Quest #44 "The Ethereal Job"

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

Dreams pleasantly between Astronamae Dominae and Careful with that Axe Eugene.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


Andron, unsure if these things emit any body heat at all, continues peering through the rear teardrop window for signs of the other Xill. "Alordan, how about you and Amun carefully open the door and check on those eggs. If they haven't hatched, burn them, but try using just a torch, no oil. We'll need every flask we have for any attack plan on the remaining monsters."

[jemmus]

Theo regains consciousness. "Where am I?" he thinks. Then he recognizes the place and remembers. "Ah crap. Here." He rises to his hands and knees, then stands. His chainmail, cloak, trousers and boots are covered with dried blood. So much for his bath and laundry service back at the portals hub inn. He says to Andron , Uh, hallo friends. How long was I out? Did somebody heal my wounds? Everybody alright? Did we defeat the red things?

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag wakes up to the sound of pleasant music and the vision of curious pink decor. Dis is either der afterlife, or a really nice 'orehouse, he muses.

Looking around, he catches sight of Theo. Well, dey would not let 'im in an 'orehouse if he 'ad two platinum pieces stuck in each ear, so der goes dat idea. Then he hears Andron's voice. An' anywhere dat you 'ave to listen to Pointy-' ead bangin' on is nobody's idea of Paradise. So I reckon dat I am not dead either.

Maag winces as he stands up. "I 'ave got a few big sacks", he tells Andron and Alordan. "Maybe if we soak dem in oil an' tear dem up a bit, dey would cover two or three of der eggs at once. Den we can set dem on fire".

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Job
A Basket, A Bell That Rings
The Dark Rock

As the cabin continues to diminish, Andron watches out the back window to find no action in the main hallway.

The door is opened and the remaining egg hosts are burned, causing a good deal of smoke to fill the upper area of the chamber that eventually vents out into the main passage the cabin is no longer blocking.

Grumble doesn't look happy about his brothers health situation, constantly fiddling with his rubbery covering before finally pulling out another item from his pouch that looks like a pocket watch. He opens the watch and mumbles something before holding it over Grumbles body. The embryonic sack that covers the gnome suddenly shrinks to a fraction of the size, floats into the watch, where Grimble quickly snaps it closed again. "There. That should keep him safe for a while. Now, what about the rest of us?"

Actions?

Alordan AC3 4/22
Torbath (M3) AC8 -3/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 0/1 (top of backpack/inside helmet) Comet AC:7 4/4 Unconscious
Aliendron AC10 8/17 (CL4) 1st 0/5 2nd 4/4 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st 0/2 2nd 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 -7/14 RM, CL, DM 0/4 1st 0/2 2nd Unconscious
Amun (F3) AC:2 16/33
Maag AC4 4/20
Theo AC:5 8/13 (Sword)

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


"Welcome back to the living, Mr. Theo. You have shown great courage and reflect well upon your teachers." He brings Theo and Maag up to date on their situation. "Indeed, Mr. Grimble is correct. We cannot simply wait out the six days for the next return window and risk those other eggs hatching."

"We know there are four of those red things left, in three egg chambers. Based on what we encountered here, they won't defend another at risk of leaving its own eggs undefended, so we should be able to deal with them individually. We also know they will ignore us to save their own eggs, regardless of risk to themselves."

"I think Maag has the right idea and we only need to ignite one egg host per monster. The problem is how do we get close enough to quickly cover the body and light it before we get torn apart. Torbath and Feanol can provide invisibility, but we would need to wait at least one more day. As Mr. Alordan also discovered, my Protection From Evil spell seems to ward them away completely, too."

"We could try camping here for another day and keep a periodic watch on the other chambers. If any eggs begin hatching, we'd have to immediately act. Let's also get an inventory of oil. I am carrying none myself, however." He moves to search Torbath's and Feanol's gear for any flasks of oil.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan offers a couple of oil flasks that he's had stashed in his pack. "I have this sprayer thing too that I've been lugging around since that--- er, umm... you know..." His eyes dart to his legs to make sure they are still attached.

[jemmus]

Theo
I don't have any oil, only a torch. And a seine fishing net, if we can think of any good use for it.

[Jernau35]

Maag

"I 'ave got five flasks of der stuff.
Yer never know when yer might need to start a good fire."

"All of der dead bodies 'ave got to be wearin' clothes, right? Dey should light up pretty well".

Maag looks at Theo. "A net? Wiv a few tools I might be able to rig up a tripwire to drop dat on one of dem." He starts rooting in one of his beltpouches.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


While rumnaging through Torbath's gear for any flasks of oil, he perks up at Maag's offer of rigging a net trap. "If you can rig it over the tunnel entrance, we could try resting here for another day. Twelve hours or so until we can deploy the hut again, though. We'll be in a much better position with their Invisibility spells available."

[gurusql]

For the record, Torbath has two more flasks of oil

[Jernau35]

Maag

"Right den," says Maag. '"Give me der net. Anyone fancy givin' me an' 'and?" He heads for the door with the net, a spool of thin wire, some spokes and some other small tools.

Any kind of roll I should make?

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Job
Astronomy Domine
The Dark Rock

By the time the cabin has reformed back into its cube shape, the remainder of the egg hosts are burned and the chamber is cleared up as best the group can.

The unconscious duo is laid to rest inside the chamber as comfortably as possible. With the help of the incredibly resourceful Grimble, Theo's net and a bunch of ropes are converted into an ingenious trip-wire ceiling trap that covers the entire entrance to their now unblocked chamber. "Great idea gents. I coulda used some minds like yours back in my adventuring days", the gnome says in earnest.

With the entrance covered, and their injured at rest, the group wonders what to do for the remainder of the day before spells can be replenished a second time. Grimble attends to his membrane wrapped brother, becoming concerned. "I will need some way to get the poison in him neutralized before he can be revived. Does anyone have a means to do such a thing?"

No sounds of stirring from the other chambers can be heard from the main hall. In fact, there is no sound coming from anywhere in the floyd at the moment. The absolute silence can actually be a little disturbing at times. Amun seems to be growing more and more impatient as the downtime passes, clearly uncomfortable in this alien location.

Actions?

Alordan AC3 4/22
Torbath (M3) AC8 -3/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 0/1 (top of backpack/inside helmet) Comet AC:7 4/4 Unconscious
Aliendron AC10 8/17 (CL4) 1st 0/5 2nd 4/4 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st 0/2 2nd 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 -7/14 RM, CL, DM 0/4 1st 0/2 2nd Unconscious
Amun (F3) AC:2 16/33
Maag AC4 4/20
Theo AC:5 8/13 (Sword)

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

Feanol's bag contains 4 oils and a lamp with oil in it.

[jemmus]

Theo
There's that portal or something with the spots that can be moved around. Should we check it out while we have time? Has anyone noticed a pattern around here that we could replicate with the spots? A four-armed stick figure? An egg? A clutch of eggs? But of course we may not want to succeed in opening it or activating it until we're rested up and prepared.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


He nods in approval at the impressive net trap constructed over the entrance. "Torbath and Feanol have 5 flasks of oil between them. That gives us 13 to work with, so at least 3 per egg host. Excellent."

At Grimble's question, Andron moves to examines his brother's form through the rubber encasement. "I cannot neutralize the poison completely, only slow its effects."

"I agree, Mr. Theo. We should wait before meddling with that portal. No telling what is waiting on the other side. That said, I am entirely unsure what the pattern should be. If Wendall perchance created it, then maybe we could try the sun's constellation. Oerth's sun. Or perhaps Pelor. I expect Feanol should be quite familiar with them."

[Jernau35]

Maag

"Dat silence is weird", says Maag. "Maybe dey 'ave all left. Grabbed all der eggs an' tele-wottsitted out of 'ere. Why would dey all sit around an' wait for us to show up again?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Job
Astronomy Domine
The Dark Rock

Again Grimble tells Aliendron that he has never heard of anyone named Wendall, but he looks even more concerned about his lack of poison neutralizing skills. "What do you mean slow its effects? How long does that last?"

It is agreed upon that the group should wait the monsters out until the others can be healed, but the silence and uncertainty if they are still around is hard to tolerate as the time slowly passes.

Actions?

Alordan AC3 4/22
Torbath (M3) AC8 -3/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 0/1 (top of backpack/inside helmet) Comet AC:7 4/4 Unconscious
Aliendron AC10 8/17 (CL4) 1st 0/5 2nd 4/4 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st 0/2 2nd 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 -7/14 RM, CL, DM 0/4 1st 0/2 2nd Unconscious
Amun (F3) AC:2 16/33
Maag AC4 4/20
Theo AC:5 8/13 (Sword)

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


"Wendall is the wizard from whom we, indirectly, obtained the cube. It was Wendall who built the portal to the Three Gnomes tavern we arrived from. My suggestion was just a shot in the dark as otherwise I have no idea what pattern that door requires."

"I know a spell that can dramatically slow a poison's effect, up to four hours per cast, and I can do this up to four times per day. Typically, it revives the target so that a permanent cure can be found. Torbath was able to egest the poison after I healed him, so the same process may work for Mr. Grumble."

[ravenn4544]

Alordan wonders about the black gate they had just recently run into, "You don't think it's like that other black gate thing we came across on cat-turd island, remember? I guess if it was, we'd still all be stuck there looking at it."

He wonders and wonders some more. Passing time while he worries about how the creatures outside are likely multiplying again.

"If it is otherwise some kind of door, do you think the orb map would be a clue? I don't know what else it could be - unless it's something we haven't found yet...."