The Unseen Servant forums

May 16, 2:00 PM

The first thing you notice is the noise.

In your years of adventuring you have heard the roar of the sphinx, the wail of the banshee, and the symphonic screaming of the vast shreiker colonies of the Purple Caves. But you have never heard anything like this. It is a clanging, clashing, crashing sound, like cathedral bells caroming down an iron tower full of pots and pans and discarded old plate armor. If a sphynx roared while the banshee wailed and the shriekers sang, all accompanied by thousands of fingernails on blackboards and an army of tone-deaf orcs singing twelve different battle operas at the same time, it could not create a more cacophonous din than what you hear now.

The source of the metallic roar is a spherical storm of raging metal some three hundred yards away and a mile across: the Metalstorm. Shards of iron and steel, ranging in size from tiny specks to chunks as big as sailing ships, fly through the air at tremendous speeds. The constant crashing of the metal creates the clanging and ringing sound that tortures your ears. Even at this distance, the storm is loud enough that you have to shout to hear the person next to you. Near the Metalstorm, the noise would be literally deafening. And physically painful.

The Metalstorm is centered at the tip of the peninsula on which you find yourselves. Scrub grass blankets the rocky ground. A half a mile to either side of you, sheer cliffs at the edges of the peninsula plunge a thousand feet into foamy waters.

You see no one here but yourselves.

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Status: Malibran (H LG C20(Pholtus)): 90/90; Khogeki (H LN M17): 78/78; Odilo (1/2E NG MU17): 54/54; Xale (D NG C14(Dalt)/F13): 75/75; Risdac (H NG MU17): 58/58; Tanner (H CG F19): 107/107; Rool (H LN T20): 85/85; Hallagad (H LG P15(Pelor)): 93/93
Effects: PfE, 10' (Hallagad); PfE (Malibran): 6 turns.
Light Sources: None

Tanner

Tanner winces and puts his hands over his ears.Gods dammit!

When the group proceeds, Tanner will take a spot near the front, ready to unleash the whup-ass.

The Unseen Servant, master of spring:

'Tween cliffs and maelstrom,
there is but one path to take:
away from the storm.

Malibran ponders the metal maelstrom before him. Reflecting on what they've learned recently... "So if I understand what our helpful Sage has shared with us correctly, this has been here since the battle of Emirkol? For 30 years? What powerful magic can sustain such a thing for so long? "

Rool Diov, Master Thief

“What if this is some grand illusion to keep people away?” Rool speculates, leaning forward in his saddle.

Odilo not really sure what anyone is saying over the noise thinking how useful a silence spell or other less combat oriented spells would be of use about now. Plugs his ears and shakes his head and shrugs barely able to think over the noise from the maelstorm.

Xale Max; Dwarven Warrior-Priest


Xale takes in the sight and grunts in astonishment. Then he pulls his Gem of True Seeing out of its pouch and raises it to his eye to look at the storm; wondering if its some kind of grand illusion....

Risdac Egargi

Following the directions on the note delivered by the fiery messenger, the mage shouts in an attempt to be heard over the metallic din. Emirikol, we have come seeking your assistance in finding the Temple of Neheod! Please, we will be grateful for any aid you may supply. Will you help us?

Inferno wrote:The Unseen Servant, master of spring:

'Tween cliffs and maelstrom,
there is but one path to take:
away from the storm.

Haiku translation: Khogeki moves away from the storm, scanning the desolate landscape.

May 16, 2:10 PM

Faced with the swirling fury of the Metalstorm, Tanner covers his ears and curses. Malibran wonders what magic could sustain such a thing for thirty years. Odilo plugs his ears and hopes for the peace of a silence spell. Hallagad stands mute and motionless, stunned into inaction by the raw power and uncontrolled chaos of the storm.

Khogeki, devotee of Law, turns away from the storm. To your back, the grassy scrub—the usual brush, rocks, and clumpy grass one might expect at the top of cliffs by the sea—continues in a downward slope widening into the mainland. Estborg lies about three days that way, should you decide to abandon Vorkath and the other occupants of the Temple of Neheod to an eternity in Hell.

Rool wonders if the storm is but a grand illusion. Xale raises his gem to his eye to see what's happening. The storm, alas, looks exactly the same.

Risdac shouts a greeting. There is no reply.

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Status: Malibran (H LG C20(Pholtus)): 90/90; Khogeki (H LN M17): 78/78; Odilo (1/2E NG MU17): 54/54; Xale (D NG C14(Dalt)/F13): 75/75; Risdac (H NG MU17): 58/58; Tanner (H CG F19): 107/107; Rool (H LN T20): 85/85; Hallagad (H LG P15(Pelor)): 93/93
Effects: PfE, 10' (Hallagad); PfE (Malibran): 6 turns.
Light Sources: None

The Unseen Servant, master of spring:

After ten minutes of scanning the peninsula, the humble sensei tears small strips of fabric from his robe and wads them into his ears to muffle the din. Then he walks toward the metal storm, searching for any sign of Emirikol the Chaotic.

Malibran considers the situation and the desolation behind him. "There is, of course, no way back that helps our noble friend. Our path must be forward. Into the maelstrom? If that is the case, that we must indeed pass into this fury, how do we accomplish this?"

Odilo shrugs again not being able to hear anyone over the noise of the maelstorm and attempts to use hand signals to try and mimic his best idea of saying "Dispel Magic or passwall perhaps." though his hand gestures might be a bit hard to understand at first.

Tanner

The old warrior kicks loose a fist-sized stone from the dirt. Gritting his teeth against the noise, he gets within throwing range and throws it experimentally at the swirling mass, aiming for about chest height on a man.

He actually shivers from the volume of the clanging, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

Rool Diov

Rool observes his comrades actions against the chaos storm, watching for any signs of change or reaction.

Khogeki and Tanner walk toward the Metalstorm. Tanner picks up a stone and walks to within thirty yards of the storm. Shivering from the volume of the clanging metal, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, he throws the stone into the metal maelstrom. The stone is pulverized—smashed into bits by flying chunks of lead and steel.

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Time: May 16, 2:20 PM
Status: Malibran (H LG C20(Pholtus)): 90/90; Khogeki (H LN M17): 78/78; Odilo (1/2E NG MU17): 54/54; Xale (D NG C14(Dalt)/F13): 75/75; Risdac (H NG MU17): 58/58; Tanner (H CG F19): 107/107; Rool (H LN T20): 85/85; Hallagad (H LG P15(Pelor)): 93/93
Effects: PfE (Malibran): 5 turns.
Light Sources: None

The Unseen Servant, master of spring:

Watching the thrown stone be sheared apart by the iron cyclone, the humble sensei patiently contemplates the Zen riddle before them:

"I can provide the means to recover what has been lost, but I will give it only to those who ask for it in person."

Wondering if perhaps Risdac was on the right track, but didn't follow the rules of the game, the unassuming master says aloud, "Emirikol the Chaotic, please provide the means to recover that which has been lost: the eternal soul of your friend Vorkath Tsaridian, Hero of the Realm, Defender of the Faith, Bastion of Good, Scion of Law, and Friend to All Children."

Hallagad, impressed by the patience of the monk, waits to see if his attempt bears fruit.

Odilo watches to see if the master of spring's attempt bears fruit. In the meantime he tries to think long and hard on what else might possibly work to get past the metal maelstrom.

The Unseen Servant rephrases the greeting, which only he can hear over the din of the Metalstorm. There is no response.