“Well… that’s not a good thing… is it?” Sam asks himself, and Órga and Boris. The animals do not shout out any opinions…
“Gewyn?” Sam calls out in a hushed voice as he gets to his feet. “Gewyn, you invisible?? Or… gone?””
Sam rising stirs Órga and Boris as well, they both open their eyes and lift their heads to look to Sam. “Can you two sense him at all? Gewyn, I mean? Sniff him out of anything?”
Sam will wait, perhaps, a minute between calling out Gewyn’s name a few times, asking the beasts to sniff him out and then finally awakening the others if no sign of Gewyn has yet been discovered…
About a minute goes by with no sign of Gewyn. Then, without warning, Sam finds himself face-to-face, nose-to-nose with an identical copy of himself. "Boo," whispers the other Sam, holding Gewyn's mirror in his hand.
There is no way Sam would not strike out against an apparition of himself suddenly appearing out of the dark, considering everything he and the group have been through… the question is, how would he strike out?
Considering this Fake Sam appears nose to nose with the real Sam, there’s a good 75% chance Sam would head but it first, then bring up his maul. Shits been crazy though, so 25% chance it’s straight to the maul… (76-00 maul…) 31
Sam attacks with a head-but (unarmed attack)
Unarmed Attack: Nat 20 plus 8 for a 28
Damage: 6 - Luckily only dice rolls get doubled, no dice rolls here so just 1 damage plus STR modifier… Or would the initial 1 be doubled to make it 7?
As Sam’s large, solid Half-Orc forehead thrust forward against the Fake Sam, he then takes a half step back and brings his maul into the ready position…
Boris snorts and claws at the dirt, working himself up for a brawl. Órga, on the other hand, sniffs the truth out… literally. With a roar the lion rushes forward and interposed himself between the two Sam’s , not wanting the Real Sam to do more damage to the other who his sniffer tells him is a friend…
"Ooohh," The other Sam sucks air through his teeth as he holds a hand to his forehead and stumbles back, turning away to walk it off for a few steps. His form diminishes in size and his skin turns to red, revealing it to unsurprisingly be Gewyn. "Yeah, you know what? I figured I had that coming. But damn if it doesn't make it hurt any less. Sorry, I didn't mean to disappear in the first place. My mirror reacted interestingly with the gem, and instead of just projecting my mind into the ethereal plane, my body went too. Good reflexes though. Makes me feel very safe with on guard."
“Wha…? Ho…? By the Gods Shitter! What the hell were you thinking??” Sam exclaims upon realizing its Gewyn. Sam rants for a bit and Órga eventually relaxes, turns around a couple times, then gets Comfortable again. Boris s snuffles around, snorting here and there, wondering if there’s going to be a brawl or not.
As Sam’s complaining peters out a grin grows on his face. “Damn, I nailed you a good one there! Sorry ‘bout that… yeah, you definitely had it coming but I really connected pretty well…. “
“So… what’s that mean? You actually go someplace else? Like where the Fey are from?”
Gewyn grins through the whole rant. "No, not where the fae come from. It's sort of like an ethereal space right beside this one. It's like if our whole world is a picture on a thin piece of parchment, and I simply passed through to the other side. I could still see the picture, but I was no longer... Ah who is this explanation even for? Look who I'm talking to. I went into the spooky ghost version of this world where I become a ghost and just float through stuff. So it's not really like I go someplace else. It's more just like I slip out the back door of this world for a quick smoke break, and then look in through the windows."
With their watch drawing to a close Sam and Gewyn wake Elthana and Muir for the last shift so that they can get enough rest to shake off this exhaustion.
When Elthana wakes, she looks no better, though her deformities had not stopped her from trancing and getting the much needed rest, she at least felt better from overcoming her exhaustion. Muir wakes too and along with Sam's summoned beasts, the pair keep an uneventful watch until everyone has completed a full long rest.
With the new day, the troubles of the previous night persist, the runes, the unstable portal and the identification of the few items collected.
Muir well rested, had spent a little time on his watch in meditation and prayer. He finished his leg of the watch and wasted no time working to repair the runes that were corrupted by the hag. He talks to himself out loud recalling his Sylvan teachings and using the mending spell to carefully repair the runes. He is engrossed in his work and pays little attention to the others other than Gewyn who is helping Muir.
Vin wakes up with a start, sitting up suddenly with a bit of panic. He looks around and seeing the place of infernal portal energy and corrupted scenery isn't immediately reassured. Neferox however nudges him with her nose and he looks to her and then see's his friends and after a few moments seems to relax. He says to her "I'm fine. Just a nightmare... a normal one" he adds realizing the situations they have been dealing with. He pets Nef a bit and gets up. Definitely not interested in sleeping right now. Seeing that the others are on watch and things seem fine he goes over to those awake and says "Do we have our next plan? We heard the clerics arrived, right? I thought the clerics would come this way while we were resting. It's not like the others didn't know we were here and there's a deadly portal. Might be something else is going on. I definitely don't feel comfortable leaving this portal unguarded though. Do we want some of us to stay here and the rest go to check on what's happening outside or do we all want to go together? I'm thinking since Gewyn and Muir understand the runes they stay here and continue to check them out in case something weird starts to happen or maybe they find a way to fix it. Sam maybe help keep them guarded while Nef, Elthana and me go to check things out. Might be the clerics can help you Elthana."
Before anyone goes anywhere though Vin offers to identify a couple items. "Last night I identified a couple things. Muir, the gloves you were interested in are specially designed to handle the charm fruits. The necrotic goo is some kind of poison that can be applied to things. Want me to check out that crystal ball and ring next?" While this is going on Neferox prowls around the parameter sniffing the ground and scouting around to make sure this place is clear before anyone leaves.
“I think I should head back with Elthana to the cave, and the clerics if they’re around. Plenty of unexplored tunnels here and there could still be trouble on the way out,” Sam says.
“I also think this place should be defended til we can clear the tunnels, maybe heal the portal. I was actually thinking you and Neferox could stay. Those two will likely be engrossed in what they’re doing and need someone looking out. Boris and Órga can still but they’ll disappear somewhere in the overnight,” Sam further explains.
Sam the sidles up close to Vin and adds in a hushed tone: “Condition Elthana is in she may need to be carried up a climb or something. I could carry her up a wall if need be but…” Sam leaves the rest unsaid with a shrug.
“Your choice,” Sam says, back to his regular levels. “If those two feel safe enough alone… Just personally I’d feel better if they had someone watching their backs.”
Vin looks to the other two to see how they react. Vin isn't sure how they will get around the caves with the bridge broken and it's possible they will run into trouble on the way out. There might even be something dangerous that is stopping the clerics from getting to them. "Well... If Sam thinks it's best. I'll stay here with you two." He motions to Muir and Gewyn. Vin seems a little worried. Clearly thinking it'll be more dangerous to leave through the unexplored cave then to stay here. He turns to Sam and says "Umm... do we know what impaled those other people on the trees? The giant wasn't tall enough like I thought. I think there might be something else in these caves that is quite dangerous."
Elthana stretches as she wakes, then looks down at her broken body and it takes all she has to not let it get the best of her. She struggles getting up, and those watching her can see a bit of pain etched in her face as she does. She spends a few moments trying to go through some of her ritual exercises.. but gives up with a huff when everything is in her body is working against her.
She's happy to see Gewyn and Muir already working on fixing the runes. She stares into the portal as she listens to Vin and Sam talk, apparently discussing her and her condition for the most part and it weighs on her more. She shouldn't be a burden to her friends, this is f*ing ridiculous.
As she stares at the portal, she notices that the green light in the center is slightly stronger than it was yesterday. There is also a purplish bush growing in the bare circle next to the portal. She thinks about what Gewyn is now able to do with his mirror and then pipes up, "Gewyn, when you're finished with the runes, I think... somehow you might be able to reinvigorate the portal."
Finally she turns to Vin and Sam, "Guys, I really appreciate what you are trying to do. I really do. I am ok though, I can wait until we get this figured out. We need to traverse a different path out of here to get back, and we don't know what that will entail, and I'd rather us all be together if that's alright." She walks over and puts a deformed hand on Sam's forearm. Then, seeing her hand and how it looks, pulls it back quickly, her head hanging low.
“Anything giant enough to reach down at treetops is unlikely squeezing into these tunnels. It was tough enough for Old Thicket to get out,” Sam counters but pauses to consider. “Could have been a bird dropping them… or maybe the hag and her broomstick?”
“I’m not thrilled splitting up. We’re safer and stronger together. I’m just torn between alerting our Allie’s and not leaving this thing I watched…”
Sam listens to Elthana and moves to put his other hand over hers but she’s already pulled hers away again. He frowns in understanding and despite her words wants to get her back to herself all the more. What he says though is “It’s more than just you. The others know about portals. More than we do… And the survivors need to know it’s over. Mostly…”
“And oh!” Sam says, remembering a thing. He takes the ring he’d found off his little finger and holds it out to Elthana. “Not sure exactly what it does but I’ve felt… safer. More protected. I think for now maybe you should wear it…”
Sam is interested in what idea Elthana may have to fix the portal and is eager to watch them try even though he suspects he won’t quite understand it. Working or not, he’s not comfortable with this thing just being here… But in the end that’s not really his task.
Gewyn steps back from the wall and turns to Muir. "So I've identified the problem. See here?" He points at one of the lines etched into the stone wall as part of a rune. "That line shouldn't be there. It's not part of the original symbol. But unless you have some way to repair it, I'm stumped." He looks over at Elthana.
"You had an idea?" Seeing her he is once again reminded of the discomfort she must be in. "I'd love to hear it. But before that, I want to try something. I've no clue if it will do anything, but I've had a new melody stuck in my head all night. So sit there, and do you mind if I place my hand on yours while I play?"
Muir and Gewyn quickly sort out how to solve the Symbol problem with the six large etched runes on the side of the chamber walls, each symbol had a few marks that Rynwell had gauged upon them which needed to be erased, all in all with conversation back and forth on the intricacies of each rune, the pair figure out and mend each rune. It takes them an hour and a half all in all.
Once the final one is complete, the runes glow for a moment and a spectral dust drifts over the chamber searching out every nook and cranny before it is all drawn and swirled into the portal, the purification is slow at first, but once the infernal influence begins to recede toward the edge of the pool, it gains traction at a growing pace, ten minutes after the purification started there is no more infernal energy left and all that remains within the perfectly circular void, is the single more if green light, the Faewyld energy that seems to have grown since the fight took place last night.
Elthana is right, and as she points it out, the others notice that a small purple bush has sprouted within the bare inner circle of the chamber, Both Sam and Gewyn note that it curiously popped up on the exact point where Gewyn disappeared during their watch.
Sam watches the spectacle with his mouth open and doesn't quite know what to make of it. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? A thing thing?
Eventually, Sam shakes his head a bit and regathers his thought. (Yes, he usually just has one at a time.) "We should get going," he suggests. "The day is well started and we have no idea what else we may stumble across in these caves. If Shionne, Rynwell, the giant, the redcaps and Old Thicket came through that portal, who knows what else may have..."
"I don't love just leaving it wide open for anything to come through behind us but I don't see much choice. Well, not much choice now that we decided not to just destroy it and call the whole thing done... Is that decided? Yeah? Ok, whatever... Have it your way."
"Unless there is more business here that must be done, let's get a move on..."
When the pouch of poison goo is presented, Elthana requests to check that out (taking that unless someone else wants it?) As Sam offers her the ring, she takes it and looks it over. (she'll hang on to it while cursed and once it is figured out what it is we can discuss it again.)
"Idea?" Elthana is brought back to the current situation when Gewyn starts asking her questions. "Well, not so sure if it is an idea or not, just that I think it has to do with you." She does grab a tuft of the purple leaves and tosses them into the portal to test out a theory... nothing happens. "A new melody you say? Uh.. sure, I'd love to hear it." and she awkwardly sits back down and waits to see what Gewyn is getting at.
While she sits there and Sam gets ready to go, "Hang on Sam, there is another step to this, I can feel it. It's what Gewyn needs to figure out, I think."
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“Well… that’s not a good thing… is it?” Sam asks himself, and Órga and Boris. The animals do not shout out any opinions…
“Gewyn?” Sam calls out in a hushed voice as he gets to his feet. “Gewyn, you invisible?? Or… gone?””
Sam rising stirs Órga and Boris as well, they both open their eyes and lift their heads to look to Sam. “Can you two sense him at all? Gewyn, I mean? Sniff him out of anything?”
Sam will wait, perhaps, a minute between calling out Gewyn’s name a few times, asking the beasts to sniff him out and then finally awakening the others if no sign of Gewyn has yet been discovered…
About a minute goes by with no sign of Gewyn. Then, without warning, Sam finds himself face-to-face, nose-to-nose with an identical copy of himself. "Boo," whispers the other Sam, holding Gewyn's mirror in his hand.
Sam is not a merry man.
There is no way Sam would not strike out against an apparition of himself suddenly appearing out of the dark, considering everything he and the group have been through… the question is, how would he strike out?
Considering this Fake Sam appears nose to nose with the real Sam, there’s a good 75% chance Sam would head but it first, then bring up his maul. Shits been crazy though, so 25% chance it’s straight to the maul… (76-00 maul…) 31
Sam attacks with a head-but (unarmed attack)
Unarmed Attack: Nat 20 plus 8 for a 28
Damage: 6 - Luckily only dice rolls get doubled, no dice rolls here so just 1 damage plus STR modifier… Or would the initial 1 be doubled to make it 7?
As Sam’s large, solid Half-Orc forehead thrust forward against the Fake Sam, he then takes a half step back and brings his maul into the ready position…
Boris snorts and claws at the dirt, working himself up for a brawl. Órga, on the other hand, sniffs the truth out… literally. With a roar the lion rushes forward and interposed himself between the two Sam’s , not wanting the Real Sam to do more damage to the other who his sniffer tells him is a friend…
"Ooohh," The other Sam sucks air through his teeth as he holds a hand to his forehead and stumbles back, turning away to walk it off for a few steps. His form diminishes in size and his skin turns to red, revealing it to unsurprisingly be Gewyn. "Yeah, you know what? I figured I had that coming. But damn if it doesn't make it hurt any less. Sorry, I didn't mean to disappear in the first place. My mirror reacted interestingly with the gem, and instead of just projecting my mind into the ethereal plane, my body went too. Good reflexes though. Makes me feel very safe with on guard."
Muir snores
“Wha…? Ho…? By the Gods Shitter! What the hell were you thinking??” Sam exclaims upon realizing its Gewyn. Sam rants for a bit and Órga eventually relaxes, turns around a couple times, then gets Comfortable again. Boris s snuffles around, snorting here and there, wondering if there’s going to be a brawl or not.
As Sam’s complaining peters out a grin grows on his face. “Damn, I nailed you a good one there! Sorry ‘bout that… yeah, you definitely had it coming but I really connected pretty well…. “
“So… what’s that mean? You actually go someplace else? Like where the Fey are from?”
Gewyn grins through the whole rant. "No, not where the fae come from. It's sort of like an ethereal space right beside this one. It's like if our whole world is a picture on a thin piece of parchment, and I simply passed through to the other side. I could still see the picture, but I was no longer... Ah who is this explanation even for? Look who I'm talking to. I went into the spooky ghost version of this world where I become a ghost and just float through stuff. So it's not really like I go someplace else. It's more just like I slip out the back door of this world for a quick smoke break, and then look in through the windows."
With their watch drawing to a close Sam and Gewyn wake Elthana and Muir for the last shift so that they can get enough rest to shake off this exhaustion.
When Elthana wakes, she looks no better, though her deformities had not stopped her from trancing and getting the much needed rest, she at least felt better from overcoming her exhaustion. Muir wakes too and along with Sam's summoned beasts, the pair keep an uneventful watch until everyone has completed a full long rest.
With the new day, the troubles of the previous night persist, the runes, the unstable portal and the identification of the few items collected.
Muir well rested, had spent a little time on his watch in meditation and prayer. He finished his leg of the watch and wasted no time working to repair the runes that were corrupted by the hag. He talks to himself out loud recalling his Sylvan teachings and using the mending spell to carefully repair the runes. He is engrossed in his work and pays little attention to the others other than Gewyn who is helping Muir.
Vin wakes up with a start, sitting up suddenly with a bit of panic. He looks around and seeing the place of infernal portal energy and corrupted scenery isn't immediately reassured. Neferox however nudges him with her nose and he looks to her and then see's his friends and after a few moments seems to relax. He says to her "I'm fine. Just a nightmare... a normal one" he adds realizing the situations they have been dealing with. He pets Nef a bit and gets up. Definitely not interested in sleeping right now. Seeing that the others are on watch and things seem fine he goes over to those awake and says "Do we have our next plan? We heard the clerics arrived, right? I thought the clerics would come this way while we were resting. It's not like the others didn't know we were here and there's a deadly portal. Might be something else is going on. I definitely don't feel comfortable leaving this portal unguarded though. Do we want some of us to stay here and the rest go to check on what's happening outside or do we all want to go together? I'm thinking since Gewyn and Muir understand the runes they stay here and continue to check them out in case something weird starts to happen or maybe they find a way to fix it. Sam maybe help keep them guarded while Nef, Elthana and me go to check things out. Might be the clerics can help you Elthana."
Before anyone goes anywhere though Vin offers to identify a couple items. "Last night I identified a couple things. Muir, the gloves you were interested in are specially designed to handle the charm fruits. The necrotic goo is some kind of poison that can be applied to things. Want me to check out that crystal ball and ring next?" While this is going on Neferox prowls around the parameter sniffing the ground and scouting around to make sure this place is clear before anyone leaves.
“I think I should head back with Elthana to the cave, and the clerics if they’re around. Plenty of unexplored tunnels here and there could still be trouble on the way out,” Sam says.
“I also think this place should be defended til we can clear the tunnels, maybe heal the portal. I was actually thinking you and Neferox could stay. Those two will likely be engrossed in what they’re doing and need someone looking out. Boris and Órga can still but they’ll disappear somewhere in the overnight,” Sam further explains.
Sam the sidles up close to Vin and adds in a hushed tone: “Condition Elthana is in she may need to be carried up a climb or something. I could carry her up a wall if need be but…” Sam leaves the rest unsaid with a shrug.
“Your choice,” Sam says, back to his regular levels. “If those two feel safe enough alone… Just personally I’d feel better if they had someone watching their backs.”
Vin looks to the other two to see how they react. Vin isn't sure how they will get around the caves with the bridge broken and it's possible they will run into trouble on the way out. There might even be something dangerous that is stopping the clerics from getting to them. "Well... If Sam thinks it's best. I'll stay here with you two." He motions to Muir and Gewyn. Vin seems a little worried. Clearly thinking it'll be more dangerous to leave through the unexplored cave then to stay here. He turns to Sam and says "Umm... do we know what impaled those other people on the trees? The giant wasn't tall enough like I thought. I think there might be something else in these caves that is quite dangerous."
Elthana stretches as she wakes, then looks down at her broken body and it takes all she has to not let it get the best of her. She struggles getting up, and those watching her can see a bit of pain etched in her face as she does. She spends a few moments trying to go through some of her ritual exercises.. but gives up with a huff when everything is in her body is working against her.
She's happy to see Gewyn and Muir already working on fixing the runes. She stares into the portal as she listens to Vin and Sam talk, apparently discussing her and her condition for the most part and it weighs on her more. She shouldn't be a burden to her friends, this is f*ing ridiculous.
As she stares at the portal, she notices that the green light in the center is slightly stronger than it was yesterday. There is also a purplish bush growing in the bare circle next to the portal. She thinks about what Gewyn is now able to do with his mirror and then pipes up, "Gewyn, when you're finished with the runes, I think... somehow you might be able to reinvigorate the portal."
Finally she turns to Vin and Sam, "Guys, I really appreciate what you are trying to do. I really do. I am ok though, I can wait until we get this figured out. We need to traverse a different path out of here to get back, and we don't know what that will entail, and I'd rather us all be together if that's alright." She walks over and puts a deformed hand on Sam's forearm. Then, seeing her hand and how it looks, pulls it back quickly, her head hanging low.
“Anything giant enough to reach down at treetops is unlikely squeezing into these tunnels. It was tough enough for Old Thicket to get out,” Sam counters but pauses to consider. “Could have been a bird dropping them… or maybe the hag and her broomstick?”
“I’m not thrilled splitting up. We’re safer and stronger together. I’m just torn between alerting our Allie’s and not leaving this thing I watched…”
Sam listens to Elthana and moves to put his other hand over hers but she’s already pulled hers away again. He frowns in understanding and despite her words wants to get her back to herself all the more. What he says though is “It’s more than just you. The others know about portals. More than we do… And the survivors need to know it’s over. Mostly…”
“And oh!” Sam says, remembering a thing. He takes the ring he’d found off his little finger and holds it out to Elthana. “Not sure exactly what it does but I’ve felt… safer. More protected. I think for now maybe you should wear it…”
Sam is interested in what idea Elthana may have to fix the portal and is eager to watch them try even though he suspects he won’t quite understand it. Working or not, he’s not comfortable with this thing just being here… But in the end that’s not really his task.
Gewyn steps back from the wall and turns to Muir. "So I've identified the problem. See here?" He points at one of the lines etched into the stone wall as part of a rune. "That line shouldn't be there. It's not part of the original symbol. But unless you have some way to repair it, I'm stumped." He looks over at Elthana.
"You had an idea?" Seeing her he is once again reminded of the discomfort she must be in. "I'd love to hear it. But before that, I want to try something. I've no clue if it will do anything, but I've had a new melody stuck in my head all night. So sit there, and do you mind if I place my hand on yours while I play?"
Muir looks at the line etched into the rune "I have mending....I could possibly mend the wall"
((Sam is proficient with Mason’s Tools if that’ll help ar all…))
Muir and Gewyn quickly sort out how to solve the Symbol problem with the six large etched runes on the side of the chamber walls, each symbol had a few marks that Rynwell had gauged upon them which needed to be erased, all in all with conversation back and forth on the intricacies of each rune, the pair figure out and mend each rune. It takes them an hour and a half all in all.
Once the final one is complete, the runes glow for a moment and a spectral dust drifts over the chamber searching out every nook and cranny before it is all drawn and swirled into the portal, the purification is slow at first, but once the infernal influence begins to recede toward the edge of the pool, it gains traction at a growing pace, ten minutes after the purification started there is no more infernal energy left and all that remains within the perfectly circular void, is the single more if green light, the Faewyld energy that seems to have grown since the fight took place last night.
Elthana is right, and as she points it out, the others notice that a small purple bush has sprouted within the bare inner circle of the chamber, Both Sam and Gewyn note that it curiously popped up on the exact point where Gewyn disappeared during their watch.
Sam watches the spectacle with his mouth open and doesn't quite know what to make of it. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? A thing thing?
Eventually, Sam shakes his head a bit and regathers his thought. (Yes, he usually just has one at a time.) "We should get going," he suggests. "The day is well started and we have no idea what else we may stumble across in these caves. If Shionne, Rynwell, the giant, the redcaps and Old Thicket came through that portal, who knows what else may have..."
"I don't love just leaving it wide open for anything to come through behind us but I don't see much choice. Well, not much choice now that we decided not to just destroy it and call the whole thing done... Is that decided? Yeah? Ok, whatever... Have it your way."
"Unless there is more business here that must be done, let's get a move on..."
When the pouch of poison goo is presented, Elthana requests to check that out (taking that unless someone else wants it?) As Sam offers her the ring, she takes it and looks it over. (she'll hang on to it while cursed and once it is figured out what it is we can discuss it again.)
"Idea?" Elthana is brought back to the current situation when Gewyn starts asking her questions. "Well, not so sure if it is an idea or not, just that I think it has to do with you." She does grab a tuft of the purple leaves and tosses them into the portal to test out a theory... nothing happens. "A new melody you say? Uh.. sure, I'd love to hear it." and she awkwardly sits back down and waits to see what Gewyn is getting at.
While she sits there and Sam gets ready to go, "Hang on Sam, there is another step to this, I can feel it. It's what Gewyn needs to figure out, I think."