GM_Goat's First Steps Part 2

Game Master Capricornus

Halkale steps to the side of Drogan and protects the rear of the party.

Upon entering the room with a light source, you can see a double door on the North end of the chamber.

The well does not betray any magical auras.

Seeking around the room, Fedorean does not find any traps or anything else out of the ordinary.

Feeling safe enough to approach the well and look in, Abasi, light held high, peers down. Something is there at the bottom.

Everyone save Anya can the distinct sound of a person screaming mixed in with the howling of the well. A shiver washes over you and you know somehow that something unnatural is at work.

Initiative
Abasi, Anya, Elian, Halkale, Guido
Well
Drogan, Fedorean

Anya holds her hands to her ears as the wail washes over her. Sunrod brandished like a torch, she hesitates, steeling herself for whatever comes next. Readying an action for if something comes out of the well.

What would be the relevant Knowledge check to make?

Religion

Abasi jumps back from the well, startled. He keeps his shield in front of him and his sword at the ready, waiting nervously for something to leave the well.

I'm also going to ready. Did Abasi see what it might have been or did he not get a clear look?

"Seriously f$%~ing creepy."

Guido gets ready for something to appear from the well.

Halkale continues to watch the other door, making sure nothing attacks from the rear.

Delay until the well goes.

"Wow..a screaming well..that's...interesting...and how do you suppose we should handle this thing?..anyone here an exorcist?..I think we'd have better luck back there killing the frog!".. Chuckles Fedorean.

Elian murmurs to himself, stepping back from the well.

Casts Resistance

Abasi was unable to make out exactly what it was at the bottom of the well, but he suddenly feels an urge to jump down as a wave of despair and thirst washes over him.

Will save from Abasi please.

Will:
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Abasi is overcome, and throws himself over the lip of the well, crashing to the bottom 20 feet below.

Falling damage: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

Initiative

Drogan, Fedorean
then;
Abasi, Anya, Elian, Halkale, Guido

To reiterate; Knowledge: Religion checks are pertinent.

Fedorean watches Abasi throw himself over the edge of the well with a surprised look of astonishment..

"Good Lord, what the hell did he go and do that for!! He says..

Moving a little closer to the well, being mindful not to get too close or to look down the well(assuming whatever Abasi saw down there is what made him jump in)..he yells out:

"Abasi, Can you hear me?..Are you OK?"

screaming wells, not really being Fedoreans cup of tea,and not knowing really what to do, he looks around at the others and says:

"Anyone got a rope?..one of us better go down and get his body, or help him out if hes alive, preferably someone that can heal him! cause there's no way any of us elves will be strong enough to carry his corpse out if hes dead or hurt to badly to climb out himself"

Not having any Knowledge of religion, Fedorean will Delay further action till he sees what everyone wants to do

Abasi grunts as he hits the ground, and yells back up as he shakes his head."I can hear you! I would not describe this as "okay"!"

He scrambles to his feet and looks around for whatever was at the bottom of this well, angry and more than a little frightened.

An ancient skeleton dressed in rags is slumped at the bottom the well. It does not move, like some skeletons you may have heard tales of.

Abasi eyes the skeleton warily and then looks about the well, looking for anything that might indicate danger. He reaches into his pack to pull out the potion that Anya had retrieved from the ghoul. He drinks this and then calls out; "I've got a rope and grappling hook down here. I'll throw it up in a second, be ready to haul me up!"

"Glad your OK..Send up the skeleton as well, so we can all check it out maybe it will give us a clue as to what the hell is going on in this room"

Potions of Cure Light Wounds are 1d8+1

Abasi searches the skeleton but finds nothing but the tatters of a servant's outfit. He throws the grappling hook up and manages to climb out. The sound from the well is one of despair, but Abasi feels no further compulsion to return to the bottom.

If anyone else wishes to look down the well, you feel the desire to leap down as well. and will need to make the save.

"Are we planning on staying in this room, or going through those doors?" Halkale points at the double doors on the North side of the room.

"We know there's a giant frog and some scrolls the other way. I don't really care either way, we are hear to explore and find the Katana."

My assumption was the well is a well and has a magical suggestion curse.

Fedorean looks at the doors checking for traps or seeing if they are locked, he presses his ear to the door and takes a listen to see if he can hear anything on the other side, he then turns to his comrades and says:

"I vote for killing the frog" the room with the Scrolls opened up into another room, which is where the frog came from, but i didn't check it out, so there is some possibility that that the Katana is back there, but if you guys want me to sneak through these doors and check out the next room, Ill do that as well..

Perception(trap finding): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Anya seems spooked by the well, but smiles with relief when Abasi re-emerges. "Glad to see you're okay!" she says. "Let's keep moving. We're already exploring this way, so I don't really see a reason to double back yet. We'll get to it in due time."

Abasi grumbles as he hauls himself over the rim. "Thanks. I agree with Anya - may as well continue on."

Darn it! Fell down a well for nothing, heh.

"Onto the next room it is then, would you like me to go in a scout it out?"

"While you are scouting, perhaps we could check out the scrolls, and by we I mean the others."

Anya glances at Abasi. "Can you read them?" She indicates the scrolls that Fedorean had handed off to the Kelishite man.

Since the frog creature hasn't come from the other room, Drogan moves up near Fedorean. Hopefully nothing of harm will be in the next room. Drogan hopes that the yelling into and from the well didn't warn any creatures that may be in the next room.
Knowledge: Religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Drogan wonders if there is any way that the party might be able to shut off moaning of the well.

"I should be able to, yes." He pulls them out and unfurls them, reading quickly through each one.

Listening at the door, Fedorean can hear voices on the other side. They are not speaking in a language you understand.

Fedorean watches Abasi study the scrolls for a moment and says to him:

" So can you make out what those say? are they the trade agreements me and Guido have been looking for or spells of some sort?"

He then Pauses for a moment with his ear up against the door

" By the way, I hear voices coming from the other side of this door..Im not sure what they are saying, or if they are alerted to our presence..maybe the screaming well has made it hard for them to hear us in here?..shall I sneak in and attempt to see who or what they are, while you guys get ready?..if they are hostile I will lead them back in here where we can ambush them? and the sound of the well will cover any noises from battle!"

"The scrolls contain some part of an agreement, yes." He hands them back to Fedorean. "And if you think you can get whatever is in there over here, then go for it. But be careful."

Fedorean Takes the scrolls from Abasi and puts them back in his backpack making a mental note to return to the room before departing to collect the rest he dropped.

"Thank you good sir!, now..I will sneak in there and check it out, you guys be ready to fight if I come back in a hurry!"

Fedorean carefully try's to open the door and slip inside the next room unseen or heard

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Fedorean opens the door as quietly as he can, but unfortunately for him, the door, weakened from centuries of decay, gives way at his attempt, the frame splintering and pieces of it clatter to the floor. On the other side of the now open door, there is silence for a moment, then appearing in the light of your torches and sunrods are four short, reptilian humanoids with scaled skins and snouts full of sharp teeth. Three are brandishing spears and stand in a defensive line while the fourth stands behind them, a sling ready in his hand.

"Balessh! Akhla o'hu!"

Fedorean freezes as the door gives way and the creatures shout at him..he looks at them and says:

"Uhhh..Hello I'm Fedorean..don't happen to speak common do you?"

Anya takes a step toward Fedorean at the shattered door. "They're speaking Draconic. They asked 'Who goes there?' Maybe we can try to talk--give me a moment."

She looks at the kobolds, making a point to appear non-threatening even as she presents as little of a target as possible.

"E'no ma tleegam. Anyo met, kai timdet marees. Wo mi narmet--Ma nisset?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Fedorean, being ever impatient and rash, listens to Anya talk to the creatures in their native tongue and decides to take a more direct line of negotiating. He leans over to Anya and says "watch this, I bet these little creatures like shiny stuff" , Fedorean pulls the opal out of his belt pouch and holds it in his hand showing it to the creatures and says:

"Me Fedorean.. (Fedorean points to himself) "These are my friends" Fedorean points to his comrades.. "I'll give you this shiny gem if you let us pass...he then points to everyone and then points to the exit..then offers the creatures the opal.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

The Kobold at the back eyes the gem, and the Elves. She relaxes. "Yes. We let go. But maybe you help us too?" she says in broken common. "We Kobolds live here. Tarka..." she indicates herself. "...was leader, but Fire Speaker come, and all is changed. Fire Speaker is liar. Not Kobold, not good for tribe, but has magic. Tells other Kobolds he speaks for Fire."

"So, you want we should take care of this Fire Speaker guy? That's gonna cost a bit more than Fedorean keeping his opal."

Fedorean hands the opal to the one that calls itself "Tarka" and says

Tarka,is it?...what exactly is this "Fire Speaker"?..and how would you like us to take care of it?..we've come here in search of a jewel encrusted katana(sword)and not to get killed by a fire breathing wyrm... But Maybe if you can give us any information on its location, we might be persuaded to help you with your "Fire Speaker" problem, providing you help us defeat it.

Fedorean cant help but think that a "Fire speaker" is most likely some sort of Dragon, and that the more help the better if we have to fight something like that.

Tarka takes the gem and examines it before speaking again. "Fire Speaker has sword." she says. "You beat him. Take sword. Tarka is chief again. Tribe leave this place and find better home."

"Fire Speaker tall like you." she says, gesturing at you all. "Has magic power. Can hide real good too. He is through door with rest of tribe." she continues, pointing to a door on the other side of the room the Kobolds were in. Looking into that room with your light (the Kobolds not needing any), this large room is an aged gallery. Its once-decorated walls have been stripped of the original mosaics and its decorations replaced with Draconic graffiti, crudely etched into the walls. Other than the scrawl on the walls, the chamber is noticeably cleaner and less dusty than the dungeon’s other rooms.

Elian listens to the foreign speech with growing frustration... He should have known how difficult this may be. He watches with his spear ready to throw as Fedorean passes a gem to what appeared to be the leader of the kobolds. The leader relaxed, but why. Was the group paying them off... Damn this curse!

He finally could not stand it any longer and forgot no one would understand his words. "Al'ah manu thas, Anya."

Anya gives Elian a confused look before turning back to the kobold, Tarka. "Et nab majit lo? Mo bet najeet'ra?"

Fedorean hearing Elian speak to Anya pauses in his conversation with Tarka and realizes that neither he nor her Knew what he said or how to talk to him..looks over at Drogan and says:

Hey Drogan, wasnt it you talking to our friend Elian here earlier in that language he speaks?..maybe you could bring him up to speed on whats going on, so he doesn't start attacking these guys, I think they will be useful to us in this attempt to get the katana, and Id hate to have him attack our new friends here.."

"Since we are going this way, perhaps we should shut this door, to protect the rear of the party?"

Halkale points to the door Guido forced open.

"If your Worried about the Frog Monster, I did shut him in the room he was in, im not sure he will be able to get out on his own, but just to be safe I would think two door would be better than one!"

Drogan, having learned a language to speak to Pharasma, hears it uttered by Elian. After a few words back and forth confirming the language, Drogan begins translating what's being said between the kobold and Fedorean. Drogan explains to Elian that he doesn't know the kobold tongue so can't translate what Anya is saying.

Tarka nods. "Tribe will not fight you if I am with you." she says.

Halkale walks over to the other door and pushes it closed, most of the way.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 On Tarka's deal

Abasi has remained quiet throughout this whole encounter. Things are moving fast, and in any direction there seems to be something that wants to end his life. Even inanimate objects. It's a rather tiring experience. However, he breaks his silence with a sigh and nods at Tarka. "We shall see what we can do about this "Fire Speaker". We are in great need of this sword, and will do what we must to retrieve it. Besides," And here he looks at his companions, silently daring the more avaricious to interrupt, "We could not just leave you in straits such as this."

Anya nods her agreement with Abasi. "Noreet jo," she says.

Whispering to Abasi.

"Are we really concerned with leaving a monster in dire straits?"