Kyarra was inclined to dismiss Gwerm's words out of hand, then she saw the look on the dwarf's face as he put his hand in his pocket. Stopping, she gestured the others to quicken their pace and pass her. Loudly, she said, "We've warned you about gossiping and rumours, human. Besides, there's nobody up top worried about bounties right now. So quit yapping and move along."
The elf slowly put her hand towards the quiver at her waist, to draw an arrow and fire if necessary.
Kyarel sighed and turned to Horgus as he raised his bow "Really?"
Shiro took note of the twin-soul's smirk and the way his hand vanished into a pocket, to draw out... There was no way to tell, and from the way the dwarf kept a conversation going between himselfs, there was a chance the soul responsible for the smile wasn't the one moving the hand. Yet... isolation like this could twist and break a mind, otherworldly energies or no.
The monk adjusted his pace a little, to try and create a gap in their line in case the dwarf did offer them violence, so that whatever attack he might decide on wouldn't catch too many of them in its area.
Sophie remained oblivious to the change in mood in the party. Her sole focus was getting through there alive...and that involved shutting Horgus up. She settled on distraction as her strategy. Lord Gwerm, sir? I had some questions about the inventory. Can we talk about it...over here?" She asked as she kept moving through, slowing down only slightly as she realized others were beginning to trail behind.
Eliora wasn't really sure what Gwerm meant when he spoke of experiments but she did understand the word 'bounty'. Bounty didn't always mean arrest but they were often issued for those who were a threat to others.
Nope, she has not heard of Millorn but... remember that Kenabres was the hub of the witch hunts' so stuff like this was supposedly rampart at one time.
I'll roll some more dice to see what Millorn does and update this later today.
Questions?
Game on!
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
what will Milorn do?
Base chance to attack 50%, 10% up or down based on PC's actions
for attack: Kyarel, Horgus
for peace: Sophie, Kyarra
all other neutral
, no attack
Kyarra saw her brother raise his bow, and she quickly stepped forward and caught his arm. In elven, she said, "Would be you executioner now? Based on a rumour from this slug? Let us leave the dwarf."
Sophie looked around and saw the others lagging behind her. "Um...guys. He's letting through. We should keep moving..." She gestured towards herself and gave them a pointed look, "C'mon, lets not take us any more of the nice men's time..."
Action 1:
Eliora kept a watchful eye on Millorn as they traveled through the cavern and never turned her back on him as they exited on the other side. She hadn't heard of Millorn nor had she recognized him so without an overt attack or collaboration, she wasn't about to start a fight on Gwerm's word. Her priority was keeping their group safe.
Once they were out of the cavern and out of ear shot she said, "I will tell my supervisor when we return to Kenabres. They will be able to make the decision of whether that dwarf is truly a threat or not."
Action 2:
The half-orc glanced at the ruins and asked, "Who would build such a tall building underground? Another dwarven building? Or did those exiled Crusaders build that?"
The latter; the damage seems recent...
I'll update and move this along tomorrow.
Questions?
Game on!
Kyarel twitches at his sister's words, then sighs and lowers his bow. "No. I suppose not. Good day, random dwarf."
Kyarel carefully scanned the ceiling high above for more darkmantles." Butternut" he swore. When first learning Taldane he had been convinced by a certain mischevious tutor 'butternut' was a terrible swear word in Taldane. He had taken to using and overusing it with abandon in his early teens. "A dead end. But! Ter! Nut!"
The half-orc glanced at the ruins and asked, "Who would build such a tall building underground? Another dwarven building? Or did those exiled Crusaders build that?"
"Whoever lives, needs shelter," Shiro said, eager to explore the ruins. "Despite the damage, answers, perhaps, within."
" Butternut" he swore. When first learning Taldane he had been convinced by a certain mischevious tutor 'butternut' was a terrible swear word in Taldane. He had taken to using and overusing it with abandon in his early teens. "A dead end. But! Ter! Nut!"
Shiro gave the obviously agitated elf a hesitant smile. He knew his mastery of the common tongue of the western lands was severely lacking, but he could at least determine Kyarel's frustration from the tone.
"Honored Fey, remember the words of the dwarf," he said. "Most worried about capture. To capture, need captors. This way the only one leading away from camp we not passed before. The end, most alive, this humble monk believes. We but need to find it."
"Kyarel, language!" Kyarra sighed. She had hoped that her little brother would have outgrown his immature delight in curse words. Even in her years as a bounty hunter in Greengold, she had never heard anybody use that curse, and she'd frequented some rough places. "Pardon my brother," she apologized, colouring slightly, "he still takes a child's delight in shocking others with his behaviour."
Looking around, she said, "There must be a way out. The dwarf didn't want us travelling past him - surely if the passage dead-ended he would have told us."
She began to explore the perimeter of the cavern.
"Pardon my brother," she apologized, colouring slightly, "he still takes a child's delight in shocking others with his behaviour."
"Butter, sticky, more than shocking," Shiro hazarded, feeling a lot more than usual was being lost in translation in this conversation.
"Oh no..." Sophie said wearily. The climb had fatigued her and she was starting to worry that there was no way out. She looked a little confused by Kyarel's exclamation and Kyarra's apology. "Does butternut mean something bad?" she asked the other in a low, concerned tone. The meaning of words were always changing and as someone who hoped to work in customer service again, she had to be extra careful not to be offensive.
Looking above her she asked. "Do you think that building used to lead out...when it stood?
"We can stand here and ask questions all day. The only thing to do is investigate the ruins. That's the only way to know if there's a way out."
Eliora began moving towards the crumbled building. She planned to walk the perimeter before attempting to enter.
"Sshhh. Let's keep those as inside head thoughts..." Sophie said quietly to Horgus, before stepping forward. "Hello. Our intentions are not ill. We were in an accident and fell down here. We're just trying to find our way back to the surface."
Action 1:
"It seems... unlikely we could subdue him, then transport him to anyone still in a position to pay that bounty. I think our priority right now is getting to the surface before we die of dehydration in a few days."
Action 2:
Kyarel's empathy wars with his ingrained hatred for the Abyss. 'They're talking, and they're trying to help a friend. That doesn't sound Abysal.'
In quiet words Kyarel adds "They may have water, or know the way." A second later he repeats himself, more loudly, to the monsters ahead. "Our intentions at the moment are to get to the surface, or failing that find water and food. If you can help with that, we're ready to trade."
Action 2:
“Look at the scaly skin! Look at the horn! Demon-
tainted, spawn of the Abyss. That’s what they are. Let’s just move along but watch our back. Now more than ever.”
Eliora frowned at the conflicting information so she once again relied on Iomedae to show her the way and what to believe.
"They speak of good and Iomedae has not revealed that they are evil. Regardless of their heritage, they need our help and I'm going to help." Having stated her intent to help, Eliora approached the group of three in a non-threatening manner. "What can I do to help free your friend?"
Shiro was more surprised and intrigued than horrified by the two strangers' appearance. If this was a sign of some demonic energy twisting their bodies, the Tian man found the physical alteration far less worrisome than the mental deterioration the twin-souled dwarf had expressed. At least a physical transformation could be observed and documented. But if it was one's mind that was thrust onto new tracks... that thought resembled some of his celestial patron's dream-messages all too much, those that showed glimpses of a world where dying meant not the loss of one's life but of memories, of one's very history.
Shaking his head to banish those images, Shiro stepped forward, looking at the fallen blocks of stone with some hesitation. Many of them looked awfully large and heavy. "This one is not strong, but if the mind is willing to try, the body may be fooled to follow."
Kyarra froze as she saw the demon-tainted creatures before her. Almost of its own volition, her bow lifted, arrow knocked. Before she could let fly, however, the others were engaging in friendly conversation with them. Kill them! her instincts were screaming at her. Kill!
The elf forced herself to take a few steadying breaths. The creatures were not hostile, and did genuinely seem to be trying to help somebody. That didn't preclude the possibility that this was a trap or subterfuge of some kind. Or, barring that, that they wouldn't reveal their true natures and turn on them once their companion was freed.
Keeping her bow in hand, Kyarra released the pressure on the string and lowered it. However, she didn't lower her guard. Keeping her eyes open, she stayed back and watched, alert to every chance for betrayal.
"Oh no!" Sophie exclaimed as they explained their predicament. It seemed like even these underground people had been affected by the attack. "I'm not very strong..." She apologized, before turning to the others, "...But I can spot check and call out if pulling something looks like it might make it fall..."
Eliora strode up to the rock. "It may be too heavy for you two but not for three or four of us. We will lift as a team and get this off your friend."
"Perhaps we should try to rig some sort of brace? To stop him getting crushed. And a lever might help? Block and tackle would be perfect. I have rope - if we used that rock as a counterweight, then all we really need is somewhere to hang it..." Kyrel trailed off, and moved over to assist the paladin.
"Pile rocks on the bottom as the big stone is lifted," Shiro suggested, knowing his reedy body couldn't be of much use to actually move the heaviest blocks, but if they could just get the big stones up an inch or two at a time, and keep on raising supporting piles of rock underneath, to catch the weight and anchor it, so they'd not have to try to lift the full weight of the stone at all times, but lift one side while the other was lying on the supports...
"If stone slips, not fall all the way down, perhaps. Caught by the supports, if they hold steady. Also, can rest between lifts."
As the others crowded around the fallen demon-spawn, Kyarra stayed put, alert and ready for betrayal and danger.
Sophie wrung her hands, not sure what help she could offer as they lifted. Instead she just watched closely for any signs of trouble.
Sorry :(
time run away from me today (I started taking a couple of college courses online and had to get used to the new set up).
I'll update this tomorrow.
Game on!
"I guess..." Kyarel pauses and then continues "I could lend mine. I've been lucky so far - no real injuries. I'd feel pretty bad if I ended up not using it and this poor fellow died."
"This humble monk has thought. The scales of the great dragon. Perhaps one could protect, in case stone slips and falls," Shiro suggested, lamenting the fact he didn't have a scale of his own to offer to the poor man trapped in the remains of the tower.
Action 1:
"Our troubles are maybe not so far from your own..." Sophie replied. "That same tremor caused us to fall down here...We're the lucky ones though..." She looked down to the ground, "Most of the people who fell didn't survive. I'm still not really sure I understand how we survived, to be honest..."
Action 2:
Perhaps it was not wise to blindly trust these creatures. But they seemed decent enough and Sophie was so exhausted. "A place to rest sounds great to me! I'm not used to all this walking and climbing...and falling and fighting..." She sighed and looked to the others, hoping they would not object. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm pretty knackered..."
Action 1:
Horgus scoffed, “I’m not giving up mine and you shouldn’t either.” He caressed the silver scale, “I think their tainted energies may actually corrupt such a treasure.”
Eliora shook her head, "Evil corrupts and these three aren't evil. I'm sure it couldn't hurt to share it with them temporarily."
Action 2:
You do not bear ill will towards our kind as we were led to believe.
A confused look crossed Eliora's face, "We have never met. Who told you that we bear you ill will?"
Action 3:
"Thank you for your hospitality." The half-orc was quite familiar with others who were repulsed by those different from themselves. She was determined to not be one of those people. "A safe place to rest would be welcomed."
Kyarra's skin crawled at the thought of sharing anything with the three demon-spawned mutants, or their village. However, she couldn't deny that they needed rest, and the rest of the party, Gwerm excluded, didn't seem to mind. I hate to think I share anything with that man, she thought.
Taking Kyarel aside, she said softly in Elvish, "We'll go with them, but be vigilant. We'll take turns keeping watch over the others."
Nodding her acquiescence, the elven ranger followed warily, making sure not to allow any of the mongrels behind her.
Action 1
Eliora shook her head, "Evil corrupts and these three aren't evil. I'm sure it couldn't hurt to share it with them temporarily."
”Dusky thoughts and selfish motives, most expansive of lords, more likely to corrupt than the mere touch of an unfortunate,” Shiro said, voicing his gentle admonishment in the wake of the paladin’s words. The noble did seem to be a particularly self-centered an individual – not that there was a shortage of such people in the world, the least among those more privileged by high station. The nobles back in Tian certainly knew their own worth… but there were many among them who also knew about their duties and responsibilities. Shiro hoped that this trial might remind Horgus of the weight that balanced the scales of a noble’s power.
Action 2
He added, “A great tremor brought down the guard tower and blocked off some of our tunnels. What are you doing here?”
”That tremor… creatures of the void attacked the city above, overran defenders. A giant oni, made a rift into elsewhere. We fell through, here,” Shiro explained since no-one else offered, keeping the story short so his lack of mastery over the language couldn’t mangle the message overmuch. Not that they really had much of a tale to tell. ”Seeking a way out, back into sun, where belong.”
Do you mean it's one jump roll, only DC 12, to jump across 70 feet? That can't be right.
Do you mean it's one jump roll, only DC 12, to jump across 70 feet? That can't be right.
That is not right; it's 9 feet across.
LOL, that makes more sense.
What's the advantage to trying to climb down and up? It's a harder DC, and you have to roll twice.
Also, according to the cheat sheet on the campaign page, it's an automatic success if you are trying to jump a distance less than your strength score if you have 10 foot running start. Can we take advantage of that? Or am I misinterpreting the rules?
Also, I thought the scales were for saves, not for skill rolls?
LOL, that makes more sense.
What's the advantage to trying to climb down and up? It's a harder DC, and you have to roll twice.
Also, according to the cheat sheet on the campaign page, it's an automatic success if you are trying to jump a distance less than your strength score if you have 10 foot running start. Can we take advantage of that? Or am I misinterpreting the rules?
Also, I thought the scales were for saves, not for skill rolls?
Try making someone with a limp jump...
I tried looking at that and messed it up. I wanted to make the distance such that it would be DC 12 (and you could take advantage of any possible modifier) so just go with this.
The silver scales are first save (when I trigger it) or you could use them for skill rolls if you trigger it.
Questions?
Game on!