"The white gem might possibly lead us to a test of cold, which I'm now somewhat prepared for. Unless there are reasons not to choose the white gem I suggest we do that." Avarice says, preparing for their next trial.
“As I said, I think white is the better choice. The line in the other one has me thinking nefarious possibilities as to its meaning. Could be nothing. Could mean twin dangers. Could mean the group of us is split in two…” Mulligan says, pausing for dramatic effect.
“Could mean half live and half die.”
Mulligan gives his dark thoughts a moment or two to sink in before giving a visible shrug. “But hey, I’m a gambling man. I’m ready to go for either.”
Varan shivers at the thought of a cold dungeon… but he agrees with Mulligan’s reasoning. “White.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
The white gem is slotted in, and the group enters - sans The Bishop who calmly bids you well, and Gazinoth, who still remains, thin-lipped and pale.
The six of you step into an all-too-familiar, hexagonal room. I do not have an image for this - ignore the one on discord, I messed up and that one hasn't come up yet.
While hexagonal, this room is large. Very large. It seems almost miniature in comparison to...the room you're in. Well - what can be called that. The perspective is dazzling.
You seem to be on the face of a grandfather clock, gravity oriented so you are standing sideways on the clock's face. Dizzyingly, you can look upwards and see a gigantic room tilted on its side from your perspective; mahogany-wood tables, floors, and walls, intricately fashioned rugs, all gargantuan in comparison to you. You're mere ants - in fact, the clocks' face is bordered by what seems to be a mile-high wall on each side, impossibly large and impossible to scale.
You become instantly aware of a ticking sound emanate from all around you, the chords far louder than a regular clock should be with your size. You see a hand swing below you - the second, clearly faster than you can run.
You can make out several other things in the room - a chessboard, a mandala board, several places where cards are held aloft in the air. And - barely at the edges of your vision - you see dozens of tiny, tiny figures around the same size as you, running this way and that with an uncanny amount of desperation.
You realize you're not alone. Whatever created this dungeon is simply watching games play out before it in its very own, oversized living room.
You hear a rumbling laugh come from somewhere in the gargantuan room beyond.
"The grandfather clock chimes. I will leave you to your thoughts on what could have been." The voice rumbles through the air, majestic and ancient. A shift knocks you cleanly off your feet - the hands start to rotate...backwards.
On each of the tiles where the gigantic numbers are imprinted on the clock, forms begin to materialize from the ground - blue energy pulls each into a humanoid form. You all see replicas of yourself, though...different. Very different. One of Keyleth's replicas is cloaked in red robes, holding a staff crowned with a five-headed dragon. One of Ragnar's duplicates has its head removed and held in one hand. Varan sees himself, but bloated, with the flesh rotting away - the grotesque corpse's eyes bulge and mouth holds shut as if holding its breath; rope and stone bind its ankles together.
"Look at you - all the possibilities, so unused, so untested."
You realize, likely to your concern, these are all replicas of who you could have been - one twist in fate may have led you down a different path entirely.
One of Varan's duplicates is bloated and drowned, feet and ankles bound. It appears in one instance of time, Varan's actions caught up to him - and justice was delivered at the hands of his own people. Murdered Varan Initiative: 10 Varan's other reflection, on the other hand, seems cloaked in black, daggers drawn at his sides. Scars mar his face, the flesh indicating the blades were poisoned. Perhaps Varan may have become the leader of the assassin's guild he paid tribute to. Assassin Varan: 12
Ragnar's duplicates indicate he may have been executed by his own people at one point, while the other shows his face and hands frostbitten, expression solid behind a blast of ice. Executed Ragnar Initiative: 5 Defeated Ragnar Initiative: 7
One of Avarice's forms spreads celestial wings, a look of righteousness on his face. Contrary to the other duplicates, this one looks around nervously, and with interest towards the party - it appears, instead of Asmodeus, Avarice may have made a pact with a Celestial at one point. His other, however, shows a mask of howling torture. Chains wrap around the Tiefling's form; blood oozes on the ground - indicative of Avarice losing his soul in a bargain, Avarice instantly recognizes one timeline shows him becoming a tortured Kyton. Celestial Avarice Initiative: 18 Tortured Avarice Initiative: 20
One of Mulligan's forms is thin to the bone, a sallow look in his face - he seems drunk, wobbling around; clearly a failure, without money, who died on the street - the other is a more healthy-looking version, exactly opposite in nature; the man's eyes are crazed, and the duplicate clinks a pair of dice in one hand. Destitute Mulligan Initiative: 2 Gambler Mulligan Initiative: 15
Wulgar's two forms are simple; one is drowned, evidently by gangplank - likely by his own crew. The other wears a pirate hat and a mean-looking cutlass, most of his teeth replaced with gold. Drowned Wulgar Initiative: 16 Captain Wulgar Initiative: 22
One of Keyleth's forms bears the signs of the university she undertook her mission for - clearly, in one reflection of time, she had become a professor. She wields a spellbook and robes which indicate a method of arcane pursuit. Her other, however, wears a mask and dons robes of red; a staff is clutched in one hand, with a five-headed dragon affixed to the top - a priest of Tiamat. Inquisitor Keyleth Initiative: 19 Priest of Tiamat Keyleth Initiative: 11
Keyleth looks almost annoyed with her duplicates. “Really? A professor? You and I both know you can’t do public speaking to save your damn life. Besides, where’s the fun in it? Not like you get to learn anything new.”
Then she looks at the priestess. “And you—I don’t even have anything to say to you, except that I thought I was smart enough to not do that.”
She needs to be annoyed. She needs to heckle them and make light of them. Because if she doesn’t, she’ll start thinking too much about them, and she can’t afford to do that right now. She draws her swords instead.
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
The clock begins to whir as these mirror images form from nothing except the will of the summoner - the large hand points towards the soulless, corrupted version of Avarice, while the second directs itself towards the thin-as-bones version of Mulligan. All the other forms hover, incorporeal for the time being; the clock ever-shifts, though, indicating the time you'll be fighting these two figures will be limited. For the better or worse, you're not sure.
Everyone is free to act. Currently, the hands on the clock point towards the two figure's I've shown - they are the only ones currently targetable, and they are the only ones currently moving. The rest stand still - it is not yet their time.
The clock's turn will begin once everyone has acted.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Keyleth sets her sights on the other Mulligan. It seems like an easy battle, but she's not stupid enough to believe that. She watches him for a moment, trying to deduce any info she can.
Insightful Fighting: 15 (min 24)
Then she runs up to it and strikes.
Main hand attack: 32 Damage: 9 piercing (crit! that's an additional 3 piercing) (not manipulated, just adding the crit damage) Offhand attack: 20 Damage: 8 piercing Sneak attack: 21 piercing
Mulligan nods silently to Varan's advice and then sees Keyleth launch into action. Guess target has been picked, he thinks to himself. Guess I'll be playing with myself...
Mulligan moves in after Keyleth and uses her as a distraction as he makes his own attacks against his desiccated self... copy? replica? Mainstream Mulligan uses his free hand to chuck two daggers at the withered wannabe.
First Dagger Attack: Attack: 29 Damage: 12
Second DaggerAttack: Attack: 27 Damage: 10
Plus Sneak Attack: 17 added to first hit...
Plus Defensive Flourish: 2 damage added to first hit, plus to Mainline Mulligan's AC until start of his next turn.
Mulligan then moves up towards his target, getting to within ten feet of it. (I believe I can get to the second square below Withered Me...)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Varan sees his allies splitting up to attack the two targets. That should be Ok. They may be able to put them both down before things get out of control. Deciding a hell-powered Avarice is the greater threat, he joins Wulgar in attacking that duplicate. He draw up the power of his dragon-blood and upcasts blight at level 5. He also burns a sorcery point to employ Empowered Spell, allowing for the reroll of up to 5 damage dice. The Condemned Avarice must make a CON save 18 or take 43 necrotic damage.
(I’m mobile so I cannot see the results of the dice… will reroll any damage as soon as I get home)
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Avarice decides to quickly destroy this upstart copy of himself before there is any confusion. "There can be only one!" He calls out to the impostor. He swiftly curses (Hex, dex) his soulless variant and blasts it with three beams of crackling purple force.
"The white gem might possibly lead us to a test of cold, which I'm now somewhat prepared for. Unless there are reasons not to choose the white gem I suggest we do that." Avarice says, preparing for their next trial.
“As I said, I think white is the better choice. The line in the other one has me thinking nefarious possibilities as to its meaning. Could be nothing. Could mean twin dangers. Could mean the group of us is split in two…” Mulligan says, pausing for dramatic effect.
“Could mean half live and half die.”
Mulligan gives his dark thoughts a moment or two to sink in before giving a visible shrug. “But hey, I’m a gambling man. I’m ready to go for either.”
Varan shivers at the thought of a cold dungeon… but he agrees with Mulligan’s reasoning. “White.”
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
“Ok, white gem it is..” Wulgar touches the gem, the globe, and everyone’s hand in the process that is becoming normal to them.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
The white gem is slotted in, and the group enters - sans The Bishop who calmly bids you well, and Gazinoth, who still remains, thin-lipped and pale.
The six of you step into an all-too-familiar, hexagonal room. I do not have an image for this - ignore the one on discord, I messed up and that one hasn't come up yet.
While hexagonal, this room is large. Very large. It seems almost miniature in comparison to...the room you're in. Well - what can be called that. The perspective is dazzling.
You seem to be on the face of a grandfather clock, gravity oriented so you are standing sideways on the clock's face. Dizzyingly, you can look upwards and see a gigantic room tilted on its side from your perspective; mahogany-wood tables, floors, and walls, intricately fashioned rugs, all gargantuan in comparison to you. You're mere ants - in fact, the clocks' face is bordered by what seems to be a mile-high wall on each side, impossibly large and impossible to scale.
You become instantly aware of a ticking sound emanate from all around you, the chords far louder than a regular clock should be with your size. You see a hand swing below you - the second, clearly faster than you can run.
You can make out several other things in the room - a chessboard, a mandala board, several places where cards are held aloft in the air. And - barely at the edges of your vision - you see dozens of tiny, tiny figures around the same size as you, running this way and that with an uncanny amount of desperation.
You realize you're not alone. Whatever created this dungeon is simply watching games play out before it in its very own, oversized living room.
You hear a rumbling laugh come from somewhere in the gargantuan room beyond.
"The grandfather clock chimes. I will leave you to your thoughts on what could have been." The voice rumbles through the air, majestic and ancient. A shift knocks you cleanly off your feet - the hands start to rotate...backwards.
On each of the tiles where the gigantic numbers are imprinted on the clock, forms begin to materialize from the ground - blue energy pulls each into a humanoid form. You all see replicas of yourself, though...different. Very different. One of Keyleth's replicas is cloaked in red robes, holding a staff crowned with a five-headed dragon. One of Ragnar's duplicates has its head removed and held in one hand. Varan sees himself, but bloated, with the flesh rotting away - the grotesque corpse's eyes bulge and mouth holds shut as if holding its breath; rope and stone bind its ankles together.
"Look at you - all the possibilities, so unused, so untested."
I'd like everyone to roll initiative.
You realize, likely to your concern, these are all replicas of who you could have been - one twist in fate may have led you down a different path entirely.
One of Varan's duplicates is bloated and drowned, feet and ankles bound. It appears in one instance of time, Varan's actions caught up to him - and justice was delivered at the hands of his own people. Murdered Varan Initiative: 10
Varan's other reflection, on the other hand, seems cloaked in black, daggers drawn at his sides. Scars mar his face, the flesh indicating the blades were poisoned. Perhaps Varan may have become the leader of the assassin's guild he paid tribute to. Assassin Varan: 12
Ragnar's duplicates indicate he may have been executed by his own people at one point, while the other shows his face and hands frostbitten, expression solid behind a blast of ice.
Executed Ragnar Initiative: 5
Defeated Ragnar Initiative: 7
One of Avarice's forms spreads celestial wings, a look of righteousness on his face. Contrary to the other duplicates, this one looks around nervously, and with interest towards the party - it appears, instead of Asmodeus, Avarice may have made a pact with a Celestial at one point.
His other, however, shows a mask of howling torture. Chains wrap around the Tiefling's form; blood oozes on the ground - indicative of Avarice losing his soul in a bargain, Avarice instantly recognizes one timeline shows him becoming a tortured Kyton.
Celestial Avarice Initiative: 18
Tortured Avarice Initiative: 20
One of Mulligan's forms is thin to the bone, a sallow look in his face - he seems drunk, wobbling around; clearly a failure, without money, who died on the street - the other is a more healthy-looking version, exactly opposite in nature; the man's eyes are crazed, and the duplicate clinks a pair of dice in one hand.
Destitute Mulligan Initiative: 2
Gambler Mulligan Initiative: 15
Wulgar's two forms are simple; one is drowned, evidently by gangplank - likely by his own crew. The other wears a pirate hat and a mean-looking cutlass, most of his teeth replaced with gold.
Drowned Wulgar Initiative: 16
Captain Wulgar Initiative: 22
One of Keyleth's forms bears the signs of the university she undertook her mission for - clearly, in one reflection of time, she had become a professor. She wields a spellbook and robes which indicate a method of arcane pursuit. Her other, however, wears a mask and dons robes of red; a staff is clutched in one hand, with a five-headed dragon affixed to the top - a priest of Tiamat.
Inquisitor Keyleth Initiative: 19
Priest of Tiamat Keyleth Initiative: 11
Real Avarice initiative: 18
Mainstream Mulligan Initiative: 18
…
Wulgar Verthisathurgiesh initiative : 23
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Real Keyleth Initiative: 25
Keyleth looks almost annoyed with her duplicates. “Really? A professor? You and I both know you can’t do public speaking to save your damn life. Besides, where’s the fun in it? Not like you get to learn anything new.”
Then she looks at the priestess. “And you—I don’t even have anything to say to you, except that I thought I was smart enough to not do that.”
She needs to be annoyed. She needs to heckle them and make light of them. Because if she doesn’t, she’ll start thinking too much about them, and she can’t afford to do that right now. She draws her swords instead.
Variant Varan initiative: 19
"Don't be lured into 2-1 duels! Concentrate attacks!" he hisses to the others.
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
DM rolls: 9
Tick, tock: 2
The clock begins to whir as these mirror images form from nothing except the will of the summoner - the large hand points towards the soulless, corrupted version of Avarice, while the second directs itself towards the thin-as-bones version of Mulligan. All the other forms hover, incorporeal for the time being; the clock ever-shifts, though, indicating the time you'll be fighting these two figures will be limited. For the better or worse, you're not sure.
Everyone is free to act. Currently, the hands on the clock point towards the two figure's I've shown - they are the only ones currently targetable, and they are the only ones currently moving. The rest stand still - it is not yet their time.
The clock's turn will begin once everyone has acted.
Keyleth sets her sights on the other Mulligan. It seems like an easy battle, but she's not stupid enough to believe that. She watches him for a moment, trying to deduce any info she can.
Insightful Fighting: 15 (min 24)
Then she runs up to it and strikes.
Main hand attack: 32 Damage: 9 piercing (crit! that's an additional 3 piercing) (not manipulated, just adding the crit damage)
Offhand attack: 20 Damage: 8 piercing
Sneak attack: 21 piercing
Wulgar goes toward the 8 o clock position, flying into a rage. He targets faux Avarice with his Greataxe.
Greataxe swing 1: Attack: 16 Damage: 19
Greataxe swing 2: Attack: 22 Damage: 18
Divine fury damage : 9
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Mulligan nods silently to Varan's advice and then sees Keyleth launch into action. Guess target has been picked, he thinks to himself. Guess I'll be playing with myself...
Mulligan moves in after Keyleth and uses her as a distraction as he makes his own attacks against his desiccated self... copy? replica? Mainstream Mulligan uses his free hand to chuck two daggers at the withered wannabe.
First Dagger Attack: Attack: 29 Damage: 12
Second DaggerAttack: Attack: 27 Damage: 10
Plus Sneak Attack: 17 added to first hit...
Plus Defensive Flourish: 2 damage added to first hit, plus to Mainline Mulligan's AC until start of his next turn.
Mulligan then moves up towards his target, getting to within ten feet of it. (I believe I can get to the second square below Withered Me...)
Due to Critical on First Dagger attack, also add extra damage for:
Sneak Attack Crit - 17
Defensive Flourish Critical - 3
((Though I assume the critical doesn't change what is added to my AC until the next turn via Defensive Flourish...)
So 51 damage on first attack, 10 on the second...
(Almost forgot: additional 24 piercing damage if Insightful Fighting succeeded)
Varan sees his allies splitting up to attack the two targets. That should be Ok. They may be able to put them both down before things get out of control. Deciding a hell-powered Avarice is the greater threat, he joins Wulgar in attacking that duplicate. He draw up the power of his dragon-blood and upcasts blight at level 5. He also burns a sorcery point to employ Empowered Spell, allowing for the reroll of up to 5 damage dice. The Condemned Avarice must make a CON save 18 or take 43 necrotic damage.
(I’m mobile so I cannot see the results of the dice… will reroll any damage as soon as I get home)
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Avarice decides to quickly destroy this upstart copy of himself before there is any confusion. "There can be only one!" He calls out to the impostor.
He swiftly curses (Hex, dex) his soulless variant and blasts it with three beams of crackling purple force.
Eldritch blast: 12 Force: 9 Necrotic: 6
Eldritch blast: 17 Force: 7 Necrotic: 2
Eldritch blast: 24 Force: 14 Necrotic: 5
Your lowest five are: 2. 3. 4. 4. 4