Game Thread, Chapter 1: All the Kings Horses...

[VennDygrem]

Cade looks over at Raoul and asks, "Are you implying that the kobold is intentionally throwing these obstacles at us? Because if he already knows what we're up to, then our chances of success may have fallen from 'zilch' to 'we're absolutely screwed.'"

The monk looks around dejectedly, but soon wipes that look from his face. He couldn't afford to be the negative one of the group.

"So, what do we do now? If we go back, should we just make a run for the Mucklestone? We still need to know exactly which one we need, and of course how to activate it, or how it works."

[Kuroimaken]

"Or failing that, that one of its agents might be. I know I would be on the lookout for temporal devices if I were in his scaly shoes. I certainly don't recall the world being this incredibly troublesome before this - it just seems too coincidental. And we still have no idea just what that tree-hugger was, how he found us, or why he attacked us - unless you buy the bullcrap he was spewing about a prophecy." Raoul gritted his teeth slightly. "Either way, sitting here won't do us much good. I'm afraid there isn't much I can do as far as spells are concerned except to change things into fireworks."

[VennDygrem]

"I've been here for a long time, and this world has seen its share of trouble, long before the kobold ever chipped its way out of its little egg. He's different, though, that's for sure. However, the reason we're going after some sort of time-artifact in the first place is because his ego might just be big enough now that he'd overlook something like that. He seems concerned about the here-and-now, satisfying his immediate desires, such as power, and that whole thing with blotting out the light from the sky.

If we get to this thing before he even realizes it's a threat, we might have a chance. But we need to stop drawing attention to ourselves, as hard as that may be given our unique natures. If anything, we might need something to make us undetectable while we search for this artifact... assuming such a thing exists."

[Kuroimaken]

"There... just might be." Raoul comments off-handedly as he tries to remember such a thing.

[spoiler]Knowledge(Arcana) check to remember Mindblank. Now where did I see that stealth suit? (1d20+14=18) Tsk, don't think that's enough for that...[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

[spoiler]Knowledge(Arcana) check to remember Mindblank. Now where did I see that stealth suit? (1d20+14=18) Tsk, don't think that's enough for that...[/spoiler]

[spoiler]You can take 10 on knowledge checks, and for something trivial... you should. The DC is 15 for "basic" questions, which I think would cover general knowledge of common spells, even high level ones. So you would get that with a +14 modifier even on a roll of 1.

So... short answer: Yes, you've heard of Mindblank.[/spoiler]

[Bozwevial]

"I suspect he would not use such trivial methods if he knew of a very real threat to his power. Any being so puissant would surely deal with a threat immediately rather than use obstacles we have a reasonable chance of overcoming." Marlowe frowns thoughtfully.

[Kuroimaken]

"Well, as I said, it could be one of his agents. Or someone with a similar interest. Regardless, as far as covering our tracks is concerned... there is one spell that could enable us in such a fashion. It's called Mindblank. It is quite powerful though, and I'm not entirely sure there is a wizard or cleric currently in existance that would just provide it for us. Locating a scroll of it shouldn't prove too hard, but several..." Raoul mumbled to himself slightly after that.

[PhaedrusXY]

@Kuro
[spoiler]No casting from scrolls. It's in the house rules. [/spoiler]

[Kuroimaken]

@Kuro
[spoiler]No casting from scrolls. It's in the house rules. [/spoiler]

[spoiler]Right, forgot about that. But then again, we would probably need one if we were to get ourselves to cast it at all - learning included. Right?[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

@Kuro
[spoiler]No casting from scrolls. It's in the house rules. [/spoiler]

[spoiler]Right, forgot about that. But then again, we would probably need one if we were to get ourselves to cast it at all - learning included. Right?[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Who is going to learn and cast it? You know all the spells you can cast automatically. It would have to be "the new guy". [/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

[spoiler]April Fools  [/spoiler]

[Kuroimaken]

[spoiler]April Fools  [/spoiler]

[spoiler]You got me there.  [/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

Cade wipes sand off of his outfit, and shifts it several times to attempt to keep it clean. It doesn't work well; even in the hole sand seems to get everywhere.

"Well, is everyone prepared to go back? We don't know what we're dealing with over there, so we're either fighting them or trying to make a break for the 'stones."

[Kuroimaken]

"I say we make a break for it. No telling what we'll face in the Underdark, and if we beat something and give ourselves the luxury of resting up, we might end up running into further unpleasantness. To that end, I think I may be able to adequately supply us."

[VennDygrem]

"Alright, so we're decided? I'm not hearing any objections. However, first we need to know exactly what stone we need, and how to activate it. Whoever does that, the rest of us might need to hold off the things in the woods, and we'll have to hope they don't also know how to use the stone, and just follow us in. Fighting them in the Underdark would most likely be even worse than fighting them in the woods."

[Agita]

"What about the dog-goblin? Hey... guy I killed," Ris-Janna adresses the reanimated barghest, "You were down there... right? So which one's the right one? How do you use it?"

[PhaedrusXY]

The dog-headed beast regards you with eyes full of hatred, but after glancing at its new master, it replies "The correct stone is marked with a symbol that looks like this... "

He draws the symbol of a circle with three vertical slashes through it in the sand, then continues speaking.

"To activate it, you must merely touch the symbol on the stone and will yourself to be transported. The runes will glow, and you will find yourself standing beside the matching stone in the underdark.

Or so I think... I only came from the underdark to the surface. I have never traveled back. The symbol on the stone here was definitely as I drew it, though, and that is how I activated the matching stone that I used underground."

[HeadofVecna]

"I'm tired of running from motherfuckers. But if nobody else wants to tangle with whoever the bitches are in the trees are, I ain't gonna force the issue. Given what we just learned from dog-boy, anybody have a brilliant insight into whether these runes are one per pair of destinations. Or are we gonna be sitting out there with our dicks in our hands?"

[spoiler]Shlurshech Arcana check (1d20+14=16) bah![/spoiler]

[Kuroimaken]

"Technically, Ris-Janna here can only be a dick." Raoul teased slightly. He seemed to have a sudden flash of insight upon looking at the runes.

[spoiler]So what do I know? (Knowledge Arcana) (1d20+14=34)
HISSATSU!
GIGA!
DRILL!
B<BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP>KEEEEEEEEEEEER[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

@Raoul
[spoiler]You're pretty sure it should work the same in both directions, from what the barghest has said and what you know of such things. He says the symbols are the same at both ends, and given that you know the mucklestones act as portals, you'd imagine that they were constructed by the same person(s) as two-way portals for whatever reason.[/spoiler]