The Lost Book Part 3

Log Info

• Title: The Lost Book Part 3
• Emitter: Telamon
• Characters: Aelmeh, Ous, Simony, Warrick
• Place: Alexandrian Hills
• Time: April 3rd, 2023

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=    The Players    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Aelmeh             5'3"     115 Lb     Half-Elf          Female    
    Slender blonde Half-Sil                                                    
Ous                6'2"     185 Lb     Human             Male      
    Tall, Dark Haired, Green eyed human                                        
Simony             3'5"     34 Lb      Goblin            Female    
    Albino Goblin in copper robes edged in blue trim.                          
Warrick            5'10"    165 Lb     Human             Male      
    A middle aged Eldanar with a big crossbow and armor.    
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telamon            5'6"     140 Lb     Half-Elf          Male      
    A platinum-blond half-sil man with dancing dark eyes
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Alexandros hills, late day

No time to lose, especially with Periandr Calathra on the move with Feadril Atlon's book in his possession. And so after sending word to Telperius Atlon and the guild, you've ridden out on his trail, guided by Ous and Warrick. You've had enough time to mend your injuries and memorize spells, but as you come over the hill crest, it's clear there's no more time for delay.

Before you lies an ancient colonnade, the work of past Alexandrian rulers or those before them. The columns are cracked and broken, and rubble litters the ground between the pillars. Standing proudly in an elaborate magical diagram is a hard-eyed young elven man, who is unrolling a scroll. Two or three other scrolls, blank now, are littered around the diagram. Worse, a hulking, brutish humanoid stands watching with dull incomprehension, while a strange trio of wooden, mannequin-like constructs patrol the area.

GAME: Simony casts Bless. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
GAME: Aelmeh casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14

Ous has been running since they left the city. Finding it easier to track while on foot, the Ranger has been setting the fastest pace he could, thankful for having Warrick to share the brunt of it. Coming on the scene, the big ranger grunts as he looks back at the others for a moment, Emerald green eyes glinting as he calls out softly to the others. "Aye'll see ye lot in one of th' hells if this disnae go right." Without another word, he begins moving forward.

GAME: Aelmeh rolls spellcraft: (12)+12: 24

Warrick is huffing as they are making way along the hot trail, crossbow loaded and carried by the handle. By the time they get over the hill, he's halfway down to taking a knee as he sees the scene before him.

"Ah, shit, they're reading a scroll," he hisses to the others as he rips rips out a tightly wound package from his bandolier. Flash powder. "Let's not think that, Ous. But we /have/ to move it..!"

He advances with the Ranger to get in range with the alchemical equipment.

The Goblin stares at the man who is reading a scroll. A hand comes up, signing frantically. "He's already through a number of scrolls. We need to stop him! Can you reach him from here, Warrick?xn" <Handspeech> The Goblin gestures to the man's crossbow. She pulls up her holy symbol, and says a soft prayer to Navos, seeking his blessing and protection over her companions. Once Warrick and Ous start moving, she trails along a short distance behind them.

Gone the gowns and fine cloak. Aelmeh has learned that riding and walking requires sturdier outdoor wear - a quick stop at a farm house and a small magical trade earned her pants, a leather jerkin and a woolen cloak.

Under the guidance of Ous and Warrick they had made good time and were now slinking up on their target who is brazenly out in the open casting spells. Granted the man had set guards of a sort. Softly, Aelmeh casts a spell to divine what Periandr is conjuring.

The spell immediately rewards her with a rolling sense of unease so strong it turns her stomach.

Adding to Goblin's assessment of the situation, she signs: "Bad. It's bad. He is making a magic mess of it. Cobbling things together."

One of the mannequins catches sight of you, and lets out a strange, eerie whistle. The elf -- it has to be Periandr -- glares up at you, and growls, "Make sure I'm not disturbed, Yarp." The ogre nods, and grunts almost unintelligibly to the wooden mannequins, who move with disturbing grace toward you while the ogre brings up the rear.

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+1: (1)+1: 2 (EPIC FAIL)

Two of the wooden mannequins scuttle forward. They're small, really -- three feet tall, but the knives they carry look sharp. One moving to menace Aelmeh, while the other slips around a pile of rubble, eyeing Simony.

Yarp trundles forward in their wake. "Haw! HAW! Youse guys ain't nuttin' Yarp can't handle!" He pulls a huge javelin from a back-slung quiver, and throws it at Warrick...

Only to throw empty air, as he dropped the javelin while pulling it out. Oops.

GAME: Ous rolls weapon11-3: (15)+9+-3: 21
GAME: Ous rolls weapon1-1: (16)+7+-1: 22
GAME: Ous rolls damage11: aliased to 1d8+5: (1)+5: 6
GAME: Ous rolls damage1: aliased to 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5

Offering Warrick a wild grin, Ous chuckles. "Aye don' intend tae go down wit'out takin' a few of these wit' me War-rick. Luck to ye!" Seeing the mannequin approaching out of the corner of his eye, the ranger turns, his axes slipping into his hands as he attacks the construct. "I got yas Ael-meh!"

The third mannequin scuttles along, much like its brethren, cutting around and moving right up to Simony and Warrick, knives gleaming as it stares at the adventurers with a blank, unshaped wooden face.

GAME: Simony rolls weapon2+1: (8)+5+1: 14

The little Navosian looks nervous as the ogre approaches, but shakes her head and focuses on the wooden automaton that approaches. With a grunt, she takes a swing at the thing with her war hammer. "Get me some space, I can tap whats-is-face if I can get some space."

GAME: Aelmeh rolls knowledge/arcana: (20)+9: 29

Aelmeh underestimates the magic laid on Periandr's guards. The construct which looks to be made from sticks thrown together runs at her with the grace of a cheetah. Yelling, she stumbles backward, the cloak catching on a bush which she yanks hard, leaving a hole in the sturdy wool.

The stumble may have saved her. Ous certainly does. Splinters fly in the air, falling in graceful arcs as she scrambles away. Hiding behind a thorn bush, the wizard makes a decision on the fly. Kneeling in the dirt, she claps her hands together and mutters a spell to aid Ous, throwing Enlarge Person at him.

GAME: Warrick rolls weapon1+1: (5)+6+1: 12
<OOC> Warrick says, "im going to reroll"
GAME: Warrick rolls weapon1+1: (10)+6+1: 17
GAME: Warrick rolls damage1: aliased to 1d10+0: (9)+0: 9
<OOC> Telamon says, "Warrick, the bolt hits him dead center in the chest... and bounces off."

Warrick grimaces as he sees everything rush up to them. He holds the crossbow close to him to defend, but they meld around him, and he sees an opening. Slipping by, he drops to a knee, armor clanking from the motion. And shoulders the crossbow. One deep breath in. Just like the wall.

Shot.

Sail. Dead center!

The bolt uselessly twirls off the mage. "Serriel DAMN it! He's got some kind of magic up! I'm going to get closer!" he warns, yanking free a dagger.

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (6)+3: 9
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+5: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22
GAME: Telamon rolls 2d8+7: (8)+7: 15

The mannequins start stabbing with their knives at Ous! Sadly... it's not very effective. As in, not at all. The blades bounce off his armor uselessly.

Yarp is a different story. He looks puzzled at his hand, before shrugging and stomping forward. "Youse guys are in trouble now!" Then his greatclub -- a tree-trunk, really -- slams into Warrick, almost smashing the guardsman off his feet from the impact.

GAME: Ous rolls weapon11-3: (3)+9+-3: 9
GAME: Ous rolls weapon11-1: (14)+9+-1: 22
GAME: Ous rolls damage1: aliased to 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7

Dodging knives as best he can, Ous snarls as he bandys with the first mannequin. Sidestepping past a knife attack, the ranger spins, catching Mannequin 1 with the smallerhandaxe as he wheels to face the second Mannequin as he calls out to Warrick. "Ye still wit' us War-rick?"

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (8)+3: 11

The third mannequin flicks its knives at Simony, but fails to connect. You could almost swear it looks frustrated.

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16
GAME: Simony casts Owl's Wisdom. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15 (Sacrificed to CMW)
GAME: Simony rolls 2d8+4: (6)+4: 10

The smol cleric is looking more and more panicked as the wooden things press closer and closer, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees Warrick getting walloped by the Ogre.

Jump to the side, she manages to avoid a swing from the nearest Golem, and runs to Warrick's side. "Navos, lend me your power to mend my friend's hurts.", she prays, the hourglass symbol around her neck glowing. "I've got you.", she says to the warrior, her hand patting his leg, the glow sinking into his body, causing some of his wounds and pain to fade.

GAME: Aelmeh rolls weapon1 +1: (16)+4+1: 21
GAME: Aelmeh rolls damage1: aliased to 1d8+0: (5)+0: 5

It is always gratifying to cast that spell. Ous, already formidable and not a little fellow, expands and grows into a mountain of a man. One mannequin down allows them to focus on Warrick, Simony, and their attacker. Pushing back her cloak, Aelmeh brings the light crossbow up, nocks a quarrel, and unloads on it, causing it to stagger in place but little more.

Warrick's eyes grow wide as he sees Yarp close the distance. He's about to duck, but ends up getting clobbered, things crack and metal dents as the arbalest is all but thrown into the rubble beside him. He doesn't have time to yell, as sudden relief floods his body. It's a familiar feeling, one that training has him used to."Reos's FUCKING lugnuts!" Still hurts like a bitch. <Khazdul>

He casts his crossbow aside, and carefully backs up. "I'm going for it!" he gestures widely to the trio before bolting off in a wide arc, him unshouldering his shield along the way and strapping it in before taking cover behind some rubble. <Handspeech>

Target in sight.

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (19)+3: 22
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d3+2: (3)+2: 5
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24
GAME: Telamon rolls 2d8+7: (5)+7: 12

The mannequin sinks its little knife into Simony, drawing blood. There's no sign of satisfaction, or anything really, in the construct's face. Only purpose.

Meanwhile, Yarp blinks as Ous suddenly is now on his level. "Oy! You're not allowed t'be big! Get small again!" And he clouts Ous with the club savagely.

GAME: Ous rolls weapon11-3: (11)+8+-3: 16 (19 after clarifying modifiers)
GAME: Ous rolls weapon1-1: (3)+7+-1: 9
GAME: Ous rolls damage11: aliased to 2d6+6: (11)+6: 17

Dancing and weaving in the middle of the battle, Ous Pauses for a moment as he begins to grow. Looking surprised at first, he finally realizes what's happening and...giggles. A sound like that should not come out of man that big.

Looking to the Ogre as he catches a club to the chest, the big ranger grins at the creature and steps in, burying his axe in the creature's shoulder as he replies. "Nae! I dinnae want tae. We're gonna dance you an' Aye, An then Aye'm gonna eat yer heart." It wasn't a statement said with much menace, more of a matter of fat statement.

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (20)+3: 23
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (20)+3: 23 (Confirmed)
GAME: Telamon rolls 2d3+4: (4)+4: 8

The last mannequin stalks towards Aelmeh, and then suddenly lunges at her, knife first -- sinking it into her, wounding her grieviously and yielding a spatter of blood on the broken cobblestones of the colonnade!

GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+3: (9)+3: 12
GAME: Simony casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14 (Sacrificed for CLW)
GAME: Simony rolls 1d8+4: (8)+4: 12

Simony grunts in pain as she's stabbed by the Golem, but manages to duck another swing from a different one, as she moves around the battlefield. Her holy symbol glows again as she calls upon her Patron's healing abilities. Aelmeh's wounds basically disappear entirely, a cool, tingly feeling replacing the pain.

GAME: Aelmeh rolls weapon1 +1: (6)+4+1: 11

That giggle makes the wizard grin. The grin fading when the wooden construct runs like the wind to bat her with a an arm in the side of the head. She slaps her hand to her head and it comes away wet with blood. Dazed, sitting on the ground, she shoots a quarrel at her attacker, missing him wildly.

A soothing aura laps her head, stopping the bleeding and the headache that threatened. Looking her gratitude to Simony, "Thanks!"

<OOC> Warrick says, "move to 7,9, drop dagger, pull out last flash powder and chuck it with a freaking prayer at this dude"
GAME: Warrick rolls ranged-4+1: (20)+5+-4+1: 22 (THREAT)
<OOC> Telamon says, "Roll to confirm."
<OOC> Telamon says, "Because you know, I just wanna see."
GAME: Warrick rolls ranged-4+1: (19)+5+-4+1: 21

Warrick pants as he rushes forward, the dent in his armor make this hard. The dagger is tossed aside, and he pulls out a similarly wrapped package that he dropped further up the hill. He flicks his head back to pop his visor up, bites on the string, and tugs. "FLASH OUT!" he yells in coded speak. <Merctalk>

And he throws it HARD.

It sails through the air in a perfect arc.

And smacks right on the elf's face, erupting into a bright, blinding light.

GAME: Warrick used a Flash Powder.

The flashpowder bomb slaps into Periandr's face and flashes, and the elf screams in rage. "NO! You idiot, you'll disrupt the--" And then the arcane diagram around him flares with incandescent light, light that suddenly blasts outwards. A wave of energy that wraps around the whole party, and suddenly you feel your feet leave the ground, and you're being rocketed UPWARDS into the sky in a multicolored blaze! Periandr's curses ring in your ears as you feel the world fade to... white?

Much to your presumed surprise, you do not find yourself in the Halls of Waiting. Or in Hell. Or... well, anywhere unpleasant. The sun is shining brightly, as you realize you are sitting in a meadow, with trees growing not too far away. A bird trills out an unfamiliar, but happy call.

But then you realize things are not right. There are two moons in the sky. The sunlight is a little brighter, closer to white than yellow. The grasses of the meadow are a soft teal, and you can see the tree has broad, ruddy leaves like no other tree on Ea. A little ways off, you can perceive a strange, conical building, like a huge conch shell in creamy hues imbedded in the earth.

Periandr is here as well, looking dazed. His eyes dart around in confusion, and he staggers to his feet. "What-- what is this? Where are we? Where are the hidden masters of Feadril Atlon?! WHERE ARE THE ABOLETHS?!"

Blinking as the world changes, Ous looks around confused. looking down at his newly em-biggened body, the ranger leans down and pulls a flask from his boot. Holding it he shakes it for a moment and nods as it seems about half full, then replaces it in his boot.

Looking to Warrick, the ranger grunts as he steps closer. "Th' hell did ye get tha' stuff from? I dinnae think they followed th' recipe right." Looking up and around quietly for another moment, he adds. "Definitely nae where we are supposed tae be."

It takes a few seconds for Simony to remember to breath. Which she does heavily for several long, painful moments. "Is... is everyone okay?", she asks in a small voice. "Anyone hurt?" She touches at her wound, hissing. "Aah, stings...", the Gobbo says, slowly standing up. She glares at Periandr, "You're a damned, bloody fool, sir."

GAME: Ous rolls knowledge/geography: (8)+6: 14

Burning light replaces soothing coolness as magic gone wildly wrong propels them into the air. In that last second, Aelmeh wonders if this is her last moment on Ea.

The landing is softer than expected. Her eyes flit left and right taking in the abrupt changes - gone the rolling hills, gone the cursed mannequins that were ruining their day. Even more a blessing, gone the Ogre. Several positives and one glaring negative in the form of Periandr who from the look on his face has no more idea of where they are than they do. She scrambles to her feet, and glares at the sorcerer, "No, he did not. He made a bad stew of it....worse. A chicken scratching might have done better."

Warrick all but dives behind cover as he sees the light flare, but its too late as he's.. levitating? And he's soaring up at blinding speed.

Cinny's really not going to believe this.

The once-guard groans, clutching his head. He looks up to big Ous. "... magic circle messed up," he relays, eyeing Periandr as he grows more wild. Seeing everyone was alive, he gets to his feet. Walks up Periandr.

And slugs him with a gauntleted fist across the face. "You're under arrest," he grunts, annoyed as he's pulling out a sap and a pair of manacles.

Periandr sputters, "You ... you don't understand! This was supposed to transport me to the masters of Feadril Atlon! I--" His protestations are cut off by Warrick backhanding him into the earth. The elf folds like a cloth, moaning.

And then there's a voice. It's strange. Ethereal, wispy, but it has its own authority. "While I understand your irritation, please do not manhandle him so. May we speak?"

From the building-sized conch shell can be seen something approaching -- something alien. It looks like a giant jellyfish, with a flattened disc for a body and a dozen tentacles dangling below it as it glides forward, perhaps six feet from the tips of its tendrils to the top of its dome-like body. Two stalks sit on the top, each with a large, dark eye, liquid and empathic, as it comes to a stop a short distance away. "You are thirty-three minutes early," the creature says. "Or I might have been here to greet you."

Watching Warrick apprehending Peri, Ous leans a bit closer and says. "Aye give ye full marks for effort there Warrick, but....are ye still a Guardsman? and do ye have jurisdiction out in....uhm. Ye know I Dinnae know where ye are."

It is then that the creature approaches. Turning to look at it, the big Ranger squints at the thing, then reaches down once more, replacing his axes on his belt, he retrieves the Flask again. Double checks the level of the contents, then opens to top and sniffs the contents, filling the air with the scents of hard Liquor and Apples before he stoppers it again. Squinting harder, he finally speaks. "Aye suppose ye can speak. Ye're doign it now...Ye're no a kind of big mushroom are ye?"

"Well, it's arrest him or beat him unconscious. I mean, up until he screwed up his spell, he was attempting to murder us all.", the Goblin says softly. She /STARES/ at the floating creature, and sidles over to Warrick, to hide behind him. "We're not on Ea any more, are we?", she whispers.

Warrick does what the wizard wishes she could do. Aelmeh no longer focused on Periandr of the Half-Assed spells, closes the distance between herself and the now giant Ous. Eyes fixed on their visitor has floating toward them, she puts out a hand, saying to Ous, "Are you sharing that?"

The word aboleth had spooked her but this being clearly is not one of them. "It's of no concern. Were you expecting us then?"

Warrick rolls his eyes as the mage babbles his explanation. "I don't care, we don't try and deal with aboleths. Demons was enough, don't need that too," he grumbles, manacles clanking from them moving. He glances to Ous. "I'm not anymore, no. But this is /very/ illegal, and statue one twenty seven subsection twelve allows for citizen's arrests if brought immediately to the Watch."

The voice gets him to pause, him kneeling next to the folded elf. Warrick blinks. Removes his helmet and rubs at his eyes. "No, Simony, I.. don't think we are... erm, hello?" Best to just roll with the punches. Maybe he's dead. He didn't have the gumption to argue with... whatever this thing was.

The tentacular creatures spreads its limbs in what is, presumably, a welcoming gesture. "Please be at ease. Welcome to my home. My name is not pronounceable by you, but you may call me the Watcher in the Stars -- or simply the Watcher, if you like."

Periandr is easily shackled, as the Watcher continues, "Yes, I was expecting you. I predicted your arrival, and that of the One Who Seeks His Way, whom is called Periandr Calathra." He points to the elf. "Although perhaps he should have done his research with more... diligence. The accursed ones -were- the masters of Feadril Atlon. When he turned aside from his path, and sought penance, he was bound to a new mentor until his passing."

There's a very recognizable twinkle in the Watcher's eyes. "Me. His search for knowledge has not brought him to the accursed ones, but to my doorstep."

Nodding absently at Warrick's Statement, Ous speaks off handedly to the man without taking his eyes away from the creature. "Aye think ye are a credit tae yer profession War-rick, an' aye say tha' wit' as much feeling as Aye can." As he speaks in a semi quiet tone, the large Aesir wordlessley hands the flask to Aelmah, eyes still on the giant maybe-a-mushroom.

Listening to the thing, Ous shrugs. Most people's names weren't really pronouncable. Too many vowels and such. Listening to the watcher, the ranger tilts his head slowly, his neck popping multiple times as he does so. The movement also causes him to wince as he mentally plays 'Is it broken?' as parts of his body finally get through to him that he got hit by a tree trunk wielding Ogre in the chest.

GAME: Simony casts Comprehend Languages. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14 (Sacrificed for CLW)
GAME: Simony rolls 1d8+4: (1)+4: 5

The Goblin stays resolutely out of sight, stepping from Warrick's shadow to OUs'. Another soft prayer to her God, another flash of pale light, and some of OUs' wound closes, pain becoming less prominent.

"Does that help a little, Ous?", she whispers, before shivering, and looking at the sleeves of her robes.

Aelmeh glances at Periandr, a smile quirking the side of her mouth. "I am dubbing you the One Who Would Lose his Way with a Road Map and Instructions, if that is too long, we could settle for Dunce," then turns her attention back to their host. In an aside to Ous, eyes still on the Watcher, "So are you sharing or not?"

After a thoughtful pause, "Then Feadril was blessed in the end. How did he find you, Watcher?" She looks over her shoulder and tilts her head to the side as though listening. She wonders what this sensation is tugging at her.

Warrick clicks the manacles shut and locks it before stashing the key away in a pocket. Right now, his attention was totally on... whatever this is. "... thanks, Ous," he murmurs, "I liked my job."

He slowly blinks, rubbing his eyes one more time just to make sure this isn't an illusion. "Al.. right. Nice to meet you Watcher. I'm Warrick, but you probably already knew that." He looks down to the pointing, and he scowls lightly. "Yeah, clearly." He looks up to the Watcher, then back down to Periandr. "Count your lucky stars, you didn't end up with aboleths, fool."

He snorts at Aelmeh's new name, but he can't help but look in the direction Aelmeh was peering. He felt it too.

Periandr seems to come to his senses. "What is this?" He rattles the shackles. "You, you can't drag me back like some common criminal!"

The Watcher remarks, "While I am sure he would, he actually cannot." The strange creature's tendrils weave back and forth. "The ritual was only meant to bring Periandr here. You..." The eyes turn to Aelmeh. "You are a wizard, a student of magic. You will understand this."

"The ritual was one of calling, but inverted, and it brought Periandr to me. But it was never meant to bring others. You are as those creatures who are summoned to the surface of your world, for a brief time until they return to their homes."

The strange tugging sensation gets a little stronger, as Periandr lifts his head. "Wait-- what?!"

GAME: Ous rolls intelligence: (18)+1: 19

Still holding the flask out to Aelmeh as he watches the Watcher, Ous reaches out a bit further and presses the flask into her hand without looking. As Simony heals him, the ranger blinks and shivers slightly. Rolling his shoulders, the big man nods. "Aye feel a lot better Simony. Thank ye." Finally Ous tears his eyes away from the maybe-mushroom and looks down at his arm. Raising it up to look at his wrist and elbow with a confused look.

As he hears the Watcher's words, Ous looks up, then looks at the others with a slight shrug. "If ye're attached tae them manacles Worrick, Aye'd take 'em off, or leave th' poor bastard th' key. Also...Aye wonder if we're still gon' have tae deal wit' tha' Ogre when we get back. either way. Time tae get yer heads between yer knees!"

GAME: Simony rolls knowledge/arcana: (19)+8: 27

Simony is lost in thought, and she slowly nods. "Yes, you should probably let him go. He is trapped here, quite likely, while we are about to head home.", she says quietly, barely above a whisper. "You're lucky we didn't get a chance to get to you in combat. I'd say go to hell, but... you'll probably wish you were there, soon enough."

Aelmeh's hand closes over the flask. She shoots Ous a look of gratitude, then salutes Simony with it for healing him before taking a very healthy swig of its contents. The cinnamon tickling her nose and the fire burning her throat make her sputter. "Aaah, I needed that."

The Watcher's words penetrate the hangover of badly managed magic. "Then, our time with you will be short, Watcher. Peace on you."

Her gaze moves to the newly named Dunce. "I hope you can profit from the Watcher's teachings. Clearly, you never paid close attention to your tutors and teachers."

Warrick looks down at Periandr. His expression passive. "You are a sad, strange little man," he shakes his head, all but ignoring Dunce. He tilts his head to the side, listening to the Watcher. "Oh. I see. That is justice enough in my eyes."

He looks to Ous. Blinks. "Ah, the Watcher can have them, here," he pulls the key out and offers it to the Watcher. "Let them set him free at their behest."

The once-guard nods to Ous, and Warrick draws his wooden shield. "Right, we may have a fight on our hands when we get back. Pleasure to uh, meet you? Watcher," he concludes as that feeling of calling grows stronger and stronger.

Periandr's eyes widen. "Wait! No! NO! You can't -leave- me here!" The sensation is strong now, like a sourceless wind blowing against you. Funny, is this how it feels to be a summoned creature?

The Watcher takes the key from Warrick, bobbing in a kind of bow. "He will be safe here. There is food to eat, water to drink. He will learn the lessons he needs to. His destiny was written in the stars, as was mine, and so it falls to me to take up the mantle of teacher once again."

The wind is a storm now, and time is short. The Watcher regards you with those large, dark eyes. Not human, but gentle and wise all the same. "Please, give my greetings to Telamon when you meet with him."

Your last vision is of Periandr, slumped on his knees, and the Watcher laying a gentle tentacle on the elf's shoulder. And then you're falling down the tunnel of light again, spinning, and there's a sense of finality to it.

When you open your eyes, you're standing in the colonnade again. The ogre is gone, and the three mannequins lie sprawled on the ground. Not far from where the diagram was, is a small knapsack.

The Gobbo immediately turns and is violently and noisily ILL.

There's really not much Ous can do at this point. Feeling the wind picking up and the universe REALLY wanting him toreturn to where he should be, the ranger kneels down. taking a knee, he raises one hand to his mouth, wedging the skin between thumb and forefinger against his teeth as a makeshift mouthguard, he closes his eyes as the worlds snaps him back into place. Opening his emerald green eyes quickly when the world stops, Ous makes a coule of *Hurk. Huuurk* noises before he gets his treacherous stomach under control. "Aye dinnae enjoy teleportation of any sort...Aye 'ave been through enough o' it now tha' Aye can say tha' wi' certainty."

The day had barely advanced during their magical trip. Her occult training had not prepared Aelmeh for summoning through portals to alien lands; she feels much like Simony and the others do. Secretly proud, she keeps her stomach in check.

Despite their short acquaintance with the Watcher, she is certain that Periandr is in wise hands. She only hopes he will have the wisdom to learn from his new teacher.

She exhales noisily, looking about her warily for the attackers. Without Periandr's magic to sustain them, they seem to have returned to their original materials, dead sticks. Seeing nothing running at them, she returns the flask to Ous and spies a bag on the ground.

Warrick gives a light shrug to Periandr as he hands the key off. He pauses briefly. Shudders, and the wind picks up. "... wait, Tel-" The wind howls, and Warrick is blown back. Down. Down. Down the tunnel. Light.

Then his eyes snap open. About three different trainings kick in as he scrabbles to his feet noisily, pulls the shield to his body, and rifles around for... is that ginger root? He chews on it nosily, his face pale and green. Seems like Aelmeh was the only way that could handle the lurch. "... uh... no... contacts?" he shudders, himself dry heaving a few times.

Barely getting himself together, he looks over, spies the pack, and stumbles that way over to it to inspect.

The knapsack has some random stuff in it -- some food, wizard's spell components, a couple of clothes -- and a heavy leather-bound tome. Scribed across the front is the title, in sildanyari: 'A Study of the Great Beyond and its Denizens' by Feadril Atlon. Closed with a simple leather belt around it, it doesn't look like a dangerous book.

The return to Alexandria is uneventful, and you drop off the book at the guild. The representative explains, as he slides the book into a secure-storage oilcloth pouch, that the tome will probably be delivered to Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon, and that he will notify the man of the delivery.

An ending, of sorts. Perhaps Periandr will learn to be the better person, taught by the strange creature known as the Watcher. One can hope.

-End Scene-

Combatty

Map: https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mq9egoy8ib0

OOC

Flumph!

<OOC> Telamon says, "This is what you see: https://i.imgur.com/D0FaQWP.jpg"