Blackest Scale

Game Master Nicos

Garren tries to skim the notes to get the gist of their operation. He'll also take a crack at deciphering the writing.

Perception on their belongings: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32
Skill Mastery: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (19) + 20 = 39

Linguistics: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (7) + 22 = 29
Skill Mastery: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (2) + 22 = 24

There is nothing hiddend in their gear. The notes is filled with academic work. The maps details what they have explored in this place (a lot of dead ends, traps, the posible path to the trhone room, etc).

You can more or less understand the words on the tablet, but it is nosense, you can not figure out what is it meaning.

She didn't answer my questions yet, though.

Yes, she have not answered your questions

So, she just went completely silent?

I actually not sure how to proceed, so I will let the dice decide

1d6 ⇒ 2

Yes. they just have not anwered any question. Ms, Sylwaris seems distracted with garren reading that tablet.

Is Sun Xiao gonna have to choke a b%#&&?

sigh

Auron lets an arrow fly, making it hit the ground just slightly to the left of Sylwaris.

arrow: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29

"You're wounded. Your friend is barely alive. I'm capable and willing to heal you if you cooperate... And I'm just as capable and willing to kill you two if you try anything suspicious. My friends are already searching your belongings, so we will find out something anyway. If you do not speak, I'll have to assume you're trying to hide something and/or expecting reinforcements who will be hostile toward us. Worst case scenario, we only need one hostage alive... Start. Talking.

Also, Garren got a 41 in Diplomacy, but Auron can't use that argument.

"He's not joking, you know. He sent a man to the Abyss once for pissing him off. And I don't mean he killed him."

"Me, I'd just kill you. Auron can get...nasty."

You are just a band of despicable thugs, no diferent from the one I was scaping

I'm not seeing how diplomacy will be helpful if you are not being diplomactic. It seems to me that an intimidate check is more apropiated ffor what you are doing

"I'm literally being as friendly as I can reasonably be to someone who I found fighting daemons and whose abilities and motivations are unknown to me. We not only saved your life, but I also even offered to f*$~ing heal you and your friend! I could very well kill you, take your stuff and force your corpse to tell me what I want. I do not enjoy violence, but I'm pretty good at it... And my time and patience and not endless."

I'm seriously not sure how I could be more friendly to someone I don't trust. We didn't casually meet her on a bar, we found her in a suspicious demi-plane where evil outsiders dwell. As far as we know, she could be just as evil as the daemons we just fought.

I'm In the same sitaution as you, I do not knwo who you are or what intentions you have, you could be just as evil as those Daemons. I choosed almost a certain death by scaping, and by Oghma's teachings that I prefer death before cooperate with evildoers.

I'm not seeing how Threatening people in order to cooperate with you coudl be another thing but Intimidate. I'm not blaming you of anythig, just following the sequence of events.

In case there is a misunderstanding, you know that I prefer to talk the things intead of looking the social skills, but this is not the case here, I'm just saying that if you are acting intimidating then and intimidate is more apporpiated than a diplomacy check

I'm honestly tempted to just shoot her and be done with it. Talking to this girl is pointless and we have more pressing matters to attend.

If no one has any better ideas, I just shoot the girl dead, then her friend.

arrow: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27 damage: 2d8 + 20 ⇒ (3, 3) + 20 = 26
arrow: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (8) + 18 = 26 damage: 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
arrow: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27 damage: 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

Maybe I can appeal to the intellectual in her.

Garren senses the escalating tension and tries to divert it.

"Look. We're all clearly stressed from this situation. A friend of ours needs help and it has something to do with what you were looking for here. Now please, cooperate with us and we'll make it all out of here in one piece. Now what can you tell me about this tablet? Im a rather big fan of ancient history."

Garren attempts to engage her on a discussion of Inmaskari history, perhaps his own expertise may shed some light on a mystery she struggles with.

Kn.History: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (1) + 22 = 23
Skill Mastery: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (19) + 22 = 41

"I like talking history as much as the next guy, but we're not going to get anywhere with her unless she cooperates with us. I know Auron and I have been attacked too many times over the last week to just take her on faith."

"I offered her a chance to have a peaceful conversation. THREE times. She's obviously not interested. I will not allow her foolishness to stand in our way. Our mission is too important."

Auron draws his arrows.

"Last chance, girl. You talk, or I shoot."

Auron is being serious. When he says "last chance", he means last chance. If she does anything other than cooperate, I full attack her.

"Believe me Sun, I understand, but we'll get nowhere but an early end if we rush headlong into this. I've had my fair share of betrayals-" A pained expression crosses Garren's face as a dreaded memory is recalled, a disruption to the halfling's general ambivalence and easy going nature. "and clearly this tablet is important. Figuring out what it's about is a worthy expenditure of our time. Afterwards we can blunder into the throne room listed in these maps and deal with that."

"Anyways! I believe we have a case of mistaken identity. Your colleague in Candlekeep sent us to find you here mam."

If she doesn't respond to Garren:

"Auron is smart. Talk to him, or he won't be the only one worrying for."

Intimidate (larger than target): 1d20 + 18 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 18 + 4 = 28

This was when Garren Y Sun talked about history a couple of post ago

You have just killed the group that almost killed us, we are unarmed, not sure how we are supposed to threaten you.

The perceptive ones of you can sense that instead of academic interest the woman seems worried about Garren reading that tablet.

=================
Sylwaris seems to accept death when Auron give her the last warning, then Gaerren spoke.

You are the ones Nhachashaal talked about? The ones interested in ancient elven poetry? The ones interested in the verses? - She replies. -I find that hard to believe

Damn, Ninjaded

Well, she responded to Garren, so the post is irrelevant.

You are the ones Nhachashaal talked about? The ones interested in ancient elven poetry? The ones interested in the verses? - She replies. -I find that hard to believe

"Is it really so hard to believe? We've been beset by enemies from all sides even before we learned exactly what the verses might be, constantly assaulted by Daemons and their agents because one of our friends learned some tidbit before he was killed, and they wanted to end us before we even figured out what it was he knew. Is it REALLY so hard to believe that we'd be distrustful of strange people who won't answer our questions at this point?"

Is it REALLY so hard to believe that we'd be distrustful of strange people who won't answer our questions at this point?"[/b]

Yes. It is hard to believe that Haalaari, being as a nice guy as he is, would deal with persons that will have no remorse in outright killing helpless prisioners

"You know Nhachashaal's name. Good. That buys you a moment... But I can't help but notice that you STILL haven't answered any of our questions... And my fingers are getting really tired of holding my bow's string. And neither you nor your friend are getting any healthier."

If you want to keep her alive, you guys do something. Next time I interact with this character, she's either answering one of our questions or taking an arrow in the eye.

Stop being stubborn Sylwaris!, just say whatever they want to her so we can leave this f&%$ place - Interrupt the man.

"Well believe it miss. Auron here is even a priest of Oghma, one whom I believe you hold in high esteem no? I hope we can forgive each other for our suspicions eh and just let bygones be bygones and get to the task at hand."

Sun Xiao wrote:

Is it REALLY so hard to believe that we'd be distrustful of strange people who won't answer our questions at this point?"[/b]

Yes. It is hard to believe that Haalaari, being as a nice guy as he is, would deal with persons that will have no remorse in outright killing helpless prisioners

"Nice people need guys like me to do the things their weak stomachs can't handle. Nice guys generally don't have the balls to go out and do what we do, killing monsters and hunting treasure. The ones that do, don't stay nice for very long. Sooner or later, something happens to make them wake up." he says cynically.

"Tell us about the songs or you are bad guys. Just evil would try helping daemons and we kill evil." Erd lowers her sword towards the captives, tugging on Bili to get the enormous animal to rear over the two.

Handle Animal pushing Bili to aid on Intimidate (link): 10 + 14 + 4 = 28
Bili's Intimidaid: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1
Erd's Intimidate vs. Sylwaris (larger): 1d20 + 18 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 18 + 4 = 27

Is really Erd the only one with intimidate?, weird for Sun.

Yes, we came here looking for information for those stupid verses!, a man called Amman Bel Amjad financed our expedition - Say the man.

Our Academic expedition - Interrupt the woman. - Amman, If that is his real name, had darker intentions.

Is really Erd the only one with intimidate?, weird for Sun.

Sun is more of a scholar turned killer than a socialite of any sort. He's not interested in other people or bending them to his will, only power/self-perfection, and damn anyone who stands in his way.

Ok, still weird. Btw, I did not say that to imply that only people with Ranks in social skill can participate in social encounters

"What are Amman's intentions?"

Not sure, we didn't stay to chat about it. Some kind of forgotten Power I guess

Erd looks to Garren and asks, "What was our question about verses?"

She turns her gaze back downward. "Where is Amman? Who was gnome?"

We do not know who was the gnome, he just was sent to kill our group and recover the tablet - Say the man. The woman look the man angrily.

"Is the tablet about the verses?"

"Where is the rest of your expedition?" says Auron. "And Garren, what can you tell us about that tablet?"

To Erd:We do not know what the tablet is for.

To Auron:The rest of our expedition is dead. a couple died because traps, another one was killed by golems and hte rest where killed by Amman thugs

"My intuition tells me it's probably some kind of key. I think I need to go through these notes and maps a bit more before I might be able to get a good idea of what it's all about. I can't seem to make heads nor tails of it. I can make out what it says, but it's nonsensical. Maybe it's magic? Could be a code though we lack the cipher and my ancient code cipher knowledge is a bit rusty."

Garren shrugs.

"We have what they're looking for, so we could just bunker down and try to take one of the enemies alive when they come."

"Of course that's no fun and I figure we'll just charge headlong into the throne room." He says with a smile.

Is there any skill check that I could make that might give information based on the items we have? E.G the maps/notes/tablet

I perhpas was not clear with the map. That maps are made by Sylwaris and their group, and details what they have explored about that place. There shoudl be skill check for code ciphing, I suppose it is linguistic. Your linguistic check was not that good, you can reroll it if you gain some little context, perhaps like knowing where the tablet was found.

"Sylwaris, can you tell me everything you know about this tablet? It could be vital to both our mission and our survival. That is, of course, if you prefer being alive. I certainly do."

Not threatening, just saying it could be important to both our survival.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (19) + 21 = 40
Skill Mastery: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (3) + 21 = 24

"I see... I might take a look at it later." says Auron, finally lowering his bow. "For now, let's rest for a while."

channel: 7d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 3, 1, 2, 6, 3) = 23
channel: 7d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 5, 3, 4, 1, 1) = 23

It's somewhat boring that Channel Energy doesn't get more uses per day with Cleric level. :(

I believe Sun Xiao is still hurt

Wand of CLW: 6d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2, 6, 2, 2, 6) + 6 = 28

That should do it.

The woman seems sympathetic* To garren words - Not much, I had little time to analize it before we where betrayed. We found it in a room dedicated to commemorate the Foundation of the Inmaskari Empire

*(Not sure if that the right word)

Any other question?

Auron, could I get a tap or two with your wand of lesser restoration? Erd's down 5 Strength.

"Where is Amman?"

Last time he was in the room we found the tablet - Say the man feeling that now feels better

"Place outside the portal?" Erd looks up at where the group came in.

Not sure what is Erd asking. But, according to the maps and the notes the whole place is a mess of portals and linked pocket planes