her but her memory bank is missing quite a few of the recent events. You wouldn't necessarily expect her to remember much of her time with Derannos, as the dragon mentioned keeping her mostly asleep, but other more traumatic events seem to be repressed. She grew up in an environment that normalized gore but, even taking that in consideration, she seems even more unfazed by it now, even going as far as hugging the dead head of the blind goat, which she is still doing. The dark flowers and thorns are still wrapped deeply around her arms and her fingers are frostbitten.
All of that said, she seems still interest to leave the village for the big city, which you recall being her original goal back when you first met her. Something has changed inside her, and she may not be aware of it herself, but in a way, she remains the same girl.
@Neya:
Your gather the villagers had been transformed into fiendish versions of themselves, perhaps through dark rituals not dissimilar to the one the hags put Elisande through. Unlike the girl, however, the villagers were most likely cursed into their new forms. You guess that their 'kissing' was likely their way of transferring their curse to others. Speaking of which, Doozey's throat is still quite inflamed. He has not complained about it recently and, in fact, has not paid attention to it ever since Utar commanded his Driftglobe to emanate Daylight.
@Utar:
You put your hands around Dornal's head and close your eyes. You reach for the magical essence of the curse placed on the dwarf and determined that it is indeed connected to a spell cast on him. If it is a spell, you should be able to dispel it. That said, you can tell that the hex at play here is of a stronger nature than what you can discharge at the moment (that is, even with a 4th level Dispel Magic, you'd still have to roll to see if you succeed in doing away with the curse, as per the Dispel Magic's description.)
Having no other recourse at this precise moment, Utar attempts to offer what aid he can to Dornal. Reaching out to attempt to tap into Torm's power, Utar mouths a short prayer to himself and hopes that the power to help their ally is available to him.
Doozey's ears sort of twitch at Graxx's words. Rather than address the whispered commentary, he instead managed a weak smile and say to Elisande,"That we are, my dear. If all goes well at least. Might take us a bit of time as getting here was a bit of a venture itself. But rest assured that you'll be coming with us, and never have to step foot on this island again."He glances to the head of the hags. "Especially now that those cruel grandmother's aren't about to force ya back. For now though, think you can do me a favor?" From a side pouch Doozey produces a potion of healing and offers it to Elisande.
"Mind going over yonder and feeding this to the big snake over there. He's had a rough go of things." He gestures back to the still unconscious and once seemingly forgotten Peabody. Half hopeful as well that Elisande might stay distracted trying to play with Peabody as well, Doozey gives he rone last pat on the head before going over to investigate the remains/person of the hag, hoping to find a certain raven statue among them. "Hey Neya! Think you can get eyes on the boat from on high as well!"He'd call over his shoulder.
(OOC: Not sure if Investigation or perception would be more appropriate for searching the remains but here's a d20 roll where either a +4(inves) or +12 can be retroactively applied to)
Bigar takes Utar's hand and rises. "I almost died here today... There is much I still need to learn. Natural talent is not enough when you dance with the Weave." He'll survive just fine, but the greenling is burnt and weak.
Rag gives Graxx the stink eye as the tribesman tries to clean himself. His next comment is one that invokes sportsmanship rather than a grudge: "You took my kill."
While Doozey takes brief respite after stabilizing Elisande and refuses any healing of the girl's wounds for now, Neya calls the group's attention to the boiling cauldron. Dornal shares a suggestion in response to the monk's concern: "Perhaps Thokk here can help you flip the whole thing over. I doubt these grounds can get any more cursed than they already are." Holding his head in pain and turning to Utar, the dwarf changes subjects: "Speaking of curses, that cold-loving hag got something in my head. Any chance you have a remedy for that... Arrhhh!"
A moment passes and Doozey feels ready to attempt the next step of his plan regarding Elisande. The ranger lays out a few instructions and, secret clan concoction in hand, makes sure the teenager imbibes a healthy amount of it. There is no ceremony to it. Whatever magic or alchemy goes in preparing the specialized potion is something Doozey has never shared and is only manufactured in solitude. Surely there is a lot more to it than just drinking a potion, but those standing around can't be sure the girl won't start growing fur out of her ears and become a werebadger herself. Furthermore, no one, not even Doozey, knows how its magics may react to powerful fiendish and/or fey-ish transformation the hags forced the girl through.
Then, the reaction begins. Elisande is still lying down on the ground, her head gently propped up by the stoutling. However, the air around her is all but peaceful. Swirling strands of pure magic surround the entire party from one moment to the next. "The Weave!" Bigar exclaims "It is making itself visible. It is responding in a chaotic manner." He looks concerned. "Quick. Everyone! Find cover and ..." The greenling is interrupted by a blast of magical essence. The magic within the girl reacted to the hunter's potion, causing some sort of chain reaction with the magical veil the hags had in place in the village... no, the entire islet. There is no escaping it.
Everyone is forced to the ground in a sudden flash of swirling purple and cyan energy. The wild strands of the Weave try to find the path of least resistance in regaining their balance, and most of the released energy finds this path to be Elisande herself, but not all of it. No new pains are felt or wounds acquired, but something awakens inside everyone still alive in the village. Their innate powers, be it their understanding of magic or natural prowess, is suddenly and permanently enhanced. Whether CRAP knew it or not, saving Elisande meant taking in some of the power injected into her onto themselves. Thankfully, that power was no longer entirely tainted by the hag's foul influence, although that is unlikely to hold in Elisande's case. She was too far gone to be completely cleansed.
OOC POST
Each of you may choose one of the rewards in your specific section below.
DOOZEY:
Pick one of the following three Feats:
Bountiful Luck
Your people have extraordinary luck, which you have learned to mystically lend to your companions when you see them falter. You’re not sure how you do it; you just wish it, and it happens. Surely a sign of fortune’s favor! When an ally you can see within 30 feet of you rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to let the ally reroll the die. The ally must use the new roll.
When you use this ability, you can’t use your Lucky racial trait before the end of your next turn.
Second Chance
Fortune favors you when someone tries to strike you. You gain the following benefits:
Squat Nimbleness
You are uncommonly nimble for your race. You gain the following benefits:
GRAXX:
Pick one of the following three Feats:
Athlete
You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:
Charger
When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.
If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).
Prodigy
You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:
NEYA:
Pick one of the following three Feats:
Mobile
You are exceptionally speedy and agile. You gain the following benefits:
Prodigy
You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:
Shadow Touched
Your exposure to the Shadow
fell’smagic has changed you, granting you the following benefits:UTAR:
Pick one of the following three Feats:
Heavy Armor Master
You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:
Orcish Fury
Your inner fury burns tirelessly. You gain the following benefits:
Prodigy
You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:
As mesmerized as he'd been confused at the development, Bigar's words fell on deaf ears in the case of the halfling well before the world abruptly decided to turn topsy turvy and nearly blinding all at once. But as things begun to settle once more, Doozey gradually crawled up onto his knees and then to his feet, rubbing at his eyes.
"Okay... That's... That wasn't expected. Freaking Mudbloods and their con-...." He pauses staring at his gauntleted hands in confusion. "Great. Now I'm seeing double." He further complained. Those looking at Doozey see little outward change in the stoutling until meeting his eyes directly. At which point they could swear there was a faint flicker of light across the eyes before the iris of the left one turned a faintly luminescent steel grey.
"Ah, good. That settled quick at least. Everyone alright? Bit of a surprise there wasn't it?" He jests half-heartedly before his attention shifts immediately back to Elisande with worried look about the visage.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Graxx goes to rise up and realizes he jumps up much faster from the ground than expected.
"By Tempus..."
Graxx looks down at his hands.
"I feel... Faster..."
Graxx looks to the others.
"Do you all feel different as well?" asks Graxx.
Graxx looks to Elisande.
"Did it work?" a second question from Graxx comes forth.
After the blast of magic, Neya feels her head buzzing, causing some slight dizziness. Was it pain? No, it doesn't seem like it it.
It actually seems like her senses have been more finely tuned, but not like last time. It's more like a greater general awareness.
Opening her eyes while standing up, she notices something. Parts of her body and clothing are either changing colors or going in or out of sight in random places. After a moment of panic, thinking that whatever strange magic that was within Elisande and Doozey's potion may have corrupted her in some way, she calms down some to try steady her mind. With that, the strange effect ends.
"That was peculiar..." she makes a mental note, aloud.
She didn't receive any sort of physical change. But that's not to say explosion did nothing to her, as her shadow is noticeably darker than anyone's.
"All of my parts are where they're supposed to be." She says after appraising herself.
Extended Signature
Gripping his trident and looking at his closed hand, Thokk nods at Graxx and responds in a similar tone as the tribesman: "And I fell stronger than I did a moment ago... an unexpected blessing from a strange source, it seems."
Dornal is still waiting on Utar to help him with the massive cursed headache he got from Exirsa, and has not had a chance to check himself for new powers. He reaches for Neya, thinking she is Utar in his confusion.
Rag looks at Graxx, giving him the stink-eye: "You took my kill". The roguish halfling does not seem to realized he is repeating himself.
Bigar dusts himself off and begins to speak, though the words come out in languages he has not spoken before. In fact, Doozey remembers trying a couple of them earlier and receiving no response from the greenling.
In Draconic:
"I feel mentally sharper... Wait, what is this language I am uttering?"
In Sylvain:
"Strange, the damage to the Weave around this village must have awakened abilities within us..... wait, I am now speaking another language entirely."
In Halfling:
"This can come in handy, but will there be any costs to pay later?"
Elisande is still unconscious and just as damaged as she was before the flash of magical power. She is battered and bruised, cut and bleeding, but still medically stable.
Utar picks himself up from the ground, then looks to Bigar, following the first part of his speech but losing his way with the rest. Opening his own mouth to speak, a stream of oddly melodic notes spill forward. Alien and strangely off kilter words pour out of the half-orc.
In Celestial:
"Uh, that first part is definitely Draconic, Bigar. No idea about the rest. Dornal, I will see to that curse personally, but maybe once we're back in Phlan? I'm don't know about the rest of you but, I'm spent. Any ideas what just happened there?"
Looking at the faces of the rest of CRAP+, Utar coughs and follows up in Common, "Uh, what happened to us?"
Arcana - 7
Religion - 17
Doozey starts to answer Graxx, only to hesitate briefly at Rag's assertions and let out a hoarse chuckle. Though if this draws his fellow halfling's attention, he'd wince a bit, before then smiling more apologetically. "There'll be plenty of other hunts, Mr. Rag. No need to get too hung up on one." He further assures before with a twitch of the ears being drawn to Bigar's plight.
"No. Or at the very least I doubt it, Mr. Bigar. That tithe was paid in the backlash that, uh... frankly we're lucky to have survived." He explained. As his eyes drifts over to Dornal and Utar, the halfling appears momentarily startled at something, and then squinted for a moment before quickly rubs at his eyes. For unbeknownst to all save himself, there had appeared to be two Utar standing in roughly the same place, though one was more translucent at the other.
And while the solid one seemed more frustrated over something, the other appeared almost... self-assured? Excited? It was hard to make out, thus prompting him to squint more at the version with a thoughtless wish to see Utar well. Then just like that, the translucent one became solid and the former solid one... vanished before his eyes!
--> Using Bountiful Luck so Utar can re-roll that one.
(@MB: Way to give me a chance to use that feat already! xD)
By the time he finishes rubbing his eyes, the luminescent band of grey in the one eye had grown dull and faded for a few seconds before returning to the new normal. "Uh.. *ahem*.. Mr. Utar. If you could help Mr. Dornal? It seems whatever the hag did was a deeper curse than expected." He requests, subconsciously rubbing at his own still inflamed neck. "Oh, and, uh, sorry, Mr. Graxx. Uhmm... I... It seemed to have worked. Mostly. So, you can bring her around. Just, uhm... I-It'll be fine. It'll be fine. She might be a bit disoriented, but uhm... yea. It'll be fine." He assured, yet it wouldn't take much insight to grasp some clear uncertainty from the halfling.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
(OOC Re-rolled arcana - 20. Always going to be plenty of nat 1's with Utar around!)
Graxx lets out a sigh and looks to Rag.
"Thanks for weakening the fiend for me Rag. You can have the next one. I'm just glad it did not kill me or you..." says Graxx with a smile as he begins to feel the pain from his injuries now that his rage has subsided.
Graxx nods to Doozey.
"Let's see if I can bring her around."
Graxx will use 5 Health Points of Lay on Hands on Elisande. He will kneel down next to her and place his hands gently on both her shoulders.
"Tempus... Please heal her..." prays Graxx.
Rag frowns in response to Graxx and then looks at Doozey but does not share in his fellow halfling's chuckle. Instead, he only says: "More hunts? As long as you pay..." Doozey then turns to address Bigar, who tilts his head to one side as to say "maybe..." in response to the stoutling's comment.
All faces turn to Utar as he, too, speaks in a new tongue, and this one no one but the Tormite understands. Doozey and Utar talk about addressing Dornal's curse but don't arrive at an agreement on how or when for now, maybe because the cleric is speaking in a different language. Utar then turn in thought, trying to understand what has happened to CRAP+. Doozey sees him struggle at first. Everyone else only sees a pensive half-orc muttering to himself.
@Utar:
Arcana-wise, you are convinced that Bigar's warning during the magical event is probably right. A conjunction of strong magical powers disturbed the Weave enough for it to lash out in search of its equilibrium. Chaotic strands of magic detached from the source, that is, Elisande, and searched for new paths to ground themselves. These paths of least resistance were the other living and conscious beings near Elisande. Most of the disrupted magical force still returned to the girl, though. You wouldn't be surprised if she has managed to maintain some of the power the transformation had granted her.
Religion-wise, there is little to add. That said, you fear that the worship-like behavior the hags received in this village might have had something to do with how their vile magic within Elisande reacted to the invading magic of Doozey's concoction. They are dead, you are certain, but their presence is not 100% gone. You just feel it so. You may want to talk to Elisande about this whenever the girl wakes up.
The conversation shifts toward Elisande's state, with Graxx agreeing to jolt some life back into the girl. One of Tempus' mandates are to treat those who fought bravely, so the girl receives some of his light through Graxx's hands. The girl blinks awake a moment later and asks for her blind goat friend. She finds the half-skull nearby and hugs it, as if the animal was alive and whole. Only then she turns to the group: "Outsiders... Watch'ye doin' 'ere?"
Doozey blinks owlishly at the girl, then looks back and forth between her and Graxx a couple of times. "Uhm..." He scratches the side of his cheek. "You... don't remember what happened? Anything?" The question is accompanied by a searching and concerned look as he, more or less, tried to get a better feel for her true emotional state of being.
Insight: 26.
"Or perhaps better yet, uhm... what is the last thing you remember?" He asks as well. If ever her attention starts shifting to many a corpses or guts about, Doozey immediately goes to put both hands at her cheeks and keep her eyes on him.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Taking Dornal to one side, Utar begins a process of assessment with the dwarf, trying to ascertain the cause of the curse afflicting him and whether he might be able to at least offer respite.
Arcana - 17
(OOC Assuming that some kind of check is needed here and have taken a shot. Utar will upcast dispel magic at fourth level if he thinks it will help Dornal.)
Neya is curious about the (formerly) flying heads of the (former) villagers, especially with their strange obsession with kissing. She goes over to investigate their remains to try to discern what exactly they were.
General Int roll: 13 (if Religion applies, it becomes 17)
Extended Signature
Graxx puts his hand to his mouth and slowly steps away from Elisande.
"She doesn't remember..." says Graxx in a whisper to himself.
Graxx looks at the blinded goats half-skull and her embrace.
"Maybe it's for the best..." whispers Graxx again.
"I remember bits 'n pieces." Elisande responds. "Comin' back to de village, large pot of stew, dancin' 'n chantin'." She looks up as if trying to recall more details. "Nah... dat's 'bout it." She seems unfazed by all the gore about the village. "Where's evryun? Wait, 're ye finally takin' me to the big town?"
As Graxx turns away from the girl, he catches Bigar's gaze: "I hope we don't have to spend the night here."
@Doozey:
The girl is clearly changed. She still has that innocence and curiosity she displayed back when you first met her but her memory bank is missing quite a few of the recent events. You wouldn't necessarily expect her to remember much of her time with Derannos, as the dragon mentioned keeping her mostly asleep, but other more traumatic events seem to be repressed. She grew up in an environment that normalized gore but, even taking that in consideration, she seems even more unfazed by it now, even going as far as hugging the dead head of the blind goat, which she is still doing. The dark flowers and thorns are still wrapped deeply around her arms and her fingers are frostbitten.
All of that said, she seems still interest to leave the village for the big city, which you recall being her original goal back when you first met her. Something has changed inside her, and she may not be aware of it herself, but in a way, she remains the same girl.
@Neya:
Your gather the villagers had been transformed into fiendish versions of themselves, perhaps through dark rituals not dissimilar to the one the hags put Elisande through. Unlike the girl, however, the villagers were most likely cursed into their new forms. You guess that their 'kissing' was likely their way of transferring their curse to others. Speaking of which, Doozey's throat is still quite inflamed. He has not complained about it recently and, in fact, has not paid attention to it ever since Utar commanded his Driftglobe to emanate Daylight.
@Utar:
You put your hands around Dornal's head and close your eyes. You reach for the magical essence of the curse placed on the dwarf and determined that it is indeed connected to a spell cast on him. If it is a spell, you should be able to dispel it. That said, you can tell that the hex at play here is of a stronger nature than what you can discharge at the moment (that is, even with a 4th level Dispel Magic, you'd still have to roll to see if you succeed in doing away with the curse, as per the Dispel Magic's description.)
Having no other recourse at this precise moment, Utar attempts to offer what aid he can to Dornal. Reaching out to attempt to tap into Torm's power, Utar mouths a short prayer to himself and hopes that the power to help their ally is available to him.
Cast dispel magic at fourth level. Check = 8
Doozey's ears sort of twitch at Graxx's words. Rather than address the whispered commentary, he instead managed a weak smile and say to Elisande,"That we are, my dear. If all goes well at least. Might take us a bit of time as getting here was a bit of a venture itself. But rest assured that you'll be coming with us, and never have to step foot on this island again." He glances to the head of the hags. "Especially now that those cruel grandmother's aren't about to force ya back. For now though, think you can do me a favor?" From a side pouch Doozey produces a potion of healing and offers it to Elisande.
"Mind going over yonder and feeding this to the big snake over there. He's had a rough go of things." He gestures back to the still unconscious and once seemingly forgotten Peabody. Half hopeful as well that Elisande might stay distracted trying to play with Peabody as well, Doozey gives he rone last pat on the head before going over to investigate the remains/person of the hag, hoping to find a certain raven statue among them. "Hey Neya! Think you can get eyes on the boat from on high as well!" He'd call over his shoulder.
(OOC: Not sure if Investigation or perception would be more appropriate for searching the remains but here's a d20 roll where either a +4(inves) or +12 can be retroactively applied to)
Search: 3.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Concerned, but assured with the current circumstances, Neya replies to Doozey, "Of course, give me a moment."
She flies upwards until the surrounding waters of the island are visible and checks to see if their ride is still sailing nearby.
Perception (if needed): 7
Extended Signature
Graxx nods to Bigar.
"Same here, Bigar. I want to get back and off this creepy place in case there is any island magic left." says Graxx.
Graxx says a silent prayer to Tempus.
"Please let the ship still be here."