The Last Free Place

[trollthumper]

Nick Cimitiere, Sea Devil, and Artificer explore signs of Deep One activity in the Salton Sea. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Okay, let me know what rolls - if any, you'd like here! 

[trollthumper]

I'd say suitable rolls here would be Medicine, Notice, Knowledge: Arcana, and Knowledge: Theology. I'll get Nick's rolls out when everyone else is done. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil has no Medicine. 

If she can take 20 on Notice she will and get 30. 

Arcane: 20

Theology: 15

 

Don't forget Aquaria's super-sense; and that she can actually read the prayer...probably?

[Dr Archeville]

Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 1d20+15: 20 [1d20=5]

Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 1d20+5: 12 [1d20=7]

Medicine 1d20+5: 24 [1d20=19]

Notice... if he can Take 20, he'll do so, getting 25.

 

(This reminds me, I've been meaning to get Artificer some ranks in Investigate.)

 

He's got Super Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Magic Awareness [Descriptor Frequency: Very Common, Sense Type: Visual {Default: Accurate, Acute, Ranged}])

and his goggles give him

Super-Senses 5 (adds Analytical to all Visual senses, Sonar [Ultrasonic Hearing; Default: Acute, Radius, Ranged; Enhancement: Accurate])

 

 

[trollthumper]

So, after much delay (work kicked my ass), here are Nick's scores:

 

Notice: 21

K: Arcane Lore: 35

K: Theology: 27

 

So, here are the general results: 

 

Medicine/Notice (for Sea Devil): Artificer picks up on it through his knowledge of physiology, but Sea Devil picks up on it from her knowledge of her people. There has long been talk of Deep One hybrids with the surface dwellers - usually the talk of ribald landlocked types, but there have been communities that have used such tactics for go-betweens. However, there is nothing to these people that would suggest the "Innsmouth look." They appear to be human... from the exterior, that is. 

 

Notice (for everyone): An examination of the dead reveals no shallow cuts around the wounds, indicating that the fatal wounds were made without hesitation. There are signs of broken furniture, glasses, and cups, however, as well as light signs of self-harm - skin under fingernails, hair torn out - and light petechial hemorrhaging in the eyes. It's as if they entered a frenzy of agitated movement before making deliberate, unhesitating actions to end their lives.

 

Detect Magic: Everyone is able to pick up on the presence of magic within the room. It still seems to be there, trace numina hanging in the air. Sea Devil, however, is able to perceive it as something of a faint susurrus, like radio static mixed with distant waves... and knows it extends beyond the house. It seems to hang in the air outside. 

 

Arcane Lore: Everyone here is aware that magic that can make a person kill themselves usually has to be strong enough to overwhelm every urge that makes a person not want to die. However, given Nick's roll, he has a particular insight that I will share in the IC post. 

 

Theology: Nick is able to pick up on some of the cadence, but Sea Devil is able to make out the traces around the writing that look like blood stains left by the final twitches of the deceased. They're actually an old Lemurian cartouche, an ancient practice to honor some consigned to Dagon's embrace. This one, in the ancient text of her people, reads "SILENCE."

[trollthumper]

A 32 on the Notice roll for Postcognition, with a natural 20. This is a good example of when that's a bad thing. 

 

[Dr Archeville]

Artificer is holding his action -- if it looks like Aquaria's cool-down hug is going to work, he won't do anything, but if it looks like she's not getting through to him, he'll use his Move Object effect in an attempt to grapple him.

 

[trollthumper]

And now is a very good time for Nick to roll a Will save: 

 

Yeah, a 21 should cover it.