ATG Mission 8.7 The Duel of the Psionic Fates
Previously on Liters of Tomorrow:
Blizzard Hops, Eula, Baji, and Akuma were teleported by the mysterious control rod into the Snow and Ice of the Northern Eigerlands. It seemed to be trying to link with another part of itself. Landing in the midst of a raging blizzard and in snow up to your waists you all fought against the cold and made your way to what looked to be a safe haven. Kalevoor Castle opened it's doors to you and servants rushed out to give you blankets and sanctuary. You all warily accepted the kindness but kept your guard up. Resting through the night you found that your wounds looked to be healed but you awoke to feel just as exhausted as you had the previous night. Making your way to a large breakfast hall you were greeted by the jovial master of the castle one Professor Marius Domalus.
He gave you the run of the castle and portrayed himself as warm and kind. Though he did ask many questions about your other teammates including Princess Mew. As you all split up to investigate the castle Eula and Akuma utilized the powers of invisibility to lay low. The first marker that something was wrong was a servant of the castle spotting Eula despite her invisibility and hitting her with some king of mind whammy. Though she pursued the strange individual he disappeared into a warehouse. Baji spoke with a couple of house sparrows to try to get some information on the castle and they responded that those that were invited to the castle never leave. Hops was invited to a talk on Ornithology which was taking place that morning. As you all decided to confront the professor and get some hard answers, Eula acted Rashly and slipped through the mirror dimension to surprise the professor in the middle of his talk. Then she disappeared and the rest of you assumed something was up.
With a thorough investigation of the Hunters Retreat room you found an illusory flame concealing a trap door in the fire place. Descending into the depths of the castle you discovered a series of ornate rooms connected with tight hallways. Hops was attacked from behind by a strangely buff elven man who seemed to be under some sort of Spell. Eula found herself in a strange holding cell with a series of strange creatures in similar cells. She managed to free herself and began to release some of these creatures. The first of which being a tall pincer armed being. Before that creature could act Eula polymorphed him into a bunny.
Akuma and Baji helped Hops defeat the elven man who turned out to be a bronze dragon that was polymorphed. The piece of control rod was leading you deeper into the castle's underground chambers. After confronting many traps and dangerous foes you finally dropped down into a circular room with an enormous mural of two dragons in mortal combat painted into the floor. Eula also found herself in that room which adjoined the cells she had freed herself from. It was here that the professor confronted you all and demanded that you call Mew and ask her to come to the castle. Battle was joined but with little to no healing powers your health and vitality was getting leached and dangerously low. After initially refusing to betray his friend Mew, Hops Finally realized that maybe this Professor was biting off more than he could chew and he reached out with his mind to contact his friend.
Mew and Vom Fass sat at a coffehouse in the city of the great salt steppe when they were suddenly attacked by an assassin sent by the Top Hat Man. Quickly dispatching the creature they were surprised to get a summons from Blizzard Hops saying that he was in trouble in Kalevoor Castle. Karnac was helping to train druids as he and Sun Paw Kong charted a new course for the Verdant Sigil. He was also attacked by an assassin from the Top Hat Man, this creature was able to draw blood before Karnac utilized his now great power to discorporate the creature into nothingness. Let's return now to that very clearing in the Teloton Forest as Karnac checks his wound.
Plot points/Scenes
In the Castle Chamber -
Blizzard Hops you Akuma, Baji, and Eula now face the full fury of an enormous dragon. The professor has discarded it's elven form and now stand before as the terrifyingly beautiful winged form of a dragon. It's black scales gleam in the blue and gold lights that surround the circular chamber that you now stand in. Wide stripes of dark purple scales wind their way through it's massive body and the underside of it's wings are a leathery purple as the flex and bend on it's back. It's huge horned head moves to glare at all of you. Roll a Wisdom Saving throw DC 18 [frightful presence!]
Next the dragon looms over you and opens it's mouth. Emanating from it's mouth is a purple tinged energy that vibrates like a sound wave and you feel the pressure in the room go up with dizzying speed then crashes down causing your blood pressure and equilibrium to go haywire. Then everything goes black.
In the Cells -
Eula - You awake in the underdark city of Kaza'Terian, a city you studied in while at university. You stayed with a drow family for the year as you did a research paper on the flourescent moss that sustained several species of caterpillar and beetles. You wake up in the warm soft bed in the room they gave you. You walk downstairs to find the family has already gone to work and school but they have left you a plate of delicous breakfast goods. A type of blue pancake on a hot plate that has cinnamon nutmeg flavor mixed with boysenberry, a regional favorite. A savory indigo bacon made from an underdark Noozle pig as well as blue milk that is more like a blueberry milkshake. You eat and grab your things, excited to start your new study. A day in the field with your notebooks and your new leather backpack.
As you leave the house everything gets darker and all of the morning sounds are muted. You look up and you see your foster family and the other citizens of the neighborhood look up in terror. A huge dragon with purple and black scales towers over them and emits a jet of black viscous acid which slowly spews over all of the elves in the vicinity. You watch in horror as the flesh is melted from their bones. You seem to move in slow motion as you move forward to help....
Then you wake in the cell you were in before in the dragon's vestibule for live exhibits, exhausted and at one hit point. You hear a slight tapping on the magical force wall that holds you in. Leaning over slightly is the face of Professor Marius Domalus. Flanking him on either side are the strange horned pincer creature and the bizarre floating tentacle creature. They stare blankly with their strangely shaped eyes and horrifying visages. "You had a wonderful idea my dear, these two were captured for a reason and I was holding them against their will. Given the chance they would tear me limb from limb. Instead I now control them with but a thought. Soon my Star Kitty will come to me and with her power I can control the world!"
Baji - You begin to wake and you feel the warm sun on your face, A soft bed of woven palm leaves under you. You open your eyes to a wide open window and see a small village you stayed out just a year ago. You remember the aarakocra woman that you spent the night with and meeting her at the cozy tavern in the city of Ventania underneath the great tree. It was the day before all of this started for you. The day before you stole the frog and made a strange pact, the day before every day felt like a fight to the death. In the square of quaint businesses below you see a beautiful woman with soft white feathers and slight cockatiel look with a splash of yellow near her head. She looks up and waves at you and then you feel a cold shadow pass overhead. Fear grips you and the hairs on the back of your head stand on end, you open your mouth to scream as you pull your sword but it's too late. A creature black as night and as large as the great tree breathes death down upon all who dwell below. You awake screaming in a cell...
Akuma - You walk down the streets of the city of Hala a warm autumn breeze moves through your hair and you smell the spiced wines and elven brandy that are heated and sold at moving kiosks throughout the city center. You see a familiar building ahead of you, a restaurant that you and your brothers frequented. Your mind freezes a second as you see your brother Vilius sitting across from an attractive Elven lady. He sees you coming and gets up to introduce the woman as his fiance but all the sound around you fades. You only see him mouthing the words when the wind grows cold and the sky darkens. You see and almost feel the shape of the wings as the dragon looms over the building. You run forward but your movement is in slow motion as you see the dragon's mouth open and black energy consumes everything below.
Hops - You awake to find yourself bound to the ice spire itself. Manacles around your wrists and ankles hold you spread eagle 60' off the ground. Chains and braided metal cords wrap around the ice spire in the courtyard of the castle holding you fast, exposed to the elements. Your armor has been removed and you are only in your rough undergarments. Small arcs of electrical energy flit all around you stinging you several times a minute and you feel the vibration of the powerful magic infused ice crystal underneath you. [DM Note: Allow Hops to use his divine powers in any way he sees fit. If he is able to summon his hammer or free himself he can now cast spells, even healing, but every spell requires a concentration check!]
Ijin - You find yourself in total blackness, no sound and for a split second you feel weightless. The slight smell of ozone and acrid smoke is the only thing you sense. Then you feel a smooth rounded stone under your feet as you senses seem to return. You feel your weight settle on your feet and legs and you instinctively check your sword and equipment. It all seems to be there, and you push away a feeling of panic as you still your mind once more. You've been through worse, you can deal with a little disorientation. Slowly small runes light up around you, the language of magic mixed with something else. What languages do you speak or read? This magenta glow shows you the curved stone around you as if you were encased in a stone egg. What do you do?
Themes
Karnac-
You stand their puzzled and frustrated by the assassination attempt. Once more the creature known as the Top Hat Man has tried to kill you. You think to yourself that this dangerous entity that you have now confronted in two timelines may be the reason you and your allies have been banded together to traverse time and save gods. You lift up your shirt to check on your injury, and though it doesn't look bad you notice a strange mark on your skin. A small skull like shape surrounds the cut and though you easily heal the wound with your druidic powers the mark remains.
As you puzzle over this for a second you feel a small woosh of air and a slight crackle of electrical energy that always seems to portend the arrival of your friend Vom Fass. As you look up you see Mew and Vom Fass apparate out of thin air. Mew, Vom Fass describe to us what you are wearing and how your appearance has changed over the last six months.
Mew, you recall the anguished face of Blizzard Hops as he sent out a mental distress call. You describe the scene to Vom Fass as he prepares the teleportation ritual. As you try to reestablish a connection with Hops you reach out with your powerful psionic powers and hear a laugh.
"There you are, my Star Kitty, always out there dancing in the ether. You shine bright! Soon we will finally meet." You block the connection and shut it down. The voice is familiar though, you think back to your first trip to Lamborginus and your battle and escape from the Talons of The Rook, a group of psionic vampires. How you faced them again on the Archilus Flotilla out on the Wyvern sea. Again right before the hurricane which almost destroyed your ship, the Wet Dream. A voice reaching out from the darkness always north, always inviting you to Kalevoor Castle. But this also reminds you of how far you have come, all the battles and the training. The woman Mara Magenta and the Facet of Knowhere, a powerful psionic who trained you in psychic defense.
Structure
Exposition
As Vom Fass Completes the ritual and the aperture spins presenting you with a snowy landscape beyond. You all step through into cold beyond. As the spell completes and the magical circle fades you take in your surroundings. Vom Fass you step backwards a bit and then catch yourself. Looking down you see a drop of almost a thousand feet falling down to a frigid black sea below dotted with chunks of glaciers and icebergs big enough to crush a warship. In front of you is small rise and some rolling hills leading to a bluish grey castle. Massive spires of blue ice push up from the center and tower over the structure. As you get closer you see the doors open and a couple of servants waiting with trays of tea and coffee. [DM Note: Depending on what these three do they will get attacked by an Ice golem, a nothic, and a mind witness. Then we need to switch to the Ijin story and give Eula a chance to free herself.] Professor Marius Domalus strolls up excitedly to greet you. [Note this is a psionic projection that mew can suss out pretty easily] "There she is my Star, my shining light! Welcome to Kalevoor Castle, I have been waiting for you for so long!" He continues "Come, come join us I will extend every possible hospitality to you and the great druid Karnac! There he is the fierce Kobold sorceror known as Vom Fass. This is a momentous day!"
As Mew, Vom Fass, and Karnac expore the castle she will often be attacked by Malavoor who shows up either in a spectral form or in her mind directly. He will begin with detect thoughts. [DC 19 Wisdom Saving Throw, but give Mew an advantage!] If she fends this off Malavoor will telepathically contact her "You have learned much my dear, soon you will give in. This castle and I are your destiny." He will also try to pull her into his mental plane though Mew will be able to shift the odds using her training from Mara Magenta. She can either end the effect using an intelligence saving throw or if she chooses, to shift him into her own mental plane. She can also contact Mara for advice if need be. "Perhaps we could talk alone? Meet me in the Hunter's retreat in front of a warm fire and some vintage wine?"
Malavoor will also try to confuse Mew with visions of the future and try to change her perception of reality. If he succeeds on dragging her into his psychic realm he will show her a vision and siphon off 2d6 HP.
Vision 01- Suddenly you stand in front of the great Sunriver castle where you grew up and just spent the last several months in. The warm breeze of the Great jungle that surround your kingdom brings the familiar scent of ventania blossoms and Willow fruit. Your mother the queen walks out with her palace guard, two fierce looking snow leopard fellows. They bristle with daggers and scimitars. She speaks to you curtly "What is it this time Mew, what council meeting are you trying to avoid this time?" As you look at her confusedly the shadow of a winged creature blots out the sun. The grinning maw of a huge black and purple dragon opens and unleashes a torrent of death down upon her!"
Vision 02 - You walk through an ivory hallway that stretches over 300 meters. The white polished stone looks old like something out of antiquity, an age long past. The floor has a long red carpet that has gold and purple filagree woven into it. You look down at what you are wearing, it is a long white and gold gown that feels old and out of date like from a time long past. As you walk down the hallway the tall oaken doors in front of you open. A crowd gathers beyond leaving a wide space for you to walk through. The huge chamber beyond is decorated with untold number of flowers and golden tapestries hanging from the ceiling. On an alter to some unknown god you see professor Marius Domalus awaiting you in an expensive black and purple suit. He beckons you forward...
As the dragon's eyes begin to close he holds something in his massive black scaled claw. A small device that glows at the point of it with a red and magenta flash. His body crashes down to the floor and smashed the rock underneath. His head hits the mosaic hard and bits of colored stone fly amidst the dust. The device flashes again now two symbols can be seen, then another as the strange sigils begin to beep. You hear and feel a tremor and a crack as the major Ice spire in the middle of the castle splits and fractures. Boom! like lightning the ice spire begin to shake the island apart.
[DM Note: The device is a countdown dead man's switch. It has set the ice crystals to self destruct. The party now has 10 rounds to leave the island.]
Mind Palace -
As Mew, Vom Fass, and Karnac expore the castle she will often be attacked by Malavoor who shows up either in a spectral form or in her mind directly. He will begin with detect thoughts. [DC 19 Wisdom Saving Throw, but give Mew an advantage!] If she fends this off Malavoor will telepathically contact her "You have learned much my dear, soon you will give in. This castle and I are your destiny." He will also try to pull her into his mental plane though Mew will be able to shift the odds using her training from Mara Magenta. She can either end the effect using an intelligence saving throw or if she chooses, to shift him into her own mental plane. She can also contact Mara for advice if need be. "Perhaps we could talk alone? Meet me in the Hunter's retreat in front of a warm fire and some vintage wine?"
Malavoor will also try to confuse Mew with visions of the future and try to change her perception of reality. If he succeeds on dragging her into his psychic realm he will show her a vision and siphon off 2d6 HP.
Vision 01- Suddenly you stand in front of the great Sunriver castle where you grew up and just spent the last several months in. The warm breeze of the Great jungle that surround your kingdom brings the familiar scent of ventania blossoms and Willow fruit. Your mother the queen walks out with her palace guard, two fierce looking snow leopard fellows. They bristle with daggers and scimitars. She speaks to you curtly "What is it this time Mew, what council meeting are you trying to avoid this time?" As you look at her confusedly the shadow of a winged creature blots out the sun. The grinning maw of a huge black and purple dragon opens and unleashes a torrent of death down upon her!"
Vision 02 - You walk through an ivory hallway that stretches over 300 meters. The white polished stone looks old like something out of antiquity, an age long past. The floor has a long red carpet that has gold and purple filagree woven into it. You look down at what you are wearing, it is a long white and gold gown that feels old and out of date like from a time long past. As you walk down the hallway the tall oaken doors in front of you open. A crowd gathers beyond leaving a wide space for you to walk through. The huge chamber beyond is decorated with untold number of flowers and golden tapestries hanging from the ceiling. On an alter to some unknown god you see professor Marius Domalus awaiting you in an expensive black and purple suit. He beckons you forward...
The defeat of Malavoor Doh' Malis
As the dragon's eyes begin to close he holds something in his massive black scaled claw. A small device that glows at the point of it with a red and magenta flash. His body crashes down to the floor and smashed the rock underneath. His head hits the mosaic hard and bits of colored stone fly amidst the dust. The device flashes again now two symbols can be seen, then another as the strange sigils begin to beep. You hear and feel a tremor and a crack as the major Ice spire in the middle of the castle splits and fractures. Boom! like lightning the ice spire begin to shake the island apart.
[DM Note: The device is a countdown dead man's switch. It has set the ice crystals to self destruct. The party now has 10 rounds to leave the island.]
Conflict
After Defeating Malavoor: May need to destroy the castle
Attack Ijin with the TVA! Write some dialogue for them and then when they realize that the most wanted dangerous time criminals of ATG are there have the panicked commander send for a Mech!
Knights of Aventador attack Tellenor or Agrimor's Stronghold
Once back in Tellenor allow the players to go about town and check out the Owlbear's Egg their new headquarters.
You walk through town feeling both on edge and strangely comfortable in this town. Tellenor is a classic idyllic small town full of life, children, food and good drink but you also hear the stories and murmurs from the people about the dangers they have faced in the last few months alone. There does seem to be some concern about having a team of powerful adventurers living amongst them. How wonderful to have such strong defenders who drove off an invading force and saved them from demons all in the span of a week. Others point out that maybe all of these situations may have been caused by Adventure Team Grimm. They have dangerous enemies who would hurt or kill innocent bystanders without a thought. Their headquarters was recently blown to smithereens by an unseen force it is only blind luck that someone in town wasn't killed.
And yet you see hope and happiness in many of the townsfolk as you stick to the shadows and steer clear of large gatherings. What would you like to do as you stroll through town? Suddenly you see a shimmer only 15 feet away, then another and another! Rectangles, doorways slide open and six figures rush forward pointing devices at you. They are dressed in black gear with strange helmets and straps of gear around their waists and backs. The one in the lead stands only ten feet away from you and he says "Ijin Matsushige! You are under arrest for violating 13 laws concerning the safety of the space time continuum. Put down the sword and surrender!"
The rest of you are not far off roll perception checks to see if you hear any of this. As some of the troopers see members of the original Adventure Team Grimm they scream in alarm. "Commander! HVT's in sight highly dangerous!" The commander responds with "I see them!" He speaks into a comms device built into his helmet "This is agent 6501 requesting backup! Send in the 1027!! I repeat send in the 1027!!"
A portal opens above you and a huge mechanoid drops through. As it hits the ground it kicks up rocks and dirt and lands with a small earthquake level thud. Roll a dexterity saving throw!
Once back in Tellenor allow the players to go about town and check out the Owlbear's Egg their new headquarters.
Ijin Matsushige
You walk through town feeling both on edge and strangely comfortable in this town. Tellenor is a classic idyllic small town full of life, children, food and good drink but you also hear the stories and murmurs from the people about the dangers they have faced in the last few months alone. There does seem to be some concern about having a team of powerful adventurers living amongst them. How wonderful to have such strong defenders who drove off an invading force and saved them from demons all in the span of a week. Others point out that maybe all of these situations may have been caused by Adventure Team Grimm. They have dangerous enemies who would hurt or kill innocent bystanders without a thought. Their headquarters was recently blown to smithereens by an unseen force it is only blind luck that someone in town wasn't killed.
And yet you see hope and happiness in many of the townsfolk as you stick to the shadows and steer clear of large gatherings. What would you like to do as you stroll through town? Suddenly you see a shimmer only 15 feet away, then another and another! Rectangles, doorways slide open and six figures rush forward pointing devices at you. They are dressed in black gear with strange helmets and straps of gear around their waists and backs. The one in the lead stands only ten feet away from you and he says "Ijin Matsushige! You are under arrest for violating 13 laws concerning the safety of the space time continuum. Put down the sword and surrender!"
The rest of you are not far off roll perception checks to see if you hear any of this. As some of the troopers see members of the original Adventure Team Grimm they scream in alarm. "Commander! HVT's in sight highly dangerous!" The commander responds with "I see them!" He speaks into a comms device built into his helmet "This is agent 6501 requesting backup! Send in the 1027!! I repeat send in the 1027!!"
A portal opens above you and a huge mechanoid drops through. As it hits the ground it kicks up rocks and dirt and lands with a small earthquake level thud. Roll a dexterity saving throw!
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