Post by David on Jun 7, 2016 2:51:52 GMT -5
The heroes (Taarna, Brock, Esmerelda with Drusilla, Cymoril with Tar'jar, Tolus, and Mikhail) continue exploring Beyond the Silver Pane. They take Sister Elsbeth's spellbook, all of her that remained, and continued searching for a way to reach the Well of All Heals. The heroes soon encountered a half dozen gargoyles, but these creatures seemed to be decayed and almost rotting, as if undead. When they attacked, they caused limited paralysis somewhat like ghouls, but instead of using fear, these creatures partially petrified their targets. Brock and Cymoril did not fair very well against them. During the fight, Taarna held back at first and Tolus found that he could move somewhat merely through force of will alone...
The heroes continued on and found another copper disc, this one with all of their missing equipment on it. Taarna reached for the items and disappeared. The rest of the heroes rushed after her and all appeared on the top of impossibly high, impossibly flat, impossibly near mountains. On another "mesa peak" only a half dozen yards away was a tall, beautiful blue-skinned woman. She spoke a bit of Elvish and Draconic, but more Suloise. The heroes learned that they were now in some "projection" of the Feywild and among the nearby threats were an army of pixies. Taarna and Mikhail, capitalizing on what Tolus discovered, learned that they could fly by willing it and the heroes fetched the woman and brought her along with them. They briefly battled a small force of pixies, though the creatures only really hurt the blue-woman, who Tar'jar rescued. Mikhail talked the "evil trees" out of attacking the heroes and they managed to reach the mirror on another peak.
Stepping through the final Silver Pane, the party found itself at the junction of not just the Five Worlds, but ten others AS WELL. The heroes found themselves somewhat restored and were able to choose anywhere on Oerth to project to...
The heroes realized that they had been somehow astrally projecting before but now were in a raw cavern. Mikhail set his mind to meditating and the rest of the group stood guard. The young psi took Taarna and Esmerelda ethereal where the witch waited for their return, using the crystal ball of the seeker to guide Taarna to the surface. There Mikhail returned to the Prime plane, teleported back to Jhor'dain's camp, met up with Mother Maggie and Alistair, and got cured. He disappeared for a few minutes, following up on a hunch. When Mikhail reappeared it was with a very much alive Sister Elsbeth -- as the heroes had been projecting astrally, the bard has not actually been killed. Taarna and Mikhail then rested a while before teleporting back to where they had emerged from the ground. Mikhail brought them ethereal again and Taarna used the bracer of the seeker (now reset by Esmerelda to her own location) to retrace their steps and reunite first with the Green Witch and then with the whole group.
The rest of the party, however, did not have as tranquil a time. A small band of drow arrived, intent on using the Well. Their bugbear guards surprised Tar'jar on watch and nearly slew Cymoril and Tolus. Tar'jar and Brock fought the creatures off until drow pistol bows started raining poison bolts among the heroes. Cymoril managed to activate her divine powers and trigger a light that surprised the dark elves and gave Brock and Tar'jar a chance to counter-attack. Brock in particular was quite clever, using a stunned bugbear as a living shield as he leapt to the attack! The heroes defeated five dark elves, including a mage that lighting bolted the party AND the last, dying bugbear. Unfortunately, however, everyone but Tar'jar succumbed to the drow toxin and passed out, paralyzed. Tar'jar then fought off a group of giant spiders.
Once again reunited, the heroes rested again so Mikhail could regain his mental strength. They then entered the Well of All Heals, following the tracks Taarna and Tolus found. In a fungus-covered grotto, the heroes met a pair of deva who asked for a sacrifice if the group wished to continue. During this exchange, Tolus got too near to a wall and the violet fungus nearly cost the ranger his leg -- only Esmerelda's cure disease saved him. Taarna was suspicious of the devas and noted that she could see neither's life aura. Mikhail, meanwhile, sensed deceit and greed, very un-angelic traits. The heroes charged to the attack with only Tar'jar being fooled into battling the projected images of the creatures. Soon, the group found themselves facing a pair of nycadaemons. Although each made many mirror images of themselves and fought with the strength of a stone giant, the heroes sent both back to the lower plane -- Mikhail exploded the brain of one and Taarna hacked down the second.
Continuing on, the heroes came to a room where a drowic banshee battled a drowic revanant. The heroes avoided taking sides and continued on.
Finally, the heroes came to a hole in the ground from which no light shone. Light stones dropped in simply disappeared and multiple auguries warned that to enter would be QUITE dangerous. Using Esmerelda's detect invisibility, Taarna found a ledge some 100' down and a stone tell from the Green Witch indicated the magic word to open it. The heroes then found an iridescent pool bathed in pulsing pink light -- the Well of All Heals. Taarna and Mikhail helped Jhor'dain into the pool while Brock and Tolus helped Alistair. Both were cured, as was Tolus. In fact, the ranger regained his original body, greatly aiding his prowess as a ranger. A voice enjoined Brock and Mikhail to take a small drink of the waters and the pair found their curse somewhat lifted...for now...
The heroes then returned to Jhor'dain's village to rest, successful in their mission and ready for the final mission in the past -- lose the cone of the magi at the bottom of the oceanic trench that is Morgan. To do this, the heroes would need to visit Tar'jar's friend, D'Arcturus' island and make use of his magical tide pools...
The heroes continued on and found another copper disc, this one with all of their missing equipment on it. Taarna reached for the items and disappeared. The rest of the heroes rushed after her and all appeared on the top of impossibly high, impossibly flat, impossibly near mountains. On another "mesa peak" only a half dozen yards away was a tall, beautiful blue-skinned woman. She spoke a bit of Elvish and Draconic, but more Suloise. The heroes learned that they were now in some "projection" of the Feywild and among the nearby threats were an army of pixies. Taarna and Mikhail, capitalizing on what Tolus discovered, learned that they could fly by willing it and the heroes fetched the woman and brought her along with them. They briefly battled a small force of pixies, though the creatures only really hurt the blue-woman, who Tar'jar rescued. Mikhail talked the "evil trees" out of attacking the heroes and they managed to reach the mirror on another peak.
Stepping through the final Silver Pane, the party found itself at the junction of not just the Five Worlds, but ten others AS WELL. The heroes found themselves somewhat restored and were able to choose anywhere on Oerth to project to...
The heroes realized that they had been somehow astrally projecting before but now were in a raw cavern. Mikhail set his mind to meditating and the rest of the group stood guard. The young psi took Taarna and Esmerelda ethereal where the witch waited for their return, using the crystal ball of the seeker to guide Taarna to the surface. There Mikhail returned to the Prime plane, teleported back to Jhor'dain's camp, met up with Mother Maggie and Alistair, and got cured. He disappeared for a few minutes, following up on a hunch. When Mikhail reappeared it was with a very much alive Sister Elsbeth -- as the heroes had been projecting astrally, the bard has not actually been killed. Taarna and Mikhail then rested a while before teleporting back to where they had emerged from the ground. Mikhail brought them ethereal again and Taarna used the bracer of the seeker (now reset by Esmerelda to her own location) to retrace their steps and reunite first with the Green Witch and then with the whole group.
The rest of the party, however, did not have as tranquil a time. A small band of drow arrived, intent on using the Well. Their bugbear guards surprised Tar'jar on watch and nearly slew Cymoril and Tolus. Tar'jar and Brock fought the creatures off until drow pistol bows started raining poison bolts among the heroes. Cymoril managed to activate her divine powers and trigger a light that surprised the dark elves and gave Brock and Tar'jar a chance to counter-attack. Brock in particular was quite clever, using a stunned bugbear as a living shield as he leapt to the attack! The heroes defeated five dark elves, including a mage that lighting bolted the party AND the last, dying bugbear. Unfortunately, however, everyone but Tar'jar succumbed to the drow toxin and passed out, paralyzed. Tar'jar then fought off a group of giant spiders.
Once again reunited, the heroes rested again so Mikhail could regain his mental strength. They then entered the Well of All Heals, following the tracks Taarna and Tolus found. In a fungus-covered grotto, the heroes met a pair of deva who asked for a sacrifice if the group wished to continue. During this exchange, Tolus got too near to a wall and the violet fungus nearly cost the ranger his leg -- only Esmerelda's cure disease saved him. Taarna was suspicious of the devas and noted that she could see neither's life aura. Mikhail, meanwhile, sensed deceit and greed, very un-angelic traits. The heroes charged to the attack with only Tar'jar being fooled into battling the projected images of the creatures. Soon, the group found themselves facing a pair of nycadaemons. Although each made many mirror images of themselves and fought with the strength of a stone giant, the heroes sent both back to the lower plane -- Mikhail exploded the brain of one and Taarna hacked down the second.
Continuing on, the heroes came to a room where a drowic banshee battled a drowic revanant. The heroes avoided taking sides and continued on.
Finally, the heroes came to a hole in the ground from which no light shone. Light stones dropped in simply disappeared and multiple auguries warned that to enter would be QUITE dangerous. Using Esmerelda's detect invisibility, Taarna found a ledge some 100' down and a stone tell from the Green Witch indicated the magic word to open it. The heroes then found an iridescent pool bathed in pulsing pink light -- the Well of All Heals. Taarna and Mikhail helped Jhor'dain into the pool while Brock and Tolus helped Alistair. Both were cured, as was Tolus. In fact, the ranger regained his original body, greatly aiding his prowess as a ranger. A voice enjoined Brock and Mikhail to take a small drink of the waters and the pair found their curse somewhat lifted...for now...
The heroes then returned to Jhor'dain's village to rest, successful in their mission and ready for the final mission in the past -- lose the cone of the magi at the bottom of the oceanic trench that is Morgan. To do this, the heroes would need to visit Tar'jar's friend, D'Arcturus' island and make use of his magical tide pools...