In the graveyard Prosinet is far too curios to be afraid he begins to quickly talk to himself. "Hmm most curious, and most opportune, I am pretty sure this is exactly what I was reading about. This has to be it, has too, let me see, what were those instructions again. It was harvest, then dig... or the other way around..." He scratches his head for a moment. "Right, I must dig first and then remove the seals."
With that Prosinet grabs the nearby shovel and starts furiously digging up the grave.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sam turns to Torke with a questioning look on his face. "Any idea what the hell is going on? What these people...are?" He doesn't raise his sword yet but grips it tightly. He raises his voice a bit, so these humanoids could theoretically hear him. "Hello there! We mean you no harm! Can...can you speak?"
Insight (to try and determine their intentions, hostile or otherwise): 17
Frostbite looks around the Church and sees that yes, there is indeed more to this than first glance. There are various candles with ornate looking candlesticks throughout the room. There is also a rather well made altar with a similarly crafted sheet draped upon it. A well stitched insignia on the front.
A silver bowl filled to the brim with water sits atop the altar with two candles on each side. Around the altar there isn't much but well taken care of stone floors, walls, and pillars holding up the decaying roof. From the front of the church, you can see the several rows of benches, the confession booth to the right, and the front doors down the middle.
You suppose that aside from Wilcox laying down across the front bench, it could have once been a decent place to hold a local gathering, if nothing else.
From up close, the only suspicious thing is the candle wax. Typically, religious altars use white or yellow wax. These have a blue tinge to it.
Could just be the age though.
-- Back outside
Sam, your insight reveals two things. The first, that they were neither hostile nor friendly.
The second, that hailing them was a huge mistake.
Every glowing eye surrounding you stops looking in general directions. They slowly drift to focus solely on you. It is so immediately obvious, that by passive perception Torke can see that their focus seems to peer straight through him into your form. The moment is still, there is only the rain and the echo of the words “Can you speak?” fading as the last pair of eyes sets.
Every moment after passes in slow motion. Your sense scream at you to choose your next move carefully.
The rain continues to fall.
-- In the Graveyard
Prosinet...
Through sheer will you dig up the dig feet of sloshing wet mud and dirt till you strike the wooden box, slightly cracking the surface. You clear the area around where the skull is, and scratch off the seal with the tip of the shovel. A moment later, you clear the area around its stomach where the hands are laid, and scratch the seal off there as well. You throw the shovel to the ground and climb out of the hole as the rain starts to fill in the dirt.
Standing in the pouring maelstrom, you look at the tombstone as the mud fills the open grave. You point the hand that pulled on the lichen towards it, and your other at the defiled coffin.
You cannot help but twist into a sickening grin as the arcane knowledge pours from your mind. Purple energies surround you and twist upwards as the circle around. You keep focused and push the energy towards the box. The moment it touches the rotting pine, a black tendril fires back like a lightning bolt down a metal rod.
You immediately bring it into yourself before firing it back out your other hand into the lichen. You scream as the pressure increase tenfold, and tenfold again! Like an over pressured damn your magical channels feel like they are about to crack from the sheer power flowing in and out of your every second.
It increases again! Like a rocket firing its entire tank at once, the energy coming from the dead wizard seems to be using everything it has as a last defense, forcing all of it out in an attempt to destroy its would be thief.
Your grin turns into a horrifying laugh as your eyes roll backwards and your head flings back forcing you to stare into the rain. You can feel pain, anguish!
But not yours.
No no, not yours.
Your laugh lessens slightly and you slowly bring your head down, as the magic slows to a steady stream, then a slow flow, a slight drip, and a forced final drop extraction.
The lichen glows a deep, impossibly deep blue. Like staring into the depths of the ocean from a boat thousands of miles from shore.
You collect the lichen and walk towards Sam and Torke out of the graveyard, head lowered. The twisted grin finally fading, a sense of control returns. At some point during that energy siphon, you weren't totally sure exactly how in control of that magic you were, and the lichen has an immense magical aura that feels...wrong.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Frostbite walks around the church to check if there are any other people or creatures using this place as a safe haven from the rain. He would investigate the confession booth then return to the altar to peer under the sheet.
For Torke, it is not so much of fear that strikes him, but the overwhelming thought that his life could be forfeit due to these creatures. A creature that is neither of two sides is dangerous, and he recognizes as such. His primal instinct tells him to formulate an idea that could lead to his escape, but his conscious lingers with the wanderlust and foolish bravery. Torke takes a pace forward, and continues at a rate that matches a regular heartbeat. He aims to reach the church as slow and precise as he can. He takes no action to speak to Sam as he does so, but does nod in his direction to follow his pace without making eye contact with the eyes that beset them.
Sam looks at Torke as he starts to back away, and Sam follows suit. He grips his sword a bit tighter, looking back-and-forth to be sure their path is clear. Keeping an eye on the pace of the creatures, he turns just slightly to the side in case they need to run to the church.
Prosinet comes around the corner of the church from the back, covered in mud and looking, not scared, but shocked, he completely ignores everyone else and walks right into the church and sits down.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Trumann Bloth | Loxodon Grave Cleric | War of the Green
Prosinet Fizzlepurtet | Gnome Wizard | The Wilcox Experiment
Torke and Prosinet both walk into the Church as described. One of you was so distracted and the other so focused, that neither of you drew attention to yourself. Meanwhile, you both see Frostbite come out of the confession both, and walk towards the altar. He found nothing in the booth save for a religious book with a chair on one side, and an empty seat on the other. Under the cloth, he finds a well made and ornately carved Chestnut color wooden altar. It has the same symbol as the religious book, but not as the sheet.
The book and altar have sort of a Sun encircled by Golden markings.
The symbol on the sheet kind of looks like broken ear muffs. Two open circular curves on each side of an upside down U shape.
--
Back Outside
Sam, you twist in place to face the direction Torke was in. You watch him and then Prosinet walk into the Church, but are frozen solid by the surrounding vacant visages.
The orbs don't move, but the rain keeps falling. Your grip is so tight its nearly painful as you lift your leg up clearing your foot from the ground. The instant you place it back down, not even having really moved forward, every orb jerks left to right and then refocuses on your new location.
Your instincts scream at you to run, to get away from this situation as fast as possible. To as quickly as humanly feasible remove yourself from their gaze. But you don't.
You breath for a moment, then look at someof your options.
Moving will likely draw their attention, maybe even call an action.
Staying still will leave you exhausted by morning, the rain shows no sign of stopping
Calling for your friends or to the creatures seems like it would do the same as moving
You stand there in the dark and the rain, contemplating your future.
"This place looks clear. It might be best to get some sleep." Turning around to look at his companions he stops in place. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into now Prosinet?"
Walking up to Torke, FrostBite would look out into the damp, dark night. "Did you find anything out there?"
Sam steadies himself, breathing deeply and mustering any resolve and bravery he can in this strange situation. I know I said the rain doesn't bother me, but there's no way I can stand still all night.He lifts up his heavy boot again, and continues to walk backward toward the church.
OOC: If the creatures continuing moving at the same pace they have been, Sam will keep his slow pace. If they show any signs of aggression, he'll run and call out for the others.
Torke briefs Frostbite on what is going on outside with Sam, there is a sense of tension as Prosinet walks in behind him. Torke focuses in on how the creatures may be dangerous, and that Sam is currently standing at the well surrounded.
Prosinet, however, is concerned with other things and barely acknowledges them before recognizing the symbol on the banner over the altar. Rushing up to it, he sees everything on it...
The symbol on the banner over the altar is the arcane School of Necromancy.
The Candles are made of Well Finding Wax
Well Finding Wax is a material that combusts mildly when connected to water. Some farmers use it by smearing on a large spike, and when stabbed into a particularly wet area, the spike bounces back a little, and burns the tip. Depending on the amount burned, they can determine how much water is below and whether or not digging more is worth it.
Below the candles, you also notices that the ornate candlesticks are actually ornate pieces of metal work made to hold small candles pieces below a bowl. The bowl too is filled with water and perfectly fitted for the two holders. Its an alchemist's distillation table!
Wilcox has fallen asleep at the front on a bench.
--
Outside the Church
Sam, poor Sam, tries to take another step in the rainstorm. The clouds start to roll in overhead and as the skies, and Forest lose their last bits of faint supporting light, the orbs are all that remain. They move with every step he takes. One, two, three, four...
On fifth step of maybe...thirty? You hear it. A lost, forgetten whisper of a voice...
“Sam?”
It came from the Forest.
“Sam?” ..... “Sam?” .....
Another, deeper, much sterner voice. Something with...authority?
“Samwell.” ...... “Sam.”.....
A third, much younger, less experienced voice.
“Mr. Smith?”.....”Sam!”
More voices, some you've heard and others you've not. Your mother, Your father, the young child that bought the first knife you sold on your first day of trade Smiting.
“Sam?” “Samwell!” “Sammy!” “Sam!” “Mr. Smith?”
A chorus of voices descend upon you. By only the tenth, maybe twelfth step, you can hear that the voices are growing louder, and see that the orbs are getting closer!
Both you and horde break into a run and scream!
“Sam?!”
“SAMWELL!!!”
--
Back inside the Church
Torke, Prosinet, Frostbite, Sam...
Prosinet marvels over the crude, simple, yet effective tools displayed as Frostbite looks with concern towards the door. Torke and Frostbite discuss going back out there and grabbing him as its been too long that he's just been standing by the well.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Sam slams the doors open, briefly shoving Frostbite's enormous form back into the nearby bench before slamming it shut again, pushing his back towards the doors. Eyes wild, breathing heavy, he's covered in blood!
Uncharacteristically Prosinet does not react to the commotion Sam causes in the room. He mutters some unintelligible things to himself as he is inspecting the alter.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Trumann Bloth | Loxodon Grave Cleric | War of the Green
Prosinet Fizzlepurtet | Gnome Wizard | The Wilcox Experiment
Frostbite Perception 13
In the graveyard
In the graveyard Prosinet is far too curios to be afraid he begins to quickly talk to himself. "Hmm most curious, and most opportune, I am pretty sure this is exactly what I was reading about. This has to be it, has too, let me see, what were those instructions again. It was harvest, then dig... or the other way around..." He scratches his head for a moment. "Right, I must dig first and then remove the seals."
With that Prosinet grabs the nearby shovel and starts furiously digging up the grave.
Trumann Bloth | Loxodon Grave Cleric | War of the Green
Prosinet Fizzlepurtet | Gnome Wizard | The Wilcox Experiment
Sam turns to Torke with a questioning look on his face. "Any idea what the hell is going on? What these people...are?" He doesn't raise his sword yet but grips it tightly. He raises his voice a bit, so these humanoids could theoretically hear him. "Hello there! We mean you no harm! Can...can you speak?"
Insight (to try and determine their intentions, hostile or otherwise): 17
DM - Above & Below
Frostbite looks around the Church and sees that yes, there is indeed more to this than first glance. There are various candles with ornate looking candlesticks throughout the room. There is also a rather well made altar with a similarly crafted sheet draped upon it. A well stitched insignia on the front.
A silver bowl filled to the brim with water sits atop the altar with two candles on each side. Around the altar there isn't much but well taken care of stone floors, walls, and pillars holding up the decaying roof. From the front of the church, you can see the several rows of benches, the confession booth to the right, and the front doors down the middle.
You suppose that aside from Wilcox laying down across the front bench, it could have once been a decent place to hold a local gathering, if nothing else.
From up close, the only suspicious thing is the candle wax. Typically, religious altars use white or yellow wax. These have a blue tinge to it.
Could just be the age though.
--
Back outside
Sam, your insight reveals two things. The first, that they were neither hostile nor friendly.
The second, that hailing them was a huge mistake.
Every glowing eye surrounding you stops looking in general directions. They slowly drift to focus solely on you. It is so immediately obvious, that by passive perception Torke can see that their focus seems to peer straight through him into your form. The moment is still, there is only the rain and the echo of the words “Can you speak?” fading as the last pair of eyes sets.
Every moment after passes in slow motion. Your sense scream at you to choose your next move carefully.
The rain continues to fall.
--
In the Graveyard
Prosinet...
Through sheer will you dig up the dig feet of sloshing wet mud and dirt till you strike the wooden box, slightly cracking the surface. You clear the area around where the skull is, and scratch off the seal with the tip of the shovel. A moment later, you clear the area around its stomach where the hands are laid, and scratch the seal off there as well. You throw the shovel to the ground and climb out of the hole as the rain starts to fill in the dirt.
Standing in the pouring maelstrom, you look at the tombstone as the mud fills the open grave. You point the hand that pulled on the lichen towards it, and your other at the defiled coffin.
You cannot help but twist into a sickening grin as the arcane knowledge pours from your mind. Purple energies surround you and twist upwards as the circle around. You keep focused and push the energy towards the box. The moment it touches the rotting pine, a black tendril fires back like a lightning bolt down a metal rod.
You immediately bring it into yourself before firing it back out your other hand into the lichen. You scream as the pressure increase tenfold, and tenfold again! Like an over pressured damn your magical channels feel like they are about to crack from the sheer power flowing in and out of your every second.
It increases again! Like a rocket firing its entire tank at once, the energy coming from the dead wizard seems to be using everything it has as a last defense, forcing all of it out in an attempt to destroy its would be thief.
Your grin turns into a horrifying laugh as your eyes roll backwards and your head flings back forcing you to stare into the rain. You can feel pain, anguish!
But not yours.
No no, not yours.
Your laugh lessens slightly and you slowly bring your head down, as the magic slows to a steady stream, then a slow flow, a slight drip, and a forced final drop extraction.
The lichen glows a deep, impossibly deep blue. Like staring into the depths of the ocean from a boat thousands of miles from shore.
You collect the lichen and walk towards Sam and Torke out of the graveyard, head lowered. The twisted grin finally fading, a sense of control returns. At some point during that energy siphon, you weren't totally sure exactly how in control of that magic you were, and the lichen has an immense magical aura that feels...wrong.
OOC: I assume there's a clear path for us to get to the church still, right?
DM - Above & Below
(Yes, there is a path to the church, Prosinet is walking back up to it from the right)
Frostbite walks around the church to check if there are any other people or creatures using this place as a safe haven from the rain. He would investigate the confession booth then return to the altar to peer under the sheet.
Investigation 12
Torke Aldrehas
For Torke, it is not so much of fear that strikes him, but the overwhelming thought that his life could be forfeit due to these creatures. A creature that is neither of two sides is dangerous, and he recognizes as such. His primal instinct tells him to formulate an idea that could lead to his escape, but his conscious lingers with the wanderlust and foolish bravery. Torke takes a pace forward, and continues at a rate that matches a regular heartbeat. He aims to reach the church as slow and precise as he can. He takes no action to speak to Sam as he does so, but does nod in his direction to follow his pace without making eye contact with the eyes that beset them.
Sam looks at Torke as he starts to back away, and Sam follows suit. He grips his sword a bit tighter, looking back-and-forth to be sure their path is clear. Keeping an eye on the pace of the creatures, he turns just slightly to the side in case they need to run to the church.
DM - Above & Below
Prosinet comes around the corner of the church from the back, covered in mud and looking, not scared, but shocked, he completely ignores everyone else and walks right into the church and sits down.
Trumann Bloth | Loxodon Grave Cleric | War of the Green
Prosinet Fizzlepurtet | Gnome Wizard | The Wilcox Experiment
In the Church
Torke and Prosinet both walk into the Church as described. One of you was so distracted and the other so focused, that neither of you drew attention to yourself. Meanwhile, you both see Frostbite come out of the confession both, and walk towards the altar. He found nothing in the booth save for a religious book with a chair on one side, and an empty seat on the other. Under the cloth, he finds a well made and ornately carved Chestnut color wooden altar. It has the same symbol as the religious book, but not as the sheet.
The book and altar have sort of a Sun encircled by Golden markings.
The symbol on the sheet kind of looks like broken ear muffs. Two open circular curves on each side of an upside down U shape.
--
Back Outside
Sam, you twist in place to face the direction Torke was in. You watch him and then Prosinet walk into the Church, but are frozen solid by the surrounding vacant visages.
The orbs don't move, but the rain keeps falling. Your grip is so tight its nearly painful as you lift your leg up clearing your foot from the ground. The instant you place it back down, not even having really moved forward, every orb jerks left to right and then refocuses on your new location.
Your instincts scream at you to run, to get away from this situation as fast as possible. To as quickly as humanly feasible remove yourself from their gaze. But you don't.
You breath for a moment, then look at some of your options.
You stand there in the dark and the rain, contemplating your future.
((A simple question, but how many orbs are there? Or is it too much to count?))
((Its easiest to say uncountable, you are heavily surrounded))
"This place looks clear. It might be best to get some sleep." Turning around to look at his companions he stops in place. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into now Prosinet?"
Walking up to Torke, FrostBite would look out into the damp, dark night. "Did you find anything out there?"
Sam steadies himself, breathing deeply and mustering any resolve and bravery he can in this strange situation. I know I said the rain doesn't bother me, but there's no way I can stand still all night. He lifts up his heavy boot again, and continues to walk backward toward the church.
OOC: If the creatures continuing moving at the same pace they have been, Sam will keep his slow pace. If they show any signs of aggression, he'll run and call out for the others.
DM - Above & Below
OOC: Prepare For Battle.
Inside the Church
Torke briefs Frostbite on what is going on outside with Sam, there is a sense of tension as Prosinet walks in behind him. Torke focuses in on how the creatures may be dangerous, and that Sam is currently standing at the well surrounded.
Prosinet, however, is concerned with other things and barely acknowledges them before recognizing the symbol on the banner over the altar. Rushing up to it, he sees everything on it...
Wilcox has fallen asleep at the front on a bench.
--
Outside the Church
Sam, poor Sam, tries to take another step in the rainstorm. The clouds start to roll in overhead and as the skies, and Forest lose their last bits of faint supporting light, the orbs are all that remain. They move with every step he takes. One, two, three, four...
On fifth step of maybe...thirty? You hear it. A lost, forgetten whisper of a voice...
“Sam?”
It came from the Forest.
“Sam?” ..... “Sam?” .....
Another, deeper, much sterner voice. Something with...authority?
“Samwell.” ...... “Sam.”.....
A third, much younger, less experienced voice.
“Mr. Smith?”.....”Sam!”
More voices, some you've heard and others you've not. Your mother, Your father, the young child that bought the first knife you sold on your first day of trade Smiting.
“Sam?” “Samwell!” “Sammy!” “Sam!” “Mr. Smith?”
A chorus of voices descend upon you. By only the tenth, maybe twelfth step, you can hear that the voices are growing louder, and see that the orbs are getting closer!
Both you and horde break into a run and scream!
“Sam?!”
“SAMWELL!!!”
--
Back inside the Church
Torke, Prosinet, Frostbite, Sam...
Prosinet marvels over the crude, simple, yet effective tools displayed as Frostbite looks with concern towards the door. Torke and Frostbite discuss going back out there and grabbing him as its been too long that he's just been standing by the well.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Sam slams the doors open, briefly shoving Frostbite's enormous form back into the nearby bench before slamming it shut again, pushing his back towards the doors. Eyes wild, breathing heavy, he's covered in blood!
Roll for initiative!!
"Ready your weapons!" Sam shouts as he raises his sword, showing how serious the situation has become.
Initiative: 3
DM - Above & Below
Initiative 16
Uncharacteristically Prosinet does not react to the commotion Sam causes in the room. He mutters some unintelligible things to himself as he is inspecting the alter.
Trumann Bloth | Loxodon Grave Cleric | War of the Green
Prosinet Fizzlepurtet | Gnome Wizard | The Wilcox Experiment
FrostBite | Dragonborn Barbarian | Rage 0/2 | Cold Breath (Con 12) 0/1
___________________________________________________________________________________________
FrostBite pulls out his Greatax and faces the door ready for what ever was chasing Sam.
Initative 11