Session 79
General Summary
- The party brought Grogery's unconscious body back to "The Difficulties of Soul Adaptation" to regroup and plan their next move: back south through "The Silent Halls", which joined back to "The Living Quarters".
- "The Living Quarters" was surprisingly empty (other than the piles upon piles of unfinished art pieces), so they moved on to "On the Topic of Memories of Flesh and Blood".
- This room contained an Elder Oblex, disguised as a water Genasi, guarding a chest.
- After defeating the oblex, the party obtained a third Fossilized Melody, some gold, and three ruby eggs with fetuses embedded inside them.
- The party worked out that these fetuses were likely the same thing that Baxton had in his suite, and so Vicra was probably using them to create his own simulacra.
- Baxton confirmed as much to Dwardazik through his Ring of Mind Shielding: Vicra ("Doctor R") uses the fetuses to create his simulacra (which, for him, are the ragmen), and that these eggs keep them "stable for transport".
- The party then retreated to the Living Quarters to take a short rest. Grogery tried to send a brief status update to Annu, but his Sending spell might not have worked: the response came from some elderly woman instead.
- The next room was not given a specific name. It was protected by a security door that required a key, along with some sort of religious demonstration. Dazki drew inspiration from his Book of the Mirage to put together a prayer to the Mirage, which worked just fine.
- The next room had a small shrine and a birdlike cultist who, upon seeing Dwardazik, grabbed for a lever and started squawking about "deadly intruders causing havoc".
Full Recap
Silence is Golden
Grogery is still unconscious, sleeping on the ground. Kesmet uses Minor Illusion to write out some words in the air, silently suggesting that they drag Grogery back. Dwardazik gives a thumbs-up and starts dragging the goblin... away from the room that they just came from, towards where Dazki and Marvin currently are. The dwarf looks at the two with a confused expression.Marvin: I think that thing cast a spell on us? I don't know what happened, man.As Marvin says this, he takes a slashing hit from an unseen enemy, paralyzing him. Dazki slaps the halfling on the back of the head, grabs him, and starts dragging him towards the "Difficulties of Soul Adaptation" room, motioning for Dwardazik to turn around and do the same. They reach the next room without further incident, where Dazki slaps Grogery to wake him up and Marvin snaps out of his paralysis.
Dwardazik: Damn, that hallway is a real pain in the ass. And, Marvin, you saw what happened to me. Do you not know what this means?They move silently through the halls, following the path to the south until they encounter another door to the "Living Quarters". Dwardazik taps Dazki on the shoulder and makes a motion with his fingers, then points at the door. Dazki ignores him, picks it open, then stealthily enters the room. This time, the "Living Quarters" room is empty. The cultists who were playing cards in this room last night have not returned since they tried the door off to the side. Satisfied, Dazki returns to the others and motions for them to come in. They do. Kesmet goes to check that the door to the "Art Studio" is still jammed. It is; the two undead are still dangling from the ceiling, even.Dwardazik: It's pretty universal! In your lands, I'm pretty sure that means, be quiet! Marvin: "My lands"? Dwardazik: Yes, halfling lands. Marvin: Dude, I'm a nomad. I don't have "lands". Dwardazik: Shh!! Grogery: ugh... my head... Dazki: Yeah, sorry about that. We had to... remove your consciousness... to get the ghost to come out of you. Dwardazik: Damn, Grogery! I mean, honestly, getting possessed by some sort of ghost? You could have given us a heads-up! Dazki: ...I get the feeling that the ghost wouldn't let him do that, even if he knew. Grogery: It's really hard to figure out when there's a ghost inside of you, I've learned. Dazki: Well, Grogery was the only one who drank the potion from that skeleton guy. Maybe we shouldn't drink those potions? Grogery: I don't think that's what it is. Dazki: Why not? Dwardazik: Yeah, why not? Grogery: I think there might be something weird with this place that prevents souls from escaping. So when someone dies, they can't actually go to their deserved afterlife. Marvin: That's strange... Kesmet: ...what? Dwardazik: I wouldn't be surprised. This place is basically a form of hell. Grogery: I suspect that maybe it was the guy that died right before I drank the potion, but I can't think clearly enough to say if it was actually him. He really wanted me to kill Kesmet and take his stuff for some reason. Kesmet: It was Dennis. So he's dead. That's actually really good news! Dwardazik: Hmm. That's disturbing. So was it like being a passenger in your own body? Grogery: Kind of. Dwardazik, shuddering: Ugh. I don't like that. Grogery: Imagine you're still experiencing everything, but you can't actually think at all. It's really weird. Dwardazik spins around, looking around for ghosts. Dwardazik: You ain't gonna sneak up on me! Grogery: I think if there were any ghosts that were going to try to possess us, they would have tried a while ago. That one might have been a "newly formed ghost", so to speak. Dwardazik: They can't sneak up on me. I've got the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox! Dazki: Anyway, the Silent Halls split off into three different paths. If I remember right, we were told that we should go south to find the stuff that we're looking for. So let's head in that direction. And remember, no talking. Also, Grogery, you look kinda green. Grogery: Usually, yeah. Marvin: Yeah, man, that's racist. Dazki: *sigh*. The expression. You look unwell. Grogery: Yeah. I've also spent a lot of restoring magic today, so the only real way I'm going to come back from this is by drinking another one of those potions... Dazki hands over his potion. Grogery: Thanks. He drinks it. Wow, that's a lot better. These things have a kick! Dwardazik: Well. No time like the present, I guess. Grogery, if you're well, let's proceed on. Marvin, you doin' alright? Anything damaged? (dumbass) Marvin: Just my pride. Dazki: Good! Nothing important, then.
Dazki: So this is where some people tried to get in from, last night. Or... day. Or... whenever we slept. Dwardazik: Hmm. Let's be careful. We should expect enemies.The room has several beds, a table, ... and a huge pile of unfinished art tablets, half-sculpted. Not much food. The living space is cramped, the beds poorly stacked on top of one another. There would be a lot more room in here to spread out, if only somebody would stop storing their unfinished art pieces in the corner. Dwardazik rips apart the beds, looking for personal items and artifacts, not finding much of that... or anything, really. There aren't even footlockers around here. Kesmet examines the art. The pieces are similar to those scattered throughout this floor, just all half-sculpted / half-painted... and definitely taking up a lot of space, in a room where space is at a premium.
Dazki: You done looking for new bedsheets, Dwardazik? Dwardazik: Just checking for anything useful. No personal artifacts, no anything else. Kesmet: Now, this is a supply closet. Dazki: Touché. Marvin: I guess it's appropriate. They would be supplies. It kinda fits! Dwardazik: Ugh... Kesmet: I didn't mean it like that, but... you're right... all right, let's just keep on going. It looks like whoever was here is gone.They move further south, stopping at
Dwardazik: Hmm? "On the Topic of Memories of Flesh and Blood"? What does that mean? Dazki: I'm assuming another disgusting art piece. Some theories say that the body can "remember" things, not just the mind. That the body builds up a memory just as the mind does. Dwardazik: Oh, you mean like combat technique? Dazki: A little bit of that, a little bit of... you know how people, when they lose their mind, will occasionally just do the same actions over and over again, in a cycle? Dwardazik: You mean Kesmet? Kesmet: I heard that shit! Dazki: Like when Sol kept repeating to himself, "Oh, I should be at work".Dazki attempts to push on the door to see if it's locked, but as soon as he touches it, he discovers that the door is electrified and snaps his hand back.
Dwardazik: You jerked back pretty quickly, there. You all right? Dazki, coughing: Yeah... apparently, there's electricity coursing through there. Kesmet: Maybe we can use some of the bedding or a wooden chair from the other room, to push the door open without touching it? Dwardazik: Or we could just bang down the door. Kesmet: Is it magical? Dazki, investigating: It's like what we saw in Baxton's apartment: a Glyph of Warding. Grogery: Those usually run out. Kesmet: Oh, we've done this before! Kesmet floats one of his knives over to have it touch the door. Nothing happens. Kesmet: It might be safe now. Dazki, safely picking the lock open: Well, whoever's in there probably knows that this went off...
A Fight to Remember
Immediately upon opening the door, you smell a terrible, sulfurous smell, mixed with the smell of blood, even through the mask.Marvin: Aww, Dwardazik, did you just rip one? Dwardazik, looking back: Takes one to know one. Marvin: Hey, man, I don't know what they put in that dwarven ale.Dazki enters the room, the rest of the group following behind. This room is domed up to about 15 feet and seems to terminate at a pool of a red liquid. Probably blood. There is a small island in that pool, with a water Genasi chained to a big red chest in the center. Upon seeing the party, she begins to seem terribly frightened. Editor's note: she says that her name is "Dowzz" during the conversation, so that's how we'll refer to her.
Dowzz: You have to leave! This lake has taken enough lives! The treasure isn't worth the risk, it's not worth it! Dazki: How does the lake take lives? Dowzz: Just look within the waters! Dazki: Why don't you tell us instead, so that we don't have to look in the waters? In case looking in the waters is what kills people? Even at this distance, he can see shadows of things swimming around in the waters. Dwardazik: Explain to me how you got there? Dowzz: It's just a sick game they like to play, I guess. You have to leave! It's not worth it! Marvin: Why don't you want us to help you? It's strange that you're not asking for help. You seem in distress. Would you like help? Dowzz: I don't want to be the reason why more people have to die! Dazki: And if we're confident that we can help you without dying? Dowzz: There's literally nothing I can do to stop you but warn you. Marvin: So what's in that chest? "Treasure", you mentioned. Anything good? Dowzz: I... I don't know. Marvin: You "don't know"? So, I assume you weren't put in this position willingly? Dowzz: Please, just leave! Dwardazik, whispering to the party: I'm looking at her carefully. She doesn't seem particularly strong, she doesn't have a high endurance, but something's not quite right about her. I can't put my finger on it. Dazki: How long have you been here? Do you know? Dowzz: Time is a funny thing. I don't remember. Dwardazik: What's your name? Dowzz: My name is Dowzz. Dwardazik: Are you OK? Dowzz: I am most certainly not OK! Kesmet: That sounds a lot like "Dennis". Marvin: That's a stretch...Dazki starts a quiet conversation with just the party members, so that Dowzz can't hear.
Dazki: Guys. There's definitely something moving in the water. Marvin: You mean the blood. Dazki: Blood, yeah. There's something in there. Does anyone know of anything that could project an image from there? Grogery: Like see through it? Dwardazik: Guys, didn't we just walk through a room with two super gross water creatures? Dazki: That is true. Dwardazik: It's probably one of those.Marvin resumes talking with Dowzz.
Marvin: So, "Douse" was it? Dowzz: Yes, with two Z's. Why are we still having this conversation?! Go get help or something! Marvin: We are the help, OK? Kesmet: Careful how you phrase that... Dwardazik flips around looking for ghosts again. Marvin: Maybe we can help each other out, OK? Dazki: Yeah, help us help you. What's in the pool of blood? Dowzz: The leeches? Dwardazik: Enough of this!Dwardazik walks out of the room back to the "Living Quarters". Dazki looks at the pool of blood from a distance to try to get a better idea of what's in there: the things swimming around are roughly the size of a large catfish, about four feet long. They are not catfish, however: they don't even seem to have a stable shape. They are separate entities from the blood, though, probably something like oozes.
Grogery: Does anyone have anything small I can throw? Dazki gives him a bullet for his gun. Grogery: Dazki, just so you're aware, you're probably not getting this back. Dazki: I've got 94 more of them. Dwardazik is back with the party, dragging a huge unfinished art piece with him. Grogery: Dwardazik, stand clear. I'm going to throw this in the blood and see what happens. Dwardazik: I'm throwing this in the blood! Grogery steps back, and Dwardazik throws the slab into the blood. It sinks to the bottom. He goes to grab another. Marvin: Guys, I can just Dimension Door over there and bring her back. Dazki: I mean... sure. If you want. Marvin: Dowzz, would you like us to get you out of there? I can just teleport over there and teleport you back, even if you're chained up. Dowzz: And then you won't be eaten by the monsters in the water? Marvin: Do the monsters come out of the blood water? Dowzz: Well, yeah! Nobody willingly goes into the water. Marvin: Right, but do the monsters jump out onto the land? Dowzz: Probably! Marvin: Do they react violently to spells cast in this room? Dowzz: I... I don't know. It's probably safe? Marvin: Ahh, fuck it.Marvin casts Dimension Door to teleport onto the island. He touches her shoulder in preparation for teleporting her back. The shoulder is cold and clammy. Her head snaps to look at him, and she begins consuming some of his memories. The red water begins to churn as if made out of jelly.
Combat Summary
- Marvin teleported back, attempting to take Dowzz with him, but she was unwilling.
- The oozes spewed out of the water and began attacking the party as well.
- Dowzz began to jiggle around, also as if made out of jelly. A large red mass, connected to her, rose out of the water to revealing her true form: an Elder Oblex.
- The oblex would extrude pieces of itself that would also fight the party as part of the same entity. At first, it only spewed out generic folks, but then it started releasing lookalikes of party members whose memories it had consumed during the fight (Kesmet: "Hey Marv, looks like your mom's here too!").
- The oblex also managed to charm all party members except Dwardazik, giving those affected no choice but to fight the oozes first.
- Dwardazik, late to the fight because he was trying to build a bridge just before, rushed in and drank his Potion of Fire Giant Strength to try to compensate.
- The oozes had an ability where they would turn into puddles and attempt to engulf a nearby entity, encasing them and causing them to start drowning.
- Grogery finished off the oblex with a Spirit Guardians.
Dazki, turning angrily towards Marvin: And THAT is why we don't fuck with people's heads. Marvin: Oh, I was worried you were going to admonish me for trying to help that person... but OK, I understand. Kesmet: No, Marvin. Marvin. You gotta understand. We never actually try to help people. If they happen to get helped by our actions, then hooray! But — Dazki: No, ignore that part. We do try to help people. Kesmet: What?! No, we're just trying to get to Dennis all this time! Get people on our side! Grogery: Some of us do, actually, try to help people... Dazki: Hey, is anyone else having trouble with their... um, what's the word for it... Marvin: Their head? Dazki: When you see pictures in your head, of the things that happened in the past? I can't think of the word. Grogery: Memories? Dazki: That's it! Marvin: I had to drink one of those potion things we found by the Potion Man. Fixed it for me. Dazki: Ahh. Wonderful. I think I gave that to Grogery? Grogery: Yeah, you gave me one so I could drink it. I'll give you one so you can drink it. Marvin: Dwardazik, you doin' OK? Dwardazik: Not too well. That goo really got me bad, and it looks like Marvin over here decided to do something crazy. Ye could've just waited for me to build the bridge! Or at least... if we're gonna be a group together, we have to at least explain our plans! Kesmet: We have plans?! Dwardazik: If yer gonna teleport on over there, someone coulda knocked some sense into ya — who I assumed was gonna be watchin' everyone so they don't do anything foolish while I was buildin' a bridge — Marvin: But those sunk to the bottom. Dwardazik: ...there's a lot of 'em. Marvin: That would've taken too long. Dwardazik: Would it? Marvin: I think so, yeah. Dwardazik: Well, sometimes, if you're a little too hasty, and you do things rash, then bad things can happen. Like if you put on Scorpion Armor without telling anyone, and then all of a sudden you find yourself dying on the ground, convulsing. Marvin: You're using your example to admonish me?! Grogery: Obviously, Dwardazik learned his lesson about acting rashly from that. You've learned your lesson about acting rashly from this. I'd say we're fine to keep going. Let's see what's in this chest. Perhaps it has another one of those Fossilized Melodies? Dwardazik: I don't admonish you for wanting to save the girl. Somethin' was strange. You shoulda known better. Marvin: OK, you're right, you're right, I won't jump into things like that again. Dwardazik: Now, I'm not feelin' too great. That thing really took it out of me, and I wasn't feelin' too good anyway. Some of these cuts haven't even healed, and that goo got all in me. I felt my strength draining from it. Luckily, Kesmet was able to give me a good ol' dose of cauterization! Dazki, a bit nervous: So anyway, while you guys were chatting... this chest is open now. Dwardazik: Well, let's see what's inside it? Dazki: Uh... there's 3 ruby eggs. With, uh... fetuses inside. There's also some gold, and a Fossilized Melody thing we were looking for. Dwardazik: Wait a minute, I'd like to take a look at one of these things...Dwardazik takes one and examines it. It is a real ruby, but there's something inside of it... which seems impossible. It's some sort of small baby or fetus.
Grogery: This looks an awful lot like the thing that Baxton had set up to make his simulacra. Marvin: What?! Is this the Flesh Artist? Grogery: I feel like I'm gonna be sick... Dwardazik: Wait. OK, I understand the concept of the ruby. I'm not sure how you would get something like that encased in it so perfectly, but... perhaps my memory is a bit foggy. Can you remind me what was goin' on with the Baxton simul... thing? Grogery: Remember when we went upstairs to his room in The Red Lady, and we were poking around before the guards could get there? And we found a bunch of evidence of all the stuff he was doing with Turmoil, and his stuff? He had a room off to the side, where he had this weird, umm — Kesmet: Birdbath? Grogery: — basin. Normally, the basin would be used for washing your hands or something, but it was filled with a weird, dark, blood-looking liquid, and he had this thing set up next to it with tongs, and some bleached masks, and I took the tongs, and I wanted to see what was inside the liquid, and it turned out it was a fetus that looked a lot like that... Dwardazik: That's... interesting. Grogery: I wonder if this is how... I wonder if the Flesh Artist was Baxton's supplier for most things. Dazki: ...probably? Dwardazik: It is, in fact, ruby. It's pretty pure, in that sense. Marvin: I dunno, can we get rid of the disgusting part and just keep the precious gem that's worth a lot? Grogery: Probably not without breaking the gem. Dazki: Well, you never know... we do have someone who is particularly well-versed in Turmoil, and destruction of Turmoil, that we can return to. Marvin: So we're taking these with it? Dwardazik: Well, we're not leaving 'em here... Marvin: So if these are potentially simulacra, then — Grogery: No, something he was using to make them. He had a bunch of these bleached masks from The Order of Imagination — because he killed all their people in Ashport and took their masks to use as disguises for these things — he was using the fetuses and some dark Turmoil magic thing to turn them into these necromatic magic assassin... things. ...yeah, this might be part of that. If they are, then they might have Turmoil... wait... so if they do, then maybe we shouldn't shove them into a pocket dimension. Dazki: We don't know if they do or not. Grogery: Until we know, probably a good idea to not put them into a pocket dimension. Dwardazik: Grogery, you're suggesting something really important here. If living beings contain Turmoil as a transport, and if ruby can contain living beings, then that means ruby is a pure container for Turmoil? Grogery: It might just be a way to keep it from going ballistic. It's possible that these fetuses are Turmoil... stuff..., and that the ruby is just keeping them in place. Dwardazik: I say we destroy one. Grogery: If this has Turmoil inside of it, then that's not a good idea. Dwardazik: You're basing that on speculation. Marvin: Are they going to hatch if we just take them with us? Dazki: We have no idea. Grogery: I was going to talk to Annu sometime before the end of the day. I have exactly one spell left, so we're kind of past the point where I really need to conserve spells. I can send to him right now explaining what we've found so far. Dazki: We have the cellstone as well. Dwardazik: ...I have some additional information. In my conversations with Baxton, he has indicated that these were used to create simulacra, as you have believed, like his monks, or "Doctor R's" ragmen. He finds them "stable for transport in that form". Grogery: Oh, so the ragmen are... OK, that makes sense. Dazki: Well yeah, of course they are! Grogery: Makes me wonder if each of the avatars have some sort of minion... archetype... thing... Dazki: I would bet ten gold pieces on it. Grogery: I wouldn't take that bet. Marvin: With your coinpurse, that's not a very risky bet, Dazki. Dwardazik: We can't leave them here for the enemy to use. We either take them to be destroyed or... whatever. Dazki: Yep. Also, Marvin, never bet more than you can afford to lose. Marvin: Good point! Grogery: So, these baby eggs might have Turmoil inside them. Can't put 'em in the bag of holding. Who wants to hang onto them? Dwardazik: I can put 'em in my bag, I guess. Dazki: So, do we want to take a short breather here, or do people want to continue moving on? Dwardazik: I could use a breather. Grogery, can you do anything about these wounds I have? Grogery: Very little. Dwardazik: Arrgh. I drank that potion so we could handle this situation, but... if this is what we're dealing with here, I'd rather take a rest than go on and do something rash. Marvin: I agree. Do you think we can take the Living Quarters? I mean, there are beds... Grogery: As long as someone stands guard. Dazki: I'll keep an eye on the doors while we take a short breather.They bunker down in the Living Quarters for their rest. Dwardazik, with his temporarily boosted strength, effortlessly barricades the exits by stacking some of the unfinished art pieces to block the hallways.
Marvin: Maaaaaan, I just always fuck things up, don't I, guys? Dazki: Nah, don't worry about it. Marvin: I directly put all you guys in danger! Me. Directly. Did that. Grogery: Everybody gets their turn. Kesmet: One time, I tried to deceive a hyena. It did not go well. Marvin: I'd like to hear about that story one day! Kesmet: And now you're far less likely to do it in the future! Marvin: Probably. Dazki: So don't worry about it. Shit happens. We live. We learn. We move on. Marvin: And now we do have three of those statue... bird... tokens. Grogery: For from death comes life, and there is always another morning to turn a setback into a success. You'll be fine. Marvin: I like that.
Short Rest
Kesmet tries to talk with Dazki about any plans for what to do when they reach Vicra, with Grogery completely out of spells. Dazki suggests that they should take a long rest before entering Vicra's chamber anyway, even once they find it. Kesmet agrees: "we're almost at the finish long, might as well not stumble". They mostly just decide to define a particular marching order that puts the more tapped-out people in the center.Dwardazik consumes two of the "special" greater healing potions he got from Aggromir and then just takes a nap for the whole hour.
Grogery tries to send a message to Annu:
Vicra’s inner lair has byzantine entry parameters, still infiltrating. Found ruby-encased fetuses, possibly Baxton-related, retrieving for your investigation. Will report fully after further infiltration.But the response he gets comes from an elderly lady instead:
Who said that? Where are you? Are you the ghost of my husband? "Fetuses"? I can't get pregnant anymore, you know that.Grogery warns the party about this failure, and he plans to inform Annu of this failed attempt at sending him a message during the next full report.
Onward and Downward
Dwardazik: Well, that message thing is inconvenient. If everyone's feeling well enough, I suppose we should move onward. Marvin: So, do you think that lady was one of the six... cultist... people? Grogery: If it's a cultist person, they would have gotten eaten by the lake. Dazki: I think she was someone's piece of "art". They arrive at yet another security door. Dwardazik: How surprising. A door. Marvin: Ahh, yes, another minor inconvenience for Dazki!This door does not have a plaque that lets you know where it goes. It does have a keyhole, like the previous door. There is, however, a different message painted on the door:
Only those who use their limited breath to pay homage may pass into the hallowed air found beyond.Dazki reads it out to the others.
Dwardazik: Why don't you try blowing on the door? Marvin: I'm worried this might mean that we can't breathe in this next area. Grogery: Or that we have to breathe at the door? Kesmet: Maybe we have to say a weird Flesh Artist prayer. Dazki, after investigating the door for traps: I can pick the lock, but we gotta do something else. It seems like some kind of magic trap or something. Kesmet: Can we try to dispel? What's this "pay homage" thing? Dazki: I don't know. Grogery, do you think this is something that might be able to be dispelled? Grogery: This is couched in religious speak. It seems like the area beyond may be hallowed (or unhallowed) in such a way that praying at the door, to the "god" that these people here take the Flesh Artist to be, would prevent the space beyond the door from hurting us. Or maybe it'll just open the door. Either way, I'M not praying at this door. Marvin: The late Pigeon, didn't he have a sacred icon? Do we know what god that was? Dazki: It's the Turmoil. Marvin: ...the Turmoil itself? Dazki: I would assume so, yeah. Mirage. All right... should we try this without Pigeon's holy symbol or with it? Marvin: You probably don't need it. Probably. Dwardazik: Put on your poker face, Dazki. I see you rearing up to give it a shot. Dazki: Uh... yeah. Sure. Dwardazik: Remember, words have power. Dazki begins flipping through The Book of the Mirage. Dwardazik: We should design a plan for how we move through here. Dazki's currently looking at his book to figure out a way of potentially getting in, something to do with the god of this place. I wonder if we should have a plan for when we go in? You guys have any buffs that you can do? Marvin: I can still give haste, and bardic inspiration? Dwardazik: That inspiration's pretty useful. Marvin: I could make you fly? Dwardazik: Load of good that would do. I can almost touch the top of the tunnel, and I'm a dwarf! Marvin: Lucky bastard. Dwardazik: I could hold you up if you want. Marvin: Some other time, how 'bout... Dwardazik: I'm concerned about Grogery over here. If Grogery's not gonna go ahead and pretend to say whatever prayer that you probably have to say to this dark god, then whatever this room's trap or maleficent entity is gonna be, it's probably gonna affect you the worst. Grogery: Faith is nothing if you are not willing to sacrifice for it. I'll be fine. I'm healthier than some other people here, at the moment. Dwardazik: You're spry enough, I'll give you that. Some time passes, Dazki still thinking up his prayer. Dwardazik: Hey, Kesmet. What do you think about that door, eh? You think it's just a warning to a magical area that has some kind of codeword? I'm just wondering... is there actually, like, a dark god's presence or something in there? Like, a Turmoil god that will harm us if we do something wrong? How would that even work, anyway? Kesmet: I dunno. Some magical bullshit. Dwardazik: Like, how does it know we're saying something? Dazki: OK, let's see if this works!Dazki turns to face the door and confidently says a prayer, in Primordial:
With chaos there is hope, through you I breathe, your eyes give me sight, my legs walk your path, your poison courses in my blood, deaf ears hear only your voice, your strength lifts my arms. Through the Mirage, through the chaos, through you there is hope.A familiar (to some) dark spiral forms around the central keyhole and continues to draw upon the door as Dazki says more of the prayer. Dazki keeps repeating the prayer as he picks the lock and opens the door without triggering any traps. He repeats the prayer to the others, in Common, so that they can also pass through.
Marvin: So, something just occurred to me... Baxton had something up with his eyes, right? You guys said that? Dazki: Yup... Marvin: And this guy, the Flesh Artist, he can't really breathe all that well, right? Dazki: Yep! Dwardazik: Yup... Marvin: I'm starting to notice a pattern, here, with that prayer you just said. Dazki: Yeah... Dwardazik: Yeah. Grogery: Yep. Kesmet: Yeah it's, like, the five senses and breathing and stuff, or whatever. Grogery: So, you know the different potions that we took from the stand? Marvin: This is fucked. Dazki: Yeah, there's a whole story about it. Marvin: Like a legend? Dazki: A religious text that I'm in the process of figuring out. Marvin: Oh. I thought that was just some old college book. You're saying that's a religious text on Turmoil? Dazki: Yeah, basically. Marvin: What have I gotten myself into? Dwardazik: Welcome to the group, lad.Dwardazik and Marvin repeat the prayer before entering the room. Kesmet also says it, halfheartedly ("With chaos and hope, you know, those things... uh, you give me breath... your eyes are blue, you give me sight... you carry me when my legs can't walk... uh, the deafness! That was pretty nice, I actually liked that!"). Grogery says nothing.
