Meredith and Erudisia play a shell game with the music box/book, and Shemshime extends one way, then darts the other, but remains a step behind the wily pair. Turning briskly, it slams full force into one of Little One’s fists, which explodes the shadow into a sticky mass of turgid inky mist. But only a moment later it sucks back into itself and expands back into the same angular, lanky shadow form.
You hear the bedtime rhyme echoing from the deep under Candlekeep, where the Eternal Chant continues repeating the refrain, and with every word, Shemshime’s power burgeons darker and inkier. Suddenly, all lights blink off. You hear in the distance another melee break out as uncontrolled rage overwhelms the scholars of Candlekeep. Ebder, Gailby, and Crinkle simply fall unconscious, overwhelmed by the nearness of Shemshime’s power. Valna grits her teeth and fights off the urge to fight, as does Little One and you three. But not without a cost. You are paralyzed for a long moment, fighting the urge to pummel your friends. As you fight this internal battle of wills against yourself, you hear Shemshime’s voice in your heads. Yes! The evil creature’s boss rant begins!
“Long have I waited, trapped on the other side of a chasm of radiance which kept me prisoner in a terrible bright place. But that ridiculous gnome who hoped to keep me apart from the living by recording my past conquests as a warning, did not realize the conduit he created with his song, with that book, which I was able to seed with a shadow of my shadow power, even from my distant planar prison!! Hahahah! I almost made it out centuries ago, but was stopped at the last minute when everyone singing my song died before I could build enough power to bridge the gap. What a pity, hehe! But not this time! Your ridiculous chanters have given me everything I need. And soon, your wretched Castle will lie in ruins and the Sword Coast’s luck will change forever!
Hahahaha!”
Valna has fallen to the floor with Bell, just to the north of the central study table. On the south side of the table, Little One stands, ready to leap to the east and slam Shemshime with his fists. Meredith stands atop the table holding Shemshime’s Bedtime Rhyme. Shemshime is now just to the east of the table, between the table and Erudisia, who stands farther east near the spiral staircase up to the top level of the Firefly Cellar.
This means Meredith is now, atop the table, directly underneath the 1200 pound stone book statue engraved with the words “BE CURIOUS.” Erudisia has a good view of the rusty chains suspending the statue from the ceiling. Bell, Valna, and Little One are in danger of being crushed if the statue falls. Meredith will certainly perish if it falls where she is standing. And Shemshime is not under the statue at all at this moment.
All three, please post actions.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
Erudisia casts Gust. The incredible trick-shot aim of her last casting beyond her grasp, she hopes a straight forward blast of air is enough, as she seeks to push Sheshime back and onto the table and toward its book.
Meredith squats down on her haunches with the book hugged close, " Oi!!! You stupid shadow thing! You have an entire fortress under your command and you can't even properly beat up half a dozen librarians.....pathetic....I've met silverfish scarier than you on the daily here."
Meredith’s taunting hits its mark and the evil spirit focuses wholly upon her, rising up like a dark star before her. But Shemshime, though tall and lanky, is like a child’s shadow, cast across a whole field by the setting sun and dwarfing its originator, and is proportionally insubstantial. It only possesses the physical strength of the child, not the long, graceful muscles of a hundred-yard shadow.
It is, therefore, nearly powerless to withstand the arcane summoning of Erudisia’s forceful Gust. Shemshime is shoved away from Erudisia, and up atop the table facing Meredith.
Bell, we will say, pushes Varnyr away from the study table and the 10 foot-wide stone book statue suspended above it.
Little One reaches up and pulls apart the dark spirit at the seems, ectoplasm squirting in all directions. But it reforms in an instant.
“I’ll have that book!,” Shemshime’s no-longer laughing tone resounds in your minds. The dark spirit attacks Meredith with its Maddening Touch. Since the bard took no action but to lure the creature there, I’ll give her a free dodge:
(16 to hit, for 11 psychic damage.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
Meredith feels the talons rake across her mind but remains stoic, seeing Little One come forward she curses then yells, " Little One! Protect Bell!", hoping that will get him clear and not tip her hand.
She summoned the fey energies up into her form but held them unreleased.................
( Held Action- Misty Step. When Erudisia fires her spell at the chain. She will drop the book to be crushed as well...there's no knowledge there she wants preserved.)
Bell, we will say, pushes Varnyr away from the study table and the 10 foot-wide stone book statue suspended above it.
Things were happening so fast it was almost impossible to keep track of it all. All Bell knew was, she felt weak as a kitten but, had to help Valna move to safety. Making it to her hands and knees, she struggled forward, toward the prone priestess and her staff. Above and behind Bell, sounds of combat and intermittant screeches of rage echoed about the room.
With a deep throated groan, Bell lunged, wrapping an arm around Valna's waist. *omph* 'Valna, for being a slim, willowy person, you sure are a lot heavier than you look,' Bell thought to herself as she scrabbled backward on the dusty stone floor. Adrenaline sang in her veins but, was fading fast as she yanked harder, pulling Valna with her.
Heart hammered against her ribs, Bell gave one last pull on Valna before practically collapsing on top of her. As her vision faded and her head spun, Bell hoped she had gotten them both out of the immediate danger of the battle.
Erudisia sees the magic of the Misty Step form half-spoken on Meredith’s lips, a favourite trick of her own bardic father, and understands her intention immediately.
She speaks the Auran words of her thunderous Eldritch Blast and fires the actinic flash at the chain that supports the gargantuan tome, the looming deadline, the weight of knowledge.
Erudisia’s crackling bolt explodes into the chain, and Meredith Misty Steps away from the study table, leaving the cursed tome behind. Pebbles rain from the ceiling where the chains attach holding up the suspended winged book statue, but the chains, though rusted, though they groan, hold firm (AC is 19!).
Little One, following Erudisia’s shout, rushed to Bell and Valna, picking up one under each arm and carrying them to the far end of the room. But when he looks back over his shoulder, his expression is horrified.
Shemshime steps lightly forward and one spidery arm reaches down, plucking up Shemshime’s Bedtime Rhyme. “Hahahaha!! It is mine, a memento to the turning tide of the world. Of a stop gap that just din’t work!! Hahahaha!” Then it focuses on Erudisia. “Come to me, girl. Your time has come. Why fight it any longer?” It walks to the edge of the study table but remains atop it like a royal dais.
Its voice like thin tendrils of hopelessness, sifts through the cracks in Erudisia’s mind. (Persuade: 22). (N.B. Any normal person would probably give up, but PCs are not subject to Persuasion or Intimidation.)
Bell goes in and out of consciousness as she vaguely feels Little One lifts and carries her across the room. She knows all her spell magic is gone and all she has left are handful of cantrips - none of which would touch the stone 'book' or the chains. Instead, she can only call down another Sacred Flame in the hope it distracts the ebony shadow on the study table.
Erudisia passes the book to Meredith and begins to dart the other way with a graceful spin and arabesque.
Meredith and Erudisia play a shell game with the music box/book, and Shemshime extends one way, then darts the other, but remains a step behind the wily pair. Turning briskly, it slams full force into one of Little One’s fists, which explodes the shadow into a sticky mass of turgid inky mist. But only a moment later it sucks back into itself and expands back into the same angular, lanky shadow form.
You hear the bedtime rhyme echoing from the deep under Candlekeep, where the Eternal Chant continues repeating the refrain, and with every word, Shemshime’s power burgeons darker and inkier. Suddenly, all lights blink off. You hear in the distance another melee break out as uncontrolled rage overwhelms the scholars of Candlekeep. Ebder, Gailby, and Crinkle simply fall unconscious, overwhelmed by the nearness of Shemshime’s power. Valna grits her teeth and fights off the urge to fight, as does Little One and you three. But not without a cost. You are paralyzed for a long moment, fighting the urge to pummel your friends. As you fight this internal battle of wills against yourself, you hear Shemshime’s voice in your heads. Yes! The evil creature’s boss rant begins!
“Long have I waited, trapped on the other side of a chasm of radiance which kept me prisoner in a terrible bright place. But that ridiculous gnome who hoped to keep me apart from the living by recording my past conquests as a warning, did not realize the conduit he created with his song, with that book, which I was able to seed with a shadow of my shadow power, even from my distant planar prison!! Hahahah! I almost made it out centuries ago, but was stopped at the last minute when everyone singing my song died before I could build enough power to bridge the gap. What a pity, hehe! But not this time! Your ridiculous chanters have given me everything I need. And soon, your wretched Castle will lie in ruins and the Sword Coast’s luck will change forever!
Hahahaha!”
Valna has fallen to the floor with Bell, just to the north of the central study table. On the south side of the table, Little One stands, ready to leap to the east and slam Shemshime with his fists. Meredith stands atop the table holding Shemshime’s Bedtime Rhyme. Shemshime is now just to the east of the table, between the table and Erudisia, who stands farther east near the spiral staircase up to the top level of the Firefly Cellar.
This means Meredith is now, atop the table, directly underneath the 1200 pound stone book statue engraved with the words “BE CURIOUS.” Erudisia has a good view of the rusty chains suspending the statue from the ceiling. Bell, Valna, and Little One are in danger of being crushed if the statue falls. Meredith will certainly perish if it falls where she is standing. And Shemshime is not under the statue at all at this moment.
All three, please post actions.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Erudisia casts Gust. The incredible trick-shot aim of her last casting beyond her grasp, she hopes a straight forward blast of air is enough, as she seeks to push Sheshime back and onto the table and toward its book.
Meredith squats down on her haunches with the book hugged close, " Oi!!! You stupid shadow thing! You have an entire fortress under your command and you can't even properly beat up half a dozen librarians.....pathetic....I've met silverfish scarier than you on the daily here."
Persuasion- 12
She threw a wink Erudisias way.
( Bardic Inspiration- 1d6)
Meredith’s taunting hits its mark and the evil spirit focuses wholly upon her, rising up like a dark star before her. But Shemshime, though tall and lanky, is like a child’s shadow, cast across a whole field by the setting sun and dwarfing its originator, and is proportionally insubstantial. It only possesses the physical strength of the child, not the long, graceful muscles of a hundred-yard shadow.
It is, therefore, nearly powerless to withstand the arcane summoning of Erudisia’s forceful Gust. Shemshime is shoved away from Erudisia, and up atop the table facing Meredith.
Bell, we will say, pushes Varnyr away from the study table and the 10 foot-wide stone book statue suspended above it.
Little One reaches up and pulls apart the dark spirit at the seems, ectoplasm squirting in all directions. But it reforms in an instant.
“I’ll have that book!,” Shemshime’s no-longer laughing tone resounds in your minds. The dark spirit attacks Meredith with its Maddening Touch. Since the bard took no action but to lure the creature there, I’ll give her a free dodge:
(16 to hit, for 11 psychic damage.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Meredith feels the talons rake across her mind but remains stoic, seeing Little One come forward she curses then yells, " Little One! Protect Bell!", hoping that will get him clear and not tip her hand.
She summoned the fey energies up into her form but held them unreleased.................
" Shadows.....without substance, permanence or.......countenance."
( Held Action- Misty Step. When Erudisia fires her spell at the chain. She will drop the book to be crushed as well...there's no knowledge there she wants preserved.)
Erudisia sees the magic of the Misty Step form half-spoken on Meredith’s lips, a favourite trick of her own bardic father, and understands her intention immediately.
She speaks the Auran words of her thunderous Eldritch Blast and fires the actinic flash at the chain that supports the gargantuan tome, the looming deadline, the weight of knowledge.
Attack Roll: 9 (sobs)
Damage Roll: 14.
Recharge: 5
Action: 2
1 Meredith
2 Erudisia
3 Bell
4 Little One
5 Valna
6 Gloat
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Erudisia’s crackling bolt explodes into the chain, and Meredith Misty Steps away from the study table, leaving the cursed tome behind. Pebbles rain from the ceiling where the chains attach holding up the suspended winged book statue, but the chains, though rusted, though they groan, hold firm (AC is 19!).
Little One, following Erudisia’s shout, rushed to Bell and Valna, picking up one under each arm and carrying them to the far end of the room. But when he looks back over his shoulder, his expression is horrified.
Shemshime steps lightly forward and one spidery arm reaches down, plucking up Shemshime’s Bedtime Rhyme. “Hahahaha!! It is mine, a memento to the turning tide of the world. Of a stop gap that just din’t work!! Hahahaha!” Then it focuses on Erudisia. “Come to me, girl. Your time has come. Why fight it any longer?” It walks to the edge of the study table but remains atop it like a royal dais.
Its voice like thin tendrils of hopelessness, sifts through the cracks in Erudisia’s mind. (Persuade: 22). (N.B. Any normal person would probably give up, but PCs are not subject to Persuasion or Intimidation.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Meredith sags noticeably, " Frack!"
She summoned the quill and sent it at the chain in desperation.
Attack: 8 Damage: 4
" Erudisia!! Listen to me not it!! You are a proud Banfennid of the Ffolk! Destroy it!!"
( BA- Bardic Inspiration again- 1d6.)
Bell goes in and out of consciousness as she vaguely feels Little One lifts and carries her across the room. She knows all her spell magic is gone and all she has left are handful of cantrips - none of which would touch the stone 'book' or the chains. Instead, she can only call down another Sacred Flame in the hope it distracts the ebony shadow on the study table.
3 pts radiant dmg
(Is Erudisia required to make a Cha or Wis save or anything for that persuasion however?)