AoP 019

[6:15 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ok, so.

[6:16 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Last time, you guys made it to the mountain lair of the Necromancer Dahrk, where you made several discoveries.

[6:16 PM] The Merciless Ocean: 1. The artifact was even reviving separated body parts independently of their hosts.

[6:17 PM] The Merciless Ocean: 2. Dahrk had gotten himself decapitated in his experiments and his head had actually rolled away from his body.  He'd been living as a talking head on top of an artificial set of simple legs.

[6:18 PM] The Merciless Ocean: And 3. his separated, half crazed body was incredibly ripped.

[6:18 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Let this be a lesson, never assume a wizard did not buff STR.

[6:18 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((FAIR))

[6:19 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Anyway, after winning the trust of Dahrk and defeating his mindless body, you were able to shut down the machine, allowing people to, once again, die.

[6:19 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Something Dahrk did very quickly as the Conductor claimed his soul.  Although, not before Olenna made sure he was being given fair and proper treatment.

[6:20 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Anyway, we now pick up where we left off last time.  Saiph, you have the item, the Ring of Dahrk, which basically functions as a one-use per day res stone on its own (or, at least...this is what you know it can do).

[6:22 PM] Saiph: (Yeah, I wrote down the stats last time. )

[6:22 PM] The Merciless Ocean: You are still in the lab, which you can investigate closer now if you want.  But you do not see anything especially unique about it right now.

[6:23 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((Are they any notes about his experiments))

[6:24 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Make an investigation check.

[6:24 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: (( OH MY GOD 17!))

[6:25 PM] The Merciless Ocean: You do find several notes about.  Not all are legible to you, but you do pick up some words and images to indicate they are his designs for the machine and the ring.

[6:26 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: is going to pocket the notes.  "Just in case someone comes by here.  Don't need them restarting anything"

6:27 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "Sounds fair to me.  Don't need a Zombie Island 2."

[6:27 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Hopefully now the people can rest.....or unrest in peace now

[6:28 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "Any chance we can leave now?  This place gives me the creeps."

[6:28 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: looks to everyone else "good to go?"

[6:28 PM] Saiph: We need to go talk to the townsfolk and explain everything.

[6:28 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: nods

[6:29 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Luckily our way down SHOULD be smoother than going up

[6:29 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "One would imagine."

[6:30 PM] Pip: "I'd rather leave, yeah. The townspeople should know before anything unfortunate happens."

[6:30 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Oh, and Fensim, the undead woman you met before is standing awkwardly off to the side.

[6:30 PM] Saiph: How are you feeling about all of this?

[6:31 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "Honestly, not great.  I was hoping to die while exacting my revenge so I could conclude my life's duty of dying as a true warrior."

[6:32 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ......Sorry about that?

[6:32 PM] Saiph: I mean.  I could kill you with my sword, would that help?  Or turn into a bear or something and tear you apart.

[6:33 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "That'd be a purposeless fight.  ...may I join you, though?  Should your travels take you into danger...I may get lucky and die in a truly meaningful battle."

[6:33 PM] Saiph: Isn't fighting a bear its own reward?  But sure, you can come with.

[6:34 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: I'm okay with it, just be aware our crew is.....Unusual

[6:34 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "No offense but...you are not a real bear.  Even when changed."

[6:34 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "...I am an undead warrior.  Do you believe your crew shall worry me?"

[6:35 PM] Saiph: "Offense taken.  Not my fault this stupid dimension means I'm stuck in this stupid form most of the time."

6:35 PM] Saiph: "Let's get down to the village."

[6:35 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: stares off into the distances, thinking about our odd collection of Friends "No, it shouldn't be a problem"

[6:36 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "For what it's worth, Saiph, I think you're a bear when you're a bear."

[6:36 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: You seem like a Real Bear to me

[6:36 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "After all, if it roars like a bear, walks like a bear, and can devour me in one terrifying bite...who am I to argue?"

[6:37 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Your leg doing alright now?

[6:37 PM] Saiph: Thanks, guys.  Let's just go.

[6:38 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: follows Saiph

[6:38 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "I think so."

[6:38 PM] The Merciless Ocean: She shakes it out.

[6:38 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Saiph, would you be so kind as to roll a survival check, please?

[6:39 PM] Saiph: (15.)

[6:39 PM] Pip: Pip seems quite happy to not be in this place.

[6:39 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Saiph, you find the trail much easier now than even before, as the sky has cleared up and the sun shines on the island once more.

[6:40 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Also, you now see the trail is littered with corpses and body parts...it was maybe nicer when it was less bright out.

[6:40 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: That is unsettling

[6:42 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "I hate this island."

[6:42 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Hopefully it will be a little better now

[6:42 PM] Coppelia: Signs Reminds me of my Masters workshop and shrugs

[6:42 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: is going to look at the limbs  "Any of you guys sentient?"

[6:42 PM] Pip: "O-oh that's... Hm, no. I don't want to be here any more."

[6:43 PM] The Merciless Ocean: The limbs do not respond.

[6:44 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: "okay then" and walks around the body parts to keep going down

[6:44 PM] Coppelia: nudges a limb with her foot and gives an exaggerated shudder too squishy

6:46 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Coppelia, give me a dex save.

[6:47 PM] Olenna: I don't think your humanoid form is stupid.

[6:47 PM] Coppelia: ((22))

[6:47 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: And i Can't speak Bear so i appreciate your form

[6:48 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Coppelia, you nudge the limb...and it turns over.  It's just a dead limb. 🙂

[6:48 PM] Coppelia: ((You think you’re funny don’t you))

[6:48 PM] Saiph: I just don't like being stuck in it all the time.

[6:48 PM] The Merciless Ocean: ((I do. 🙂 ))

[6:48 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Could you be an animal Fulltime back where you are from?

[6:48 PM] Olenna: I know. It is frustrating.

[6:49 PM] Saiph: I could change whenever I wanted.

[6:49 PM] Olenna: To almost anything.

[6:49 PM] Saiph: Not just animals, too.  Owlbear, griffins, good stuff like that.

[6:49 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Wow

[6:50 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "That sounds nice.  I'd love to be able to change like that."

[6:50 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: looks over himself "Just me as i am.  Don't think i can change shape"

[6:50 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "That sounds confusing.  How do you keep track of who anyone is?"

[6:50 PM] Saiph: "You just know.'

[6:50 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim grunts

[6:51 PM] Pip: "Sometimes not knowing is the point."

[6:51 PM] Saiph: That's also true.

[6:51 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Did you have a form you Prefered to be in back home?

[6:52 PM] Olenna: I don't think I ever didn't recognize you.

[6:53 PM] Saiph: There's more to people than the way they look.

[6:53 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Fair enough.

[6:54 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "This is fair."

PM] The Merciless Ocean: You begin to head back to the town.  It seems a bit emptier than it did before.

[6:54 PM] The Merciless Ocean: The cancer man you helped earlier is waiting there, though.

[6:54 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Man: "You...you did it."

[6:55 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Everything all right?

[6:56 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Man: "People are dying.  Old, sick, miserable people who were in great pain.  ...family members can bury their loved ones who went feral.  It's...it's good.  It's all...good."

[6:56 PM] The Merciless Ocean: He will go up and hug whichever of you is closest.

[6:56 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((I guess since i talked it was me))

[6:57 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: pats the guy awkardly on the back.  "And everyone is.....okay with this?"

[6:57 PM] Olenna: smiles.

[6:58 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Man: "Well...mostly.  No one was truly happy before.  Some are scared now, though.  Especially the younger folks."

[6:58 PM] Olenna: Do you think it would help if we talked to them?

[6:59 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Man: "It might.  I think I saw some of them heading down to the shoreline."

[7:00 PM] Olenna: nods, and heads that way.

[7:00 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: follows behind Olenna "Take care of yourself.  Be careful with that wound"

[7:01 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Man: "Will do!"

[7:01 PM] The Merciless Ocean: So, you guys run down to the shore, where you see a group of maybe five people around.  They are all undead, and you see what seem like a wide range of ages.

[7:03 PM] Saiph: Hi.

[7:03 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((Do they seem agitated or anything?))

[7:03 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Roll insight.

[7:03 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((Nat 1!  6 total XD))

[7:03 PM] The Merciless Ocean: One of them turns back to face you.  He is a man maybe in his late fifties or early sixties.  Human.

[7:04 PM] Olenna: Hullo.

[7:04 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jaden These people...are probably all secretly dragons.

[7:04 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Older man: "You're the newcomers."

[7:04 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((My God))

[7:05 PM] Olenna: Yes.

[7:05 PM] Pip: "Yes?"

[7:05 PM] Olenna: Are you angry, or upset, or frightened?

[7:06 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Older Man: "...that is...a big question.  Not sure we all have the same answer.  We just stopped that young fella from walking into the ocean."

[7:06 PM] Olenna: Oh, thank goodness. I don't think that's at all a good idea.

[7:07 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Older Man: "...we ain't had to worry about dying for a long time.  Even if we would turn feral, that was way in the future.  None of us had died that often.  Now...we all are back to just one lifetime.  Some of us feel like...I feel like I had time stolen away from me."

[7:08 PM] Olenna: I'm so sorry.

[7:11 PM] Pip: "One lifetime is all most get though. "

[7:11 PM] The Merciless Ocean: He shrugs: "...I guess that is true.  ...Sorry, my name's Jerry, by the way."

[7:11 PM] Coppelia: Gives a small wave

[7:12 PM] Saiph: If it helps, it's not the end.

[7:12 PM] Saiph: Just the end of this part.

[7:12 PM] Olenna: I know it's difficult.

[7:13 PM] Olenna: I'm Olenna, this is Saiph, Pip and Jaden. And Cedrick.

[7:13 PM] Olenna: And Coppelia.

[7:13 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "...you from like some church, Mr. Saiph?  I'm not really interested in that right now."

[7:13 PM] Saiph: Nah.

[7:13 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry nods at Olenna in thanks.

[7:13 PM] Saiph: I'm just not from this plane.

7:15 PM] Olenna: I'm not either.

[7:15 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "Ah."

[7:15 PM] Coppelia: Signs Will you stay here or do you have somewhere to go?

[7:16 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "...why would I go elsewhere?"

[7:17 PM] Coppelia: Well I didn’t know if you felt stuck here. Your life and where you live it is up to you

[7:18 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "...fair point.  But nah.  Think here's fine for me.  I know, somehow, I'll be fine.  I just...don't know when I will be yet."

[7:19 PM] Coppelia: nods thoughtfully It may take some time but I agree

[7:20 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "...the boy who was gonna walk into the ocean...his name's David.  ...maybe be nice if one of you extraplanar folk go have a chat with him."

[7:20 PM] Olenna: Of course.

[7:20 PM] Olenna: Where is he?

[7:20 PM] Saiph: Sure.

[7:21 PM] Pip: "Not sure why he'd choose to walk into the ocean. It's a place of horrors. Drowning isn't a peaceful way to go, either."

[7:22 PM] Olenna: If he's undead, he probably can't drown properly anyway.

[7:22 PM] Saiph: Yeah, he'd just kind of sit there.

[7:23 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry points over his shoulder.  There you see what appears to be a human boy sitting on the sand.  The other three figures are around him.

[7:23 PM] Olenna: heads over there.

[7:24 PM] Olenna: Hello.

[7:24 PM] The Merciless Ocean: One of the figures, a young woman, grabs some sand and throws it at you.

[7:24 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Girl: "Fuck off!  Assholes!"

[7:25 PM] Saiph: NOT SAND MY ONLY WEAKNESS.

[7:25 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Girl: "What did you assholes, do?!?"

[7:26 PM] Saiph: We disabled the thingy that was reanimating you and over and over again.

[7:26 PM] Olenna: We stopped the cycle. I'm sorry, but it had to be done--people's souls were trapped in their bodies.

[7:27 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Another woman, looking a bit older, calls after her.  "Jessie, leave them alone.  It's not...entirely their fault."

[7:28 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jessie: "You didn't ask us.  Nobody asked us!"

[7:28 PM] Saiph: What would you have said?

[7:29 PM] Olenna: No one asked the mindless people whose souls were trapped, either, because no one could.

[7:30 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jessie: "...I just...I already lost my life young.  And now I had this whole...lifetime...several lifetimes...it's not fair!"

[7:30 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David, the boy sitting, has said nothing.

[7:30 PM] Olenna: You still do, you've just got to be careful now.

[7:30 PM] Saiph: looks at Olenna.  ".... why do Primes always think that the universe is fair?"

[7:30 PM] Olenna: I don't think they do, I think they think it ought to be.

[7:31 PM] Saiph: It's big and chaotic and stupid and sometimes awful things happen for no reason.

[7:31 PM] Saiph: goes over to David.  "Are you Dave?"

[7:31 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "David."

[7:32 PM] Saiph: David.

[7:32 PM] Saiph: You look like a Dave.

[7:32 PM] Saiph: Anyway.  Jerry said you tried to walk into the ocean.

[7:33 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "..........what does a Dave look like?"

[7:33 PM] Saiph: Like you.

[7:33 PM] Saiph: What with the hair and eyes and stuff.

[7:33 PM] Olenna: It's a bit less formal.

[7:34 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "I don't like Dave."

[7:34 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "My mom died today."

[7:34 PM] Saiph: I'm sorry.

[7:35 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "She'd been sick for a while, and it hurt.  But she was walking and talking and...I guess I just...liked her being there.  But now I feel bad.  Cause this should've happened long ago.  And I miss her.  And...I don't know."

[7:36 PM] Olenna: I'm so sorry.

[7:36 PM] Olenna: You shouldn't feel bad for loving your mother.

[7:36 PM] Olenna: Or for missing her.

[7:36 PM] Saiph: Yeah.  Missing her is normal.  But she's not like... gone, gone.  Just... somewhere else now.

[7:37 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "...that kind of is what gone means.  Somewhere else and not coming back."

[7:39 PM] Saiph: It also implies you'll never see her again.

[7:39 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "..........What if I don't?"

[7:40 PM] Saiph: Then you lack imagination.

[7:40 PM] Saiph: Was your mom a good person?

[7:41 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "Yes.  But I might not be.  Or we might end up in different heavens.  Or limbo.  Or...I don't know.  ...what if we don't even really have souls anymore?"

[7:42 PM] Saiph: Oh, you definitely do.  There was a whole thing with a psychopomp earlier.

[7:42 PM] Saiph: Everyone's going where they should be.

[7:42 PM] Saiph: I'm from Arborea.  It's great.

[7:42 PM] Olenna: If you hadn't had a soul it wouldn't've been such a problem.

[7:43 PM] Olenna: As it was it was like getting your cloak caught in the door on your way out of the house.

[7:43 PM] Olenna: People were getting stuck with their souls in their old bodies and couldn't open the door again to get it unjammed.

[7:45 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "...hm."

[7:45 PM] Olenna: You can't stay on the front stoop forever. Though you shouldn't feel bad that you wanted someone to. It's very hard to lose someone you love.

[7:46 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "My dad went feral two years ago.  ...I didn't have anyone else.  ...now I don't have anyone."

[7:47 PM] Olenna: You can come with us, if you'd like.

[7:47 PM] Olenna: Sometimes unfamiliar surroundings can make it easier. It really depends on the person, though.

[7:48 PM] Saiph: Yeah.  The rest of you can, too, by the way, if you'd rather not stay here.  We can drop you off somewhere else.  Less corpsey.

7:49 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jessie: "...can I got a ride to the mainland?"

[7:49 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jessie: "...I promise not to throw more sand at you."

[7:50 PM] Saiph: I think I’d be ready for you this time, but okay.

[7:50 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jessie's eyes narrow.  "You think so, do you?"

[7:51 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "...I don't think I can go.  ...My mom's house...her garden...if I leave these things...it'll be like she never existed."

[7:51 PM] Olenna: Well, no. She exists in you. In your memory, in the things you do and say. In all the ways she influenced you and all the people around her.

[7:52 PM] Olenna: A thousand million ripples in the pond, radiating outward.

[7:52 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "...you believe so?"

[7:52 PM] Olenna: No. I know it.

[7:53 PM] Saiph: Kenna is the smartest person I know.

[7:53 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David: "...then yeah...I'd like to go see the...everything."

[7:53 PM] Olenna: smiles.

[7:54 PM] Olenna: And perhaps we can find someone who wants to care for a garden, too. It can be very relaxing.

[7:54 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "I'll do that.  Gonna need something to do, anyway."

[7:55 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "Now that what I do matters."

[7:55 PM] Olenna: It does. Though perhaps it did before, too.

[7:56 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jerry: "Let me have my existential crisis, dammit!"

[7:56 PM] The Merciless Ocean: He smiles at you.

[7:56 PM] Olenna: smiles back.

[7:57 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Jessie: "I'll go pack."

[7:57 PM] The Merciless Ocean: David nods.  "Thank you."

[7:59 PM] The Merciless Ocean: ((Anything else in town you guys wanna check on before you leave?))

[7:59 PM] Pip: [nah but thanks]

[8:00 PM] Olenna: ((Not that I can think of, is there anything we missed?))

8:00 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((How are they handling the City Hall Ferals?))

[8:00 PM] The Merciless Ocean: You wanna go check how they're handling it?

[8:01 PM] Olenna: ((Sure!))

[8:01 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((Yeah))

[8:01 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ok.

[8:02 PM] The Merciless Ocean: So, stopping by city hall you see a gruesome but also somewhat heartwarming sight.  As the town has gathered together to collect the remains of the ferals (they did not seem to survive the loss of the ring at all) and see them reunited to their families, friends and assorted loved ones.  It's like...a mass grieving session.

[8:03 PM] Coppelia: Signs to herself Fascinating…

[8:04 PM] Olenna: stays quiet and respectful, and hopes some of the town therapists are still OK.

[8:04 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "Have you never been to a wake?"

[8:04 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: just stays back and watches for a while, making sure there are no problems.  Lets out a Breath

[8:04 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Not in a long time

[8:05 PM] Coppelia: shakes her head and signs Until recently I never left the shop…

[8:05 PM] The Merciless Ocean: You are seeing what seem to be religious figures helping out and offering to listen to people.

[8:05 PM] Saiph: Arborea invented wakes.

[8:05 PM] Olenna: We have Retirements, but I'm sure they're along the same lines.

[8:05 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "It's sad, but it is...cathartic.  To many of these people, they're loved ones were dead for ages...now...they can just accept it."

[8:07 PM] Pip: "I feel a bit weird making statements about others' grieving experiences. I don't know them, and I don't know those they've lost."

[8:08 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "I'm just glad they don't have a big box of murderous zombies anymore.  I think we can all agree that was a ticking time bomb, right?"

[8:08 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Exactly

[8:08 PM] Coppelia: nods

[8:08 PM] Saiph: There's a definite ceiling on that sort of thing.

[8:08 PM] Olenna: Well, we never really did find out how er... zombie-ish they were.

[8:09 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Fensim: "I heard tales of parents attacking children with kitchen knives.  Wild foaming mouths.  Eyes of pure rage.  ...I did ask to go in to battle them, but they were concerned of an escape."

[8:11 PM] Pip: "Wow that's... Well I'm glad they don't have to worry about it any more."

[8:11 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: This shouldn't have happened

[8:11 PM] Olenna: No. But at least it isn't happening anymore.

[8:11 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: nods

[8:11 PM] Olenna: We ought to get back to ArCi.

[8:12 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "Agreed."

[8:12 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Yeah....I just wanted to make sure they would be ok

[8:12 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "...by the way, Saiph.  How do you feel?"

[8:13 PM] Saiph: Oh, fine.   The ring just has a few restorative spells inside it.

[8:13 PM] Saiph: It's not like, whispering secret truths to me or anything.

[8:13 PM] Saiph: Not yet, anyway.

[8:13 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: No Possesive Necromantic Soul energy or anything?

[8:14 PM] Saiph: Nope.  I mean, I think it has some resurrection abilities, but I haven't noticed anything super necromantic.

[8:14 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Okay.  Keep a close eye on that thing

[8:15 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: is gonna walk back to ArCi

[8:15 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ok, you all head back to ArCi?

[8:15 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: ((I'm good now))

[8:15 PM] Pip: [unless deterred]

[8:16 PM] The Merciless Ocean: As you arrive, your captain greets you.  Her whiskers tingling as you approach.

[8:16 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Goldie: "Ah, my glorious crew.  You return...do you bring milk and or some form of tuna?"

[8:17 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: just ignores her and goes to ArCi  "I think we are ready to leave"

[8:17 PM] Olenna: Oh, I don't think so. Saiph might be able to get some fish.

[8:18 PM] Saiph: All the tuna around here was pretty nasty, Goldie.

[8:18 PM] The Merciless Ocean: ArCi: "You're ok!  Wonderful.  I can head out, but Ephrim does want to see you."

[8:18 PM] Saiph: Once we're away from the island I'll fish some up for you.

[8:18 PM] Saiph: Well, for all of us.

[8:18 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Where is he at right now?

[8:18 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Goldie: "Hmmmmm.  This is acceptable.  But I shall require my first mate to scritch behind my ears tonight.  She knows the spot."

[8:18 PM] The Merciless Ocean: ArCi: "I believe in his quarters."

[8:19 PM] Olenna: smiles.

[8:19 PM] Olenna: Of course.

[8:19 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: "Thanks ArCi" and heads to Ephrim's room

[8:19 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Do you all follow to Ephrim's room?

[8:19 PM] Saiph: does.

[8:20 PM] The Merciless Ocean: As you enter, Ephrim will eye you all.  "Do you have it?"

[8:20 PM] Saiph: holds up his hand.

[8:20 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim will run over and grab you by the hand.  "Excellent!  Hold still a moment!"

[8:22 PM] Saiph: Please don't cut my hand off, I don't think it grows back.

[8:22 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Remember we need to use this for the Doctor

[8:22 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "I'm not.  I'm analyzing it for hidden properties you can use to retrieve the next item."

[8:22 PM] Saiph: nods.

[8:22 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: They are connected like that?

[8:24 PM] Olenna: That's amazing! And no, I don't think it would grow back here, without help.

[8:24 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "No!  But if our friend is to be believed, our next enemy travels via a dead kraken carcass controlled circa cables connected to its corpsified cranium."

[8:25 PM] Saiph: which is messed up.  Krakens can be jerks but no one deserves that.

8:25 PM] Coppelia: Stands in the back and pops a finger off and puts it back on, stretching her hand again I guess not everyone can do that

[8:25 PM] Pip: "Y-yeah. Good to know he hasn't gotten any less ... well, disturbing."

[8:25 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: claps impressed at Coppelia.  It wouldn't be as easy for us no

[8:26 PM] Coppelia: gives a little curtsy to Jaden

[8:26 PM] Pip: "Oh that'd probably come in handy if you ever had manacles on."

[8:27 PM] Coppelia: takes off her hand and waves with it, then clicks it back on

[8:27 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "...do you have a spell that can generate a lightning attack, Saiph?"

[8:27 PM] Saiph: Whoa!  That's cool.

[8:27 PM] Saiph: I do.

[8:27 PM] Saiph: I can Call Lightning.

[8:28 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "I believe if you channeled that through the ring, you'd be able to effect multiple creatures at once or greatly boost one spell.  ...it would still knock out the ring at this stage, though."

[8:28 PM] Saiph: Hmmm, okay.

[8:29 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "Now...we simply need to plan a route to this monster."

[8:30 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: We Believe he has one of the relics right?

[8:30 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Can ArCi follow it?

[8:30 PM] Saiph: Yeah, Transmutation, I think.

[8:30 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Right, that would make sense

[8:32 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: If not we hit the next closest port and see if the people have heard anything about a giant dead Kraken sailing around

[8:32 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "Indeed.  The Philosopher's Stone, as crafted by the archwitch of Transmutation herself, Durwynse."

[8:33 PM] Pip: "Yup. Sounds like a plan."

Pip says, a bit stiffly, while looking rather intently at nothing in particular.

[8:34 PM] Coppelia: Rubs small circles on Pips back

[8:34 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "...what's wrong, Pip?"

[8:37 PM] Olenna: watches their face.

8:39 PM] Saiph: You okay Pip?

[8:39 PM] Pip: "It's, well, planning to take the madman down is one thing. A necessary action, and the alternative is that he just keeps finding more victims. But at the same time, the reality of it just hits a little harder than I thought it would. It's been... well, a few weeks since he threw me to the waves like..."

She looks to Copellia appreciatively, but also apologetically, steeling herself to continue.

"Like the leavings from an unsatisfying meal."

[8:40 PM] The Merciless Ocean: ((Closer to a month, but point taken.))

[8:41 PM] Olenna: We'll stop him from hurting more people.

[8:42 PM] Coppelia: nods, putting her arm around Pips shoulders

[8:42 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Ephrim: "I am very confident we shall stop him.  And you shall be free of him from your mind once more."

[8:42 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: pats pip's Head

[8:44 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Cedrick: "Ay.  We already took out one oversized wizard.  We can take out some fussy Doctor."

[8:46 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Pip,  is it Just him there?  Did he have assistants? Guards?

[8:46 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: aside from the Kraken

[8:46 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Pip You didn't notice any guards, but he did have some early "experiments" who seemed to be under his thrall.

[8:48 PM] Pip: "Well, I don't know if he has any proper guards, but some of his early, well, experiments seemed oddly enamored of him. Charmed. Perhaps enthralled, even?"

[8:49 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: If its some kind of Enthralling or Mind control affect, maybe we can break it, and free them

[8:49 PM] Olenna: Maybe he's a mindflayer.

[8:49 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: a what?

[8:50 PM] Saiph: Aberration?  Eww.  But they do like… fleshy stuff.

[8:51 PM] Olenna: They do? I thought they had tadpoles or something.

[8:51 PM] Saiph: That too.

[8:51 PM] Saiph: Big brains and stuff.

8:51 PM] Jaden Goldtooth: Hmm

[8:53 PM] Saiph: What did he look like, Pip?

[8:54 PM] The Merciless Ocean: Pip He appeared to look like an elven man, with wild eyes and hair.  But he always wore a long white coat that seemed to obscure his frame...and the body beneath never moved right.

[8:54 PM] The Merciless Ocean: @Pip

[9:00 PM] Pip: "He was- well, he looked like an elven man. His hair and eyes were as wild as you'd expect of a madman, and while he wore this long, form-hiding white coat, I could see his body under it never moved right."

[9:01 PM] Pip: "So him being a mindflayer with some illusions applied to him isn't entirely off the table."