Pizazz's Myth Drannor

Simaal pauses for a moment since they keep chucking people out and we seem to do nothing against them. "So uhm, what was inside the portal brave leonines, was it another tower?" As he runs away from the evil hands and out the balcony "You'll never take me alive!" he shouts... quietly.... 

To everyone's surprise, Simaal runs into the room and throws himself out the window. Even Toc is a bit shocked by that turn of events. The other hands move about, ready to attack, but decide that there is no one worth fighting. Toc is slightly offended, but says nothing.  The hand that tossed out Xemnez returns to it's spot.  

Xemnez watches as Simaal plummets to the ground, but right before he hits he slows down rather rapidly, and lands with a light bump on the ground. Simaal stands up, and brushes himself off. 

Thyrius gets downstairs pretty quickly, tower in his hand.  Xemnez is ready to take on the trailing hand, but...no hand emerges from the tower...

Mirica and Russel are floating in ethereal just inside the room. Toc is at the top of the stairs. 

Mirica watches as three foul looking hags emerge from the portal.  Except they are in the ethereal...with Mirica and Russel. The hags look around, spotting Mirica, and one of them says, "Where did the golden lion man go? He owes us!" 

Toc mentally says to everyone in the physical world, "Uh, three hags on the ethereal just emerged from the portal and are talking to Mirica." 

Mirica's action.

Nuzej has watched this game with the statue continue, remaining perfectly still, eyes alert for anything the group had not noticed in the melee. Perception: 14

Initiative: 23

As soon as the hags arrive, he steps forward, within touching distance of Mirica and Russel, but not touching them. He casts fog cloud on a spot 60 feet from himself (the limit of his visual range in the ethereal) and behind the portal, behind the hags' backs. He gestures to himself. "The golden lion man?" he says, eyes, briefly glancing back at the fog cloud and then snapping back to the hags (deception: 9). "We might know something helpful. What would your offer be for good information?"

Over the link, he says to all: "get ready, this likely won't work, and we may want to dimension door or teleport away, depending on what they say."

The show was indeed something to be excited about - fast-paced, fairly dramatic, but not without a comedy, with a lot of stunt work, mysterious plot and now even came a sudden hard twist! Very entertaining! Mirica did not plan to participate, though, and hag's appearance was on an unpleasant element, but nothing is ever perfect. At least brothers were alive and relatively well. For the time being.

"You sure it is a good thing to offer a deal?" She hoped Nuzej thought it through. Her personal options of teleportation were quite limited, to put it mildly, and time for a conflict was less than perfect.

"He was there barely a few seconds, when did he manage to get himself in debts?" Mirica was genuinely curious despite the dire circumstances.

Nuzej floats forward, a fog cloud appearing on the ethereal.  His attempt to deceive the witches obviously doesn't get far, but it seems they stop in appreciation of his offer anyway. 

"Ahhh...look look. Hello human. So lively around the ruins today. Is there some sort of convention being put on?  Hmmm. You will provide us good information will you? I expect more. Take us to the golden lion man so that we may....complete our deal...and we offer you one important truth about the ruins you stand within. I assure you it will be something you are not aware of."  

The two other witches glance at their fellow witch, uncomfortably as they glance around the foggy ethereal world. 

Down at the bottom of the tower, the two brothers stand next to Simaal as they hear about the hag's arrival. 

Thyrius, Xemnez, Simaal, your turns.  (we're in quasi initiative right now, since...the situation is fluid.)

As soon as Toc mentions the hags, Xemnez growls out in Leonin some command word. The jewels in his helm begin to faintly glow blue just as assuredly as his eyes as he looked about for signs of the hag's approaching from the base of the tower. Mentally to all on the material he adds, 'So they've followed me then. Figures. No doubt trying to collect on a deal made Null & Void by my departure... hmn... I will fight them if they wish, but will not demand or request the same of the rest of you lot. Know however that on the other side I saw some writing on the walls in draconic. I know not of its importance, but it seemed too prominent not to mention. Could be one of the keys to the gate though.'  With that said, he took on a more defensive stance  in readiness for... he knew not what at that point.

Bonus Action: Activate Watchful Helm, casting See Invisibility on self.

Action: (To give a detail update on everything he saw. If not necessary for a full action), Dodging instead.

First thing Simaal does is mention "tiny healing to at least stop the bleeding" as he goes to touch the recently fallen leonine. 5. "Well guess we're going back up the stairs, we'll consider all words important until proven otherwise. We're in this mess together so we'll stick in it together, though don't always assume we'll jump in right away into any weird portals... first we'll talk about it anywhere from 30 minutes to 30 days and then we'll jump in." somehow his laughter appears to come through telepathically as rushes along with the others up the stairs.

Thyrius was under the impression their current struggle had ended, given that he held the miniature tower, the group had partially exited the top floor, and his brother was back. The mention of creatures following Xem out of the portal forces him to scrap this notion. Having to choose between Simaal's suggestion of heading back upstairs and his brother's action of awaiting from conflict at the bottom of the tower, Thyrius sides with his brother, unsurprisingly. "Surely it would be best to face these new foes away for the pushy hands atop the tower." Thyrius says this mentally, suggesting that Toc, Mirica, Nuzej, and the bird find their way down. Meanwhile, he finds a place to lie in wait.

-> Bonus action: Cunning Action - Hide (stealth: 27)

-> Action: Ready Eldritch Blast

Nuzej sends to Mirica and Russel: "I'm not offering a deal, I was trying to buy us time. But perhaps we can fulfill the deal. They want us to take them to our new friend. We can do that. If things remain peaceful, there is no need for conflict. If they do not, we can handle ourselves. Though he is on the prime material plane, so we should transition over, and tell our new arrivals to do the same. Out of range of the hands. Agreed? Or we could shift back just out of range and see if they know the dangers of the room, if we assume they  are hostile in intent."

Assuming Mirica agrees, and Russel does not speak up in uncharacteristic dissent, Nuzej would say back verbally, "Bring you to the golden lion man is within our power. Do you know anything about our business here, such that you know what truth we would find important? There are, I am sure, many important truths about this place, some of which are less relevant to us than to others. I am also curious about the deal that was struck."

Where would Nuzej have to walk to get out of the range of the hands? Assuming the stairs down a floor, or just out of the room. Is that near the fog? Are the hags and portal between us and the door?

(I confess I missed you could shift back instantly and not take a minute to do it like that gaseous form, my bad.)

Mentally "Agreed, if none in trouble above then we'll await down below... " Simaal will remain below and find a place to hide 21 being still wounded, but with shield and javelin at the ready.

"If he wanted to keep the deal, he would stay. Three hags is no joke but I guess we are not giving Xemnez them anyway. Well, let's bring them down." While Nuzej was keeping hags busy with questions, she floated to the window and looked down, to see if the golden brother is indeed fine and ready to deal with the consequences of his curiosity. But then returned to Nuzej - she too was curious about the deal.

Seeing the ethereal group moving downwards, Toc begins descending , leaving the 'pushy' hands upstairs. The woman lets out a coughing hacking cackle to Nuzej, "I assure you the infromation will be satisfactory to you. Our deal with the golden one is between he and us, now lead." 

The hands, which seem to be unable, or uninterested in affecting the ethereal people, and whom have shown no notice of any ethereal people at all, are left behind as Nuzej, Mirica, and Russel escort the three hags down the tower. 

First to emerge is Toc, as he strides from the tower's front door.  Mentally he says, "The rest are ethereal and just behind me." 

With Thryius all but invisible behind a nearby street lamp, and Simaal likewise well hidden behind a out-jutting feature of the tower, it is only Xemnez and Toc who are obvious to the rest in ethereal who emerge from the tower.  Toc sidles over to stand near Xemnez. 

The witches flow out of the tower and their fingers tap together, clacking their nails in eager anticipation as they see Xemnez.  Xemnez and Toc can both see their ethereal visitors. 

The lead witch takes a step forward and her step takes her through a seam in reality, as she steps out of the grey fog of the ethereal and emerges into the real world, about 30 feet from Xemnez.  

She looks to him, "We had a deal. Your premature departure has no impact on the agreement. We did not harm you or prevent you from leaving. We have fulfilled our part. Now...let us your memories....we had an agreement..."

Toc raises an eyebrow, but stands casually next to Xemnez.  Mentally he whistles. With a 'grin' in his mental voice he says, "Can I have a memory? I'll let you sleep in a magical house for a night. Seems like you're giving them away for cheap." 

The hag was talking at least for now. But the ease with each she left Etherial without a moment hesitation, hinted at her ability to return as easily. The group probably needed someone on that side still and Mirica remained close to Toc and Xemnez but in Etherial still.

One of Xemnez ears flickered as he clenched his jaw, but his eyes stayed on the hag. Just as he's about to open his mouth to presumably contest the creature's claim, his eyes widen for just a moment, before narrowing them and frowning in disgust. 'Cheap it was indeed if...' He communicates as much to all via the link, before then beginning to casually approach the one visible hag with weapon in hand but held loose by all appearance. Far too much to make an effective swing.

"And who was it that sealed the way, hm? Who was it that had been sizing up my brother when the way had been reopened? And did you have any intentions of reopening the way upon the deal's completion? Or will you claim that doing so was not part of the deal or would not matter at this /point/?" He asked plainly along the way, never stopping his forward momentum for demands to halt on either side of the equation. And at any shouts to interrupt are met with him readily roaring out his questions to overpower any other voice that wasn't his... or his brother's.

Xemnez would be heard to the finish or have his words cut short only by the need to answer any spellcasting in rushing forward to cut down the hag. But if allotted his words and to get within 5ft of the hag, he'd permit an answer from her or her sisters. But again, if any were any lies spoken, a spell woven, or an attempt to forcefully make good on their "end" of the deal, he'd test their reflexes vs theirs in immediately trying to cut down the one within his reach. 

Insight: 6. 

The witch looks more than a little nervous as Xemnez approaches aggressively. She hops from foot to foot and says, “Now now….” Trying to stave off a rise in anger. 

When he’s finally done she makes a grumbling sound, then says, “It was you who threw open our front door and came into OUR home. It is our door, we can open and close our own door without permission from you!”

She pauses a moment seeing he’s still expecting an answer, “We’d have let you go, opened our door as necessary to get you out of our home. We stand by our deals. Do you?” 

As far as Xemnez can tell, this hag is being truthful, as despicable a creature as she is.  

Xemnez bears his teeth just a little and growls down at the hag. But after a moment of silent glaring, the leonin chuffs and eases back on the aggression. "... Fair. Enough. Had you and your lot managed or thought to entrap my brother there though to drag him to such troubles, then deal or no deal, home or no home, we would be having a very different conversation before my departure." He stated in a casual demeanor, though likely it was not to be seen as such. Either way, he would do nothing to correct any misconceptions before kneeling down  using the axe as a brace. "But such was not so, so deal shall be kept." He adds before lowering his head. 

Thyrius remains quietly hidden for now.

Mentally "This reminds me of the story of a powerful warrior who had survived terrible things and done great deeds for humanity despite not being human. While off hand I cannot remember what he sought from a hag, a bargain was struck. The warrior had to lower his defences as part of the bargain he sought, however instead of the bargain made, the hag switched bodies with the powerful warrior. Now the hag was not only full of magic, but also of great might and great weapons, and meanwhile the once powerful warrior bristling with weapons was merely an old woman devoid of weapons, armor, magic, or strength in arms. He managed to get away just barely as the hag sought his death. The story goes that he managed to recover his body but during the lost time the hag raised a powerful army under his banner and nearly destroyed the kingdom he built. While he managed to stop the bloodshed prior to that last and final battle, his days were haunted for he never knew if the hag still had some control over his body. Nonetheless standing by and will follow your lead Sir Leonine."

Toc frowns deeply as the witch moves forward. The witch in the physical world wiggles her fingers like a child who can't wait to touch something.  Then, ever so gently, she reaches out and taps the Leonin's forehead.  "Tell me of your journey here...." the witch whispers.  Xemnez sees and feels a lifetime of memories within him, joy, fear, exultation. But it is a memory of a strange world, with a massive gate, amidst an ocean...standing next to Thyrius and Ajani that comes to his mind. And then he can't quite remember what he was just thinking about. Something to do with Ajani and his trip here, he's sure of it, but...he the memory is gone.

She turns away from Xemnez, putting her back to them, "Come sisters, take a taste....he has much to share....."  

The two other hags on the ethereal step forward, through the misty veil, and into the physical world and advance.

They each take a turn, pressing their finger gently to his temple, and then shutting their eyes as they each withdraw one memory from his mind. The first, "Your greatest deed?"  To his mind comes the battle with a Typhon.  A titanic horror of writhing flesh and gnashing maws, typhons slither through the Underworld seeking only to consume. Unleashed upon the world he, his brother, and a band of allies had defeated the monstrosity before it consumed a city.  But that memory is soon gone. And the last...the last is very recent. "Where were you before you came to this city?" The memory of that sphere...surrounded by 30 undead wizards...with beams crackling into it.....its there, and then it's gone, and he can't recall at all the room they'd fled from to arrive here.

They back away from Xemnez, seemingly satiated and pleased. 

Then one turns and looks about into the air. "Human wizard. We will keep our bargain. Our secret of Ythryn that we share with you is thus. This has all happened before. And it will all happen again. Chronomancy is a curse upon those who use it. Seek not to activate the time pillar. Instead, you should try to destroy it. If you try to use it, you will fail in your quest, and nothing will have changed, except you will no longer exist. I suspect this information satisfies your expectations."  

It was certainly not enough for Mirica - they did not come here to destroy anything, least of all some pillars, and definitely not to play with Chronomancy. But she was not the one striking any bargain. For now, she just looked at Xemnez worrisomely. He did not seem to suffer anyhow. At least physically. Mirica floated closer to him and Toc and traced a question mark in the air - what is going on and where to from here?