Pizazz's Beyond Annihilation

DC15 CON save: 17

As the group wake up, Mordekai pulls out his magical Tome. "Apologies, friends, I have within this Tome the potential to spare us from some harm." He looks meaningfully at Kari as he adds, "although it seems some of us already have that ability innate within them.  I have spent some considerable time working on and developing these pages' power, and..." Mordekai points out two particular almost-blank pages, "... these two pages offer power to those who write their own name upon them. This first page allows me to write a message that can be directly heard in the mind of someone whose name is written upon it. That person can reply in their heads and their words will momentarily appear here for me to read. It has come in useful before when my old friends and I got separated a couple of times." ((Far Scribe Eldritch Invocation))

"This second page, however, will momentarily spare someone from a life threatening wound. ((Gift of the Protectors Eldritch Invocation- the first time someone whose name is written on the page would drop to 0hp, they drop to 1hp instead)) I am sorry, I should really have done this before we got into trouble like that. Would you all like to sign the pages?"

Once that's done, Mordekai will rant on at length for 10 minutes about the power of friendship and unity and the importance of working together to overcome the greatest foes. At the end of his lengthy speech everyone gets 18 temporary hit points. 

Mal Con Save: 18

 As Mal signs the pages she says to Mordekai, "Do not worry about the lack of suggesting these tactics before," as she then glares at Zendrak, "the decision to plan and prepare our attack was taken from us by an over eager simpleton. Hopefully the next time we are in that situation our actions will be different."

Well, If you don't mind me signing both pages... You can't ever have enough protection. She pointedly looks only at the pages as she scratches out a 'K' in a very unpracticed hand and then swipes a dash after it on both pages. Still not looking at anyone after, she goes and sits down, pulling out some rations and eating them. What is the plan for today? go back and take a look at that sphere? Try and find that lady with the owl?

con save 22

Kurik stares Mordeki for a long while trying to sus out the intentions.  Deeming that there didn't appear to be any malice within his words, he simply nodded and move forward to sign.  When finished he asks in response to Kari, "Not sure, should keep looking for whatever was here to destroy the ring... or we hunt down the Frost Maiden or the lich?"

Zendrak glances at the other signing the page but does not move to sign it. In the icy cold of this place, essentially like living in an ice-box, you're all numb after 8 hours sleeping here. Even with furs and winter clothes its tough to keep heated. Unwilling to light a fire and cause any smoke, your rations would be likewise hard as rock and cold and miserable, but Mordekai is able to wave his hand and focus a bit of magic and your food seems to warm pleasantly. Judicious use of his magic also helps warm gloves, and bring some tingling sensation back into numb flesh. 

Zendrak: Con save DC 15: 6

(Unrelated to Con Saves:  The conditions here are extreme cold.  Kurik is bothered by it, but unharmed. Zendrak seems the same. Mal, thanks to the ring, feels very comfortable in this cold realm.  Mordekai and Kari though, unless you have a way to keep yourselves warm, you both acquire 1 level of exhaustion.) 

As you sit about in this cold locker of a room breaking fast and packing up your camp gear, Kurik suggests a path forward.  Zendrak immediately pipes up, "That Lich is of no concern to us. Nor, really, is this ice queen. Let the gods deal with their own issues. But, these Liches must be dealt with immediately. Let us fetch some of their bones from the room.  I will track them down and you can all make a real difference!  Then I will help you destroy this artifact later." 

Hate in her eyes as she looks at Zandrak, "As much as I do not want to agree with him, I do suggest we go back to the room and see what we can find. The ice ***** will find us eventually, especially since now she knows the ring is so close. Thankfully I think the ring can not be found magically as if it could, we would already be in trouble as she would appear in front of us and probably her goon giants as well. I am sure we will encounter the Thayan Lich again as well as they are probably looking for the same thing we are or at least magical secrets, so again our paths will cross. The Kenku probably made away with anything of significant importance from the Thayans unless the Ice ***** dealt with it from me frustrating her. So yea I think we should go back to that room to find out any information we can of this place and maybe it has a "You are Here" map and can show us where to go to get to the forge or whatever it is."

 Kari finishes knawing at her frozen breakfast and stands up, adjusting her coat around her to be as warm as possible. I guess we had better get going then. The less time we have to spend in this iced-in city the better!

With Kari and Mordekai looking particularly cold, but not enough to be exhausted thanks to frequent warming spells, the group stealthily departs their camp site and sneak back towards the central room.  You reach the force field protecting it.  Zendrak waves a hand and forms a sphere that is antithesis to all magic around him....and steps into the field to make a break large enough for everyone to traverse. That said, during your flight, you learned that the field must be one way, since you were able to leave without issue.  Regardless, you sneak towards the center room beneath that massive supported tower that stretches high above it.  As you near the pillars, you hear voices from within.  You sneak forward and look into the room from the shadows. 

(Everyone roll Stealth please.) 

The Mythallar continues it's lazy, off-axis rotation. The room is littered with rubble. The stone chunks that are the remains of the huge sledgehammer wielding statues are scattered about the room. The bone scattered bits of destroyed Lichs lay all near each other off to one side, though the powerful items they'd wielded are missing. The bits of bone of the other skull creature lays there.  The bodies of two Thayan wizards lay crumpled on the floor, their bodies now frozen solid and covered with a thin layer of frost. The same goes for the warriors who both lay to one side, dead. One's helm still lays to one side, fallen off revealing a skin with terribly pale flesh as if it had never seen the light of day. Their longsword are stuck in a death grip. Otherwise, you see no sign of the Thayan Lich or the Kenku.  The only sign of Auril is a few spiky formations of ice that were left behind by her icy attacks. There is no sign of the strange magical storm. The chaos and unleashed magic in this place seems almost as if it never was, except for the scorch marks across the floors, and the splatters of blood from the living wounded.  However, there are several figures here.  The seem to be having a relatively cordial conversation.  One man you do not recognize. He is wearing black leather armor, studded with black iron spikes, underneath a black fur jacket. He has jet black hair, strung back in a ponytail. He appears to be human. He has pale white skin and is in the process of talking to the other group.  The other group you do recognize, and is made up of the elf wizard....and....apparently the elf wizards twin brother...behind which is the half-elf priestess, the tall half-elf man, the bald human warrior, and the golden and dark furred Leonins.  It's clear the conversation is civil, though the two groups do not appear to be at ease with each other.

You hear the man in black-leather talking to the other group... "...estimate that the work draining the Mythallar's will take several years, and each one we pry from him slows his progress further. However....yes...everything we do is but a stop-gap measure. And...stop-gap's against ancient undying creatures is doomed to fail. We believe the only reason we are not being assaulted by Lich's now is because Larloch knows that time is on his side. He can't lose if he simply waits. So, as important as securing Mythallars is, the more important goal, and the only real path to victory, is the destruction of the Lich army and ultimately, their Lich leader. General Saragon and our wizards are hard at work trying to determine the most effective way to achieve this. It may take them a few months to come up with a workable solution. If you wish to seek a way to destroy Lichs permanently, rather than track down more Mythallars, the choice is yours, but we believe that for the immediately moment, getting Mythallars from his grasp buys us the time we will need to seek our ultimate victory." 

Zendrak's stealth: 10

As we approach and start to hear voices of others within the space, Mordekai will quietly cast Guidance on himself in anticipation of needing to be stealthy.

Stealth: 11 +1 (guidance)

Kari makes sure not to drag her glaive, crouching and hunching her head into her scarf even more in an effort to be sneaky.

Stealth: 10

Mal Stealth: 23

 [OOC: Oh yea sure, you want to play it this way Dice Gods? Fine you pissy little cretins...thank god the ROGUE HAS A +15 TO HER STEALTH ROLL!!!!! grumble grumble]

(Rolls were low enough that Kurik's stealth roll, even if a Nat 20, won't bring the group average up high enough....lol) 

The black furred lion warrior glances in your general direction and then says to the pale skinned human, "And those hiding in the shadows, are they your bodyguards or are we all about to defend this Mythallar in a display of this potential alliance you have mentioned?"

Though you are all hidden around the corner, it's clear they've heard you.  

The pale skinned human glances in your direction as well, and says, "I had thought they were YOUR backup. Perhaps we are."  

Kurik shrugs to the others and steps out, confidently walking towards them.  "We are no one's back up. Just passing through.  We came for our own reasons and got swept up in all that.  Let me assure you though, we have no love of liches.  Let me introduce myself."  

He gives a slight bow bit doesn't break eye contact.  "I am Kurik, son Grenk.  You may have heard of him.  Part of the group that faced Acerak himself and aided in the destruction of the Soul Monger returning the state of death to its natural order.  I can not speak for my companions but perhaps we can strike a deal.  "

Mordekai steps forward with Kurik, wearing his most disarming smile.  "Kurik is correct.  We were unsure what we would find when we first arrived.  In fact, such was the chaos we stumbled upon that it was hard to know who were allies or enemies.  For myself, I've never met an undead creature I didn't think was better when it was truly dead, so I targeted them until further information revealed itself.  Turns out a demigod with an arrogant streak and a penchant for inflicting icy chaos and misery on entire populations makes just as good a target.  Truth be told, I'm still a little confused whose side everyone was on, and am glad of a chance to parley.

What is this magnificent thing - a Mythallar, did you call it?"

Mordekai, Kurik, and Kari make their way from the disarmingly peaceful slow rotation of the Mythallar, between the ancient dark black stone pillars that hold the 300 foot tall tower up above them.  The pillars stone is smooth, like clay, but the black stone must be almost impervious to damage having existed for over a thousand years...though it does have small pits and dents across its surface making it seem more like a childs misshapen clay art than magically crafted construction. The huge pillars remind you of tree trunks that spread out in grasping lumps to seal themselves to the ground. You move between the pillars and out into the open city...away from the complex conversation....as well as the supposed dragon.

It may just be your imagination, but the frigid cold of this place seems to lessen somewhat as you move out of the chamber into the open space surrounding the tower. The city likewise has changed since you were in the chamber. A hazy fog that was not here before, now fills the streets and reaches the tops of the lower buildings. Above the fog, the massive cavern is still clear of mist, though of course is dark aside from the dull green glow from the cities magical lights. The glacier seems to have awoken and thunderous crackling and creaking sounds eek their way through the ice.  The crooked shape of the building look all the more sinister, dark shapes in the hazy mist.

The elf wizard, the one wearing blue, named Tic, accompanies the three of you.  He says, "The anvil you seek can be found in that tower right there."  He points to a tower that reaches upward like a talon from the mist, its stonework studded in chiseled runes. "The anvil is in the upper most chamber. There are four beings there protecting it. There are no other protections in the tower." A blue light shines from its highest window. You walked right past this tower on your way to the central chamber. 

"If you are so inclined, I can spend ten minutes casting a ritual to link all of us mentally for the next hour, so that we may stay in touch." 

He waits to see who is...so inclined....

Hesitantly Mal asks, "How deep does your mental connection go? Is it just surface thoughts or actual thoughts directed toward you?"

Tic gives her a bit of a dismissive glance, "It is a telepathic conversational spell. It does not let me read your thoughts."

"Oh, so just like my friends book here, did you sign it as well so we can keep in contact with you, or did you have your doubts just like I have mine." Mal says with a sarcastic sneer. "Don't really matter as I believe one of your group did sign the book, so we have our route of communication set. I am good with how things are as they stand."

"Nobody signed the book. But I would appreciate the telepathic connection myself - I have some questions about the Mythallars, and the sequence of events just before we arrived, that I think we all would prefer Dastanyarand his companions not to hear. "

He stands for a moment in consideration, then nods his head in a sharp motion.  “No one from my group signed your book. Only the Shadovar named Dastanyar was willing and he was…..mmmm…not included in the invite it seems. Anyway, this spell was a favor for mordekai here. If you are not inclined to stay in touch I will return to my allies. Good luck in your task.”

When Mordekai responds he says, “oh. Ok. Very well. I shall begin the ritual. It will take a few minutes.”

Ten minutes of careful casting takes place in the eerie misty silence of this city locked in ice, with only the grinding heaving sound of miles of ice slowly shifting to keep you company. Eventually Tic is done his task and Mordekai and he can speak freely using only their minds. 

Tic takes his leave and heads off into the city.