Whispering to doctor silver:
"aye... I am interested to see what she can offer us, but she does make me a bit uneasy... I wouldn't want to be on her s%!& list anyways."
With a weary glance at the drow priestess, Scotty shoulders his pack and then follows Drovik onward for more loot. Really, in the end, who can decline the possibility of event more treasure?
"lead on, sir knight, let's see what else them dirty dwarves have for us to line out pockets with."
The lute does not detect as good.
You all head back down the stairs and into the last room. This one is filled with statues of dwarves. Some are dressed as nobility, other in armor. There are many more indecipherable Old Dwarf plaques that you probably wouldn't bother to read even if you could. At first glance you don't see anything of much value, but you could give the place a more thorough search.
The hall from this room leads back to the staircase.
I stab each and every statue with my lightning short sword. Just to make sure.
"Never again!"
But first I glance around ;)
Drovic sighs but still manages to grin as he watches Scotty destroy the dwarven statues. He does a slow thorough check of the place leaving no stone unturned as he searches for anything of value.
Stoping just before he begins he says
Jamako detect magic looking for traps or treasure.
and detects good on the room.
Jamako clutches his new shiny as he catches a ride along atop Scottys pack. As the rogue wanders the room for a look around, the kobold takes the time to detect magic on anything that looks to be of interest. When Drovic instructs him the little red shrugs with a grin. "Already done, pointy ears. Nothing of interest. Shouldn't we go to the surface like your friend asked?"
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
These are actually really really nice statues. This whole dwarven city is lousy with statues, and they're all high quality stonework, but these are in a category all their own.
That's when you notice that the eyes and a few other small details are made of gemstones.
I stab each and every statue with my lightning short sword. Just to make sure.
"Never again!"
The magic sword is able to chip away at the stone without the blade warping. Nothing much else happens.
Drovic sighs but still manages to grin as he watches Scotty destroy the dwarven statues. He does a slow thorough check of the place leaving no stone unturned as he searches for anything of value.
The statues, to a proper dwarven collector, would be worth a mint. Trying to transport them to a place where you could sell them would be an issue, but they seem more like art treasures than typical idiot dwarf offal.
You could also bash them to bits and take the small gemstone eyes, buttons and other details.
There are also a few ancient tapestries on the walls, depicting some kind of dwarven civil war. They look much more portable.
detects good on the room.
Jamako has a strong aura of good, as does the gem he's carrying.
As the rogue wanders the room for a look around, the kobold takes the time to detect magic on anything that looks to be of interest.
Aside from the expected auras from your personal magical arsenals, Jamako doesn't find any trace of magic.
I start to pry the gems out with the knife from my cooking kit (inside the paladin kit) and collect them along with as many of the tapestries as he can carry.
Scotty you seem good at guessing value how much are these gems and tapestries worth.
For the process of procuring the loot in the room Jamako is sadly about as useful as the eyes on a potato. He's too feeble to carry things, or pry things, or to reach things. Spends his time riding the rogue with a stupid grin, admiring the big shiny gem in his clutches.
Satisfied that these statues are not going to stab him, Scotty begins to pluck their shiny eyes out with his knife, collecting the gems in a pouch in his pack. In fact, as he walks around, he notices that all sorts of things in here could probably be taken and sold!
"Hmmm.... Looks like they're worth enough that we should sell it all! These statues themselves are probably worth a lot, but that means we would need to either carry them outta here, or share the location of this place... I'm satisfied with just gutting them and selling them part for part... and you should grab those tapestries"
Scotty and Drovic make short work of the statues, crudely prying the gems from their sockets.
The axe and sword puts me at 94 pounds I have a max weight of 260 how heavy are the tapestries.
The tapestries are 20 lbs. each, dwarves like their tapestries to have presence. Many of the threads are made of expertly woven metals, but they seem designed to roll up and you are able to do so without damaging them.
Appraise: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
The tapestries are actually the secret treasure of these rooms. What you first through were silver threads are actually mithril and adamantine. You could probably get in the neighborhood of 1000 gp for each of them, and probably more than ten times that if you could find a suitably sentimental dwarf.
The statues used to be worth a lot, priceless dwarven art treasures you reckon, but now they you have chipped away at them and crudely pried out their gems they have a price and it's approaching zero. Each of the gems is still really well cut. You figure you could get 25 gp for the smaller "eyes" and 50 gp for the slightly larger ones. There's 24 small eyes and 6 large gems.
Drovic whistles at the thought of them being 1000 gold a piece.
I have to say it Scotty, I mean really really hate to say it, but go.. goo.. good job. Uhh, on figuring out the worth of these tapestries.
Drovic carefully takes down and rolls up the tapestries. He then piles them up, ties them together with rope and covers them further with his his bedroll and ties it closed with the rest of his rope.
Jamako as your ally snerk I want you to hold on to the other gems as well ok. Scotty if you can't find anything else theres more looting to be done.
Taking a sick satisfaction in destroying priceless Dwarven art (I mean, he couldn't sell it so what use it is to him?) Scotty gleefully pops out what parts of the statues he can sell: gem stones.
He then grins from ear to ear after examining the tapestries for a moment.
"aye gents, these be the true treasure of the room. This tapestries are skillfully woven with thin Mithral and adamantine strands... worth at least a thosand gold each, but I bet they coul fetch a fortune to the right buyer! Lousy dwarves, at least they could make some spendy art! Amiright? Dwarves suck."
He will then make sure his sunrod is still good to go for a bit, and then makes his way to the down staircase.
Wow appraise was useful I am amazed, I have never actually used it or seen it used myself.Didn't just put them in my backpack they are protected. Also a few is 3 to 5 so how many tapestries are there.
There are four.
He will then make sure his sunrod is still good to go for a bit, and then makes his way to the down staircase.
Scotty descends the staircase to the basement. He soon finds himself in an exceptionally lush underground garden. The scent of greenery actually covers the stink of death that otherwise permeates the city.
A lot of the plants are strange, large mushrooms but there are a number of other luminous plants similar to green plants on the surface. Nothing seems to have any issue growing down here away from the sunlight.
Scotty slowly makes his way about, investigating these strange plants and mushrooms.
"hey fellas, get down here! There's... I think it's a garden"
Drovic follows Scotty into the basement and looks at the plants. Following equally slowly he detects of good at all things. Bored, bored, bored. I need something to kill.
Jamako rides the rogue down into the peculiar garden, investigating alongside him (though not keen enough to pick up anything he does not already on his own). "Strange place for a garden.. wonder what it's doing here?"
"Hmm... maybe these plants wish to buy some of our loot."
"No? Well maybe they just need a little 'persuasion'!!"
Scotty whips out his butterfly knife. *flippa flap*
Scotty slowly makes his way about, investigating these strange plants and mushrooms.
Some of the mushrooms look edible. Otherwise, these seem like typical underdark flora. It's a little close to the surface for this kind of stuff, but there's nothing to stop it from growing in these conditions. Indeed, they seem to be thriving.
Following equally slowly he detects of good at all things.
You don't sense any good auras besides the ones you're already aware of.
Bored, bored, bored. I need something to kill.
taking 20 on perception for 27
After spending some time in the garden, Scotty begins to get the sense that you are not alone. Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he catches movement in time to spin around. Whatever he saw is staying still, but Scotty can point to it's exact location nonetheless.
Scotty whispers sharply:
"shhh! Nobody move... We are not alone... "
He stares intently at the where this thing is, indicating with his gaze where the thing is to everyone else, and slowly and sneakily reaches for him boomerang.
Drovic hearing the rouge tries to get an idea of how many enemies there are himself
Not sure if what he is focusing on is an enemy or a shaded mushroom Drovic clicks his teeth in annoyance.
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
As soon as Scotty draws his attention to it, Drovic's keen Drow hearing picks it up too: something large, at least the size of an adult tiger, is expertly talking you all through the underbrush.
"ENJOY THE FLAMING ORBS OF THE BEYOND!!!"
Jamako joins the others in investigating the large creature stalking them. Upon perceiving a threat his eyes widen and he snaps his fingers at the creature (or more accurately the brush it's stalking in), lighting it on fire suddenly.
Drovic rushes the beast running while drawing his Gil-Vrock trying to hammer the beast with his blade. The aura in the blade running through him, filling him with hatred and power.
what is this thing...
Scotty dodge rolls and attempts to set up a flanking position with Drovik. He then lashes out with his butterfly knife. *thicka thwap*
"yeah! Kill first ask questions later! That's the spirit fellas!"
In progress.
Doc's init
Jamako attempts to start some kind of underground forest fire with his magic. Unluckily (or luckily) due to the largely wet mushroom and fungal plant-life it would take some serious doing (a few rounds) to get a decent fire going.
The spark of flame does, however, catch the creature off-guard. With a slightly-too-human scream and a hiss you all get your first clear glimpse of the monster: a giant centipede, and a larger specimen that usual.
Reflex
With an unnatural vulgar grace, the centipede writhes around the microscopic meteors that Dr. Silver flings at it from THE BEYOND.
Just as it does so, however, Drovic and Scotty fly at it almost simultaneously. Drovic drives his sword into what he has decided is the creature's neck, causing dark ichor to bubble from the wound. Scotty, meanwhile, tumbles to the other side and drives his daggers into what he has also decided is the creature's back. He strikes what passes for a vital on this monster and it collapses, it's hateful mockery of life extinguished.
The centipede lets out a death rattle that is distinctly unnerving, but then nothing.
The gardens extend around you as far as the eye can see. If there's one of these things down here, logic dictates that there are more somewhere.
Scotty checks for any discernible exits.
"well... That was gross. What is this thing, doctor? Looks like some sorta giant bug... Hmm
"I wonder if this garden leads deeper in, or if this is the bottom of the building. I also feel like if there's one if them buggers around, there's a whole lot more nearby. Let us be on our guard and tread carefully."
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Scotty can't see any obvious exits despite having a very good look around; this place is larger than you even originally imagined. He does begin to discover a few support pillars, all overgrown with luminous moss.
There are also small holes along the ceiling, corresponding to the one that Drovic trapped against Ratticus. It seems like this basement provides oxygen to the museum, and indeed perhaps even the entire city depending on it's size.
If it is a citywide oxygen sewer then hypothetically you could use it to access any of the buildings on this level (and perhaps the level below).
"well guys, do you know what this place is?? I believe them dwarves used this camber to provide oxygen to that building, possibly this whole city! Pretty smart, even for dirty fat dwarves. Let's go back up to town, and claim out reward from that drow princess!"
He then starts heading back.
Uh, I hate dwarfs as much as the next drow, which means I hate them a lot. But Scotty seems to be going out of your way to insult them. Oh and from what I can remember Doc's gun is trying to make him hate dwarves. huh probably the weapons then.
Scotty when we get back to the surface ease of on the dwarf hate, I know they deserve it but we want to be able to sell our loot to them. Which won't work if you star killing them. Um, oh look at it this way if you don't kill any of them up top we will be able to continue raping their history for profit.
"aye, Drovik, I would never want to cause any trouble in town. That would affect our capabilities of selling loot!"
You head back up, and find the priestess waiting for you impatiently. She is whispering to Ratticus in some guttural language, possibly infernal.
"Are you quite finished?" she asks, coldly "Are you prepared now to perform the simple task I asked of you, or do you have further errands to run in this corpse of a city? The Goddess is indeed wise beyond wise because I can not perceive the value she sees in you with my mere mortal brain."
In Drow, she adds "See to it your creature is careful with the gem, it is important to the future of our race."
Without waiting for an answer, she removes a white gold ring from her finger and casually tosses it aside. It grows in the air and grows to a size to where it could allow a mounted knight to pass through easily. By the time it has reached it's full size it has affixed itself to the wall, and some of the most powerful magic any of you have ever witnessed punches a hole in space/time.
The other side is a neighborhood in the magic section of Venture Town, you can see it as clearly as if you were there. You can even hear the people screaming about bargains and vendettas.
"Come, now. I will be delayed no further."
With that, she steps through the portal with Ratticus happily perched on her shoulder.
Scotty's eyes grow wide a he sees this display I magic.
i am glad we did not anger this one...
He then waits for Drovik and heads back into the city through the portal, excited to sell some loot and buy some nice stuff!
Jamako is still clutching the shiny gem and laying on Scotty's pack when they reunite with the rather pleasant female. His clouded mind doesn't seem to mind her harshness, but no amount of clouding can dissuade him from the magic he witnesses. The lil' red's jaw drops and his eyes widen, clearly surprised and impressed at the same time.
Drovic stares at the hole nonchalantly while internally happy he has not skinned the rat. Goddess only knows what she would have done but it would have been horrible.
Come on we have some work to do everyone.
"A wyrm passage!"
You get a strange sense of vertigo when you step through the portal, but are otherwise unaffected by your trip through space/time. When you have all made your way through the drow priestess motions with her hand and the portal become a ring once again, and flies through the air to her finger.
The people of the Venture Town magic section, true to form, barely notice. One grinning child does begin to approach, but one scowl from the priestess sends him running in the opposite direction.
"I will require a base of operations of the surface for the time being. I cast many divinations while you were debasing yourselves in the dwarf ruins and found this location. It will suffice."
She leads you all over to a row of two-story apartment buildings and up a set of wooden steps to the apartments at the upper level.
* * *
Meanwhile, Harland hears an a knock at his door, while he sits studying his spellbook in his second story apartment. Going to the peephole he can see an angry looking drow woman dressed strangely even for Venture Town. Behind her are a gang of rough looking thugs, two humans (one likely a spellcaster, the other wearing a very lifelike kobold-skin cap) and a drow.
"I DEMAND ENTRY!" says the drow woman, banging loudly on your door once more.
Harland wanted none of this. He had multiple tomes people had "paid" him to translate, ("Oi, bloke, we heard you read Little Folk. Tell us what this says, or we'll cut your fingers off!")several of his own personal transcripts had been "stolen" off his person, ("Oi, bloke, where the bloody 'ell are our books?! We'll take these as com-pen-sa-tion!"), and now the angry drow lady was probably about to steal what he was relatively certain was a collection of dwarvish cookbooks, most of the recipes centering around, to Harlands' reckoning, how to brew various ales of equally disgusting potency. He would simply sigh and open the door, fully aware that if he left it closed, they were just going to break it down anyways.
"Hello. I don't know what you think I stole from you, but I'm really very sorry it somehow came into my possession."
The figure standing before was thin, virtually emaciated, wearing a black and dark blue robe. A stiff breeze could knock him over, from the looks of him. On the inside of the door, where the party couldn't see, he would have his staff against the wall, ready to fight if they decided that they wanted to take more than some useless books.
"ahoy, mate. I suggest ya listen to the lady. Wouldn't want to make her angry, she's a but feisty"
Scotty calls out the Harland, knives flashing.
Jamako, still blinded by the goodness in his heart, peeks over Scotty's head as the door opens. He can practically smell the arcane, and flashes a pointy grin. "Ah! Pointy ears' friend is introducing us to a new friend!" The little red pats Scotty with a chuckle: "We're all a little feisty, remember?"
He would frown at the kobold... hadn't seen him through the peephole. They have a pet kobold? How strange.
"Hello. I don't know what you think I stole from you, but I'm really very sorry it somehow came into my possession."
"Cease your mindless prattle," says the drow woman "Now, half-breed: complete indignity though it may be, according to my divinations you are of my bloodline. You are of course aware that your human blood utterly debases you, but circumstances have conspired that you might actually prove useful to your betters. I will be commandeering this domicile in the name of Lolth, the one true Goddess of the Drow. You should be honored."
That made him almost laugh. As it stood, he would just give a grim smile. He would stand out of the way and indicate for her to enter the room politely.
Undercommon The facilities are not those you may be accustomed too... priestess? Spoken as a question.
He would head over to his books and begin cleaning up, taking care with the lot of them as he put them in a dark brown pack. Really, it was all he could do too resist trying to stab the woman in the throat with the first blunt object he could find, but she had too many cronies for that too work right now. Maybe next time.
Following everyone inside, Scotty will look for a chair or somewhere to make himself comfortable and then self consciousness start flipping his knives.
oh boy, yet another drow! Heh, who woulda thought so many would turn up in one place? Well... I wonder what sort of compensation this priestess wishes to give us...
The facilities are not those you may be accustomed too... priestess?
"Nor is the company," she retorts, in the same accented common she has been speaking "Nevertheless I will suffer these indignities for the good of the species. It is the duty of the priestess to cause pain in the service of the goddess, even her own."
She looks around.
"I will require all of this space. I will also need high quality enchanting supplies."
Turning back to Harland.
"Your presence would be an inconvenience. Return in two weeks and I may be willing to turn the use of this place back over to you. Do so warmed by the knowledge that I have decided against killing you for the insult your existence does to my genetic line. Keep up this acquiescence and you will be a favored house slave the New Drow Order to come."
Harland's life of 5 minutes ago is starting to seem downright normal in hindsight.
He wouldn't even blink at her for the statement, knowing in his heart that if she spoke true, she was the insult to his existence, not him, mentally filing away certain facts: The kobold was likely a spellcaster of some kind, as he was carrying a staff... unusual, but not unheard of. The human with the knives was likely to be skilled in their use, since normal farmers don't usually juggle knives for fun... The other human was an unknown, as was the drow... The priestess, on the other hand, wore pride and power like a cloak. And why in the gods names was the kobold -giggling?- At her command, he would simply shrug, set on his backpack, and walk out. He would head downstairs and up to the inn keeper.
"My room was just invaded by a two drow, two humans, and a kobold. I require use of a new room for the next two weeks, as I still have time left on that gold I originally paid."
Scotty smiles to himself as he listens to the priestess address this half-drow.
Hehehe! This poor guy must be all out of sorts. I wonder what he must think of us... he probably thinks we are this witch's entourage or slaves or something... HA!
When Harland returns, he will address him:
"So... what do they call you, mage? You are a mage, right? Or do you just love the feel of soft robe on your drowish skin?
"Those who don't know me call me The Blade... perhaps you've heard of me. But you can call me Scotty. It would seem your life just took an exciting turn. We've been down in The Hole, and... well... let's just say its quite worth the effort. Seeing as your home has been reposed by the almighty Lolth, how would you like to come along with us?"
"Leave the gem!" insists the priestess, directing Jamako to lay it down without herself touching it.
"When you return bring food and enchanting supplies."
She is already rearranging the room in her mind.