GM Kyshkumen's The Dragons Demand

Game Master Kyshkumen

Perceptions or is anyone moving forward to the second door?

I was waiting for Grayson to play with us. Is he still here? We need posts and activity by everyone to make this go.

Zilch stares proudly at the door he found.

A stomach flu is keeping him down at the moment.

"Nice door, Zilch. You should have the honors of opening it." Candrana phrases her words carefully, as her father would want.

Zilch looks around, waiting for Grayson to catch up so he can see the door that Zilch totally found.

"Well what did you find here zilch? Look at that Aodan, look what zilch found. Would you like to do the honors of opening this amazing find here?" As Grayson looks a this new door and nodding with approval.

Seeing that Zilch and Aodan have bled a bit before he steps just next to Candi and mutters, "I'll go in after you."

Candrana watches as everyone goes around waiting for someone else to open the door. It's not their fault, they're only human..

Tired of waiting, she steps up and opens the door. "No, wait, let *me* get it." she says, unable to be as understanding of their human frailties as she should be.

Candrana will open the door.

Candrana steps into the small room to open the next door. As soon as she steps into the room a voice flately states, "please close the door before proceeding with the pass phrase."

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Hoping the others remember the pass phrase given to them by the imp, she closes the door before speaking the phrase.

Candrana shuts the door behind her, the one with the barred window in it.

"Oh yeah, that's pretty easy. I can do that."

Zilch enters the room

"Good bar on, Sarvo will sit."

It don't make much sense to me, but that Sarvo fellow sound like a pretty good circus performer if he can sit on a bar.

When Zilchus opens the windowed door the one in front of Candrana closes again. As soon as Zilchus enters the room the voice talks over him as he says the pass phrase. "Please close the door before proceeding with the pass phrase."

Zilch passes through, closing the door behind him.

Nailed it.

Aodan growls through gritted teeth before spouting even greater prevarications than Zilch. "Good Baron Sarvo wills it."

And that rebel scum will pay for his ignoble deeds, the infamy of his treachery shall erase him from all tales of what is noble and true, and Pharasma take his villainous soul on a boat to the Abyss.

He opens the door and steps into the room, making sure Grayson, who seems to know what he is doing and to be rather handy with a sword, is ready.

Zilchus is surprised to see Aodan and Grayson on the other side. Really he just walked back out the door he came in, but don't tell him that.

Aodan steps into the room and closes the door. Oddly the voice does not say anything this time.

Zilch steps out, looking at Aodan and Grayson.

"Hey! How'd you guys get ahead of me?" Zilch looks around for Candrana. "Where did Candrana go?"

Hope I'm "...always ahead..." of a unworthy beard-bearer like you.

Assuming he heard the words spoken to Candrana, Aodan closes the windowed door before trying to open the solid door and step through to the other side, refraining from complimenting the traitorous Baron.

Aodan stays silent and tries to open the door forward but it is locked. Suddenly the floor below him drops away and he scrambles to hold on to something...anything.

A ten foot deep pit has been opened below you. DC 20 reflex save or take 1d6 ⇒ 5 damage.

Upon hearing a different noise than the opposite door opening, Grayson immediately will take a look through the window to see what's happening with Aodan.

Grayson yells through the door, "Aodan whats's going on in there? You ok?"

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

The half-elf falls to the floor with a thud. (hp 6/11)

"Qadiran cat lovers!"

Rubbing his rather bruise behind, and leg, and shoulder.

"Repeat that damnable praise the traitor each time you try any knob!" Because uttering those false words once does not seem to be enough to assuage this treacherous ruins.

Reaching for his rope, his dagger, and his kit, he realizes he left them behind at the last precipice. What kind of hairless Kellish hell have I entered?" He'll try and ascend out of the pit.

Climb: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

If that doesn't work, he'll call out - "Need a rope. Some help."

Aoden is able to use a corner of the pit to climb out.

Candrana eyes the lever, wondering if it might open the door. Finally, she gives into temptation, whispers the phrase,"good Baron Sarvo wills it" and pulls the lever.

After Aoden gets out of the pit the pit doors close making the floor solid again.

Zilch looks at Grayson.

"Do we need to go back through now? Or should we wait for whatshisface and whatsherface to catch up?"

Zilch rubs his beard.

"This face is Aodan, son of House..." He stops. No, not of the House anymore.

Watching the pit trap close, he grumbles. "Katapeshi place if I ever saw one."

He bites back the bile in his throat as he utters those distasteful words "Good Baron Sarvo wills it" before trying to open the door.

Without to much trouble, and someone helping Zilchus, the party makes it through the security doors. On the other side a single iron lever protrudes from the wall next to the door in this otherwise empty chamber's west wall. To the east, a ten-foot-wide hallway curves to the north. In front of the hallway a strange four armed metal contraption blocks the way. It stands on three jointed legs, a large key floats in the air next to it.

Candrana looks at the lever again. "We should name this lever after Zilch!" because it doesn't do much either.

GM Kysh: Thanks for pushing us through the door...I feel it wasn't going to end well for ol' lovable Zilch.

Zilch nods when Candi and Aodan finally 'catch up' to him as he enters the room.

"Boy, that was bizarre, huh? Where did that voice come from?" Zilch says, taking in the new room.

Candrana looks at the lever again. "We should name this lever after Zilch!"

"Ah shucks, you don't need to name things after me yet," Zilch says shyly, examining the 12"+ length of the lever. "Maybe after I do more heroic deeds...maybe then..."

How did she know? Oooh...she's a looker!
As long as she's not looking in my backpack, I'm fine with it.

Zilch turns his attention to thing and the key.

"That's weird, huh? What is that?"

1d20 + 0 ⇒ (2) + 0 = 2 Know (Arcana)

As fun as dropping Zilchus into a pit might be, I feel there are much better things ahead.

As the adventures discuss the lever and it's uses the metallic wonder whirls to life. In a tinny voice it says, "please present the crest for passage."

The half-elf groans. "Crest is on the plaque in the pest's room."

If Aodan thinks they could remove the plaque from the wall and return with it, he'd go back and try and get it, saying the password before entering any doors, and using his still-anchored rope (taking ten) to get back across the treacherous collapsed hallway.

Zilch nods at Aodan, understanding completely.

"Oh...yeah...I think I remember that. I thought you said the phrase was, 'Hey, want some jerky?'"

That Aodan has a good nose and a good memory...except for remembering things.

Aodan makes the trip back and is able to remove the plaque. It weighs about 50 pounds and is a little awkward to carry, but he manages to bring it back. The talking gizmo seems to scan the plaque before saying "crest accepted, you may proceed." The clock work machine then moves out of the way allowing the explorers to pass.

Candrana shudders as she squeezes past the horrid metal thing. "That's not right. Metal's for swords and jewelry. Not... whatever that is."

"Good thing you got that crest, Aodan. I was wondering if anyone had any bread because I thought it wanted *crust*! Crust, Aodan, crust!! Hahah! I was confused for a moment," Zilchus says as he follows Aodan down the hall past the metal thing.

"Boy I would have looked silly offering that thing some crust, huh? Like why would a metal monster want a crust? I dunno...maybe it was a toaster?"

What's a toaster?
Shuddap.

Zilch moves up to the other doors, opening them when other are ready.

"Bread sounds good." I could eat. But a House feast would be better than caravan hardtack. Unlikely, under the circumstances.

"Dwarves must know." What else could expertly smith metal with such precision and intricacy than a dwarf?

Aodan knocks and arrow and is ready to cover the obnoxious, rambling bearded-one as he proceeds.

"Good thinking Aodan on the crest, I completely forgot. Candi, do you see or hear anything on the other side? We need to keep our guard up guys, who know's what else lurks in hear"

Grayson says, as he holds his sword.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

"I'm looking, Grayson, I'm looking."

Candrana stops, putting a finger to her lips to silence her companions. She whispers back to them. "I think I hear someone sleeping. Who could be sleeping after a whole tower falling down on their heads."

"Maybe he wants beef jerky?" 'Tis a strange, haunted, torturous dungeon. This traitor must have had nefarious purposes, in order to draw kobolds and quakes!

He takes a quick look, wondering if there's a pit behind this one, too.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Swallowing some bile, he mumbles, "Good Baron Sarvo wills it," and works with Zilchus to get the door open.

If locked, he would try and unlock it.
Disable Device: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Aodan has no trouble opening the door after he is satisfied there are no pits involved. Inside there is an area along the south wall that is enclosed in a cage of thick iron bars that extend from floor to ceiling. Within the enclosure sit seven black iron chests and a man that appears to be sound asleep and snoring. To the north, the stone wall has collapsed, revealing a rough-hewn tunnel.

"Ssshhh...There's someone in there." Candrana draws her swords and approaches quietly.

stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Zilch follows, wondering if now is a good time to get a nap in.

"Maybe we should nap too...give him time to wake up."

Davros shifts his position from laying prostrate to a fetal position. His white and blue thawb catches on the floor, tightening the garment beneath him and restricting his breathing. A heartbeat later, Davros' brown eyes open a crack and stare at the broken bottle beside him.

Kelish أوتش!

Pharasma take me; save me from myself and my ways. Davros, you horse's ass, what have you done NOW?

"Don't be an even bigger idiot than usual, Zilch. Most people don't sleep with the first person they come across in a dark dungeon. "

Candrana jumps back as the man moves, and speaks in some odd tongue. "Stop that! At least use the common tongue if you don't know anything better!"

Flushing as she realizes how rude that might sound, "I mean, who are you. In common, if you would."

Davros sits up straightening his blue-grey keffiyeh and eyes his surroundings.

Well I'm not in the pillory nor am I in jail by the looks of things. Well, maybe not in jail...who knows, maybe Taldans lock prisoners up with locked chests as a form of torture.

Kelish "أنا ديفيد، أسد ... ," his voice trails off for but a second, "Davros Al-Assadsarenrani," husky, raspy voice replies.

Zilch looks at the sleeper/waker and wonders what to make of him.

"Are you here to try out for the carnival too? How did you get in here? I bet you had a pass to get you this far, huh?" Zilch looks the man over.

"Can I see it? Your pass, that is."

Davros' eyes sweep across the room finally stopping when they come upon his captors Zilch and Candrana.

"Eh, pass? Car-nee-val? What, eh, do you mean by these things? Where are my أشياء, eh belongings? Why have you imprisoned me? The Trade-Princess Noor Is'ad will be awaiting my return."

Dammit boy, keep your mouth shut! Fear will get you nowhere. You're in Taldor not Qadira, keep her name out of it; the enemy Taldans need not know her name. And Herself will more likely sell you off than ransom you if you survive this mess you've caused again.

As the foreign tongue grates on his nerves, his over-sized pupils narrow into a piercing glare.

"You serve the traitorous Baron Sarvo, no?" The treachery of that noble - or should he be called ignoble - seems to know no bounds. Consorting with the Empire's worst, most dangerous enemies! He aims his knocked arrow squarely at the imprisoned man in the contemptible desert garb. "Didn't know Qadirans had sunk so low as to run with kobolds."

Wait he said... The half-elf repeats the words. استدعاء نفسك الأسد؟

"You get above yourself. Imperials are the only true Lions." What a usurping interloper, to equate himself with the Ruling House!

"You'd be lucky if you're a..." - he spits out the curse word - "...cat."

"Serve the who? Bay-ron Sarvo? No! I know of no such person. Eh, I am sent here to the Imperial Taldor to trade books with the scholar Hunclay." Davros' hands tighten into fists at his side, his jaw firmly set with defiance.

Kelish "أرى أنك تلقوا تعليما. رائع! هذا يجب أن تكون مفيدة."His fists release into a relaxed position before he claps them together and raises them up to just beneath his nose, as a plan formulates in his head. "إذا فهمت لسان القادري، ثم يجب في الواقع نعلم أن اسم عائلتي هو أسد Sarenrae. اخترت عدم الإساءة من خلال ترجمة اسم عائلتي - وهو الاسم الذي يحتوي على اسم أحد آلهة المحظور."

Leave it to a Taldan to outlaw one of the Gods. The arrogance!

Davros pauses before beginning again. "I am not here to treat with little trap-dragons. I am here in Belhaim to make a trade with Hunclay. I make no, eh, illusions of who I am, a scholar for the, eh, aforementioned Trade-Princess. In order be peaceful and not above my station, before my trip I...," a somewhat knowing smile crosses Davros' face, his eyes meeting Aodan as equals before he continues, "...shaved, to not offend your nobility. The last thing I remember is being in the caravansary in the town before awaking here. On the ground."

Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask