Return To The Ruins (Warlords Palace)

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Watches with some alarm at Kain's transformation.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest watches Kain in amazement, "I think that is the legendary Shadow Cloak."

[silifi]

Sik is again bothered by the mysterious sorcery surrounding him, but looks exasperated and defeated.

"Akhilleus, Drest, shall we?" he asks, gesturing towards the new doorway.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest just ignores Sik while he gazes in wonder at the cloak/shadow thing that was once Kain. "Should we wait and see if Kain turns back?"

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus looks at Kain in amazement. "Let's wait first."

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The druid just shakes her head in disbelief; now, two of her companions are possessed by magic! She looks again at the scroll and thinks maybe this is the time to use it. She tucks it away instead and wait for one of two things: either for someone to open the newly found door or for Kain and Belloc to kill them all.

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

Kain looks around at the amazed faces, scowling in confusion. He looks down at himself and almost jumps back in surprise. "What sorcery is this?"

Something filters into his head and he asks aloud "The Shadow Cloak? What do you mean?" He resists the urge to remove the cowl and decides to test some things. He reaches out his hand to touch the bed, wondering if he will be able to do so.

"Thank you for your advice Belloc, but I do not yet hear any otherworldly voices."

[Belkregos]

Belloc stays quiet, tightening his grip on his staff. His eyes narrow as he observes the shadow that used to be Kain. The dark, shifting form stands where his companion once was, its edges flickering like a wavering flame.

Belloc's gaze remains fixed on the shadow, The staff pulses with dark energy, responding to his heightened focus. Belloc's heart pounds in his chest, but he steels himself, ready to confront whatever remnants of Kain's essence may still linger within the shadow.

[The_Wanderer]

Cyril watches Kain closely. His hand finds its way to his holy symbol. "This could be useful...if enough of Kain remains after the transformation that is."

[subaltari]

Suddenly the Cleric turns as black as the shadow creature Belloc just slayed. Not only that, but his form seems to become wispy and incorporeal while the cowl is donned, almost like the effects of one who had been turned from a solid into a gas.

Does Kain now resemble the departed shadow creature in other ways, like shape and texture?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sorry for the long delay here everyone! Let's get back into the swing of regular posting again.

Though he does look like a shadow, it's not necessarily exactly like THAT shadow.

Under The Zakath Desert
Sanctum Of The Magus
No Idea On Time Or Day

The group watches as the shadowy form of Kain flitters about the room, testing out his new abilities under the cowl of the presumed Cloak of Shadows. Looking on with interest, Magda slowly pulls the ancient tome back out from her bag to cautiously return it to the desk.

The huge desert Barbarian looks almost ready to flee, with all the spooky magicks suddenly around him. He makes a move for the secret door, but the others seem almost entranced by the wispy dark form of their Cleric. Ceana also looks distraught by the recent happenings, tucking the scroll she found away on her person as she keeps a sharp eye on Belloc.

Cyril instinctively reaches for his holy symbol, hoping Kain is still in there somewhere. Belloc looks on normally.....well, normally for him, anyway.

Kainaxarthos presumes the power of the item might be limited, so he resists the urge to pull the leather cowl back from his pretty head. He finds that he can still touch and feel, though his strength seems limited in his shadow form. What he finds even more interesting is that he can now manipulate his form to shift and flit about the room, joining the concerned looking Skavi who still awaits the opening of the secret door. The Cleric gets the impression that he could float right through the seams of the door if he wished. Anyone else trying to touch Kain in this new form sees their hand pass right through the dark mist.

DM liberties: An impatient Sik eventually pushes on the wall in the middle of the outline, watching as the door opens into a dark and narrow rough tunnel that immediately makes a tight bend towards the east. Fresh air, if you could call it that, suddenly wafts into the room, giving the impression of a wide open area somewhere beyond this hidden tunnel.

Actions?

Drest (Sc4) FA:3 AC7 16/22
Xenos (DS3) FA:3 AC5 17/17
Akhilleus (F4) FA:4 AC4 19/35
Kainaxarthos (C3) FA:1 AC6 17/19 Shadow Form:9
Magda (W2) FA:0 AC9 8/8 Hooded Lantern
Sik (Ba1) FA:1 AC5 9/12
Cyril (Pr3) FA:1 AC8 12/12 CLW, DM Torch
Ceana (D3) FA:2 AC5 19/19 Torch
Taibhse (Sh2) FA:0(20) AC5 11/11 Torch
Belloc (M2) FA:0(20) AC6 36/14 Enlarge

[Rex]

Drest

With the secret door now open, Drest looks inside and prepares himself to begin to lead the way if it looks like the others are following.

"Ready to go?"

[subaltari]

Magda & Skavi

Assuming this secret passage is (like the previous one) only wide enough for single file, Magda takes her place somewhere in the middle of the line while bearing her lit lantern. Skavi runs up the Ixian's side to take his place once again on her shoulder.

[shaidar]

Xenos will guard the rear as they move through the new passageway.

Not much option really, with the space available.

[silifi]

Sik takes his place behind Drest, sniffing at the new air in hopes of discerning either potential foes or sorcerous traps. (3:12 for tracking, 4:12 detect sorcery)

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

"I'm good, no ill effects. But I really get the feeling I can kinda...seep through cracks."

"Drest, you mentioned the Shadow Cloak? What do you know?"

Kain decides to slide past everyone and take the lead.

[Belkregos]

Belloc gets ready to continue exploring taking a spot towards the end of the group

[Rex]

Drest

"Just the legend among my people of a black leather cloak that allows you to turn into a shadow. Which is what we call that thing we just defeated. No more detail about it than that but it seems to be true so far."

[The_Wanderer]

Kainaxarthos
"I'm good, no ill effects..."

Cyril "Well that is a relief. Do remember that there could be longterm health impacts to making yourself so...insubstantial on a repeated basis. Indeed I'll keep an eye on you and will certainly let you know if I spot any changes. In fact, your skin does seem rather pale and sallow...Oh no wait...that's just the light of my torch. I'm sure you're fine."

Cyril follows the others through the newly opened door.

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

Still nervous around her "magical" companions, the druid follows the others into the tunnel behind the secret door.