Iobarian horror (Inactive)

Game Master ulgulanoth

Ian says "The mayor seems rather deterimied to keep his secrets".

Caelash

Ian whispers to Caelash in elven "Ask him about the meaning of the seal he seems maybe only to go for the details"

Caelash asks the mayor, interspersed with jovial, friendly chit-chat:

1. What the seal means.
2. If he has any children, and if so, are they tied up in this mess? If so, again, how?
3. Is he happy to be a part of what he's doing?
4. If he's not a willing participant, has he tried getting out, or getting help before dragging us into this?
5. Since I am his trusted friend, I'd like to know whether he hired me in order to really help, or in order to fail, or some other purpose. I.E. what did he expect/want from us helping out?
6. Is there any other way to end this trouble the town is entrenched in without giving up information that he's not allowed/willing to?
7. How long has this been going on? If a long time, how has the town managed to maintain its population?
8. Is there any other creature/person/entity/faction involved other than the town and the aboleth(s)?
9. How many aboleths are there?
10. If he had the chance, would he willingly get himself and his town out of this terrible trouble if he could do so with his skin (and those he cares for) intact?

“That seal is the symbol of this cult that has taken over the town, they forced me to comply with their evil agenda…. No I don’t have any children, but a few of the cult pretend to be by offspring to keep better tabs on me… No I hate what I’ve been forced to do but I’m powerless to do anything about it… I’ve tried several times to get out, each time they’ve shown me that I can’t do that… I’ve tried getting help before, but no one has ever paid attention to me… I really hoped you could help us, but I didn’t want you to get involved with the cult… the recent rise in people disappearing is not part of the cult’s influence someone else was doing it, some though, like the children, where taken by the cult so I didn’t want you to investigate them… the cult has been here for a few decades… I had no idea that an aboleth was involved, all I knew about was the cult… yes I’d help the town villagers escape, but they have too much power and control to allow anyone escape their reach”

Ian says "thank you for the information" to the mayor.

Caelash repeats the process with the woman that attacked them after she is thoroughly bound and secured, and both Ian and Uriel are armed and waiting.
If she makes the save, I'll try again. If she makes both, then I knock her out until we can try again the next day.

right, will saves
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

well she fails and gives the following answers, i guess to the same set of questions:

“That seal is how we identify each other in the order, we try to keep our identity secret even from each other if we can help it… I was pretending to be his daughter so I could find him, he left without giving us prior notice, and must be punished for it… things have started to become chaotic around here, it is not the fault of the cult, something else has started to affect the town… “

Ian asks "Why must you punish each other for leaving. Also what was that noise we heard earlier before you attacked us?"

"Lately some of the members have been... odd, they act as if their will its not their own, we've had to change, be more forceful." she looks a little embaraced before she answers the second part "Well, i, had to get my form"

Ian seems confused by the second point but says "Is it similar to something possesing the members of the cult?"

"I'm not possessing anyone, I'm wearing them"

Ian looks confused and asks "What are you then?"

"My people came from up there" she points at the sky "I doubt you have heard of us, we are called the Nebul"

"Is the cult comprised solely of your kind? What made you get involved, anyway? Is it gratifying, or merely a means to an end?"

"No there are many humans in the cult, they out number us. We made the cult so we could return to our homes, only It knows how to do it"

Have you considered the possibility that "It" is misleading and abusing you? "It" will work to have you perform services for it in exchange for being sent home but in reality you might be performing work to allow it to return here to perform great evil and receive nothing in return except possibly death.

"We don't have a choice in this"

Ian says "So it is holding you hostage."

"You could say that..." she looks up into the sky and remains quiet

Ian asks "Do you know its name?"

"No, why would I?"

Caelash takes Ian aside for a moment, far enough to be out of earshot of an elf, while keeping an eye on the captives, and whispers to him.

Ian wispers to Caelash

Caelash whispers back,

Ian whispers back

Ian whisper to Caelash

Caelash concedes and takes first watch, with an overlap for second watch. Caelash will chat up the prisoners quietly for whatever additional information he can glean in that time, keeping an eye & ear out for addtional trouble.

Ian quickly falls asleep after this.

Caelash

Don't worry, I'm still around. Uriel had the original first watch and should now be sleeping and the others were having a conversation to themselves in spoilers (without Uriel), I'm guessing on purpose. So, there hasn't been a reason to make a post for Uriel. Not complaining, just don't want anyone to think I am just not bothering to post

Uriel I know the feeling we where trying to secretly plan what to do with the prisoner without her overhearing our plans and then becoming hostile.

Exactly. Feel free to read the spoilers, and assume we fill you in the next morning, aside from the prisoners so they don't overhear.

right, moving on to the next day, it is early morning, the prisoners haven't tried to escape, what do you guys whant to do?

Ian wakes up and takes a look at the sky to predict the weather.1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27 THen Ian will prepare spells.

Ian

Ian says "I think it may rain later today."

"Blunt it. I'll just take a back seat for a while and offer support unless things get too hairy. I'm tired of playing nice with these murderers."

Caelash lets Ian and Uriel know, out of earshot from the prisoners, that he was sorely tempted to execute them during his watch. He decided to wait until everyone was awake and refreshed.

How much time til the meeting is supposed to be?

Morning. How do we proceed from here? I took the lady's statement of "wearing" a person to mean she killed the person and took the body instead of possession. How did you guys take this?

Oh, I totally missed that post. Jeez, that would've changed a lot. Ill chock it up to in-game miscommunication.

Caelash pauses for a moment, does a double-take, and then looks Uriel in the eyes. "What? I must've been exhausted to have missed that detail."

He turns to the Nebul woman and asks, "How is it that your kind comes to wear others, such as the cult member you appear to be?"

about 17 hours

"Well, yes, the fashion accessory needs to die, then I crawl inside their body, we look much better this way"

I request aid another rolls, if allowed, to represent brainstorming with the others about the topic.

Knowledge (arcana) 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Knowledge (history) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Knowledge (local) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Knowledge (nature) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Knowledge (planes) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Knowledge (religion) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

What do I know about her kind, or what can I glean based on observation and relevant knowledge?

Ian says "I do not want to be used as a fashion accessory"

knowledge arcana
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
knowledge history
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
knowledge nature
1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
knowledge local
1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
knowledge planes
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
knowledge religion
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

edithow long does it take to travel there from here?

"We have rules on who we can and can't wear"

Caelash

Ian

around 3-5 hours

So, nothing that allows me to make an educated guess as to her creature type, or the like?

not with those knowledge type, or at least nothing that would be new, but i'll throw you the hint that what your dealing with is an aberration

Caelash moves adjacent to her and unslings his bow. He then says, "I trust you'll understand." Caelash then coup de graces her. 3d8 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (6, 8, 1) + 6 + (1) = 22

DC 32 Fortitude save, or die, if the damage doesn't kill her.

"So, mayor... You're still human, right?"

she's dead
"Y-yes"