Barra's eyes wandered off to the side, and he bit back the "Actually..." that threatened to wind its way off his tongue. He did speak one other thing on his mind though. "Bolkvar. There's no need to be so rude - even only a decade without seeing the sun would drive any one of us queer, and our lady seems to have been here far longer."
"If I may, lady, I have a different question: Have you ever heard of a Saint Bakau?"
Ari decides she's learned everything she can from Lady Amkathra, at least from the elf's naked form... so she says, "I think that will be enough, Lady Amkathra. Please cover yourself so we can resume our discussion with as little additional awkwardness as possible."
To her companions, Ari says, "She seems to be an elf, albeit one who has experienced much hardship. Not sure that changes much if she is indeed tainted by evil."
Ranek remains silent, silently thanking Barra for reminding Bolkvar not to be rude.
Marcus duly turned away from whatever ghastly sight Ariana was exposed to. He took the opportunity to have a good look around the area, but found himself distracted by aware that he shouldn't look at the strange elfwoman.
[dice=Knowledge (local)]1d20+12
Ranek remains silent, silently thanking Barra for reminding Bolkvar not to be rude.
”Ye...” Bolkvar trailed off, his back still to her. ”...even elflings aren’t like that, nay without just bein’ arses. What’re ye?”
[dice=Knowledge Religion]1d20+17
[dice=Knowledge Planes]1d20+13
Bolkvar can't place Lady Amkathra as anything but an elf. A rude one.
Marcus duly turned away from whatever ghastly sight Ariana was exposed to. He took the opportunity to have a good look around the area, but found himself distracted by aware that he shouldn't look at the strange elfwoman.
[dice=Perception]1d20+7
Hearing Ari speak, Lady Amkathra restored her illusions with an irritated gesture.
Barra's eyes wandered off to the side, and he bit back the "Actually..." that threatened to wind its way off his tongue. He did speak one other thing on his mind though. "Bolkvar. There's no need to be so rude - even only a decade without seeing the sun would drive any one of us queer, and our lady seems to have been here far longer."
"If I may, lady, I have a different question: Have you ever heard of a Saint Bakau?"
"I know of no such p-," Lady Amkathra broke off and looked almost as though she was listening to something. "That name...where have you heard it?"
"One of the followers of the Broken God - a man so broken himself he may be on his own way to divinity. Where have you heard of it?"
"One of the followers of the Broken God - a man so broken himself he may be on his own way to divinity. Where have you heard of it?"
"I don't know. It just appeared in my mind. Strange."
She seemed genuinely disconcerted.
"That is... not good. Has this happened before?"
Not sure what languages the elf speaks and knowing that dwarven isn't safe to speak, Ari decides to try a more distant tongue.
Uncertain if any of her companions even know the language, she says:
Ari watches for a reaction to see if the elf recognizes anything she says.
Marcus had a horrible sense of foreboding. It seemed as thought the master of this place could whisper into anyone's mind. What on Toril where they up against? He whispered a silent pray that Torm would stand with them and provide the moral fortitude necessary to root out this evil.
Lady Amkathra showed no sign of understanding Ari.
"That is... not good. Has this happened before?"
"Not in all my winters."
Ranek's mind began rapidly considering the implications of this. Could this...Copperdeath...implant knowledge in the minds of those within this place? If he can do that, can he see through her eyes, hear what she hears? Is he using her as a puppet - a means of alerting him to our presence?
"Lady Amkathra...could Copperdeath be in your mind right now, implanting knowledge and listening to our conversation?"
Ranek's mind began rapidly considering the implications of this. Could this...Copperdeath...implant knowledge in the minds of those within this place? If he can do that, can he see through her eyes, hear what she hears? Is he using her as a puppet - a means of alerting him to our presence?
"Lady Amkathra...could Copperdeath be in your mind right now, implanting knowledge and listening to our conversation?"
The elven woman stiffened.
"He has done that before."
Thurvek turns from the conversation to search the cave of any obvious scry foci or ease-dropping items.
Addressing Lady Amkathra, Ari says, "How were you able to tell when he was listening before? Was there some mental or visual cue? Could you tell us if such a thing were happening now?"
Aldon whispers to Ari,
Aldon removes the crystal from his pouch, "Know you how this works my Lady? It is an item of the Way not the Art but perhaps you have seen it or are familiar with who in this place may have used it? I hesitate to use it before I know more about it.
Tell us about your true history. If you can name your crimes and repent them, perhaps we can help release you to aid us against this Copperdeath?"
Aldon whispers to Ari, ** spoiler omitted **
Aldon removes the crystal from his pouch, "Know you how this works my Lady? It is an item of the Way not the Art but perhaps you have seen it or are familiar with who in this place may have used it? I hesitate to use it before I know more about it.
Tell us about your true history. If you can name your crimes and repent them, perhaps we can help release you to aid us against this Copperdeath?"
"I don't know it, but Copperdeath had many crystals of that sort. He was working some kind of Art upon them, I think. But his Art was strange. Perhaps it is this Way you speak of. Once he mentioned swallowing one."
Addressing Lady Amkathra, Ari says, "How were you able to tell when he was listening before? Was there some mental or visual cue? Could you tell us if such a thing were happening now?"
"Only a sense of being seen. Not like it is now."
"Hmmm", is Aldon's only reply.
”This is getting us nowhere!” Bolkvar said with exasperation. ”Fook it. Here’s how it is. The bastards who were here before us? The ones who took the children? We’re after them. Think they’re related to Copperdeath. Help us find them and we’ll free ye. Sound fair, elf?”
An interesting choice from master Stonebeam. Marcus was far from sure it was wise, but he didn't have a better plan. He watched the elf and judged her reaction to Bolkvar's suggestion.
Lady Amkathra listened to Bolkvar with obvious disdain. "Which before you? The trolls and their odious little goblin? Or the the two humans? I don't know what I could do to help you with either while I'm still bound to this cavern."
Marcus has the strong sense that Lady Amkathra knows quite a bit more about the two humans than she let on. There was just a half-breath hesitation when she brought them up, almost too little to notice.
Folding his arms Marcus gave her a stern look before saying mildly, "The Humans. Tell us about them M'lady."
Folding his arms Marcus gave her a stern look before saying mildly, "The Humans. Tell us about them M'lady."
"I permitted them to pass, just as I did you. I haven't seen them since," Lady Amkathra said.
Marcus is certain she's lying and caught a flicker of a glance toward the pool of roiling water.
Narrowing his eyes, Marcus' voice went low and dangerous as he asked, "I see... You won't mind if we look in the pool will you? We're not going to find any surprises in there are we? No corpses for example."
Narrowing his eyes, Marcus' voice went low and dangerous as he asked, "I see... You won't mind if we look in the pool will you? We're not going to find any surprises in there are we? No corpses for example."
[dice=Perception, anything in there that shouldn't be?]1d20+7
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+7
Marcus can just barely see a human hand poking out from beneath some rocks on the bottom of the pool.
"I think I've tolerated enough of your intrusions!" Lady Amkathra said. "Your kind are the rudest beings! Worse than orcs!"
”That so?” Bolkvar growled. ”And ye’re the dumbest tart I’ve ever seen. Insultin’ the only people in any position to save ye, actin’ high and mighty when we take basic precautions. We’ve got younglings to save. If this heartless elf wants to rot here let her! We’ve already seen the evil in her heart, and her words prove it.”
Aldon readies himself by gaining Psionic Focus, i seems a battle may well be inevitable and perhaps it is time this creature answered for hr ancient crimes. Perhaps not but she seems very unwilling to aid the group and what must be done, must be done.
Ari looks over at what Marcus is looking at. Her face pales as she sees the human hand.
"We either need to leave her here, or execute her, whichever seems most appropriate. I don't know if we'll be able to definitively prove she was responsible for their deaths."
Marcus raises an eyebrow before asking mildly, "A body. How exactly did that get there? Tell me M'lady where they... Disrespectful?"
Ranek gripped his wand of shield, ready to use it if combat broke out.
Bolkvar didn’t wait. He had enough of this. Seeing the bodies was the final straw.
Standing unaided upon the churning water, Lady Amkathra caught the way the conversation was going and her expression turned inhumanly cold. She spoke a brief incantation and suddenly five more of her stood upon the water.
Round 1
Bolkvar stepped forward and unleashed a flurry of blows at the elf...or at least her images.
Lady Amkathra is tainted with evil. There's only one thing to be done now. Ari resigns herself to slaying the elf.
Ranek realizes he will be unable to pursue her onto the water, since she is standing on it. He draws upon his Art, casting a spell to surround her with motes of glitter and possibly blind her.
Sternly Marcus told Lady Amkathara, "If you won't explain yourself to me, then I'm afraid you'll have to explain to Lord Torm in person ." actions] As he was speaking, Torm's gift filled the back of Marcus's mind with tactics and strategems for dealing with elven opponents.
With impressive quickness Marcus drew his bow, nooked an arrow, drew to his chin and released!
Aldon takes a moment to inspire his allies to rally against this horrible foe whose time committing vile acts should be brought to an end!
Tempo: 5
The waters in front of Barra start to ripple in time with his feet as he begins to leap and sway his way around to the back of the pool; each step syncopating to clear the way for his allies.
Not stupid enough to engage a elf walking on water, Thurvek takes out his heavy crossbow and loads it.
Ranek realizes he will be unable to pursue her onto the water, since she is standing on it. He draws upon his Art, casting a spell to surround her with motes of glitter and possibly blind her. The motes clung to her shapely body, but Lady Amkathra showed no signs of blindness from them.
Bolkvar stepped forward, into the water, and unleashed a flurry of blows at the elf...or at least her images. He struck a Lady Amkathra, which melted to nothing about his fists.
Aldon takes a moment to inspire his allies to rally against this horrible foe whose time committing vile acts should be brought to an end!
Sternly Marcus told Lady Amkathara, "If you won't explain yourself to me, then I'm afraid you'll have to explain to Lord Torm in person ." actions] As he was speaking, Torm's gift filled the back of Marcus's mind with tactics and strategems for dealing with elven opponents. With impressive quickness Marcus drew his bow, nooked an arrow, drew to his chin and released! It struck one of the Ladies Amkathra, which melted away just as Bolkvar's had.
Not stupid enough to engage a elf walking on water, Thurvek takes out his heavy crossbow and loads it.
The waters in front of Barra start to ripple in time with his feet as he begins to leap and sway his way around to the back of the pool; each step syncopating to clear the way for his allies.
Lady Amkathra is tainted with evil. There's only one thing to be done now. Ari resigns herself to slaying the elf. She fired a flurry of arrows, but only one struck one of the elves. It melted to nothing just as the previous two had.
The elf took a stride back from Bolkvar's fists and incanted again. A thrumming mantle of faint blue light surrounded her.
aw
aw
aw
aw
Once more Bolkvar punched and kicked, but landing a blow was difficult with the elf tricks confounding his senses.
When Marcus's arrow shattered an image, he shrugged inwardly, she'd run out of images before he ran out of arrows. Of course he had to be sure not to hit Barra or Bolkvar. That made the shot harder but by no means impossible. With the bow drawn to his chin he waited a fraction, there a gap! He released and the arrow sped towards, her straight and true.