Story Artifact Discussion

During their adventures in Chult the party has picked up a crystal sphere.  This sphere pulses with powerful magic. Those that extend their senses towards it cause the orb to glow and cause the temperature in the room to drop drastically.  Picking up the orb causes a powerful voice to scream in rage inside your head causing their ears to bleed.  The party knows that there is a very angry elemental trapped in the sphere.

From my Tiefling Psion character: This orb contains an Exarch of Shar (an evil goddess). It is an immensely powerful elemental and it would be best if we kept it locked away somewhere safe. Preferably somewhere the more... aggressive members of the guild can't reach it (bakas all of them!). I'm in favor of holding on to this until we return to Idrass's Mansion, when we'll need to return this.  ~ Silviana

I say we smash it!  How tough can the puny Exarch be?  I will put him down myself if I have too! - Zephyr

Dak takes a good long look into this thing.... (37)  while Natsu knows its magic (18) and just wonders where Grey is, that is his department...

The Magic is powerful and thats all Natsu really knows about it. Dak, however, gets a good bit more information.  Examining the Crystal closely allows a person to see that there are actually two layers to the outside of the structure.  The first layer, the one that is easily visible, is a thin layer of crystal.  The second layer is mostly hidden in the swirling mists and inner glow of the object.  Just below the crystal's surface you see what looks to be writing, in a language you aren't sure you know but it is so tiny and so intricate that it is hard to tell.  The writing is arranged in small circles about thrice the size of a grain of sand.  Each circle links to other circles and create concentric rings in sets of seven.  Focusing your attention on the smaller rings causes some of the mist in the sphere to condense into more legible words, in a language you are now sure you don't know, linking the smaller sets of rings to larger ephemeral rings.  The smallest rings are arranged in groups of seven attached to seven larger rings attached to seven rings of mist.

For anyone who wants to make checks use rituals on the sphere, just have a DM verify your rolls before you add them to the conversation.

i think we should smash it in the guild i mean i dont think an angry elemental can take our paragon characters especially tht really strong goblin monk we have =p

I'd just like to point out we recovered this thing from a manse that was completely destroyed because something inside of it exploded with enough force to practically level the place, destroy some defensive siege equipment outside of the manse, blow the sturdy doors off their hinges, and bring the second floor down into the first.  Could easily be the result of a crystal sphere with a powerful entity trapped inside of it having been smashed... Also Shar is just the evil side of the twin goddess, Selune being the other side of her, the good side.  There were also two rooms in the manse that were similar and adjoined.  The side that was seemingly favored by Selune did not contain a crystal.  The side seemingly favored by Shar contained this minion of Shar trapped within the crystal. Further there seemed to be some indication that the 'Master (Idris Morfax if my memory doesn't fail me)' of the manse was using this trapped entity as a power source to help generate the various magical constructs that operated about the manse including Jeeves, 'Idris Wastewalker' (not his real name), and Marvin, Morfax's Magical Mouse.  Destroying the sphere could shut down the very helpful Wastewalker, Jeeves, and Marvin leaving us even deeper in the darkness than we currently are about this place on Chult. 

I do believe you are overthinking its placement and underestimating a being who both created or bound a real Intelligence to constructs, as well as managing to displace his consciousness throughout the planes to keep himself form being killed by what looks like the wrath of a god.  

Perhaps it's because I'm not very bright.

Aegan uses his training as an elemental adept to attempt to reach through the magic of the sphere (Arcana 22), and converse with the Exarch in primordial. Aeries communes with the goddess Selune (Religion 29) to find out more about Shar.

Don't even want to talk to someone who has already spoken with the Exarch first, eh?

22 Arcana means you first contact with the elemental is brief, painful but not actually harmful.  The creature is screaming, alternating through several languages, to be released.  You can tell that it is too enraged to be able to have a normal conversation with the creature. Gavin according to your sheet your goddess is Selune.  That is important information to pass along in a situation like this :-P.  Religion of 29 you say... Your goddess can turn to you in the daylight, but you know that her attention will already be on the world during the depths of night.  You wait a few hours after the sun has set and turn your mind to her.  A feeling of conviction washes over you as the light of the moon touches you.  As your prayers drift up the light shimmers and intensifies, reflecting off of your armor in a wide pool of silver.  You have the Moonmaiden's attention.  In the moments when you bask in her light you feel like you have not felt in years.  Not since your pack exiled you to wander the sleepless night.  Something in that moonlight understands your burden and shares your pain. [If you want to change the words I'm using for you to open this conversation please do so and I'll adjust] "Lady Silver, I wish to know about Shar." You say, head bowed in prayer, as if the god were standing before you. The light intensifies around you, shining out into the woods behind the guildhall.  Dark shadows flit between the trees.  The hair rises on your arms as the smell of blood and carrion touches your nose.  Images flash through your mind of hunts to sate bloodlust rather than to sate their hunger.  Sinister shapes test the edges of your light; only drawing back when silver light causes their forms to sizzle and fray.  Straining your ears you can hear a whispering on the night air. "My twin, my other.  Fear not, your world is safe.  Protected." [Let me know what you want to say to her.  You can do it on here or in game and I'll post it here]

Zephyr strides into the guild hall after returning from Chult on his most recent adventure, with purpose.  He climbs atop the bar so that all may see the diminutive gnome and proclaims that we absolutely must not break the crystal sphere.   "I have just returned from Chult and have spoke to a mysterious stranger that I suspect to be the Exarch of the goddess Selune.  He has told me that with the absence of Idriss' true form as "The Watcher" that Shar and Selune will wage a war on our plane.  Also, that we must not let free the Exarch in that sphere no matter the cost.  I was blinded by my hubris and wanted to slay the creature within for his slight against me.  Now I have no doubt that the being inside would render most of us if not all from the mortal plane."

Sydney challenges the gnome. "When did this happen? All I remember are frog-people, loud-chanting stone heads, an unattainable shiny, and some fish-people soaking in a pool of body parts."

-Draco would enter,his Heroes Mail clinking against the longsword at his hip-Aye,tis true..a Being appeared and spoke to us..our wee friend -wink- tells a tale of truth..said Crystal must be kept under guard,lest it be broken,and the Being inside freed;for twould likely destroy our plane.

"Oh. Uh, yeah..." Pondering for a moment, Sydney continues. "Is it possible to deliver the Crystal to the person you both met?"

He was vague at best and maybe intentionally so, but he said to keep it safe.  I do not remember if he said he would return for it or not, but the ice blast that froze most of the group was a trap set to catch what I am assuming would be Shar or Shar's minions.  We will probably have to choose a side in the up coming battle and since Selune's side hasn't directly tried to kill us and the Shar's has, I am for Selune's side.

Aye,verily I agree;as the Stranger was nae hostile,simply surprised mortals as ourselves would be any part of this"game"of theirs..we were given the option of losing our existence,as He stated twould be easier than facing the Other .

During their mission to a far-off realm the group recovered another strange and mysterious thing.  In the heart of a massive mechanical monster there was this: Written in Elven, on the outermost ring, is the word "Genesis".  There are seven rings, each smaller than the last, with the largest being 3 feet in diameter and the smallest less than an inch.  In the center of the inner-most ring is a small brilliantly cut Emerald. The item has an aura of powerful radiant magic and seems to be a power source of some kind.

Tarmanidis, intrigued by the artifact brought back, does some research on it, to determine what it was used for, and after that tries to tap into the power stored on it, safely.

"Don't you think its a bit too early for you to be wandering around alone? Let alone examining dangerous artifacts,  I mean you were practically a corpse but a day or so ago...." Dante pretentiously warns as he leans in a doorway. "I'm not so sure such a tacky looking thing is worth such trouble, but...perhaps we can exchange services? It would hardly be a task for me to consult my familiar, or even better my coven to perform whatever it is your trying to accomplish with this...thing. In exchange you do a small task for me in return, sounds fair?"

Looking at Dante, smiling "I appreciate the warning, but I am quite interested in this object. And don't worry, I won't do anything that might endanger anyone. The me dying experience... It was something." Thinking for a bit, shakes Dantes hand" I still intend to figure out more about it... If everything work's out as I planed, I'd like to have a drink with you, you seam like you could teach people a lot."

Examining the artifact closely and comparing it to historical texts gives you very little information.  One of the few pieces of information you can glean is that the symbol is likely related to the Ouroboros.  The Ouroboros, in turn, symbolizes constant rebirth and renewal.  An endless cycle of one to the next.  The most prominent figure well-known creature associated with Ouroboros is the Phoenix.  Manipulating the energies provokes more of a reaction, if not a lot more information.  Putting energy into the device causes the device to hover slightly and hum.  After a few minutes of humming a feeling of strength and power floods you as the energy returns.  The feeling is slightly intoxicating and painful as your veins fill to bursting with power wanting to be let out.  As the device settles back on the tabletop a small green line can be seen extending from the center of the device outward at a 40 degree angle.  The translucent line of power stops above the third ring of the device.  The line pulses four times, radiating a strong light like a living thing, and then focuses in on one point that glows brightly green.  The green pinpoint of light flares very slightly, never getting larger than the tip of your finger, turns golden and fades.

Dante loses interest around the time pain starts to sweep thru Tarmanidis veins. "Very well, then. If you change your mind on my offer simple call upon my name 3 times. I'm afraid we witches aren't much of teacher's, we leave that role for our familiars. If you ever find yourself in the Feywild I may take you up on that drink." Dante smirks and turns toward the hall. Only after walking a few steps fades away in the soft purple glow of Fey energies as he vanishes from this plane.

OOC: I smell a raid boss, just have 10 dudes roll and take a smack at this thing after we break it outside the Guild Hall XD Miri and Lili will keep their distances from the sphere. Miri understanding where it comes from doesn't wish to be involved, and warns Lili of the dangers in a very vague way.