20040717 Sightless02

<H1> NullQuest: It Was Inevitable </H1>
<H2> Role Call </H2>
<TABLE>
<TR>
 <TD> Tharrek </TD>
 <TD> 7th Orc Barbarian </TD>
 <TD> Robert Giedt </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Grackle </TD>
 <TD> 10th/6th/4th/2nd Half-Elf Rogue/Fighter/Divine Seeker/Planar Champion </TD>
 <TD> Mark Whisler </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Foradun </TD>
 <TD> 5th/3nd Githzerai Psychic Warrior/Soul Knife (10th CL) </TD>
 <TD> Rick DiRicco </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Mandos </TD>
 <TD> 5th/2nd Aasimar Ranger/Horizon Walker </TD>
 <TD> Ray Chiang </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Deluwen Seradrake </TD>
 <TD> 7th Grey Elf </TD>
 <TD> John Speck </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Thorfin the Lucky </TD>
 <TD> 8th Human Bard </TD>
 <TD> Jim Yonemura </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Kha'Narek </TD>
 <TD> 7th Githzerai Monk (9th CL) </TD>
 <TD> Matt Miller (Safe Passage) </TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<H2> Session Summary </H2>
<H3> Disarming Demeanor </H3>
The team leaves the room (puck #1) and enter the corridors. The corridors appear to be made of ectoplasm, similar to the stuff that's used to create Astral Constructs. The corridor closes behind Grackle when he moves forward to scout. Peering around the corner at a "T" he sees that in one direction is a sword hilt encased in a lump of ectoplasm, in the other is a large humanoid shape lit by a flickering red glow. Grackle returns to the party and the passage opens up in front of him. Grackle asks if Deluwen has any abilities that might be useful in this situation, but Deluwen claims to have no useful capabilities in this area. It appears that a powerful psionic force is keeping the maze in place and manipulating it intentionally.
The passage toward the large creature opens as well. When viewed directly, several members of the party recognize it as a Kolyarut (inevitable), a being from the outer plane of Mechanus. They are the inevitables whose purpose is to punish those who renege on their promises.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kolyarut:</B> Man of law, I seek your assistance in destroying an oathbreaker.
<B>Grackle:</B> Go on.
<B>Kolyarut:</B> I have spent centuries seeking an oathbreaker. This maze prevents me from finding and destroying him. If you were to agree to help me, I swear I will restore any losses you might incur.
<B>Tharrek:</B> Even if we die?
<B>Grackle:</B> (To Tharrek) Let me do the talking, please. (To Kolyarut) Please continue.
<B>Kolyarut:</B> (Peers intently at Grackle and his companions) I see nothing I or those I serve could not restore. Even if I should fall, should you succeed, your losses would be redeemed.
<B>Grackle:</B> Who is it that you seek?
<B>Kolyarut:</B> I seek Damon the Oathbreaker.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Thorfinn whispers to Grackle that he knows of an individual known as Mad King Damon. He was an elfish lord, who went traveling on the outer planes and came back "changed", possessed of a "strange magic." On his return he assumed the throne he had left behind and migrated those of his clan that would follow him to the outer planes, intending to travel to Concordia (Heaven) physically. He promised to take his clan to paradise. Most of the elves that followed him were the darkest and greediest of the elves, those who knew they would not achieve paradise easily.
The inevitable seeks him for failing to deliver his people to paradise, for abandoning many of his followers along the journey, and for having told Corellon Larethian he would only bring elves of good aspect but knowingly bringing elves of dark aspect. He gave his word and broke it repeatedly, using it as tool to achieve his ends.
Damon also carried the blade encased in the floor. It is chaotic in nature and is rumored to be able to manipulate the substance of the Astral Plane. If it is still loyal to Mad King Damon, it may be protecting him by manipulating the maze (in addition to what the maze itself is doing). Legend says that the blade is able to cut through most anything, is also referred to as being able to remove limbs, is possibly made of force or glass, and is known to be able to change shape.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Grackle:</B> I fear we are already on a mission which I would not care to hazard by taking on any additional obligations, but should we encounter this entity, we will do what we can to aid you.
<B>Kolyarut:</B> Excellent, then you agree to assist me?
<B>Grackle:</B> Not exactly. I said we'd help if it doesn't interfere with our mission.
<B>Kolyarut:</B> I see. My offer of compensation only applies to those who are sworn to help me. If you will not swear, your losses are your own affair.
<B>Deluwen:</B> (paraphrase of a much more longwinded discussion) I do not think that agreeing to assist this being in any way risks the mission we are on. In fact, I expect that in order to proceed with our mission, we will be required to assist him based on the nature of this maze.
<B>Grackle:</B> Noted. (In orcish to Deluwen) I just don't want to agree to something that might come back to haunt us later, unless there is no other way out.
<B>Deluwen:</B> (Looks confused a moment until he realizes he can understand orcish) Does this sword the inevitable speaks of sound like the very type of thing we were sent to find?
<B>Grackle:</B> True enough, good point. (to the inevitable) Very well, I agree to help you find Damon the Oathbreaker to the best of my ability.
<B>Kolyarut:</B> He must be destroyed. He broke oaths to his friends, his family and his god. He used his word with no intent of keeping it.
<B>Grackle:</B> I don't speak for my associates. However, they must agree to aid you if they feel obliged to.
<B>Kolyarut:</B> I can only agree to help those who swear to aid me.
<B>Thorfinn:</B> We came here to follow Grackle, if he swears, then I'll follow him.
<B>Tharrek:</B> Can I talk now?
<B>Grackle:</B> You can always talk to me.
<B>Tharrek:</B> Can I talk to him now?
<B>Grackle:</B> Ah, yes, of course. (sigh)
<B>Tharrek:</B> (almost inaudibly) I swear.
<B>Kha'narek:</B> How long have you been after this being?
<B>Kolyarut:</B> I have sought him for 300 years. I have been in this maze for 150 years.
<B>Kha'narek:</B> I see. I agree to assist you until he is found or for a month and a day, which ever should transpire first. My brother agrees as well.
<B>Deluwen:</B> (Wriggles and squirms but eventually agrees to help)
</BLOCKQUOTE>
The Kolyarut doesn't want the team to get too close to him because the maze continually shifts to keep him away from Damon, but it explains that the party might be able to force a way to it by staying in two parties. The Kolyarut has studied the maze over the years it has been searching for Mad King Damon and has determined that the maze must always provide a way out (it never boxes you in), and it has a limited number of walls it can manifest at one time. These two factors together suggest that splitting up might allow someone to reach the oathbreaker. The parties split and the maze moves around while they seek Mad King Damon. As the party moves around, they encounter an Astral Construct.
COMBAT #1 - Astral Construct charging down the hall
Initiative
Grackle - 16
Thorfinn - 18
Kha'narek - 10
Foradun - 21
Mandos - 7
Tharrek - 6
Deluwen - 15
Astral #1 - 11
Argos-7
Round #1
Foradun - Delays to Kha'narek's initiative
Thorfinn - initiates Inspire Courage "song"
Grackle - Tumbles past Astral construct
Deluwen - Delays
Astral #1 - turns to Full Attack Grackle doing 21 & 20 pts of damage
Kha'narek - takes an attack of opportunity for 22 & attacks to no effect
Foradun - moves & draw his psychic blade
Mandos - moves up & shoots to no effect
Argos - moves up next to Mandos & shoots his crossbow to no effect
Tharrek - Fills in beside Kha'narek, & attacks to no effect
Deluwen - assesses the situation
Round #2
Thorfinn - continues Inspire Courage, shoots twice to no effect
Grackle - attacks w long sword two-handed AC29 for 13pts & AC25 to no effect
DM Monster- sprouts extra limbs & attacks Grackle for 15, Kha for 22, Tharrek for 19
Kha'narek - attacks & hits AC30 for 13pts find out monster AC is 29
Foradun - attacks AC28 to no effect
Mandos - fired arrows
Argos - fired arrows
Tharrek - hits AC33 for 23pts
Deluwen - 
Round #3
Thorfinn - Inspire Courage & shoots to no effect
Grackle - hits AC 29 for 17pts
DM - hits Grackle for 21, Foradun for 19, Tharrek for 14
Kha - 10
For - no effect
Mandos - missed
Argos - missed
Tharrek - missed
Round #4
Thorfinn - shoots twice & misses
Grackle - 3 hits for 50 pts
Through shouted communication, the Kolyarut tells the party that he feels he is getting near his quarry, and we should proceed, as we discuss attempting to rest for the day. They use up expendable healing to restore our strength and press on. We are able to figure out how the maze is trying to keep the team away from the Damon and trick it into letting the team return to the place where we found the sword, sort of a two steps sideways, one step forward methodology. More shouted communication with Kolyarut indicates that he is nearing Damon, and that attacking the sword may allow him to penetrate the Oathbreaker's defenses. We prepare to attack.
Entering a 20' x 20' room made out of ectoplasm, a large astral construct forms from the mass, bearing Damon's sword, and attacks. They party battles for several rounds, during which Grackle loses his left arm just prior to destroying the construct.
COMBAT #2 In front of Damon's sword
Everyone gets hit with a Bear's endurance from Grackle's wand
Thorfinn starts another Inspire Courage
Thorfinn - 3
Tharrek - 18
Kha - 11
Argos - 15
Mandos - 15
Grackle - 24
Deluwen - 6
Round #1
Grackle - Tumbles behind the forming astral construct & attacks hitting AC 34 for 13pts
Astral - hits Kha for 28pts & 27pts & sound blasts Argos
Tharrek - rages & hits AC31 for 29pts
Argos - casts prayer for 8 rds
Mandos - shoots & hits for ???
Kha - spring attacks to no effect
Foradun - attacks AC35 for 8pts
Deluwen - delay
Thorfinn - shoots to no effect
Round #2
Grackle - attacks & hits AC29 three time for 45 pts
Deluwen - pulls a dorje & attacks to no effect
Astral - attacks Tharrek for 48pts
Tharrek - attacks, hits AC32 for 23pts
Argos - Divine Power
Mandos - hits for ???
Kha - spring attacks AC31 for 13pts
Foradun - attacks to no effect
Thorfinn - shoots for no effect
Round #3
Grackle - hit for 18
Deluwen - hit for 16
Astral - concussion blasts Deluwen for 6pts & whirlwind attacks & chops off Grackle's left arm for 48, & hits Foradun for 26, Tharrek for 22, Argos for 26
Tharrek - hits AC34 for 19
Argos - waits for Kha & attacks 
Mandos - attacks for no effect
Foradun - tumbles next to Grackle
Kha - attacks for no effect
Thorfinn - shoots for no effect
Round #4
Grackle - hits 4 times for 61pts & has a little sit down
The party heals up as much as possible, and head towards where the Kolyarut is fighting Damon. Grackle's arm and the sword's hilt are collected and put in a bag. After a short time (6 rounds), the walls of the maze disappear and they find themselves in the presence of the Kolyarut standing over a pile of ash. This room appears like the other room, circular with a dais in the middle.
The Kolyarut says that he has defeated Damon and thanks the team for their assistance. A pale beam comes out of his right hand, healing the injuries of the party. Grackle nods in the direction of where his left arm used to be.
"A promise is a promise," says the Kolyarut, and proceeds to disassemble his shoulder, remove his left arm, and attach it to the stump of Grackle's shoulder using the healing power of his right hand. Grackle feels a momentary wave of disorientation as the arm is seated but it passes. (Grackle makes his Fortitude save to prevent going mad and changing alignment to NE. He gains some new powers.).
We hand over wands that are down on charges and the inevitable promises to return with them within the hour. Before he leaves, the Kolyarut turns to Grackle.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kolyarut:</B> Always keep your word. I will know if you ever become an oathbreaker. Use your new powers <I>carefully</I>.
<B>Grackle:</B> I plan to, good hunting. Say, during your time here, have you encountered any of the other, residents?
<B>Kolyarut:</B> No, I spent the 150 years I've been here inside the maze, which kept me apart from the rest of the chambers. I do not know what they contain, it was not my concern. Farewell.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
With that he opens a rift to another plane and disappears. We look around some and inspect the doors leading from this room. Both bear a peculiar writhing script/pictographic language. The first door examined says: "Nine Abyssal behelisks, do not enter without appropriate keyword." We presume they are some hybrid of basilisk and behir. The other door simply reads "Tarrasque." According to Thorfinn, the Tarrasque has not been seen in a few hundred years but is a frightfully destructive force, easily the kind of thing Kas would want saved for an appropriately destructive event.
Grackle examines the doorways for traps, then returns and looks at all the doorways used. Any method of disabling the glyphs and sigils used to ward these rooms appears to only be accessible from inside the room. They all appear to be set to trigger when the room is entered, and all the stone inside the Sightless Stronghold appears to exist on both the Prime Material and Ethereal planes.
<H3> Enter Entropy </H3>
Deluwen asks to examine the hilt of the sword we recovered. The hilt is magical and has a crystal shard embedded inside it (right where the tang of a blade would be) which appears to be psionic in nature. It appears to be possibly of Githyanki make and very old. Reading the object psionically reveals it was owned by several powerful Githyanki, who later encountered the Lich Queen. The hilt is that of a hand-and-a-half weapon. He returns the hilt to Grackle's bag until he can rest and memorize an Identify spell.
The team decides to rest up before proceeding much farther since much of the party's healing and spell power has been expended. They fall back to the room with the delver, who is still passed out, and move out into the bore tunnel to camp. Deluwen puts up a short-term Rope Trick and the party rests. When they finish, they find that the delver has woken up and eaten himself a new way out, drilling straight down out of the chamber then "to the right" and down, deeper into the Underdark.
Once rested, Deluwen examines the hilt which speaks to him mentally.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Sword:</B> You again. Is it time to start the battle?
<B>Deluwen:</B> (Puzzled) I am not certain of which battle you speak of. I found you in a Sightless Stronghold in the possession of an astral construct. Can you tell me which battle you speak of.
<B>Sword:</B> Ah. I see, so you defeated this construct?
<B>Deluwen:</B> (Ponders) Not exactly, my associates and I did.
<B>Sword:</B> Hand me to the one that destroyed the construct NOW.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
A brief contest of wills ensues, which Deluwen assures us later he could have won ("no REALLY!") had he been prepared.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Deluwen:</B> (Holds out the hilt to Grackle) Here!
<B>Grackle:</B> What did you discover?
<B>Deluwen:</B> It wants to talk to the one who defeated the construct.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Grackle accepts it with his "new" left hand.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Grackle:</B> Hello?
<B>Sword:</B> You are the one that destroyed the construct?
<B>Grackle:</B> Yes.
<B>Sword:</B> Excellent, time to sow some chaos and destruction then eh?
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Grackle drops the hilt back in the bag. A discussion ensues regarding the benefits and hazards of picking the sword up again. In the end, Grackle decides to try to communicate with it to find out if it can tell them anything about the creatures in the Stronghold or how it was captured.
The sword tells Grackle that its pretty sure it was captured by nulls, and it doesn't remember much beyond that except its time in the maze (?). Grackle asks about the chaos and destruction business, an the sword says well, I exist to break things apart, take them down to their component parts. Someone says something about entropy (Keith, present but not yet playing), and it turns out Entropy is the name of the sword. After some discussion Grackle agrees to wield it, particularly after it claims it can manifest a construct to wield it if needed.
Deluwen casts Identify, examining Entropy closely. He determines that Entropy contains a psionic mind, with powers approximately equal to a ninth-rank Shaper. Deluwen assures Grackle that Entropy's powers would be of great usefulness during the course of our mission.
The party discusses how to proceed, including some means of sealing the bore tunnel. Entropy can Fabricate a seal if enough stone were available, Major Argos (priest of Tyr [NPC], saver of bacon) can use stone shape to make the downward part of the tunnel look like a naturally occurring event, when he is able to pray for one or more. Deluwen suggests that perhaps closing the bore tunnel closer to where we entered it would be easier. Mandos calculates that the river of lava and other entrance (as detailed by Auric) lie to the west but too far away to use to flood the tunnel. There are no doors in that direction, but Mandos calculates that there might be a room just beyond the wall to the west. Grackle decides that might be the best way to proceed. Use material from that wall to make a seal for the outer wall. At Grackle's request Argos Augur's the wisdom of penetrating into the next chamber, and the result is "Weal". Using Entropy, Grackle manifests an astral construct and has Entropy form a greatsword blade. After a few rounds of pummeling and hacking, a hole is punched through the wall. The room beyond is as described by Auric, 100' across, extensively glyphed, with a seamless black cylinder in the center. Grackle has Entropy command the construct to carry the debris back to the bore tunnel for later use.
<H3> A Dark and Silent Place </H3>
The team starts to examine the room, first by looking at the glyphs inlaid into the floor. They all seem to be focused inward, and aimed at restraining whatever is imprisoned within the cylinder. Glyphs of Protection, Anti-Magic Shell, and other powerful abjurations have been inscribed here to restrain whatever is bound here. Someone inspects the wall that was breached and says that a Silence glyph was destroyed when the breach occurred. Argos says he can replace it when next he prays to Tyr. Just about then, a voice comes from the cylinder, obviously under great duress.
The owner of the raspy, labored voice identifies himself (eventually) as the Tyrant, former ruler of Sigil, and promises to reward and keep any bargain made for freeing him. The Tyrant claims that undoing a few of the glyphs binding him in place will allow him to undo the rest, and that he is in great pain because he is unable to float. Deluwen points out that Prince Donner would be unlikely to approve of any plan whereby the Tyrant were freed.
Kha'narek questions the Tyrant about the duration of his imprisonment. The Tyrant was unaware of the passing of time until very recently, but careful comparison of dates and events allow for a calculation of around 100 years having passed. This is an issue because Kha'narek sought the Tyrant for ordering the destruction of his monastery. The dates don't match up, however, since the monastery was destroyed some 30 years previous. One theory, which the Tyrant considers reasonable, is that whoever usurped his throne in Sigil did so by pretending to be the Tyrant. It is that pretender who likely ordered the destruction of the Kha'Narek's Astral monastery.
Grackle questions the Tyrant regarding his intentions should the party be able to free him, which turn out to be seeking Kas the Chaosbringer and destroying him, after reestablishing his dominion over Sigil. The Tyrant urges Grackle to be about freeing him because he is in great discomfort due to not being able to levitate. He is restrained by the use of an Annulus, a psionic artifact capable of suppressing psionic power and destroying psionic creatures.
Grackle has the team withdraw to the previous chamber to discuss the matter. Deluwen advises Grackle that acquiring this device might be worth the risk of releasing the Tyrant, or it might be used to destroy him. Grackle asks if Deluwen has any abilities that might be useful in this situation, but Deluwen claims to have no useful capabilities in this area.
Grackle returns to the Tyrant's chamber and searches for other exits, then examines the Tyrant's prison for any means to access the Annulus without actually interfering with the Tyrant's prison. There is no visible access to the base of the cylinder, but there are two other doorways. One is unmarked and not present on the Ethereal Plane, meaning Grackle can pass through it using the Boots of the Stalker. The other door bears markings which read "Prince of the Solars - Do Not Enter."
Deluwen uses some power to view the room remotely, and sees an angelic being, curled into a fetal posture, surrounded by a device with numerous sharp edges, glass spheres, blades, springs, and piercing components, which appears poised to impact the being. Grackle inspects the doorway and finds it ethereally opaque, but there is enough of a gap to enter using gaseous form. He is unable to tell if crossing the threshold will trigger the device or not. The other door leads into a short hallway, with glyphs on the floor and another door. This also matches Auric's description, and Grackle transits the hallway and looks at the far door (also not ethereally opaque). There are two of the gray troll-like beings there, wearing odd, bejeweled armor, and wearing strange, tiara-like silver headgear. Beyond them is the heat shimmer of the lava river and steps leading down to it, as described by Auric.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Grackle:</B> (To Entropy) Do those guys look familiar?
<B>Entropy:</B> Oh yeah, those are nulls.
<B>Grackle:</B> So, you've seen nulls before?
<B>Entropy:</B> Well, there were the guys that captured Damon and myself, although those two were a hill-giant and an elf. But they look the same. I've heard a lot of them are trolls. I mean, if you turn off all magic and mind powers, what better type of body to inhabit than that of a really tough regenerating creature.
<B>Grackle:</B> So, are nulls just philosophically aligned or are they some kind of symbiote/parasite?
<B>Entropy:</B> I don't know.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Grackle returns and describes the hallway, whereupon Deluwen offers to use a power to view the glyphs through Grackle's eyes for the purposes of deciphering them using a Helm of Comprehend Languages. This is done and Grackle determines that the pictograms on the Tyrant's chamber read "The Tyrant of Sigil - Do Not Enter without sufficient force. VERY DANGEROUS."
After some discussion, Grackle decides to try to disable the glyphs in the hallway to allow the team through the hallway, with the intent of killing or capturing the nulls in the hallway. He passes through the doorway again and materializes in order to examine the door from the outside. It appears to have a Greater Glyph of Warding set to trigger Symbol of Fear. There is a 1' x 10' strip in front of the door, unglyphed where someone could stand in order to have access to the door. Deluwen suggests that if he were braver, he might be able to manifest a construct there to trigger the symbol, since they are immune to mind affecting powers, but he isn't brave enough.
Grackle decides to just try to disable the glyph and seek what benefits the bard's singing and the cleric's spells can provide. Kha'narek offers a pearl pendant which increases Grackle's resistance to will-affecting forces. Kha'narek provides a cloak which displaces him in the eyes of potential opponents. Grackle passes through the doorway and disables the glyph on the door, and one of the glyphs in the hallway; the other is a Banishment which he simply triggers. The team assembles in the hallway.
<H3> Goodies </H3>
<B>Half-Inevitable template:</B> +4 Con, +2 Str, Natural AC +5, SD:DR 5/chaos, SR 22, Fast Healing 2, SU: Vampiric Touch (Sorc13) on hit w/left hand; Ray of Enervation (Sorcerer13) fired from left arm as a standard action (at will).
<B>Entropy:</B> +3 keen psionic force blade, which can manifest any blade length from dagger to greatsword. In addition, it can manifest any power from the Shaper discipline up to the fifth level, once per day each, as a 9th level psion. It has the Sharpness attribute: on a natural 20, followed by a confirmed critical, it removes a random appendage. Int 16, Craft (weapon) 13.
<H2> Foes Fought </H2>