Hoo-boy, the kickage of the buttage. I came down with something yesterday, and I have barely dragged myself out of bead in the last 36 hr. COVID test is neg x 2, but i still think it's likely. So, it will take me a couple of days to get back to posting. The DM will be taking a break for 2-3 days, which should worry you all as it gives me extra time to come up with something devilish.
"Is there any sort of spell or something someone could cast to draw attention?"
"Well . . ." Malichi starts, then stops. He considers for long seconds "Let me try something. I don't really . . . " he fumbles for words then finally casts thaumaturgy and in a booming voice he says "Move back from the door. I'm just going to see if it's unlocked" and casts thaumaturgy again to cause the door to swing open if it's unlocked.
"All the time that I watch spell casters, trying to figure out how they do it. . . .This I can do. . . I just don't like where it comes from" he says finally
Hoo-boy, the kickage of the buttage. I came down with something yesterday, and I have barely dragged myself out of bead in the last 36 hr. COVID test is neg x 2, but i still think it's likely. So, it will take me a couple of days to get back to posting. The DM will be taking a break for 2-3 days, which should worry you all as it gives me extra time to come up with something devilish.
"Is there any sort of spell or something someone could cast to draw attention?"
"Well . . ." Malichi starts, then stops. He considers for long seconds "Let me try something. I don't really . . . " he fumbles for words then finally casts thaumaturgy and in a booming voice he says "Move back from the door. I'm just going to see if it's unlocked" and casts thaumaturgy again to cause the door to swing open if it's unlocked.
"All the time that I watch spell casters, trying to figure out how they do it. . . .This I can do. . . I just don't like where it comes from" he says finally
Malichi draws upon his innate connection to the Weave, amplifying his voice successfully. Unfortunately, to an ordinary-sized observer, this would be perceived as changing from the buzzing of a mosquito to the droning of a bumblebee. The second casting of thaumaturgy is more difficult, and Malichi senses an unusual amount of mana energy being drawn from his body, far more than the cantrip would ordinarily consume. If he chooses to continue casting the spell, due to the door's massive size and weight, he will suffer one level of exhaustion, and not be able to cast this or any other spell until after he completes a long rest. The door, however, will open wide enough to drive AGGE through.
Malichi doesn't give up easily, even when it's the smart thing to do. Seems to him like everything in the world is bigger than he is, but refuses to let that stop him. This is different though. As he struggles with the door he becomes aware of its sheer mass, thousands of times bigger than he is now, but he still doesn't stop. He feels the last of his strength ebbing away and he knows what he has left isn't enough. He feels faint, he can hardly stand or remain conscious. Then something inside feels like it's tearing him apart, ripping him open and he wonders absently if the effort will, in fact kill him, but still won't stop. He watches with detachment as his hands burst into flames, as those flames climb up his arms. For just a second Malichi's whole body is wreathed in flame. The door opens just a crack, but big enough for AGGE. Malichi collapses in a heap.
"Malichi! Are you okay!"Zensiro runs over to his fallen friend, relieved at least that the flames he swear that he saw around Malichi were gone. "By Angharradh, I was worried you were done for! Can we help you? Oh, and brilliant work with the door, by the way!"Zensiro points toward the massive portal, now slightly ajar, and pats his friend gently on the shoulder. "If you can move, I suggest we get back to the AGGE and make our way inside before someone notices that the door is open."
"Malichi! Are you okay!"Zensiro runs over to his fallen friend, relieved at least that the flames he swear that he saw around Malichi were gone. "By Angharradh, I was worried you were done for! Can we help you? Oh, and brilliant work with the door, by the way!"Zensiro points toward the massive portal, now slightly ajar, and pats his friend gently on the shoulder. "If you can move, I suggest we get back to the AGGE and make our way inside before someone notices that the door is open."
"Yeah, I think I can walk. Let's get in there before it closes. I'd rather not do that again" he says, the grin coming back weakly"Umm. . . Zensiro, I think you guys might have to drive" and promptly passes out again
The other party members load Malichi into AGGE, and steer the vehicle through the narrow opening. Crossing the threshold, you are now on a rough wooden surface instead of the uneven ground. Some of the gaps between floorboards are wide enough that you must cross them perpendicularly to avoid a wheel getting stuck. As it is afternoon, there is plenty of ambient light through the windows, although definitely less than outside. The ceiling of the room, being hundreds of feet above you, is not really visible in any detail. From your memory of this room when you entered normal-sized on the day of the presentation, there should be a kitchen entrance on your left, and a bedroom entrance on your right. Straight ahead is the opening to the stairs that lead down to the lab. There were some chairs, maybe a sofa and coffee table in this common room, the details are hazy in your memory.
Some loud but receding thumping could possibly represent someone descending the stairs to the basement level.
Zensiro gently taps Malichi on the shoulder, hoping he'll wake up. "It sounds to me like someone, probably Erastus, is heading down the stairs, which, if I'm not mistaken, lead to the lab where that shrinking device was located. Does anyone know if this AGGE has a stairs mode? Otherwise, it could be quite a challenge descending. I didn't spend much time here before being shrunk, do any of you know of any other way to head down there?"
(Is there a check Zensiro could make to recall any helpful details about the room? Maybe Survival to see if there are bug or mouse tracks leading to the basement? ;-)
Malichi pulls himself up and focuses on what Zensiro is telling him. He looks around, looks at the controls. "Most stairs have all kinds of nearly continuous railings, supports and alike" He says"I'm wondering if the 'tree' setting could handle something like that. It might be our fastest way down their" he stands up and gets to the controls. He carefully looks over the floorboards he can see and picks out a path. No different than any other job, open windows, unwatched hallways, unlocked doors. Finding routes of opportunity
Investigation: 10
He puts Aggie in gear and heads for the stairs, looking for the best way down
As the remainder of the party silently assents, Malichi engages the climbing mode of AGGE and uses it to maneuver carefully down the plank walls and baseboards around the descending stairway. It is a slow process, especially around the corner of the landing halfway down, but after an hour or so, AGGE has safely arrived at the bottom of the stairs, into the laboratory where this whole adventure began. Booms and crashes, along with various acrid smells assault your senses in this lower level. Apparently, Erastus is at work, trying to invent or assemble some new contraption.
Again, your view of the room is mostly the underside of chairs, tables and workbenches, their legs stretching upwards like giant sequoias, smooth and limbless. Although in the murky distance, Zensiro's sharp eyes detect movement. Could it be.... Yes, it is definitely AGGE's cousin, the Amazing AutoSweeper and Rat Eliminator. And it appears to be headed your way.
"Oh dear ... Malichi, up ahead there, do you see it? Does thing have any countermeasures? Or if not, are you ready to take evasive maneuvers?" Turning back to Cerlinde and Amelia, Zensiro says, "You'll probably want to either buckle up or get ready for some running and blasting. We've got an incoming machine!"
Once you are refreshed, Amos is clearly excited to show you his find, which turns out to be familiar to you. It is a 20 foot high, 10 foot wide and 30 foot long metal tube, with the words "Erastus' Famous Auto-gardener and Gopher Eliminator" carefully stenciled along both sides. Several of you recoil with flashbacks of a prior dangerous encounter, but the contraption seems perfectly docile.
"I founds this in the garden, but I couldn't 'ave it hurtin' me friends, so I... er.... 'borrowed' it and made a few adjustments. Now, it's mostly hollow inside except fer the propulsion and the rudder. No more nasty blades."
From the looks of it, the Auto-gardener would have the capacity to fit all of you and all of your gear, including the large items in it. When Amos shows you the interior, the clockwork gears inside controlled by a rudder than can be set to "manual" or "automatic", you are amazed by the concept of a wagon that can move without being pulled by any animal, and that can be steered like a ship.
"It's too small fer me, really, but Paul and Ringo 'elped fix'er up. In fact, they did all the hard parts,"Amos says, causing the nearby beetles to blush a fiery red. "Anyways, it be just a curiosity to me, but might be truly helpful to ye, if'n ye wants it."
Everyone is now rested, quested, and ready to roll. You climb into the Auto-Gardener and Gopher Eliminator (I sure hope you guys christen it with a shorter name soon), and soon figure out the fairly simple controls. The rudder turns left and right, and can be moved so that the AGGE moves forward or in reverse. There are six benches or chairs in the forward part of the cabin for party members to sit on, and a large cargo area in the back. There is a wide opening in the front face so that whomever is inside the AGGE can look ahead, and steer around obstacles. Just above the opening, on the inside of the front wall, are three buttons. One has a drawing of a tree on it, another a depiction of a fish, and the third button is simply labelled, "DON'T TOUCH".
So the AARE and AGGE were both originally designed to run directly over their prey, trapping them in an interior tunnel filled with spinning blades and brushes. Since they are of similar sizes, the AARE cannot envelope its cousin and destroy it in that way, so as it approaches, it slows, and warily circles your vehicle. It is not making contact, but you suspect if anyone were to exit the vehicle while it was prowling nearby they would be in grave danger. As you recall, the "tree-climbing" mode does involve large sharp blades extending from front and back, but you are not sure these are sufficiently versatile to use for actual combat.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Zensiro examines the controls carefully and notices once again the button labelled, "DON'T TOUCH". "Malichi, you've spent a fair amount of time at the controls of this thing. Any ideas about what that somewhat ominously labelled DON'T TOUCH button might do? Maybe it's DON'T TOUCH as in, don't touch unless you really, really need to? Anyone else have a guess or want to help me check it out?"Zensiro will examine the button, then the interior of the AGGE to see if he can determine what that button does.
Similar to the other buttons, metal tubes run along the inside of AGGE's frame from the control panel, and then disappear into the hull. You really have no idea what it will do.
Zensiro steps back from the console, puzzled. "I can't make heads or tails of it. Okay, let's review what we know. That machine out there will probably hack us to bits if we leave the AGGE. The AGGE's tree mode accessories MIGHT be able to damage it, but it is perhaps unlikely. There is a DON'T TOUCH button, the function of which we have no idea. I'm not optimistic that my arrows would have any impact on that metallic menace. Maybe some magic could hurt it, Cerlinde? Or Malichi, do you think you can out-maneuver the machine? There's also the 'automatic' rudder function, not sure what does. Amelia, anything you can think of? I know you're tremendously sneaky, but I'd hate to ask anyone to head outside the AGGE unless it's our only option."
(In case it wasn't clear, the AARE isn't actually stopping your vehicle from going anywhere, it's just circling around menacingly. As far as you can tell, you could still move around the room. Could also probably try to trap it in a corner, or crash into it head-on. Someone normal sized would probably notice if two of these things were chasing each other around the room, or bumping into their feet. Each is about the size of a brick.)
"Malichi, perhaps we should try to maneuver the AGGE past that thing and into the open. At best, we might catch Erastus' attention out there, or we might be able to force our metal foe into a position from which at least a couple of us could safely exit the AGGE and try to flag Erastus down some other way. What do you think?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Oh! Let me try something first. I ever tell you about Tova, one of my old teachers?" Malichi steers Aggie towards the ARRE, just close enough to make it start to alter course, either toward or away from Aggie. "First is 'Threat' the capacity and likelihood that something will do you harm" his maneuvers become more aggressive towards the ARRE, either chasing it or leading it to chase Aggie "Next is 'Oppertunity' what resources something has that you can make use of or appropriate entirely" continues mapping out in his mind the ARREs responses to stimuli under different conditions.
Investigation: 4
Can this thing be bluffed?
Deception: 14
Does it have blindspots? Where are they?
Stealth: 27
"and 'Vunerabilities' where you can get leverage, how you can get the upper hand, no matter how big the threat"
Take care of yourself! Feel better soon
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Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
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"Well . . ." Malichi starts, then stops. He considers for long seconds "Let me try something. I don't really . . . " he fumbles for words then finally casts thaumaturgy and in a booming voice he says "Move back from the door. I'm just going to see if it's unlocked" and casts thaumaturgy again to cause the door to swing open if it's unlocked.
"All the time that I watch spell casters, trying to figure out how they do it. . . .This I can do. . . I just don't like where it comes from" he says finally
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Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
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I second that, hope you rebound quickly :-)
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Malichi draws upon his innate connection to the Weave, amplifying his voice successfully. Unfortunately, to an ordinary-sized observer, this would be perceived as changing from the buzzing of a mosquito to the droning of a bumblebee. The second casting of thaumaturgy is more difficult, and Malichi senses an unusual amount of mana energy being drawn from his body, far more than the cantrip would ordinarily consume. If he chooses to continue casting the spell, due to the door's massive size and weight, he will suffer one level of exhaustion, and not be able to cast this or any other spell until after he completes a long rest. The door, however, will open wide enough to drive AGGE through.
Malichi doesn't give up easily, even when it's the smart thing to do. Seems to him like everything in the world is bigger than he is, but refuses to let that stop him. This is different though. As he struggles with the door he becomes aware of its sheer mass, thousands of times bigger than he is now, but he still doesn't stop. He feels the last of his strength ebbing away and he knows what he has left isn't enough. He feels faint, he can hardly stand or remain conscious. Then something inside feels like it's tearing him apart, ripping him open and he wonders absently if the effort will, in fact kill him, but still won't stop. He watches with detachment as his hands burst into flames, as those flames climb up his arms. For just a second Malichi's whole body is wreathed in flame. The door opens just a crack, but big enough for AGGE. Malichi collapses in a heap.
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Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
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"Malichi! Are you okay!" Zensiro runs over to his fallen friend, relieved at least that the flames he swear that he saw around Malichi were gone. "By Angharradh, I was worried you were done for! Can we help you? Oh, and brilliant work with the door, by the way!" Zensiro points toward the massive portal, now slightly ajar, and pats his friend gently on the shoulder. "If you can move, I suggest we get back to the AGGE and make our way inside before someone notices that the door is open."
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
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"Yeah, I think I can walk. Let's get in there before it closes. I'd rather not do that again" he says, the grin coming back weakly"Umm. . . Zensiro, I think you guys might have to drive" and promptly passes out again
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Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
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The other party members load Malichi into AGGE, and steer the vehicle through the narrow opening. Crossing the threshold, you are now on a rough wooden surface instead of the uneven ground. Some of the gaps between floorboards are wide enough that you must cross them perpendicularly to avoid a wheel getting stuck. As it is afternoon, there is plenty of ambient light through the windows, although definitely less than outside. The ceiling of the room, being hundreds of feet above you, is not really visible in any detail. From your memory of this room when you entered normal-sized on the day of the presentation, there should be a kitchen entrance on your left, and a bedroom entrance on your right. Straight ahead is the opening to the stairs that lead down to the lab. There were some chairs, maybe a sofa and coffee table in this common room, the details are hazy in your memory.
Some loud but receding thumping could possibly represent someone descending the stairs to the basement level.
Zensiro gently taps Malichi on the shoulder, hoping he'll wake up. "It sounds to me like someone, probably Erastus, is heading down the stairs, which, if I'm not mistaken, lead to the lab where that shrinking device was located. Does anyone know if this AGGE has a stairs mode? Otherwise, it could be quite a challenge descending. I didn't spend much time here before being shrunk, do any of you know of any other way to head down there?"
(Is there a check Zensiro could make to recall any helpful details about the room? Maybe Survival to see if there are bug or mouse tracks leading to the basement? ;-)
Survival 7
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Malichi pulls himself up and focuses on what Zensiro is telling him. He looks around, looks at the controls. "Most stairs have all kinds of nearly continuous railings, supports and alike" He says"I'm wondering if the 'tree' setting could handle something like that. It might be our fastest way down their" he stands up and gets to the controls. He carefully looks over the floorboards he can see and picks out a path. No different than any other job, open windows, unwatched hallways, unlocked doors. Finding routes of opportunity
Investigation: 10
He puts Aggie in gear and heads for the stairs, looking for the best way down
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Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
Extended Signature
As the remainder of the party silently assents, Malichi engages the climbing mode of AGGE and uses it to maneuver carefully down the plank walls and baseboards around the descending stairway. It is a slow process, especially around the corner of the landing halfway down, but after an hour or so, AGGE has safely arrived at the bottom of the stairs, into the laboratory where this whole adventure began. Booms and crashes, along with various acrid smells assault your senses in this lower level. Apparently, Erastus is at work, trying to invent or assemble some new contraption.
Again, your view of the room is mostly the underside of chairs, tables and workbenches, their legs stretching upwards like giant sequoias, smooth and limbless. Although in the murky distance, Zensiro's sharp eyes detect movement. Could it be.... Yes, it is definitely AGGE's cousin, the Amazing AutoSweeper and Rat Eliminator. And it appears to be headed your way.
"Oh dear ... Malichi, up ahead there, do you see it? Does thing have any countermeasures? Or if not, are you ready to take evasive maneuvers?" Turning back to Cerlinde and Amelia, Zensiro says, "You'll probably want to either buckle up or get ready for some running and blasting. We've got an incoming machine!"
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
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Malichi looks over the controls seeing if there is anything resembling counter-measures or weaponry.
Investigation: 15
If he doesn't find anything he will turn Aggie in the direction of the AARE
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Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
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So the AARE and AGGE were both originally designed to run directly over their prey, trapping them in an interior tunnel filled with spinning blades and brushes. Since they are of similar sizes, the AARE cannot envelope its cousin and destroy it in that way, so as it approaches, it slows, and warily circles your vehicle. It is not making contact, but you suspect if anyone were to exit the vehicle while it was prowling nearby they would be in grave danger. As you recall, the "tree-climbing" mode does involve large sharp blades extending from front and back, but you are not sure these are sufficiently versatile to use for actual combat.
Zensiro examines the controls carefully and notices once again the button labelled, "DON'T TOUCH". "Malichi, you've spent a fair amount of time at the controls of this thing. Any ideas about what that somewhat ominously labelled DON'T TOUCH button might do? Maybe it's DON'T TOUCH as in, don't touch unless you really, really need to? Anyone else have a guess or want to help me check it out?" Zensiro will examine the button, then the interior of the AGGE to see if he can determine what that button does.
Investigation 15 (w/advantage, assuming someone will Help me look)
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Similar to the other buttons, metal tubes run along the inside of AGGE's frame from the control panel, and then disappear into the hull. You really have no idea what it will do.
Zensiro steps back from the console, puzzled. "I can't make heads or tails of it. Okay, let's review what we know. That machine out there will probably hack us to bits if we leave the AGGE. The AGGE's tree mode accessories MIGHT be able to damage it, but it is perhaps unlikely. There is a DON'T TOUCH button, the function of which we have no idea. I'm not optimistic that my arrows would have any impact on that metallic menace. Maybe some magic could hurt it, Cerlinde? Or Malichi, do you think you can out-maneuver the machine? There's also the 'automatic' rudder function, not sure what does. Amelia, anything you can think of? I know you're tremendously sneaky, but I'd hate to ask anyone to head outside the AGGE unless it's our only option."
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(In case it wasn't clear, the AARE isn't actually stopping your vehicle from going anywhere, it's just circling around menacingly. As far as you can tell, you could still move around the room. Could also probably try to trap it in a corner, or crash into it head-on. Someone normal sized would probably notice if two of these things were chasing each other around the room, or bumping into their feet. Each is about the size of a brick.)
(Well, I guess I'll give it another go!)
"Malichi, perhaps we should try to maneuver the AGGE past that thing and into the open. At best, we might catch Erastus' attention out there, or we might be able to force our metal foe into a position from which at least a couple of us could safely exit the AGGE and try to flag Erastus down some other way. What do you think?"
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
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"Oh! Let me try something first. I ever tell you about Tova, one of my old teachers?" Malichi steers Aggie towards the ARRE, just close enough to make it start to alter course, either toward or away from Aggie. "First is 'Threat' the capacity and likelihood that something will do you harm" his maneuvers become more aggressive towards the ARRE, either chasing it or leading it to chase Aggie "Next is 'Oppertunity' what resources something has that you can make use of or appropriate entirely" continues mapping out in his mind the ARREs responses to stimuli under different conditions.
Investigation: 4
Can this thing be bluffed?
Deception: 14
Does it have blindspots? Where are they?
Stealth: 27
"and 'Vunerabilities' where you can get leverage, how you can get the upper hand, no matter how big the threat"
The Worlds of Pphost a community of DMs and Players making PbP better
Malichi, Tiefling Rogue - Worlds of Pphost- The Amazing Teleportation Machine
DM Worlds of Pphost - Haven 'A Few Days at a Tavern'
Extended Signature