knightsoflegend | katoomba ♔ while I formulate denials of your effect on me

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katoomba ♔ while I formulate denials of your effect on me

WHO || Alanna, Jaime, Faith, Fiona, Jordan, Adi [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a shady temple of Mystra.
WHERE || Katoomba, Australia
WHEN || July 24th [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

The Knights take off for Katoomba, Australia, to investigate a tale of a temple to the goddess of magic Mystra that was erected very suddenly and mysteriously, seemingly unknown to other Mystran clergy in the world. A bizarre tale of a cleric being chased out with gunfire, and a missing bookseller with a connection to the church have left Wynn worried about what might be going on within the walls of the temple. It is constructed a short distance from the actual city proper, up the river.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Right. That.

[ The fuck is this? The fuck was that? Her wisdom check was balls to find out who's affected again, so she's just continuing to play along based on ... what they've been doing the whole time. Priests and their orders: is there anything else they know how to do?

She glances briefly sidelong at her companions, but moves to retrieve her stuff all the same. Maybe they'll get a spare minute in the room while gathering their things to discuss a plan of action. While abysmal, her 11 wisdom check is enough to realize something sketchy is happening. She's not completely deficient. ]

[ Thank you, Fiona. Adi's wisdom check is similarly balls, so he just follows Faith's lead and plays along, giving Fembrys a slightly uncertain glance.

He falls into stride with Alanna as they go to collect their belongings, keeping his voice low. ] Did you see anything? Is Jordan glowing?

[ Glittering, same thing. ]

You expect me to be able to explain what the hell a genie's doing?

[ Srs? Alanna sounds absolutely baffled, but that essentially confirms that Adi, at least, is seeing what's really happening: Jordan is glowing/glittering. ]

I can tell you one thing: I'd like a refund for whatever knowledge we're meant to have gained. I didn't learn a bloody thing from that mess.

[ Rude. Her hushed whisper is about as hushed as Alanna can ever manage. ]

[jordan nods at fembrys words, more than eager to do his bidding as he heads with the group to their chambers. Once there he immediately grabs up his lamp from beneath his pillow, cradling it in both his hands.

along with the glittering there is a faint smell of sun and hot sand coming from him now. he doesn't join in the banter of his teammates, simply turns for the door with his lamp. as he passes by fiona his eyes glance to her, a smile coming to his face at the feel of her magic mirroring his own.

that doesn't stop him from leaving the room. with his genie lamp. that can control him. and whatever power he possesses. he's going for the altar, or more precisely the stairs behind the altar. ]

[ as they walk back towards their chambers, faith snaps in front of fiona and jordan's faces, concern etching a groove between her brows. no guard accompanies them, and the other hypnotized petitioners ignore them entirely as they go to gather up all their items from their trunks on the far side of the room. it's pretty clear that adi and alanna at least have their wits about them, so she falls back to whisper: ] That thing hypnotized them. [ with a particularly boss wisdom check, she moves to get her things out of her trunk, and... pulls up her phone, fingers flying as she pulls up the drakenet, casting surreptitious looks at her friends, as they mindlessly go about their business.. ] How do you spell 'Gnosis'?

[Jaime's not really paying attention to the rest of the group. He's gathering up what little shit he came with, mainly all his heavy armor and his sword, and walking purposefully back to the altar with the genies.]

[zombie walking, zombie walking, zombie walking. glittery clouds following him like pig-pen from charlie brown.

this has been a tag.]

[ fiona brought like... nothing, except maybe a couple changes of clothes and a few random research books. she doesn't use a spellbook and, luckily, she gave faith her bottle to hold on to for safe keeping, so it looks like she's just grabbing up her bundle of clothing and eventually heading back to the altar :) ]

[ int check 17. ]

G-N-O-S-I-S.

[ She whips her head around, watching Jordan walk for the door and LOOKS VERY STARTLED THAT HE KEEPS GOING (wis 14 to be like hmmm genie bottle maybe not a gr8 idea). Leaving Faith to do the legwork with researching this shit, she grabs her sword out of the trunk and bolts after Jordan. ]

Oi! Not so fast with that thing.

[ thanks alanna gurl. faith does some frantic googling (research 17), and i guess... relates her findings to adi, congrats. ] That's what I thought - there's no known artifact or holy item in the Mystran church called the Starry Gnosis.

Whatever this is, it has nothing to do with Mystra. [ actually concerned, she goes to get her stuff out of her trunk - most notably fiona's bottle, which she wraps up in a sweater of hers to hide. ]

[ Adi who's distracted by Alanna's valiant attempt to intercept Jordan, but Faith gets his attention when she starts explaining. Now that the situation's been spelled out (literally), he casts a concerned glance after their zombie-walking companions. ]

Maybe we should hit them.

[ wis 15 for that sure-fire plan. Meanwhile, he's getting his belongings, which aren't much, or particularly impressive. ]

[yeah, jordan is not stopping at alanna's words, not even acknowledging them. he is to go to the stairs behind the altar. duh.

and if someone does reach for his bottle, he will be putting up a fight. a glittery, genie fight.]

[ oh goddess. alanna gives up when she notices him blind to her, tipping her head back and cursing the great gods for landing her in this. gathering her wits, she bolts back to the room, rustling up her pendant and looping it around her neck. never take off a trinket from a bloody goddess, coram would have told her. that's like to be the time you'll need it. and it may shed some light on whatever magic is bewitching them.

looking up at adi and faith, alanna pulls her sword from her belongings, drawing it. ]

Great! Hitting. [ she nods, encouraging. ] Hope you've got a good fight in you. Our blessed genie isn't waking up, and I've no intentions of allowing Fembrys one in his employ. Look alive.

[Jaime keeps on trucking with that armor. It's even more awkward when he's carrying it, not wearing it, especially with his dex check of 9, so there's a clatter and a clang as he drops something and has to reorient so he can get it all up together again.]

[ fiona's following jordan, now, her backpack slung over one shoulder. she looks s-so excited to find out ALL THE SEKRITS, and there's a skip in her step as she, too, makes her way back to the altar. ]

[ faith hesitates at the idea of hitting them. she knows exactly how powerful her two djinn friends can be, and the thought of provoking them into a fight... well. she can't see that ending well for anyone. she puts a hand on adi's arm, quietly saying to him and alanna: ] Maybe we should wait for a better opportunity. Pretend to all be affected, see where they take us. If we can't get them to shake this off... Well. I wouldn't want to fight both our friends and the bad guys at the same time. They'll definitely hear a scuffle if we start something here.

[ Alanna looks, well, conflicted. She glances up between Faith and the exit where the others are filing out. Pressing her lips together, fussing, she gathers up the remainder of her belongings, carrying them in a manner that's all too clear: she's signing up to try and bluff their way through this. ]

If either of them come anywhere near handing those bloody lamps over, we're through. I'll cut down every priest in this bloody temple if I have to. [ Having deadlines is important, ok. ]

I've got Fiona's. [ she gestures at the rolled up sweater ] She lets me hold onto it, just in case.

[ definitely best not to let the evil priests get their hands on a genie's bottle. good thinking, team. unfortunately, fiona won't be much assistance to their cause, but at least faith has possession of her bottle, at current.

so... what's behind the altar?? ]

Splendid. Off we get, then.

[ Following! ]

[ behind the altar is a door that's been opened to a set of steps, that leads down to a wide landing flanked by two dark statues, both apparently carved of coallike stone, roughly depicting a female human. soft white light spills from the south stairwell below. they move down quietly towards an indoor stoneyard. a flickering, starry light clings to the statue of a woman in the center of this chamber. the rubble of broken statuary, burned scriptures, and smashed holy vessels is piled about the central statue and elsewhere throughout the chamber. anyone who makes a knowledge religion check dc 10 would recognize all these things as devoted to mystra.

five doors allow egress to the area, in addition to the steps behind them. fembrys scowls at the statue as he passes it, moving to the door opposite the steps.

"Come along, come along." ]

[ knowledge: religion ... 7. nope.

She trudges through the doors after Fembrys, making sure she catches up to Jordan. He's not to get out of her sight. ]

[Jaime's knowledge check of 9 means he's got nothing too, but that could be because he's still a zombie. He keeps moving blankly forward.]

[Jordan doesn't glance at Alanna as she sidles up next to him, and doesn't spare a glance for the broken remnants of Mystran worship either, instead following fembrys faithfully as commanded.]

[ the far door leads to a hallway where familiar-looking statues flank a central path down the wide passage. like the ones on the step, they are carved from a coal-like stone, and rough depictions of a female human. fembrys gestures for them to stop here, and there's the sound of the door on the far end being unlocked.

a strange looking woman emerges, pocketing the key. her long black hair trails behind her, a long, ugly scar running down her face from over her eye to her chin, leaving that eye clouded and blind. she glides forward, looking between them all as fembrys bows his head slightly in respect.

"Good work, my Fembrys." he seems to lap up the praise like a dog, his eyes brightening with pride, and shoulders squaring a bit, but her lips pull down as she actually examines the gathered. her voice is somewhat raspy, and she adds: "Although we shall see how much use this lot is." she paces in front of them, looking each one from head to foot. "How many of you are spellcasters? Speak the truth."

fembrys nods, encouraging those under his thrall by adding: "Yes, do as Lady Arthas orders you, as if I had asked."

faith manages to avoid the urge to glance at her comrades, lifting her chin and saying in a dazed, unaffected voice: ] I am. [ nat 20 bluff B) lady arthas looks to her, pursing her lips and humming to herself thoughtfully.

"Good. Very good. Any others?" ]

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