"I wonder what these could mean…" The cursemonger mutters. "Neither myself nor Heju is skilled with a blade, so the crossed swords are likely no good. The second symbol is…some sort of crossroads? Perhaps the others will be more insightful. A staff of vines should deal with growth or nature, best avoided by we who deal with death and decay. That leaves the crown…why is the skull above the crown? Is it the death of something important? Perhaps nobility or righteousness?"
He shrugs at Heju's suggestion. "We might as well head west. There's nothing particularly appealing about the other roads."
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden As you head West, the other roads instantly vanish, and where you were just seconds ago turns into a blinding cloud of blackness and nothingness. After a few hours of travel, you find stone walls appearing at the edge of the road and then a confusing plethora of tunnels and pathways. What would you like to do now? Try to investigate the tunnels, continue forward, or attempt to blast your way out of this labyrinthine area?
Let's start with an investigation; things will almost certain get significantly worse if we just charge in blindly. Are there any noticeable differences in size, shape, depth, color, material, markings, air/water currents, etc. that might prove meaningful or otherwise useful? Regardless, the cursemonger will prepare to leave directional marks of passage both at each crossroads and at fixed intervals in each tunnel/pathway we pass through.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden Any attempts to leave directional marks result in them instantly vanishing. The only interesting thing you notice is a jet black pool of energy that vibrates with arcane power. What would you like to do?
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden The corpse walker jumps into the pool and with a loud POP! vanishes, though you have a feeling that the corpse walker is still "alive," just nowhere nearby. Further investigation reveals the pool go be a portal to somewhere else in this labyrinthine complex. What would you like to do? Vote:
A: Jump through the portal.
B: Try one of the confusing pathways.
C: Concentrate your hardest in an attempt to unleash a blast of destructive power hopefully able to let you out of here.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden You both feel intense whirling and shaking sensations, falling through darkness for what seems like hours. You both faint somewhere halfway through, and when you come to, you are in what seems like a throne room of old. A dark, spiked crown surmounted with a skull sits on the cracked throne, no longer a seat of power. Various grotesque statues of illithids and spectators bedeck the scene, seeming to have been built in a time much more recent than the rest of the area suggests. What would you like to do? Vote again:
A: Approach the crown, attempting to investigate it.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden Before the cursemonger can do anything, Heju puts on the crown, which cracks and explodes. Suddenly, all the grotesque statues of illithids and spectators mobilize and turn towards the party, firing beams of negative energy at the party. It seems like the crown was a trap trigger for the statues. Each of you have a -1 counter to your mana, and a -1/-1 counter from the statues. What would you like to do? Daringly try to disable the trap trigger, flee the room, or run around looking for another black pool?
The cursemonger snarls at Heju. "Is your head as empty as your subjects?!"
He'll grab the skull from the throne, then search for an exit. If no exit is readily apparent, he'll attempt to disable the trap with Corrode, fully expecting to die in the process.
@Cadstar369 ; Heju scoffed, "You never know what would give you a power to dominance the life itself. At least we found out that crown itself is indeed a trap." He would grab some flesh and bones away from Half-Ghoul Skeleton to attempt remove -1 counter mana and -1/-1 (Used one action) then he summons Misfortuned Stickman to give Heju some time to analyze the situation. "I can't help it when I see a Treasure has a potential to offer a sort of power, even if it's a curse." Heju added.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden So the Cursemonger snarls at Heju and grabs the skull. He can't find an exit, so he attempts to disable the trap with Corrode, which works on the stonework of the statues, but a voice, cunning and diabolical, booms through the room "Foolish heroes. You have survived my trials, so I suppose you deserve my personal attention. Go through this portal I have prepared for you, and be fully prepared to face the wrath of Xarxendroth the Puppeteer, Master of Corruption." And a swirling vortex of purple energy appears as the walls close in in a deathly dance. What would you like to do? Jump through the vortex, or fight the walls. Oh and because he is a figure, Heju's anatomy cannot be healed by undead flesh, because the Half-Bone Ghoul is a normal undead, not figure undead.
"Rats. This flesh is incompatible to my own flesh. Oh well, I will figure out something to work it." Heju mumbled to himself as he would go over to the portal.
It does make sense after all, it's early. However, in late, Heju will find way to make two different anatomies compatible to each other.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden You jump through the portal and after hours of falling, appear in front of a grim, towering fortress, with a great eye set on its foremost tower, and smaller eyes set on each of the other towers, surveying the surrounding area. One eye spots you, then calls the other eyes to unleash a barrage of beholder-like eye rays at you, which you dodge narrowly. You realize this is the Fortress of Xarxendroth, but it would be better to seek aid before confronting this alone. What would you like to do now? Vote:
A: Seek aid in nearby villages and towns.
B: Charge into the fortress alone.
C: Attempt to convince the eyes you are allies of Xarxendroth, and to let you through.
None of these seem like particularly good ideas, but the cursemonger can't think of a better alternative, so he'll inspect the skull while we confirm the state of any nearby settlements (from a safe distance so as to not be detected by any residents).
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden As the cursemonger inspects the skull, he notices something unsettling about it. Heju heads to the nearby villages and requests aid, but is only met with shook heads and suspicious looks. Finally, a magistrate says "We're in Xarxendroth's kingdom. If you seek to end the beholder mastermind, seek aid outside of his borders. I've said more than enough, and I'll probably be assassinated within the next week." If the cursemonger would like to investigate, find an accurate d20 roller or roll an actual d20 for a DC of 14, with a +2 bonus. Otherwise, what would the party like to do now?
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden The cursemonger, with keen investigation, notices that the skull's eye sockets aren't empty, but filled with black pearls that seem to follow the party's actions everywhere. He also notices the skull seems to radiate arcane power. Heju just looks for dead bodies and finds a funeral procession nearby. What would the party like to do now?
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Just an upside down peace symbol.
He shrugs at Heju's suggestion. "We might as well head west. There's nothing particularly appealing about the other roads."
As you head West, the other roads instantly vanish, and where you were just seconds ago turns into a blinding cloud of blackness and nothingness. After a few hours of travel, you find stone walls appearing at the edge of the road and then a confusing plethora of tunnels and pathways. What would you like to do now? Try to investigate the tunnels, continue forward, or attempt to blast your way out of this labyrinthine area?
Any attempts to leave directional marks result in them instantly vanishing. The only interesting thing you notice is a jet black pool of energy that vibrates with arcane power. What would you like to do?
The corpse walker jumps into the pool and with a loud POP! vanishes, though you have a feeling that the corpse walker is still "alive," just nowhere nearby. Further investigation reveals the pool go be a portal to somewhere else in this labyrinthine complex. What would you like to do? Vote:
You both feel intense whirling and shaking sensations, falling through darkness for what seems like hours. You both faint somewhere halfway through, and when you come to, you are in what seems like a throne room of old. A dark, spiked crown surmounted with a skull sits on the cracked throne, no longer a seat of power. Various grotesque statues of illithids and spectators bedeck the scene, seeming to have been built in a time much more recent than the rest of the area suggests.
What would you like to do? Vote again:
Before the cursemonger can do anything, Heju puts on the crown, which cracks and explodes. Suddenly, all the grotesque statues of illithids and spectators mobilize and turn towards the party, firing beams of negative energy at the party. It seems like the crown was a trap trigger for the statues. Each of you have a -1 counter to your mana, and a -1/-1 counter from the statues. What would you like to do? Daringly try to disable the trap trigger, flee the room, or run around looking for another black pool?
He'll grab the skull from the throne, then search for an exit. If no exit is readily apparent, he'll attempt to disable the trap with Corrode, fully expecting to die in the process.
Heju scoffed, "You never know what would give you a power to dominance the life itself. At least we found out that crown itself is indeed a trap." He would grab some flesh and bones away from Half-Ghoul Skeleton to attempt remove -1 counter mana and -1/-1 (Used one action) then he summons Misfortuned Stickman to give Heju some time to analyze the situation. "I can't help it when I see a Treasure has a potential to offer a sort of power, even if it's a curse." Heju added.
So the Cursemonger snarls at Heju and grabs the skull. He can't find an exit, so he attempts to disable the trap with Corrode, which works on the stonework of the statues, but a voice, cunning and diabolical, booms through the room "Foolish heroes. You have survived my trials, so I suppose you deserve my personal attention. Go through this portal I have prepared for you, and be fully prepared to face the wrath of Xarxendroth the Puppeteer, Master of Corruption." And a swirling vortex of purple energy appears as the walls close in in a deathly dance. What would you like to do? Jump through the vortex, or fight the walls. Oh and because he is a figure, Heju's anatomy cannot be healed by undead flesh, because the Half-Bone Ghoul is a normal undead, not figure undead.
It does make sense after all, it's early. However, in late, Heju will find way to make two different anatomies compatible to each other.
You jump through the portal and after hours of falling, appear in front of a grim, towering fortress, with a great eye set on its foremost tower, and smaller eyes set on each of the other towers, surveying the surrounding area. One eye spots you, then calls the other eyes to unleash a barrage of beholder-like eye rays at you, which you dodge narrowly. You realize this is the Fortress of Xarxendroth, but it would be better to seek aid before confronting this alone. What would you like to do now? Vote:
I'm pretty sure it's been 24 hours since my last update, maybe even 48, so are you here?
Heju will go to village.
As the cursemonger inspects the skull, he notices something unsettling about it. Heju heads to the nearby villages and requests aid, but is only met with shook heads and suspicious looks. Finally, a magistrate says "We're in Xarxendroth's kingdom. If you seek to end the beholder mastermind, seek aid outside of his borders. I've said more than enough, and I'll probably be assassinated within the next week." If the cursemonger would like to investigate, find an accurate d20 roller or roll an actual d20 for a DC of 14, with a +2 bonus. Otherwise, what would the party like to do now?
He rolled 18 with plus 2... He got 20. The 20.
The cursemonger, with keen investigation, notices that the skull's eye sockets aren't empty, but filled with black pearls that seem to follow the party's actions everywhere. He also notices the skull seems to radiate arcane power. Heju just looks for dead bodies and finds a funeral procession nearby. What would the party like to do now?