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Shadows of the Past

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Levinath

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Shadows of the Past
« on: January 26, 2018, 09:45:18 AM »

The blue flames faded in the heavy fog as the undead spectator was consumed by Dr. Wicker’s fire, the red orbs float about its head floated away before fading out of existence just as their host. The cave floor was slick with blood and gore as Wolfe and Westra rose from their temporary paralysis. The fog slow began to flow from the cavern, revealing the fallen bodies of ghouls, zombies, and the remains of skeletons from the battle long past.

Green light flooded into the cavern reflecting from the gems and minerals in the cavern walls. The large workshop was badly damaged by the ancient spell battle that laid waste to the mine. Worktables taking up two corners of the room are scorched, and the plaster has been burned off the masonry walls. In the middle of the room, a stone pedestal holds a small brazier in which an eerie green flame dances and crackles, shedding the entire area into a green luminescence. The brazier and its pedestal appear to have been untouched by the forces that destroyed this area.

Dr. Wicker is quickly able to discern the brazier as the source of the magic that suffuses the surrounding caverns. This magic has waned over the years, to the extent that it can no longer be harnessed to permanently enchant magic items. However, any non-magical weapon or armor bathed in the green flame for at least 1 minute becomes a +1 weapon or +1 armor, respectively, for Id12 hours. An inspection of the area reveals a mace and enchanted armor in a small storage room off the main forge area that appear long untouched.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2018, 09:51:35 AM by Levinath »
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Doctor Catriona Wicker

  • "Tarnation!!"
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Re: Shadows of the Past (Post S24)
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2018, 06:57:43 PM »
There was a disappointment in the Lantanese scientist in how the oddly named undead floating entity left no really means to study.  So far, she had made quite a collection of bizarre monster parts from hydra eyeballs to samples of sentient ooze.  Luckily, there were plenty of ghoul parts about in the muck, amputated with extreme prejudice by Westra and Wolfe.  After stowing away a ghoul’s finger, she proceeded into the workshop proper, block heeled boots stepping gingerly across the floor, sticking to the least gore laden areas. 

“Prevalent signs of some major armed conflict here, but not recent.  Maybe hundreds of years ago?” she surmised to herself aloud.  In all honesty, to her, this was kind of cool. An ancient workshop secretly hidden in a mine somewhere off the map.  Thoughts swirled in her mind about what could have possibly happened here, who built it and why. 

The central brazier called her attention like a visual siren song, having her approach it in almost what looked like a stupor.  Verdant illumination played against her pale visage and she stared into it, briefly transfixed.  There was the common misconception that Catriona’s spectacles were for faulty eyesight.  The truth is that while they were corrective lenses, their purpose was to dull the environment.  Without them, she often could experience visual stimuli that went into spectrums she could not process properly.  And that lead to headaches, vertigo, and other issues.

Sometimes, stimuli still penetrated, however.  This mystic flames zoned her out for a good moment, before she snapped to. “This is the source of the energies that permeate the cavern.  Its not at full magnitude, there has been substantial energy efficacy decay, but its still functional after all these years!”  The embers fluttered about before her and she sets her screwdriver/make-shift-dagger through the fire, finding it charged after a minute.  “The arcane energy should charge mundane items for a time, likely variable depending on mass and material makeup of the item.”

“Infuse your weapons or armor while we are here, in case we uh.. Have to battle the vaporous phantoms you all were exchanging pleasantries with…”  she says, directing the others to use the forge. The thought being that those 'things' might be easier to dispatch with enchanted armaments...

Ambling away from the fire, the bosomy platinum blonde investigates the rest of the workshop for things of interest.  Ancient plans, tools, other such things she can use or add to her repertoire.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 07:32:47 PM by Doctor Catriona Wicker »
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Wolfe

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Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2018, 04:59:32 PM »
The Half-Orc Blademaster had taken a bit of a beating, but he had fought with more intelligence and guile against the formidable Undead Spectator. He had wanted to take the fight directly against the creature, but Cat's direction to save Westra while paralyzed against a number of Ghouls. It was the smart play, but he was grumpy about it.

Thankfully, Cat's psychic power and the combined attacks of Raithe and the frilly Bard had taken care of the monster. He smiled over at the Latanese scientist with a toothy grin, seeming revitalized once he was free from the dark magics that had bound him. "Great job, Doc." He gave Westra a look and a laugh that wasn't exactly kind, then moved to investigate the pool.

Drawing free his katana, Wolfe let out a soft prayer in a strange tongue as he bathed the ancient blade into the pool.

Turning toward Cat then as he drew the blade free with its glowing green energy, he considered the steampunk scientist for a moment in thought. "Cat, do you think you can use this thing to transfer magics?" ]He hefted up Talon, the longsword he'd been wielding, next to the green glowing sword.

"If so, you think you can do it? I'd rather a more worthy sword have the magic that this thing has in it." He didn't seem concerned about the phantoms like Doctor Wicker, after all they had promised treasure(!) for clearing this place out.
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Zimran Ibanez

Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2018, 10:35:05 AM »
"HA! Another wretched creature falls before us!" Zimran exclaimed, his arms up in the air with enthusiasm. Stowing his hand crossbow, the bard pulled out his notebook to quickly jot down a few notes of the battle, seemingly lost in his own mind as he occasionally hums a few notes while rhyming words together.

"Wicker... sicker... sticker... thicker..." A few quick strums on his yarting as Zimran works out the rhythm to his new song.

"Mighty Captain... Beauteous warrior...Radiant and just..." Again a few more strums and a pleased look crosses the half-elf's face.

"An elf's true sight, surrounded by might... The Wolfe growls... disembowels..." The bard continued.

When the strange doctor speaks up, the bard's attention turns away from his song and instead he makes notes and repeats aloud many of her strange words. Only after a while does Zimran realize that the doctor seems to be informing them all of some sort of temporary magic power the forge seems to have. The half-orc seemed to have no fear of the ancient device but the bard remains well outside the room too concerned with the song he is writing in his head to douse his clothing and weapons in magical flames.
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Doctor Catriona Wicker

  • "Tarnation!!"
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Re: Shadows of the Past (Post S24)
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2018, 11:18:39 PM »
The strange laugh from the warrior just had the doctor shake her head as she went about the remainder of the chamber, investigating.  The bard’s exuberance was kind of humorous, considering how dangerous the situation became;  though she was not above similar exultation. Anyone in the group could tell you that.  Her emotions or feelings on matters were hardly cryptic with her;  her features were more expressive than most and she did not do much to hide an honest reaction.

When she heard her name placed in some work-shopping of a tune, the woman’s eyebrows pushed together as she looked over wondering what the rest of the words were about.  Was this the creative process of minstrels?  On Lantan, most music was etched into large copper discs and played on a turntable machine; rarely ever performed live.  Before she could give this more consideration, the bellicose half-orc hollered in her direction for some favor.


She turned to give him a look and, like in the aforementioned admission, her countenance did not betray her displeasure. It was quite odd that he found himself so free to ask her for a favor so easily after not only destroying her clockwork owl, but rubbing salt in matters by purposefully stomping on its pieces.  Quite reminiscent of her peers and the older kids she had to suffer in days past.

“When everyone is finished with their own enchantments, I’ll see what is possible.” is all she said before turning back to move to the threshold of the door where the bard was doing his business.


“Mister Ibanez, sorry to uhh... interrupt the...creative process..?” she seemed to lose track of how she wanted to say that mid-sentence.  “I noticed you use crossbows and I wanted to impart that the Forge can enhance your ammunition if you like. For a time, make them sharper and able to strike magical beings…if.. you know.. you didn’t hear my announcement.  Before.”  A brief moment passes and she adds,  “I just think that it would benefit everyone if we were all equipped best as possible given the uh.. opportunity… against whatever ambulatory dead threats that remain.”

Her shoulders rise and fall and she adjusts her spectacles, her case being made in its awkward fashion.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 07:32:36 PM by Doctor Catriona Wicker »
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Zimran Ibanez

Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2018, 09:44:13 PM »
Zimran paused his music making as the strange doctor approached him. All the while she spoke, the bard seemingly ignored her words and watched her instead. As she finished her words, Zimran could be seen mouthing the word "ambulatory" several times in succession.

Catching himself in the moment of creation, Zimran realized he was supposed to respond.

"My apologies, Dr. Wicker. Can I simply call you 'Doctor'? Or perhaps 'Doc'?!" The half-elf's eyes flashed briefly with joy, as though someone had just been surprised by a sweet treat. "Or of course any proper titles you prefer to be addressed by, I mean no disrespect."

The bard reached to his side and unbuckled the small bolt quiver that hung at his waist and then tossed them to Dr. Wicker, "I trust you know better than I do what to do with those in the forge."

He then flashed her a winning smile, "And Doc, try not to be so timid. From what I've seen you possess quite a bit of strange, yet formidable, power. Some would find that alluring..."

Zimran arched his eyebrow as his smile continued, "Others, of course, will find it quite threatening. Learn to wield it and you could be a force unstoppable."

The bard returned to his strumming and looked up at the marvelous cave they were in. He sang, almost softly, as he worked his new tune,

"In the cave of wonders, through the shimmering gorge,
Her eyes flashed in brilliance, of the wonders of the Forge.

Power unlocked, though the pyre grown weak,
The secrets no longer hidden from what she would seek..."

The bard's words trailed away before repeating the lines again, this time to a different rhythm.
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Doctor Catriona Wicker

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Re: Shadows of the Past (Post S24)
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2018, 12:52:55 PM »
“If you want, that’s…perfectly fine.  Either is, I mean.”  Some months on the Sword Coast had her come to the understanding that most titles not born of a nobility or established class were not  always regarded with importance.  In her homeland, the gnomes and humans were sticklers for titles earned.  Almost all prestige came from how smart you were and what you achieved with that intelligence.  Mainland Faerun had less an emphasis on academic prominence, save maybe for wizards.

“Whatever is.. uh.. easiest.” she acquiesced after another mild shrug.

She gets startled some at being so quickly tossed the bolts, the catches them all the same, if not in clumsily.  The platinum blonde looked over the bolts, considering them a moment when Ibanez took the liberty to throw unsolicited advice and appraisal her way.  Her bespectacled gaze lifted from the ammunition to regard him, eyebrows pushing together a bit in a quiet incomprehension of the bard’s intent.

Her lips parted once, twice, if not three times as if to interject or provide some response, but none never passed the wall of awkward timidity.   Just because you have an impressive intellect does not mean you always know what to say.

Then, he unceremoniously resumed what he was doing as if she had never interrupted.  Harpers are strange, she thought.

Catriona grasped the bolts as if to physically remind herself what she came for.  “Okay...”   she said quietly, accompanied by a brief throat clear. Turning on a heel, she left the minstrel to his odd works, returning to the forge to place bolts in its arcane fires.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 08:28:09 PM by Doctor Catriona Wicker »
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Wolfe

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Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2018, 01:44:39 PM »
"Great. Thanks!" Wolfe said in enthusiastic reply to Cat's subdued agreement to help him. The Half-Orc didn't seem to pick up on any lingering displeasure or bitterness; he wasn't the most empathic of creatures, really. The blademaster, seeing Cat and Zimran go into some dialogue and banter, moved off toward the entrance of the chamber. While Cat inspected Zimran's arrows and would go about trying to enhance them, he moved off and left the group behind to go speak to the phantoms that greeted them and allowed them to rest in their permanent home.

"Hey, we killed the thing that you two were worried about!" He called to the ghosts as he approached their home. "You two don't have to hide out any more!"
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Westra Goldbrook

Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2018, 03:37:49 PM »
After the creature's death released the paladin from its paralytic magic, Westra spent a moment getting her bearings. She looked unharmed, but bothered, and quietly retreated out of the room to find a quiet corner in which to pray.

She returned a moment later, seeming sober still but less perturbed. Wolfe was on his way somewhere else, a fact that bothered Westra not at all, the bard was singing to himself, and Catriona was approaching the forge with a quiver of crossbow bolts in hand. Westra made her way over to where the Doc was, beside the forge, and watched her work with the bolts.

"You have proven to be a most capable ally to have," she said, quietly and simply. "We are fortunate to have you with us, Doctor. Thank you for your help." She narrowed her eyes, a curious expression taking her face as she inspected the forge.

"Did I hear you say the magic from the forge is temporary?" she asked, giving an eye to her halberd and contemplating it.
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Levinath

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Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2018, 03:58:47 PM »
The flames flickered as Catriona took the bolts each in turn and held them into the eerie green fire. As she pulled each out and inspected them, the deep green glow dissipated into a subtle shimmer. Only with close inspection could she tell the bolts still held onto the power of the magical flames, though the energies were fading quickly. She confirmed that half life of these energies to be roughly thirty minutes. The function of the magical forge seemed simple enough for the doctor’s learned mind and she set about at her next task. Nundro continued watching from across the room with interest.


The gems in the walls and ceilings grew brighter as they reflected light across the now clearing cave. In a matter of minutes all the fog was nearly gone from this pace. Silence was the only reply the warrior received as he called to the ghosts prior to entering. As Wolfe entered the small building that had houses to two apparitions, he received on response or acknowledgement.  The dust and ash kicked up as he stepped back into the room. The furnishings-tables, chairs, bookshelves, beds all appeared more charred or splintered than they had been only a few minutes prior. As Wolfe looks around the room that appears empty he notices scorched iron chest stands near the foot of one of the beds. A large shelf of books sits neatly and mostly untouched above a second bed. He also notices a large form rests against the far south wall under a pile of rubble. Upon further inspections it seems to be some kind of metal construct that appeared non-functioning so far as the orc could tell.

When Wolfe returned to the group, the doctor still had not began working on the Orc's weapon. She requested his aid in reforging of the blade. The half orc held both weapons over the forge as the Doctor instructed him, positioning both blades to be bathed in the small flame. Cat spoke in magical words unknown to Wolfe, magical words she hoped would unbind the magics on Talon and infuse them into Wolfe’s weapon. As she finished, he hefted them both from the green flames before they inspected each. It was clear Wolfe’s beloved weapon was indeed infused with the magic of the forge, but the properties of Talon had not been successfully transferred.

Nundro said something inaudible before the pair turned him. He raised his voice and repeated his statement. “Ye needs to have da flames ‘otter fer that kind ‘er magic.” He pointed to a pile of coal behind the forge before moving towards the bellows on the other end. “Put three shovels of coal down there.” He pointed to the opening below the flame. In short order the dwarf was working the bellows and the heat in the room increased dramatically. Sweat dripped over the half orc and half elf as followed the Dwarf’s seemingly over complicated instructions. Half a shovel more of coal, work the bellows for 13 seconds then add another shovel. After Wolfe;s 7th objection to performing these tasks Nundro looked to Cat. “Do it now, Lass.”

The heat burned at Wolfe’s hands as he held the blades back in place in the raging green flame and the bottoms of the Doctor’s hair singed and turned black as she began the enchantment again. The unpleasant smell of burnt air and roasting orc flesh began to waft out of the super heated chamber. Nundro continued to pump the bellows and ran around the pair adding coal at random intervals. As the Doctor finished her spell a second time, Wolfe began to feel Talon heat up. The heat seared at his palm until he noticed the tip of the blade was melting into the forge itself. The Katana inversely felt colder, the familiar chill of the magical longsword radiated from his own weapon. He released the longsword as it was consumed but the massive green flame.
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Doctor Catriona Wicker

  • "Tarnation!!"
  • 0
  • For Lantan.
Re: Shadows of the Past (Post S24)
« Reply #10 on: February 07, 2018, 12:22:46 AM »
The flickers of green flame reflected against the resin cast glass in her anachronistic seeming spectacles.  Work of any kind was where she felt properly comfortable and calm.  The likely centuries old tongs still worked well enough for the process of the temporary enchanting of the bolts and other gear people had left for her.   

Westra’s approach then distracted her a bit; self consciousness taking hold at the captain’s praise.  It was odd for her to process to a degree:  Westra was most things she wasn’t ; full of strength and confidence, fueled by self assured righteousness and seemingly fearless.  Sure, the unflinching “faith” bit was… strange… but she even owned that.

Somewhat mousy in her demeanor, Catriona replied with “Oh, no problem, Captain. I enjoy doing this umm... sort of thing.  Kind of how you and Mister Wolfe enjoy pummeling undesirables.”  The doctor offers a mild smile that was quirk-ish, yet still sincere. Following the steely-eyed paladin’s gaze to the Forge and she nodded.  “That is correct;  no harm in utilizing it in case we encounter resistance on our way out of here.   Beyond half an hour, I believe the enhancements will decay.  This Forge likely was very potent in its original time of creation.  It is surprising we see it active at all.”  it’s like the nerd wished she could have been there to see it.

♦♦♦♦

Not versed in any real magecraft, Catriona did try her best to try an enchantment transfer, using the Forge and the half-orc as conduits.  She was internally apprehensive of damaging the grand katana, having an unspoken reverence for such an exotic weapon.  Perhaps that played a part in her being unable to properly transfer the magical energy.

When Nundro interjected with a solution, Doctor Wicker was not too proud to accept.  She spoke, throughout, as if working out the crafty dwarf’s logic while in process.  There was some exhilaration in discovering this new process, as unusual as it was.  Following Nundro’s lead, she found herself infected with interest and zeal of performing a feat like this for the first time, personal safety be damned.

The process complete, she exhaled heavily, chest heaving in a moment of brief silence. Then she grinned.  “Gond’s gears, that... was... stupendous!”

Apparently, any physical damage that had occurred to anyone (even herself) involved did not put a damper on her exaltation of a successful experiment.

Picking up her glasses which had fallen off during the ordeal, she places them back in.  The doctor bounces in place with a little jubilant hop of joy, then offers her hand to Nundro for a high five. 

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Wolfe

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Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2018, 12:03:28 AM »
Wolfe wasn't exactly happy about the process of getting half-cooked to get the enchantment of Talon to the daikatana that he'd been carrying since they all met him. While he'd not used the larger blade since he'd acquired the magical longsword, he nonetheless had maintained the weapon well over the last few weeks. Now, though, he held it with a greater reverence than Cat held for the exotic weapon, his own personal history vested into the sword.

Covered in sweat and small burns, the half-drunk half-Orc watched as the weapon he'd used fell away into melting steel into the forge. The now glowing daikatana was switched to be held by both hands, and he looked with wide-eyed wonder at the newly empowered blade.

"Well. Damn." He said softly, for words were insufficient to a sudden swell of emotion as he looked at the weapon that now carried an empowered status than it had held before.

Turning to Nundro he nodded to the Dwarf who'd assisted them, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Nundro." He resisted a pet name there, and then turned to Cat, his eyes having a hint of wetness to them (surely from the heat!) and he spoke in a more solid voice.

"Thank you, Cat. This means a lot to me. I owe you one."

He then turned to the weapon, as if speaking to the sword itself. "It once had a name. But it deserves a new one. 償 還." He named the now enchanted weapon, which sounded like Shō-kan when heard aloud.

"Redemption."
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Westra Goldbrook

Re: Shadows of the Past
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2018, 03:32:34 PM »
Westra allowed a faint half-smile at the Doctor's summation of the paladin's favored past-time. It wasn't untrue, she decided. The drunken orc returned shortly after, and while he took Catriona's attention away, Westra dipped her halberd into the flames of the forge, first the blade and then the pummel on the reverse end. When it seemed to have successfully soaked up the enchantment offered by the forge, she moved away to make room for whatever needful demand Wolfe was making of the doctor.

Westra moved about the room afterwards, collecting anything that seemed like it might be of use. She found a breastplate that seemed promising, and spent the next short while cleaning it and fitting it to herself. It tingled with some faint magic even before she took it to the forge to bathe it in those baleful flames. Besides how useful it seemed, she rather liked the dragon emblazoned on its front.

Once she was finished and suited up properly, Westra wandered out into the hall outside the forge's room. She gave an eye to the walls that were sparkling with crystals embedded in the rock, and reached out to let a hand pass over the stone.

"It has a certain beauty to it, despite its macabre past," she mused. She turned to find the Bard not far away, and approached him at an unhurried pace.

"What will you do now that you have your freedom?" she asked him, hands clasped behind her back. "Now that your charge has found his mine and is relatively safe?"
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