Min offered a pleasant smile to the alert guards and suspicious onlookers. "Looks like we were wise not to come this way first," she murmured to the others in the Common tongue. "Fighting Othok in the ring was much less dangerous than fighting a whole tribe of possible allies."
Zeljka snorted, "I'd say lucky, rather than wise. Hopefully if they're unwilling to help against the Swamp Speaker, they'll stay out of our way." She paused before adding, "It would have been nice if Achahut had been upfront with why he was exiled."
"Great Chief," Min began in slow Polyglot, bowing her head in respect, "we are emissaries from the human settlement. Our town is in danger from the weather the Storm Speaker is conjuring. We seek peaceful relations with your tribe and would be happy to aid in restoring your rightful authority over your people."
Shathva looked at them from her higher ground, "Me understand. Me no like... Swamp Speaker."
She conferred with one of her husbands and asked, "If we help, Human stay out of ... our swamp area?"
tag?
"We also understand that there is a human prisoner being held by your people. While we are not allied with those who led his expedition into this area, we wish to negotiate for his release."
She nodded, "He no prisoner of I. If we help, we give you human."
Othok talked to the chieftain and she bared her teeth, "You friend with Achahut?"
The husbands hissed almost in unison as they waited for an answer.
tag?
She conferred with one of her husbands and asked, "If we help, Human stay out of ... our swamp area?"
"We would be very happy to respect your boundaries," Min replied, hoping that it might prove true of the government of Pridon's Hearth. "We are here now only because of the storm that threatens our settlement and to find the missing man."
Othok talked to the chieftain and she bared her teeth, "You friend with Achahut?"
"We ... encountered Achahut," Min replied carefully, "and he helped to guide us to this place. He also helped us to understand that your tribe as a whole is not our enemy, only the Swamp Speaker and those who follow him. We were very glad to learn that, as we have no desire to make war against your people."
Min (and whoever else speaks): please give me a diplomacy roll...
Let's give Nsizi some time to post otherwise this could turn ugly real quick. :)
Action 1
Nsizi looked around at the camp. It was his first glimpse into what a mjusi settlement looked like, and he was intrigued. He was surprised to see that they were attempting to tame the shocker lizards - he assumed that perhaps they bred them. He considered approaching them a bit more closely while they waited, but a narrow-lidded stare from one of the guards convinced him not to. "I am surprised that we are being treated with this much courtesy," he said in common to his companions. "The mjusi are not what I expected. Perhaps if we had come this way first, we could have had help inside." Further conversation was cut short by the reappearance of Othok.
Action 2
Min was doing very well with the chieftan, and he translated both sides of the conversation softly to Zeljka. However, after a few moments, it looked like the chief's body language had changed, and Nsizi wondered if she was able to follow Min's formal language.
From his sitting position, it was impossible to bow formally in the manner of his people, but he did the best he could. "I am Nsizi, of the Bas'o. As my friend says, our only purpose is to stop the storm before many people die. The might and honour of your people is known to all. It has never been the way of the Mireborn to destroy land and life for pleasure. We want only to stop the Swamp Speaker, so that the all the peoples of this land - human, mireborn, song'o, half-orc, everybody - may choose to live their lives as they would. If you would honour us with your help, your might and wisdom would be powerful allies in the battle to come."
Bowing his head again, he quickly translated the gist of his speech for Zeljka.
Action 1:
The half-orc was unsure what would happen to Achahut but she didn't see them as having much choice but to accept the conditions. Achahut had made his choices and now the consequences were coming home to roost, just like they did with everyone...eventually. Trusting Nsizi to translate her words Zeljka says, "Agreed." Then she asks, "Are there more mireborn with the Swamp Speaker below? Are those his followers you spoke of?" Zeljka worried that other lizardfolk may get hurt if they insisted on protecting the Swamp Speaker.
Turning to Evalina, Zeljka asked, "Can you lead the chieftain's husbands? I think you'd be best to go just in case Achahut wandered off. You'll be able to track him."
Action 2:
"If the prisoner isn't here, where is he? What other help are you offering?"
Min winced a bit, wondering what grudge these ... husbands had against Achahut, but they seemed to have little power to negotiate protection for the maverick lizardfolk.
Min looked to Nsizi inquiringly. If the cleric wasn't right in the head -- little wonder after being left for dead and imprisoned -- the healer seemed the logical point person for dealing with him. "Do you suppose Argil could help? Reuniting them might be a comfort to him."
Nsizi stifled an urge to protest what was likely going to be a death sentence for Achahut. After a moment's reflection, he sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, we will take you to him. I think, in a way, he is waiting for this." He had spent much time with the mjusi over the last week, and a real will to live had never returned to the warrior. Being confronted by the husbands, and perhaps being given the death they had denied him, would likely come as a relief. At least, Nsizi hoped so.
Action 2
"If the prisoner isn't here, where is he? What other help are you offering?"
Nsizi started to translate for the half-orc, then stopped. "Bufi, I think she is saying that Magdi is not "right in the head", not that he is not here."
Min looked to Nsizi inquiringly. If the cleric wasn't right in the head -- little wonder after being left for dead and imprisoned -- the healer seemed the logical point person for dealing with him. "Do you suppose Argil could help? Reuniting them might be a comfort to him."
Nsizi shrugged. "I cannot know until we see him. Perhaps it is as you say, and his companion will be able to help. I am sure he is nearby."
Instead, he said to the chief, "How will we know which of your tribe are his followers? Are all Mireborn inside the doors his followers? We do not wish to attack any other of your tribe."
tag
"Can any of your warriors fight with us? I do not know your customs, and do not wish to offend. Having Mireborn warriors with us would be a great help, but I do not know if such is permitted."
tag
"We thank you for the stone. We have the other half. Please, we would like to see the prisoner first."
tag
"Bufi, I think she is saying that Magdi is not "right in the head", not that he is not here."
Zeljka nodded slowly, Ah, that makes more sense. Some of the translating has been difficult to follow. It's interesting though, the halflings that spoke of his capture never mentioned he was acting strangely. Neither did his friend."
After Othok had freed Magdi, Nsizi approached the man slowly. Getting down on his knees, he said in a gentle voice. "My friend, I am Nsizi, of the Bas'o. We are here to help you. You are free now. Do you understand?"
Looking at the stairwell, Nsizi said, "I wonder if perhaps we would do well to wait until tomorrow. I have not the strength to call up on the spirits many more times today, and I fear the fight before us will be a difficult one. Perhaps our hosts will give us shelter for the night, and if not, we can camp again."
Looking at the stairwell, Nsizi said, "I wonder if perhaps we would do well to wait until tomorrow. I have not the strength to call up on the spirits many more times today, and I fear the fight before us will be a difficult one. Perhaps our hosts will give us shelter for the night, and if not, we can camp again."
Zeljka nodded, "We should rest. It's been a long day. We can deal with the Swamp Speaker at first light."
Action 1:
Zeljka considered the state of the prisoner. "The halflings definitely didn't mention that he looked like this. His decline must have happened after he was captured. We should call his friend and maybe escort him inside if he's scared of the lizardfolk. I can go get him. I think it may help Magdi recover."
"I'd not say no to the chance to rest and prepare before facing the Swamp Speaker," Min concurred, "particularly if we can rest among ... well, perhaps 'friends' isn't the right word, but ... 'allies?' 'temporary allies?' 'people who don't want to kill us immediately?'"
"I'd not say no to the chance to rest and prepare before facing the Swamp Speaker," Min concurred, "particularly if we can rest among ... well, perhaps 'friends' isn't the right word, but ... 'allies?' 'temporary allies?' 'people who don't want to kill us immediately?'"
Nsizi and the others left the stairway room, closing the door behind them. Returning to Othok, he said, "Can we rest here among your tribe tonight? If we are going to fight the Swamp Speaker, we must be rested and strong. We have our own supplies, but would welcome a place to sleep out of the rain."
tag Othok
"This place is haunted!"
"Haunted?" Min repeated, quirking an eyebrow in Nsizi's direction. "Could it be? There was that very disturbing room we went through earlier. Perhaps something actually is tormenting him."
"Quickly!" Min called to Zeljka. "We must get these doors open! Normal weapons can't harm incorporeal creatures!"
"No, but magic works against them," Nsizi said as he backpedalled away from the creatures. "Min, if you can protect yourself with magic, now's the time. Zeljka, reach your falchion out to me."
The half-orc complied, and Nsizi touched the blade. "Spirits, lend your magic to this blade." It glowed briefly with a magical aura, which then faded away. "There, that will help. Try not to get touched, they'll suck the strength right out of you."
He then pulled out his weapon and prepared to cast the same spell on it.
Sorry but Evalina left with her stuff, whatever that was.
You guys have magic weapons though (Zelkja has a +1 dagger); Nsizi has spells and so does Min.
You can always leave and hope these things don't follow...
You can always leave and hope these things don't follow...
I don't know but please decide so I can move this along. :)
Your choice, Bufi. If you choose to do the door, Nsizi will enchant his own weapon and cover you two while you open the door.
Zeljka called over her shoulder at the other two, "Get the door open. I'll cover you."
Keeping in mind the advice to not allow physical contact, the half-orc used her newly magicked blade to attack the closest shadow.
Turn 151 - The Place is Haunted
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, hit
, hit
Zeljka felt the strength seep out of her. She angrily studied the shadow looking for weaknesses. Gritting her teeth, she swung her falchion at it again. "Get out if you can!"
"Zeljka! Sunlight!" Min gasped. "I think they can't go in sunlight. Or maybe that's vampires. But it's worth a try!"
She withdraws toward the lizardfolk camp outside, watching behind her both for her companions and to see if the undead will follow out of the room.
Nsizi retreated carefully back from the shadow, grabbing Bufi's arm as she finished her attack. Together they moved through the open door. The rain hit him in a fresh wave, and he wondered if such foul weather would prevent a sun-hating creature from following. Assuming, of course, that Min was right.
Min took some courage from the shadows' seeming unwillingness to leave their sanctum. "If they come after us," she advised the others, "get ready to run like there's a herd of stampeding wildebeests on your heels." She pointed at the wispy-looking shadow that Zeljka had fought and intoned the words of a spell. A sickly-green arrow sprang into existence at the tip of her pointing finger and dashed toward its target, even as Min retreated further in fear of pursuit.
Lesser restoration dispels any magical effects reducing one of the subject's ability scores or cures 1d4 points of temporary ability damage to one of the subject's ability scores.
Lesser restoration will do the job, but with Zeljka down 11, it'll take at least three castings to get her back to normal.
Restoration cures all temporary ability damage, and it restores all points permanently drained from a single ability score (your choice if more than one is drained).
Or a single restoration would do the trick, if we had 4th level spells.
Temporary ability damage returns at the rate of 1 point per night of rest (8 hours) for each affected ability score. Complete bed rest restores 2 points per day (24 hours) for each affected ability score.
Or we can rest for 6 days.
I wasn't sure if the shadow's attack was temporary ability damage, or permanent. I don't have the spell, but we have one potion.
Watching the shadows warily, Nsizi patted through his neswambi looking for a particular potion. Locating it, he pulled it from a pouch and handed it to Zeljka. "Bufi, drink this. It will help a bit."
Moving further back, he added, "I have nothing to harm them with...not without touching them. Mina, do you have enough magic to destroy both?"
"Maybe," she replies doubtfully, "if they're mindless enough to stand there in the doorway and not come out after us. But if they float this way, I'm not sticking around to find out."
Zeljka barely had enough strength to lift the potion to her mouth, let alone wield her falchion once more. "Thanks Nsizi. Min, it seems like your theory about them not coming out was correct. Problem is that if we don't finish them now, they may just heal all over again. We can't get to the Swamp Speaker without going through there." She sighed sadly, "But they took too much out of me. I don't have enough strength to be of much help."
"The Swamp Speaker can't come this way," Min scoffed. "The other lizardfolk and a long-dead man had the halves of the key, and these shadows ought to attack him as readily as us. There has to be an easier way downstairs."
"The Swamp Speaker can't come this way," Min scoffed. "The other lizardfolk and a long-dead man had the halves of the key, and these shadows ought to attack him as readily as us. There has to be an easier way downstairs."
Min, the above did NOT make it into the turn recap but I'll include in the next one so everyone can respond to it for this turn.
Questions?
Game on!
Nsizi sighed in relief as Bufi destroyed the shadow, and it's partner disappeared. Cautiously, he closed the doors again. It wouldn't stop the shadow, but hopefully it would slow down anything else down those stairs.
"The Swamp Speaker can't come this way," Min scoffed. "The other lizardfolk and a long-dead man had the halves of the key, and these shadows ought to attack him as readily as us. There has to be an easier way downstairs."
Nsizi answered,"Yes, I think you must be right. We can ask Othok if they used the doors or went around. A second route could be a tunnel leading out to the jungle somewhere, next to impossible to find."
Taking the strangely frail Zeljka by the arm, Nsizi moved back towards the mjusi encampment. Spying Othok, he hailed him and said, "The guardians of the stairs are too much for us in our weakened state. Can we rest here among your tribe tonight? If we are going to fight the Swamp Speaker, we must be rested and strong. We have our own supplies, but would welcome a place to sleep out of the rain."
tag
Pursuing Min's line of thought, he asked the reigning champion, "Do you know if the Swamp Speaker went down those stairs? Or is there another way below?"
tag
Nsizi also wanted to check on Magdi. Moving to the edge of the encampment, he called out, "My friend! We have found your master. The mjusi are friendly to us, at least for now...will you come? He is ill, and needs help."
tag blue dude.
Zeljka leaned heavily on Nsizi. She felt like someone had filled her bones with stone. The half-orc had never felt this weak and vulnerable, even as a child. She echoed the oracle's plea for shelter, "Othok, still Champion, a dry place to regain our strength would be much appreciated."
It wasn't in any turn recap - I assume we glossed over it in favour of an unwinnable fight. Figured we might as well pick it up now.
I intend to reply for the NPCs in the turn recap and move this along today...
Any other posts?