View topic - The Vale of Shadow

((haha))

Signing, You prefer to travel during the day? ok? Theres a another room down here tho. I dont supose you want to be invisible?
Inrii cast invisibility (greater) then levitated to the bottom. What she saw surprised her for a second. A bloody altar surrounded by spent candles. The true seeing showed an invisible chest on a shelf above the altar. Numerous graphic paintings covered the walls. The place reeked of decay and mold. She looked for traps. Something slipped past her, brushing her piwafwi. She turned to see several decapitated animals and a pile of rags opposite wall of the altar. Inrii tried to telepathically talk with the being, but still no connection.
Inrii, mentally connected, asked Zarstra what was going on outside.
water, wind, and lots of dirt piles near a stoned circular wall...
a well?
ya, well. the dirt looks like those burial places used to hold dead.
graves? ok come inside before Zazzt wards the cabin.

Her sense were on alert in the basement, yet the being was able to avoid being in her line of sight.

Zazzt waited for the lizard to dart back inside the door, then raised his hands, fingers relaxed, and took a deep breath. His fingers snapped up, and his spell blazed to fiery life, the conflagration enveloped the cabin. The whole building shook with the power of the wards, and soon the flames died down, replaced by a thin, almost invisible mist that changed between the colors of the rainbow (prismatic sphere). Also, for any who cared to look, small sigils now covered the walls of the cabin, glyphs of fire, insanity, paralysis, and other malignant spells sheathed the cabin. To any observing it for magic, the glow would have been almost blinding. Zazzt sat down, sweat covering his brow, and folded his legs, meditating. That spells always drained him severely, but it was well worth the energy, no mage he had yet met could take that spell apart, there were simply too many layers to take apart, no mortal could do so in one night. He hoped that the presence he felt here eariler was wise enough to leave them be, after the spell he just cast, if not, Zazzt had just locked himself in a building with a malignant being he would have enjoyed steering clear of.

I'm inside. and that guy looks sick, Zarstra mentally told Inrii who was still in the basement.
Inrii felt the magic of Zazzt's ward. She then wondered if he locked the being inside with them. She felt it, there was no doubt about it. The issue was if it left before or not. She continued to search the basement.
It kept itself from detection well.
She walked over to the altar. Inrii had heard of strange ceremonies and magics, but this wasnt something she recognized. The blood was dry all over. The carving in the wood were crude and grotesque, not something a ranger would worship. The candles resembled ones she had seen in the drow cities, ones used in summoning and sacrifices. Little of the wick was visible. She searched for traps again. The little chest on the shelf had an unusual trap. not one she would have expected. She quickly disarmed it.
'a gas tap?'
before she could open the chest, Zarstra entered the basement, somethings down here with us.

The energies of Zazzts spell could feel the disturbance of the ghost, and a powerful spirit it was. Fearing for his friends, he forced himself out of his meditation, and walked down into the basement, leaning heavily on his staff . He looked the room over, "Inrii," he signed, " Please come with me, I do not believe it safe to seperate just now. There is a fell presance here, and I fear that it is only growing more malignant by the second." He waved Inrii over to him. He seemed barely able to stand, all of his wieght on the staff. Shakily, he started climbng the stairs again.

Signing back, I agree. We sense it here, I just cant seam to catch sight of it.
Inrii snatched the little chest and headed back twords the stairs, behind Zazzt. Zarstra climbed up on her shoulder and into the familiar pocket.
What happened? The casting take that much out of you?
She started to levitate when it brushed her piwafwi again. She paused in midair, moved her hand in the correct arcane motions and cast globe of invulnerability on herself and Zazzt at the top of the stairs and then sent a sizzling fireball through the basement.
A frightful moan came from the far corner as it attempted to blast Inrii for disturbing it.

Zazzt nodded, "I use magic a little differantly than a wizard or even a sorceror. I see magic as energy, pure and simple as that. I call upon that energy to fuel my spells. So I do not have to spend time studying spells, nor do I have draconic blood in my viens. I simply use my own energy to create a fireball, or magic missiles." he signed, "The drawback of this is obvious, however, I only need two hours or meditation, and I am back to my old self."

"well unless you can attack, you better back up"
The fireball lit up the basement in a dark orange glow.
Still levitating, Inrii covered her ears. the globe protected her as did the amulet tucked in her spidersilk shirt. She spotted the being in the corner. Tossing the chest up to the floor, she cast another fireball at the ethereal being. "I dont appreciate being haunted. And whoever sent you, send them a message, I'll find them!"
She aimed a lightning bolt at it as it flew at her.

Zazzt nodded, and stepped behind her, "I am not totally useless in this fight," he whispered, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, Inrii felt much more limber, and more charismatic ((I dont know how to explain the effects of eagles splendor , but he cast eagles splendor and cats grace on you)), but the effort was too much, and Zazzt fell to one knee, " really must meditate soon." He whispered. As soon as he spoke those words, a pale white light glowed frm him, and his outline began to fade. Soon he was not more corporeal than the ghost, and in another instant, he was gone, only his staff remained. ((Contingency plane shift))

((dont forget i cast a globe of invulnerability on ya, and how did u guess i was a sorceress... lol. how does one describe those effects? I'll look it up on d&d wiki and forgotten realms wiki now...))

Inrii nodded as she felt the effects and did a rolling tumble through the air as the ghost flew past her and into the main room of the cabin.
"bring it on ghost!" she taunted, still floating.
Another lightning bolt streaked from her hands hitting it in the chest. His ethereal visage became more angry as it let out a screech. The lighting seam to have hurt it a little bit. This time it attempted an incorporeal touch attack to gain some of its life back, but Inrii was too quick. She set herself down on the floor and dismissed the levitation, simotanously while casting her red faerie fire at it. The ghost's paused was long enough to allow her to draw her long sword; if she could cause a critical wound, shadowblade might would send it back or kill it.
"Stupid ghost or a stupid wizard's controlling you. Tell that pixie to show his face and fight me coward."
It began to come at her again then stopped and looked down, hovering over the chest that Inrii tossed up earlier. Not knowing she didn't have the trigger, it ignored her for a moment. Still lit up from the faerie fire, it attempted to destroy the little chest. She quickly cast Identify on it. Much to her surprise, it was a ghost trap disguised as a chest. Last person to use it apparently didnt get the ghost, and laid on the floor as a pile of bones with 2 others. Inrii looked around for the switch.
'Must be back in the basement.'
She opened the pocket and whispered the plan to Zarstra who climbed down, invisible, and down into the basement searching for it.

((I'm pausing here if you wanna write what ur doing or if someone else decides to join, then I'll finish off the ghost.))
((they werent no help ))

((Well, in 3.5, or at least how I always do my campaigns, sorcerors and wizards cast differantly, that and the obvious lack of a spellbook, usually kinda obvious ))

Just as Inrii sent her lizard into the basement, the same white glow materialized over Zazzt's dropped staff. Slowly, the light coalesed into a hand, that grabbed the staff, and from it grew an arm, and body. Soon, Zazzt stood up, holding his staff firmly in hand, and he glanced around, noting the signs of Inrii's battle with the ghost, which was hovering not far above some strange chest... Possibly the devixeto contain it? He shrugged, it hardly mattered, he decided, as it seemed that Inrii's spell reptoir did not include fghting ghosts. He raised his hands, and yelled out a word "DOLUTH!" and five bolts of magical energy struck the creature. Oh how the ghost screeched, the first sounds of it true pain it had made in many many years, "Finish the task, strike while it is distracted," He called to Inrii, and the ghost ignored the chest, and was flying fast towards Zazzt now, amra reaching, growing claws in it's eagerness to feast upon his life energies.

((according to what I read, there limits on what can effect a ghost. So I figured I'd use the trap. and have a ghost to take with us, ect...but my spells are a mix of offensive-fire and ice mostly and 'spying' spells. I'm waiting for a really bad mosnter to bring out the secret weapon...))

Zarstra slung the trigger to Inrii's foot. It landed in range. She pressed it and the chest opened, shooting out a bright white light. Inrii gracefully flipped over the chest, sword coming down and cutting a deep line through its shoulder. As its shoulder fell, it turned shadowlike then vanished. She landed lightly on her feet bringing the sword up cutting deeply from its waist to its chest. It fell back into the cone of light and was sucked in as its body began to shift. The lid shut hard and load and the darkness of the room returned.
"So much for treasure in it." She walked over to the box and picked it up, "need a hostage or prisoner? Assuming its not a shadow right now."

((Yep, hence the magic missile. As a force effect it is not subject to the ghost's 50% chance to ignore the damage; as compared to fireballs and lightning bolts. That is actually one of the few things that makes magic missile worth having in your spell list))

Zazzt shook his head, "Nay, I believe I have had excitment enough for one day." He sighed "The trick I had to use to quickly meditate is not one I prefer to use. If there are any more fights, you will be on your own, I must recast that spell." He placed his staff on the ground, and sat down next to it, crossing his legs, and seeming to meditate. But to any who was paying close attention, they could hear him whispering under his breath. As he spoke the radiance that was the cause of his spell gree in strength, until it was almost blindjg to drow eyes, and painfully bright to surface dwellers. Then, it suddenly winked out, and in another second, Zazzt tumbled forward, asleep on the floor.

((i did more elemental damage spells for offensive. i didnt want the fight to be too easy neither so i did some damage with the lightning and wanted to try out my sword or the ghost trap i found when searching for the rules on ghost))

"eh, fights aint a problem. Who doesnt enjoy a good fight once in a while?"
She turned away as the room grew bright then dim again. She turned back to ask why he was making them like a torch in a cavern but she saw Zazzt fall down asleep.
'when do drow sleep?' she shrugged.
Outside the storm picked up and thunder shook the house many times. Inrii got out a thick rolled up blanket from her bag and laid it on the floor in the corner. She looked around the cabin again. finally she sat cross-legged on the blanket. Inrii then cloaked herself in a spell of darkness, pulled her hood on her (hide feat) and began to enter a meditative state. Zarstra climbed onto her lab and rested, the globe protecting both.

Zazzt opened his eyes, sitting upright. Light was just starting to come through the windows. He stood up, brushing off his clothes, and picking up his staff, walked out of the cabin, waving a hand to prevent the wards from frying him as he exited the door. He stood still, just beyond the wards, and breathed deeply, feeling all the power in his mind from the night's rest. He went up on one leg, and stretched, loosening his muscles. He took another deep breath, and snapped off three kicks, so fast that they were almost one motion. Then he tossed his staff into the air, and jumped a sumersault, landing on his right foot, and went into a flurry of blows, alternating between kicks, punches, and elbows, all just as fast as the first kicks. He caught his staff in one hand, continuing the motion, swept it around him, and planted the end in the ground, and used that as leverage, flipped over again. He swung the staff down, as if it was a sword, and just before it hit the ground, he charged forward, a lunge of almost three feet, in the blink of an eye. He straightened, and jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding a blast of flame from one of the protection sigils, as his foot landed inside the radius of the wards. He landed, and looked at the small furrow gouged by the flame, and decided that morning excersizes were concluded for now. He sat down on the ground, cross legged, and looked at the rising sun, in a half meditative state.

During the night, Inrii got up from her spot and dismissed the darkness. She only needed a few hours of reverie. She had tried to connect with her god, but as of late, he had nothing to say to her. Seeing Zazzt still asleep, she carefully pulled out the greenish metallic ring she found back in the cave so as to not disturb Zarstra. She looked it over checking for clues of curses on it. It looked a ring one of the old nightshadows had. Seeing that no one was watching, she cast Identify on it. She was right, and she knew the rumors of power it held, particularly poison immunity as well as elemental immunity.
'but how did lose this powerful ring? and is that why the gnolls had breeched the cave?'
Inrii felt risky, and slide the thing metal band on her finger. Tzirik was haughty and didnt believe any could defeat him. He wouldnt spell trigger his possessions. As it slid nicely on her left hand, she felt the magical energies. Looking down at the ring, 'lets hope its not just a show piece. Now a ring for each hand. I'm becoming more like my sister.' she thought shaking her head.
The storm outside abated alittle. the thunder a good distance away. Opening her pouch she pulled out a piece of venison jerky and munched on it. Zarstra's nose crinkled and her deep violet eyes opened and waiting for her piece of jerky.
Inrii got up and walked around the cabin, Zarstra on her shoulder. It was still several hours till dawn and her traveling companion was still asleep. Bored, she walked down into the basement. the altar intrigued her. She studied it, and studied the paintings, trying to recall some of the lore from her books. Inrii lost track of time till she heard movement upstairs and a door open.