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Jak Snide
 
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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:40 pm

"Vance does speak the truth. And besides, we should probably break the little one in easy." He said, gesturing towards Shawn.

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Unread postby Geesi » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:35 pm

"You got need for money?" Gulrd asks of Vance, "doesn't matter what it is or why," he adds to the group at large, "if anybody's got... what's it called, 'bills to pay,' I'm all for the job. But I'll square with you. If nobody here has the starving kids back home, I'd rather go make history."

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Unread postby Justice Augustus » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:11 pm

Lux leaned back a bit, satisfied that at least there was an air of adventuring in the party, even if pragmatism seemed to be leading the way.

"The amulet job...didn't I overhear the lady you spoke to," he says, nodding at Zant, "say that a brief timeframe was involved? Yes...perhaps a trial expedition would be the wisest path before setting forth on an extended venture. It will allow us to weigh each others' abilities, and that will help us greatly when facing the unknown."

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:54 pm

The gensai nodded, hair rippling gently as he did.

"The sickly one said that her employer wanted the amulet within a couple of days. You'd be correct to assume that making history would preclude an easy source of income."

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:07 pm

"B..Breaking me in?!" Shawn yelped, looking at Zant. How could he say that? She was the most experianced here. ...Probably. "..I'm...I'm older than I look.." she tried to defend, before shaking her head. It was getting less and less worth it. "..Look, making history is fine, but not when it's being the first person to get eaten by a giant waivera."

She adjusted to address the team at large. "We're going for the easier job, for now. We need to get used to working as a team, among other things."

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:19 pm

Zant permitted himself a grin. Just a little one, but he did deserve it for confirming what he suspected. Not that he thought the rest of the group thought any different, but now they knew for sure. Either that, or the child was delusional.

"The voice of experience has spoken, it seems. Very well, mother, when shall we depart?"

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:19 pm

Gus: Made another roll for you since it's one per plane.

Acheron:
Spoiler:
The first layer is home to the Orcish and Goblin pantheons, who spend most of their time in an endless war with one another, lending some hazard to Acheron. The Mines, however, are on the second layer, where the only major cities are to be found in the Duergar realm Hammergrim; thus the most likely spot for a connection to the Staircase on that layer. Besides that, the most worrysome thing about the second layer is spending more than a month or so there without protection; anything left there for too long, living or not, turns to iron-like stone after a couple months.


Steam:
Spoiler:
Though there's air enough to breathe, it's definitely muggy there, affecting those that can't breathe water as a Slow spell. Most natives are fairly harmless; besides the quasielementals, the only ones to speak of that might cause problems are the mist and steam mephits. The most likely access point to the Staircase here is a city known as Adrift; he only knows it by name however, he knows nothing else about it.

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:25 pm

Shawn's eye twitched briefly, perhaps another spasm?

She shook her head frantically, trying to backpedal her previous statement now. "I'm not THAT old!"

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:29 pm

The gensai's eyebrows rippled, as a small stream might if a rock was dropped in it. He did his best to keep his face neutral as he replied.

"My apologies, madam. I simply wished to address you with a title more befitting of your true self."

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:38 pm

"T..True self? ..What are you, crazy or something?"

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:41 pm

"The self that isn't a ten year old child, as your appearance leads others to believe. My apologies once again, I meant no offense."

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:31 pm

Shawn blushed, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I'm...I'm just a little sensative about my height, okay? I'm really small for my age.."
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Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:06 am

Zant turned to regard the rest of the group, done with teasing the not-child for now.

"So, are we in agreeance over our course?"

He looked to Lorraine, who'd remained silent so far, wondering if she had anything to say on the matter.

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Unread postby Besyanteo » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:36 pm

She looked mostly cheerful. She'd given the druid a confused look when he'd gone on about saving the world for a moment earlier, but when the conversation had moved on from there she'd composed herself once more.

"I agree with Shawn; We could use the time to get to know one another. Anyway, I don't know that the worlds need saving at the moment regardless."

She resisted the urge to smirk, she really did. She failed, though.

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:54 pm

"Then we have an accord, my friends. Let's go tell the sickly elf that we'll take her job."

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:58 am

Headquarters

An agreement made, the group heads for the tent. It takes a bit of noise, but the elf shows herself soon enough, handing the materials over appreciatively in her half-asleep state, as well as the directions to a doorway to a city in the Duergar realm of Hammergrim, some seven hours up. With the information they need in hand, the group makes their last-minute preparations before beginning their ascent. Their first mission is soon to begin, their first steps onto the planes not only as full members of the Planewalkers' Guild, but as an actual party of travelers. Who can say what might await them ahead?

If your character does have such last-minute preparations, go ahead and post them. Grabbing mounts or supplies, that sort of thing. Other than that, I'll give some time for general CI during the trip, and if it's not happening, I'll go ahead and skip over to their arrival.

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Unread postby Justice Augustus » Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:53 am

So it'll be Thulnadin then? Well the brevity of the expedition should mean we will not have to worry about any petrification effects, as most reports put those as occuring after 3 ten-days, but perhaps there is a little more I can discover about our destination before we set forth.

Telling the others of his intent, Lux strides off back to the library, looking specifically for information concerning Hammergrim and the Mines.

(Rolled twice, 9+8=17 and 15+8=23, if only one roll was required just use the 9.)

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:29 am

Hammergrim:
Spoiler:
The realm of Laduguer, god of the duergar. Primes and dwarves aren't looked kindly on here, but no one's actively attacked. All cities here are built for defense, with only a few entrances out on the surface of the cubes, all designed as thin staircases that a few duergar with crossbows can defend easily.


The Mines of Marsellin:
Spoiler:
This area consists of hundreds if not thousands of strip mines, deep tunnels, and mounds of cube-shaped tailings. Under and above the surface both can be found vast junk heaps, filled with abandoned magic and machines from across the planes, though most things have since been fused together into giant piles of iron by the properties of Acheron, only slightly recognizable as the objects they once were. The contents of the mines seem to always be growing, with new items constantly found in old tunnels, though the source of the additions is unknown; some theorize that disintegrate spells actually send their targets to these mines. This area is mined by vast numbers of people - duergar, modrons, and baatezu are all common sites here. Claimjumpers and theft are both threats to watch out for. This region is watched over by Coisoris, an ancient rust dragon that hates those who try to steal from the mines, and has a special loathing for the modrons that scour through its contents to sort them into tidy piles.

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Unread postby Besyanteo » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:49 am

Lorraine will track down her horse and put on her armor. She has a few supplies to gather, but that's mostly a matter of putting on her backpack and readying her saddle. After that, she's ready to go.

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Unread postby Geesi » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:28 am

The druid is more confused than Lorraine right up until he realizes she's referring to him. He lets it slide, figuring that if she's so eager to be smug that she's willing to do so over things like 'voices in her head saying nonsensical things,' it would be pointless to gainsay her.

Provisioning involves the purchase of a couple weeks worth of rations just in case and some reading up on red-skinned planars. Mostly out of curiosity of what sort of person would look like that, as he's never seen one.

(Knowledge: Planes of 17+3=20)

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:02 am

Gulrd:
Spoiler:
Some fire genasi and tieflings have reddish-tinted skin, as do hobgoblins. Not much else that he can find, though.

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:42 pm

Zant took the opportunity to make sure he had enough food for the journey and, if given more time, brush up on his religious education a bit. Other than that, he simply waited for the group to gather once again.

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sat Oct 06, 2007 12:12 am

Infinite Staircase

The party gathers at the foot of the stairs, Lorraine and Shawn on their respective mounts, the remainder of the party on foot. Those that own them light the way with their belissan torches, warding off the darkness of the Staircase as best they can. The six begin their climb, the sparse surroundings around them giving them little to distract them from the effort of their ascent. Aaron and Snowblind both seem a little restless, but urgings from their masters keep them calm; this isn't the safest spot for a bird to be flying around, after all.

For those not used to this sort of travel, the journey is long and a little tiring. Shawn's almost-hourly bathroom breaks don't help matters much, though at the least it gives the group the occasional rest break. Not much else breaks the monotony of this trip, without even the spotting of another group in the distance. It's quite the mind-numbing journey by all measure.

Eventually, the party reaches the Stone Columns region, and a mere half-hour later, the door to Acheron. A stone fixture on a small landing only 20 feet across, it swings inwards, an archway of solid blocks that vaguely resemble petrified steel straddling it, and a leather strap bolted to this side in lieu of a doorknob. No sounds can be heard from the far side, but for such a thick-looking door, this may not be surprising. The light of the party's torches seems more subdued here; a solid sign that this door indeed leads to the Lower Planes.

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Unread postby NamagomiMk0 » Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:45 am

I.

Am.

So.

Fucking.

BORED.

...who would've believed how long this would take just to walk up some damn stairs, what with that large guy's yammering about history, and the short one having to go off to piss roughly every hour, and all these stairs. Stairs, stairs, STAIRS. It's enough to drive someone mad with how all of this takes forever to get to--and then we go and walk even -MORE-...I mean, I've dealt with long travel times, but this is something completely. different. Hell, I thought that only Illithid could do something this bad to my head. And we can't even find a shorter way, because this IS the shortest way that I think we CAN go, and...holy crap are we actually here? I hope so, because if we aren't, I just might bloody snap...


Vance looks up wearily at the door--somewhat with interest, and moreso with relief. While his hangover-headache had gone away at somepoint during the journey, he had paid for that with the mind-crushing boredom that resulted from going up--or down--a flight of stairs for literally hours. And so, he mentally asked, not saying a word yet...

...Is this the way we're supposed to go?

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:47 am

"I believe this is the gate." announed Zant. "Shall we head on through?"

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Unread postby Geesi » Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:51 am

Gulrd, once the party looked to be setting into a crushing stoic silence of travel, had flipped open a book on tieflings from the library. If they were going somewhere, might as well make good use of the time.

The book snaps shut if and when the party stops before their destination. Or at least what he presumes is their destination. Plus a couple of false starts.

His relief no less than Vance's. He could get monotonous blind walking back home, after all. Getting to go trooping around on Lower Planes, though, that was good times. "Anybody need to take care of anything first?" The question isn't directed at Shawn, it just... kind of includes her.

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Unread postby Justice Augustus » Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:30 am

Lux looks at the group around him, smiling at how like so many travelling expeditions he has come across they immediately have to stop and discuss every minor obstacle in their path as if it was a riddle from a sphinx. "We've been walking for hours. If you're not ready for this by now, you never will be." With a laugh he grabs the door handle and opens the door, holding his torch high to illuminate the scene.

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Unread postby Besyanteo » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:07 am

Lorraine's spirits weren't so easily brought low; Then again, she didn't actually have to traverse the stairs on her own legs. Shawn's regular and often bathroom breaks has her wondering if the child had been served some bad eggs this morning, but it wouldn't be very polite of her to ask. Worse since she couldn't actually do anything about it if that was the case. Oh well.

When they reached the door, it wasn't especially relieving or or off-putting. She simply waited for Lux to decide if something terrible was on the other side or not. Not that she expected much to be there; She dismounted, in preparation to lead her mount on through.

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:18 am

Infinite Staircase

Lux pulls the free-standing door open, revealing the area beyond. Who knows what wonders might await them ahead? What mysteries might await them in the War-torn Cubes of Acheron?

...Not many, from the first glimpse, it would appear; nothing but stone crates and stone casks filling a room designed much in the same manner as the doorway itself. Possibly a disconcerting sight for the travelers, seeing a room beyond rather than the expected void or shimmering curtain of a portal. But then again, they all reached the Staircase somehow. With the door now open, they can vaguely hear the sounds of others above. The noises echoing down from the single flight of stairs at the far end of the room are fairly limited, staid even, not nearly what a person might expect from what by all appearances is a tavern. However, it does bode well for their interactions in the near future.

Welcome to Acheron. A quick summary of the effects you will be greeted with here.

Gulrd and Zant: An effective -3 penalty for Zant and -7 penalty for Gulrd to caster level for both spell effects and spells per day while you are here, to a minimum of 1. Gulrd, since you memorize spells, let me know what spells you're dropping on this and future travels. You do get them back if you go into a plane with a lower penalty without having to pray for them again.
Lux: Make either a Knowledge(Arcana) or Knowledge(Planes) check to be aware of the effects this plane will have on your spells.

Also, since it's just going to be inconvenient for everyone both now and in the future otherwise, I'm ruling that the stair-climbing horseshoes you can get for your mounts do in fact work outside the Staircase as well. I don't think this can be exploited any, even for their low purchase price. Feel free to prove me wrong if you can, though. :D

The doorway is still short enough that Lorraine'll have to dismount to get through, though. Shawn can just make it on her pony if she ducks her head.

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:10 pm

Shawn doesn't bother dismounting- One of the perks of being short. She looks around on the other side, pulling her goggles away from her eyes. "...What is this, a warehouse?"
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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:42 pm

"Possibly."

Zant stepped forward, stretching out a hand to touch the boundry between the two different planes. Unless something horrific happened he'd be stepping through.

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:00 pm

Infinite Staircase/Hammergrim

The two step through, with no real ill effects. There is no obvious barrier or boundary between the two areas, though as soon as he steps through the threshold, Zant can tangibly feel the greater distance to his deity. It feels...slightly lonely, especially after having grown so accustomed to his presence since he started along his path.

Shawn, however, feels nothing at the transition, there being no more difference to her than stepping from one room to another. She can smell the vague scent of some sort of alcohol drifting down from above, and with a further look, the flight up seems to be the only way out of this storage room.

Also, as I realize I forgot this earlier, your party also has the 300 gold advance payment for this mission, divided up evenly between the 6 of you. Given what the elf said before, there's another 900 gold coming once you finish this.

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Unread postby Justice Augustus » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:03 pm

Knowing what he does about the plane, Lux seems slightly agitated. As soon as he steps through the door he barely keeps still, constantly shuffling his feet and never touching anything for long. While he knows that the petrification effects will not begin for many days, he can't help but feel nervous.

"One of the things about this place is quite remarkable, oh my yes." Lux says, casting a cursory glance at the objects in the room. "It is quite likely that these items were not stone when they were first placed here, but something about the plane causes objects that remain stationary for a long period of time to petrify. Nevertheless, there are tales of great treasures being hidden throughout this area of the plane, and many brave the danger of turning to stone for brief salvaging operations."

(Knowledge, Arcana check re: spell effects - 19+5=24)

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Unread postby Besyanteo » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:17 pm

Lorraine followed after Lux, bidding her steed to follow her with gentle tugs on the reigns. Her left eyebrow shoots up in response to the man's statement. At first the idea of an expedition struck her oddly. However, she realized a moment later that their own expedition wasn't entirely different. In the face of that, she couldn't help but smile.

"With any luck, our own business here will finish long before we have to worry about that."

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:40 pm

"How do the residents get any rest, I wonder?"

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Unread postby NamagomiMk0 » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:32 pm

"Like I've got a damn clue," Vance butted in. Honestly, he didn't care; the mission was supposed to be done in a few days anyway, so, as long as Lux's 'a long period of time' wasn't equal to a few days, it shouldn't be a problem.

"Right, so, where from here?" he asked. While they may not turn to stone in a short period of time, their money might just essentially disappear in that very time.

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Unread postby Geesi » Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:56 am

"On the move," Gulrd postulates. "Maybe on net tied between poles, and sleep in shifts so someone can always keep them moving." He scratches his chin, pondering the possibility. "Have the weirdest dreams, most like, swinging and sleeping and all."

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:44 am

"I don't think people turn to stone..And besides, people move when they're asleep." Shawn grumbles, reaching into her pouch and putting another piece of candy in her mouth. "But if you're all that scared, we should go."
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Unread postby Idran1701 » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:24 am

Hammergrim

The last of the group comes through, the door falling shut behind them as they discuss the nature of the layer. As they speak, however, footsteps begin to descend down the stairs into their room. The party turns towards the storage room's exit, readying themselves for what might await them.

Likely fairly low on their list of expectations, however, is the sight before them: a dour-looking, slender, bald dwarf, with a wiry snow-white beard, grey skin, and somehow greyer clothing carrying an empty stone bowl down the stairs. Or rather, he was carrying it until spotting the gathered six, freezing in place and dropping it on the floor to roll, staring at them with black, pupil-less eyes for what feels like half a minute before he finally speaks up.

"...What?"

Lux:
Spoiler:
Ah, if this is a duergar, then you've read about this race before, back home before your travels. Grey dwarves, these are known as on Faerun.

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Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:27 am

Shawn took a moment to stare back, a number of things running through her head.

Oh, what the hell. You don't get a chance like this often.

"..Hi!" Her eyes lit up a bit. "Do you turn to stone when you fall asleep?"
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