Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[nikolokolus]

Nothing else about the view strikes you as odd or out of place, you're just happy to have the first moment of peace you've experienced in days.

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr checks the odd instrument. Trying to view one of the moons or stars with it.

 

[nikolokolus]

At first it's difficult to make heads or tails of the device, but eventually you find a tube with a convex glass lens set into a brass tube that appears to be directed at a point, just above the western horizon. You peer through the tube and it's difficult to say if there is anything in the night sky it's currently pointing at. Looking down you see two cranks that look sort of a like a windlass, with a bit of experimentation you quickly deduce that you can rotate the device on two planes and eventually you line up Selene (the large aquamarine moon of Theia) which is waxing and half-full.

The sight staggers you; not only does the moon appears to be nearly 5 times its normal size, details you never knew existed on the heavenly body fill you eye: intricate lines, variegated patterns, splotches of faint color and most peculiar is a cluster of very faint pinpricks of light on its surface in the shadow of the moon.

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr pulls out parchment and charcoal to make a sketch his enhanced view of Selene.
While doing so, he thinks back to his original approach to the tower. "Was there a balcony visible? You'd think if the authorities wanted in badly enough they could have gotten a grappling hook up to a balcony like this..."

 

[nikolokolus]

(There was no balcony visible, just smooth stone all the way to the top)

 

[Helly]

"How much would people pay for such a device, I wonder..."

Spoiler

I did wanted to say "This is no moon", but...

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac walks around to the balcony. "Whats going on out here...oh wow!"

 

[Grimgravy]

"Yeah. Nice view. And check this out." Rhenmyr indicates the device with with his charcoal. "Just don't think to hard about the part where this balcony didn't exist as we approached the tower. What do you make of the group of lights in the shadowed portion?"

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"I'm not sure. I wonder if this rod has any purpose here." Cormac looks for a hole in the balcony that could fit the rod.

 

[nikolokolus]

"I'm not sure. I wonder if this rod has any purpose here." Cormac looks for a hole in the balcony that could fit the rod.

You experiment with the rod, placing it in a torch holder, poking various recesses and holes in the instrument, etc. but nothing seems to come of your trial and error.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac looks out from the balcony to see if he notices anything that catches his eye, seems out of place, etc.

 

[nikolokolus]

Cormac pauses to take in the view (roll a 3d6 intelligence check)

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Intelligence Check vs 16 [3d6] = 12

 

[nikolokolus]

You can't help but notice that not only is Lowtown eerily quiet and socked in with fog, but when you scan the bluffs below Hightown it dawns on you that the city is unusually dark . . . not a brazier or torch can be seen from your vantage (the balcony of the tower rises to a point just about level with the top of the bluff). If you didn't know any better you'd say the city was completely abandoned.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"Did anyone else notice how odd the city looks? There are no lights and lots of fog. Although, I have been a little occupied for the past six months or so."

 

[Grimgravy]

"Huh. That is odd." Rhenmyr trains the device on High Town to get a better look. "It might be the door to this balcony took us elsewhere. The was no balcony on the outside."

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"If this baclony wasn't here, then where are we at? Master Ghul was into some interesting magic. I'm not sure I like it."

Cormac looks down to see how far it is to the ground from the balcony. Then he looks for a rock or object about the size of his head to drop over the side.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Some other plane? A shadow world? Who knows."

 

[nikolokolus]

"If this baclony wasn't here, then where are we at? Master Ghul was into some interesting magic. I'm not sure I like it."

Cormac looks down to see how far it is to the ground from the balcony. Then he looks for a rock or object about the size of his head to drop over the side.

Cormac scans about for something to drop over the side and finds a bit of flagstone that is somewhat loose. After some wriggling and see-sawing you manage to prise it out. You lean over the side of the rail and let it go and crane your head over with your hand cupped to your ear. After about 2 seconds it disappears into the fog and another seconds later you hear a loud clatter as it richochets off of the basalt tor of rock the tower is built atop.

"Huh. That is odd." Rhenmyr trains the device on High Town to get a better look. "It might be the door to this balcony took us elsewhere. The was no balcony on the outside."

Rhenmyr winds the two windlasses that control the device and trains it's viewing tube on a point at the top of the bluff. You are able to instantly make out much more detail than you were previously - the pale light of a half-full Selene provides just enough light to make out the silhouettes of buildings against the night sky.

Just as Cormac noted, the city appears utterly abandoned and you are able to note that the many of the buildings and houses that rim the bluff seem to be "irregular;" almost as if they have been partially torn down or otherwise destroyed and ruined. You spend several minutes scanning the bluff and suddenly you spot movement. A dark thing launches itself into the air, it's wings unmistakably bat-like and a long prehensile tail trailing behind it. If you had to guess you'd say it was anywhere from 20 to 50 feet long.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"Looks like it's about 200ft to the base of the tower. Not as far as it appears. By Arawn! Look at the size of that thing! We might want to go back inside and shut the door!"

Cormac watches the creature to determine if it is coming towards us, or just flying around.

 

[Grimgravy]

"We don't want to meet that creature!" Rhenmyr stows his sketch of Selene and gets ready to head inside.

 

[nikolokolus]

"Looks like it's about 200ft to the base of the tower. Not as far as it appears. By Arawn! Look at the size of that thing! We might want to go back inside and shut the door!"

Cormac watches the creature to determine if it is coming towards us, or just flying around.

The bat-winged beast is making a steady ascent, bearing north from Hightown out over the bay (so not toward you). As you watch it gain altitude you are struck by its sinuous grace but also a feeling of dread that fills the pit of your stomach. You can't quite shake the feeling that you have seen something wholly unnatural and obscene - in fact the entire landscape spread out before you now feels weird and unholy and it takes all of your wits and discipline to resist the urge to gibber and scream.

 

[Siveon]

OOC

Wth, I didn't get ANY notifications on this for like a week. FFS.

Levels

Health: [1d6] = 5

And I get a Druid Spell! Cool, I'm getting Detect Snares and Pits. Hey, there's no thieves, have to pick up some of the slack.

"The 'ells got you three spooked?" Marcán gets up after his small breather from another near death experience.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

OOC

Wth, I didn't get ANY notifications on this for like a week. FFS.

Levels

Health: [1d6] = 5

And I get a Druid Spell! Cool, I'm getting Detect Snares and Pits. Hey, there's no thieves, have to pick up some of the slack.

"The 'ells got you three spooked?" Marcán gets up after his small breather from another near death experience.

I haven't been getting any notifications either. I'm not sure what's going on.

"Good, it's not coming towards us but by Arawn! What is wrong with this town? What was Master Ghul doing with a gateway to a place like this? This is not good, not good at all!

 

[Grimgravy]

"Giant flying monster that could slaughter and eat the lot of us without breaking a sweat. Lets get inside and finish clearing the tower."