Chapter 34: Nightmare World

[SocraticLawyer]

Although no one can see him doing so, Urdur nods at his dark reflection. After all, what is a reflection, if not the reverberation of the self?

Unseen by all (except, paradoxically, himself!), Urdur must follow his own suggestion and move up the stairs.

If Urdur can pour/throw holy water on Ingrid or Jerome as he goes without making himself visible and without disobeying Dark Urdur's suggestion, he will attempt to do so. But it seems like that might not be feasible.

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







"... tonight, all of you shall become the Hookhill Ripper. Come! Follow me and the truth will be revealed and you shall have understanding at last! Let nothing stop you from gaining this enlightenment."

Enthralled by the evil gnome occultist, Ingrid, Jerome and Urdur ascend the stairs deeper into the house of madness.



Ingrid and Jerome feel their armor burn them (8hp damage each!) but they ignore it as they were instructed, despite the agony and the hideous smell of cooking flesh!

Deep in hypnosis, Urdur and Ingrid remember another nightmare:

Ingrid, Long Bo and Urdur dream of something that should be deeply buried that has woken up and crawled into the conscious regions of their minds, rewriting the very cells of their brains.



The Dark Mother, the Great Old One that has haunted their dreams since Briarsgate! Reawakened by their contact with the Dreamlands, now it slithers through a labyrinth towards a frightful becoming of full and awful manifestation. Through sheer will, Ingrid, Long Bo and Urdur drag themselves out of their nightmares. They will not succumb to monsters. Their minds are their own... for now.

Had... had their subconscious selves failed to resist?

Telkis and his spitting image crash morningstars in identical synchronicity!

The twin Mousers cannot bear to attack each other and lunge at the two Farons! Moving as symmetrical opposites, both Farons deftly evade the Mousers' blades and each other's! The true Faron cries, "Long Bo! Stop the mirror Urdur!" and both druids react!

As the true Bo prepares yet another impossible miracle, his dark reflection stands between him and the grand staircase and says, "Has your wisdom abandoned you? There is no hope for you here in our world."


Actions?! (And Long Bo, please post two rounds of actions!)


Map:


Behind the DM Screen:

No initiative roll is necessary. The doomed heroes and their dark reflections move simultaneously. Initiative is tied.
Heat Metal damage: [2d4]=8
Telkis' two attacks: [1d20+2]=8+2=10, [1d20+2]=13+2=15, damage: [2d4+2]=3+2=5, [2d4+2]=4+2=6 Both attacks miss!

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 21/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 16/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Hypnotized
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Hypnotized
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 33/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Hypnotized

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Detect Magic (Long Bo): Duration: 1 round
Faerie Fire (Long Bo): Targets: The Bo, Jerome, Telkis and Urdur from the accursed looking glass. Duration: 20 rounds
Heat Metal (Long Bos): Targets: Both Jeromes, and the true Ingrid. Duration: 4 rounds. Rounds of exposure: 3
Hypnotism (Urdurs): Targets: Urdur, both Ingrids, both Jeromes. Duration: 4 rounds.
Friends (Mousers): Targets: Both Mousers. Duration: 2 rounds.
Invisibility (Urdur): Target: Urdur

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[ChubbyPixie]

Sorry, guys. Was pretty sick last week.

Telkis stops and lowers his weapon. Looking due east over the shoulder of Welkis, he sees that the stone walls of the room are closer in that direction than they are behind him to the west. He smiles, wearily.

"I am better looking," he says to his evil twin, then removes his helm, does an about face and runs due west at top speed with his arms back and head lowered.

An experiment.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser tries his blade again against the evil Faron. He spies a weakness and strikes true!

Scalpel (THACO 19) To Hit [1d20]=20, S/M/L Dam. [1d8]=2

[OGRE MAGE]

Holding actions until after a full minute of time passes creates a challenging dilemma.

How did the other Bo get across the room to block the real Bo? Did he walk? Run? Could Bo have reacted to that action before he was already standing in front of him? If I make one action now, how do I know what their reaction will be to my first action, so I know what to do as my second action? That might work for a combat situation but.......

I hope you can understand that question and don't think I am simply looking for something to complain about. This is already a confusing situation, continuous time jumping makes it even more so.


Long Bo

"Oh, is that so?"

"Are you suggesting that there is hope for you in ours?"


Edit:
Bo will cast his Dispel Magic upon the invisible Urdur as he passes up the stairs. (still unsure where that puts the other Bo....)

He will then try a spell that makes little sense in this situation, attempting to learn something new about these evil reflections of ours.

Casting: Feign Death

Upon himself.

[SocraticLawyer]

Unseen Urdur spends a precious few seconds contemplating what he has seen, heard, observed, and manipulated. His mind, already fragile, considers ponderous paradoxes of this strange realm.

We are you, his shadow self said. Hence, you are we. We and you are one and the same. Reality (duality) is an illusion. There is no they.

That means ... there is no shadow. Perhaps, as well, there is no Ripper...?

Illusions can be manipulated. Dissipated. Dispersed. Dispensed. Disposed of (if displeasing).

If he can do so this round, Urdur banishes his own shadow. Casts Dispel Illusion, targeting evil Urdur.

If he can't reach evil Urdur this turn, he will try to target evil Jerome with the same spell.

[jemmus]

Having given and received mirror wounds with his dream self, Faron changes targets to the evil Mouser.

THAC0 19 +1 Longsword [1d20+1]=17+1=18 S/M [1d8+1]=4+1=5 L [1d12+1]=4+1=5

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







Long Bo's dark reflection stands between him and the grand staircase and says, "Has your wisdom abandoned you? There is no hope for you here in our world."

The true Bo replies, "Are you suggesting that there is hope for you in ours?" and, with an ancient word of power, the grey druid shatters the beguilement that has imprisoned Urdur's mind!

Long Bo has replicated an action undertaken moments earlier by his shadow self. Which of them is truly the reflection?

The Evil Bo snarls, "We shall subjugate your world as it has subjugated ours!"

(Next round...)

The evil Urdur, as much a master hypnotist and arcane scholar of blasphemous, unspeakable lore as the true Urdur, continues to lead both Ingrids and both Jeromes deeper into the house of madness and horror!



They ascend the magnificent balcony (area 13) that overlooks the grand hall and enter an exquisitely appointed sitting room (room 14) and stop before a majestic door.

Urdur's evil self turns to them and smiles, "Prepare yourselves now! For you shall soon learn the truth and gain enlightenment!"

Then he smells the searing flesh of both Jeromes and the true Ingrid. (6hp more damage) "Oh, you poor simple children. What have you done to yourselves? Ingrid, take off that armor before it kills you. We can't have you dying on us just yet."



In a horrific trance, Ingrid begins to comply, blistering the inside of her hands on her red-hot mail.

"You too," the evil Urdur says to the anti-paladin. "...You weak minded fool."

Meanwhile, behind them on the sweeping staircase, the true Urdur is free of the mental enslavement of his wicked doppelganger who, with his entourage, has moved beyond the range of Urdur's incantation! (Urdur, please post two actions next round)

Below him, past the bottom of the stairs, Long Bo conducts an experiment to learn something of the nature of these mirror creatures and places himself into a deep, death-like trance!

His malevolent reflection looks up the stairs at where Long Bo directed his previous invocation, but cannot see the invisible Urdur! He then ascends the steps, almost touching the unseen conjurer as he passes him! (Urdur, please see the OOC thread)

Below, in the grand hall, Telkis also seeks to discover the true relationship of their shadow selves. As he breaks from melee, his alter ego tries to strike Telkis' back but he is too quick for himself and is out of range of the mirror Cranach!

Then the evil Telkis arcs around at speed, charging Faron's flank and bludgeoning the rogue with his ensorcelled morningstar! (6hp damage)



"I think you'll find I'm less sporting than your Telkis!" he says.

The true Telkis watches this with alarm and also realizes that in this deadly encounter, the true Urdur is invisible and his sinister reflection is not! The true Long Bo sealed the portal back to the waking world and his mirror self neither sealed nor reopened it! These eerie simulacra have free will!

And yet, nearby, a combat unfolds with fearful symmetry! Both Farons slash both Mousers with enchanted steel! (5hp damage)
And both Mousers run through both Farons with Scalpel! (4hp damage) However, only the evil Mouser's blade is alive with writhing electricity and it electrocutes the real Faron! (7hp more damage)



With a harrowing cry, Faron's skeleton is visible for one terrifying instant and then he crashes to the floor, lifeless!

The evil Mouser smirks at the evil Faron, "You know, I've always wanted to kill you."

The evil Faron laughs, "In your dreams!"


Actions?! (and Urdur, please post two actions!)


Ground Floor Map Detail:

Lit areas were visible this round. All else is from memory. Red X = Unconscious. Red F = Feign Death

Ground Floor Map:


Second Story Map:


Second Story Map Detail:


Behind the DM Screen:

No initiative roll is necessary. The doomed heroes and their dark reflections move simultaneously. Initiative is tied.
Heat Metal damage: [2d4]=6
Welkis' free opportunity attack at Telkis' back: [1d20+6]=3+6=9, damage: [2d4+2]=5+2=7 Misses.
Welkis charges Faron's flank: [1d20+6]=6+6=12, damage: [2d4+2]=4+2=6 Hits.
Evil Mouser's Shocking Grasp damage to Faron: [1d8+4]=3+4=7

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: -2/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 10/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Hypnotized
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 8/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Hypnotized
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 1/4 2nd lvl, 0/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 33/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Invisible

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Faerie Fire (Long Bo): Targets: The Bo, Jerome, Telkis and Urdur from the accursed looking glass. Duration: 19 rounds
Heat Metal (Long Bos): Targets: Both Jeromes, and the true Ingrid. Duration: 3 rounds. Rounds of exposure: 4
Hypnotism (Urdurs): Targets: both Ingrids, both Jeromes. Duration: 3 rounds
Friends (Mousers): Targets: Both Mousers. Duration: 1 round
Invisibility (Urdur): Target: himself
Feign Death (Long Bo): Target: himself. Duration: 15 rounds

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof - Human Cleric

Ingrid complies with the command, beginning to remove her armor.

[ChubbyPixie]

His brilliant move having proved bone-headed, Telkis curses inwardly and runs for the stairway.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur rushes up the stairs. As evil Bo passes by him, the invisible gnome risks being seen, pushing the dark druid off the stairs.

Urdur only attempts this if he can reasonably knock evil Bo off the stairs and hopefully to his doom. If thats not possible, he won't risk it.

Die roll, if needed: Push evil Long Bo? [1d20]=16

Urdur continues up the stairs and into the room. He gets close enough to his dark reflection, and attempts to dispel him

Casts Dispel Illusion.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser is no dummy. He has been around enough to know he is fucked.

He calls forth magic quickly to aide his escape out of a rapidly deteriorating situation. With a sad frown towards the fallen Faron he quickly casts a jump spell, and makes two giant leaps towards the stairs for hopefully a more defensible position!

[OGRE MAGE]

Still perplexed by the reactions from their evil reflections, Bo lays there playing dead for now. Learning a bit more after each situation, the druid listens intently to the actions of his friends who remained on the lower floor, awaiting his time to rise again so he can approach from behind them on the stairway.

[jemmus]

Faron
Lies prone and breathes raggedly, blood bubbling in his mouth.

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







Invisible, Urdur the gnome watches as the unholy Long Bo moves directly toward him, ascending the curving staircase! Suddenly, Urdur appears out of thin air and pushes the dark druid over the bannister and sends him crashing down to the floor below!

Then Urdur rushes up the stairs, through a beautiful balcony and into an elegant sitting room where he joins his evil self addressing both Ingrids and both Jeromes before a majestic door. The evil Urdur assumes the true Urdur is still under his mesmeric influence and ignores his arrival.

The heinous Jerome...



...and the true Ingrid remove their searing armor as instructed. The saintly Jerome receives no such instructions and continues to be cooked alive inside his iron mail! (4hp damage)

Beneath Ingrid's armor is the attire of a whore.

"How appropriate," admires the evil Urdur. Then he throws open the door and commands, "Enter!"

Through the doors, a curving, candlelit altar lies within.



Suddenly, the true Urdur attempts to dispel his mirror image with an arcane incantation! But his sinister simulacra is not banished into oblivion!

Urdur realizes these beings are not phantasms but flesh and blood, seemingly created by the accursed mirror!



And Urdur is revealed as having broken free of the hypnotic spell of his alter ego!

Below, in the grand hall (area 1), Telkis races up the stairs!

Mouser, surrounded by three of the wicked doppelgangers, casts a magic spell and impossibly leaps out of danger and onto the staircase! The evil Faron and the evil Telkis are too surprised to strike at him as he springs away! The evil Mouser recognizes the spell but is still beguiled by Mouser's dweomer and can't bring himself to attack! Moments later, the beguilement expires and the evil Mouser mutters, "I don't know what I ever saw in that guy."

Mouser's malevolent assailants and the evil Long Bo lunge toward the stairs to catch Telkis and Mouser!


Actions?!


Ground Floor Map Detail:

Lit areas are visible this round. All else is from memory. Red X = Unconscious. Red F = Feign Death

Ground Floor Map:


Second Story Map:


Second Story Map Detail:


Behind the DM Screen:

No initiative roll is necessary. The doomed heroes and their dark reflections move simultaneously. Initiative is tied.
Falling damage to Evil Long Bo: [1d6]=4
Heat Metal damage: [2d4]=4

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: -2/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 10/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Hypnotized
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 4/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Hypnotized
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 1/4 2nd lvl, 0/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 33/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 0/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Faerie Fire (Long Bo): Targets: The Bo, Jerome, Telkis and Urdur from the accursed looking glass. Duration: 18 rounds
Heat Metal (Long Bos): Targets: Both Jeromes, and the true Ingrid. Duration: 2 rounds. Rounds of exposure: 5
Hypnotism (Urdurs): Targets: both Ingrids, both Jeromes. Duration: 2 rounds
Feign Death (Long Bo): Target: himself. Duration: 14 rounds

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof - Human Cleric Whore

The hypnotized priestess enters the room as commanded, stopping as soon as she crosses the threshold, for that is the moment she fulfills the instruction.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis glances up the stairs, then down at their evil pursuers. Four on two. “Flüsšg that,” he says to Mouser, then turns and sprints up the stairs to see about saving those of his friends that still live, and also the universe.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo dispels his magical lethargy, hoping to rush to the aid of Faron so they can both eventually assail their fleeing enemy from behind.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser can't help but agree with Telkis. "Up it is!"

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur tries to encorcel his dark reflection again.

Be silent! You should not use your voice in this house!

Urdur casts Hypnotism again. He targets evil Urdur first, then evil Ingrid and evil Jerome if possible.