"Start talking," Chancre says. "Why were you trying to drop Drezen into the abyss? Who are you working for? How long have you been in cahoots with Nurah? Stuff like that."
Konstantin advances alongside Chancre. "I would speak to my friend. Else you will speak to me."
Intimidate
Samirah fixes her hair while she moves to "guard" the exit through the forge.
Míril steps back from the interrogation, with her sword at the ready. She puts on her best disinterested yet alert face, the one that seems to say "go ahead, see what happens."
Roshan looks over at Nurah. Taps a finger to his lips thoughtfully. Looks back to the pretty Tiefling. Cocks an eyebrow.
"Start talking," Chancre says. "Why were you trying to drop Drezen into the abyss?"
The priestess, arms still held aikimbo in Chancre's hug, shrugs slightly. "The southern forces seem to place a high value on this old pile of rocks. Once your army destroyed most of what was left for our defense and you slaughtered poor Soltengrabe, my choices were to allow you take the fortress or to ensure that you could not. It probably would have been destroyed in the chasms leading to the my lord Deskari's realm."
Suddenly, loudly, painfully, as if she is fighting hard against a powerful bond, Nurah shouts, "You can't believe her!"
A gasp, "She's the one that has been controlling everything! Charms and summoned monsters!"
Nurah looks down, her voice pained, "When she first got me down here, she had a lost hero under her sway," a choke, "She said it was hard to control more than one puppet at a time and she gave him to a vampire!"
Nurah's voice dropped, "And she sacrificed poor Aron to the demons..."
It's hard to pick between lie and truth in what Nurah is saying because she never tells outright lies, instead shading truthful statements in a way that the wrong outcome is determined.
But overall, she seems to be desperate to save her own bacon.
However, the statement about Aron does seem to be true, but she is just a little to gleeful about it.
B)
Konstantin frowns at something the priestess did. "What do you hear, tiefling?"
Míril keeps an eye on the priestess' body language, but otherwise lets Chancre and Konstantin do the questioning.
"Learn to tell better lies," Chancre says to Nurah. "Although I would like to know what happened to Aron. Let me put it this way. Whatever you've done, you may survive the truth. I am starting to lose patience with half-truths and evasions."
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Catching Roshan's eye, Míril gestures with her right hand, making a pointing motion to the left in front of her mouth while shaking her head; then points to her neck, moving her finger back and forth; and lastly pinches her cheek with a hooked index finger.
Konstantin frowns at something the priestess did. "What do you hear, tiefling?"
"My master's anger at my failure yet the fact that I still breathe."
Inner lids close, the color of her golden eyes still visible through the sheer membrane, "Rightfully, my soul should be fertilizing the growth of a new horde in the abyss."
"It is ground that has been well prepared by hundreds of sacrifices that have been dedicated to Deskari." Her voice is oddly flat, the eyes behind the veil observing. The inner eyelid opens.
Looking more closely, there seems to be a duality to the woman. There is an aspect that is just mortally evil, but a empty hollow in her that reeks of demon.
Nurah on the other hand does not detect as evil.
"Learn to tell better lies," Chancre says to Nurah. "Although I would like to know what happened to Aron. Let me put it this way. Whatever you've done, you may survive the truth. I am starting to lose patience with half-truths and evasions."
Nurah shakes, rocking back and forth, tears of pain fighting to escape her blue eyes, "I... can't." Her voice breaking, "That b#$+$ is in my head."
Lie.
Although she does seem to have some kind of external influence other than the people in the room based on the hint of listening when no one is speaking.
"Lady, you're not going to be able to goad us into killing you faster," Chancre says quietly to the priestess. "Does that free the demon inside? I don't think we can be having that, either."
To Konstantin: "Do you know of any way to keep her contained without killing her?"
To Nurah: "Rhymes with my sweater. You might be under influence, but not from this little chickadee."
To the room in general: "Learn from my mistake, all of you. Scratch your nose before grappling the blonde."
"Lady, you're not going to be able to goad us into killing you faster," Chancre says quietly to the priestess. "Does that free the demon inside? I don't think we can be having that, either."
To Konstantin: "Do you know of any way to keep her contained without killing her?"
"Knock her on the head?" He pauses. "It is very bad for you, but we have clerics."
"Can we keep knocking her on the head?"
"I am good at knocking people on the head!" Samirah chimes in, happy to be of possible assistance.
"Lady, you're not going to be able to goad us into killing you faster," Chancre says quietly to the priestess. "Does that free the demon inside? I don't think we can be having that, either."
She seems slightly taken by surprise by Chancre's statement, the confusion possibly drawing out more information from her, "The demon is mine to call for strength, it holds my soul for that, my death just means it no longer has to help me." She cuts herself off, the mask of blankness cracking a bit. A bit of a snarl, "Oh, please, do that. I'll be able to be a cancer at from whatever prison you put me. Deskari cares only for strength and that will give me more than enough to redeem my worth."
To Nurah: "Rhymes with my sweater. You might be under influence, but not from this little chickadee."
"But I'm the victim here!"
Oddly enough... this statement is the truth from Nurah's perspective.
Catching Roshan's eye, Míril gestures with her right hand, making a pointing motion to the left in front of her mouth while shaking her head; then points to her neck, moving her finger back and forth; and lastly pinches her cheek with a hooked index finger.
One corner of Roshan's mouth quirks slightly and his nostrils flare briefly.
Roshan's eyes flash and harden at listening to Nurah's words, he then ignores her and instead turns to study the tiefling priestess. Not overtly curious, but perhaps contemplative.
"Can we keep knocking her on the head?"
"Long enough to remand her into the custody of others who might have better solutions? I would say certainly."
"But I'm the victim here!"
"You're a clever girl. Answer my questions, please."
"But I'm the victim here!""You're a clever girl. Answer my questions, please."
Nurah's eyes go wide and hurt, "But you haven't asked me anything." A little hiccup in her voice, "Just asked that evil person how long she'd been in cahots with me!" Just a hint of righteous anger, "And I've never been an ally of that evil, evil, horrible person." You think there would be a foot stamp if she were standing.
... Not lying. Overly indigent but not lying.
To the priestess, "You've been very forthcoming. Thank you."
To Nurah, "Why did you cast the suggestion spell on me when I hopped through the force wall? Let's start there."
To the priestess, "You've been very forthcoming. Thank you."
"It would really be stupid to do otherwise in the outcome we currently have." Her eyes go down to Chancre's very firm grasp, then the armed people around, and finally Konstantin whose hands still fog with the cold of his spells.
To Nurah, "Why did you cast the suggestion spell on me when I hopped through the force wall? Let's start there."
Nurah looks surprised, "I was trying to warn you that the evil lady had told me she was summoning a balor. Strong as all of you are, I don't think you're ready for that." She offers a small smile, "But I know how stubborn you all are. That you'd have tried to save me even if it meant facing such a fearsome foe. I was just suggesting that you leave me to die and save yourself."
Yes she is lying. But is sounds so GOOD, doesn't it?
Roshan's visage is virtually expressionless, though he does allow a long slow breath to silently escape his lips.
Nurah looks surprised, "I was trying to warn you that the evil lady had told me she was summoning a balor. Strong as all of you are, I don't think you're ready for that." She offers a small smile, "But I know how stubborn you all are. That you'd have tried to save me even if it meant facing such a fearsome foe. I was just suggesting that you leave me to die and save yourself."
Míril smirks at Nurah's last statement. "Pull the other one, honey."
Konstantin nods as Miril apparently sees through Nurah's deception. "Yes, I was thinking this was a terrible plan."
Konstantin looks over Nurah and the priestess, but then speaks to his companions. "I believe we have done all we can at the moment. I would like to turn our captives, the dwarf included, over to the Crusade so they can be held securely. We can commence the interrogation later, I think, when we are not standing in a room of the frozen dead."
"I think you're right. Let's get them out of here and to somewhere secure and less creepy."
"This one," Chancre says, nodding to the priestess, "will be unlocked from the dimension hold in another couple minutes. Samirah, if you will?"
Konstantin fixes both the priestess and Nurah with an icy gaze. "Come along, you two. If either of you attempt a spell, I will be forced to stop you." He cracks his knuckles and the massive muscles twitch in his arms, crawling beneath the silvery scales. Somehow, he is a bit bigger than he was only moments before. "I do not wish to hurt you, but I will, secure in the knowledge our clerics can heal broken fingers or regrow tongues torn out at the root."
After considering Chancre's request and Konstantin's threat to the prisoners...
She walks out of the forge and bops the priestess on the head with the not-pointy end of her scimitar.
"If she had not been so damned hard to hit in battle, maybe I would have let her remain awake. And now she can dream of being tortured by dragons." She smiles innocently and shrugs, like "what can you do?".
Let me know if I need to roll for this, or if it's assumed I do it since we're not threatened and she's pretty well secured.
At some point Roshan takes a short leave of absence from the shadows, finding Samirah and Miril (and anyone else who might happen to understand sign language).
Samirah looks happy to be approached for such a conversation, though the need for a rest is evident in her eyes.
"If I were to make such a choice, I would say it should be rebuilt and used as a stronghold against the Abyss. There is no better way to show the demons that the Crusade cannot be beaten back than to press our legions forward." She wrinkles her nose. "But it will need a good amount of cleaning first. The smell of demon may take months to air out."
Samirah makes some wonky sign-along for: "rebuild", "strength", "light", "what is that disgusting smell", and makes what appears to be an attempt at a scary demon face.
Samirah also signs a "what do you think?" to keep the conversation open.
Roshan's eyes slide towards Konstantin as they sign.
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"Perhaps the smell will not offend others as much as it does me." She smiles. "Or perhaps the smell is simply another evil spirit to be driven away. But yes, we should send word to Kenabres. Or go back ourselves. Surely we do not need to wait here for the city to send reinforcements?"
It's pretty clear that the idea of camping in Drezen does not appeal to the ifrit.
Konstantin fixes both the priestess and Nurah with an icy gaze. "Come along, you two. If either of you attempt a spell, I will be forced to stop you." He cracks his knuckles and the massive muscles twitch in his arms, crawling beneath the silvery scales. Somehow, he is a bit bigger than he was only moments before. "I do not wish to hurt you, but I will, secure in the knowledge our clerics can heal broken fingers or regrow tongues torn out at the root."
The priestess bites her lower lip not making any sign of agreement or disagreement.
Meanwhile Nurah smile her bright, happy smile. The one that has warmed many a downtrodden warrior at the campfire. "I'm very happy to go back to camp with you and very happy that you rescued me from this vile woman."
After considering Chancre's request and Konstantin's threat to the prisoners...
She walks out of the forge and bops the priestess on the head with the not-pointy end of her scimitar.
"If she had not been so damned hard to hit in battle, maybe I would have let her remain awake. And now she can dream of being tortured by dragons." She smiles innocently and shrugs, like "what can you do?".
With a quite solid, heavy blow the priestess goes into the darkness of unconsciousness.
Back in the dungeon with the unconscious body and Nurah in tow, Sosiel looks over injuries, then quietly asks Samirah, "No sign of Aron?"
Nurah's face goes sad, "Demons got him."
Not a lie on her part, but the emotion behind the telling is more rubbing it in/evil glee/I got one over on you rather than sad or concillatory.
Konstantin suggests exploring the rest of the building after some rest, then.
Back in the dungeon with the unconscious body and Nurah in tow, Sosiel looks over injuries, then quietly asks Samirah, "No sign of Aron?"
Nurah's face goes sad, "Demons got him."
Samirah glances at Nurah, frowning a little, and turns back to Sosiel.
"There are a lot of places in which he could be hidden away. I am afraid I will need a little bit of sleep before I continue the search, but..." she rests a hand gently on his arm, "we will not leave until we find him, or evidence that he was taken."
Konstantin suggests exploring the rest of the building after some rest, then.
The super sneaky and athletic combination of Roshan and Miril are able to investigate (carefully and quietly) what had once been a wizard's perch. After determining it holds no hazards, they are able to drop ropes to anyone interested. (For her part, Irabeth arranges for a rotating watches on the wall and on the second story perch.)
Just below the roof, through an entrance that seems to have been enlarged through brute force, you find a lair (and stairs down that end in a new masonry wall). Hoarded into to a protective corner you find a stash of gold and items, the walls cold to the touch from the previous occupants breath.
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Back in the dungeon with the unconscious body and Nurah in tow, Sosiel looks over injuries, then quietly asks Samirah, "No sign of Aron?"
Nurah's face goes sad, "Demons got him."
Samirah glances at Nurah, frowning a little, and turns back to Sosiel.
"There are a lot of places in which he could be hidden away. I am afraid I will need a little bit of sleep before I continue the search, but..." she rests a hand gently on his arm, "we will not leave until we find him, or evidence that he was taken."
Sosiel nods, although he looks back towards the way you guys just came from.
Konstantin inspects the open tower with some interest. Later, he releases Venobya, who soars around the tower from the outside before returning to his shoulder, croaking softly.
"I will search every corner." Samirah promises, happy to have something specific with which to keep busy.
Samirah seems to enjoy being out on the open rooftop of the tower. Something about what used to be the conjuration circle, and the ability to see the sky.
Chancre gives Nurah a look. "I don't believe you," he says.
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Chancre gives Nurah a look. "I don't believe you," he says.
Nurah give a disheartened sigh, "You never do." She shrugs, "Maybe you harbor anarchist tendencies from your deity and since I was asked to help you by the very lawful and rule abiding queen your discontent colors your view of me."
For no particular reason other than I need to throw up a SM every time she speaks now.
"You will refrain from insulting my friend, Nurah." Konstantin intones, cold menace practically dripping from his words. "Chancre's character is as unimpeachable as his hygiene is questionable."
Chancre claps Konstantin on the shoulder. "She can call me what she likes and I do not mind. Although I am touched that you do."
Chancre shakes his head slowly. "It's when she lies to me that I am insulted."
"I trust your and Miril's judgment whether or not she is lying. While I wish to turn her over to the crusade, I fear her honeyed tongue will free her from whatever jail they use to imprison her."
Konstantin takes a long look at Nurah, then a speculative look over the edge of the tower.
"Of course, we could solve everything now. However, if she were to cease talking, I might forget she is even there."