You've rebelled against your master, Cardinal Adrastus Thorn. Can you kill him before he kills you? Who will lead the forces of Asmodeus in their final assault on the noble kingdom of Talingarde?
You desire the feeling of life being sucked from warm blooded intelligent creatures. This I understand all too well. Unfortunately some curse ties you to this place.
The Judge pauses for the ladies to consider his words.
Perhaps I can help you. I have many powers and contacts in this realm. If you told me what you require to be free of this frozen tomb, then I could assist you. One can never have too many allies to aid them in their battles and I think you three lovely ladies and I could work quite well together. I am sure that the living cities of this accursed island would appreciate your perfect harmonies and elvish ballads.
Not sure if/when another diplomacy check might be necessary, but here is one.
Okay, the ladies are now sufficiently agitated that they may turn hostile. The Judge has been rocking those Diplomacy checks -- but this is an encounter where (1) it's impossible to raise their attitude above neutral / indifferent, and (2) violence is very much bubbling away beneath the surface.
So, percentile die roll; you don't want me to roll low. 1d100 ⇒ 31
You have to remember, the Judge is also a cocky overconfident a**hole. So, is likely to keep up the game until it is over, and then decide that he is indestructible - which might or might not be true - but is just his egotistical opinion of himself.
Well, you wanted me to roll higher than 30. So you're literally about as close to being attacked as you could be without actually being attacked.
Unless you want them to attack you (which I'm fine with), and/or you want to attack them, or do something else like searching their room... you're free to move on.
The Judge shrugs:
You wouldn't perchance have any information about the big icy lizard would you? As I said, I have a meeting with him, and I would hate to start off on the wrong foot.
While he is here, the Judge will carefully scan the room for anything that might be of aid to him, or the party.
This is where I miss the old 3.0 "Search" vs. "Spot". Perception allows you to passively scan, so that you don't upset anyone...
Anyway, you don't see anything of obvious use or value, though this appears to be a burial area for Ice Elf nobles -- there might be stuff buried with them. Also, there are three niches that you can't see into from here.
But otherwise, no, you don't see anything. The three "D" shaped structures mentioned a while back are ancient harps, their strings long since rusted away, their gilded frames warped and deformed with rot.
Deciding that the sisters are not worth the trouble to discuss things with any longer, the Judge speaks a quick incantation and begins to search the area around him carefully.
Cast: Sift to allow me to search areas farther away.
--> unsure of how far away the niches are, but the spell has a 30' range.
If the Judge can get close enough to search the niches.
Cast: Sift to allow me to search areas farther away.
--> unsure of how far away the niches are, but the spell has a 30' range.
Nice. Well, you can stroll around to get within 30' of the niches, fair enough.
Quote:
He will also cast Detect Magic to see whether there are any auras readily apparent.
Unless you have Still Spell and/or Silent Spell it will be obvious that you're casting. Do you want to make a Bluff roll to claim you're doing something other than casting; make a Bluff roll to claim you're casting something other than what you're casting; or just cast?
Each niche contains a very fancy-looking elven sarcophagus. They're made of some kind of shiny black stone -- obsidian? -- quite elaborately carved. Each one's surface is inscribed with the image of a noble-looking warrior in armor.
The Judge will use Bluff to attempt to distract them from my casting.
Bluff: 1d20 + 40 ⇒ (15) + 40 = 55 <-- if that does not make it, we are in trouble
--> (Cha +8, Ranks 15, Class Skill +3, +8 Race, +6 Class) (class is +6 Hard Bargainer)
1d20 + 28 ⇒ (8) + 28 = 36 Stealth to keep the scraping of any tools quiet, they can't detect me but they could detect the sound. I did not add the invis modifier
1d20 + 18 ⇒ (4) + 18 = 22 percep
1d20 + 25 ⇒ (18) + 25 = 43 DD
Edmin returns Jax's frown and shakes his head. "We need intel on this dragon. If they have not attacked the Judge then they probably will not unless his mouth gets the better of the situation. I do know that we are unprepared at this point and need to remedy that."
All right! Completely ignoring the faint flicker of ancient magic, you apply a little bit of oil and slide the lid aside.
Inside, there is -- unsurprisingly -- a skeleton. It looks very old. 1d3 ⇒ 1 It looks like there were once elaborate robes of some sort, and a mass of tarnish might perhaps have been some sort of pectoral holy symbol. But otherwise there's nothing here but dust...
...except that, around its neck on a fine golden chain, hangs a small golden bell. Chain and bell are both untarnished and shining.
Do they spot you? 1d20 ⇒ 13 Nope. Okay, this time you detected the magic trap -- I'm giving you +2 because now you're aware it's probably there.
So, 1d2 ⇒ 2 this one contains much the same -- very old bones, crumbling to dust -- but this time they're wearing ancient armor, also completely rusted through. An elven curved blade is clasped in the skeleton's crumbling hands. Unlike the armor, it appears shiny and new!
"Sisters! Something interferes with... their, that... over there!"
All three swoop through the air towards the third niche. The two Whit Dresses are shrieking in range and shouting strange partial phrases while Blue Dress sings a short, wordless snatch of music.
Initiative:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22 "..A-are...these things immune to surprise attacks?" Zoren asks in the telepathic bond, hoping someone with Knowledge (Religion) will roll well.
The Judge simply shakes his head:
Foolish living things.
Init: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
The Judge calls out:
Ladies, if you wish to have more unlife, I believe not fighting would be wise.
The Judge seems rather unconcerned about what is happening, although his shield and kukri have mysteriously appeared in his hand with a speed that is beyond magical.
