Elena chuckles at Bibi's comment. "I could not agree more."
In Undercommon she explains that they have already slain the dragon, making a point to stress that they are powerful adventurers that are not to be trifled with.
"Head! I need to see the head!"
Peldur, during the conversation, saw where this was going. He retreated to the water and returned with the entire drake...
"Amazing! I officially dub you 'lackeys of the Ghost Queen'. I shall now take you on a grand tour of the Ghost Queen's domain!" He stands from the "throne" and prepares to guide you through parts of this level...
Hey, short help's better than no help, eh Tal??
Carrufikus confides in Bibi, "I'm not sure that I like the title of Lackey of the Ghost Queen. I suppose the point is not worth arguing though."
The king immediately begins to lead you on a tour of the kingdom...
The north and south walls of this hall have been decorated with a bewildering array of timbers, metal parts, gears, bits of broken weapons, and trash. "Beware! Those hard to see lines are traps! Hit them and you'll be skewered!"
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Can I get a recall knowledge on The Ghost Queen? Tal's Occultism and most all of his knowledge skills are at +6.
before entering the next room, Bibi tugs on Elena's sleeve.
Hey--can you ask them if any other humans have been through here recently? Two, specifically...and if so, where they might be?
"You are very good at giving tours." Carrufikus praises the King. "Have you given this tour to anyone else before?"
Carrufikus tries to determine if they are being led into a trap.
Neither Tal nor Elena can pin down who... or what, the Ghost Queen is. Bibi uses Elena to translate her question. The morlocks reply that they haven't seen any surface types before you in a long time.
---------
The tour takes you to the next room. A desk with a chair sits in the middle of this room, while three empty picture frames hang on the walls. Two morlocks tinker with some kind of clockwork device, never even really looking up as you pass by.
"What are your friends working on? Are they trying to build a clock or something?"
"Clockwork assistant." The answer comes matter-of-factly, as if the question is silly. As you walk by, you can see that the craftmanship is exquisite.
Elena is distracted from the tour after translating Bibi's question. To the thief she asks, "What two people were you looking to know about?"
She otherwise remains silent and studies what she can. The clockwork assistant does give her pause, but unless they volunteer information she opts to not probe further for now.
I misspoke myself; I meant four. Remember that lead on missing people I told you about? That boat was what they took. If we can find them--or proof of their death, i'm thinking--there's coin in it for us.
The morlocks don't even acknowledge Elena's prssence, so the tour continues.
After passing a group of empty rooms, the area opens up. This large open area is a filthy mess, even beyond the collapse to the south that clogs part of the room with rubble. Half-eaten fish, cat-sized beetles, and bits of waterfowl lie strewn about in a tangle amid gnawed bones of larger creatures. There are four morlocks here fiddling with a ruined ballista.
Noroc spies a secret door in the north. He spies the crooked wall sconce next to it and is pretty sure that's the way through...
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +1 (U), N: +8 (T), O: +1 (U) , R: +8 (T))
Investigate (A: +8 (T), C: +8 (T) M: +1 (U) N: +5 (T), O: +7 (T) , R: +5 (T), S: +8 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout
Noroc makes a mental note of the secret door, but doesn't say anything about it right now. Quite a contraption, he says disarmingly, regarding the ballista. Where'd you find it?
The morlocks snarl and hiss when interrupted, but otherwise simply go back to work.
"Friendly bunch," she says quietly to Noroc. "Clearly a bunch that appreciates the people who slew the dragon on their doorstep."
I'd bet this lot doesn't taste very good, or else they wouldn't be here still, Noroc says in agreement.
I'd bet this lot doesn't taste very good, or else they wouldn't be here still, Noroc says in agreement.
*snerk*
"Not that I am a dragon, but if I were one, I do not think I would find morlocks. very appetizing. So, do you think we will meet this queen on this tour?"
"Perhaps? Unless the Ghost Queen is a name for a deity? If so, it's not one I know of."
Your guide ignores the banter. He seems intent on showing you their "kingdom."
This long room smells of rust and grime. Stacks of splintered furniture, pieces of weapons and armor, frayed coils of rope, jagged shards of metal, and other bits of trash lie in heaps along the walls of the room. A cold, unlit forge sits in an alcove to the west. To the north, several heavy timbers are wedged up against a door to keep it shut. Two "Ghost Queen" morlock engineers toil at assembling a pair of broken ballistae.
King Graulgast gives a psychotic smile, "New choice—surrender your gear and become true slaves of the Ghost Queen , or begin a crusade for me against the Cult of the Canker—a group of “heretic ghouls” who must be slaughtered for the glory of the Ghost Queen!"
Carrufikus makes a few comments to Elena in Sylvan. ”This kings is not trustworthy at all. There is no way I would surrender my gear and volunteer to be a slave. Maybe we can pick the destroy the ghouls option and get out of this crazy king’s grasp.”
Elena replies to Carrufikus in the language of the forest and the First World.
In Taldane she says, "Yes Carrufikus, I agree that this is a surprising kind of welcome. Nevertheless, we should hear what the king proposes."
To the king she says, "As you know, we have already slain a dragon. It threatened your space and your people, and without asking we fought it and helped you. And for that, you are welcome."
"But know that we are not ones to be trifled with. It is wise that you would seek our services, and for that we would like to know more about these ghouls that you mention. Ghouls are a mutual foe, so it seems appropriate that we help each other. Can you tell us more? Where are they, and what are their numbers?"
[bIm happy to do a little reconnoitering if you point me in the direction…[/b] the halfling chimes in
Graulgast looks over Elena and Bibi, "I draw you a map! If you agree, I show you stairs to ghouls!" He seems genuinely excited that you seem to be ready to accept.
The map he draws is about as good as Boss Skrawng's was.
Elena sighs as she looks over the map. "Can you explain the 'bad air'?"
Elena sighs as she looks over the map. "Can you explain the 'bad air'?"
Bibi gets on her toes to also read the map. She scrunches her brow, and asks Yeah, and were are we now, on THIS map?
Again looking at the map, the "bad ghoul" catches her eye. She withholds the obvious question What...are the others GOOD ghouls?? because, while she thinks it's funny, it won't progress the conversation.
"That map is below us. I can show you stairs to get there. The other ghouls aren't good. They're all bad. Those are just REALLY bad. They use spells! Bad air. Breathing in makes you sick."
The Morlocks seem eager for you to follow so they can show you the stairs, with a clear expectation that you take them.
”Well, if this is where the ghouls live, I suppose we should go get them. They will probably prefer death to undeath. Is everybody feeling ready for this?”
With a hungry grin, Graulaust leads you back the way you came a bit and along a different path. Before opening a new door, he takes a deep breath.
While it’s apparent that this large room was originally a kitchen, the furnishings have been rebuilt and repositioned to create an improvised shrine. The western end of the hall, where a large fireplace for cooking food once stood, now serves as an altar of sorts. Looming over a human corpse is a towering statue in a feminine shape made of bones, covered in sheets of moldering cloth and hanging moss. A bare spot on the room’s north wall has been decorated with mud and blood to depict the same feminine form as the statue. The statue looks like a crude likeness of the woman in the painting upstairs.
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +1 (U), N: +8 (T), O: +1 (U) , R: +8 (T))
Investigate (A: +8 (T), C: +8 (T) M: +1 (U) N: +5 (T), O: +7 (T) , R: +5 (T), S: +8 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout
Graulgaust leads you through the next room, which isn't nearly as interesting.
Only a few fragments of the shelving that once lined the walls of this pantry remain today.
After this, he points you to the stairs down...
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +1 (U), N: +8 (T), O: +1 (U) , R: +8 (T))
Investigate (A: +8 (T), C: +8 (T) M: +1 (U) N: +5 (T), O: +7 (T) , R: +5 (T), S: +8 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout
Talborel can't help but feel indifference to the continued existence of the Morlocks. He eyes Graulgaust with suspicion and peers down the stairs.
Do my keen Elven eyes see anything? Do I smell anything?
Talborel closes his eyes and takes in the cues of the world around him. The stairs below lead to something silent as a tomb, but moment slater the subtlest of scents. The air is stuffy, with a sickly sweet melange of decay and mildew. There are notes of old books and older bones. It's not a pleasant sensation.
Tal swears in Elven and leads the party down. If the casters have no magical light handy, he lights a torch and carries his ax in the other hand.
Carrufikus casts another light spell upon his holy symbol to illuminate the depths that they find themselves descending into.
Talobrel descends yet again, aware of what going down a level meant the last time...
This large, cross-shaped chamber contains several long couches, the leather cushions that once adorned them cracked with age. Dead plants lie slumped in planter boxes along the walls, and a long-dry fountain depicting a lighthouse stands in the middle of the room. A raspy and timorous voice speaks in Undercommon, "Agents of Graulgust, o not kill me please! I beseech you." A revolting morlock-ghoul emerges from behind the fountain steps out with hands over head.
Tal doesn't speak Undercommon, but knows that hands-up mean it's trying to parley.
With light shining from Carrufikus' symbol and Elena's staff, I brandish my axe and hold it at the ready. I'm not attacking, but clearly mean to take it's head if it approaches too close.
Hunt Prey if I can out of initiative. Recall Knowledge about Ghouls. . Additional +2 if I can Hunt and Outwit, "prey", outside of initiative.
Talborel knows that ghouls are ravenous undead who haunt graveyards and eat corpses. They are disease ridden, their bite spells certain doom to those who fall to it. Regardless though, all of their attacks can potentially freeze you in your tracks.
"Please!"
”I have never heard such a polite ghoul before. Something does not seem right here. Let’s talk to it and try and get to the truth.”
That doesn't match up well with this thing clearly nervous and holding up their hands.
IS this a ghoul? I'm wondering if this creature is maybe diseased or something.
”I have never heard such a polite ghoul before. Something does not seem right here. Let’s talk to it and try and get to the truth.”
Agreed.
Elena has been speaking Undercommon, right?
** spoiler omitted **
Carrufikus casts another light spell upon his holy symbol to illuminate the depths that they find themselves descending into.
Talk to it, and quickly! If it gets too close, I'm taking it's head. BACK! STAY!
"I'm not very good with undercommon, but maybe it can still understand me."
Carrufikus speaks out in common to the creature.
"Hello there. I am here by the light of Desna. Who are you and what are your intentions?"
Somewhat surprisingly, the creature answers, "I... am Augrael. I want to live in peace. I want to read. I want eat only undead. I do not want to eat life. I want peace. I want not your enemy."
"Hi Augrel. I am Carrufikus. I have a few questions for you. Are you undead? Do you have friends like yourself down here? Do you want to eat them?"
"I AM. Remind me not!"