S14 Finale: Something Wrong - 11/06/2024 - Archie’s Extracts
Jun 13, 2024 15:19:49 GMT
Jaezred Vandree and Yinmaris like this
Post by Andy D on Jun 13, 2024 15:19:49 GMT
Gathering in the Witching Court - A Joint Operation between Daring Council and the Feywild
Daring Council called its Adventuring Community together to put an end to the dangerous Somethings’ activities around the Dawnlands. The Somethings had been let loose from the Feywild by mistake or in some cases, maliciously.
The Dawnland Adventurers were taken to the Feywild’s Witching Court where a team of operatives from the Feywild, put together by Queen Nicniven, were performing a ritual to contain the Somethings, once captured. Members of the queen’s task force would each accompany a team of Dawnland Adventurers to planeshift/teleport the teams to their target Something, where the adventurers aim would be to subjugate and capture their target Something, and then bring the Something to Queen Nicniven to be imprisoned.
Given my involvement with three of the Somethings in the recent past, it was not surprising to end up in a team tasked with apprehending a Something of whom I was already familiar. I was sent to deal with Something Vast, who I had encountered in the Witching Court before, and was still present.
The half-elf Celia from Queen Nicnevin’s task force was assigned to the Vast Assault Team, and she teleported the team close by to Something Vast’s whereabouts, where a team of Witching Court soldiers had been attempting to prevent Something Vast from progressing towards its target. The soldiers had to fall back for risk of mortal injury. It was the adventurers’ turn to attack.
We teleported close to Reka’s lake, where we met up with Reka herself, a humongous, powerful mermaid. Our goal was to weaken Something Vast’s stone defences, in order to subdue its’ avatars inside. Celia would then be able to imprison the avatars in a magical sphere. Reka would then see to the containment sphere’s transport to the ritual imprisonment circle where Queen Nicniven was posted, and then Queen Nicniven would imprison the avatars, in their sphere, in the ritual circle.
We had a further instruction to follow - do not allow Something Vast to gain access to Reka’s lake, and the sea . Something Vast had already proven its evasive prowess in water. Even Reka would be unable to pursue Something Vast if it managed to get back in water.
Celia equipped us adventurers with obsidian daggers, as these had proven to be effective against Something Vast’s, now titanically, huge humanoid form of primarily stone and internally water. Celia also equipped us with magical seashells that enabled us to communicate once per day with the entire team and Reka. The purpose of the seashells were twofold, firstly; we would be battling Something Vast over an expansive terrain, and Reka would be situated by the lake as a rear guard - communication would hence be difficult without magical means. Secondly; if we found ourselves in need of fast repositioning on the field, Celia could teleport us back to her, also by the lake, and then Reka would throw us with her powerful arms to where we needed to be. This manual form of teleportation was not one to which I wished to find myself entrusted.
The Vast Assault Team
Dr. Archie Halture (myself) - I cast Bigby’s Hand with more magical energy than I had ever done so before. My ability to conjure magical forms now is of such considerable power, I feel quite close to being powerful enough to cast the Wish spell. Though Something Vast showed considerable resistance to magical force, I gambled on my Bigby’s Hand being so powerful that damage would get through regardless; it did. Bigby’s Hand was instrumental in assaulting focal points on Something Vast’s immense form.
My use of the spell Steel Wind Strike, with an obsidian dagger as the spell’s material component also proved to be very effective at restricting Something Vast’s movements, although I cannot claim to have been the number one swordsman in the team, or indeed the second.
I made tremendous use of the Scatter spell. I had considered at some point attempting to teleport Something Vast back 120ft, but quickly reconsidered assuming I would not have quite the command over the Weave to attempt that. Instead, however, I did have sufficient command of the Weave to teleport myself, the mortally wounded Artur, and Longwalker from our perilous position, where had I not cast the Scatter spell, we would have all been trampled by Something Vast’s immense feet.
I owe considerable thanks to Yinmaris for rescuing me from death within Something Vast’s mouth. The injuries I sustained brought me quite close to my Contingency spell’s contingent being triggered and polymorphing me into a tyrannosaurus rex.
Artur - A familiar of my close friend Mendal, and human like myself, Artur was quite concerned about whether Something Vast was immune to psychic attacks. Artur is a psychic specialist. However, despite Something Vast’s considerable durable and resistant form, it speaks well of Artur sorcery and command of psychic magic that his psychic attacks considerably restricted Something Vast’s progress in reaching the lake and attacking us team members.
Artur’s casting of dark tendril energy surrounding Something’s Vast’s head, blinging its movement temporarily, was another clever tactic he used to impede our target’s quite rapid progression to the lake.
Frigus and Waffles - It had been some time since I first encountered the polite young kobold Frgus and his young dragon companion, Waffles. Both specialise in cold magic, and both aware of Something Vast’s magically resistant form adapted extremely well to melee range combat. This is especially true given how they both mounted the 80ft form of Something Vast, precariously clinging for life as it routinely attempted to shake them off, whilst they punctured the small mountain body of Something Vast with obsidian dagger and teeth. Together, they dealt the final movement ending blow to Something Vast via a joint manoeuvre my close goliath friend Kavel applauds; being dropped on target from high above, like a falling cannon ball.
Longwalker - I had not met the firbolg warlock, Longwalker, before. I have seen many warlocks cast the Eldritch Blast cantrip before, with many varieties of magical impact in addition to the concussive force of the spell. The warlock, Sparks-n-Shades is very adept at hitting opponents with such a forceful Eldritch Blast that the blast pushes opponents backwards as well as hurting them. Longwalker appears to project the Eldritch Blast spell with additional hex force to produce a considerably powerful Eldritch Blast that attacked the focal points on Something Vast with great impact.
Longwalker additionally proved himself as a reliable ally, forcing a healing potion into Artur who was close to dying from wounds inflicted by Something Vast.
Yinmaris - I have deep gratitude for Yinmaris, my eladrin warlock and bard friend (in addition he has an appreciation for fashion I am fond of, and is the owner of a Lady Higherpromfrura exclusive item, like myself). I made a terribly risky calculation in choosing to actually remain inside Something Vast’s rocky, but sharp toothed maw. (I hope I am not becoming overconfident with the use of my Contingency spell? Not to mention that my second life-preserving backup spell, Clone, is not yet underway!) Yinmaris rescued me with a daring manoeuvre; sliding down the top of Something Vast’s head and face, grabbing hold of me before he passed the mouth, and then teleporting us both away with the Thunderstep spell, achieving both my rescue and damaging Something Vast.
Yinmaris also saved our comrades, and himself with the Feather Fall spell, when Something Vast either shook us off itself, or in Yinmaris’s case, was thrown violently off. It is quite comforting to find yourself in a party where you are not the only person with the Feather Fall spell prepared.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that Frigus and Yinmaris performed great blade mastery with their respective obsidian daggers.
On Binding Rituals and Feywild Feasts
There was a tremendous amount of magical power on display when Queen Nicniven magically buried and sealed away each of the captive Somethings within the stone structures that outlined the ritual imprisoning circle. I wonder if even the Wish spell demands quite as much magical force as which I saw that night? If so, it dampens my expectations that I might ever master that spell.
With the successful subduing of all the Somethings, Queen Nicniven invited us adventurers to the Witching Court’s Mountain Palace for a spectacular Feywild feast. The hospitality and (magical healing) were tremendously appreciated. I would be very happy to return to the palace again for such a feast, although preferably not for the same reason.
The Clone Spell - Clone 1: Dr. Archie Haltuhr ‘The Younger’
The materials arrived, and together with Mendal we created a perfectly sized glass coffin for my younger clone, and have set the coffin within my own newly created demiplane for its protection, and more importantly the protection of my clone, especially in its nascent state. 120 days of maturation is required before my clone is ready. I have no urgency to see the clone host my mind, as the transference of my mind and soul to the clone is not a nonviolent procedure.
However, I will countdown the days until my younger clone has matured with excitement nevertheless. Its completion will mark an important step towards one solution to shorter-life spanned humanoid longevity, and a solution to the onset of progressive fatal diseases. If but it only demanded less flesh from the cloned individual. A cubic inch of flesh is not a negligible amount. I am lucky to have had a cleric friend with me at the time.