Chapter 9: A Primitive Sea

[Joe]

Streko frowns. "Am I the only one that is reminded of a certain atoll, with skeletal remains surrounding what appeared to be numerous trinkets? Only this time, it appears as if the prize is greater."

He absent-mindedly begins to stroke the domino symbol of Olladra perched across his chest.

"Skeletal remains. Dead ground. Bad. Very bad."

[Dave W.]

Sept 30, 2011 9:38:34 GMT -4 Darren said:

"What makes him so sure that won't kill us?" Kal mutters as he peers at the area around the chest.

"I'm not entirely certain that would concern him very much."

"I'm vaguely uncomfortable about this now. What good would the contents be to the sahaugan if it is going to kill them? I think if there is any truth to their prophecy then the box is the source of this deadly area." 

"Can I suggest we go carefully?"

[Brian]

"Carefully, indeed," Condign agrees. He studies the area, one hand absently rubbing one of his horns. "We should ask if the lethality builds slowly as the wrong person comes close. Or if it is a sudden and complete death. The former would allow us some leeway as to who approaches first. The latter, well . . . ." He shrugs. "I would hate to send the wrong 'he who is not she.'"

[Jeff]

Kal moves the Sphere of Life closer....

And then stops it when he dares no further without knowing more. Both Kal and Belarin stare for a few moments, trying to attune their senses to the magical. Kal soon relents. It's just no good; maybe it's the water or his wounds, but he can't concentrate right now.

Belarin, on the other hand, with help from the whispers in the back of his mind, is able to discern the presence of magic. He can't get any sense of its strength. Whatever's causing it, it's been here for a year now; as dramatic as the plantlife and dead sahuagin appear, this could have taken any length of time within that to accomplish. What Belarin can tell is that there is indeed necromantic magic here.

"Only...prophecy one," Hras'Ka says, "Go unharmed."

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Kal's Arcana check (1d20+9=12)
Belarin's Arcana check (1d20+15=21)

[Ken]

"Well," says Belarin, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Streko is right in that this does have unfortunate similarities to the Red Atoll. Necromancy. Can't get more of a sense beyond that."

Following up on Condign's suggestion, he asks Hras'Ka, "Those who died..." He points at the corpses. "Was death fast or slow?" He mutters to his friends, "I sense the answer is not a pleasant one. Those sahuagin don't appear to have hopped very far."

He looks at Streko. "My friend, do you have any more of Olladra's luck handy? Anything that could help shield someone from necromancy?" He glances at Adamant. "Or you, perhaps, Adamant?"

[Jeff]

Shorak studies the area the best that he can from within the bubble. He can tell that each of the sahuagin who perished within the dead zone were facing toward the chest, as if they fell approaching it.

Belarin:

"Those who died..." He points at the corpses. "Was death fast or slow?"

"Fast," the sahuagin murmurs. "We are...not...for opening. The Devourer gives gift...at price. He teaches sahuagin to be..."

"Resourceful," the shaman says. "Which why we bring you. Only prophecy one. Even Lrishasa'varash does not approach."

Hras'Ka swims to the edge of the dead zone. He seems to gather his courage, then reaches one arm out into it....

At first, nothing happens. Then you see his scales begin to gray. He pulls his arm back in, hissing softly. Then he looks toward your party. "Maybe not you?"

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Shorak's Perception check (1d20+11=15)

[Brian]

"Interesting," says Condign as he watches the display put on by Hras'Ka. "Maybe we should each put an arm forward, one at a time, and see which of us--if any of us--is not effected."

He pauses for a moment. "Well, since it was my idea. . . ."

Condign takes a deep breath and moves out of the bubble. At the edge of the dead zone, he stretches his arm into the area.

________________________

Athletics Check: (1d20+6=11) I think all I needed was a 10?

[Joe]

Oct 2, 2011 11:15:38 GMT -4 Ken said:

He looks at Streko. "My friend, do you have any more of Olladra's luck handy? Anything that could help shield someone from necromancy?"

"If only I did. I might be able push back or repel any undead enemies that approach, but a bubble like this, or even a filmy shield of protection is beyond my abilities I am afraid. Also, I fear I have summoned most of Olladra's great energies in helping to dispatch Sarquaa. I feel weak and in dire need of rest. However, the Tiefling's idea is an excellent one, if not potentially painful. I shall follow Condign's effort with my own."

[Jeff]

Condign reaches his arm in...and waits a moment. He feels nothing at first, then a strange wrenching within that chills him. He can feel his flesh trying to wither under some lifestealing energy. It's slow, not particularly painful, but inexorable. He thinks moving into that dead zone would be bearable, but only for a time. Staying in there for long looks like a bad idea.

Instinctively, he withdraws his arm again.

When Streko tries the same thing, he experiences exactly the same. But it seems like the zone's necrotic energy affected Hras'Ka more swiftly than either the tiefling or the halfling. But the fact that the chest or its contents are this baneful to them doesn't seem to deter them. Such is their faith.

_____________________________

Condign and Streko both take 1 point of necrotic damage.

[Brian]

With a wince, Condign pulls his arm back and retreats into the bubble.

"Well, it is not me. And from the look on my lord Streko's face, he does not fulfill the prophecy." He wipes the water from his eyes. "Who would like to go next?"

[Darren]

Kal's gaze remains fixed firmly on the chest. When Condign asks who is next, he attention snaps back. With a sigh, he looks at Condign, then at Adamant. "Go on, my friend," he says to the warforged.

[Dave W.]

"I suppose I am the most logical choice. Let's see what this feels like... I'm getting all sorts of new experiences this trip."

Adamant move up to the deadened area and stares at it for just a moment. Then he lift his arm into the space...

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Ooh, can I have a point of necrotic damage too... I hear it's becoming most fashionable among discerning adventurers....

[Dave B.]

Shorak watches as each one of the companions tests the area, he winces in empathy as Condign and Streko both are affected negatively.

"If everyone is affected, then I guess I should give it a try as well. My mother was originally from Sharn, so that might just make me a possible candidate for 'The One'."

He looks on anxiously as Adamant raises his arm into the darker area of the water.

[Ken]

Belarin looks on somberly as Condign, Streko, and Adamant place their arms into the area. As Shorak begins to ready himself to do the same, he shares a look with Kal. What if it is one of the two humans who must fulfill this task?

Beyond that, though, something seems to be troubling the warlock. Finally, as though some new realization has struck him, he says, "This necromancy that's present here... it's more than just the presence of death and undeath." He continues speaking after a pause, although he now stares at the chest with a mixture of curiosity, fear, and respect. "It's, well, planar in nature. Histra had sensed that the Red Atoll encroached on the borders of Dolurrh... the Shadowfell. But this place...

"It's not the same. I've stepped through gateways to other worlds, and this area feels as though it might be near a gateway to Mabar, the Endless Night.... it might even be a previously unknown manifest zone." He looks around. "Sorry, my wayward youth as a scholar strikes again. A manifest zone is a fixed point where our world touches upon one of the other worlds. And Mabar is a world of impenetrable darkness. Possibly the home of the Mockery and the Shadow." He now looks past the chest to the dark void beyond.

"Well, who's next?"

[Jeff]

Adamant reaches his wood-and-metal arm beyond the bubble...

He feels an unpleasant pressure swirling in the alchemical fluids inside. It feels vaguely corrosive, and like his companions, realizes that this could prove dangerous to him over time...

___________________________

Adamant takes 1 fashionable point of necrotic damage.

[Dave W.]

"it appears I am not prophetic my friends. I must say I find it very encouraging that even this prophecy concludes that I am more similar to all of you than foreign."

[Darren]

Kal's eyes widen as he sees Adamant recoil from the dead ground in front of them. Could it be possible? he thinks. His heart begins to pound faster. He shares a look with Belarin, then he smiles. He fears that any moment now, his heart will burst through the chainmail he wears. Closing his eyes, Kal takes a step forward, pushing his entire body into the affected area.

[Jeff]

Kal feels his arm recoil at the sensation; he, too, is affected by it.

Looking on, even Belarin isn't sure how or why a prophecy would simply make one immune to a necrotic aura.

________________________

Kal takes 1 point of necrotic damage.

[Ken]

"All right, let's think about this, then," says Belarin after Kal's attempt. "We've been treating this area and the chest as being connected. What if it's unfortunate happenstance? After all, if this is a manifest point connecting Eberron to Shadow knows what..." He blanches. "Damn, shouldn't swear like like if this does connect to Mabar....

"Anyway, the chest only showed up a year ago, drawn by currents or -- as Hras'Ka says -- the Devourer. This area has likely existed for, well, a damn lot longer than a year! It may nave nothing to do with the prophecy. And now that that's said..." Belarin sticks his own arm into the field, fully expecting the effect to touch him as well.

[Jeff]

Belarin suffers the same minor, but undoubtedly baleful effect when he reaches his arm into the dark zone.

______________________

Belarin takes 1 point of necrotic damage.

[Ken]

"Ouch," says Belarin, inspecting his hand. "That leaves only you," he says to Shorak, "so be my guest if you like, but I don't believe you'll encounter anything different. I'd worry about your skin turning gray, but, well..."

He addresses everyone again. "So it likely has nothing to do with this supposed prophecy. Still, we need our 'chosen one' to get over to the chest without joining the horrid decor on the ocean floor -- Histra's dream cottage -- or we need to find a way to bring the thing to us. Any suggestions?"

[Brian]

Condign looks at Belarin. "Let us hope that our elf friend has more luck. If none of us are part of this prophecy . . . I do not suppose we could just tell Hras'Ka that we are not the ones he seeks?"

[Ken]

Belarin smiles, walks up to Condign, and politely taps one of the tiefling's horns. "Knock knock. Hello? I'll sum up: Area of withering death? Not part of prophecy. Mystery chest: Part of prophecy. Connected events, but not related." He steps back. "You're still daydreaming about that woman back in Sharn, aren't you?"

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Sorry, Brian. I wasn't going to post again so soon, but I couldn't resist the opening.

[Darren]

Despite himself, Kal can't help feeling a sense of relief when he sees Belarin pull back from the infected part of the ocean floor.

"Okay," Kal says. "Now what? If what Belarin says is correct, how do we know which one of us is supposed to go over there? Standing in there hurt, certainly, but I'm pretty sure I could make it to the chest and back without collapsing. But what happens when we reach the chest?" Kal folds his arms, placing one hand on his chin. "I would suggest that two of us go over to the chest - one person to try opening it, the second to grab that person and bring them back out of there if they should drop when trying to open it. The only problem I can see with that plan is this," Kal says, gesturing around him, indicating the bubble of air. "If the remainder of us stay here, then whoever goes to the chest will have to swim. The alternative is that we all go and perhaps two of us try to open the chest before we all retreat back to relative safety here. Streko can patch us back up and we can try again after that, if necessary."

Studying the chest from a distance, Kal says, "What say you all?"

Before anyone can answer, another thought occurs to Kal. "H'raska? Have any of your people ever made it to the chest and tried to open it? What happened to them?"

[Jeff]

True to Hras'Ka's words, Kal soon sees that the Sphere of Life itself cannot enter the zone safely. "Lrishasa'varash destroyed," the sahuagin explains, pointing to the bubble. "If move closer."

"H'raska? Have any of your people ever made it to the chest and tried to open it? What happened to them?"

"Yes. But not long. Flee or...suffer."

[Darren]

Oops. My Babel fish wasn't doing it's job, I guess.....

Kal nods. "Okay, then teams of two. One to try to open the chest, one to pull the other one to safety if something happens. Everyone else waits here. I'll go first. Adamant, would you go with me?" Kal holds out the pearl to Belarin for safekeeping.


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Assuming everyone agrees, Kal will try to move as quickly as possible towards the chest.

[Dave B.]

Seeing everyone now being affected by the area, Shorak takes his turn. Expecting to feel the same pain as everyone else, he raises his arm into the nasty area.

[Jeff]

...and Shorak discovers that he's no different than anyone else in that regard.

___________________

Shorak takes 1 point of necrotic damage.

[Ken]

Oct 4, 2011 9:02:55 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal nods. "Okay, then teams of two. One to try to open the chest, one to pull the other one to safety if something happens. Everyone else waits here. I'll go first. Adamant, would you go with me?" Kal holds out the pearl to Belarin for safekeeping.

Belarin looks at Kal with wide eyes. "Normally this question is aimed at me, but ... are you MAD? 'Two people,' you say, one to try opening the chest and the other to pull that one out if he should fall... but who will pull out the supposed rescuer when he starts dying right alongside the first person?!"

He waves his arms around to take in the region around the chest. "The whole area radiates death. Both members of your 'team' will begin succumbing to the effect as soon as they take two steps forward, before they even get near the chest."

Sighing, he looks again toward the chest. "If we had a sufficient length of chain, one person could go to the chest, secure the chain to it, and then we all combine to pull it out of the deadly area."

He pauses. "Perhaps the Merrow has something we could use...?"

[Darren]

"The hurt is not much, Belarin," Kal says. "Any one of us could easily get to the chest, attempt to open it, and get back before we succumb to the effects of this area. Unless the effect gets stronger the closer you get to the chest, but even H'raska has said that some of his people were able to get to the chest and get back out again alive. And if it were as simple as pulling the chest closer to us, don't you think H'raska and his people would have tried that already?"