Mizu freezes, staring at the blood around him and on his hands. This... this can't be real. It just can't be. Slowly, he looks back at his Master. The man who'd pulled his half-frozen body out of the snow and nursed him back to health. The man who'd trained him and cared for him when he had no family left to speak of. The man who'd given him the means to fight back agains the darkness around him. Then he notices the blood on his master's face.
"No..." Mizu's voice trembles, and he realizes that the fiery paladin has been wounded badly. "No... Master." He falls to his knees in front of the fire genasi trying to stop the bleeding with his clawed hands only to find that there is nothing he can do. Frantically he looks up at his master's face, "Master Ashtar, no... this... you can't... please..." Tears stream down his face, and his whole body quivers. Sobbing, he lets out a melancholy wail as he laments the devastation around him. He falls backwards, his vision blurred as the tears could his eyes. He reaches up to his head and grabs at the devils horns as if to rip them off, biting his own lip until it bleeds as his sobs wrack his small body.
When the efforts prove futile, he crawls forward on hands and knees until he's back in front of Ashtar, where he clutches the paladin's cloak and presses his forehead to the bloody ground, "This can't be real. Please. Master...." He can't find any words to say as the tears keep flowing. All he can do is clutch at the tattered garments of his wounded mentor, hoping and praying for this to end. Even if it costs his own life.
(Ok that's two more! I'll get Kullogal's and Mina's up as soon as I can. The rest of you can feel free to react to these visions. Everyone will need to make a Wisdom save as well.)
It's normal day in Saltmarsh. You're currently at your favorite bar, sipping your favorite drink. It's been a good day, just like the last few. You've managed to keep this place safe from every threat that's come your way, and your power has only grown in the time you've spent here. Perhaps it's grown strong enough to confront your brother again. With Saltmarsh safe, maybe you could travel to Baldur's Gate and investigate those rumor's you'd been hearing. Though you'd started hearing other rumors in different cities which sound similar to those in Baldur's gate, which could mean Xolo's on the move...
Suddenly a loud bang sounds from outside, followed by a bright flash and the screams of civilians outside. The wall just to your right is ripped to splinters, and you along with anyone around you are flung to the opposite side of the building. Ears ringing, you push yourself to your knees and look out the gaping hole in the wall. What's happening? You'd brought peace to Saltmarsh! Who would do this?
"Greetings Brother"
Despite the near deafness you are currently suffering, you hear those words loud and clear within your mind. Beyond the wall, a figure emerges from the smoke.
"It's been a while"
Xolo stops just inside the shattered wall. He smirks, fixing his eyes on you. He flicks his hand, and your body violently slams into the ceiling, across it, then you are flattened to the far wall. The other's who survived the blast start to scurry away as Xolo nonchalantly walks towards you. He stops just a few inches away from you.
"I've finally surpassed you. I've already destroyed everything you've built here, now all that's left is to destroy you...lest you build it back up again."
He continues to speak through your bond, with a sick grin spread across his face.
Mina:
It's been a while since you'd payed your brother a visit. You'd been overjoyed when you received his letter asking you to meet him on the shore where you used to compete as children. Luckily you were pretty close to the area, and it only took you a couple days to arrive here. He'd asked you to meet at dusk, and you arrived just in time.
However, as soon as you see his lone figure on the horizon, you know something is wrong.
He keeps his head down until you get close. Then he lifts his watery gaze to meet your eyes.
"Do you remember? That day?" He starts, his voice quivering, "When Lyla vanished?"
The question catches you off guard, and icy claws grip your heart. Why is he bringing that up? That had been so long ago...
"You were there weren't you. You were there with her! Why didn't you save her Mina?!"His voice is filled with grief and rage. "She wasn't just your friend you know! She was my friend too! Why didn't you at least let someone, anyone know what you saw? If you'd said anything, maybe we could have found her! ....but no, you just let her go."
Kulogall’s fists ball up and he feels rage start to flow inside of him. He feels the bond between him and Xolo become active again, how could he have ignored it? How could he have surprised him like this? The bond, the telepathic link that he used to love but now despised, his words shouting into his mind - and now with Kulogall’s reply. “Oh brother, how misguided you are! These people were just sitting here, trying to enjoy a nice day and you have to destroy it all! You just won’t stop, will you! Until I kill you? Is that what it takes? Who knows what will happen to me if I do that, with this bond we have… will I lose my mind? I just don’t care anymore! I have to stop you, to protect these people, I have to stop you with my magic, with my fist if it takes it, shove it right… down… your…. goddamn… throat!!”
A vortex of magical energy starts to surround Kulogall, like fire and water, fighting with each other, circling one another, whipping around his body he feels all of his muscles, his fists, his forearms clench in extreme force and impending violence….
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"What have I done??" Rowarin searches his depths of memory. How long has it been in this endless void now, minutes, days, weeks? Time has no meaning or significance anymore. The whole idea of searching for that power wasn't to end it all - it was supposed to bring harmonious peace and balance. "More fool I..." Rowarin says out loud, though no sound can be heard. Emptiness..
Rowarin feels the pulsating power coursing through his entire body. Radiating out waves of intense energies - if there was anything around him it would just be burning up like the rest of life. But like always, Rowarin has a plan. Something he can try, has to try, at least for his own sanity. He formulates a ploy - finding life. This is a big universe... a place of infinite possibilities... there must be something out there to balance, control even, the power within.
And with that, Rowarin no longer feels without significance. There is a purpose now - there is meaning. And Rowarin will find the answer.
"I...I...I am so so sorry!" Mina's voice raises with anguish and she falls to her knees. Tears start falling and she presses her fists into her eyes, rocking back and forth as the wave of absolute sorrow washes over her. Her normally straight as an arrow long elven ears droop as she mumbles, "I tried. I tried to save her, I just wasn't strong enough."
(Appologies for not answering the attack roll question earlier, they aren't necessary though. lol)
Leeta :
Regaining your footing, you stand up intending to go on the offensive. The drow almost casually dodges and blocks each and every move you make. For every time you miss him, he seems to land two or more blows on you. This drags on for what seems like hours, and you only grow more and more weary. "Come now Leeta, Is this the amount of endurance you have?" The line almost sounds taunting...that's not how Jezza was...was he? As the fighting continues, you start to notice his fighting style seems off. Something's not right. How did you get here? When did you decide to return? Where is Mizu?
Why can't you remember?
Suddenly it all makes sense. This isn't real.
Your vision suddenly spins and you find yourself standing in that strange room again. Accept now that red haze is gone, you can see the others clearly. Though currently they seem to be frozen, well all of them accept for Rixian and Kullogal.
(If you approach those still in the illution, you'd be able to tell that they are in distress as they will be showing the emotions they are feeling.)
Rixian:
As all those thoughts and feelings of guilt, pain, and regret circulate through you. You become more and more sure that something is definitely off. How did you get here? How did your friends get here? Once you've recovered from your initial shock of the situation, you immediately notice all the little details of how your friends were acting. All the little things that scream, this isn't real.
Your vision suddenly spins and you find yourself standing in that strange room again. Accept now that red haze is gone, you can see the others clearly. Though currently they seem to be frozen, well all of them accept for Leeta and Kullogal.
(If you approach those still in the illution, you'd be able to tell that they are in distress as they will be showing the emotions they are feeling.)
Mizu:
You collapse before your dying mentor, desperate to stop the damage that you had done to him. Yes, you are the one who caused this mess. Weakly, the wounded genasi places his hand on your head. "Perhaps....I can...." With his other hand, he grasps the hilt of his black-bladed sword. "Provide one last gift....we can....see paradise....together."
Suddenly you feel an intense pain as he plunges the fiery blade into your back. "Please...forgive me..." He coughs, blood dribbling down his chin. Then he collapses forward on top of you.
Despite the pain, you don't feel your life slipping away...even though any normal person would be at death's door with a wound like that. Shouldn't Ashtar have known demon's don't die so easily?
Take 6 psychic damage
And make another wis save.
Kullogal:
As you gather your arcane energy, the smug grin on Xolo's face swiftly vanishes. Not because he's realized he's in over his head, more because your shear force of will has blasted away the illusion. You nearly stumble when you are suddenly snapped out of the dream, having to cut your spell short as to not waste it. You may have escaped the dream, but those emotions you felt are still very much there. It had all felt so real. What would have happened if you hadn't broken free?
Looking around, you find yourself standing in that strange room again. Accept now that red haze is gone, you can see the others clearly. Though currently they seem to be frozen, well all of them accept for Leeta and Rixian.
(If you approach those still in the illution, you'd be able to tell that they are in distress as they will be showing the emotions they are feeling.)
Rowarin:
With your newfound purpose, you use that cursed power to propel yourself through space intending to find a new planet on which to reside. After what seems like an eternity of searching, you finally see it. A planet that can sustain life, that IS sustaining life. With your enhanced vision you can make out oceans, continents, countries; and as you get closer, cities, towns, animals, and....people.
Overjoyed, you fly closer. Oh the things you can learn here! The things you could teach these people! You fly closer still....then you feel that power surge inside you. It lashes out. The people below you look up and scream in terror as you descend upon them bringing the apocalypse on your shoulders.
How had you forgotten? It had been you and that cursed power that had torn your world apart...and now you have brought upon the destruction of yet another planet. All those people, living their peaceful lives...gone...all because of you.
Take 5 psychic damage
And make another wis save.
Mina
'You tried? You TRIED?! Well clearly your trying wasn't enough!" He yells at you. It's a good thing he'd chosen such an isolated place, or this would have drawn a crowd. "All this time, I looked up to you, admired you. I thought you were strong, but clearly I was wrong. Heh, you are right, you weren't strong enough and you still aren't strong enough. You'll never be strong enough to be worth anything! And you know? I'm not even talking about physical strength here. You didn't even have the guts to tell anyone what happened! Didn't you think that we would have had a CHANCE at finding her had you just spoken up?!"
That's right, you didn't tell anyone what happened....so how does he know about this?
Take 5 psychic damage
And make another wis save.
(For those who broke out of the illusion, you can try to help the others get out of the dream. If you do so, they will get advantage on their wis saves.)
Kulogall comes to his senses and is tense, shaking his hands and arms, then he sees his good friend Mina going through her own struggles, he recognizes and becomes aware that she is facing her own very real illusion. He grips her by the shoulders and calls to her, “Mina, whatever you are seeing, don’t believe it, it is not true. This is Kulogall, come to me, follow the sound of my voice in your mind…you must awake!”
(gives her Adv on next wisdom save)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Mizu stares in shock, clutching at his dead mentor's body as he collapses onto him. He coughs blood, and his eyes go wide at the realization of what just happened. The blade in his back burns in addition to the stabbing pain. Yet his heart still beats and he can feel some accursed power attempting to push the sword out of his flesh and knit his wound back together.
He gags, a gurgle slipping from his throat as he chocks on his tears and the blood in his mouth. Then he reaches behind him to grab the hilt of the sword with one hand whilst his other hand still clutches at Ashtar's bloody cloak. Gritting his teeth, he pulls the sword from his body, letting out a pain filled cry and a gasp as he feels the false-life forced back into him. His hand trembles with the sword in his grasp--his mentor's sword, not his. He stares at it for a moment, tears still streaming down his face alongside the blood. Then he looks down at the back of his mentor's head. This... this can't be...
But it was. And what can he do to change it?
Instead of letting out another anguished cry, he moved to gently lay Ashtar on the bloodied ground. Then he stood up, still holding the sword in his trembling hand. The sword had failed to kill him once, but... perhaps it won't a second time. Slowly, he raises the blade to his neck, and prepares to slit his own throat.
Gasping for air, Rixi stares at his Shifter friends one more time, noticing the way they've all been acting around him isn't exactly what he perceives. The tears that Daisy is shedding, the way she withdraws into the sand... That's not how she'd react. The rest, well, they should appear to be more resilient. Even as Rixi reaches out a hand to help his girlfriend to her knees and reconcile, all he felt was nothing. And that's when it struck him in the head: It was all a lie. A lie to draw out the unwanted inside of him... It's just as he said. It's not real.
Suddenly, he felt the curse inside of him fading without any notice, other than his entire armour glowing bright orange instead of red this time. That thing that's has laid dormant inside the devil's grasp... it has broken free. And now, Rixi can feel this newfound sensation telling him... to let go. To know that this isn't real. Taking one last breath, Rixi, despite feeling a massive spin in his head, spins his flaming polearm one last time before slashing at not only his targets, but also his illusory friends, to take out the illusion that almost succeeded in consuming him. It works, and for a moment, the young paladin took a moment to finally take the weight off his shoulders and breathe, the molten tears in his eyes running slowly and loosely down his cheeks. "Sore ga nandeare... Arigato (それが何であれ...ありがとう, Whatever that was... Thank you)" He whispers to himself as he starts to weep. Or at least... that's what he thought. Because the next this he observes is... Oh no. Leeta appears fine. And one of his supposed 'enemies'. But Rowarin isn't. He appears paranoid. And frozen. Just like himself.
"Rowarin-kun?! Rowa!" Rixi yells out to him as he dashes to him, drop his glaive onto the ground as the flames extinguish and attempts to shake him back into consciousness. He also heats up his hands in the process just in case the screaming doesn't work, to the point where Rowarin might be able to feel the pain of it; The last thing Rixi wants is to lose a new friend so soon. "It's not real. It's not real! Rowarin-kun! Okite kudasai (起きてください)! Wake up please! Force yourself back into the real world!"
Mina recoils at her brother's voice. Her sobs become wails as the pain hurts more of the loss than even of his words. She finally lowers her hands and opens her eyes, glaring at her brother, "How did you know?? How could you possibly know what I did? There's nothing you could have done... she.. she...she's gone." and her voice goes down to a whimper, the despair washing over her.
Feeling a faint movement at her shoulders and the sound of Kulogall's voice over the waves.. she makes her save again:
"Who are you? You are not like this!", Leeta asks as she keeps striking and failing, and as she keeps receiving more punches and kicks that she never manages to dodge. But who is this question addresssed to? Is she talking about Jezza, or is she talking about herself? Her master never once mocked her. Why would he start doing it now? And what about her? Since when was she a fearful little child afraid of her master, or of the quality the skills that both the drow and herself had worked so much to master.
The halfling blinks and she is no longer in Jezza's house, but on the tunnel they entered once they used Mizu's key. Speaking of ... how is everyone? Have they had strange visions too? She can see many of her friends look as confused as she is, but they seem to be doing fine. Rowarin, Mina and Mizu, however, are frozen. Does this mean they are trapped inside their visions? As Rixian helps Rowarin and Kulogall does the same with Mina, the mini monk rushes for her childhood friend. "Mizu! Mizu!?", she calls for him as she grabs the fighter's hands, "Mizu, listen to me. Whatever you are seeing, it's all a lie. Follow my voice, Mizu, you can do this! You can snap out of this nightmare!". She pulls gently, hoping with this he can find his way to her more easily.
Rowarin soars with purpose, until at last, he finds what he was searching for. A planet - a new beacon of life. Hope. He scans the planet as he gets ever closer and sees there are oceans, plant-life, and... people. Actual people!! At last, it has been so long... he thinks to himself.
Speeding up, he zooms towards the planet. But entering the atmosphere he feels that pull again. That power... wait! Oh no! "Damn it, what am I doing??!" Rowarin yells out loud as he comes soaring down. But it's too late - the powers within are already lashing out. Reaching for what life it finds... as the destruction begins. Storms raging, the earth shaking, sky splitting end-of-the-world type destruction. Before he can react and leave, he watches as he causes complete annihilation of the planet. Rowarin cries out in anguish "Noooooo!"
Wisdom Saving Throw:6
Floating in another endless void. Tears frozen upon his cheeks, his eyes reddened from the pain. He clutches himself tightly, as the debris of the fallen world he has just vanquished propels aimlessly around him. Maybe he will just stay here a while... he needs time. Time to think. And it seems he has plenty of that here.
Turning her eyes away for a moment from Mizu, Leeta looks at the rest of her companions. They seem to be doing better? Well, all of them except Rowarin, whose eyes seem to be fixed in some distant point of the room. Gods know what sort of illusion he is trapped in! "Rowarin!", the mini monk calls, "Rowarin! Come back to us! I don't know what kind of vision has trapped you but I assure you that living your real life in the real world is much better! Come back, please. I will ask Podrick to bite you if that is what it takes to wake you up!"
Kulogall says to Rowarin with a message, “Rowarin, this is not real. Come back to us! We are standing right here with you! Come back…..”. He takes hold of him and shakes his shoulders to try and help with the end of the illusion..
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Mizu blinks, tears still rolling down his cheeks as he holds Ashtar's... no, his own blade to his throat. His world spins for a moment as he hears Leeta's voice, and he drops his saber as he realizes what's happening. He meets Leeta's eyes, staring at her in shock as he slips back into reality. He clenches his teeth, dropping his other saber as well as he holds back another wave of crying. Looking around, his body trembles in both relief and belated fear as he sinks to his knees--hands slipping from Leeta's as he lowers his gaze to the floor. He'd thought he'd overcome these feelings a long time ago, but apparently he'd been very wrong. Vaguely, he's aware of Leeta talking to Rowaran, but his mind is still spinning from what he'd just witnessed. So, he just takes a moment to recompose himself--sitting on his knees with both hands on the ground in front of him as he fights back the shakiness that has momentarily robbed him of mobility. His face is still wet from all the crying he's been doing... which now he finds embarrassing, realizing that everyone else has also been stuck in some sort of illusion. ...An illusion... it all was fake after all.
Still, it was like waking up from something worse than a nightmare. He'll never be able to forget what he'd just been subjected to, and that paired with the real memories from his past will haunt him forever. He clenches his fists, trying to find anything other than grief and fear to latch onto--even if that emotion is just anger, but at the moment all he can do is shiver and try to hold back the rest of his tears.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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(Does Kulogall have a vision too?)
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Mizu freezes, staring at the blood around him and on his hands. This... this can't be real. It just can't be. Slowly, he looks back at his Master. The man who'd pulled his half-frozen body out of the snow and nursed him back to health. The man who'd trained him and cared for him when he had no family left to speak of. The man who'd given him the means to fight back agains the darkness around him. Then he notices the blood on his master's face.
"No..." Mizu's voice trembles, and he realizes that the fiery paladin has been wounded badly. "No... Master." He falls to his knees in front of the fire genasi trying to stop the bleeding with his clawed hands only to find that there is nothing he can do. Frantically he looks up at his master's face, "Master Ashtar, no... this... you can't... please..." Tears stream down his face, and his whole body quivers. Sobbing, he lets out a melancholy wail as he laments the devastation around him. He falls backwards, his vision blurred as the tears could his eyes. He reaches up to his head and grabs at the devils horns as if to rip them off, biting his own lip until it bleeds as his sobs wrack his small body.
When the efforts prove futile, he crawls forward on hands and knees until he's back in front of Ashtar, where he clutches the paladin's cloak and presses his forehead to the bloody ground, "This can't be real. Please. Master...." He can't find any words to say as the tears keep flowing. All he can do is clutch at the tattered garments of his wounded mentor, hoping and praying for this to end. Even if it costs his own life.
I think Rynn just ran out of time to write one for Kulogall and Mina in her last post. We should all have visions I believe...
Yep! She said so! :)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Lol, looks like I forgot my wisdom save :'D
Wis: 5
Kullogal
It's normal day in Saltmarsh. You're currently at your favorite bar, sipping your favorite drink. It's been a good day, just like the last few. You've managed to keep this place safe from every threat that's come your way, and your power has only grown in the time you've spent here. Perhaps it's grown strong enough to confront your brother again. With Saltmarsh safe, maybe you could travel to Baldur's Gate and investigate those rumor's you'd been hearing. Though you'd started hearing other rumors in different cities which sound similar to those in Baldur's gate, which could mean Xolo's on the move...
Suddenly a loud bang sounds from outside, followed by a bright flash and the screams of civilians outside. The wall just to your right is ripped to splinters, and you along with anyone around you are flung to the opposite side of the building. Ears ringing, you push yourself to your knees and look out the gaping hole in the wall. What's happening? You'd brought peace to Saltmarsh! Who would do this?
"Greetings Brother"
Despite the near deafness you are currently suffering, you hear those words loud and clear within your mind. Beyond the wall, a figure emerges from the smoke.
"It's been a while"
Xolo stops just inside the shattered wall. He smirks, fixing his eyes on you. He flicks his hand, and your body violently slams into the ceiling, across it, then you are flattened to the far wall. The other's who survived the blast start to scurry away as Xolo nonchalantly walks towards you. He stops just a few inches away from you.
"I've finally surpassed you. I've already destroyed everything you've built here, now all that's left is to destroy you...lest you build it back up again."
He continues to speak through your bond, with a sick grin spread across his face.
Mina:
It's been a while since you'd payed your brother a visit. You'd been overjoyed when you received his letter asking you to meet him on the shore where you used to compete as children. Luckily you were pretty close to the area, and it only took you a couple days to arrive here. He'd asked you to meet at dusk, and you arrived just in time.
However, as soon as you see his lone figure on the horizon, you know something is wrong.
He keeps his head down until you get close. Then he lifts his watery gaze to meet your eyes.
"Do you remember? That day?" He starts, his voice quivering, "When Lyla vanished?"
The question catches you off guard, and icy claws grip your heart. Why is he bringing that up? That had been so long ago...
"You were there weren't you. You were there with her! Why didn't you save her Mina?!" His voice is filled with grief and rage. "She wasn't just your friend you know! She was my friend too! Why didn't you at least let someone, anyone know what you saw? If you'd said anything, maybe we could have found her! ....but no, you just let her go."
Kulogall wisdom save : 15
Kulogall’s fists ball up and he feels rage start to flow inside of him. He feels the bond between him and Xolo become active again, how could he have ignored it? How could he have surprised him like this? The bond, the telepathic link that he used to love but now despised, his words shouting into his mind - and now with Kulogall’s reply. “Oh brother, how misguided you are! These people were just sitting here, trying to enjoy a nice day and you have to destroy it all! You just won’t stop, will you! Until I kill you? Is that what it takes? Who knows what will happen to me if I do that, with this bond we have… will I lose my mind? I just don’t care anymore! I have to stop you, to protect these people, I have to stop you with my magic, with my fist if it takes it, shove it right… down… your…. goddamn… throat!!”
A vortex of magical energy starts to surround Kulogall, like fire and water, fighting with each other, circling one another, whipping around his body he feels all of his muscles, his fists, his forearms clench in extreme force and impending violence….
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"What have I done??" Rowarin searches his depths of memory. How long has it been in this endless void now, minutes, days, weeks? Time has no meaning or significance anymore. The whole idea of searching for that power wasn't to end it all - it was supposed to bring harmonious peace and balance. "More fool I..." Rowarin says out loud, though no sound can be heard. Emptiness..
Rowarin feels the pulsating power coursing through his entire body. Radiating out waves of intense energies - if there was anything around him it would just be burning up like the rest of life. But like always, Rowarin has a plan. Something he can try, has to try, at least for his own sanity. He formulates a ploy - finding life. This is a big universe... a place of infinite possibilities... there must be something out there to balance, control even, the power within.
And with that, Rowarin no longer feels without significance. There is a purpose now - there is meaning. And Rowarin will find the answer.
Wisdom Saving Throw: 6
"I...I...I am so so sorry!" Mina's voice raises with anguish and she falls to her knees. Tears start falling and she presses her fists into her eyes, rocking back and forth as the wave of absolute sorrow washes over her. Her normally straight as an arrow long elven ears droop as she mumbles, "I tried. I tried to save her, I just wasn't strong enough."
WIS Save: 11
(Appologies for not answering the attack roll question earlier, they aren't necessary though. lol)
Leeta :
Regaining your footing, you stand up intending to go on the offensive. The drow almost casually dodges and blocks each and every move you make. For every time you miss him, he seems to land two or more blows on you. This drags on for what seems like hours, and you only grow more and more weary. "Come now Leeta, Is this the amount of endurance you have?" The line almost sounds taunting...that's not how Jezza was...was he? As the fighting continues, you start to notice his fighting style seems off. Something's not right. How did you get here? When did you decide to return? Where is Mizu?
Why can't you remember?
Suddenly it all makes sense. This isn't real.
Your vision suddenly spins and you find yourself standing in that strange room again. Accept now that red haze is gone, you can see the others clearly. Though currently they seem to be frozen, well all of them accept for Rixian and Kullogal.
(If you approach those still in the illution, you'd be able to tell that they are in distress as they will be showing the emotions they are feeling.)
Rixian:
As all those thoughts and feelings of guilt, pain, and regret circulate through you. You become more and more sure that something is definitely off. How did you get here? How did your friends get here? Once you've recovered from your initial shock of the situation, you immediately notice all the little details of how your friends were acting. All the little things that scream, this isn't real.
Your vision suddenly spins and you find yourself standing in that strange room again. Accept now that red haze is gone, you can see the others clearly. Though currently they seem to be frozen, well all of them accept for Leeta and Kullogal.
(If you approach those still in the illution, you'd be able to tell that they are in distress as they will be showing the emotions they are feeling.)
Mizu:
You collapse before your dying mentor, desperate to stop the damage that you had done to him. Yes, you are the one who caused this mess. Weakly, the wounded genasi places his hand on your head. "Perhaps....I can...." With his other hand, he grasps the hilt of his black-bladed sword. "Provide one last gift....we can....see paradise....together."
Suddenly you feel an intense pain as he plunges the fiery blade into your back. "Please...forgive me..." He coughs, blood dribbling down his chin. Then he collapses forward on top of you.
Despite the pain, you don't feel your life slipping away...even though any normal person would be at death's door with a wound like that. Shouldn't Ashtar have known demon's don't die so easily?
Take 6 psychic damage
And make another wis save.
Kullogal:
As you gather your arcane energy, the smug grin on Xolo's face swiftly vanishes. Not because he's realized he's in over his head, more because your shear force of will has blasted away the illusion. You nearly stumble when you are suddenly snapped out of the dream, having to cut your spell short as to not waste it. You may have escaped the dream, but those emotions you felt are still very much there. It had all felt so real. What would have happened if you hadn't broken free?
Looking around, you find yourself standing in that strange room again. Accept now that red haze is gone, you can see the others clearly. Though currently they seem to be frozen, well all of them accept for Leeta and Rixian.
(If you approach those still in the illution, you'd be able to tell that they are in distress as they will be showing the emotions they are feeling.)
Rowarin:
With your newfound purpose, you use that cursed power to propel yourself through space intending to find a new planet on which to reside. After what seems like an eternity of searching, you finally see it. A planet that can sustain life, that IS sustaining life. With your enhanced vision you can make out oceans, continents, countries; and as you get closer, cities, towns, animals, and....people.
Overjoyed, you fly closer. Oh the things you can learn here! The things you could teach these people! You fly closer still....then you feel that power surge inside you. It lashes out. The people below you look up and scream in terror as you descend upon them bringing the apocalypse on your shoulders.
How had you forgotten? It had been you and that cursed power that had torn your world apart...and now you have brought upon the destruction of yet another planet. All those people, living their peaceful lives...gone...all because of you.
Take 5 psychic damage
And make another wis save.
Mina
'You tried? You TRIED?! Well clearly your trying wasn't enough!" He yells at you. It's a good thing he'd chosen such an isolated place, or this would have drawn a crowd. "All this time, I looked up to you, admired you. I thought you were strong, but clearly I was wrong. Heh, you are right, you weren't strong enough and you still aren't strong enough. You'll never be strong enough to be worth anything! And you know? I'm not even talking about physical strength here. You didn't even have the guts to tell anyone what happened! Didn't you think that we would have had a CHANCE at finding her had you just spoken up?!"
That's right, you didn't tell anyone what happened....so how does he know about this?
Take 5 psychic damage
And make another wis save.
(For those who broke out of the illusion, you can try to help the others get out of the dream. If you do so, they will get advantage on their wis saves.)
Kulogall comes to his senses and is tense, shaking his hands and arms, then he sees his good friend Mina going through her own struggles, he recognizes and becomes aware that she is facing her own very real illusion. He grips her by the shoulders and calls to her, “Mina, whatever you are seeing, don’t believe it, it is not true. This is Kulogall, come to me, follow the sound of my voice in your mind…you must awake!”
(gives her Adv on next wisdom save)
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Mizu stares in shock, clutching at his dead mentor's body as he collapses onto him. He coughs blood, and his eyes go wide at the realization of what just happened. The blade in his back burns in addition to the stabbing pain. Yet his heart still beats and he can feel some accursed power attempting to push the sword out of his flesh and knit his wound back together.
He gags, a gurgle slipping from his throat as he chocks on his tears and the blood in his mouth. Then he reaches behind him to grab the hilt of the sword with one hand whilst his other hand still clutches at Ashtar's bloody cloak. Gritting his teeth, he pulls the sword from his body, letting out a pain filled cry and a gasp as he feels the false-life forced back into him. His hand trembles with the sword in his grasp--his mentor's sword, not his. He stares at it for a moment, tears still streaming down his face alongside the blood. Then he looks down at the back of his mentor's head. This... this can't be...
But it was. And what can he do to change it?
Instead of letting out another anguished cry, he moved to gently lay Ashtar on the bloodied ground. Then he stood up, still holding the sword in his trembling hand. The sword had failed to kill him once, but... perhaps it won't a second time. Slowly, he raises the blade to his neck, and prepares to slit his own throat.
Wisdom save: 22
Gasping for air, Rixi stares at his Shifter friends one more time, noticing the way they've all been acting around him isn't exactly what he perceives. The tears that Daisy is shedding, the way she withdraws into the sand... That's not how she'd react. The rest, well, they should appear to be more resilient. Even as Rixi reaches out a hand to help his girlfriend to her knees and reconcile, all he felt was nothing. And that's when it struck him in the head: It was all a lie. A lie to draw out the unwanted inside of him... It's just as he said. It's not real.
Suddenly, he felt the curse inside of him fading without any notice, other than his entire armour glowing bright orange instead of red this time. That thing that's has laid dormant inside the devil's grasp... it has broken free. And now, Rixi can feel this newfound sensation telling him... to let go. To know that this isn't real. Taking one last breath, Rixi, despite feeling a massive spin in his head, spins his flaming polearm one last time before slashing at not only his targets, but also his illusory friends, to take out the illusion that almost succeeded in consuming him. It works, and for a moment, the young paladin took a moment to finally take the weight off his shoulders and breathe, the molten tears in his eyes running slowly and loosely down his cheeks. "Sore ga nandeare... Arigato (それが何であれ...ありがとう, Whatever that was... Thank you)" He whispers to himself as he starts to weep. Or at least... that's what he thought. Because the next this he observes is... Oh no. Leeta appears fine. And one of his supposed 'enemies'. But Rowarin isn't. He appears paranoid. And frozen. Just like himself.
"Rowarin-kun?! Rowa!" Rixi yells out to him as he dashes to him, drop his glaive onto the ground as the flames extinguish and attempts to shake him back into consciousness. He also heats up his hands in the process just in case the screaming doesn't work, to the point where Rowarin might be able to feel the pain of it; The last thing Rixi wants is to lose a new friend so soon. "It's not real. It's not real! Rowarin-kun! Okite kudasai (起きてください)! Wake up please! Force yourself back into the real world!"
(Rowarin will get advantage on his next WIS save)
The Wildland Shifters
Daisy Ethalena - Female Wood Elf Ranger (Monster Slayer)
Ethan Wolftree - Male Simic Hybrid Warlock (The Hexblade)
Mira Laurits - Female Harengon Sorcerer (Clockwork Soul)
Raiden Kurosaki - Male Kitsune Wizard (Bladesinger)
Rixian Nishinoya - Male Fire Genasi Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)
Tenebris Amaro - Male Dark Elf Druid (Circle of Stars)
Yurime Hanasaki - Female Kumiho Bard (College Of Creation)
Mina recoils at her brother's voice. Her sobs become wails as the pain hurts more of the loss than even of his words. She finally lowers her hands and opens her eyes, glaring at her brother, "How did you know?? How could you possibly know what I did? There's nothing you could have done... she.. she...she's gone." and her voice goes down to a whimper, the despair washing over her.
Feeling a faint movement at her shoulders and the sound of Kulogall's voice over the waves.. she makes her save again:
WIS save w/adv: 23
"Who are you? You are not like this!", Leeta asks as she keeps striking and failing, and as she keeps receiving more punches and kicks that she never manages to dodge. But who is this question addresssed to? Is she talking about Jezza, or is she talking about herself? Her master never once mocked her. Why would he start doing it now? And what about her? Since when was she a fearful little child afraid of her master, or of the quality the skills that both the drow and herself had worked so much to master.
The halfling blinks and she is no longer in Jezza's house, but on the tunnel they entered once they used Mizu's key. Speaking of ... how is everyone? Have they had strange visions too? She can see many of her friends look as confused as she is, but they seem to be doing fine. Rowarin, Mina and Mizu, however, are frozen. Does this mean they are trapped inside their visions? As Rixian helps Rowarin and Kulogall does the same with Mina, the mini monk rushes for her childhood friend. "Mizu! Mizu!?", she calls for him as she grabs the fighter's hands, "Mizu, listen to me. Whatever you are seeing, it's all a lie. Follow my voice, Mizu, you can do this! You can snap out of this nightmare!". She pulls gently, hoping with this he can find his way to her more easily.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Lets see if Mizu gets a 6 this time :'D
Wis save: 16
Rowarin soars with purpose, until at last, he finds what he was searching for. A planet - a new beacon of life. Hope. He scans the planet as he gets ever closer and sees there are oceans, plant-life, and... people. Actual people!! At last, it has been so long... he thinks to himself.
Speeding up, he zooms towards the planet. But entering the atmosphere he feels that pull again. That power... wait! Oh no! "Damn it, what am I doing??!" Rowarin yells out loud as he comes soaring down. But it's too late - the powers within are already lashing out. Reaching for what life it finds... as the destruction begins. Storms raging, the earth shaking, sky splitting end-of-the-world type destruction. Before he can react and leave, he watches as he causes complete annihilation of the planet. Rowarin cries out in anguish "Noooooo!"
Wisdom Saving Throw: 6
Floating in another endless void. Tears frozen upon his cheeks, his eyes reddened from the pain. He clutches himself tightly, as the debris of the fallen world he has just vanquished propels aimlessly around him. Maybe he will just stay here a while... he needs time. Time to think. And it seems he has plenty of that here.
Turning her eyes away for a moment from Mizu, Leeta looks at the rest of her companions. They seem to be doing better? Well, all of them except Rowarin, whose eyes seem to be fixed in some distant point of the room. Gods know what sort of illusion he is trapped in! "Rowarin!", the mini monk calls, "Rowarin! Come back to us! I don't know what kind of vision has trapped you but I assure you that living your real life in the real world is much better! Come back, please. I will ask Podrick to bite you if that is what it takes to wake you up!"
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Kulogall says to Rowarin with a message, “Rowarin, this is not real. Come back to us! We are standing right here with you! Come back…..”. He takes hold of him and shakes his shoulders to try and help with the end of the illusion..
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Mizu blinks, tears still rolling down his cheeks as he holds Ashtar's... no, his own blade to his throat. His world spins for a moment as he hears Leeta's voice, and he drops his saber as he realizes what's happening. He meets Leeta's eyes, staring at her in shock as he slips back into reality. He clenches his teeth, dropping his other saber as well as he holds back another wave of crying. Looking around, his body trembles in both relief and belated fear as he sinks to his knees--hands slipping from Leeta's as he lowers his gaze to the floor. He'd thought he'd overcome these feelings a long time ago, but apparently he'd been very wrong. Vaguely, he's aware of Leeta talking to Rowaran, but his mind is still spinning from what he'd just witnessed. So, he just takes a moment to recompose himself--sitting on his knees with both hands on the ground in front of him as he fights back the shakiness that has momentarily robbed him of mobility. His face is still wet from all the crying he's been doing... which now he finds embarrassing, realizing that everyone else has also been stuck in some sort of illusion. ...An illusion... it all was fake after all.
Still, it was like waking up from something worse than a nightmare. He'll never be able to forget what he'd just been subjected to, and that paired with the real memories from his past will haunt him forever. He clenches his fists, trying to find anything other than grief and fear to latch onto--even if that emotion is just anger, but at the moment all he can do is shiver and try to hold back the rest of his tears.