Game Master S's "Duskmire Accord 9" [1-4] (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

"We... ah.... I don't remember we... no, we were just.... here. No, we ...don't know why. You just don't go there. Entering the temple is not allowed until dominance is achieved, but we are not violent. Please... don't be violent if you don't have to be."

"This works very well for all of us. You see, we are looking to give you freedom through non-violent actions. We believe that if we can create unity among everybody in the vault, then, that will also meet the requirements for dominance, because we will all be one."

Catsial nods to what is said

"We can handle the ghost, if you can't remember anything beyond the past month, one can't say what made you be afraid of the temple. It could be some neurochemistry that keeps you away, there might be no ghost at all. But as my friends already said, we can handle it, whatever it is. "

"If.... if you think the yeti are willing.... That would be best. I don't know though..." They're not convinced yet. Add another Diplomacy (first round was improve attitude, this is "make request").

"As for the ghost, I wish you well, but we'll not be going that way to help!"

"My good friends. I am asking that you work with us and the yetis. I really think that if we can unite, then we will all be able to arrange our freedom and all go back to our true homes. I think this is the best chance for all of us."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Shokil nods. "They really like to party, so they will totally appreciate the food and drink you can contribute. Honestly, I don't think they like fighting either."

diplomacy(aid): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

”Like my crew mates said! If we can beat this ‘Temple’ by showing it true unity we can all get out of here and see the sights. The Yetis yearn for fresh Mountain air and the chill of the morning breeze. What about you, what do you wish for?”

diplomacy, aid: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

The yeti will be fine

I'd roll a diplomacy aid but I think we got that covered

"I think that would be the best. We do not want bloodshed. Indeed, the yeti can keep the land, we just ask if they'd be willing to grant us access to the plants. It's all we really need."

Any time someone brings up the ghost, the gnolls shrink. They don't seem to have any interest in getting into the temple to "win."

"Alright!" smiles Shokil.

"I love a happy ending. Although I think this plot still has a few loose ends that we need to lie up. Lets head back to the great furry ones and then go visit that swamp."

Venari shrugs as the Gnolls seem content to merely co-exist, each to their own though life without struggle and competition seems no life at all to them personally. Finishing off their meal, they get up to follow Shokil.

"Yeah! I'm sure the Chief will be more than accepting!"

Garcon thinks for a bit. "Heya um... d'you guys have any drinks? Like you know..." Garcon gives the universal 'raising of the wrist' handsign with one of his hands, the 'drinking horn' sign with another, and a 'cheers' handsign with a third. "...fine spirits?"

He opens his 'ingredients' drawer in his bizarre serving platter and checks over them. "A cultural exchange using each group's drink of choice is usually a good overture! Anyhow, we can make sure the Yeti will all be cool with you and that... erm... other things... are... um... taken... care of... yeah."

He very specifically does not say ghost.

Catsial asks his allies

"I can disguise as a gnoll. If Yetis would not believe that gnolls are interested in a truce. Also if they want for one of them to pass the trials I can fall into the mud pit again... If needed."

Catsial has a +10 disguise and a Disguise self spell. Effectively making it +20 disguise

"Castial, I have never been a strong believer in deception, especially for nefarious purposes. However, I may be open to the idea if it helps all of these creatures."

I am not averse to some deception but if we return with a gnoll instead of yourself the first question will surely be where's Catsial? Besides I am not sure we need a gnoll representative any more than we needed a yeti in Gnoll Circle"

The party returns to the yeti, who are elated at your return, "BROTHERS AND EXTRA ARMED FRIENDS!" Inix greats you warmly. "Have you returned to tell us of a crushing victory against the gnolls?!"

"My dear friend, Inix, we have returned from the gnolls and they want to be friends and at peace with all of you. The gnolls are not violent and I believe in my heart that they want to join the tribe and become one with all of us. Would you be willing to welcome them in and make friends with all of them. This is our first step in helping you find the cool, refreshing, free mountain air."

"Yep! They were sooooo awed by our tale that they wanna join the family! Should we dig the ditch again for them?"

He gives a big grin and waits a bit before continuing. "They just wanna be able to take care of the plants. They got nuffin else 'gainst you all."

Greeting their new chief warmly, Venari smiles broadly "Aye Chief, we crushed them at the table of diplomacy!" he laughs as the others clarify their point.

I do mean that as the term, not the skill - bad choice of words

Shokil joins in the laughter. "They are skilled at making food and drink, and would be a valuable addition to your tribe." he adds, making sure the important points are known.

Well, important to a halfling.

Merisiel smiles at his colleagues comments especially when Shokli speaks

"Agreed with my friend Shokil. They seem to have the operations part of running the tribe very well executed, which could work well with your joyful way of partying."

He wants to say, excessive drinking but decides to leave it unsaid.

"You are smart Muckfurs! This sounds like an arrangement, BUT this does not sound like dominance. We will try it though. You must face the ghost though. I do not think we can reach agreement with a ghost."

A cheer goes up. It appears you've got two factions in accord. The ghost awaits.

"Splendid! We are off to a good start. Now, it sounds like the ghost is going to be a bit trickier. Let's see how this goes. Now, is it to the south that we need to go?"

"Indeed, but be careful friends!"

mysticism: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

"We will indeed be careful. Now don't ghosts tend to be immune to normal weapons. What have we got to worry the ghost"

"You know, while I'm sure any number of creatures have died on this moon, from my reading, most ghosts... aren't." opines Shokil.

"Not to say that this one is any different, but nothing here is normal. Yeti that party? Gnolls that grow food and don't like violence? What if this 'ghost' is just a vesk with an especially whiny nasal issue?"

"Okie dokie! Let's go "chat" with the ghost."

While he maintains a sliver of hope that the ghost is as friendly as the other natives, as the party leaves Garcon makes sure his dart gun is loaded and ready. He conceals it under his napkin, but keeps it drawn.

I totally had to read Muckfurs a few times to make sure what i was reading!

Venari nods along with their allies’ musings, and flashes their Yeti Chief a disarming smile. ”Not to worry boss! This is cultural dominance and will totally work we promise!”. With their parting words of encouragement they follow the group South towards the Swamp.

”Hmm, I can call the powers of other dimensions - that should inconvenience a Ghost! But yeah, like Shokil i’m wondering if something else is afoot. Maybe the ‘Ghost’ is just a gimmick to keep the others at bay.”

"Oh yes..!" smiles Shokil, taking out a notebook.
"An old hermit. Scared of the savage beasts he finds himself trapped with, uses ancient technology to create the pretense of a ghost, while subsisting on swamp snails!"

He shrugs.

"Maybe I need to branch out from detective fiction. But you can turn a ghost story into a good mystery if you try."

"Some good ghost stories are also detective stories! Like... there's this one where people been dying cuz of an evil ghostly hound covered in spectral flame... and the detective thinks it's not really a ghost... and well... I'm not gonna spoil it cuz it's really good and you should read it! But yeah... what if you did like... the opposite of what you said... and like make a detective story where they think it's a fraud and it turns out to be some drift-dead... or an Eoxian thief?"

He pauses and hands Shokil a drink. "Try this! It's tasty."

Merisiel can't recall anything specific, but knows this isn't good.

The wildest section of the "vault" the swampy morass where the ghost supposedly dwells is a mixture of tangled vegetation, mushroom forests, grasping mud, and twisted paths. In many ways, the swamp appears to be completely natural, but the complete lack of animal noises or insects hint at its engineered origin. Groves of massive, vibrantly colored mushrooms as tall as oak trees grow in several places in this part of the cavern, their spores thick in the air. Occasionally clouds of these spores emit flashes of light like dull, silent lightning. The going is very slow.

You hear constant whispers though...

"Leave here."

"Your soul is lost."

"Welcome to dying."

The swamp’s tangled vegetation gives way and opens into a wide clearing bordered by towering, mildly luminescent mushrooms that stand over twenty feet tall. The smell of rotten flesh pervades the area, lingering in the stillness as if trapped. The dim green light from the massive fungi illuminates several figures sitting up against one of the mushroom’s stalks.

Shokil eyes up the mushrooms with interest.

"Anyone bring a frying pan? One of those would, well, it'd feed even my family.. probably for at least a week. And we eat lots of mushroom.s"

As the group enters the bad smelling glade, Shokil hangs back a little, unslinging his sniper rifle.

"Anyone else wonder were that smell comes from? No animals to have their flesh rot.."

What do the figures look like? Humanoid?

Raising a bandanna around their neck to cover their nose against the vile smell, Venari looks around with a growing sense of dread as the whispered words cause them to shiver involuntarily. Well, this is darn creepy alright - still could be a group trying to stop them. The smell? Not sure, I've lived either on rock or a ship my life so far, never seen a place like this."

Reaching a clearing they stop dead at the figures lying against the stalks, and peer into the gloom unsure.

H-hello? they project into the space.

Catsial observes the swamp with interest.

"I have no frying pan Shokil, but I am sure gnolls would have. You can try to pick some for later use."

When he smells the rotten flesh he turns on his environmental protection.

"I don't know what this smell is, but some chemical gasses could be used to cause the hallucinations. "

When he sees the figures, Catsial moves his left hand behind his back and calls for his pistol which shows up after couple of seconds.

"Shall we see what they are?"

Merisiel does not activate her environmental seals She does note the darkness and draw her illuminating knife holding it with her thumb so the blade remains hidden by her arm

sleight of hand: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

She is more than happy to let the others do the talking

"Good thinking" says Shokil, sealing up his own armour.

”So now that we are on our own, my friends, what is the plan? Shall we try and befriend this ghost and persuade him to join the tribe as well? If it is undead, I fear that dominance is going to look like kill or be killed.”

Taking the lead from their colleague's Venari too activates their armour in case of dangerous gases in the air. They then turn to Ohmarc with a shrug. "Yeah, if it's just a scary gimmick then maybe we can convince them that they ain't gonna be hunted this time. If it is an honest to goodness ghost, well that depends on whether it's the mindless killing machine kind."

Shoikil leads the party to the bodies, they appear to be a quartet of gnolls, long dead.

Get. Out.

the voice comes from nowhere in particular.

"Well met. I am Ohmarc. I respectfully request that we may speak. We are here to arrange talks that we may work together as one. Will you kindly permit us to parley?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Catsial steps closer to look at the bodies. He is looking for any visible wounds.

Staying at the edge with Omarhc, Venari bends the reality around the calm mystic to make them seem even more approachable and to subtly edit their surroundings seem more idyllic.

Charming Veneer on Omarch for +1 to Diplomacy

"Indeed, we wish no quarrel with any here and have spent our time trying to unite the people of Duskmire into one peaceful community. The Gnolls are caring folk who merely want to tend the land and no strife, whilst the Yeti's wish for Mountain air."

DIplomacy aid: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Garcon swipes at a few key places on his serving platter, and a set of medical devices appear on the top. He looks over the bodies with Catsal.

Medicine: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Survival: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19

"Erm... these gnolls been dead for a while... been dead for longer than they've been here. Not pretty... punctured neck and chest for these two... and the other two like... blown up. Ruptured eardrums and internal bruising. Then they were dragged here and mutilated. And there's some weird hoofprints around. Not ghost prints."

He turns to the general direction of whatever made the demands. "You thirsty?"

A slash of light appears for a moment at the edge of vision before the voice speaks again, "The dead don't drink."

Continuing on a bit past the bodies, the land continues its strange and twisted landscape.

Life Science: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Everyone, tread gently! Our ghost may be a mushroom gardener. Ohmarc declares telepathically to his companions.

”I see you are an extraordinary gardener tending to these mushrooms so lovingly. If you worked with us, we may be able to help you find more groves where you may tend to your mushrooms.”

"And I must say, those mushrooms look delightful." adds Shokil.

"Umm.. just checking for reference... but if the dead don't drink... do they not eat either?"

diplomacy(aid): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

"And do they ride ghost horses?"

HORSE! RIDING A HORSE! YOU SPEAK OF SLAVERY! The voice continues to come from everywhere and nowhere.

Suddenly a pale purple light appears before you and flits away on a path. The path through the swamp becomes clearer here, a hard-packed earthen trail winding its way between grasping branches beneath a canopy of gigantic mushrooms. A scraggly heap beneath one particularly large mushroom seems to contain at least a few unmoving limbs...