~Well,  Aiah responds to Judoc's comment, ~you can be quite tolerable at times as well.  And though the words are perhaps not the most encouraging, Judoc can hear all the venom drain from her thoughts, and he imagines her in the moment preening, happy for the soft moment between mage and familiar.

Though that image does not last long, as Aiah's thoughts come back again, unbidden by Judoc, with all her normal sharpness.

~I'll not think it again then!  Quite intolerable indeed, and I've started to think that you can't even keep your own thoughts straight!

The idea strikes Judoc that he can only hear two parts of a three-way conversation... It is clear that Aiah is confused and it is easy for Judoc to imagine the temper rising in younger Judoc with all of her back and forth.

The moment of anger lingers in the air, Aiah not speaking again, though it does little to undermine the tenseness already building, for Judoc begins to hear the murmuring chant of Viscount Tenesworth's voice, and the slow building of quiet anticipation between Judoc and Archibald.

It is a spell unlike any Judoc has ever heard...  He is not even entirely sure that he recognizes the language though to be fair, the voice is so soft and the distance and the door so obstructive that it's possible that Tenesworth could be murmuring in Anglish and Judoc wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

Judoc can feel the mana gathering, a small portion of it being funneled through his body from the surrounding flora, some of it even being pulled from his very self...  Basharat had described the gates as an area of mana so dense that it fractured the very continuity of time and space...  Judoc could only wonder how Tenesworth was gathering such immense force, without the meteoric iron that had been instrumental to Basharat...  Then again, the nobleman had already said that he needed the altar, an item that was perhaps as magical as the iron was nonmagical.

After what feels like several minutes, Judoc can hear the chanting stop, though the nagging pull of mana tears at his magical being all the same.

"That's...  incredible."  Younger Judoc's voice is overwhelmed with awe...  whatever ire he felt towards Aiah seems to have melted away in sheer admiration of the gate... or whatever it is he is looking at.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:03, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

When Judoc hears Aiah's voice shift from pleased to pissed, Judoc experiences a flair of anger, not at his familiar, but at his younger self. What a prick, he thinks. Then, he realizes that this may be how others see him. What a curious opportunity, to be able to observe oneself from a third person perspective. The view is not flattering.

He hears the Viscount chanting, but he does not recognize the language. Not Anglish, Latin, or Arabic? Perhaps Greek or Hebrew? Or even some kind of Elvish? But perhaps the door is blocking his hearing.

As some mana flows from Judoc himself, he is surprised. This was not unlike the spell that Loke (or Agares?) had cast when the demon had been summoned. However, then Judoc had been a willing participant. Now, mana flows from him without his consent. How was the Viscount doing this? He has half a mind to ask if he can do a semester's study with the Viscount here in Azer.

The amazement he hears from his younger self is too much for Judoc the Elder to ignore any longer. He tugs at his earlobe to activate his delayed spell and then gently eases open the door to see into the room.

OOC: Activate the Delayed Invisibility. Gently, as quietly as Judoc can, ease open the door.

Unable to withstand the suspense any more, Judoc tugs on his ear and he becomes entirely invisible.  He watches as his body disappears into a translucent mass.  His clothes fade from sight, as does his pack...  Everything is all at once gone...  Everything but his staff!

Judoc had forgotten!  For his held weapons had never disappeared with him, and his staff was simply too large to hide underneath his clothes!

Gritting his teeth with frustration, Judoc nudges open the door, keeping his staff out of sight and presses his face in to see what had been hidden from him behind the door.

The chapel is not much at once to look at.  There are a few short rows of old pews on each side of the wooden floor.  An old and worn crucifix hangs at center back of the room, behind the stone altar, which is an aged, dark grey basalt that has pitted in places but still holds its shape.  Down the center aisle, a threadbare runner leads directly to the altar, and the three men that stand in front of it.

But it is that which stands just before the altar which catches Judoc's eye...  A gate...  Much like the one that Basharat had created, though it is much larger, perhaps the size of two men together.  Basharat had said that the time displaced had been related to the size of the apparatus... perhaps the trip to Azer was so distant that it required something nearly ten times as large as what he had already seen.
 Different also, was that the gate had no structure to support it.  It simply came into being from nothingness, and even from several yards away, Judoc could still feel the pull of mana surging around the sides, funneling into the thin plane of magic where it split the very existence of Yrth for a fraction of a millimeter... or perhaps for thousands of miles.

"Well, here goes nothing.  Thank you again for the shortened trip," younger Judoc says, and he steps forward with Aiah on his shoulder, rippling the surface of the gate like the waters of a dark pool as he disappeared beneath the surface.

His mind racing, Judoc waited for his body to disappear even more completely, for him to fade into non-existence.  Would he know it was coming?  or would he simply cease to be, awaking in Azer much as he had come back to life in Basharat's shop?  But no revelation is forthcoming...  Judoc does not disappear, or at least any more so than he already has...  His body and his mind stay resolutely existing despite the impossibility of the situation.

"Do you fear it?"  The words of Tenesworth distract Judoc from his thoughts for a moment, and he glances up at Archibald, who is open-mouthed and staring at the black surface of the gate, clearly horrified at the feeling and the appearance of the magical anomaly.

"Perhaps it is wiser to mistrust powerful magic."  Tenesworth's voice is somewhat slumped, his eyes and his frame sagging slightly under the weight of the spell.  "But of course you must come at some point to trust in yourself and your abilities...  I cannot hold this spell forever though, if you are to go on to Azer, this is the time."

OOC:  Note the house rule on invisibility.  If you wish to go in the room, you have a choice here to either gamble on being seen with your staff in hand, or else to leave it behind to be more undetectable.  Either way, please roll vs. Stealth.  Also note you have not lost any fatigue from Tenesworth's spell.  His isn't ceremonial magic, though it feels similar to that experience.  If you had to describe it, its more like he is temporarily draining the mana level of the surrounding area in order to focus it on the gate, than that he's pulling fatigue from the spell from you personally.

One of the disadvantages of having a very large staff is that it is impossible to hide while invisible! Judoc grits his teeth. How had he not remembered this? Life most wizards, Judoc's staff is a part of him. Some wizards favor the smaller wands which are much more concealable. Hm. Perhaps he could find some kind of sheathe for his staff. It would have to be custom built, of course, and comfortable, but something that would still allow free range of movement. Perhaps sheepskin, or made from soft leather.

He shakes his head and focuses on the present. Judoc was impressed by the size of the Viscount's portal and intrigued by how similar this gate was to Basharat's. This, presumably, sent people through space. Time, perhaps, was just one more direction to traverse.

His younger self passes through the portal. This is what Judoc had been anticipating, and he is somewhat surprised when nothing happens. He does not blip from existence. The portal does not explode into pieces. No demons swarm out and begin rampaging through the chapel. All in all, the experience is anticlimactic, but Judoc continues to watch, still eager to know what happens next.

His attention turns from the gate and then to Archibald. Was the boy afraid? This was probably the first time the lad had seen any magic at all.

Tenesworth speaks to Archibald, but Judoc feels that he is being addressed as well. Perhaps not intentionally, no, but if Judoc is discover what has happened to his younger self, he will need to follow Younger Judoc through the portal. But with his staff in hand? Judoc grits his teeth. Better to just chance it. He is not going to get another chance any time soon, at least not until Tenesworth rests.

He has no time to consider whether he should confide in the Viscount. As gently as he can, Judoc pushes open the door and makes for the portal.

OOC: Open the door and head for the portal. Try to be as stealthy as possible, but move quick enough so that the portal does not close before Judoc can go through.

Completely affected by the insatiable magical pull of the gate and of his curiosity, Judoc grips his staff tightly to himself and darts within.

He glances once at Archibald, who seems frozen in place, mouth agape, staring unabashedly at the dark pool of concentrated mana before him.  Judoc can only surmise that even if Archibald was a complete neophyte at magic, he still could not help but feel the power radiating, or perhaps gathering at the portal and he could only guess how he would have felt if this had been his first introduction to the craft.

With the deftness of feet Judoc did not know he was capable of, the wizard slinks forward, only his staff marking his footsteps.  Judoc thinks he sees Tenesworth's eyes shift to follow along with his movement, but he has no time to contemplate his options.  Instead, Judoc makes straight for the gate at a brisk pace and barrels through at almost a run.

Judoc had only one other experience with a gate.  When he had used Basharat's gate, Judoc had recalled how very normal the experience had been.  Apart from being on his hands and knees (which had been required due to the gate's rather small size) he had simply crawled through on one end and then crawled out on the other.  In fact, Judoc's anticipation of time travel being something more had been a disservice.  He had thrust his hands out, seeking to protect himself from the disorientation, and as such he had not had them underneath him when he broke through to the Craine of six months previous.

This gate, however, was different.

Judoc had expected, based on his limited experience, to put one foot through the gate in Craine and to set it down upon the ground in Azer.  Instead, Judoc is overcome by an immediate darkness... His foot searches for the earth, though it does not strike... instead Judoc has a feeling of weightlessness, his body pitches forward with his momentum.  He feels like he is doing a summersault, suspended in air.

In fact, the only evidence that Judoc has gone anywhere at all, rather than just disappearing into non-existence, is Aiah's screaming thoughts tearing into his brain.

~...All the hair-brained schemes to save you a few days of walking!  Where in the hell are we!  And why is it so black!"

"I'm sorry!  Give me a moment... I can't," Younger Judoc's voice is no less perturbed than Aiah's, his voice echoing from somewhere below.

It is in that moment that Judoc realizes that he actually is falling, though he has no time to prepare himself...

Clatter!

Judoc hits his back hard on some smooth, light-feeling stone that yields to his body and sprawls out in a hollow splatter all around him.  The blow takes Judoc's wind from his lungs, though as much as he can in the total darkness, he believes that he is no worse for wear.

"Archibald!"  Younger Judoc calls out as soon as the sound of Judoc's fall has dissipated.  "Is that you?  I think something has gone wrong!"

~What in the hell is that!  The thought is a screech in Judoc's head, and he hears Aiah take to wing, a disaster waiting to happen in the total darkness...  Judoc cannot see what his familiar is seeing... or feeling, but there is no question in Judoc's mind that she is deathly afraid and Judoc's mind races to his pocket which holds his stone imbued with the continual light spell...

OOC:  First and foremost, I would like to thank you for a masterfully role played introduction.  It was actually quite fun to write, and I thought you did an amazing job of both role playing the character and making my job of moving the story forward much easier.  I award you one hero point for the excellent posting.

Secondly, I have moved your thread to a private group, so that the other players can't read it... yet.  I have a few reasons for this, but for now, please refrain from leaking details in the OOC chat.

Thirdly, as we sort of discussed before, adventuring with your past self offers quite an interesting role playing niche.  However, it also comes with some very odd drawbacks.  One that I would like to mention is the fact that the two of you have two copies of everything in your inventory!  Two staffs, two sets of the same armor, two Blur wands (might be worth it to look over your magic items again)...  But that does not mean you get double of everything, specifically the expendable items.  If your past self eats a ration... it is taken away from the inventory of your future self (as it was never there in the first place), if you use a charge from either Blur wand, it is removed from the same counter as they are in fact the same wand.  I will not allow you to exploit this.  You cannot use up your future wand and then start trying to use the one from the past.  Nor can you eat all of your future rations and then try and dig into the ones your past self is carrying.  I'm sure I would find a remarkable story to cover the situation, but it would be easier if it wasn't an issue.

Ok, on to where you are now.  Perhaps the easiest way to describe it is a giant sandbox, where the grains of sand are fairly light, misshapen, and average to about the size of your fist.  You could probably stand if you tried, though when you try and support yourself, you feel the "ground" buckling slightly under the pressure.

Roll 3d6 and post the result in your next post please.  This is the number of seconds that are left on your invisibility spell.

You have taken no damage (miraculously) from your fall, you do however, need to roll against IQ or be mentally stunned from the rather wild trip you have just taken.

Good luck!

His previous experience with the Time gate had emboldened Judoc. The gates looked similar, though one was created by working metal and the other by working mana. He counted on Archibald's fear and Tenesworth's weariness to keep either from interfering with him if they happened to see his staff floating along toward the gate. Just like that, he had crossed the length of the chapel and entered the gate.

He immediately realizes something is wrong. He has no idea where he is, but he is relatively certain this is not Azer. Had Tenesworth intentionally tricked them, or had the spell gone wrong in some way? He has no more time to pursue this line of reasoning when he realizes that he is in fact falling. He tries to cushion himself, prepare for impact by tucking into a roll, but he is too slow. With a grunt, he hits some kind of cushioning surface. The feeling is disorienting, but Judoc's mind is sharp, and he attempts to clamber to his feet.

"Not Archibald, no.... "

Remembering his foresight, Judoc pulls out his stone enchanted with Continual Light.

OOC: Thank you for the hero point!

 I'm not sure how much time I have to speak, so please edit this post if necessary.

If the other Judoc attacks, go on the defense. Act as non-threatening as possible.

GM edit for timing.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:43, Tue 21 Dec 2021.

Judoc pulls the stone from his pocket in his left hand as he clamors to his feet, his back pressing up against a hard earthen wall.

The small space explodes into view as the stone is removed, revealing that Judoc himself is still invisible, with only his seemingly hovering staff now exposed to view.  Still, despite his own transparency, Judoc is horrified many times over by what he sees.

They are not in a room, so much as a pit that is only twelve feet or so wide and and perhaps half that long.  The solid stone walls climb unbroken on each side, though Judoc thinks he can see an opening some thirty or forty feet up.  Instead of loose rubble, Judoc realizes with a surge of his stomach that he is standing on bones.  It is a mishmash of femur and ulna, carpals and ribs, and perhaps some that are even non-human, though the singular skull laying by Judoc's foot, its cavernous eyes and nose holes gaping at Judoc and its jaw bone long since separated in a permanent, silent cackle make it clear that many if not most are those of humanoids.

The thing which catches Judoc's attention most however, is the thing which Aiah had feared.  A ghost, or else a wraith of the dead long gathered here, which has gotten so close to younger Judoc now that the two are nearly touching.  The thing's meager shadow is cast over the doppelganger's face, its hand reaching out in silent longing.

"Shit!"  Younger Judoc shrieks as he attempts to stand, though the quick movement causes the bones spill out in all directions around him and his feet slip out from underneath as he falls back onto the pile with a grimace.

~Kill it!

Aiah moans, and Judoc can feel the flapping of wings now fluttering to the far side, hopping from bone to bone in an attempt to get as far as possible from the abomination.

OOC:  You have the light stone in your left hand and your staff unreadied in your right hand.  Younger Judoc is still in a sitting position, though so far he appears normal and unhurt.  The wraith is 2 hexes away from you and 1 hex away from Younger Judoc at the moment, who is on the opposite side.  The wraith has its 'back' to you for the time being.  Please post 2 rounds worth of action.  Let me know if you feel a battle map is needed.  I'm hoping to get by without one for the time being.

What hell is this? Judoc finds himself in a charnel house! Had Tenesworth intended this? Had he meant to kill Judoc and Archibald? The Viscount had seemed so honorable, respectable. Judoc can hardly believe that Tenesworth intended this, yet here they are.

But he has no time for Tenesworth now, or even the pit of bones. A much more immediate threat is present. Judoc shudders at the wraith menacing his younger self. For half a moment, he wonders if the shade has no ill intentions, but Judoc cannot afford to hesitate. If Judoc the Younger is killed, the Elder may cease to exist as well! The Templar student may put his own interests before others often enough, but here? His very existence is threatened!

His glowing stone in his left hand and his staff in his right, Judoc silently curses at not having the foresight to fashion a necklace for his stone. The young mage briefly considers dropping his staff. However, that seems like the utmost folly and leave him without a useful tool. Instead, he licks his lips and begins making a huffing and puffing motion with his lips, not unlike the Big Bad Wolf.

~Aiah, tell young Judoc I'm casting Breathe Fire~, he sends to Aiah.

OOC: Concentrate.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:25, Tue 19 Oct 2021.

Judoc was no stranger to the undead.  He had seen through the Necromancer Haj Umr, and he had been to the underground of Perdition where skeletons not only seemed to naturally reanimate, but grew together into the savage Bone Sovereign which had been holding one of the tile keys...

Above, in Perdition as well, there had been an apparition also, some sort of incorporeal undead, which was only harmed by Magnus's mace and Judoc's magic.

This however, was a spirit of a different sort, one that spewed dark intent and dark aura.  Though Judoc had not felt it as early as Aiah, there was no doubt the thing reeked of evil.  He thought her a message, though in return all he received was her feelings of panic.

Younger Judoc too, seemed unable to cope with the moment.  Even as he stumbled on the bones, he made to recover himself, though his reflexes seemed just too slow.  The black hand of the wraith gripped younger Judoc about the front, freezing him in place for a moment, his eyes widening in a moment of shock.

Unwilling to let his former self die, Judoc springs forward, his tongue flickering in subtle, magical movements before a fountain of fire springs from his lips!  The fire washes over the wraith, causing the thing to shudder momentarily, though the black hangings over his body do not catch flame.  Instead, the thing remains with its back to Judoc and grips younger Judoc all the harder.  It presses itself close to the doppelgänger's face, and Judoc can feel the darkness reflected in his likeness's eyes...

OOC:  Successful Breathe Fire spell that seems to have done moderate damage to the thing, though it does not seem deterred.  Younger Judoc seems stunned and is not moving at the moment, though he does not seem physically hurt (at least badly).  Aiah is in complete panic.  Let's do 2 more rounds of combat.

Come on, Judoc! Snap out of it! The older Judoc grits his teeth in frustration. Must he do all the work here?

Perhaps his younger self is being afflicted by some sort of fear effect. Aiah seems to be as well. If only Judoc had more spells that specifically dealt with the undead! All of his expertise with the reanimated or dead-but-not-yet has been hands on. Judoc has been training to fight the living, not the dead. One Experience may be the best teacher, especially for someone as capable as Judoc, but the young mage knows well the wisdom in learning from others' knowledge and experience as well. One more area to work on, he surmises.

Pure-hearted true believers apparently have some innate abilities to deal with creatures like these, but Judoc is far from devout. There is of course Turn Zombie, though Judoc is unsure if that spell would be effect against the noncorporeal.

One danger in using flame here is that Judoc might accidentally hit his other self as well. A pity the Younger is not currently using a Body of Flame spell. Concentrating, he raises his staff.

OOC: If needed to cast, Ready staff. Then Concentrate.

Judoc's head spins as he watches what would surely be his own slow death had he not traveled back in time to stop it.  The wraith had younger Judoc gripped in both hands and Judoc could feel the pull...  He could feel the life energy being sucked from his other self into the monster, his soul being ebbed away in trickling, greedy breaths.

This time, Judoc thrusts out his staff with one hand, and with a thought, flame erupts from the end, slashing out towards the ghost!

Though this time the thing is ready.  It releases the younger Judoc and narrowly avoids the blow as the flame lances just wide of where the thing crouched not a moment ago.  Though Judoc knows he is invisible, for he can see nothing of himself apart from his staff, the thing seems to see right through the ruse, its empty black eyes locking with Judoc's as the thing begins to stalk its new target.

~Get a grip on yourself!  Aiah's mind screeches as the bird flaps amongst the bones behind Judoc.

At this thought, younger Judoc seems to break from whatever hold had frozen him...  His arms and legs flail, sending bones scattering in each direction as he pushes himself back against the edge of the pit, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.

OOC:  I only did one second of combat that time for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, the wraith just picked you as its new target, but also because I wanted to clarify a couple of rulings.  While your staff is unready, you can still use it to extend the range of your spells by 1 (I'm assuming you are holding it somewhere near the middle in your right hand so it is balanced, just not maneuverable enough in one hand to be used to strike something or to parry).  Since your flame jet spell only took one second of concentration (rather than the 2 seconds of breathe fire), you were able to concentrate and cast all in the same second without the need to ready your weapon.  You can opt to ready it in two hands, though you are going to need to drop the light stone (your only source of light at the moment) in order to do so.

Common sense dictates that may not be a great plan, as your foe clearly doesn't have normal vision senses, while you are entirely dependent on it.  Also, the loose bones are likely to hide the rock's light once it's dropped to the floor.

The wraith is at range 2, and approaching you now, regardless of your invisibility. 

Would Judoc have died here, in the dark, alone save for his hawk familiar? If his younger self might have died here, how could Judoc have lived long enough to be able to travel back into the past? Had his presence now caused all of this to be? He doesn't see how. He had merely observed up til now without getting involved personally. Paradox upon paradox.

~How's he doing? Can he fight? Judoc sends to Aiah.

Apparently the phantasm has supernatural vision to go along with its incorporeality. At least Judoc has the thing's attention now, which gives his younger self a chance to collect himself and join in the fight in earnest. The bones on the floor make his footing unsteady, so Judoc decides to do something about that.

OOC: Concentrate.


I found it on the GURPS wiki's Concentrate page: https://gurps.fandom.com/wiki/Concentrate]

~Fight you nincompoop! Aiah screeches, her wings flapping madly in the tiny pit though all the effort makes for nothing for the air is too dead and the space is too small for her to get any real lift under her wings.

As the thing bears down on Judoc, he sets his mind to a new spell, one to give him more agility in these confined spaces, to allow him to fly and perhaps put him on even footing with this supernatural foe.  Unfortunately, however, this spell was not a short one and he knew there was a chance that he may not cast it before the wraith could get to him, though it was a chance he needed to take.

Judoc focuses his mind as the thing approaches.  He watches as the horror reaches out with cold, bone fingers, and though Judoc twists his body to avoid the grasp, the hands grip at his collar and he feels the putrid breath, the sucking pull of his life force being leeched from body as if through a thousand, tiny, latching mouths.

Judoc's mind screams with the pain!  But he must concentrate!  He must finish his spell!

Suddenly, Judoc is aware of another light in the pit.  Not the bright white of his stone, but the dull orange and red of flames.  He sees a flash of his own face... younger Judoc still sitting with his back to the wall, though he holds a fireball larger than one Judoc has ever remembered conjuring...  it is as large as a fall melon, as large as a man's head...  large enough to kill a man with a single touch...

"Volare!"  Judoc speaks the Latin, the word ejected from his lips even as he can barely control his thoughts from the pain.  But the thing still hangs on... still grips at his collar...

In another moment the bright orange flashes in a gargantuan burst of flame just feet from where Judoc stands!  The blast of flame and hot air washes over Judoc's face and chest, bringing the scalding smell of burned hair and flesh!  Judoc is slammed backwards into the wall by the force of the blast, his face stinging from the heat.  However, he does not fall, for his feet hover inches above the bones... his spell has worked!

Ahead of him, he sees the wraith's whole body bathed in fire for a moment, its limbs seized and burning like a human torch.  Though in the next moment, when the fire snuffs out, the thing does not fall, but charges on again!

OOC:  You've taken a moderate supernatural (psychic?) injury from the thing's attack but are still in fighting form and are no longer grappled (though you were briefly).

Younger Judoc cast a massive fireball and threw it from a sitting position from across the pit.  You couldn't say with confidence how big it was, though you are sure you couldn't make one that big without taking multiple seconds.

While the writing seems to imply that you were injured from the fireball as well, everything was superficial (for you).  You did however get knocked back a hex from the blast.  Make a roll vs, DX-1.  If you fail, you are at -2 to your active defenses for the next round due to disorientation.

The wraith comes ever closer, and in spite of his indomitable will, Judoc finds a hint of fear blossoming within. The undead are as multifarious as they are mysterious. What was this one doing in this pit? Likely the unfortunate victim of whoever filled this place with bones. The rage-filled spirit of someone who had died in anguish, perhaps? Or something more exotic? Perhaps the apparition is the result of a wizard sloughing off all of his evil and vice, the spirit clinging to this world through the sheer force of hate.

As the monstrosity reaches out to him and begins leeching off his life force, it is all Judoc can do to keep from screaming audibly. Parts of his very being feel like they are being sucked away by the abomination.

And then, finally, Judoc the Younger joins the fray! Judoc’s younger self launches an enormous fireball at the fiend, larger than Judoc himself has cast except in practice. His Flight spell fills him from top to bottom, making him feel as light as air, but almost immediately, he is knocked back by the sheer force of Other Judoc’s fireball! The elder mage hits the wall, his face singed, but he is airborne now and on equal footing with the phantasm.

"Nice one, Judoc!” he calls out to his other self. Raising his staff, Judoc aims a beam of pure fire at the hooded figure.

OOC: Cast Flame Jet.

Judoc scrambles to ready himself as the thing approaches, shifting his hovering position as best he can while concentrating for his next spell to attack.

But everything happens all too fast.  In a moment the wraith is upon him, and despite his increased mobility, he cannot seem to evade the blow.

The thing grips him again, and again, Judoc's mind screams out in pain as the thing sucks at his very being.  He manages to cast his spell for his jet of flame and slashes out at the wraith, though the pain affects his aim, and he only manages to slash a narrow gash about the things waist.

Judoc struggles against the grip, slashing his weapon of flame again, and this time he thinks he scores a better hit, though his vision tunnels, his mind still reeling against the pain.  He is briefly aware of another flash of light and the smell of charring flesh, and then a wonderful reprieve from the pain.  His breath comes back to him, though his head still reels, his vision still darkened, threatening to take him into unconsciousness...

OOC:  Wowzers.  I hadn't quite considered how dangerous that wraith was, especially if it got the jump on you.  Unfortunately, despite your flight spell, you failed your dodge, and he took out max damage on you the first round (which took you to half move and dodge) and about half damage on the second.  There were all sorts of oddities with exactly how you were going to use your flame jet in close combat...  I think probably dropping your staff and having it come out of your hand made the most sense...  Though instead of asking you 20 questions (I had many more about hero point usage and the like)  I just ignored them all when I got the full results of the two second turn as it seemed like things played out ok for you with all my assumptions built in.

Anyway.  The wraith mercifully failed its HT roll when it dropped below 0, basically letting you kill it for close to half damage.  You are also below 0 HP though, and need to succeed a HT roll to stay conscious.  If you succeed, you can make a normal post... though if you make any action, including casting a spell, you need to roll vs. HT again for each of them until you are over 0 HP or else fall unconscious.

Also, please roll vs. Reaction (for younger Judoc).  If you are conscious, you may make a roll vs. a social skill instead.  If this roll is a failure, I would highly encourage the use of a hero point, especially since you earned one with your DX roll (I accepted the 4 from the last post, even though it was rolled as 3d-1 :p). 

"Shit!" The apparition is fast, bearing down on Judoc with malevolent intensity. Judoc drops his staff in order to use his right hand to send spouts of flames toward the specter, but still the undead being advances. The young mage knows that he and his double can handle this spectre, but its mental attacks are relentless.

And then, mercifully, the battle is over. His mind shredded psychically, it is all the mage can do to float in the air. Everything hurts. "Well done..." he croaks out. Judoc is reminded of his team-up with Eliot beneath the Templar castle. The imp had been tricky, but this phantasm seemed far more capable.

Slowly, he lowers himself to the bone-covered ground, aware that every movement could render him unconscious. "Hell of a fireball there," he says to his other self. "Good thing I followed you through the gate. I'm not sure how this works, exactly, but I have a hunch that if you die, I would, too, and vice versa." Eventually, anyway, in the case of the younger, since Judoc is his younger self's future.

OOC: Move slowly down to the floor. Feel free to make additional HT rolls for me if necessary. Judoc will not renew the Flight spell at the end of the minute. If the other Judoc does not heal him, he will attempt a Major Heal, spending 4 FP to heal 8 HP. Then, he will use Recover Energy to rest.

With care, Judoc slowly hovers himself downwards until his body lays upon the bones at the bottom of the pit.  Vaguely, he is aware of the sound of bones scraping together across the pit, likely younger Judoc slowly getting to his feet, though he closes his eyes for a moment and puts all of his concentration into keeping himself awake... not succumbing to the pain.

"Good God!"  Younger Judoc moans in a low voice as the sounds of the spilling bones approaches slowly closer.

~I think it's really you!  Aiah adds, as the sounds of flapping pick up again and Judoc can feel his familiar hopping back towards younger Judoc on the unsteady ground.  ~Well, you with less hair anyway...  He was talking to me back at the Cathedral!  I didn't realize there were two of you until just a moment ago.

Aiah's comment strikes Judoc as odd for a moment, until the tangy smell of char reaches his nose again... he wonders just how much of his hair has been burned away.

~It'll be easy to tell you apart anyway!   Aiah adds cheerfully.

"Easy now."  Younger Judoc says, placing a hand on Judoc's shoulder, and Judoc can feel the rushing feel of healing energies creeping across his body.  The pain lessens, and Judoc feels his body relax slightly and his mind clear.

"Thanks, I guess."  Younger Judoc finally responds to the complement, sitting back down among the bones.  "And thanks for following me...  I'm not sure I would have made it against that thing alone.  What the hell was it anyway?"

Judoc can see his younger self concentrating for a moment, and the telltale gestures of another healing spell before younger Judoc breathes deeply again himself.

"And where the hell did you come from?"

But any answer is interrupted by a rough, throaty, and halting cawing from up above.  "[Language unknown: En.  A.   Wh.  Rist di ort omittr ithes laadel?  Oul res echo the la miera beati p finot pro?]"

Judoc looks up and sees the glow of his stone reflected on a the head of a green, scaly beast with broad shoulders.  The thing peers down at them over the edge of the pit some thirty feet above.  It's horrid face is contorted into an expression that shows both rows of jagged teeth, though whether it is a smile or a sneer is impossible for Judoc to tell...

OOC:  You have had major healing cast on your for max effect, though you are still not completely healed and can see the current status on your character sheet.

The thing peering over the edge of the pit is clearly not human, though it seems humanoid in nature with large muscles.  It isn't making any threatening moves at the moment.  It's also hard to tell scale at this range, but you would guess that it is about human sized.

Roll vs. Demon Lore -3.


The Thing Looking Over the Edge of the Pit

The less hair comment surprises Judoc. Has he somehow developed male-pattern baldness in the six-month gap in his memory? Or has his hair been incinerated by his other self's fireballs? He flushes with embarrassment before realizing he is only present with himself and his familiar. Aiah has seen him at far worse, no doubt.

Relief floods him as his younger self heals him, and Judoc sighs in relief. "Thanks -" What does he call his other self? Judoc? Jude? Other me? "That thing really did a number on me. It was a struggle just to stay conscious."

~Sorry about that, pretty bird. I wanted to know if you could sense my thoughts or not.

Judoc is about to explain the tale to his younger self, at least what he knows of it, when his thoughts are interpreted by a strange voice. He looks up to see the disgusting visage of a monstrous creature peering into the pit.

Unlike many Megalans, Judoc has had the good fortune to adventure with a person who some would consider a monster. Magnus the minotaur is indeed a terror on the battlefield, but in many ways, the minotaur is the kindest person Judoc has ever known, far more human than most people the mage has encountered. Also, Judoc well knows the greed and lust for power that human faces often hide, men like the Templar provost, Baron Graves, or the spineless Bishop Abram. Too, demons can adopt human visages, as in the case of Brother Loke.

However, this thing screams monster, with its enormous tusks, dagger-like claws, and sneering grin. Judoc's heart quickens. Is this another demon, like Agares? Was Tenesworth in league with these demons, or replaced as Loke had been?

"We do not speak your tongue!" Judoc calls up to the creature. Now would be a good time for a Language spell, he thinks.  "Who are you, and what is this place?"

OOC: Attempt to be as non-threatening as possible. If given the chance, use Diplomacy to explain how he and other Judoc arrived in this pit. Emphasize that they were merely traveling and were attempting to get home.

Judoc attempts to speak with the thing, though even as he begins, he gets the niggling feeling that the effort is wasted.  For starters, the thing was not even speaking Anglish and probably didn't understand it...  and it didn't seem like there was any better chance that it would respond to Arabic or even Latin.  But more importantly, the more that Judoc looked at the thing, the more he felt that he had seen it before... or read of it somewhere...

It takes Judoc a few moments to place it, but eventually he remembers perusing the picture in one of the tomes he had acquired from the Necromancer, The Many Planes of Hell.  It was a demonling.  A Shard of Lumscar...  Judoc shook his head to recall as much as he could, though despite his best efforts, he could not remember the specifics.  The Hungry One... he remembered the words though their context entirely escaped him.

"[Language unknown:  Ons omom naadteun setintproven a oerwa ovelo!  Nc traou ck ntha hatas essta witshewer utpro ntlo!  Ho. fi.]"  The thing caws again from above as it leers down over the edge at them.

"Likes a bit of light conversation I guess?"  Younger Judoc suggests, leaning his back against the wall of the pit.  "I'm not sure I can do a whole lot about it at this point, except rest."

~I don't like this place!  Aiah responds, flapping herself over to younger Judoc and perching herself on his shoulder.

OOC:  There's no reason to think that diplomacy worked, though you aren't sure it exactly failed either.  Either way, you wouldn't expect the thing above to be friendly, though it doesn't seem to be jumping into the pit to attack you either.

”I recognize it,” Judoc says quietly. ”From The Many Planes of Hell. A demonling, a Shard of Lumscar.” He attempts to think of the thing’s name, but he draws a blank. ”Something like The Hungry One.” Bloody hell.

He rests, willing his body to be calm. How many demons could be present on Yrth now? Why here? Why this dimension? ”I have had it with these motherfucking demons on this motherfucking plane!” he growls. If he didn’t know better, Judoc would suspect he were some kind of demon magnet.

”Do you think Tenesworth set us up? He could have been replaced like Loke was. Or maybe someone or something diverted his Gate spell.”

Judoc wishes mightily he could understand whatever tongue demons speak. Infernal? Demonic? If he had been able to capture Agares, perhaps he could have forced the demon to give him some language lessons. The thought of course is pointless. Setting aside Agares’ knowledge of spells being arguably more valuable, the very thought of capturing Agares makes Judoc smile. At the time, the mage had viewed the battle as an epic confrontation with Judoc emerging victorious. Reflecting on it now, Judoc knows he barely escaped with his own and Alevius’s lives.

”I agree,” Judoc says in a more normal tone. ”Here, let me share a bit of energy with you. That was some serious casting you were doing.”

~This place stinks of evil, he sends to Aiah.

”I’m you, from six months in the future,” Judoc continues. ”I don’t know if we ever made it to Azer. I found myself in Craine with no memory of the last six months, so something’s going to happen to make you lose your memory. The shop owner is a guy named Basharat, and he shapes meteoric iron to make natural gates through time, much like Tenesworth’s distance gates. He has a small one that can send you forward or back a few seconds, and a huge one back in his hometown shop that can send someone back or forward in time thirty years. I used a third gate, one that can send people back or forward six months. I followed you, Tenesworth, and Archibald into the cathedral. I think Archibald was too busy soiling his pants to follow through, but I snuck by invisibly.” He frowns worriedly. ”One other thing. I couldn’t sense Aiah in the future. I hope nothing happens to her.”

OOC: Use Lend Energy for 3 FP. Rest for now.

"The hungry one?"  Younger Judoc answers back, his tone thoughtful.  "That's right, I remember that, Lumscar, the Hungry one...  Or is that right?"  He glances up at the man sized demon which is still glaring down at the two wizards and chattering loudly in his cawing, unintelligible language.

"...[Language unknown:  Nd haspl derivemen nire ofble wil on!  Cach wies urisic sita seas ti at forsomers!  Ousth t no the ounte omenc!  Il lier ore oer ichundiou achou ithsaneenthi antstrwhi!]..."

"I suppose at least we should be thankful we've only to deal with the smaller demon, and not his namesake.  If only because I doubt he'd be chatting us up like this."

"...[Language unknown:  Ourtheatiwil strillant il sti o vorla, Fo Oneromnce Urnche!  Po u atere o intsi ounureove trulth.  Ee, u!  T!  A thofma dinonstha wi pa arun!  Os!"]

"Thanks."  Younger Judoc murmurs as Judoc shares his energy, and some bit of color rushes back into the mage's face.

"And I'm afraid I don't know...  I was thinking of that too, right when I first fell here... what the hell went wrong...  Maybe you are right though, maybe Tenesworth was planning this the whole time?  But he said too that the magic was desperately tricky?  I don't know.  If for no other reason I'd like to think it was an accident because if he was intending this it would mean I've...  we've got a damn powerful wizard who doesn't seem to think very well of us.  If that matters now I suppose.  Hopefully he hasn't set us too far afield."

Briefly, Judoc shares his story as the two rest, talking over the demon above which continues to talk in a near constant rate, despite the fact that nothing seems to understand it.

"Bizzare."  Younger Judoc answers when the story is over.  "Quite an oddity.  So I lose my memory and then go back in time?  And to think, just yesterday I'd thought gate magic was theory at best, and now I hear I've used them twice?"  Younger Judoc forces a laugh.  "Though perhaps two might be my limit.  I'm not exactly keen on the experience so far."

"...[Language unknown: Ereur ithi lateencom foni a artortsti thiti agares!  E olnot il p terwhe-houwas.  Ngno, Ng to ullar lariveion!  Towhi utchen adwaas naur toome din thfo ekfifi sti anyeauman onsni reaountin!  He!]"

OOC:  You've rested for the better part of an hour and are up to full FP, though you are still significantly hurt, which is noted on your character sheet.  It seems that Younger Judoc too has managed to regain his fatigue and does not seem to be as injured as you.

"I wish we knew what he was saying," Judoc says, looking up at the demonling. "At least it's not attacking." He lays a hand on his chest and murmurs words of power.

Speaking with his other self reminds Judoc rather of talking to himself. What a helpful sounding board! Of course, if he were instead trapped in a pit with Finn or Giles, the other mages would no doubt supply perspectives that Judoc himself would not think of. Still, the mage appreciates having himself around to bounce ideas off of.

He nods his head at his alter's view of Tenesworth. "I know. Tenesworth impressed me as a Templar worth knowing. Hopefully this is just the result of another spell gone wrong and not an indication of malicious intent." Still the demonling continues to speak. What on Yrth is it saying? Judoc burns to know. On the off chance that the thing does not want to eat them, perhaps it can be bargained with.

"After I rest back up, let's see if we can get out of this pit and see if we can figure out exactly where we are."

OOC: Cast Minor Healing on self. Rest 15 more minutes if possible, and then start exploring this pit.

"Yeah."  Younger Judoc agrees when his older form expresses his gratitude that the demon isn't attacking.  "Though I imagine that is more the physical barrier of the pit than anything else.  I can't imagine it's easy to get back up there once you come down unless you can fly."

"Speaking of which..."  Younger Judoc begins, turning to face his bird.  "Why don't you go up and look at what we have up there?  Couldn't hurt to get a peek at what we are facing."

~Why don't you go up there?  Aiah responds.  ~After all, there are two of you and only one of me.

She preens herself lightly on younger Judoc's shoulder before continuing.  ~Anyway, this pit's too small for me to fly up.  Too much turning to keep myself up and there's no updrafts to compensate.  I need more space than this.

"Well, worth a shot anyway."  Younger Judoc concludes before he stands back up, using his hands to explore the small pit and its walls in the meager light of Judoc's light stone.

As for the older Judoc, he casts another healing spell on himself and continues to rest, watching as his younger self finds nothing.

"...[Language unknown:  Maughuxin on ivnd a i ilicou ivng!  Plro E elwh ing ure larut tra avebleest ion moat butereame.  Ar eeus nc seel anhano ai I nawil nc haulri!  Se ma maio ntne hason ecrom anplof!]"  The thing continues to caw from above as it follow younger Judoc's movements around the edge of the pit, leering down all the while.

"Nothing."  Younger Judoc finally says after having made his way around the edge twice, not to mention searching through a top layer of the debris.  "These bones go down pretty far though.  We could pile them up on one side of the pit, but I don't think it'll change the fact that we can't get out without a spell.  I guess there could be something under all of them too, but it seems like a lot of potentially wasted effort to try.  I think we need to go up...  probably through that thing."  Judoc points at the green monstrosity still looming and muttering above.

OOC:  Successful minor healing cast on yourself for 3 HP and you rested back to full FP.  A cursory search of the pit provides very little additional information.  The walls are solid stone and while not entirely slick, they look difficult to climb.  The bones go down quite some ways, at least five feet and are easily moveable, though they are not entirely stable to maneuver on or through.  If there is anything specific you want to look at, let me know.

If there are any other exits from this pit, a cursory glance does not reveal any. However, there may yet be useful clues to this place. Judoc remembers the giant lizard that had been killed at the gates of Solitude and how Finn had been clever enough to dig around inside the corpse. There had also been the shit-smeared walls that had held two of the keys to Solitude. Finn had a real talent for uncovering useful items in the oddest of places.

Judoc grips his staff in his right hand. "First, let's see if we can find anything useful among these bones," he says. "You never know. Some adventurer might have fallen in here with a map at some point." He holds his light in his left hand, and with his staff in his right hand, he pokes around amongst the bones, looking for anything interesting.

"After we search around here for anything useful, let's fly up there and say hello to our ugly friend."

OOC: Take 15 minutes to search amongst the bones. Then, cast Flight on self. Rise up in the air to get a better view of the demonling and the opening at the top of the pit. Stay out of melee range of the demonling.

Younger Judoc agrees and assists with the search through the bones, though both of the wizards are quickly frustrated with the search.  There is simply no way to organize it.  Even with both of them at one end, shoving the flotsam all towards the other walls, they still cannot seem to find a bottom, but only more bones going down ten, perhaps even fifteen feet with no end in sight.  When one of their piles collapses, burying younger Judoc up to his chest in human remains, the two finally give up the attempt.

"Bloody waste of time."  Younger Judoc grumbles as he tries to push himself up out of the detritus with his staff, though he succeeds in only sinking himself another few inches.  "And will you shut up!"  He shouts up the pit towards the demon who is still cawing and glaring down.

"[Language unknown:  ...Teni inhi wiou hetho lincbe aions bleortany?  Aitha ti eaube! N nout is hili!  Il Pl asro ieess!  Hat li on but ec, strfi!  As larentall, eltic naes om o lopa!]"

After a bit of work and help, the younger wizard is freed from the debris and the two decide to fly up towards the top of the pit together.  "No surprises."  Younger Judoc offers.  "Besides, if for some reason you would have decided to come back down, we'd have to wait for a rest anyway...  So we may as well both be doing it.  But if something comes up, I'd rather not have anyone alone.  Aiah either."  Younger Judoc nods to the bird who still sits on his shoulder.

~Once we're out of this pit, I may be able to get a better eye on what's up there myself!  Aiah offers.

And so, the two wizards cast their flight spells, both with their backpacks on.  Younger Judoc places his staff in his left hand, and with the other, he grips the Blur wand.  "Never know, right?".  And swiftly, the two float upwards towards the maw of the pit.

"[Language unknown:  Tra!  Ateek ch o te lieeai!  Earncevir ivng proallave ouvir a, he m lhamskarr!]"  The demon cackles excitedly as the two rise, running around edge on feet and knuckles.

Unsure of exactly what to do in the moment, the two wait for a moment just below the cliff, out of range of the demon.  Though much of their vision is still blocked by the walls of the pit, it becomes clear as they rise that the pit is housed in some sort of cave, for twenty feet or so up is the ceiling with glossy wet stalactites of stone hanging down.  Though Judoc's stone provides most of the light, the stalactites too seem to glow, or reflect a dim light from their surfaces.

As they approach, the green skinned demon circles the edge of the pit at a near frantic pace, switching his position constantly to whatever seems the closest point to either of the wizards as they hover.

OOC:  Not sure if I mentioned it before, but the pit is about three hexes by two hexes, so it's not quite large enough for you to hover at the surface without being in melee range.  Right now, you guys are both under a flight spell and are six feet below the rim.  The demon could try and jump down to attack you, though up to this point the risk seemed easily worth it.  I'm not sure about what you would do from here though.  You don't really have a great view of anything other than straight up, though you have managed to recognize the stalactites.  The area above seems dark, though not completely so.

Please let me know what you have in each hand and what you have done with your light stone (I'm assuming your backpack is on, though if it isn't let me know).

You have 53 seconds of your flight spell remaining - you lost a little bit of time simply getting organized.  Let me know what you want to do, and I'll fast forward as much time as is needed to accomplish it.