The war leader: "Since you probably would like to move fast, I would have your individual oaths that you do not reveal our method of travel to anyone, especially anyone in elfhome."
Suny would step forwards and give her solemn oath.
Seltyn's cool with it.
Thalas agrees to the oath as well: it was only for the continued protection of the Wood Elfs, for which he agreed such a precaution was necessary.
As they near the monastery and the harbor, Thalas tries to recall if he knew anything about either of them from either his "first life" or from his studies since his "awakening".
Wil easily agrees, more interested in discovering the different traditions and modes of travel that his cousins utilized.
You recall little about this place, but the wood elves seem to quite familiar with it.
"We have come here on multiple occasions. Many wish access to the wisdom and artifacts the Irorians possess."
As you ascend the hill you notice a rudimentary bridge stretching across the water from this hill to the monastery on top of the other hill. There are two large metal 'ropes', the wood elves call them gnomish ropes, that are suspended across the gap. Every five feet there are circular, flat disks on the top of the 'ropes', and these flat disks are held securely in place on the 'ropes'. The disks are also connected by shorter 20' 'ropes' connecting both sets of ropes together. Closer to the middle of the bridge, the distance between the disks increases.
There are two speaking apparati to talk to the other side through tubes that are connected to the 'ropes'.
The war chief, Teladon, mentions, "The wind is quite blustery up here. To attempt the challenge today would be quite difficult."
The challenge involves hopping from disk to disk to get to the other side. Teladon mentions that is the physical challenge.
Teladon walks up to one of the speaking apparati and speaks, "Belsein, are you there? Send Belsein over."
After a few minutes, a man with white hair and beard begins jumping from disk to disk to make it to your side. He seem quites adept at jumping, and as the bridge begins to sway in the wind, he continues to hop from disk by disk until he crosses the entire span of about one thousand feet.
He lands after the final leap with a flourish and bows, "Belsein Bopart at your service." He has ruddy, suntanned skin and seems to be over fourty--middle-age for a human. He has twinkling light blue eyes and just a hint of brown in his beard.
"Greetings, Master Bopart. I am Thalas Lebarath, cleric of Labelas Enorath. My companions are Wilaml of House Fmelvam, Elorin Siltentall, Seltyn Sevenleaf, Elesandriel, Talon Moonwalker, and Azlain," said Thalas with a hand wave-gesture towards each in turn.
"We have been charged by Lady Ciedrel of Elfhome to seek the Shipyards of King Horseborn and there obtain any of the ships that remain preserved as an asset for the Elven people in an effort to ensure our people's continued survival. Master Bopart, I am sure that there have been many that have sought the fleet over the years of your order's vigil, but surely there have been none with a need greater than ours. Will you be able to help us?"
Suny gets as close to the 'edge' of where the bridge starts and whatever the 'drop off' is to have a look-see down. The blond haired, tanned skinned Elf not seeming worried about the heights, nor the wind ruffling her short, blond locks. (^_^)
Wilaml bows his head when Thalas speaks his name and adds on to what was said in the most diplomatic way possible. "Elder Bopart, it is a honor and pleasure to be here and War Leader Teladon and company have told us much of you and your esteemed order. As my comrade has stated we are in great need of these ships, especially now that the Black Citadel has sank our only vessel and now plies the waters unchallenged to enslave at will. Please tell us what must be done to gain the ships your order has so valiantly guarded these many years?"
The older monk with the close cropped white hair nods and points to the harbor. Docked in the harbor is the ship you ran into previously, the trireme with the flag of the black citadel.
"The Black Citadel is also here. They wish to partake of the challenge to gain permission to borrow our ships. Our instructions are quite clear, the ships are only for those who pass the challenges. They have had a days head start on you, but the challenges have not been passed for hundreds of years."
He adds, "You are in a no hostility zone. I require your word there will be no hostile acts except for in the challenges while you are here."
He smiles and winks at Wil: "Although I am supposed to be impartial, I am pulling for you. You have the best manners of all the contestants."
The elf war chief adds:
"We have been taking the challenges too. We are about thirty years into them. I assure you, you will find them quite.....challenging. Yes, challenging challenges they are."
The elder elven monk just smiles and nods.
The war chief explains: "There is a physical challenge and a mental challenge. The physical challenge involves crossing the bridge with no magical assistance or tools and defeating the mist monsters that attack you while you try. We already licked that one. The mental challenge involves answering a riddle. The riddle has sixteen parts, and each one is in a different language."
The elder monk smiles wryly: "Mist monsters are tough!"
Thalas looks at his companions, troubled by the news that the Black Citadel had reached the Shipyard before them. Smiling wryly at the Wood Elf Warleader's description at 'challenging challenges' - and taking 30 years to solve them with little apparent success - he turns back to the senior monk.
"Elder Bopart, it seems we have time to make up for. There were scrolls we would need?"
Wil smiles at the Elders words. "I appreciate the support and promise no hostilities with the other Challengers while within your domain. I accept the proposed challenges and look forward to attempting them."
He looks to the War Leader then. "Will we be joining forces are we competing against one another?"
Sunny skips back to where the others are chatting,
"Um....a question?" She asks hesitantly, "Who are the 'Black Citadel'?" She curtsies and steps slightly back behind Wilaml and Thalas.
The war leader smiles at Wil.
"We are three quarters done, so I guess we will be done in ten more years. But if you can help us on some of the scrolls, we can probably look at combining forces."
You are given 16 scrolls. The are in common, undercommon, ignan, aklo, goblin, abyssal, draconic, celestial, auran, gnoll, sylvan, terran, orc, infernal and two ancient languages.
"Elder Bopart, would I be able to use magic to understand the languages on these scrolls or must we do so through more scholarly endeavors?"
Wil smiles at the War Leader and bows his head to the Elder as he speaks to everyone present. "If you have no qualms with that Elder Bopart or my comrades, but perhaps joining forces with our Wood elf brethren would be in the best interest of Elfhome would it not? The decision is your's Seltyn as I am still an outsider and Lady Ciedrel would understand what you had to do to acquire the ships. Especially in light of the fact we are not the only ones to pursue them..."
His smile broadens then, mischief dancing in his words as he speaks. "It would also even the odds with the Black Citadel and I think we the Elven nation deserve the ships more then they do, especially since they sunk our vessel."
The war leader smiles at Wil.
"We are three quarters done, so I guess we will be done in ten more years. But if you can help us on some of the scrolls, we can probably look at combining forces."
You are given 16 scrolls. The are in common, undercommon, ignan, aklo, goblin, abyssal, draconic, celestial, auran, gnoll, sylvan, terran, orc, infernal and two ancient languages.
Those are the languages Seltyn knows without magic. He's got a slot free for Comprehend Languages.
Common, Celestial, Draconic and Orc are auto. That leaves 8 requiring a Linguistics check at DC 20.
And, 2 @ DC 25
What he can't do here, he can do with a spell for 40 minutes, if the monks don't object. That's 9 of 14. I just love being useful! LOL
Sorry, that was 16, not 14.
2 more checks @ DC 20:
10 of 16.
Seltyn begins his translating. For ease of bookkeeping, assume Scrolls 10-15 are untranslated.
Scroll 16=Who has the frog familiar?
Scroll 1=The hobbit has brown hair.
Scroll 2=The gnome has a lizard familiar.
Scroll 3=The human drinks honey mead.
Scroll 4=The wizard with white hair lives just left of the wizard with black hair.
Scroll 5=The wizard with white hair drinks mulled wine.
Scroll 6=The conjurer has an owl familiar.
Scroll 7=The wizard with gray hair is a diviner.
Scroll 8=The wizard in the center house drinks strong ale.
Scroll 9=The dwarf lives in the first house.
The wood elves have translated 1,2,7-11,14,15.
The monk warns, "The scrolls were created to avoid magical tampering, but I am told a strong magic-user can read the scrolls magically without any ill effect."
The elf chief mentions, "We have tried to bring these to wizards and learned if you fail magically, you find your intellect drained for a long period of time. Our best wizard tried once and does not want to try again. We have paid other human wizards--they failed too."
It looks like the nonsensical sentences might be a cryptic puzzle of some kind. Give me some time.
He prepares Comprehend Languages, and attempts to read 10-16, looking for a pattern to it all before he tries Read Magic.
As Talon reads #10 he feels a powerful resistance that attacks his intellect.
The monk warns, "The scrolls were created to avoid magical tampering, but I am told a strong magic-user can read the scrolls magically without any ill effect."
The elf chief mentions, "We have tried to bring these to wizards and learned if you fail magically, you find your intellect drained for a long period of time. Our best wizard tried once and does not want to try again. We have paid other human wizards--they failed too."
Sorry, it was Seltyn that read the scroll (my bad).
Seltyn's Will save should be better :-)
Thalas will, time permitting, commune with his deity to learn Comprehend Languages in order to assist Seltyn.
I guess you still need 5 more. 11-15. I'll stop at the first fail.
At #12, Seltyn pauses, scratches his head and says, Derp! Hurr, Durr, Derp!
Seeing Seltyn's 'change' Suny puts a comforting arm about his shoulders.
Observing Seltyn's peculiar and rapidly-devolving behavior, Thalas says, "Elesandriel, please try to keep him from walking off the cliff while I pray for his restoration."
Thalas casts Lesser Restoration on Seltyn.
"Seltyn, my friend, have you recovered? What happened to you?"
Elorin having watched quietly and having seen the effect on Seltyn wonders about these scrolls and the use of magic.
"Perhaps I can try and read them? I have no magic to help me but languages are a strong point for me. It can not do more harm to try than it already has."
Elorin making sure Seltyn is safe with the others attempts to read the scrolls.
DC 25:
Elorin takes her time examining the scrolls, not just the language but the state they are in and the materials they are made from. 'Perhaps their age can give me a clue as to there language, if little else the longer I spend with them the longer we have to come up with something.'
to try and see age of scroll.
to recognize what languages where common at the rough age I think the scrolls are.
to notice as much as possible about the scrolls.
IF more rolls are wanted/needed let me know.
Observing Seltyn's peculiar and rapidly-devolving behavior, Thalas says, "Elesandriel, please try to keep him from walking off the cliff while I pray for his restoration."
Thalas casts Lesser Restoration on Seltyn.
"Seltyn, my friend, have you recovered? What happened to you?"
Duh, scrolls hurty. Make brain hurty, derp derp.
Suny hugs her friend, unsure how to help his mental state.
Wil stands looking awkwardly at their now slightly off kiltered mage and hoping that the physical challenge isn't as... treacherous to say the least.
"I would like to know what I need to do for the Physical test Elder as I am nopt as studious as my comrades."
I may be overacting. The Lesser Restoration might be good enough. If not, Seltyn will be a little doofy for a while. All the same, we made a lot of headway on the scrolls. And well, I guess that's somethin'!
He's going to fail 2 more, so Thalas has his work cut out for him. LOL!
Elorin deciphers scrolls 10,11,13,14, and 16 leaving only the scrolls 12 and 15 to be read. Seltyn attacks 12 and 15 with comprehend languages and manages to decipher scroll 12. When he attempts scroll 15 he feels the strong magic protection interfere with his head and feels quite the loss of intellect.
As Thalas attempts to cure the ailment, he feels the magic of the cursed scrolls attack him.
The war leader seeing what is going on, remarks that scroll 15 is ancient Elothean. A language from a race said to predate elves.
He gives Wil the translation of scroll 15.
Scroll 10: The evoker has a neighbor with a cat familiar.
Scroll 11: The transmuter drinks well water
Scroll 12: The wizard with the raven familiar lives next to the diviner.
Scroll 13: The elf is an abjurer
Scroll 14: The dwarf lives next to the bald wizard
Scroll 15: The evoker has a neighbor who drinks apple cider. (Ancient Elothean--translated by wood elves)
The war leader relates the rules of the mental challenge: "You have all the clues to the mental challenge. To complete the mental challenge you will take a key and hold hands. Those in a magic circle of hands will invoke a gateway to one of five houses in a magic painting, ordered one to five from left to right. If you pick the right one, you get the necklace of intellect as a reward. If you pick the wrong one, you will find yourself fighting a hostile wizard bent on your destruction. If you defeat him, you may return, but none have. With only half the clues, we have not tried this yet."
He continues:"The physical challenge is to hop across the bridge to the other side. You may have to fight mist monsters on the way. The wood elves already completed the physical challenge ten years ago when the winds were at an all time calm."
The elder monk visits you to see how you are doing. "The witches are having problems. We are selling potions of restoration like crazy. Our alchemist has found the mental challenge to be quite profitable. He charges twice the going rate since he is the only alchemist for miles around."
Scroll 1=The hobbit has brown hair.
Scroll 2=The gnome has a lizard familiar.
Scroll 3=The human drinks honey mead.
Scroll 4=The wizard with white hair lives just left of the wizard with black hair.
Scroll 5=The wizard with white hair drinks mulled wine.
Scroll 6=The conjurer has an owl familiar.
Scroll 7=The wizard with gray hair is a diviner.
Scroll 8=The wizard in the center house drinks strong ale.
Scroll 9=The dwarf lives in the first house.
Scroll 10: The evoker has a neighbor with a cat familiar.
Scroll 11: The transmuter drinks well water
Scroll 12: The wizard with the raven familiar lives next to the diviner.
Scroll 13: The elf is an abjurer
Scroll 14: The dwarf lives next to the bald wizard
Scroll 15: The evoker has a neighbor who drinks apple cider. (Ancient Elothean--translated by wood elves)
Scroll 16=Who has the frog familiar?
You have all the clues!
I'll go for the mental challenge. I take it any or all of us can go, but it's voluntary. Doesn't sound like we'd return if we fail, so no hard feelings if anyone doesn't want to try it. As for the physical test, I'll leave it to one of the more athletic Foxes to attempt.