Above & Below

(Mobile)

Kurama was quiet as he listened to Effort's words.  Continuing to look at the spot where the portal was only moments before, he eventually responded, "Though we may have our differences at times, I have never had a reason not to trust you or consider any of you my enemy; and that is the Truth."  Pausing, he turned towards the tiefling so that he could look her directly in the eye, "That being said, I do not know what Orochi is plotting, but whatever it is I must stop it.  I do not know how your patron fits into all of this, but if it tries to stop me - to stop us - from whatever dangers are threatening our worlds...  Would you be able to fight or resist it should it come to that?  If it asked you to kill us (Brask, Pip and myself), would you do it?"

You don't even need to roll arcana to know that wherever they were going was not on this plane of existence - or one you've ever been to before.

Effort crosses her arms and frowns deeply.  "I don't know that I would be given the choice, if it came to that.  You assume that I have full control over this body of mine.  Even I do not know if that is the truth of the matter.  I only know that this," she gestures at herself, "sack of meat that houses my soul should have rotted, a very long time ago.  But it did not.  I am still here.  My soul, however -- I am not sure it is tethered to this body anymore.  I am myself only so long as my patron wills it.  I think, therefore I am.  Were I to lose favor with him, it is very possible this body would return to the state it was found it.  Or perhaps not."

She tilts her head.  "If you are asking, am I afraid to die?  Yes.  I fear death, just as much as any of you.  But if you are asking, would I do anything to preserve my own life?"  Effort half-closes her eyes, thinking about the question seriously.  "I first died because I was betrayed by my leader.  And because of the way of our plane and how it treats those like myself, whose demonic blood earns us the scorn of most humans and transforms us into the boogeymen for their children.  My rage is what called my patron to claim my soul.  At the injustice of it, at the waste my entire life had been up to that point."  She opens her slitted eyes fully and gives Kurama a mirthless smile.  "Not even my patron could force me to become the very tool of injustice which filled me with enough rage to return from the dead.  I would rather my body returned to the rot first than turn on any of you and do what was done to me.  I live on borrowed time as it is anyway."

Her gaze turns frosty.  "I suppose that is why we do not see eye to eye very often, Kurama.  You still dream about a future with hope.  There is none in mine.  I race against time for a goal I am pressured to achieve before my borrowed second life ends.  I am driven to see to my goals as far as this body will allow me to take them.  So no, I will not kill any of you, at least not willingly.  But if my patron ask me to leave your company, then it's likely that we will part ways."  Her expression softens a bit.  "... It would not be without regrets, for what that is worth."

Brask is outside, cleaning his maul.  Watching Pip.  Probably whistling by now.  Hears nothing of what Kurama and Effort are discussing.

(Mobile)

"I think... I think you and I are more similar than you realize.  Like you,  I too have been 'granted' power by something I do not fully understand (and for all I know, it could be slowly killing me as we speak our worse).  And like you,  I do not know what my future after all this will hold for me; there is nothing waiting for me on the other side.  Perhaps it will be a bright and hopefully future waiting for me as you say.  But..." He paused for a moment as he touched the "tattoo" seared across his body.  "...I lack the knowledge I need to make an informed hypothesis..."  He finished before smiling to himself.

"So, I think we're both going to need to have a bit of faith that things 'could' work out for us in the end, somehow." He added before giving her a soft smile. 

"Now though, I think we should grab our friends and search this tower for anything useful before continuing on ourselves.  Though we still know far too little of what just occurred here, I suspect the Dark Forest still needs to be dealt with."

Effort nods.  "This tower is not stable.  Let's get outside," she says, the evaporating any of the budding friendliness with her typical no-nonsense tone.

(On her way out, Effort looks for anything useful left in the tower, including looting what Black Forest bodies might be left.  I'm not sure if there are any since, uh, did the corpses explode or something?  There were also crates and other stuff in here I think, though.)

Investigation: 25 (23 + 2 guidance)

Yes, lots of crates, especially on the lower floors. Kurama, give me an investigation as well. If you call Brask and Pip inside, they can search too. 

Brask will come inside if called, and encourage Pip to do so too.

Investigation 5

He tosses crates of fragile goods against the walls to open them. :)

Investigation: 22 (NAT 20!!!)

Brask walks in, casually picking up a crate with one hand and tossing it against the wall. The sound of glass breaking can be heard by all, and various colored liquids spew out from the broken wood. Somewhat sheepishly, Brask decides to search a burlap sack in the corner instead, which reveals only dirtied undergarments. 

Pip investigation: 10 

Pip doesn't have much luck either, but does manage to scrounge up a total of 12 gold. 

Effort - roll 3d20 for gold and roll 3 individual d100s

Kurama - roll 3d20 for gold and roll 3 individual d100s

Brask - roll 3d6 for gold, based solely on pity

• 3d20s = 38 gp!! 
• (1)d100 = 91  
• (2)d100 = 87  
• (3)d100 = 32  

Brask hands 11 pity gold to Pip, and speaks loudly to any unseen observers:  Oh, take this, my friend.  For I no longer care for material wealth.  I am cleansed, by the grace of the Sisters.  He scowls at the world in general, then stomps off to wait outside.

3d20 = 37 GP
3d100 = 5, 71, 12

Many of the crates contain booze, or broken bottles and vials, but you are able to find a few tucked away that have more intriguing contents. 

Effort, you find three unique potions in small vials. As you study them, it is almost as if their essence becomes clearer to you. They are:

-a dark green potion, increases the user's CON score by 1

-a sky blue potion that grants the user immunity to fear for 24 hours. Also grants 1 point of inspiration

-a light green potion, grants resistance to acid damage for 24 hours

Kurama, you initially only find one potion, a murky, gray liquid.

-potion of disguise (basically casts disguise self)

As you dig around, though, you find a small locked container inside one of the other crates. Eventually you get it open, and two potions reveal themselves. They both glow intensely - one gold, one silver. With Effort's help, the two of you are able to concentrate, meditate, and eventually determine their incredible powers.

-God's Touch, golden potion, gives the user a brief but strong connection to their god or fiendish deity

-Potion of Godly Form, silver potion, improves all stats by 1

Pip shakes his head with a grin at Brask's proclamation, making his way over to Effort and Kurama as they look at the vials. "Awww, they found cooler stuff."

Effort counts out the coins and divides her find with the others, giving Kurama 12 gold coins, and Brask 13 to share with Pip.  She details the potions that she and Kurama uncovered in great detail with the others, and discusses with each of them how best to divide the enormous windfall with the others.

Brask takes the silver Potion of Godly Form and the sky blue Potion of Courage(?).  The sky blue one he sticks in his backpack.  The silver one he looks at for a good long time, staring at it, and then...

Hey Pip!  Got something for you.

He hands the silver potion to his goblin friend.

Pip takes the potion, uncorking it and slowly bringing it up to his nose to take a whiff. He looks up, with grateful but hesitant eyes. "Are you sure?"

(Mobile)

Kurama hands 13 gp to Effort and 12gp to Brask (which Kurama presumes he will hand to Pip as well).  Pocketing the light green potion  he looked up at Pip's comment and said "Yes.  You're one of us as well.  Take it.  Or do with it as you see fit."  Still holding the golden potion in his hands,  he looked at it for a long moment with extreme curiosity before carefully wrapping it up and placing it into his Satchel as well.

Effort eyes the little goblin.  "Pip.  In this world, you take what you're given while you have the chance.  If you want to help others, you need to become stronger."  As if to demonstrate, she downs one of her own potions immediately, paling and coughing a bit afterwards.  Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she nods at Pip.  "Now you."

(Effort drank the constitution potion)

Brask nods encouragingly.