The Mausoleum

[OGRE MAGE]

Belloc took a deep breath and tentatively touched the staff.

Can I get a Save vs. Death, please? (+ Wis bonus)

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Taibhse, eyes growing large with the revelation, moves in closer to see what happens as Belloc moves to touch the staff.

[Belkregos]

[sastaz]

Tuurma suddenly comes to hearing Belloc's exposition, jumping up and walking quickly towards them, eyes wide open.

"What was that you said right now about the undead in the streets? Be careful with that thing, you do not want to touch that, I can guarantee you that you'll she's to late to stop him

"BELLOC NO!!"

[OGRE MAGE]

The Lost Mausoleum
Finishing The Job, Next Morning

Despite the others trepidation, Belloc feels he was not only meant to find this item, it was almost his right to take it. Especially after all the work he put into researching its location.

He wisely casts aside his dangerous possessions, inviting the others to neutralize him if things go poorly. Then he reaches out to touch the staff, grabbing it up into his hand greedily and pulling it from the coffin. He looks at the twisted item longingly, no longer nauseated by its strangeness, though the others still find it disgusting to behold. When he holds the staff forth for all to admire his new prize, everyone in the room, save he, is overcome with a feeling of paranoia, as if somehow being watched.

Tuurma and Cormag are clearly not amused by the magicians reckless abandon, finding the item to give off an overwhelming presence of hateful and repellent energy.

Kain finds the rotting sack to contain 5 valuable looking gemstones.

Actions?

Kainaxarthos AC:6 3/8 1st:2/2
Tuurma AC:7 4/13
Ceana AC:5 5/8 1st:3/3
Taibhse AC:7 2/7 1st:1/2 MM
Cormag AC:4 5/11
Belloc AC:6 7/9 2/3 Crestos: (Owl) AC:7 4/4

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The Kelt druid watches Belloc closely, looking for any signs of possession...not that she would know what that looked like, but she'd heard about it enough growing up.
"How do you feel?" she asks, breaking the silence.
"Do you feel like killing all of us? Eating our flesh? Destroying the world?"

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Looks on in wonder. Feeling a small bit of revulsion, but finding the item more alluring than revolting.

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

"Ok. You're not dead. That's good." Kain looks over at the others, especially Ceana. "I mean, did he feel like killing us or destroying the world before? Did we get a baseline is what I'm asking."

Turning to Belloc. "Now that you have it... I think we should know what it is. You seem to expect something like this, if not this exactly."

"Also, it feels as if someone is watching me take these gemstones, soooo.., thanks?" Kain lifts up the sack and thanks the surroundings. "This should help recover costs."

[Belkregos]

Belloc held the staff in one hand, observing his other hand, he opened and closed it still in amazement. He felt fine, normal, but he knew he had to be careful. The outer entities had millennia to be patient and work insidiously slow. He needed to keep vigilant. It would try to fool him, he knew, lull him into false confidence.

He looked to his companions. "I feel no difference," he said, "but I'll need to rely on you to keep me grounded. My soul is in peril, but someone needs to hold it back."

He turned back to the staff. "My soul will be a flimsy patch to hold back the ocean," he said. "This is a crack between worlds, that's why you feel observed. Indeed, now its focus will be on shaping me to its will. Though my soul might be a speck in comparison, it's in a crucial inflection and that gives us a chance. It's impeding its passage, it will try to twist me."

He held the staff up, inspecting it. "Same as this," he said.
"As far as what it is and what it does, I have bits and pieces. I think part of the undead issues here are due to it starting to assert control. I'm not sure, but I think maybe its influence started to seep further. Now it will be confined by the wielder."

He took a deep breath. "These are all theories and some speculations," he said, "but I have good reason to believe it. The details I'll have to study.

[sastaz]

Tuurma suddenly seems very alert and interested.

"It will try to twist you, how? And how can you stop it once the infection spreads throughout your body? Is there a cure?"

[OGRE MAGE]

It seems Belloc isn’t the only one interested in the staff?

Does Cormag have an opinion on the situation?

[hedgeknight]

Kainaxarthos "Ok. You're not dead. That's good." Kain looks over at the others, especially Ceana. "I mean, did he feel like killing us or destroying the world before? Did we get a baseline is what I'm asking."

Ceana silently mouths the word "baseline" as if it tastes sour to say it; truth is, she doesn't recognize it. She shrugs in confusion and then listens to Belloc. When he talks about the possibility of being taken over, she leans into Kain and whispers, "Looks like we may have to kill him before he...destroys the world!" she finishes with a hiss. She puts her hands on her hips and gives Kain an "I told you so" look.

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Is observing Belloc, he hears the others expressing concerns, but is more interested in what the staff has done and will do.

[redwarrior]

Cormag silently watches the others discussing without offering an opinion of his own. When Belloc is looking in another direction, he makes sure his sword is loose in its scabbard.

[sastaz]

Tuurma

"Belloc answer me now!!"

[Belkregos]

Belloc turned to Tuurma, his expression flashing from anger to puzzlement in an instant.
"It's no disease, Tuurma," he said, "no more than the spirit of rage that... (he stuttered and seems to struggle or fight with his words) that you allow to have its way with you." his words laced with contempt then pauses a moment looking at Truuma in detail . "Even now, isn't it nibbling at the edge of your mind?" (Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as his facial expression starts to show signals of pain, a hand goes to his face and temples as if trying to soothe a sudden migraine. then shaking with effort reaches to hold the staff with both hands and tightens his grip.)
NO!
He shook his head and took a deep breath, seeming to regain his composure
"It's no disease, Tuurma," he said again, his voice calmer this time. "It's more cunning. It will try to make it seem its desires are mine. I know I have to be vigilant, be a tower of virtue against it! I'll need to learn to live with it.
frail as I may seem, my spirit is firm, it knows it, my soul will bind it or shatter but its better than it being loose as it was...
looks around the room as if looking for something, his expression softens as he eyes falls on a darkened corner and nods,
Crestos flies out of the corner where he was hiding and comes his side to rest at his shoulder

i know, i know, i'll need your help Crestos

then looks to his companions

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

Kain takes it all in and exhales. "A conduit, then? From what deity? Or is it something else?" He shakes his head with a smile. "And someone told you that you had to control it. Either you should be less trusting, or you should be sainted. I'm not sure which."

He turns to Ceana with his hands up. "Fair enough. But so many are trying to destroy the world, it's just that this one is closer. And probably not as far along. But as Belloc has said, more research is needed. And town is the best place for that, soooo, shall we?"

"Unless there's anything else we think we can find here, I suggest it's time to head back. Ohh, there are more rooms that we haven't looked at, aren't there?"

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The Kelt druid doesn't respond, but she does give Belloc a look with a cock of her head. "Perhaps I can divine something from Noondeh about this...thing...whatever it is. But yes, best to do so in town."
Her shoulders sag at the thought of looking through more rooms.

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

He continues to watch Belloc with great interest, and think in his studies has he heard of such a device as this one?

"Yes lets see the other rooms and then head back to the city."

[OGRE MAGE]

The Lost Mausoleum
Finishing The Job, Next Morning

Taibhse struggles to remember hearing anything about this specific item, but he has obviously heard of its kind before. The Shaman knows all too well that not every magic item was crafted with the betterment of society in mind.

The group watch their new companion carefully, detecting no obvious signs of possession or other mental maladies. A long discussion about the cold and disturbing staff continues, with some members appearing to desire the item, while others still find its presence despicably offensive. One thing that eventually becomes painfully obvious is the growing paranoia that seems to be almost palpable around this item.

Once Belloc assures the group that he is none the worse for possessing such a powerful thing, he calls for Crestos, who flits from his perch atop a nearby coffin, landing on the mages shoulder, but clearly keeping its distance from the staff. If Belloc moves the item towards the owl, it flitters up and away from it, as if touching it would cause the animal great harm.

With this crypt thoroughly searched, talk of entering the final unchecked room is broached. The party moves back out into the hallway to find the last iron crypt door to be securely locked. It is there that Cormag and Tuurma spot something strange. They observe Belloc gazing at his new prized possession a bit too longingly for their liking. Then they notice that the tips of the mages fingers appear to be turning an ashy grey color.

Actions?

Kainaxarthos AC:6 3/8 1st:2/2
Tuurma AC:7 4/13
Ceana AC:5 5/8 1st:3/3
Taibhse AC:7 2/7 1st:1/2 MM
Cormag AC:4 5/11
Belloc AC:6 7/9 2/3 Crestos: (Owl) AC:7 4/4

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