Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[nikolokolus]

Borric and Marcán cautiously creep forward, each holding the end of a rope. When each of you touch the slightly raised plinth with your feet an incredibly odd sensation washes over you. It almost feels like an invisible, slimy tendril has inserted itself in the middle of your forehead and is now wriggling and writhing across the inside of your head "searching" for something. A moment later a disembodied voice whispers from inside your minds, "You're not one of my servants! Who are you? How did you get here? How did I get here?!"

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"We mean you no harm, as long as you mean us none, Breechclothed One."

 

[Siveon]

"Master Ghul, I take it? We humbly apologize, we are traveling with one of your servants and we suspected something dangerous. Cormac, Rhenmyr, come over here please." Marcán takes an unusual tone and invites his companions over.

"Maybe you two can explain the situation better to our (very much conscious) friend."

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr cautiously approaches Borric and Marcán. "So you think that man is Ghul?"

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac cautiously moves closer to take a look.

 

[nikolokolus]

Marcán can feel a presence in his mind that feels deeply curious and "weighty" - the invisible tendrils of thought probe deeper and deeper into your mind and you feel for a second like you are in danger of losing yourself and being completely dominated by this inexorable and powerful will. (You can attempt to resist this if you wish)

 

[Siveon]

Marcán attempts to resist.

 

[nikolokolus]

Roll a saving throw

 

[Siveon]

Spoiler

Oh goddammit.

Saving Throw: [1d20] = 1

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

Is Marcan's possession thing visible to us? i can try to tackle Marcan or the other guy if that were the case, see if that disrupts it.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Is Marcan's possession thing visible to us? i can try to tackle Marcan or the other guy if that were the case, see if that disrupts it.

OOC

No. Everything happening is without your knowledge. I had considered handling this in a PM, but if you humor me it will make sense in a bit (hopefully)

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

Is Marcan's possession thing visible to us? i can try to tackle Marcan or the other guy if that were the case, see if that disrupts it.

OOC

No. Everything happening is without your knowledge. I had considered handling this in a PM, but if you humor me it will make sense in a bit (hopefully)

OOC

Is cool, that's why I confirmed if we could see it happen.

 

[nikolokolus]

Marcán and Borric appear to freeze in their tracks for a few moments when their feet touch the plinth and a long silence ensues where neither man twitches a muscle. Finally you see Marcán go stiff and straighten to his full height, his arms and legs twitch a couple of times and his neck makes an audible *crack* as his head rolls and wobbles about before straightening out and he turns on his heels. There is a strange cast to his features - eyes narrowed, brows knitted, and mouth drawn down into a deep frown.

"Now what do we have here?" Marcán says in a strangely accented voice to the rest of the troupe. "Who are you lot? Tomb robbers I'd wager from the look of you. You're certainly not one of my manservants. Well, pick your jaws up off the floor. Speak up!"

 

[Grimgravy]

"Master Ghul? My name is Rhenmyr. My master, Djivan, sent me to find you some months past. The small box he sent with me, a similar one, and a heavy rod found in your tower brought us here."

 

[nikolokolus]

Marán narrows his eyes at Rhenmyr as he speaks, "Djivan sent you?" He closes his eyes seemingly deep in thought or concentration for 20 or 30 seconds and then opens them suddenly, his eyes ablaze and speaks in annoyed and puzzled tone, "I can still sense his life-cord pulsing with vitality, why has he subverted my will and not appeared before me? Why has he sent you in his stead?"

His eyes dart at Rhenmyr's hands noting the rod and the box, "Well no matter. You've brought the rod? Good! Good! Bring them to me." He looks over his shoulder at the still body laying on the bier and speaks in a distant and absent minded tone, "I don't believe I have much more time."

 

[Grimgravy]

I hope we don't regret this, Rhenmyr thinks as he moves to hand over the rod.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac nervously asks. "So, was that you I met months ago before I was trapped in the tower? If not, who the was acting as Master Ghul?"

 

[nikolokolus]

Marcán contorts his face a little, "Well . . . in a manner of speaking." His face takes on a strange difficult to describe expression. "That is to say, we will meet . . . I think? Or maybe a better way to say it is a different me probably met you, because your face does look familiar to me for some reason?" A sort of strange thousand-yard stare falls on Marcán's face for a few moments before he casually rubs his temple with his index finger.

"Something has gone terribly wrong on "the other side" hasn't it? I had hoped that it was just a side-effect of my condition, but alas it's true." He sighs heavily and then walks somewhat stiffly toward and Rhenmyr and carefully lifts the rod from his hand.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"A different you?"

 

[nikolokolus]

"Well not not me! No, that's not quite right either. I am fully Koren Ghul . . . just Ghul from a different 'when' than you are from." Marcán's voice becomes a bit more high pitched and strained, "Look I'm very sorry if I don't explain myself more fully. There are . . . consequences . . . horrible, damnable consequences if I say too much."

He seems to relax a bit and his shoulders slump slightly, "But I am very much relieved that at least a servant of a servant has come at my beck and call. It's less than ideal, but it may be enough to help set right what has been made wrong." He then points at Cormac with a raised hand and speaks in a voice tinged with worry, "You there, you say you saw me. Please tell me one thing about my tower, is the door to my chamber still sealed? You would know it for the graven face carved upon its surface - it leads up from my laboratory on the third floor . . ." He looks intently and almost pleadingly waiting for a reply.

 

[Grimgravy]

"There was a closed double door engraved with a bearded man in a hood. The rod looked like it might fit the hole in either eye, but we didn't try inserting it."

 

[nikolokolus]

"Ah good, good! Then my worst fears are allayed." He turns around and starts to stride toward the blank wall opposite of the doorway. "Come quickly my new found friends, we must make haste and I'll try to tell you as much as I can while I retain my hold on your friend." He pauses, turns his head and casts a sheepish grin, "Eh . . . sorry about that. I promise you he's come to no permanent harm."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"For your sake, that best be true, Magicman." growls Borric, gripping his Maul for a brief moment.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Relax Borric, our friend bard is likely enjoying things. His current state must be good for a new tale!"

 

[Siveon]

OOC

I'm not conscious of any of this, am I?