Crypts of Chaos

[JigokuBosatsu]

Berry suddenly remembers something. "Oh, that drow paladin? She ended up on the wrong end of a combination fireball/gas explosion. I can show you her burnt corpse if we go that way later."

[Whatever]

"I wasn't even there when the explosion killed Archibald and the spider lady. Kai's death is my fault, though. I thought the Cube was safe now, but it wasn't, and it killed him. As for treasure, you're welcome to it. We're just carrying it back so it wouldn't be left behind. Or worse, used by others against us. Like that godforsaken axe that keeps turning up." Cadwyn answers, moving in front of Madoc, to protect her.

[Avoraciopoctules]

"Chaos..."

Xil's eyes burn as she releases the pent-up wave of despair and contempt that is her gaze attack. She then vomits out a cone of necrotic miasma and tomb grit, angling it so it splashes over Cadwyn and Madoc, but not Berry. The undead wasps follow closely behind, landing on the two of them.

"Mister Wildcard, I'm afraid I can't risk you hurting anyone else I care about. The necrosis should keep the Mad God using you to strike at us again."

[Free action: Activate Gaze of Despair (Fortitude DC 20)
Standard action: Breath of Death (Fortitude DC 20)
Move action: order forward wasps, make sure that she's being covered by the skeletons.]

[Ancient History]

Cadwyn's eyes glow a lambent green as his hand raises of its own accord, holding the cube, which glows violently for a moment before assuming a serene, blank glow.

Once the Cube begins glowing, the green glow immediately vanishes from Cadwyn's eyes.

Xochitl's gaze attack and breath weapon automatically fail within the radius of the effect; Berry likewise feels the abilities from her technomagical implants and scorpion tattoo fade.

Once they enter the area of effect, the undead wasp swarm does not follow 'Xochitl's command, but mills in place between 'Xochitl and Cadwyn/Madoc.

[Avoraciopoctules]

Xil's smile widens.

"And now the power suddenly works to preserve you. Yes, I think this proves my point. Your will is not your own. Your fate is not your own. And as long as we make entertaining targets, the Mad God will use you as a weapon against us. We cannot afford to let you near us as long as you are tainted by those 'gifts'."

[Avoraciopoctules]

After a pause for effect, 'Xochitl continues in a rather theatrical manner.

"Unless... tell me, did you ever stop to consider that we could just cast them into the river leading into the Mad God's maw?"

Tilting her head to glance at Berry, Xilraxochitl winks. Then she returns her gaze to Cadwyn, sniffs once, and glances briefly back the way she came, as if searching for some unseen lurker.

[Whatever]

Cadwyn's face shows shock, and a little fear. One mouth snaps, "My Fate was never my own," while the other whispers, "You are right. I am too dangerous." Cadwyn suddenly seems to reach a decision, "Here, Berry, take Archie's staff. I'll take the Eye of the Mad God, that he was carrying before, since his trinkets are too dangerous to keep around. And I'll leave you two. I won't seek you out until I master these, or they master me. If that's okay with you?" Cadwyn asks Xil.

[Avoraciopoctules]

"Can I offer you any magic that might help you?"

Xil gives a quick rundown on the stuff she is carrying, placing some emphasis on the spell scroll (Spectral Hand, Cat's Grace, Change Self), coin of not coming back as undead, and the intelligent ring of Shielding.

[Avoraciopoctules]

After considering for a moment, Xil halts midway through what she knows about the holy pistols.

"Perhaps you should hold onto the staff, if you can use it. When you confront whoever's using you, a well-placed demon rampage could be very helpful. And you might be able to use, say, a glabrezu's wish to undo some of the problems with your gear."

[Whatever]

Cadwyn makes a sort of twisting motion at that suggestion; shaking one's head is difficult without a neck. "No. I'll not be summoning anything, not in this place. Keep it. Protect yourselves. I'll take the Eye and be on our way."

[Avoraciopoctules]

'Xochitl shrugs, and makes an odd spiraling gesture with one hand. "All right. Good luck. I'll come back to the Crypts when I finish my trade mission, hopefully you'll have figured something out when whoever's still alive goes looking for you."

She retrieves her minions, then moves to check in on the bodies of Kai, Archibald, and the drow paladin.

[Prak]

((This is in room 00, right?))

[Avoraciopoctules]

{Nope. We inna maze}

[Ancient History]

While your group is deliberating, Madoc gives a howl of pain, and there is a sudden thump and crack as she repeatedly slams her tail into the wall. The reason for this is obvious as an undead Cap'n Ratbeard has his emaciated paws and teeth sunk into her flesh. After a few blows, the undead vermin is little more than shattered bones held within his old coat, and his little hat falls off his broken skull...and from it emerges a piece of paper:

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             ╔══╕╒══╗
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        ╔╤╝┌┐├┘┌┐┌┐└┤┌┐╚╤╗
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      ╔╝╔╛╘╗┌┤╔╛╘╛╘╗├┐╔╛╘╗╚╗
      ║├╢║║║││║║║║║║││║║║╟┤║
     ╔╝│╚╕╒╝┌┘╚╕╒╕╒╝├┐╚╕╒╝│╚╗
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     ║│└┴┴╜╔═╗╙─┘└─╜╔═╗╙┘└┘│║
    ╔╝└┘┌─╖╚═╝╓─┐┌─╖╚═╝╓─┬┴┘╚╗
    ║┌┐│└┘╚╤═╤╝││││╚╤═╤╝└┘│┌┐║
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    ║├┘└┘│┌┘└─╜╔╗╔╗╙─┘└┐│└┘└┤║
   ╔╝│┌┐╔╛╘╗┌─╖║╚╝║╓─┐╔╛╘╗┌┐│╚╗ 
   ╙┘└┴─╜╔╗╙─┴╢╚╗╔╝╟┬─╜╔╗╙─┘└┴╜
   ╓┬┐┌─╖╚╝╓─┬╢╔╝╚╗╟┌─╖╚╝╓─┐┌┬╖
   ╚╗│└┘╚╕╒╝└─╜║╔╗║╙─┤╚╕╒╝└┘│╔╝
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    ╚╗┌┬┴─╜╔═╗╙─┘└─╜╔═╗╙┬┘┌┐╔╝
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      ║├╢║║║││║║║║║║││║║║╟┤║
      ╚╗╚╕╒╝├┘╚╕╒╕╒╝└┘╚╕╒╝╔╝
       ╚╗│├┘├┐└┘││└┘┌┐└┘│╔╝
        ╚═╗└┘├┐└┘└┤┌┤└┘╔╧╝
          ╚══╗│┌┐┌┤│╔══╝
             ╚══╛╘══╝
                

[Avoraciopoctules]

Xil's eyes go pitch black for an instant as she projects her undead aura of dominion over the surrounding 30 feet. "Stop that. Get over here." She glances at the map, then looks to Cadwyn. "You're gonna be spending more time in the maze than either of us. Let's agree to meet up near the Oracle in around 3 days, and this should help you find your way back."

[Ancient History]

'Xochitl does not receive any response to her efforts to control undead. {Note: Cube is still glowing, effect is still active.}

[Avoraciopoctules]

Xil sighs. "Good thing I have tricks that work in Antimagic, too."

She strolls in and grabs the rat in one hand, crushing its skeleton with a powerful squeeze.

[JigokuBosatsu]

Berry hands over the Eye and stows the Staff. "Good luck, Cadwyn. Don't be too hard on yourself. That being said, I'd prefer not to be blasted almost to death again. So figure it out." The mechanical gnome looks over at Xil. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather come back to the Oracle's room and rest with us first?"

[Whatever]

"All right. Three days." Cadwyn says with one mouth, as he takes the map, storing it and the Eye. The other mouth adds, "If you need to get a message to me before then, write it on a sign and carry it around."

He leads Madoc off into the maze, heading west, away from the Giftgiver's Prison. (Speaking of which, does she still look injured, or mostly healthy now?)

[JigokuBosatsu]

Berry continues back towards the Oracle's room.

[Ancient History]

"All right. Three days." Cadwyn says with one mouth, as he takes the map, storing it and the Eye. The other mouth adds, "If you need to get a message to me before then, write it on a sign and carry it around."

He leads Madoc off into the maze, heading west, away from the Giftgiver's Prison. (Speaking of which, does she still look injured, or mostly healthy now?)

{Mostly healthy.}

[Avoraciopoctules]

The mechanical gnome looks over at Xil. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather come back to the Oracle's room and rest with us first?"

"If you're telling the truth, and those tattoos work like I thought, then I suppose there isn't anything I can do for Kai at this point. Fine, lead the way."

[Ancient History]

{Just so I have everyone's actions clear:

Berry & 'Xochitl are heading back to Room 00.

Tek is in Room 00.

Cadwyn & Madoc are going west.

And KorganO and Red Rob haven't finished their characters yet.}

[Ancient History]

In Room 00
The shadows coalesce and flee once again, leaving behind a bat-like creature. Tek, the kenku, is speaking in low tones to the Pyrogathean Oracle, and 'Xochitl and Berry return from the maze to the south.

In Da Maze
Cadwyn heads west with Madoc in tow, and notes that the light of the cube no longer sheds a uniform light - and his magical abilities have returned. The western route turns to the south.

[Whatever]

Cadwyn checks his map, and continues south, and, unless he finds anything, or anyone, of note, turns west at the next T-junction, heading for the dead end. One mouth hums a light and merry tune, the other mutters something about needing someplace safe to work.