Jun 25, 2024 3:14 am
"Born that way." Cordey has his cutlass ready
Chapter 4: The Waters of Menehune
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Jun 25, 2024 4:37 am
Jin helps an invisible Tasya to her feet while he emphatically replies to Admiral. "Yes. Let's make that a certainty."
...
Not long after the circus members make their way out of the laboratory, Cordey, Admiral, and Regan, weapons readied, also leave the Seahag's experiment chamber.
Passing dried lifeless kelp that they just a short time ago battled fiercely, the three soon come again to a fork in the tunnel, the one they previously took toward the laboratory.
Jun 25, 2024 12:45 pm
"Shall we take the other fork?" Regan asks, pausing his stride. "There were a couple of branches, but I'd like to be as systematic as possible."
Jun 25, 2024 2:23 pm
"Let’s see if my new friend knows his way around this place," says Admiral, pulling the imp out of his bag again. "It’s the least he can do after annoying us half to death. Right, imp?" He turns the sphere so that the imp is looking down the tunnel Regan is talking about. "Do you know what’s down that way? Keep in mind that the sooner we kill the hag, the sooner you get out of this ball so it’s in your best interests to be helpful."
Jun 25, 2024 3:02 pm
The imp lets out a bothered sigh, clearly less interested than before.
"The fork to the right leads to the hag's sleeping chamber," replies the imp disinterestedly. "But she's not there. She's in her 'grand' hall, making the Fossergrim play for her and gloating in his praise of her 'beauty'." The imp says this last part with clear disgust, finishing with a dismissive "blah."
The small demon continues, "If you want to disarm her of guards and the fey's devotion, you'll have to get the mirror. She keeps it in her chamber."
The imp almost reluctantly provides this information; the party can see it processing its thoughts and trying to give away the least amount of useful details, perhaps to protect its own worth to the party.
Still, it assures with a forced smile, "Now, remember, I'm being helpful here. Don't forget that."
"The fork to the right leads to the hag's sleeping chamber," replies the imp disinterestedly. "But she's not there. She's in her 'grand' hall, making the Fossergrim play for her and gloating in his praise of her 'beauty'." The imp says this last part with clear disgust, finishing with a dismissive "blah."
The small demon continues, "If you want to disarm her of guards and the fey's devotion, you'll have to get the mirror. She keeps it in her chamber."
The imp almost reluctantly provides this information; the party can see it processing its thoughts and trying to give away the least amount of useful details, perhaps to protect its own worth to the party.
Still, it assures with a forced smile, "Now, remember, I'm being helpful here. Don't forget that."
Jun 27, 2024 1:08 am
"Aye, I won't forget," Admiral assures the imp. To Regan and Cordey, he says, "Sounds promising to me! Let's see if we can find this mirror."
Holding the glass sphere in one hand and Reaver in the other, he begins leading the way down the tunnel toward the hag's sleeping chamber.
Holding the glass sphere in one hand and Reaver in the other, he begins leading the way down the tunnel toward the hag's sleeping chamber.
Jun 28, 2024 2:25 am
Taking the right fork Cordey, Regan, and Admiral proceed down another tunnel lined with sea plants. A smell of low tide gets stronger as they move. The walls are lines with algae, but at least these don't seems actively aggressive in any noticeable way. Soon they come to the hag's bed chamber, as the imp revealed.
In the chamber, oddly, there is a large octopus--out of water--that lifts its eyes when the party enters, as if the creature was in a sound sleep and they startled it. It lays in front of a bed that is covered in messy sheets made of seaweed with a seaweed curtain for its headboard. There's a small rock pool near the octopus and an ugly small statue, possibly of a hag.
A large mirror balanced in an ornate stand is near the bed. From it a ray of white light shines across the room.
Behind the mirror it looks like there's another area around a bend of rocks.
Jun 28, 2024 10:03 pm
"So what are we supposed to do with this mirror?" Admiral asks the imp as he steps into the room. He eyes the octopus warily, keeping his distance for now. "Break it?"
Jun 28, 2024 10:10 pm
Cordey watches the land bound large octopus with lots of suspicion. He has his cutlass handy.
Jun 30, 2024 3:45 am
Near the foot of the bed octopus moves cautiously, intently watching the party; its tentacles exploring its surroundings. The creature slims its body and shifts toward the nearby stone pool pulling itself by its tentacles.
The imp replies, "I'm not sure entirely..." waiting to be mistrusted, it pauses before asserting. "Really!"
It continues, "I know its enchantment has something also to do with hellglass." It taps its glass cage again in illustration.
"The Makai created mirrors to reveal demons in disguise. But the hag has studied this one and learned how to use it to change her appearance to enchant her victims. If you reverse its enchantment...somehow...you can reveal her disguise to her beguiled subjects." The imp says the last part with a smirk, finding the fact that the Fossergrim and the Sahuagin are charmed by the hag slightly humorous.
The imp replies, "I'm not sure entirely..." waiting to be mistrusted, it pauses before asserting. "Really!"
It continues, "I know its enchantment has something also to do with hellglass." It taps its glass cage again in illustration.
"The Makai created mirrors to reveal demons in disguise. But the hag has studied this one and learned how to use it to change her appearance to enchant her victims. If you reverse its enchantment...somehow...you can reveal her disguise to her beguiled subjects." The imp says the last part with a smirk, finding the fact that the Fossergrim and the Sahuagin are charmed by the hag slightly humorous.
Jun 30, 2024 10:25 pm
"Can’t say I’m an expert on reversing enchantments," remarks Admiral. "Does that book of yours offer any hints?" he asks Cordey.
Jun 30, 2024 11:16 pm
"As much as I like to say something about that, I really lack the time to take understand all that is there to even give you a guess. Also ending up trapped like that imp would not be a good result."
Last edited June 30, 2024 11:16 pm
Jul 1, 2024 9:32 am
Cordey face brighten a moment, "Perhaps there was something under that 'hellglass' symbol. Let me look again." He gets the tome out and looks for that section on Hellglass. You can see that he is actually read that rather strange script.
Jul 2, 2024 5:43 am
Fipping through brittle pages of the ancient tome Cordey locates the section that speaks of shaping Hellglass. Cordey amazingly is able to decipher the ancient writings.
Hellglass Enchantments
In this section an Old Makai incantation is included that prepares hellglass to reveal the true nature of any creature masquerading in another form if the creature were to be reflected in the glass. When this occurs the creature's true form is known to all and no one can remain under its charm.
Hellglass Enchantments
In this section an Old Makai incantation is included that prepares hellglass to reveal the true nature of any creature masquerading in another form if the creature were to be reflected in the glass. When this occurs the creature's true form is known to all and no one can remain under its charm.
Jul 4, 2024 1:33 am
"So maybe we just need to reflect the hag in the mirror?" suggests Admiral, after Cordey shares what he found in the book.
Jul 4, 2024 5:23 am
OOC:
I put what Cordey deciphers from the tome in the spoiler below. He is able to understand the Old Makai script because of the amulet he possesses. You can click on the spoiler to expand it. So perhaps OOC you all can discuss a plan to proceed. Gene, I originally posted this for you privately, but it's understandably too cumbersome to relay that all to the other players.
[ +- ] What Cordey deciphers with aid of his amulet
The spell is powerful but delicate and will require focus and preparation. Cordey decifers the details to understand the following:
Preparation:
The caster must purify themselves and the mirror. This involves washing their hands and face with seawater and lighting a candle made from seaweed and beeswax.
A Sea Shaman’s Charm is needed by the caster. These charms are described in detail on the pages. They were used by Old Makai shamans to, among other things, weaken demonic enchantment. Lelay's amulet fits the description. The amulet gives Cordey the proficiency to cast this incantation.
The Incantation:
Like the rest of the book, the spell is written in an archaic Makai dialect. Cordey translates the words in his mind as he reads:
By the strength of the ocean and the guidance of night skies,
Expose the darkness, reveal the lies.
Hellglass reflects the truth,
Unmasks devils, dispels their sleuth.
Casting the Spell:
The caster stands directly in front of the mirror, holding the Shaman's Charm and reciting the incantation clearly and confidently. The mirror must be undisturbed during the casting.
Warnings:
The incantation requires the caster to maintain concentration. Any interruption can cause the spell to fail.
The mirror is vulnerable during this time. If it is shattered or significantly disturbed, the reversal effect will be broken.
Jul 4, 2024 12:55 pm
"But we have to perform a ritual to use it, right? That's what the book says?" Regan asks, attempting to clarify their supposed goal. "So we need to take the mirror to the hag, cast the spell... or maybe we can cast the spell then take the mirror to the hag... but we need to keep the mirror and the caster safe?"
Regan looks to his weapon, and back to the glass. "Does anything about hellglass make it resistant to being hit with a rock?"
Regan looks to his weapon, and back to the glass. "Does anything about hellglass make it resistant to being hit with a rock?"
Jul 4, 2024 2:11 pm
Cordey says, "I can read much here and understand less. I'm just unsure of everything but I will translate all that I read."
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