11. Beneath the Castle

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

When Gene Genie reappeared, his original guise and strange language made Agax wonder if he could possibly be a pan-dimensional gamer of Urth? Then he heard "city of clouds."

"A wish," the dreaming gamesmith murmured in astonishment. He wrinkled his brow and straightened his beard as he fiercely ruminated:
'How incredible! Anything in the world could be mine! Riches! Power! Eternal life!
...My word. I sound just like Strahd.'

The bizarre gamesmith realized that he was already doing that which he loved most: gaming. He was loathe to leave this delightful modul-... er, that is to say, abandon this noble quest against evil before their task was complete. He wanted to continue, but couldn't with the party rent asunder.

He had but one wish, but needed to:

• • -Bring the souls of Shinyah and Castran back.
    -Cure Scarlett of her possession, which no doubt took place during her brief imprisonment, and bring her back to life.

And if possible:

• • -Restore the party's strength, physically and magically.
    -Incur no memory loss (except for Shinyah and Castran's memories of the void), for fear that the party would simply repeat the steps that brought them to this terrible outcome.
    -Leave any wishes cast against Strahd still in place.
    -Restore Castran and Bragar's first party.
    -Banish the deadly deck of temptation so that no one could undo all this. (Sorry GW)

Wishing that they had left the treasure chest in the hourglass room wouldn't solve all of it. It was a wonderfully challenging puzzle, delicious in its dilemma. Finally, the gaming wizard spoke:

"O mighty Gene, is the following wish within your power to grant, devoid of any confusing clauses, and representative of only one wish?

That this adventuring party, and the one that preceded it (that included Agrippo, Vorkath, Tibbius, Robert, Fendt and others), should all be safely returned to this immediate area; alive and restored (body, soul and inventory) to the state we were in when we first approached this castle, but still aware of all we experienced in this castle up until this very moment."


Also, Zhym: Had Agax attempted to detect charm on Scarlett? Thanks.

[Zhym]

"Would you also like a pony?" scoffs the djinn. "You ask much. If your wish is as you have stated it, it is within my power to grant you one wish among the many contained in that statement."

Agax detected no charm on Scarlett.

[Zhym]

In the interest of saving time:

"Can I ask you to please bust apart the separate wishes as you see them?" Agax asks the djinn.

The djinn smiles condescendingly. "My voluntary observation about the complexity of your proposed wish notwithstanding, I am contractually obliged to truthfully answer only whether a wish, as stated, is within my power to grant. This obligation does not extend to assisting you in drafting the language of your wish."

He glances at his wrist. "You have eight minutes."

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The dreaming wizard began horse trading... with an inter-dimensional lawyer.

"O mighty Gene, is the following wish within your power to grant, devoid of any confusing clauses, and representative of only one wish?

That this adventuring party should all be safely returned to this immediate area; alive and restored (body, soul and inventory) to the state we were in when we first approached this castle, but still aware of all we experienced in this castle up until this very moment."

[Zhym]

"It is within my power to grant that wish," says the djinn. "Would you like to make it official?"

[Inferno]

Agax made one final clarification. It always paid to be careful around lawyers.

"When I say that our inventory shall be restored to the state it was in when we first entered this castle today, we are agreed that at that time we did not have in our inventory the magical deck to which you are tied?"

[Zhym]

"That question is not about my power to fulfill your wish," scolds the djinn.

"Five minutes."

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The dreaming wizard said:
"O mighty Gene! I wish that this adventuring party should all be safely returned to this immediate area; alive and restored (body, soul and inventory) to the state we were in when we first approached this castle today, but still aware of all we experienced in this castle up until this very moment."

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 9:35 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft; Brazier Room
**************************************

The djinn assumes a formal position and manner of speaking. "Pursuant to the contractual provision regarding multiple clauses," he says, "your wish, as revised, 'that this adventuring party should all be safely returned to this immediate area,' is GRANTED." He shakes his head, rolls his eyes, and vanishes in a plume of mist.

The world around you disappears. In an instant, you find yourselves...safely returned to the exact spots where you stood when Agax made his wish. The same people who were standing there are the ones who reappear.

After a moment's disappointment, you notice that everyone's wounds have healed. The djinn, it seems, is not without some sense of pity. But Castran and Shinyah are still unresponsive.

Gragog, having already announced his intention to draw two cards, takes custody of the deck. Update on that coming soon.

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 42/42; Lar (P4): 27/27; Bragar: 42/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): ??/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 38/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran); Phantom Armor (Bragar, from Castran): 5 pts
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 5.5 turns; CL coin (60', held by Shinyah); CL gem (60' Agax's staff)

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

Agax wishes he had wished for eternal life.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog clears his throat "Yes um doesn't the genie owe you one more wish or did you run out of time Agax?"

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

"I had only been awarded one wish, Gragog."
The mercurial mage looked sadly at the vacant expression of Shinyah. "I'm terribly sorry Shinyah and Castran. I should have said, "I wish we had left the treasure chest in the hourglass room." But I was greedy to keep the anti-Strahd wishes in place, and to cure Scarlett's 'possession.' My reach exceeded my grasp. Forgive me."

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog against his better judgement and despite the voice in his head screaming at him not to do it the half-orc warrior rubs his hands together then reaches and takes two cards from the deck of magical cards. "Well you gave it a good try Agax. Perhaps I'll see how my luck fairs."

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 9:40 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft; Brazier Room
**************************************

Gragog takes a turn with the deck of fates. He draws two cards from the deck...

The first card:

Rogue.png (91.24 KiB) Viewed 535 times

The Rogue! A wave of paranoia washes over the half-orc. Someone's out to get him! The feeling fades after a moment, leaving only a vague sense of unease.

The second card:

Fool.png (105.36 KiB) Viewed 530 times

The Fool! Gragog feels less skilled than he was (-10,000 XP!) and, oddly, compelled to draw one more card.

The third card:

Gem.png (104.51 KiB) Viewed 535 times

The Gem! A voice speaks in Gragog's head, asking, simply, "Jewelry or gems?"

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 42/42; Lar (P4): 27/27; Bragar: 42/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): ??/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 38/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran); Phantom Armor (Bragar, from Castran): 5 pts
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 5.5 turns; CL coin (60', held by Shinyah); CL gem (60' Agax's staff)

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog replies to the voice in his head "Jewelry."

[Zhym]

A small wooden chest appears at Gragog's feet. The lid is open, revealing a glittering pile of gold jewelry set with gems! It's a hoard that a king or dragon would envy.

Total value: 118,000 gp! And, per the rules of the deck, Gragog gets XP equivalent to the value. So he is now an 8th level fighter with 178,001 xp. Gragog, please roll HP and adjust your sheet accordingly.

I'll spell out the details of each item of jewelry if you'd like. A few had really nice gems; one is made of platinum instead of gold. There are twenty pieces, each is worth somewhere between 2,000 and 10,000 gp.

Not bad for a forced card draw!

[GreyWolfVT]

Updated gained two levels from what I started with even after losing one.

Gragog looks at the three cards in wonders looking a tad confused but somehow stronger than before in the ways of fighting "Uh what just happened there? I only took two but I have three cards in my hands? Did I do something stupid?" then noticing the chest of jewelry at his feet his eyes bulge "Well that is part of why I came job done shall we return to town now?"

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 9:41 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft; Brazier Room
**************************************

Gragog the newly mighty, having gotten what he came for, proposes leaving.

The deck remains. Lar and Bragar have not drawn from it. Will they?

----
Status: Gragog (F8): 60/60; Lar (P4): 27/27; Bragar: 42/42 (C7); Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29; Mindless: Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Shinyah (D7): 38/38
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran); Phantom Armor (Bragar, from Castran): 5 pts
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 5.5 turns; CL coin (60', held by Shinyah); CL gem (60' Agax's staff)

[Dram]

Bragar pulls 2 cards from the deck after the 1/2 orc finishes drawing his. I believe you are right my friend. I guess we are joining them.


Drawing 2 cards.

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The gamesmith said, "Well played, Gragog. Good luck, Bragar. May the cards be in your favor."

Then he set about looting the living corspes of Castran and Shinyah, without pleasure.