Session Start: Sat Apr 05 17:47:04 2008 Session Ident: #castlevania [The intrepide party kicks around the Temple Camp for the next few days, preparing to travel.] * Nyyx chats with the local suppliers and manages to place an order for a sword and enchanted ring sometime during preparation. * Nyyx spends some time collecting herbs afterward. [The herbs around here are different from the ones around Kronenburg. Nyyx spends some time confirming their identities and uses with the local alchemists and Temple clerics.] [Two days after the battle of Stavograd, as it was already being called, His Emminent Remains had left alone for Lifebreak. Since that time, the Temple soldiers busied themselves caring for the wounded, searching the city for survivors and preparing to move into the old district in the Southeastern quarter of the city.] * Biff pops out of nowhere into the air over Nyyx's head and falls straight down, scrambling wildly for purchase. GWAH! * Nyyx catches Biff on her hat. It's nice of you to join me, Biff. * Biff peers down over the brim of the hat, staring upside down into Nyyx's face. "Howdy. My aim's a little off with this thing." * Nyyx laughs quietly. "When did you learn that trick?" My first shipment of gear came in. * Biff sounds VERY satisfied with himself. Oh? Excellent. Provided that your aim improves, that seems like a useful one. Teleporting really soaks up the power, but BOY is it fun. Whatcha up to? Studying the local plants, mostly. I'm thinking of experimenting with some of these. I never took you for an herb-head. Hehe. It's a hobby, I guess you could say. A casual smoker? * Nyyx chuckles. "I'm more a brewer than a smoker, but some of these certainly have properties that could be absorbed that way." Just so long as you don't start reeking of catnip. * Nyyx nods. "I remember how that turned out for you, last time." Good. I'd hate to have to do anything precipitous to you. * Biff hops down off Nyyx's hat and sniffs around the bushes. How long until we leave? Hopefully not too long. I haven't had the impression that Gregor's one to sit cooling his heels for too long. [After about a week, most of the villagers are re-settled in the old town. The Temple soldiers have already turned some of the old municipal buildings into a headquarters and the Contact has taken up residence there.] [The shipments of equipment have come in and the party has had an opportunity to research any spells it may need for the journey. The Jasian cleric was released from the infirmary about three days ago and looks fit to travel if a bit tired.] * Nyyx uses some of that downtime to learn some of the effects of the herbs she's collected. [One makes a great diet pill if you don't mind sweating. Another is good for cleaning wounds. A third is tangy in stew.] * Nyyx sorts out the herbs and jots down notes in her journal. "Anyone trying to lose weight?" Yeah. I need to shave off a few pounds. Do cats sweat? You don't want to know. * Nyyx laughs. "Well, you can try some of this, if you're serious about shaving off a few pounds." She pushes over a neatly tied bunch of dried herbs. A bit messy for those of us who sweat, but nothing a bath won't fix, anyway. Nyyx, babe. I only WEIGH a few pounds. My gear weighs more than I do. Seriously. I'm about ready to get the hells out of this place. If I have to watch one more near-brawl between the Pelorites and the Nerullies, I'm going to start a riot. It will be the most epic riot in the history of riots. It will wreck the entire city. And I will stand above it all, laughing maniacally, only to escape just as a team of plucky adventurers has fought their way through the riot to get to me. * Nyyx smiles and shakes her head. "Well, it shouldn't be too long now." They will hunt me across the world, seeking me out time and time again, as I make their every moment miserable. Every time they come close enough to strike, i will disappear as if I had never been, frustrating them even more. And at the end, when they think they finally have me cornered... ...I will crush them, because they no longer amuse me. * Nyyx cleans up her work space and packs up her herbs with everything else. "Well, I'm ready to go. Shall we?" Yes, let's. How exactly are we getting to the jungle? Well, can we arrange a teleport? If not, I guess we'll have to walk, since we left our horses behind in the north. Well, you'll have to walk, anyway. I'm riding on your shoulder. Benefit of being a familiar, you know. * Biff hops up on Nyyx's shoulder. Let's MOVE, people! * Skip MOVES! Sometimes I wonder if the familiar gets the better end of the deal. * Nyyx shoulders her stuff and gets going. Fft. I picked up a few new tricks, courtesy a staff craftsman. You're gonna love having me around. * Nyyx picks up Amarette along the way and says goodbye to Sirrus, Gorish, and the others. * Nyyx strikes out for the southern jungle as soon as she's tied up loose ends. [After tracking down Roland, the party convinces him to give them a Boccobite Farewell and the party spends the first 11 hours of their journey high in the air, following the wind over the western mountains and towards the west. By the time the spell ends, the party has found itself just south of Richtenburg near a river that will lead into the sea.] [Grassland and forests unfold to the south. The jungles and fens beyond them are still too far to be seen.] * Nyyx starts walking! * Skip follows. "It will be strange returning to the jungle. I wish I could say it feels like going home, but I know it will not be the place I remember." [The party walks toward the river until nightfall and then makes camp.] * Nyyx rolls out her bedding. "I wonder if the jungle plague was caused by the same tree." I have no idea how these plane of shadow things work. The Grey Riders would have needed access to the tree. Do you think that is possible? * Nyyx shrugs. Best ask Theo, maybe. * Nyyx is now known as NyyxFeed * Skip is now known as SkipFOODS Sorry, I don't know anything about it. [The party beds down and the night passes quietly.] * SkipFOODS has quit IRC (Quit: SkipFOODS) [The party continues along the river quietly for nearly the next two weeks. One afternoon, along a bend in the river, the party is waylaid by a frightening creature lumbering out of some nearby trees. It's skin is mottled and bruised in places over its hulking twelve foot tall frame. Its maw is a nest of sharpened overlarge fangs in a misshapen jaw and its brutish hands hang at its sides.] * NyyxFeed is now known as Nyyx * Nyyx whips out her shiny new adamantine sword and stands ready to cut it down. "What the hell is that?" Ogre, maybe? * Biff shrugs a catty shrug and opens fire, throwing a rainbow at the thing's eyes. [The pattern wraps around the creature and then vanishes. The beast is unfazed.] * Nyyx takes a flying leap toward the beast, whatever it is, and hacks easily through its mottled flesh as she lands. * Theodore fires magic missiles at the beast * Skip runs ahead as fast as his little legs can carry him, then, with a short hops, disappears in a puff of black shadow. Unbeknownst to friend and foe, he reappears on the far side the large creature and draws his twin axes. (( far side OF the large creature )) (( with a short HOP )) (( I am so lame. :P )) [The creature rears and Nyyx can make out a face in the beast's torso. The face opens a shadowy mouth and howls. The crescendo slams into Nyyx and Skip, but they keep their feet.] * Out of nowhere, a pair of white, feathery angel wings appear and wrap themselves around Nyyx (and, presumably, Biff), taking the brunt of the attack and dispersing it as harmless blue light. [The beast swings at Nyyx and misses.] * Biff reappears as the wings open up, and dozens of beams of light lance outward, curving around to pin the creature in a dozen places. * Nyyx spins and chops her blade into the creature's second face, twice. "Do ogres normally have extra faces in their chests?" Not that I know of. * Skip turns on the creature, squats, and leaps high into the air. At the apex of his jump, Skip seems to hover for a moment, at which time he swings an axe. Unfortunately, at that very moment, Skip sneezes, sending his swing wide. He lands to the left of the creature. [The creature seems to pull into itself slightly. Muscles squeeze and then tear as the beast moves faster than its body should allow. Nyyx is caught in a blur of strikes.] [The beast fixes its gaze on Biff. Acidic blood sprays from its eyes at the familiar.] * Nyyx staggers under the blows and winces, cursing quietly in multiple languages. * Biff explodes into a quintet of cats, and one of them explodes in a puff of smoke as the acid spears it. * Biff turns to run, but his tail does a quick jaggy dance, and the monster, whatever the hell it is, stops dead in its tracks. Kill it, quick! I've got it paralyzed! * Nyyx buries her sword to the hilt in its vitals and hacks off its head without any further adieu. [The beast flops to the ground in a smoking pile.] Well. Who's the cat? WHO'S THE CAT?! * Biff dances. I am the greatest familiar EVER. * Nyyx punts the monster's head off into the trees. "Nice one." * Biff hops up on Nyyx's shoulder and curls his tail around her neck. Skip, are these things common where you live? * Nyyx flicks the ichor off her blade, resheathes it, and reaches up to scratch Biff between the ears. * Biff purrs. * Nyyx focuses for a moment, and some of her wounds appear to knit closed on their own. No, Nyyx, they are not. Good. Well, provided they haven't become common while you've been gone. * Biff makes quick use of a belt and proximity to Nyyx to dish out some healing for the remainder of her wounds. Thanks, Biff. Nooo problem. * Nyyx examines the body of the monster for anything useful or interesting. [The body was clearly a composite of multiple creatures. Most of the additions were in the torso and center on an additional creature in the chest cavity.] Is this a construct...? It looks like some idiot took a bunch of monsters and used magic to smush them all into one body. it appears to be a composite magical creature based on a werewolf and a krenshar. [END OF SESSION} Session Close: Sat Apr 05 22:26:55 2008