[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Kubo]

Betimi excuses herself while Elphaba is making the drink and disappears around the far side of the shack from the majority of the party.  Staying within the protection of the aniti-Torque circle.

She draws a 5 foot circle in the dirt, filled with intricate symbols, then steps back.  Moments later a huge icicle thrusts up from the ground within the confines of the seal. A blurry white form can be seen moving within the ice for a moment, then it spreads it's arms and shatters the icy prison. Although she appears with her back to Betimi, her form is clearly that of a winged minotaur. the minotaur waves her ice shield and battleaxe to disperse the cold mist around her, then turns to face her summoner, revealing her bull-like face and icicle beard. Her frost-rimed fur is pure white, and her horns appear to be made of ice. Her powerfully muscled form doesn’t appear female, but her smooth voice sounds quite feminine. 


Binding Check [1d20+14]=2+14=16 vs 17  so.. for somne reason Betimi's alien features seem.. somehow even more disturbing and alien. It is still betimi.. but gone is any hint of softness or humanity to her features.. she seems truly alien, maybe it is just how she moves. And she gained weight afterall lol.

Sign: You possess the same features as you always did, but they somehow make you more ugly than before. Others easily recognize you, but small differences make you less appealing to look upon. In addition, your bulk expands until you weigh half again as much as you did before.

---

Today for her pact augmentation, she chooses and attack bonus for both, gaining +2 insight bonus to attack.

Vestige abilities Haagenti 

Confusing Touch: You can confuse by touch. The target of your touch attack must succeed on a Will save or become confused for 1 round per three effective binder levels you possess. When you attain an effective binder level of 19th, this ability functions as a maze spell. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds.

Immunity to Transformation: No mortal magic can permanently affect your form while you are bound to Haagenti. Effects such as polymorph or petrifi cation might force you into a new shape, but at the start of your next turn, you can immediately resume your normal form as a free action. You remain affected by such effects only when you choose to do so.

Shield Proficiency: You are proficient with shields, including tower shields.

Weapon Proficiency: You are proficient with the battleaxe, greataxe, handaxe, and throwing axe.

When Betimi returns to the shack, just in time for the toast, she asks "Does anyone have a shield of any sort I can borrow, and perhaps an axe?"

Kubo walk up to Betimi and pulls one of his throwing axes from his belt and says, "It's not much, but hopefully it'll do!"

[Betimi]

Betimi shakes her head to Kubo. "Nay, it is not an improvement over the capabilities of my light mace, with thge exception that it can be thrown. And when itr comes to ranged combat, I have other alternatives. Thank you for trhe offer though."

As see says this the blue eye on the eyestalk blinks at Kubo from under her hood.

[GM Marvel]

Elphaba eyes Betimi change and says, "You're a Binder.  Interesting..."

Selina's special smile in response to Tomeal's gratitude tells him all he needs to know.  "Brave one...'Extra' tentacles?  Are you trying to tell us something?"  She obviously can't hold a serious face for very long in this sort of circumstance and is soon laughing.

"If I were, you'd be the first to know," Tomeal replies flirtatiously. 

Simon asks, "Has everyone completed their morning memorization or prayers?  If you have, we should leave."  Looking at Ela he says, "Do you know what's ahead?"

Elphaba replies, "These days, I don't spend a lot of time hiking in these dangerous mutating caves.  Without the circle's additional protection my body would have drifted away as a sparkling cloud long ago.  But in my younger days I did find a few landmarks.  There's a bridge an hour or so deeper into the cave.  There's also a short cut but it was blocked by a cave-in so I was not able to pass through it."

[Selina Parcellus]

That only makes Selina blush furiously and begin fanning herself with her gauntleted hand.  "By the goddess, is it hot in here?  Because...well...you know..."  She is grateful for Simon changing topics and redirecting them.  She nods, face still flushed to almost the color of her hair, and responds "yes indeed.  I think we should resume our travel.  Elphaba, you said there was a cave-in recently?  Have there been any others since you first arrived?"

[Betimi]

Elphaba eyes Betimi change and says, "You're a Binder.  Interesting..."

"Is that what is is called? I didn't have a name for it. I make oaths with entities that inhabit the great dark along with me, they get to feel alive once more, and lend me their abilities while we share a soul."

"It is what allowed me top retain sanity and gain my freedom."

[GM Marvel]

That only makes Selina blush furiously and begin fanning herself with her gauntleted hand.  "By the goddess, is it hot in here?  Because...well...you know..."  She is grateful for Simon changing topics and redirecting them.  She nods, face still flushed to almost the color of her hair, and responds "yes indeed.  I think we should resume our travel.  Elphaba, you said there was a cave-in recently?  Have there been any others since you first arrived?"

"I didn't say recently," Elphaba replies.  "I said I found the landmarks in my younger days.  And surprisingly, Cave-ins are rare here, thankfully.  With how everything mutates around here, including inanimate objects, you'd expect enormous changes in geography but everything has remained fairly stable.  I suspect the Cave-in may even been man made.  Possibly by whatever might be waiting at the other energy source, if there even is anything."

"Is that what is is called? I didn't have a name for it. I make oaths with entities that inhabit the great dark along with me, they get to feel alive once more, and lend me their abilities while we share a soul."

"It is what allowed me to retain sanity and gain my freedom."

"It is," Elphaba replies quietly to her.  "Perhaps if I am able to finally leave this place I can teach you something new."

[Betimi]

"That would be most interesting, mistress Elphaba."

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Crozar picks up his Greatcleaver after finishing the toast and asks, "Shall we head out for it then?  I am anxious to get moving."

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: I've been waiting for someone to reply to the old woman...  but...]

"You don't need to decide this moment what direction to travel but there will shortly come a fork in the road where you will be out of time and will need to decide."

The group leaves the protection of the circle and soon begin feeling a strange itching sensation deep under your skin.  You don't see anything that could be causing the itch but no matter how hard you scratch you just can't get any satisfaction.  This weird itching sensation seem to make each of you more irritable.  

After about an hour of travel the ground changes from rocky with brilliant flowers dotted here and there, to being spongy and wet.  The stench gets more powerful the deeper you enter this strange spongy terrain.  Reminding some of you of the deep trenches in war of unwashed bodies and rot.  In different spots the surface of the strange land seem to actually undulate like it's breathing or gasping from breath.

[Crozar the Sunspot]

[[She didn't really have an open question or anything that I can find.]]

As they begin to enter this swampy area Crozar says, "I am not terribly familiar with this type of terrain, but where there is wet ground there is a risk of quicksand or invisible pines.  Be very careful where you put your feet.  Madam Ephaba, are there any landmarks we should be watching for here?"  As it walks Crozar will use the butt of it's Gleatcleaver to test the spongy ground ahead before putting it's significant weight on the next soft spot.