"I'll give you some time to think about my proposal."
Afterwards, he addresses the tiefling
"You are the mistress of these ogres. Their disregard of life and their aggression demands Vengence, not bargaining. You are shocked that we could not save the life! It was your responsibility, not ours. And you show little remorse, no compassion. Rulers like you are a scourge on the lands."
"Are you actually paying attention to anything I say? The ogres were subordinates of the ettin Murg-Nurk Headsplitter. I guess they fall under my protection now. You say there's no compassion, but you are the ones killing everything you encounter. I consider all the workers in this mine as my children. Enough blood has been spilled."
"What should stow my hand from cutting you down where you sit?"
"I hope your mind is strong enough to restrain your thirst for more blood, but if you want a fight I am more than ready to defend us against the likes of you."
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You speak in half-truths. This is the first time you mention that the Ettin was the ogre masters. You talk of employers but do not give their name. You speak of a ritual but give no details. "
"There is no thirst for blood. We kill those that attack us. Ragathiel would see it so, Vengeance being taken for their evil acts. Your Murg-Nurk has been vanquished."
"If there halflings are your children and they want to leave, then let them. As to your bargin, I would know all before I let you experiment on any of my friends."
You speak in half-truths. This is the first time you mention that the Ettin was the ogre masters. You talk of employers but do not give their name. You speak of a ritual but give no details. "
"There is no thirst for blood. We kill those that attack us. Ragathiel would see it so, Vengeance being taken for their evil acts. Your Murg-Nurk has been vanquished."
"If these halflings are your children and they want to leave, then let them. As to your bargain, I would know all before I let you experiment on any of my friends."
"You indeed have correctly concluded I am withholding information. Maybe me offering multiple times to give you this information for a price gave it away. I'm not revealing any information before I have received compensation."
"Not my Murg-Burk. Maybe the words independent contractor are too difficult for you to understand. In any case, maybe it would be wise for you not to sabotage the discussion the adults are having."
"If any of the halflings, humans, or ogres want to leave, they are free to do so. Fewer mouths to feed. But I promise I will take care of those that want to stay by my side."
Maxxuud laughs.
"hahahaha hahaha"
"Your feeble attempts at mockery amuse me. Explain this ritual you speak of"
"I'm done talking to you."
She turns to Philton.
"Please keep your muscle on a leash, before I need to put it down like a rabid dog."
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"My muscle as you refer to him is actually my moral compass... He isn't one to infuriate he has a nasty bite..." Philton looks at Maxxuud, "Thank you for your help; I understand your temperament..."[/b]
"Now Mistress, I echo my friends words; what is this ritual? Remember that it's all in the details..."
"My muscle as you refer to him is actually my moral compass... He isn't one to infuriate he has a nasty bite..." Philton looks at Maxxuud, "Thank you for your help; I understand your temperament..."[/b]
"Now Mistress, I echo my friends words; what is this ritual? Remember that it's all in the details..."
"I have told you enough. Either accept my terms or don't. Just remember I gave you a chance to end this without bloodshed."
"if you trully want to end this without bloodshed then tell us what you want from the ritual. You must understand that we will never agree to surrender a comrade to an unknown fate. Such an unreasonable request is merely paying lip service to resolving this without conflict."
”I asked you not to speak.”
She turns to Philton an the others.
”Don’t misinterpret my offer as weakness and don’t test my patience any more. I need an answer now.”
Metruni answers Tyranyx
"As I said before, it would not bring either of us any harm and would potentially grant us gifts beyond our wildest dreams."
"It is not a mating ritual if that is what you think. Although in my opinion your tiefling friend is quite a catch, I would need to know him a bit better."
"However, the ritual is quite intimate and many of the details will be between me and the tiefling. We could agree upon a safe word with which he could step out any time, but if he'd use the safe word, you'll have to pay me a total of 10,000 goldpieces instead to get safe passage and the information you need to continue your quest."
"I see your predicament... I agree... On one condition, that my friends also find a cure for the type of poisoning that these mines cause... Our other companion is afflicted and requires support and a cure..."
"I'll tell you what I know of the mineral and I'll give you a sample. Someone competent might devise a cure from that."
"Actually as a sign of good faith, I'll tell you about the eidite now and give you a sample."
"Eidite is a rare and unusual mineral that can be found in some parts of the Mana Wastes. It’s known to be poisonous to living creatures, with light-headedness as the initial symptom."
"Scholars speculate that eidite formed deep beneath the soil of the Mana Wastes as a result of the fell magic Nex and Geb used during their devastating wars."
"Eidite is valuable because it can be used to boost the power of clockwork and other mechanical creations, but it was outlawed in civilized areas due to its highly poisonous effects on living creatures."
"Eidite’s beneficial effects to machinery are temporary—machines injected with eidite or otherwise constructed with the mineral eventually begin to function unpredictably and dangerously."
She commands an orge to bring over some pure eidite crystals and to give these to Tyranyx.
"You three, go to your other companion and don't return until 9 hours have passed. Now let two consenting adults do their ritual in peace."
"I'll be fine friends... Look after Habblegash and..." Looking to wards Mistress Metruni, "If they may could they take the slaves that have perished and those that wish to leave?"
"Sure, anyone wanting to leave can go with you, but don't forget to tell them that you will leave the wastes soon and they'll have to take care of themselves again."
"I'll see you in nine hours...
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Brotil does his best to minister to the needs of the slaves by Creating Water for them to drink and treating any wounds with Healing or Cure Light Wounds from his wand. He will talk to them to learn anything more they can add to what the party already know . He will say to the others in passing 'Well, we have answers, but at what cost? Having made our bargain, if Philton backs out, I would feel obliged to pay the 10,00gp, although, not knowing to what end this ritual is being performed, that might be the better option!'
You bring the eidite to Habblegash, who is very happy with your find. He is sure it will help him to create a cure and also completely erase his dependency on crush.
When you return 9 hours later Metruni is sitting on her spider apparatus, but Philton is nowhere to be seen.
"Your friend is still resting, he'll join us shortly" Metruni explains, "I will tell you what I know now while we are waiting for him. Although the name of my employer is unknown to me, I think he is a minister on Alkenstar’s High Parliament. I would descibe him as a pale man with a gaze sharp enough to claw your eyes out."
Maxxuud is able to tie this description to the reclusive but distinguished Aredil Sultur, though Metruni can neither confirm nor deny whether this name is correct, and it’s not enough evidence to implicate the minister’s involvement.
"I don't know what he is doing with the eidite, but I do know that he has acquired the abandoned outpost south of the mine’s exit and probably the nearby dwarven factory as well."
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Entering Metrunis domain, Philton walks rather awkwardly, his complexion has acquired an auriferous nature with a slightly marbled colouring with his natural tiefling carmine...
"Friends, I have undergone the Transformation; it was as Mistress Metruni said painless... whoever it has left me with a few quirks..."
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Philton looks to Metruni, "Is there any chance we could look around this mine level as I don't think we have quite finished what we are looking for?"
Philton addresses the Party, I understand that we have a few halflings with us now but I'm worried we haven't found the individuals we said we would try and find... We also have that dead slave where we initially came in, should he seek vengeance Maxxuud? Should Ragathiel intervene? We could take the halflings to Habblegash and then investigate the mines further..."
Philton looks to Metruni, "Is there any chance we could look around this mine level as I don't think we have quite finished what we are looking for?"
"Sure, go ahead! I'll be leaving this mine myself as soon as the storm clears. My employer probably won't be happy, so I'll retreat into the wastelands in case you don't succeed in taking him out."
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"we can leave the haflings with a new friend the alchemist and get them later. Brotil can conjure some food potentially? Same for the dead halfling. If Ragathiel grants us the time, I can ressurect him but we have alreeady obtained the Vengeance he required"
"We should venture forth to either the outpost or the factory. But with out current proof, we should tread carefully."
In the Mana Wastes, there are unnatural phenomenons which are called Manastorms. Magical tempests during which the Mana Wastes’ corruptive effect on magic is more intense. The influence of these fell energies is even stronger out in the open, where clouds of roiling arcana thunder with insane eldritch energy and threaten to undo the fabric of reality at any given moment.
'Can't our charming hostess tell us?' asks Brotil. 'As for feeding the slaves. Yes, I can manage that. Afterwards they can decide where they want to go now they're free. I hear there are bakeries in Absalom that are hiring...'
As Bortil asks Metruni about the storm she answers
"During a manastorm it is best to stay inside and wait till it has passed, but lately they seem to stay around this area very long, so if you are in a hurry, it might be better to weather the storm. The outpost is a two-story stone building with a walled courtyard and several towers a five minute walk away, maybe seven minutes for a dwarf like yourself."
To Philton she answers
"Previous investigators? I think Murg-Nurk caught an intruder. The ettin tried to break the man and get him to confess. The breaking worked, but the confessing not so much."
She takes you to a pair of cells and on the ground is a vudrani man. His tongue badly scarred and his fingers are all broken.
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"Thank you Metruni..." Philton, trades out his eyes of the eagle out for his inquisitors monocle.
Philton inspects the vudrani man, trying to assess him by performing a mini mental state examination."Let us begin in the healing process for this man, we may need to hold the hope for him until he is able to hope once again".
Philton opens the cell carefully and without concern for his own wellbeing..."Brotil I may require you help?"
Maxxuud moves into the cell carefully, attempting to soothe the broken man.
"Greetings"
Maxxuud then mouthes his name as a secret message
"Arvanor"
"We are your friends."
If he does not recoil too much, Maxxuud helps him to his feet and moves him into a more hospitable location.
The man nods on hearing the name.
"Thank you Metruni..." Philton, trades out his eyes of the eagle out for his inquisitors monocle.
Philton inspects the vudrani man, trying to assess him by performing a mini mental state examination."Let us begin in the healing process for this man, we may need to hold the hope for him until he is able to hope once again".Heal.[/ooc]
Philton opens the cell carefully and without concern for his own wellbeing..."Brotil I may require you help?"
The man is badly injured and scarred both physically as mentally. He'll need a Heal to be restored to his former self.
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'Can't our charming hostess tell us?' asks Brotil. 'As for feeding the slaves. Yes, I can manage that. Afterwards they can decide where they want to go now they're free. I hear there are bakeries in Absalom that are hiring...'
Brotil was thinking of employing them in his own bakeries, which would include an extensive health plan (i.e. he would use his clerical powers to heal them). Otherwise they would be welcome as labourers on the tomb he is building for himself on his private island. :)
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Brotil's concentration is made unnecessary by Philton's magic, which is fortunate. As he sees the dire state of the dead slave's corpse he realises that it will take more than a mere raise Dead to set the mutilated corpse to rights and respectfully collects and wraps the remains to be attended to later.
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Tyranyx concentrates and casts a number of spells which will last a longer time thanks to Philton's Arcane Concordance.
Mass Fly
Contingency (Greater invisibility)CL 17
Enchantment Foil
Darkvision x2 (Maxx and Tyr)
Life Bubble
Greater Magic Weapon x4 (pole arm and sword and fists for Maxxuud, and Brotil's weapon of choice)
Enlarge person on Maxxuud
See Invisibility
Investigative Mind
Heightened Awareness
Tyranyx casts the more complicated high level spells last.
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Maxxuud thanks everyone for the fortifying buffs and he casts communal DP during the suppressed primal magic.
Just before they begin to teleport away Maxxuud bestows his enlarged bastard sword, sacred weapon of Ragathiel, with the power of Holy fire.
A divine fiery light beams off the weapon.
Maxxuud addresses his companions "Come my friends, bathed in the hallowed light, these infidels will look upon the impurity of their souls and dispair."
You take the freightlifts to the surface to follow the trail of the eidite ore. The manastorm is in full force.
Two enlarged dimension doors later (one cast by Philton, one by Tyranyx) you arrive on the top level of the outposts main tower. The previously unoccupied tower gives you a very good vantage point gives you a good look of the surrounding.
However Maxxuud's enlarged body and fiery sword are easily spotted by the guards on the battlements and they raise the alarm!
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Knowing that Sabosans have a deafening shriek attack, Tyranyx tries to prevent another course of deafness by targetting the three below the tower. She concentrates and summons an intensified fireball, and places it directly over the three sabosans.
After executing her ball of fiery death, Tyranyx moves 30 feet upwards.
DC 26 using a reservoir
Knowing that Sabosans have a deafening shriek attack, Tyranyx tries to prevent another course of deafness by targetting the three below the tower. She concentrates and summons an intensified fireball, and places it directly over the three sabosans.
After executing her ball of fiery death, Tyranyx moves 30 feet upwards.
Reflex DC26
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Brotil offers up a prayer to Irori and calls upon a Blessing of Fervour (With this blessing, you call your allies to move forth and empower them to conquer and become victorious. Each round for the duration of this spell, each of your allies can choose one of the following bonuses for that round at the beginning of its turn (their choice).
Increase its speed by 30 feet.
Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.)
The east gate sabosan guards take to the air and fly towards Tyranyx, two ending up next to her while two others fly even higher.
Brotil casts blessing of fervor.
Maxxuud is up!
Two Sabosan fly to the party and use their fell shriek, trying to deafen you.
One Sabosan flies to the balcony and opens the door.
Three Sabosan fly over the main building and shoot their repeating crossbows at Tyranyx.
for
for
for
for
Two Sabosan on the couryard join the shooting gallery
for
for
for
The Ogrekin draw their javelins and throw them at the flying menance
for
for
for
for
for
for
A gnome appears next to the drake and mounts it. The drake then takes off and flies east (180 foot)
The manastorm unleashes an icy blue wave which strikes down on the couryard.
Many of the ogrekin workers seem to be staggered by dread!
Philton hears someone spellcasting somewhere near the balcony.
Tyranyx and Philton are up!