Shaldinari raises an eyebrow as she watches the spirit fly off toward the moon.
"That's interesting." She says while making her way toward the spot where the amulet fell. "Was the spirit tied to the artifact or was it the woman's fleeing her demise?"
She searches the woman for both the amulet and anything that might resemble a cure for the victims still trapped in the building.
Shal, you find a purse with 25 gp and an ornate silver bracelet on her non-exploded wrist. You also find 2 potions: one has a snake fang sketched on it, and the other a happy looking puppy dog.
The amulet is also there, and seems to be glowing red hot but cooling rapidly in the night.
Nella shrinks back into halfling form. She looks up at Shal questioningly
How do we ensure this never happens again?
Using a cloth, Shaldinari picks up the amulet and slips it back into the box. She then examines the two potions carefully, looking for any sign that one of them is the cure.
"One of these are likely a cure for those folk inside." She says to Nella. "As for how to prevent this from happening, I'm not sure." She nods her head toward Nerissa. "You could try asking her, although she's already proven herself wrong once. Maybe contacting the real Ytepka Society would be a good place to start."
Bhoors looks up like he is confessing something, "I have one of the Ytepka coins." He puts up his hands, "They didn't give it to me." He answers the disapproving stares with a hand wave let me explain. "Our first night in town. There was a local drunk making fun of Nella. He tripped or something. He must have . . dropped the coin but he was so drunk I don't thing he or his friends were interested in getting it back." He pulls out the coin and looks at it. "I don't think they have a means of tracking it. From what I have garnered they give it to people and its a warning to do better. Even if it was for me. I mean we stopped a murderer, unravelled a smuggling ring, hopefully not run by the Ytepka. Anyway."
Shal dips a pinky into the fluids one by one, letting her olfactory encyclopedia perform the search...it seems to be a poison in one bottle, and a potion of animal friendship in the other.
Nerissa nods patiently in her shackles "You speak of prevention. Surely you must see the benefit of our factions...we may have our differences but we are all allies in the preservation of Chult. It was not one faction alone that found the pieces of this amulet, but all of us together...let us gather the faction heads together. With this woman dead whatever final secrets they were keeping might be yet strung together."
Nerissa then looks shocked at Bhoors' coin "...this 'drunk' dropped it and you were the only one who saw it fall? Surely that was an agent who meant it for you. They are always delivered anonymously in such a fashion...a token that you have offended the society of Chult. It's up to the marked individual to figure out the meaning of the token and take steps to correct the offending behavior or undo the damage...that you haven't been slain already likely means you've made amends in some manner..."
She holds out her roped wrists and you notice for the first time her leather bracers have a symbol resembling a circular maze "Unbind me then. It can be done, it is you all that can be the link between us..."
Nella nods formally in agreement while splaying out her hands to the sides. She carries the symbol of Ubtao, which inclines me more to trust her. Let us gather the faction heads.
She then turns and bows at Bjorn and calls out Chondalwood heals.
"One poison, one potion to befriend animals." She says while storing the potion bottles safely for anyone to use. "Nothing that is necessarily a cure, but we should check on those victims. Perhaps the simple ending of the snake charmers magic caused them to revert back to their normal forms."
Listening to Nerissa and then hearing Nella's support, Shaldinari, nods her head once and then uses her small carving knife to cut the harper's ropes. "I agree. No single group should be elevated above the other in this. Let's see what everyone can bring to solving this crisis."
She then heads back into the building to check on those still trapped in the cages.
|
"That's interesting." She says while making her way toward the spot where the amulet fell. "Was the spirit tied to the artifact or was it the woman's fleeing her demise?"
"Me, I'm hopin' it was the amulet," Dwalar responds with upturned eyes. "Means it's really done."
He nods his agreement. "If we can work together, so can the faction 'eads."
Shal dips a pinky into the fluids one by one, letting her olfactory encyclopedia perform the search...it seems to be a poison in one bottle, and a potion of animal friendship in the other.
Nerissa nods patiently in her shackles "You speak of prevention. Surely you must see the benefit of our factions...we may have our differences but we are all allies in the preservation of Chult. It was not one faction alone that found the pieces of this amulet, but all of us together...let us gather the faction heads together. With this woman dead whatever final secrets they were keeping might be yet strung together."
Nerissa then looks shocked at Bhoors' coin "...this 'drunk' dropped it and you were the only one who saw it fall? Surely that was an agent who meant it for you. They are always delivered anonymously in such a fashion...a token that you have offended the society of Chult. It's up to the marked individual to figure out the meaning of the token and take steps to correct the offending behavior or undo the damage...that you haven't been slain already likely means you've made amends in some manner..."
Bhoors looks puzzled and annoyed at himself, "Okay fine. Did I say the coin dropped no. The drunk dropped. He was being rude to Nella and well he had pockets. The coin was in the pockets. So if anything. He got knocked on his tail and lost some money. Which should square him with the Ytepka and I was just you know a force of nature that helped him with his penance." Bhoors seems somewhat relieved. Even if it was for me. I have helped this city sooo. Penance paid. Probably.
Bhoors listens to the exchange regarding the factions. "Seems like a pipe dream for everyone to coopperate but I have never backed down from a gamble."
To Bhoors, Nerissa seems even more dismayed "...or you stole the coin before he himself found it, the man thus never atoned or was even aware he should, and the Ytepka killed or more severely punished him. I suppose there's no way to know."
Shal, the death of the snake woman seems to have no effect on the captives. Having seen the other broodling creatures in the courtyard, it is clear such will be these one's fate as well. However, there are skilled healers in Port Nyanzaru and a wise person might yet let them live...
Nerissa gathers you all back in Kaya's House of Repose, a much more wealthy establishment than the Thundering Lizard. She treats you to a meal while she goes off to summon the faction heads, and after 4 or 5 hours they start to filter in: Wren the Drunk, Alastar the Lazy (carried), Klevin the Foreign, Po the Scoundrel, and Screaming Wind the Tabaxi.
Alastar yawns "Ew, why'd it have to be snakes? Yuan-ti are so...cold..."
The party and faction heads sit round a large table with wine and cheese platters a plenty. The amulet is hung in the middle, the tale recounted beginning to end...and for the first few moments after there is relative quiet.
Then Klevin speaks up, he was concealing a small detail that sheds some light on the matter regarding the artifact's intended destination. Then Alastar does the same, just a tiny bit of intelligence that wouldn't be though important enough to share with someone outside the faction until now. Slowly all the heads share their own little innocuous details which, on their own probably didn't matter, but now that the full truth is exposed pieces things together.
Wren, no longer feigning drunkeness and pants belted tight around his waist "So...this Dreamer's Amulet, it was intended for the Merchant Prince Jessamine...a surreptitious gift. The Yuan-ti wanted to bend his will to their own, make him a puppet for whatever scheme...that's what it does, its mind control. Is this thing still a threat?"
Po is the first to reach for the amulet, with an ungloved hand he grasps it in concentration, finally even daring to raise it to his forehead "Hmm...no...the magic is gone from this thing." he plunks it back on the table.
Nella listens cautiously and attentively, shaking her head at the web of secrets and misinformation these leaders have created.
Bhoors watches the exchanges closely gauging things trying to understand the connections and prevailing desires of each faction hoping to get a feel for how each ticks.
Bhoors, the heads all seem genuinely interested in the ending the Death Curse and protecting the society of Chult...but Po's intentions aren't clear, even after the current disclosure. On the face of it, he is building a mercenary business second to none...but the remoteness of some of his holdings suggests he is actually searching for something deep in the jungle.
Wren casts a divination spell over the amulet and nods "This chapter might be over then. Still, Yuan-ti brood in the city can't be tolerated...if they are brazen enough to attempt to capture the government theres likely more coming. Perhaps with this hidden enemy uncovered our investigations into the Death Curse will prove more fruitful." he turns to the party "A deal is a deal, we promised you payment for handling the amulet. Im sorry it turned out to be a deception." he sets a large bag of gold on the table in a red velvet sack with a silver string.
Alastar, upon seeing the captives calls in his best healers. Accustomed to the spreading affliction of the yuan-ti, they are able to turn the tide prevent the poor folk from becoming the terrible mindless snake creatures.
=Bhoors
= Dwalar
Me too!!! Arcane Archer!!!!
Nella nods in appreciation at the ending of the curse. She asks all of her companions to come back for one final dinner at the Thundering Lizard to eat, drink, and recall their adventures.
After seeing the prisoners safely taken care of, Shaldinari sits through the meeting with the faction leaders quietly and has little to add to the machinations of the moment.
"This alliance probably won't last two bells before they are all back to the usual tricks and subterfuge." She mutters softly to her companions while shaking her head. "But at least we managed to do a bit of good for the people of this forgotten place."
Gladly accepting Nella' s invitation she spends the evening eating, drinking, and enjoying the tales told around the table. Especially those involving tortles.
Bhoors nods at Shal's insight, "Probably not. especially with the Zhent holding out. Up to something."
Bhoors agrees with Nella's suggestion. "We truly must celebrate. A few rounds of snake blood. And see where the night takes us."
Bhoors finds time to take the stage amid the other performers and revelry. After a few rousing drinking songs and uproarious standards he looks at his companions and begins to pick at his lute a softer tune. He begins to sing a noticeable change to his voice as he moves into a more reverent song. His light baritone begins a song calling back old memories.
"I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;"
"Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair."
"I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see."
"For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green."
"I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know."
"But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door."
The song is simple and beautiful calling back memories of travels and old friends. Many in the tavern look in their ales fondly but few among the companions miss Bhoors marking them as the 'returning feet' and 'voices' he would welcome at his door.
Bhoors nods at Shal's insight, "Probably not. especially with the Zhent holding out. Up to something."
Bhoors agrees with Nella's suggestion. "We truly must celebrate. A few rounds of snake blood. And see where the night takes us."
Bhoors finds time to take the stage amid the other performers and revelry. After a few rousing drinking songs and uproarious standards he looks at his companions and begins to pick at his lute a softer tune. He begins to sing a noticeable change to his voice as he moves into a more reverent song. His light baritone begins a song calling back old memories.
[dice=Poison]1d2 =Bhoors
[dice=Potion of Healing]1d6 = Dwalar
That was a great game..good pace and fun to play!!! Thanks all and I look forward to playing with some of you again!!
Bhoors, yes its a potion of poison from the DMG. Its much more diabolical than I let on in gameplay, wish I had read the description first:
This concoction looks, smells, and tastes like a Potion of Healing or other beneficial potion. However, it is actually poison masked by Illusion magic. An Identify spell reveals its true nature.
If you drink it, you take 3d6 poison damage, and you must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned. At the start of each of your turns while you are Poisoned in this way, you take 3d6 poison damage. At the end of each of your turns, you can repeat the saving throw. On a successful save, the poison damage you take on your subsequent turns decreases by 1d6. The poison ends when the damage decreases to 0.
Already ahead of you my friend. Check the Campaign Info tab. There are 5 spoilers down at the bottom I have been updating as we go. All is there for you to behold!
One of the best games I've participated in on the boards, hands down. Thanks to everyone and GM in particular! I hope to see you all around sometime soon when I'm more available to take on a new game!
Thanks Bjorn, I'll deactivate so it doesn't clutter everyone's games listing.