Eben MacTeague |
"Didn't Auric and Khellek say something about getting rich from killing a cave full of trolls on the way back from Diamond Lake?" Eben asks once Rodrigo relates Sombra's story.
Eben MacTeague |
Well, technically, Ekaym told us, and then Sombra overheard them bragging about the details later.
Dungeon Kobold |
And if you want to get really indulgent, you could note how you guys found a pile of dead trolls about eighteen days ago on the route to the Free City.
Eben MacTeague |
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You just are never, ever going to get over our lack of curiosity that night, are you.
Dungeon Kobold |
Hey, I already made the stats! What am I supposed to do, just throw them away?
:P
Tanith 'Kordson' Creed |
"So why's that troll working for Auric and Khellek? And what's he doing down here?" Tanith ponders aloud.
"In any case we're going to have to deal with him if we want to explore further."
Farrukh Al'Khatel |
"Gonna take a wild guess and say that's the one that crawled out of the firepit waaay back."
"One mystery solved, at least."
Dungeon Kobold |
So, plan? Continue in this direction and fight/befriend/avoid the troll, head up to the Understructure, watch Tanith and Carina have weird public sex again?
Carina Viera |
Sure, if you want me to botch every single roll I get in future fights.
Carina nervously fidgets again. "I'd rather we not get into a fight if we can avoid it--I'm afraid the sounds of battle will just draw unwanted attention to ourselves."
Tanith 'Kordson' Creed |
Tanith shrugs. ”Let’s call it a night. Tomorrow we’ll try to figure out what that troll’s doing there and how to get him out of the way without making a racket and I’d rather not kill him if we don’t have to.”
”It’d probably be easier to talk to Auric about him. Khellek’s a grumpy jerk most of the time.”
Dungeon Kobold |
A battle in the chamber would be all but unhearable to those in the Coenoby. We're talking roughly DC 40-45 Perception checks.
Astraden Limhaare |
"Well, what if we're going to be facing him in the arena later anyways? But yeah, we're better off resting for tonight." Astraden walks back to the group's room and begins praying to her god.
Tanith 'Kordson' Creed |
Sure but it’s nigh impossible to stop someone from running away in Pathfinder and then there’s the danger of magical escape.
Dungeon Kobold |
I'll wait for a third confirmation before timeskipping to the next day.
Also, unless there are any objections, Ekaym's daily visit will be tomorrow morning.
Eben MacTeague |
"I imagine he's more in the 'kill Auric and Khellek for murdering my entire clan' frame of mind than working for them..." Eben says drily. "Which is inconvenient, since I promised Tirra we'd try and keep them from being killed, though that was more a 'if you fight them in the arena' promise, but she might look ill on it happening by other means as well... man, this is why I usually don't make promises, they always come back to bite you. I mean, we could just talk to the guy, see if his vengeance can wait 'til after the games? I'd like to get some exploring done tonight so we can know where to focus tomorrow." And he quietly mumbles to himself, "Plus I took all that time to make up this guys disguise, not like we all can just say a few magic words and have a new face..."
If that magic third vote to head back and rest chimes in, I'm fine with that, just feels slightly premature. Plus if we do fight (and kill) this troll, well, if he's here to kill Auric & Khellek, then he doesn't work for the arena and nobody will miss him...
Dungeon Kobold |
Should the party opt to keep going tonight, what will the plan be?
Eben MacTeague |
Presumably head back, maybe talk to Auric, rest. Get stuff from Ekaym when he drops by in the morning, and then... well, is there anything preventing us from out-of-coenoby exploration during the day? Are there more guards or any expected activities on the off-day?
Dungeon Kobold |
Eben, to clarify, I was asking what you intended to do if you stayed awake and kept going tonight.
Farrukh, see the big circular hallway to the left of the Coenoby? The Understructure's almost exactly that big as far as you know.
Dungeon Kobold |
During the day, the majority of the guards are posted up topside to provide security for other fights and events taking place in the arena, and at night the majority of the guards you've seen are so exhausted that they’re asleep. Pretty much you can go whenever, as long as you're fairly subtle (and also not expected to be up in the arena at the time—that could raise some suspicions).
Eben MacTeague |
Eben, to clarify, I was asking what you intended to do if you stayed awake and kept going tonight.
Oh, for some reason I read that as 'opt out'. Long day... Anyhow. I'd say examine the Titan cavern in depth, probabyl deal with the troll encounter along the way, then check out that pool. I don't know if it's a case of 'Sombra saw this' or just too much fog of war erased, but it looks like there's steps at one end. And even if not, there's that plug to mess with.
Eben MacTeague |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hmm. "Attention, gladiators. We've noticed that all the water has drained out of the arena infrastructure. Did SOMEBODY leave the coenoby?"
Dungeon Kobold |
Okay, unless I hear otherwise within the next few hours, I'll assume you guys head back to the cavern to deal with the troll.
Astraden Limhaare |
Sounds good.
Astraden Limhaare |
"What, Eben, you haven't learned that yet? It's one of the most basic powers Olidammara dishes out. I could try to teach you, though I dunno how well it translates to your style of magic." Astraden starts walking down the passage. "And yeah, you might be right. If this guy is here to kill those two then we'd better stop him."
Carina Viera |
"I think I can brew an extract that'll do the same thing, but more thoroughly... I'll have to send for a scroll to prep the proper formula, though." Carina tags along behind Astraden, making sure to stay close to Tanith.
Eben MacTeague |
"Would I have to, y'know, devote myself to him for that, though? I'm just not a one-god guy." Eben says. "If only there was some kind of inexpensive magic item that would let me change my appearance whenever I wanted..."
I honestly can't imagine why I haven't bought a hat of disguise before now.
Dungeon Kobold |
2d20 ⇒ (11, 13) = 24
"Janger?" Astraden recognizes the name of her "current self". She and the others turn to see a drowsy-looking guard—Esther, they've heard her called—peering at them confusedly. She staggers over, squinting in the darkness and leaning heavily upon her shortspear. "And you, Nebe? Thoughtchu went to bed. What are you two doing with these prisoners?" She pauses, clearly still struggling to fully wake up. "Um, I mean, glad'ittors. S'ry. Habit. I...full-time job's at the, uh, jail place."
Tanith 'Kordson' Creed |
Tanith watches silently, waiting for someone that needs punching to appear.
Eben MacTeague |
"Was about t'go t'bed myself. Then got orders from Lord Raknian. He wants to meet with this lot, private-like. Thinks something's funny about how they were supposed t'be the worst group an then slaughtered everyone in their match."
Taking 10 on Bluff for a result of 31.
Dungeon Kobold |
Esther blinks. She rubs her eyes. "Uh...but why're you going towards the Titan's House? Aren't stairs that way?" She gestures towards the west.
Eben MacTeague |
Mental note: the Titan's House doesn't connect to the rest of the understructure, apparently...
"Yeah, but hisself wants to meet in private." 'Nebe' says, putting emphasis on the 'private' part. "Not be seen meetin' with them. Doesn't want it to look like he's showing favro... favori... uh, playing favorites. So we can't bring them upstairs and he can't come int' the Coenoby, he headed to the 'House and wants us to bring them to him there. So nobody knows but us." A look of alarm crosses 'Nebe's' face. "Aw, s@@*, I probably shouldn't have even told you. Be a sport and don't tell anyone you saw us? I could get in trouble!"
Dungeon Kobold |
"Oh, uh, sure. Don't worr'boutit." Esther nods dully as she turns to head back to bed. "Just watch ou' for the ghouls, right?" She laughs.
Eben MacTeague |
Slow going this morning; just realized what 'Nebe' spelled backwards is...
'Nebe' gives a laugh in return, while Eben does some quick calculations in his head. Is that some kind of in joke? Am I supposed to go along with it? Or are there actually ghouls?
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
Dungeon Kobold |
I'll move everyone into the chamber shortly. Will you be going right up to the troll, then?
Tanith 'Kordson' Creed |
I don't know what other trickery Eben and Astraden have in mind.
Dungeon Kobold |
Gark mentioned he had a post he was working on, so I'll give him a bit more time before progressing. Sorry things have been halting here—Finals Week has arrived.
Astraden Limhaare |
Well, I would have been fine just posting this under a "Earlier:" tag. Also, it's Dead Week, not Finals!
"Thanks Esther," Janger says, motioning the gladiators forward ahead of her and Nebe.
"I figure we can try negotiating with him first. Obviously, we won't let him go up this tunnel and alert the guards, but we can ask him how he ended up here before we fight him. If we have enough rope, and we find a good hiding spot, Tanith might be able to tie him up so we can leave him until after the games. Otherwise, I've got a few spells left to help take him down." "Janger" walks purposefully behind her friends, in case any other guards wander out behind them. Guards aren't supposed to slouch.
Carina Viera |
Carina keeps her mouth shut as Eben and Astraden talk their way past the guard.
They know what they're doing, and odds are I'd just ruin it for them if I spoke up.
Dungeon Kobold |
It's Finals for me. And sorry, I thought it was a "progression" post. :P
Spiny's Six comes into the great chamber known as the Titan's House. The troll is there waiting for them. It seems interested, but not frightened. Indeed, the sight of the party seems to put it at ease somewhat—as if it was anticipating something else. It stares balefully at them. "I know some of your scents."
Eben MacTeague |
Yeah, I had no more sneaky stuff planned, unless more guards popped up.
On the way down to the Titan's House, Eben puts his bow away so as not to seem immediately hostile. He does, however, get his glass rod out and carry it nonchalantly over one shoulder.
"Probably Tanith's." Eben says blandly. "When he finishes a morning workout, the results can be potent."
Dungeon Kobold |
"My sense of smell is powerful, but not quite so much." The troll raises an eyebrow. "But I know your voices, too. You were some of the only travelers brave enough to approach the pit—and almost the only ones to see my tracks. How curious that we meet again here. One of many curiousnesses I have seen in this place."
Eben MacTeague |
"So you are a survivor of Auric and Khellek's troll battle?" Eben asks. "Given what you'd told our friend's.. pet, we'd assumed as much. Actually, how did you get down here? Is there a back entrance to the streets? It's hard to imagine you'd have slipped through the crowd in the north cavern in the past few days."
Dungeon Kobold |
"I am a good swimmer." The troll grins. "It was not easy, but from that river, through the sewers...there are ways in. Much strangeness between there and here, though. Only one such as Trulent could possibly survive the trip—even among trolls.
"Yes, I fought the one called Auric and the one called Khellek, along with their revolting elven gkaral." He snorts in disgust. "I chose to feign death when my injuries began to subside, thinking they would leave in ignorance. They had a firepit. It was a mistake."