The World of Skara Brae

Edvin felt his skull smash into the flagstones. He dragged himself up, if anything only angrier. Being undead, he didn't have a brain to concuss and stun. "Kinetic control. Okay."

He ran again, but this time slid into a low kick at the Doppelganger.

As Edvin did this, Gerard and Deimos, now realizing that the cyclops had just been a mind-controlled pawn of the doppelganger, ran down the ice-stairs, closely followed by the two Orc brothers. Eruantian, however, jumped on the rail and slid down it.

Meanwhile, Orren was saying to Arron: "It killed El... took Claire... I tried to stop it but... it was too strong." Arron could feel a new power surging through him... he feel the heartbeat of everyone in the room... he could feel the breath in their lungs... see their blood flowing in their veins.. see the healing power that Claire generated.. but he couldn't see the doppelganger. It was as if Edvin was fighting empty air...

From Edvin's point of view, he was slide-kicking the feet out from under the doppelganger, who still looked like Marley... or what he had been led to believe Marley looked like. The doppelganger, who had just managed to get to his feet, fell down again.

Micheal said: "It may be immune to my magics, but at least it seems vulnerable to ordinary fisticuffs. Hit it again! Huzzah!"

Drek drew his bow and fired at the doppelganger, and hit it square in the shoulder. The doppelganger didn't even flinch.

Edvin nodded and ripped out Drek's arrow, dealing further damage. Then he threw himself on the Doppelganger in an elbow drop on its sternum. "And here I thought not carrying a sword because I'd phase through it would be bad!"

Aaron would feel confused but this was no time for confusion. Feeling everything around him was wierd but there was something he had to adress first.

Noticing what the Spectre was fighting with his new powers, Aaron shouted "Edvin stop, there's no point fighting the doppelganger! He's only an illusion!"

Micheal said: "What? But I'd sense if someone was using illusion-type magic. And I don't."

Aaron responded "I don't know it just feels like I can sense nothing...the doppelganger isn't really there..."

When Edvin hit the doppelganger this time, he heard something break... they was an audible crack.. and the doppelganger went down, clutching his sternum. At the sternum was some sort of armoured covering, which Edvin had cracked. It didn't look like metal, but it was black and shinny and made of an unknown rigid material. As the doppelganger went down, the image of the doppelganger faded from view and was replaced with the image of an Illithid wearing some sort of strange helmet with a transparent full-face covering.. like what a armoured-up knight would wear, only see-through and of unusual design. As this happened, Arron could see the Illithid fade into view... from the inside out! Aaron could see that Edvin had done internal damage to the Illithid, causing serious injury with blunt-force trauma to one of the internal organs, which had ruptured and was now leaking into the surrounding area and intense pain was evident in it's brain.

[GM's Note: This is what we in the RPG business commonly refer to as scoring a critical hit.]

Just then, Gerard and Deimos had made it down the ice-stairs and were now mere seconds away from joining in the melee, as were James and Eruantian. Drek, for his part, shot another arrow at the Illithid/doppelganger/Marley/whatever, hitting it in the groin this time.

Micheal said: "Wha... an Illithid? Hrm... Psionics can't be detected with ordinary Magic, and if he was projecting images into our minds, he could make us see whatever he wanted. But what's with that helmet?"

edited 15th Dec '11 9:53:20 AM by TheSarge

"I don't know, but I'm breaking that motherfucker!!" yelled Edvin. He brought a fist down onto the Illithid's helmet.

Edvin's fist hit the Helment hard, the knuckleduster making a loud clang against what was apparently some kind of metal. The Illithid seemed to slump to the floor. As it did, the room, the Cyclops, Claire, the dead bodies, Orren, and the ice stairs vanished... and the party found itself back in the tower's dungeon, standing over the unmoving body of an Illithid chained to a wall, like the Drow has been chained to a wall before.

Orandious and a High-Flayer were standing outside the prison. The High-Flayer said: "That did it. It's mind has shut down, and it's not longer sending false images into their minds." Orandious said: "That's a relief Tem. I wasn't sure I got you here in time."

Micheal said: "Tem? Tem Deepwater? What is going on here?"

Tem said: "One of the Drow you captured was actually an Illithid in disguise. It was using a powerful magic artifact.. that helmet.. to prevent detection of it's true nature. Apparently the helmet amplifies any psionic potential the wearer has. But, I suspect it also loosens one's grip on one's sanity as well, for when it tried to touch Edvin's mind and take control, it ended up losing control instead. Then, in a fit of madness, instead of just taking control of your minds and using your magic to destroy the tower in the real world as it was it's mission, it created a nightmare wherein it first attacked you all with bizarre magic string, and then attacked the tower with a giant cyclops that it could not fully control. In doing so it overtaxed it's mental powers, which revealed it's true form to the guards. They alerted Orandious, who in turn had me teleported here. I used my mental abilities to fight the Illithid's mental projections, causing it to reveal it's true form to you in the mental illusion it was creating. That allowed you to be able to fight it within the illusion. Then it was relatively easy to defeat; With the added strain of fighting you in the illusion as well as me in a psionic struggle, it just didn't have the strength to fight both battles at once, which is why you were able to finally knock it out. All the strain has made it's mind collapse into a catatonic state. I doubt it will ever recover. Pity that, I could have extracted some useful information from it's mind."

Oranoius said: "We've checked the other Drow, master. That's one's definitely not an Illithid. Only this one was."

Drek scratched his head and said: "So, you're telling me the front lobby wasn't attacked, and Claire wasn't kidnapped by a giant Cyclops? And we were in this room the entire time? It was all an illusion?"

Tem said: "More like a bad dream, actually. The Illithid's bad dream, to be precise."

Orandious said: "Claire is safe with Orren and El in the guest chambers, watching over mister Marley, who is still sleeping. The lobby was never actually attacked. And there have been no reports of giants or cyclopes."

Eruantian said: "Wait a minute, my ring protects me from psionic attacks. If what you say is true, then how was I affected?"

Tem said: "As I said, the helmet is a powerful magic artifact, apparently on par with your ring in terms of magic power. But unlike your ring, it has a serious flaw: It drives anyone who wears it insane. We should probably try to destroy the thing before somebody tries to use it again."

Aaron looked around, it seemed everything didn't happen. He felt relieved...nobody was hurt, it was all an illusion! But he didn't just forget about the strange sense he aquired...

How...did I feel everything...I know that sometimes you can suddenly known divine magic spells but that felt like something you'd have to learn.

The medics ears payed close attention to how a helmet can drive one insane. "I agree, if something can cause people to lose their minds, it has to be destroyed!"

James joked "Well I'd offer to destroy it but I have a feeling that hitting it really hard won't accomplice that task."

Eruantian said: "If what Tem said is true, then my ring probably can't destroy it... that would explain why my ring had no effect the various times I tried to affect the Illithid with my ring. Ring, examine this helmet. Tell me what it is." The ring replied: "No helmet detected. Please restate request." Eruantian looked at his ring with a mixture of disappointment and puzzlement.

Micheal said: "Well, that's just great. Your ring's magic is much stronger than my magic, and it can't even detect it. What chance do I have?"

Drek said: "Why don't we just pick it up and toss it into the sea?"

Tem said: "Oh, sure. Give the Mermen or the Kuo-toa a crazy-powerful psychic-power-amplifying insanity-inducing hat. We haven't had an invasion by the Lantians in a few millennial, that should be interesting to watch."

Drek said: "OK, OK, bad idea. I'm open to suggestions."

"Well," Edvin said, walking closer to the Illithid, "Do we want it to survive? Because we can always cut off its head and magically launch it into the sun, right? Kinetic control and all that?"

Micheal said: "One problem with that: Magic doesn't work in outer space, at least not magic that mortals like us can manipulate. Believe me, I've tried. Apparently, the Mana-flow that powers magic mortals like me can wield ends about 62,100 miles up. Every time I've tried to get higher than that, my magic failed. I nearly suffocated last time I tied it. The only entities I know of that can work magic outside the atmosphere are the major deities like Mystra and Gaea, although I suppose some of the lesser deities could do it as well."

Drek said: "What about the dragons? They have greater magic potential than humanoids, don't they?"

Micheal said: "Well, technically they do, but it's really just slightly higher. The real difference between dragons and us humanoids is that all dragons can work magic, while only a small percentage of humanoids can work magic. But that gives me an idea: Why don't we go ask one of the dragons to toss this thing into an active volcano?"

Drek said: "But if it's a powerful magic artifact, will mere lava be able to destroy it?"

Micheal said: "Probably not, but it will make it darned hard for anybody to get their hands on it."

"Well... that was... incredibly strange..." Sam said once they were brought back to reality. Fighting she could understand. Fighting... in their mind in a dream they could all be in? That was a bit beyond her area of expertise. At least she was relieved to learn that Claire was well.

Drek said to Sam: "Yeah, I know. I hate it when stuff like that happens."

Micheal took the helm off the Illithid's head and said: "In any case, I think we'd better dispose of this Illithid. If he's insane, as Tem says, then questioning him will be a waste of time. No, better to execute him with the other Drow. Oh, and I suppose I'd better inform the mayor of what's happened. Orandious, take charge here. I want that Illithid held in isolation, bound, blindfolded, and gagged. I'll put a sustained-sleep spell on him so he can't use his psionics."

Orandious said: "Aye, master."

Drek said: "While you talk to the mayor, the rest of us will go see a dragon about a volcano."

Micheal handed the helm to Sam and said: "Whatever you do, DO NOT put this helmet on. We know it makes people with psionic potential go crazy, but I have no idea what it would do to someone who doesn't have psionic potential. Understand?"

Tem said: "As for myself, I really need to get back home. My grandson is getting married tomorrow, and as the family patriarch, it will be a busy day for me. Nice seeing you again, Micheal, Drek, Eruantian. Drop on by sometime." With that, Tem took hold of a stone on his belt, which glowed. The stone seemed to shimmer for and moment and then Tem vanished in a flash of blue light.

Micheal said: "See ya, Tem. Ok, people I'll get us to the front door, and then I have to go teleport to the mayor's office. You know the way to where the dragons are, yes?"

Drek said: "Hold on. Aaron wanted to visit that canvas merchant you mentioned, remember?"

Micheal said: "Oh yes. I nearly forgot. He's got that spell he wants to learn. Well, the mayor can wait. I'll take Aaron to the canvas merchant myself, so he can get back in the tower and have a place to work. You go with the others to the dragons. You're better at talking to them anyways. Alright, follow me." With that, Micheal went out of the dungeon and into the featureless room again (this time for real).

[GM's note: This is not an illusion. Or a dream. Or a drug-induced hallucination. I promise.]

edited 24th Dec '11 3:05:01 PM by TheSarge

Sam looked Drek in the eye before nodding her head and tucking the helmet secure under one arm. She didn't have to be told twice not to let such a strange magical device sit on her head.

"Lead the way, we better get rid of this thing soon"

Aaron want to ask Michael something but he disappeared, so he asked Drek instead

"Um, Drek...what do you know about people having the power to sense other people. I know it's wierd to ask but..."

edited 25th Dec '11 2:12:37 AM by JustaUsername

Drek said to Sam: "My thoughts exactly."

When Arron asked Drek his question, he responded: "Sense other people? You mean like telepathy?"

edited 26th Dec '11 3:15:11 PM by TheSarge

James butted in "Well psychic powers aren't the only way to sense someone. My grandfather could sense the life force of living things..."

Aaron said "So you're saying...I could have your grandfather's abilities."

"I hope not" bluntly stated James, "if you could just gain something that should take training to learn, that would make me hate you even more."

Aaron couldn't help but be silenced about the werewolf's sudden opinion about him.

Drek said: "When did you first notice these new abilities, Aaron?"

Aaron responded "It was in the illusion, that's when I started to sense things..."

Drek said: "So, this new sense might have been an illusion itself. Can you sense these things now?"

"Um...I don't know..." answered Aaron...

After what happened, Aaron's senses seemed to need a break. Maybe the ability he just gained caused a bit of an overload.

Micheal said: "Well, it might have been part of the telepathic illusion we were all under... or it may be a real ability that was triggered by the telepathic illusion. You see, sometimes people like us, people who can manipulate magic, can achieve extraordinary things when under great stress. Couple that with the fact that the helmet is a bit of an unknown factor to me, and it's possible that it had something to do with you suddenly having a newfound ability... if it wasn't just an illusion."

Soon, the party was walking through the lobby to the front exit. There was no sign that there had been a battle there recently. Micheal walked through the lobby, saying to Aaron: "Anyways, time to get you that canvas." He turned to Drek and Eruantian: "See you later, friends" as he opened the doors. As the door swung open, the guards on the other side snapped to attention and made a salute-of-arms when they saw Micheal.

From there, Micheal and Aaron headed into the Market Square. Drek led the rest of the group towards where the dragons were hanging out, outside the town walls.

Micheal said to Aaron: "I hope my presence in the marketplace doesn't cause too much of a fuss. Some of the townsfolk seem to think I'm some sort of good luck charm or fountain of wish-granting. They come up to me and ask me to do impossible things for them, like raise the dead or make them rich or grant them immortality. I mean, I'd like to help but I'm a mage, not a genie. Most of them get that despite my powers, I'm just a man, not a god. But some of them...."

As if on cue, a wild-eyed man came running up to Micheal and said: "Oh great Arch-Mage, hear my plea." Micheal did a face-palm and said: "Merciful gods, not this again." The man said: "But m'lord, it's such a small thing to ask for a man with your power. Why won't you help me? Please, bring back my wife." Micheal was looking annoyed, but he didn't raise his voice. He said: "I've explained this to you several times already, Kendred. I'm a mage, not a healer. I can't heal a stubbed toe, let alone raise the dead. Look, Kendred, my good fellow; Come to your senses, man! Listen and understand! I'd like to help, really I would, but there are only a handful of people in the whole world who can raise the dead and I'm just not one of them. You're asking the wrong person, understand. Look, the closest one is the Arch-Druid of The Kulduhar... that's a forest that's just a few hundred miles to the north of here. He's a nice enough sort; Has pet owl, consorts with pixies, talks to trees. Hey, I bet you and him should get along great! Why don't you go ask him?" Kendred said: "Oh no, M'lord! I'd could never leave Targos. Oh, why won't you help me, oh Great Arch-Mage? I know you can do it. I believe in you! Did I offend you in some way? Have I wronged you somehow?" Micheal hung his head in exasperation and said: "Look, Kendred, I know you're distraught over the loss of your wife. I sympathize, I really do. It's a tragedy, but it's time for you to face facts. Your wife is dead, and I can't change that. I'm sorry if you can't accept that, but I have things to do, so if you'll excuse me..."

Suddenly, without warning, there was a flash of a blade and a sudden movement. The man with the wild face, that Micheal had called Kendred, was on Micheal, stabbing him with a knife! A spray of blood and a blossom of scarlet, a pale look of Micheal's face, and a word of his lips: "I have to... go....ohhhhhhhhh"

[Micheal and Aaron are only about 20 yards from Drek's group at this point.]