Muroni continued to write down on her leather-bound book but saw Bronwyn's puzzled face, "This structure served as a temple and arcane laboratory for a variety of giants during the height of the Age of Giants. In addition to giants, elf and drow slaves and magehands also occupied the place, serving their giant masters."
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OOC: the dead seemed to have been killed by 'normal means'. However, you do find two bodies bereft of any flesh among the dead soldiers.
Questions?
Game on!
"I would not object if this time THEY could fight all the enemies and WE could sweep in at the last moment to steal the prize." Squeak remarked. He was careful to keep the volume of most of his words low so the two words he said at normal volume were emphasised, and for good measure he pulsed his eyeglow at the same time.
Lucina pecked at Vi, indicating that it was time for them to move and began to lead the rogue back to the others. Upon seeing the bodies upon the pyramid entrance she frowned. Were the drow defending it?
Vi had been half-deafened by the exploding airship, and was more than a little put out with Bronwyn for putting her in danger. She sulked her way through the jungle, but had to throw off her pout in favour of examining the surroundings.
"Yes, I wonder if the drow were just being territorial, or fighting for this place particularly. Too bad there is nobody here to ask. I wonder if any of them got away." She scouted around the edges of the battlefield, looking for tracks moving away from the battle.
Eyeing the staircase, she said, "We'll need to take extreme caution. I'll take point, and the flyers can stay airborn as long as possible."
Muroni continued to write down on her leather-bound book but saw Bronwyn's puzzled face, "This structure served as a temple and arcane laboratory for a variety of giants during the height of the Age of Giants. In addition to giants, elf and drow slaves and magehands also occupied the place, serving their giant masters."
Bronwyn nodded slowly, "I guess that makes sense considering the item we're after and the grand scale of the pyramid. But would there still be elf and drow slaves living here since the Age of Giants is over? And why did they build it here in the middle of nowhere? Is that a requirement if you're going to build a pyramid?"
oops, I was going to roll survival, and clearly got confused.
Lucina groaned inwardly at the sight of Muroni, "Did they bring her or did she just warp here somehow? Either way, Lucina was increasingly regretting bringing her along. Shaking her head, she flew above Vi and tried to scout out the area for traps and hazards, ready to squawk in warning.
"I believe the time may have come for me to switch into combat mode;" he said quietly, then turned to Palisade "Unless you think it would be more advantageous for me to stay in artillery form?"
"I believe the time may have come for me to switch into combat mode;" he said quietly, then turned to Palisade "Unless you think it would be more advantageous for me to stay in artillery form?"
"Why?" Bronwyn asked in a loud whisper, "Do you see something? I don't see anything."
Lucina let out a squawk and flew to Vi. She continued to squawk loudly and with a clear, but incomprehensible, sense of urgency, as she alternated between facing Vi and the pillars on the upper level. For goodness sake! Open your eyes people!
"Why?" Bronwyn asked in a loud whisper, "Do you see something? I don't see anything."
Similarly unaware of a clear and present threat, Palisade still took Squeak's words seriously - it wasn't like unit Squeak to err. "Cautious. This one is unable to locate the enemy you seem to have spotted. Request. Please specify the threat you believe will require entering combat at this time."
"There are humanoid forms on the upper level, behind the pillars." Squeak said quietly. "But the question is prompted by entering an active combat zone."
Those that were noticed are not aware of you noticing them so what do you want to do?
So they saw us, but don't know that we saw them?
So they saw us, but don't know that we saw them?
yes
With Squeak and Lucina's help how does she manage to sound crotchety, even in bird form?, Vi was able to pick out the forms waiting for them. "Right," she said in a whisper. "We have the advantage at the moment, because they don't know that we saw them. So we can spoil the ambush. The question is, how? Do we try to take some of them out with a spell? B, can you fire bomb the area? Or I could use another zap of the invisibility wand, and sneak around and see what I can do from the other side? What do you think?"
Action 1:
Action 2:
Do we try to take some of them out with a spell? B, can you fire bomb the area? Or I could use another zap of the invisibility wand, and sneak around and see what I can do from the other side? What do you think?"
Bronwyn grinned, "You know I don't need encouragement to throw around some fire but do we know if they're friend or foe? Stealth may be better in this instance."
Lucina glanced once more at the shrouded figures, lurking on the upper level and somehow doubted they were friendly. However, perhaps there was not enough certainty to jump straight to hostility. Instead she circled the party and quietly observed the figures while the others planned.
Action 1:
The bolt flew towards the ruin.
I intend to move this along later today.
Questions?
Game on!
Bronwyn grinned, "You know I don't need encouragement to throw around some fire but do we know if they're friend or foe? Stealth may be better in this instance."
"Analysis. The natives fought and died to oppose the cultists who have made themselves our enemies. But the saying that the 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' is often sorely lacking in practice," Palisade said as it kept repositioning itself to remain between Bronwyn and the potential hostiles. "Suggestion. Diplomacy should be considered in case a mutually beneficial truce to rid the ruins of the Emerald Claw cultists could be fashioned. Addendum. This one doubts the natives are very fond of any intruders on their lands, ourselves included, so a truce should be considered temporary at best, were the natives to agree on one in the first place."
Vi shook her head, "I doubt those are natives up there. But on the off chance they are...." she took out her invisibility wand, and activated it on herself. Her disembodied voice whispered, "I'll go check it out. If they're drow, we can try and parley. If they're Claw, then we strike first."
They triggered it!
[ooc]I need to think about this. Squeak's big fear was falling, but with wings that may not apply any more.[ooc]
Bronwyn squealed in surprise as the stairs began to move. By some miracle, she was able to keep her feet. She then managed to find the only spot on the altered steps that was perfectly untouched by the boulder.
Vi kept her feet like a veteran sailor during a squall. Seeing the boulder come towards her, she ran up the stairs towards it, ducking nimbly aside and hoping her friends "downstream" would be okay.
Palisde fell down to its knees as the footing suddenly shifted, leaving it stuck on the approaching boulder's path. Not that the last part mattered, since Lady d'Deneith was in the danger zone herself. Jumping away from the stone's path was the last thing in its mind.
"Behind me, Lady d'Deneith, it said calmly as it struggled back to its feet and pushed on towards the rolling boulder.
Lucina squawked in surprise as the stairs began to give way. Her instinct was to move quickly to grab at the nearest person's shirt, but she was neither fast enough or strong enough to stop anyone from fall. Instead she turned her eyes towards the natives. Fearing a volley may be coming she flew towards any cover she could see.
Squeak felt the floor begin to fall, and quickly spread his weight on the ground, hoping that the remaining structural beams would bear his weight. Long practised reactions trumped the new knowledge that his flight system could save him.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, Bronwyn
, hit
, Palisade
, hit
It's normal movement (60') to get to the top of the staircase but the 'top' is now 10 feet below the gallery platform hence the climb of DC 14 once you reach this spot.
If not, then you can use the giant staircase but you have to make 5 DC 10 climb checks.
Thanks for reminding me about your Saving Shield; we will retcon as necessary because you know I will forget some of these orders. :)
Questions?
Game on!
Thanks Fabian, I thought it was only good for 1 minute "hops", I certainly didn't mean to leave it on.
Growling a mechanical purr Squeak ran towards the natives and redeployed his flight systems as he did. He zipped up the stairs with unnatural alacrity and rocketed into the air.
"Please remain behind to provide covering fire, Lady d'Deneith," Palisade said calmly as it got to its feet and began advancing towards the hostile natives, its enchanted shield held before its body.
Bronwyn screamed in terror as the boulder bore down on them. Not because of the boulder but because of the two 'forged that threatened to crush her as they were wiped off their feet.
The wizard expected it to be the end but somehow it wasn't. Just as she was marveling at her luck, pain ripped through her body as she was impaled by an arrow. She whimpered as she lay in a heap. She hurt all over and realized that she had foolishly wandered into the pyramid without activating her dragonmark. Definitely a rookie mistake which she immediately rectified.
Self-pity threatened to overwhelm the wizard as she lay in pain. But as both Squeak and Palisade left her, she quickly scrambled to her feet not wanting to be left behind. She straightened the skirt of her dress and followed Palisade. "You could have helped me up, you know," she said somewhat peevishly. "I thought these guys were fighting the Emerald Claw. Why are they hurting me?"
She straightened the skirt of her dress and followed Palisade. "You could have helped me up, you know," she said somewhat peevishly. "I thought these guys were fighting the Emerald Claw. Why are they hurting me?"
"Remorseful. Apologies, Lady d'Deneith. Priority must be given to your safety over your comfort," Palisade said, as there was no need to conserve breath for the physical activity, given that the 'forged didn't breathe. "It is possible the natives do not differentiate outsiders - if we are here and are not one of their own kind, we are intruders and they respond to each intrusion with equal hostility. Perhaps the thought that one group of intruders could be allied with against another does not fit into their mental model and the possibility is thus ignored."
She straightened the skirt of her dress and followed Palisade. "You could have helped me up, you know," she said somewhat peevishly. "I thought these guys were fighting the Emerald Claw. Why are they hurting me?""Remorseful. Apologies, Lady d'Deneith. Priority must be given to your safety over your comfort," Palisade said, as there was no need to conserve breath for the physical activity, given that the 'forged didn't breathe. "It is possible the natives do not differentiate outsiders - if we are here and are not one of their own kind, we are intruders and they respond to each intrusion with equal hostility. Perhaps the thought that one group of intruders could be allied with against another does not fit into their mental model and the possibility is thus ignored."
Bronwyn rolled her eyes behind Palisade's back, knowing full well he couldn't see her. "That's no excuse."
She stopped mid-step, hands on her hips, and looked up at the drow, "We are not here to fight you but to help you! Put down your weapons at once and let's talk about how we can join together against the Emerald Claw." She also repeated her words in elven as well as a few other languages she knew, just in case they didn't understand common.
Vi stared at the drow and wondered if it was worth adding her voice to Bronwyn's. No, better to keep the advantage of invisibility if they're not amenable to diplomacy.
Trying to scramble silently up the wall, the rogue found her handholds crumbling away and was unable to gain the main floor.
Lucina's eyeroll was visible, even as a bird, as Bronwyn chastised the warforged. As if she's the only one who got hurt in that fall. However, when Bronwyn attempted to enter negotiations with the natives, she refocused on the issue at hand. She watched the drow closely, trying to see how they were reacting to Bronwyn's plea.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, hit
, miss
, miss
, miss
Lucina made a tsk sound, as the drow open fired. Fine. I guess we do this the hard way. She flew up and towards the one in the back and struck him with her talon.
Bronwyn squealed as another arrow came flying her way. "Seriously?!? Fine! You were warned."
Pulling out a scroll she read the arcane words off the parchment and touched Palisade's back. He immediately began to grow in size. "Go squash them like ants, Palisade."
With altitude on his side it was the simplest thing in the world for Squeak to simply fly higher and drop an incendiary. "Thou shalt not stand against 'air superiority'" he quoted.
"Go squash them like ants, Palisade."
Palisade felt its body grow in size and strength as Lady d'Deneith's spell took hold. "Grateful. Thank you, Lady. This will improve this one's combat effectiveness considerably," it said, striding towards the obstacle that now came barely above its waist instead of looming over its head. The 'forged's eye flickered from one native to another, marking each's location. A thought came to its head, a mention of the elves' past overlords and it decided to try out how they'd respond to another approach at communication.
**"Cease your hostilities,"** Palisade announced in the booming language of the giants the Goddess-Creator in her infinite wisdom had taught to her creation. It was quite likely that this generation of drow recalled nothing of their ancestors' masters, but Palisade decided they could hardly try to fight them harder than they already did. **"Aggression will be met with lethal force."**