Mobled peers at the towering, gangly woman sitting before her. "Meh, ye're pro'ly no more use th'n the simperin' fool up above. What've ye been eatin' down here, anyhoo? Orc gizzards?"
Stifling a sniffle, the woman brushes a tear from her face with a delicate hand.
"You're... nothing but thieves? I... I... had hoped you were better than Gordain. Especially, you, a child of Pelor?"
Her pleading eyes move to Doruk's. Her lips tremble.
"My lady, please understand that we've encountered many hostile elements here from the living to the dead. It seems... unlikely that a defenseless woman would be just sitting in one of these rooms without access to food, water, or powerful magics of some kind to provide those things."
"Can you perhaps tell us your story? I'm sure there must be some logical explanation for all this. Who is Gordain?"
While taken in by her beauty, Doruk remembers the Allip and it's wily ways... He retains his grip on his guisarme while talking with her.
The woman appears a little more hopeful as Doruk speaks to her politely. She remains sitting at a small wooden chair in the middle of the room at the table adorned with the books.
"Of course, monsters would certainly make my presence in this room suspicious!" she agrees with the Shieldlander.
"A man Gordain, a wizard actually - brought me here to this library. I believe he was with some sort of expedition looking for old dwarven weapons."
Her eyes linger on Mobled and Mukluk for a moment.
"He used some magic on me. Perhaps you can sense it's aura?" She looks inquiringly at Martigan. "I do not need to eat or drink, here. I don't profess to know the details of the wizard's magicks."
Her eyes return to Doruk's.
"And why are you here? Are you treasure-seekers? Or are you good, honest men?"
"And why are you here? Are you treasure-seekers? Or are you good, honest men?"
"As it happens we're both! We've been hired to purge this place of evil influences and part of our payment is what we find - within reason."
"How did you come to be here? You say Gordain brought you, but how did you meet up with him and where is he?"
Mukluk butts up to the front.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry...I didn't get your name. I'm Mukluk Muletender of the Clan Highforge. Who are you and how long have you been here? And why haven't you just left?"
If only we had someone who was skilled at detecting do-baddery.
Mukluk casts Detect Magic and concentrates on it, on her, on the room.
"Wonderful!"
The woman smiles, her beauty all-the-more apparent as her face brightens and her eyes meet with Doruk's.
"Gordain? I'm... I'm... his captive."
Her face winces at this thought as she buries her face in her hands again, her sobbing echoing through the library.
"He... disappeared a long time ago. I suspect he's... dead? He said something about a dragon in the caverns below..."
As her trembles subside and she dries her face yet again, she adds - "It's dangerous here. I just want to leave this awful place. There's some sort of dwarven ghost that roams about here, gibbering in madness."
As Mukluk makes his way into the library, he is overwhelmed by the smell of dusty old tomes of dwarven history and knowledge.
He finds little in the way of magical auras beyond the transmutation aura coming from the woman.
"My name? Oh, of course... how silly am I? I am Idalla."
As her face dries, she stands and her full feminine figure comes into view. Her beauty is exceptional and enough to dry the mouths of any bachelor.
"So... if you are truly good heroes. Can I leave this place now? At last?"
She looks to Doruk with hope.
Mukluk turns back to the group.
"You guys stay here...I still don't like this one bit. If she gets me, come and get me back. Petrel, as you're the best of this bunch, you're in charge if something happens to me."
Mukluk turns to address the woman.
"Sorry ma'am, not yet. You're not free yet, but you're not in danger either. Just sit still for a moment while I check this out."
Mukluk will enter the room and approach the woman.
"Keep quiet now, I'm just getting a read on the magical effect that you're under..."
Know (Arcana) Know a spell effect that is in place. (Up to level 4 with that roll.)
Mukluk studies the woman closely as she stands there, a look of concern on her face.
"I... is it serious? I mean, I don't think there's any ill effects?"
Mukluk recognizes some of the patterns in the aura. They don't seem as if they would relate to allowing one to live without food or water, he would expect a Conjuration effect, like one would find on a ring of sustenance. These seem more similar to form-alteration or shape-changing.
Idalla observes Mukluk carefully as she waits.
Mukluk walks around the woman examining the aura.
"Yep, yep, yep. Oh yeah..." Mukluk begins 'non-nonchalantly' walking back to the party. "...yep...you're fine, just like you said, food magic."
Bluff check as Mukluk knows she's lying and is trying to get away from her/it
Idalla waits as she sees Mukluk returning to the others.
"It was a very complex spell. I think Gordain may have tried to make me more beautiful to behold too, so you may have detected a hint of that?"
Idalla's face continues to wear an expression of hope and salvation.
A woman's voice, identical to Idalla's spoken voice echoes inside Mukluk's head. With his extensive experience in all-things-arcane, he easily realizes she is speaking to him telepathically.
Dwarf. Please. I have been here so long. I know you are not good. I only need permission to leave for my freedom... from the handsome one, or the priest. Play along, and I will reward you.
After a pause she adds more.
You know I am far more powerful than you are able to handle. And, I can tell you much more of Durgeddin's fortress. Knowledge is power, young dwarf.
Tiabrar watches the discussion and wonders why she doesn't try to walk out.
"Do you get hungry and then feel full or have you lost that sensation? Being hungry can be awful, but then eating feels so good. It's like itching a scratch. That warm wonderful feeling. It makes me believe there might be a reason evil exist, or at least annoying things, because it feels so good to make them better. What would heroes be without monsters or villians? Maybe we should protect them so they don't all die off. We could keep just enough dragons and demons around for heroes to slay. They could buy a permit to fund the program. Otherwise all the paladins might have to become priests and some of them aren't really cut out for that."
Mobled glares at Doruk. "Nay, Dork, we're not all lads. One o' us has thrice's much sense 's a lad, and six's a pretty, dainty lass. Ye wan' freedom, pretty li'l bird? Ye dinna need our permission. There's th' door. There're yer feet. Use 'em."
"Well she is pretty and magical. I think Wee Jas would want me to collect her and take her with us."
Petrel is quickly lost by Tiabrar's web of words. He's hungry... and itchy? These elves make no sense.
"Oh maybe she is an illusion. What'd you call it Mukluk, a magic mouth?"
Petrel will carefully sidle up next to the seated woman and slowly reach out a finger to gently poke her in the shoulder.
"I don't think that would be a good idea Petrel. There's something not right here."
As Mukluk leaves the room, his face scrunches up as if he is listening to a whispered voice. His face contorts between looks of greed and honor, switching back between the two repeatedly. This continues for several moments.
Knowledge. Power! You fool dwarf.
Honor. Duty. You daft, Muletender.
Who needs duty when you are powerful?
Who needs power when you have honor?
What’s the worst she could do?
Eat us all?
Aye. She’s a crafty one. But *this* dwarf has too much of Clan Highforge in him to betray the world.
Mukluk looks at Petrel as he enters. ”Uh, Petrel, can I have a word with you over here?”
I guess I’ll be back in charge, Mukluk thinks as Petrel failed to obey Mukluk’s expressed verbal command.
The guy loves the danger. Just *loves* danger. He’s so brave…too brave. Almost dwarflike.
Mukluk will try to get the group out and shut the door.
Supposing Petrel does leave the room with him, Mukluk will shut the door.
"You guys stay here...I still don't like this one bit. If she gets me, come and get me back. Petrel, as you're the best of this bunch, you're in charge if something happens to me."
"Yes sir."
Doruk continues his guarding vigil, with a few sneak peaks at the woman's clear beauty.
As pretty as she is, it does seem unlikely that she'd have survived down here without so much as a dagger or scrap of bread. Something is clearly off here. I hope Mukluck can sort it out - this is beyond me.
Idalla smiles sheepishly as Mukluk begins walking towards, gesturing for Petrel to follow.
She turns to Petrel, brushing her hair back slightly as her eyes wander down to his outstretched finger than just poked her soft, smooth shoulder.
"Perhaps you can speak to your dwarven friend in the bedroom there?" She nods to the door to the east of the library.
"It is a bit stuffy, but that is where the dwarven wizard used to sleep. Perhaps you would find clues to his magicks within?"
Idalla returns to sit in the wooden chair, her eyes glancing to Doruk again, conveying her hope that he will be her protector in her time of need.
Please, dwarf. Do not take him out of this room.
Do not make me keep him here with me.
You *know* I can help you. I just need this one here to help me.
Tiabrar watches the scene from outside the room.
She is pretty.
Female voice: So was I. You can trust me, but I'm not sure about her.
The rogue will pet her shoulder. "Oh you're real!"
"So do you want to leave with us? I can escort you back to our camp, where we have kittens and elk sausages. Also do you know how to turn a bearskin into a rug or cloak?"
He'll take a look around for traps, including the other door then answer Mukluk.
Perception
"Sure Mukluk.. just a second."
The brave rogue will hold his finger to his lips indicating a need for silence, then slowly open the door to the dwarven wizard's study, ready to use his spring loaded bracers to quickdraw and shank any threat in the next room or this one.
As far as Petrel is concerned this is just another pretty captive to be rescued, since he doesn't know about the telepathy, detect magic results, or fears people may be harboring.
Idalla watches as Petrel moves to the bedroom door and inspects it, clearly cautious and ready for danger.
"There's nothing to fear, just a musty odor..."
Petrel finds nothing suspicious, opens the door and indeed discovers an odor of age, must and mildew that makes the sewers of the Free City a welcome memory.
Inside is a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a closet. All untouched with time.
"I.. don't like that room at all," Idalla volunteers. "It really does smell, doesn't it?"
"Oh.. no wizard?"
Petrel will look around, taking care to check for lurkers (above & below), stun jelly, spore of any kind on the bed linens, monsters under the bed, feral closet gnomes, ear seekers, and footprints in the dust indicating invisible attackers.
Perception
Certain it is safe, but still concerned about allergies, he cover his nose with one hand and quickdraw throw a normal knife into the bed, at the pillow if one exists.
"Mukluk, want to check for magic in here?"
Petrel will step in and search the furniture. He'll drag the nightstand over to the dresser to look for anything hidden on top of it for good measure.
Mukluk turns to the woman.
"Beg your pardon, miss, we're going to discuss this out of earshot. By my honor, we'll come back to talk. Petrel, you coming?"
Mukluk waits outside the room for Petrel, intending to close the door so they can talk privately.
Petrel searches the room, but his heart really isn't into finding anything. He tosses aside mundane items in the nightstand - an old hairbrush, a night-mask, a nightcap, some earplugs, some rusty trimmers that look like they might be good for dwarven nose-hairs.
Then...
A burst of moldy feathers shoots out of the small musty bedroom blanketing the library as one of the pillows is obliterated by Petrel's knife.
Idalla winces as the feathers ricochet about her, slowly falling to land on the table in the library's center.
Idalla looks at Doruk pleadingly.
"Is that it then? You would shut a woman in this library? Please... don't close me in here again. Leave the door open, I beg you..."
Her lips quiver, and her eyes begin to well up in despair at being made to suffer longer in the cramped confines of the old dusty library.
She shifts and sighs amid the cloud of feathers, her delicate hands waving through the air, seemingly reaching to pluck a few stray ones from the cloud about her.
Idalla may have just done something... cast a spell? It's hard to say amid all the feathers, but your keen elvish eyes rarely miss anything.
The voice takes advantage of the time Petrel spends stabbing the bed-pillows to reach out to Mukluk again.
Please, just permit me to leave, dwarf.
Surely there is no need to discuss matters outside... with *this* one? I can watch him while you talk to the others.
Or... allow me to confirm to myself your promise in returning.
Mukluk feels the smallest probe at the edge of his mind.
Will save
Mukluk pushes back against the intrusion as best he can.
We come back to her later...let's get Petrel out safe and discuss.
Idalla waits patiently for Petrel to complete his "routine" and for the discussion regarding her imprisonment.
"Please..." she allows herself to sob.
"I've been here so long..."
"Well the , lassie, mayhap a bit longer'll help ye learn t' save yerself."
Petrel can be heard coughing amongst the dust and feathers. But while everyone is distracted he swipes the following with sleight of hand:
old hairbrush
a night-mask
a nightcap
I'll have Mukluk detect for the magics on these later... once we're out of sight of the henchmen.
"Yes Mukluk! We have much to discuss! And spells to cast, bears to skin, elk burger to eat. Good bye lady!"
As he leaves Petrel will tug down his fake dwarven beard, revealing he is actually a human if the person was confused on the point, and give her a wink.
Wonder what her problem is...
Idalla sighs as she watches Petrel scoop up all three of the assorted items from the nightstand in the old musty bedroom.
As Petrel passes her by, tugging the "beard" from his chin, she nods and smiles politely much like a weary mother might smile at a child who claims he cut eye-holes into her only cooking pot so that he might pretend to be a brave gnomish knight.
"A moment, Petrel?" she reaches her hand out, appearing perfectly innocent.
She holds his hand for the briefest moment and meets his eyes. "Please, convince your boss to help me get out of here. Please?"
Idalla's touch gives you warm-fuzzy-bumpies. You feel stronger, faster, smarter, wiser for having spent that brief moment with her. Or, it might be your imagination.
I wonder why Mukluck is so afraid of her. She seems normal enough. Certainly her being here is odd, but come on. I suppose he'll explain out of earshot.
Doruk waits patiently at the door for Petrel. When he passes through, Doruk closes it and moves off with the party to learn what Mukluck knows.
While he waits, he uses his Prestidigitation so as to be a little more presentable to the lady the next time they meet.
Mukluk nods as Petrel finally leaves the room.
"Alright, Miss. We'll be back."
We'll be back....after we clear out the rest of this peepee soaked hellhole.
Mukluk turns to address the group after he closes the door.
"Yeah," Mukluk says, drawing his hand down his beard. "She ain't right and she ain't want she claims to be. I ain't saying she's bad, but only that she isn't telling us true. Something ain't right."
Mukluk looks to each party member.
"So, I said I'd come back and I meant it, but, right now, she's safe there and we're safe from her. Unless there are other questions or thoughts, let's get back to cleaning out this place."
Mukluk points his hand for the others to move along, back to the two doors in that other room.
"Sorry sir, but how do you know she ain't right? I'm all for moving on to the next chamber, but perhaps she'll be safer with the others in our camp at the entrance. I'll do as you say, but I would like more information... if you have it."
That's a fine way to get yourself fired Doruk. Watch your tone.
Even as Doruk speaks, he moves ahead slightly so as to be in position when the group continues on.
"Dunno if we should leave her in there. She seemed pretty magical, and you know Wee Jas wants me to collect magical things."
"Also I think she needed help from Theldrat back in Greyhawk. Or maybe Rinalda? Who are we working for these days?"
Petrel is a little confused by what just went on, and completely misses that Mukluk was being referred to as the boss.
I figures it was magic and who can really understand that. Besides my buddy Mukluk, who has a brain as big as his beard.
"And what if she comes up behind us like everything else in here?"
Female voice: And your solution is...?
Ummm
Female voice: Yeah. Thought so.
Tiabrar pulls out a flask and drinks deeply while the wiser members of the party figure things out.
If she's lying, maybe she's a ghost? No. Um. Zombie. No. Too pretty. Not a skeleton. Vampire. I wasn't looking at her smile and her teeth.
The woman's voice echoes in Mukluk's mind, despite her being beyond a closed door a room away.
Don't forget, dwarf - I can help you.
I know much of what is in this fortress that I can share...
The most plausible thing Tiabrar's knowledge of arcana can come up with would be a similar spell effect to a ring of sustenance, which is conjuration magic.
"So... now what?"
Wonder if Gambli knows and recipes for bear...
"Sorry sir, but how do you know she ain't right? I'm all for moving on to the next chamber, but perhaps she'll be safer with the others in our camp at the entrance. I'll do as you say, but I would like more information... if you have it."
Know History on Gordain
Know Planes GeneralKnow Nature
Know Arcana
Mukluk looks at Doruk for a few moments before deciding how to respond...walking toward their next destination while he talks.
"Well, yeah, Doruk, good question, actually. I'm not sure you'll understand it all, but I'll try to explain it the way it was explained to me at the Greyhawk Academy," Mukluk answers.
"You see, the trick in understanding this lies in what we *don't* know rather than what we do. We don't know much about her actually, except that what she was telling us wasn't all true...I can guarantee that because I checked personally. Her magicks were 'wrong'. Now, stay with me, this is where it might get complicated..." Mukluk looks at Doruk to make sure he's still paying attention.
"The magic that she claimed to be under didn't match the magic that she was actually under, you see? She claimed to be kept from dying by a magic spell, but I could find no such taint of that claim upon her. In fact, I found the residue of a different type of magic entirely: transmutation. While she claimed to be herself, the magics that I *personally* studied told me that she was not showing us her true form."
Mukluk looks again at Doruk for understanding.
"Well, the magics upon her reflect her changing herself from one form to another. In addition, she had the ability to speak directly into my mind, Doruk. Yep...she could talk to me and promise things at a glance without others hearing or seeing it. And that, by itself, is pretty powerful magic."
Mukluk again pauses and waits to see if Doruk is napping or listening to the answer he so badly wanted.
"So...this 'maiden', who claimed to be trapped can actually change her form *and* talk directly into one's mind *and* apparently can subsist without food or drink, probably is lying about other things as well. In short, she took us for heroic dummies..." Mukluk shoots a look at Martigan, "...who expect to find maidens in distress in dungeons surrounded by all manner of undead rather than being honest with us."
Mukluk continues when Doruk seems like he's absorbed that.
"So...looking at the facts, Doruk. The types of creatures that can do the stuff I've just described are few: most come from the outer planes or the first world. So...either outsiders or fey or something like that. Now, I'm not saying she's good or bad or neutral, only that 1) she wasn't being honest with us and 2) if she is an outsider or fey, we are dreadfully under equipped to deal with her. You need all sorts of various weaponry to properly deal with fey or demons or daemons or devils or worse...none of which we really have."
Mukluk looks to Doruk's glaive.
"That weapon of yours might be purty and you might wield it well, but against some foes it's useless...like that ghost we just fought. It lacks magic or silver or the proper metals. Yeah, it's crazy and silly, but there were too many unknowns in that room and I'm glad we escaped with little carnage. Now, I fully intend to fulfill my promise to her and go back, but we'll do that when we're ready and properly equipped, okay?"
Mukluk leads the party to two doors on the south side of the hallway.
"Let's go to the north door."
Petrel claps Mukluk on the shoulder. "We are in complete agreements then!"
Magic is so confusing. Wonder if Doruk understood any of that.
"Hey if she isn't going anywhere, we could come back any time we want. Maybe we can visit her when we are old and ready to retire." Petrel runs his hand through his hair. "I'll probably be a Guild-master in Greyhawk by then."
Tiabrar follows along.
Mukluk sure likes to talk. Makes sense he's a wizard now.
Dwarf, are you done discussing matters yet? It feels like you're taking a lot longer than I expected you would? As you can imagine, I'm ready to be out of here...
A bunch of heady stuff....
"Let's go to the north door."
"I see I think. In short, she's not who, or what, she appears to be and, if evil, will kick our collective asses in our current state."
"That makes some sense, but if she is an innocent - just lying to try and get free - aren't we obligated to help her? I guess what I'm saying is..." Doruk reaches for the next door, guisarme in hand and ready for battle, "...we shouldn't take to long to get back."
Doruk opens the west door.
Mukluk follows Doruk.
What? Yeah, we're coming back. In a bit.
"Mukluk, I know you must be thinking about all those magic books and spells you left behind with that nice lady. I want to give you a gift today, something to cheer you up. Here.. please take this platinum piece as a token of my esteem. I've been carrying it around forever, must have gotten it in our adventures."
Mukluk gratefully accepts the coin.
"Thanks, Petrel. Very thoughtful."
Ain't nobody more thoughtful than that guy. Cats, now this?! Amazing.
Mukluk deposits the coin in his third pocket. His special pocket.
The western-most door along the southern wall of the eastern hallway is found to be locked.
After a few moments, Petrel nods and stands from his work, confirming the mechanism has been subverted, and Mobled throws yet another door open with Doruk standing at her side, his shield casting brilliant light into the room beyond.
Surprisingly, this room has not been looted, perhaps a testimony to Petrel's skills, as the orc invaders were unable to penetrate it?
These clearly were once the personal quarters of some important dwarf - they are decorated with vibrant tapestries and comfortable furnishings, although age has taken it's toll on most of the contents. However, the large crimson colored rug in the center of the room still appears splendid and interestingly depicts a scene of a powerful dwarven wizard with lighting and fire shooting from his hands at dozens of burnt and wounded orcs.
The room also sports an ornate writing desk and bed in the southwestern corner.
"Ah, look, coz. They knew ye were comin' 'n painted a portrait."