"Can you re-open it again later?" Rani asked. "We could seal the beast with it's own stench and open it again later, if we find out there is a need." She'd prefer that or Opal's plan. A fight avoided was a fight you always won.
Sethris considers the question at length before responding.
We would essentially have to destroy it, though I believe we are capable. Those on the other side might be just as capable, and the seal may just buy us a short time to move on undisturbed.
"His mount, or pet seems more than capable of breaking a wall. In any case, Aenil is out in the open. I will attempt to charm and speak to it, and see if he can help us find our way."
With little sign at all, she moves forward, looking to Logain to join her while her other allies settle and get ready for combat.
As she speaks, she gestures in animated language, but it is her actually casting a heightened persistent charm monster spell ().
Magic is weaved. A moment later, a compelling feeling attempts to weave its way into his mind upon hearing Opal's clear words shouted to him. Like a sweet aroma, it spreads and also settles over to his dinosaur and sways it to see her as a trusted friend as well.
"His mount, or pet seems more than capable of breaking a wall. In any case, Aenil is out in the open. I will attempt to charm and speak to it, and see if he can help us find our way."
With little sign at all, she moves forward, looking to Logain to join her while her other allies settle and get ready for combat.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **...
Dinosaur
"His mount, or pet seems more than capable of breaking a wall. In any case, Aenil is out in the open. I will attempt to charm and speak to it, and see if he can help us find our way."
With little sign at all, she moves forward, looking to Logain to join her while her other allies settle and get ready for combat.
** spoiler omitted **
As she speaks, she gestures in animated language, but it is her actually casting a heightened persistent charm monster spell ().
[dice=Sleight of Hand (Somatic)]1d20+35
Magic is weaved. A moment later, a compelling feeling attempts to weave its way into his mind upon hearing Opal's clear words shouted to him. Like a sweet aroma, it spreads and also settles over to his dinosaur and sways it to see her as a trusted friend as well.
** spoiler omitted **...
The immense reptile grunts in a feral manner as it first takes note of Opal's intrusion into its solicitude,
"And who are you, warm blood, that see fit to trespass in our domain?"
Opal notices he doesn't answer any of her questions.
"I am a servant of the Blood Gods. You can call me Opal. We were unwise to your presence here, a mistake that will not be forgotten. May we pass unobstructed?"
Opal notices he doesn't answer any of her questions.
"I am a servant of the Blood Gods. You can call me Opal. We were unwise to your presence here, a mistake that will not be forgotten. May we pass unobstructed?"
"A servant of the Blood Gods indeed! You are very far from your homelands, then, Opal of the Blood Gods. And what quest, pray tell, calls you so far from distant Thaythillor? Especially to these deep climes, where few warm bloods have seen fit to venture. Whether or not you may pass depends on the nature of your journey to these deep regions, and whether it is to the advantage of our clutch to allow your movement through our territory. This is the sacred spawning ground of the Ancient Ones, and we will not, without good cause, permit your ingress into our domain."
As Aenil hovers silently and invisibly earby, she calls forth the darkness in her soul to Claim both troglodyte and dinosaur. She then awaits the outcome of this diplomatic attempt by Opal.
She also notices he is far more educated than one would assume a troglodyte to be. "Perhaps diplomacy is attainable?" She half expected him to jump down and challenge her immediately.
"We have no intention to violate the spawning of the Ancient Ones. We came from this direction," she gestures behind her, "...and we saw the dweller in the deep, but we made no war with it. We do not intend to do so with any others. Our quest is to find these ratfolk who are said to be through these caverns. Our instruction to use these tunnels no doubt was to test our capabilities, as they no doubt knew you were here and might be threatened by our approach. Here, you can see that is not the case, as we have no struck you, and you have not struck us. Since we've no intention on making war on everything we see, then by our actions, you can rest assured that the ratfolk are our quarry and them alone, minus those random events in the deep that would warrant defense of ourselves. We intend to capture and bring them with us to the surface...which will be no easy task, I hear."
She also notices he is far more educated than one would assume a troglodyte to be. "Perhaps diplomacy is attainable?" She half expected him to jump down and challenge her immediately.
"We have no intention to violate the spawning of the Ancient Ones. We came from this direction," she gestures behind her, "...and we saw the dweller in the deep, but we made no war with it. We do not intend to do so with any others. Our quest is to find these ratfolk who are said to be through these caverns. Our instruction to use these tunnels no doubt was to test our capabilities, as they no doubt knew you were here and might be threatened by our approach. Here, you can see that is not the case, as we have no struck you, and you have not struck us. Since we've no intention on making war on everything we see, then by our actions, you can rest assured that the ratfolk are our quarry and them alone, minus those random events in the deep that would warrant defense of ourselves. We intend to capture and bring them with us to the surface...which will be no easy task, I hear."
The ancient beast snarls,
"The ratmen are the pitiable slaves of the icy wyrm queen who preys upon minds. Who sent you hither to them, and for what cause?"
I do not like the persistence of the troglodyte's questioning...
He attempts to silently, slowly shift to the wall of the passage and disappear into the shadows.
"An ogre-magi from the city above us. His cultish following has taken over the city and demanded sacrifices to pay taxes. I myself prefer a small bit of coin, but for some odd reason, he has demanded of us this task. It is either to send us to our doom and absorb my friend's building has his own, or to rid himself of the ratfolk and their queen. Has she attempted to rule your mind?"
"An ogre-magi from the city above us. His cultish following has taken over the city and demanded sacrifices to pay taxes. I myself prefer a small bit of coin, but for some odd reason, he has demanded of us this task. It is either to send us to our doom and absorb my friend's building has his own, or to rid himself of the ratfolk and their queen. Has she attempted to rule your mind?"
The troglodyte grunts again, producing a foul discharge of air through its large, flared nostrils, "An Ogre Mage? And which petty cult does this one serve -- the child of Ogremoch, or the loathsome slugs themselves? It is so difficult to tell the difference between the two" the troglodyte seems to chuckle with a distinctly reptilian chortle -- "and so the slugs have their slaves have dispatched you for more sacrifices for the Mistress of the Sanguine Throne. It is a wonder, so many minds, so much blood spilt -- when will her thirst be satiated?"
It grunts again, "We have dwelt from many ages in these ancient nests -- the coming and going of the ratmen and their queen is of no consequence to us. They trust our presence to forbid entrance by the secret ways and they keep their own council within their frigid domain at the summit of the mountain."
"Powers have shifted up top. He is a despicably dark and powerful Dread Geomancer. An Oni. He serves a council that pays worship and sacrifices to that dread linnorm, the Great Earth Dragon, and with disdain, commands, or is above, the White Fangs. He also has connections with the Underdark, though perhaps you would know more about this, being a denizen far below here and being so knowledgeable."
"Powers have shifted up top. He is a despicably dark and powerful Dread Geomancer. An Oni. He serves a council that pays worship and sacrifices to that dread linnorm, the Great Earth Dragon, and with disdain, commands, or is above, the White Fangs. He also has connections with the Underdark, though perhaps you would know more about this, being a denizen far below here and being so knowledgeable."
The troglodyte chortles again, producing another unpleasant reptilian noise, "The Great Earth Dragon and its sire, the archomental Ogremoch, are both naught but lap dogs of the worms below -- their name in our age was alghollthu, perhaps you know them by another? They were ancient even in the most ancient of ages in which the xulgath ruled the earth alongside the great lizards. They are the high priests of snake limbed Cthulhu and the other Elder Gods and Great Old Ones, including the Blood Queen Piscaethces. The Blood Queen has a bottomless hunger for the intellects of mortals, and her children do nothing but attempt to feed her ravening appetite. She slept for a long age following her defeat in a great war among the gods of the deep earth and their children -- the drow, the duegar, the kua-toa, the xulgath, and others. They, and their allies among the followers of the Elder Elemental God and the Forbidden One Tharizdun were cast into the lightless depths of the earth, and their dread powers contained. But the Blood Queen has begun to stir in the bottommost reaches of the deep earth, and her children seek to awaken her fully with the sacrifices of as many minds as they can gather to her hunger. Not wishing to fully reveal themselves to the surface world before they have resurrected their god, they have worked through intermediaries -- their ancient allies among the spawn of the Elder Elemental God, who now do their bidding."
Sethris listens carefully as the troglodyte briefs the party on the happenings of ancience underworld gods, not one to throw away free information.
If the Blood Queen stirs, surely the remaining Great Old Ones aren't far behind her.
If the ratmen and their queen are of no consequence to you, then it would be no consequence if our passing should relieve these caverns of them, no?
Opal will step back and let the troglodyte direct his speech to Sethris, who volunteered his opinion.
Sethris listens carefully as the troglodyte briefs the party on the happenings of ancience underworld gods, not one to throw away free information.
If the Blood Queen stirs, surely the remaining Great Old Ones aren't far behind her.
If the ratmen and their queen are of no consequence to you, then it would be no consequence if our passing should relieve these caverns of them, no?
The troglodyte grunts in an arresting, slightly threatening tone, "They are nothing to me if you and your company simply intend to dispatch them -- but I cannot allow you freely to contribute to the sacrifices that the misguided ogres and other servants of the Elder Elemental God make towards the awakening of the Blood Queen. She and her brood were among my people's enemies in the most ancient ages of the world, and we do not wish to see her return. Why would you seek to aid the alghollthus in their return to dominion over the realms of mortals? They shall no more respect your people or their desires than that of any others."
Opal tries to consider the name Blood Queen and the references this ancient being is using.
"Well, in truth, we don't give any care to seeing the Blood Queen rise," she states, stepping forward again. "We are after something altogether. Something in the will of our master. A missing psion. If you can assist us with information as to where they are taking these sacrifices into the Underdark, perhaps we can be allies in this?"
[dice=Knowledge Dungeoneering/Religion]1d20+38
Opal tries to consider the name Blood Queen and the references this ancient being is using.
"Well, in truth, we don't give any care to seeing the Blood Queen rise," she states, stepping forward again. "We are after something altogether. Something in the will of our master. A missing psion. If you can assist us with information as to where they are taking these sacrifices into the Underdark, perhaps we can be allies in this?"
You know all the lore contained in this link:Blood Queen
"The center of alghollthu power is a timeless city on an island known as Great Shobaoth which lies in the middle of an ancient ocean, many of thousands of miles deep beneath the earth, near the core of Caeril. It is so close to the center of the planet that the depths of the Sightless Sea are warmed by the lava of the core of the world. Their domain is many thousands of miles below that of the drow, the duegar, and other powers of the Underdark. It is almost certain that the captives are being transported to Great Shobaoth in order for the Blood Queen to drain them of psionic energy to supply the necessary power for her to return to the realm of mortals."
"I can offer you information about the portion of the underdark that lies below the Drakestooth Mountains, and through which you shall have to pass if you mean to seek the darkness of Great Shobaoth."
Sethris seems to undergo a "sobering" transition as the gravity of the psionic sacrifices is explained. He starts to get the sinking feeling of where they must go soon.
He turns and whispers to Aenil. How important is that building to you...?
He tries to look behind the troglodyte's eyes, wondering if this is a simple, routine disposal trap that it would employ against pests.
If the troglodyte seems sincere, Sethris will ask for the offered information.
Very well, tell us of this deep passage and the capabilities that it will require.
Sethris seems to undergo a "sobering" transition as the gravity of the psionic sacrifices is explained. He starts to get the sinking feeling of where they must go soon.
He turns and whispers to Aenil. How important is that building to you...?
He tries to look behind the troglodyte's eyes, wondering if this is a simple, routine disposal trap that it would employ against pests.
[dice=Sense motive]1d20+30
If the troglodyte seems sincere, Sethris will ask for the offered information.
Very well, tell us of this deep passage and the capabilities that it will require.
"There are numerous entrances to the Underdark -- one of the most prominent is beneath the Great Slave Market of Sundaraman, which lies in the center of the city, between the hills known as the Three Horns. There is another located in ancient ruins of the Giant Kingdom of Thaumka a half days journey northward. The Underdark is divided into several levels -- the highest contains the realms of the goblins and their allies, the next lowest level contains the empire of the drow and their foes -- the duegar, the kuaotao, the cloakers, the ghouls, and others. The lowest level contains the Sightless Sea and the terrors of Great Shabaoth. Unless you can find some means of passing by supernatural power, you will have to manuever through the intervening kingdoms, including that of the drow, in order to reach the Sightless Sea. It is said that Great Shobaoth and its vicinity is warded against the use of teleportation magics or similar arcane strategies, so I very much doubt you will be able to simply pass through the domains of the drow and other dwellers of the deep earth."
"That slug won't come back if we have anything to do with her, so don't worry," she assures concerning the Blood Queen. Half to her party and half to the Trog, she states "Honestly, we can remove those in power from receiving the sacrifices, and then still fulfill the tax requirements at a later time without their subordinates knowing. They didn't specify that the sacrifices must be effective..."
She gestures vaguely as she returns to speaking to the Trog, "If we can make it to an entrance, we can manage to travel by astral caravan, not part of this realm fully by half inside the astral realm and half in the material, by supernatural power and certainly moving faster than anything they've seen before." He would know this ability is not something usually humans can control. Only those of great spiritual significance such as oracles or seers. "Do you know of these locations through scrying upon them or by past experience?"
"That slug won't come back if we have anything to do with her, so don't worry," she assures concerning the Blood Queen. Half to her party and half to the Trog, she states "Honestly, we can remove those in power from receiving the sacrifices, and then still fulfill the tax requirements at a later time without their subordinates knowing. They didn't specify that the sacrifices must be effective..."
She gestures vaguely as she returns to speaking to the Trog, "If we can make it to an entrance, we can manage to travel by astral caravan, not part of this realm fully by half inside the astral realm and half in the material, by supernatural power and certainly moving faster than anything they've seen before." He would know this ability is not something usually humans can control. Only those of great spiritual significance such as oracles or seers. "Do you know of these locations through scrying upon them or by past experience?"
"I know of them by legend only -- none but the alghollthu and their allies have visited Deep Shobaoth for millennia. I would not be confident that you will be able to reach anything more than the territories of the drow, duegar and others within the middle strata of the Underdark by means of the supernatural powers you describe -- Deep Shobaoth is warded with ancient and powerful magics to prevent any easy access by means of teleportation or planar incursions by their enemies from the Outer Planes such as the Githzerai and Githyanki."
"Well, then it seems we will have to try the hard way from there." She takes in a breath. "Do you believe that once within the boundaries of Deep Shobaoth that such supernatural transportation can resume?"
"Well, then it seems we will have to try the hard way from there." She takes in a breath. "Do you believe that once within the boundaries of Deep Shobaoth that such supernatural transportation can resume?"
"I very much doubt."
"Well, at the very least we have alternative modes of transport," Rani said as she considered. It wouldn't be as fast as teleportation, but it would be much faster than walking to take her Palanquin, for example.
If we have no great reason to help with the sacrafices, then this possibility does seem like a much faster way to achieve our goals, Rani Messaged the others. [b]If it is to be voted on, then that would be my choice.[/i] The dread geomancer had not exactly been charming. The fact that this creature had more manners and charm spoke poorly to the man's chances to lead a city.
She will remove herself, allowing Sethris once again to converse. In sight of her ally, she signs to Aenil in sign language:
Once she has her answer, she will return to the troglodyte and ask, "Could I have your name?"
She will remove herself, allowing Sethris once again to converse. In sight of her ally, she signs to Aenil in sign language:
** spoiler omitted **Once she has her answer, she will return to the troglodyte and ask, "Could I have your name?"
The ancient reptilian grunts with what seems to be an approximation of laughter,
"The name by which I am known among my people is over a thousand syllables in length and contains multitudinous sounds which your soft mouth cannot produce."
Opal looks seriously at him and replies, "You'd be surprised..." seeing how she can speak and sound in Troglodyte to him, she clearly has the ability of speaking in his language and understanding it and communicating it back. She also has the memory and acute attention for such a task. If he doesn't feel like saying his name, she will shrug and will wait for Aenil's verbal reply or for her to fly close enough to see with see invisibility.
Opal looks seriously at him and replies, "You'd be surprised..." seeing how she can speak and sound in Troglodyte to him, she clearly has the ability of speaking in his language and understanding it and communicating it back. She also has the memory and acute attention for such a task. If he doesn't feel like saying his name, she will shrug and will wait for Aenil's verbal reply or for her to fly close enough to see with see invisibility.
The Troglodyte grunts and then says a name in some strange and ancient tongue that is different from that with which he has heretofore addressed Opa, "Ichtacatlachinollitlanexticilhuitluemanneneyahxitlalpinichpilyaoquetzalxio cohuitzilintapayaxiachcauhtlimecatlnecallitlanexnollisacyotlezlotlcoszcamin anochhual..." a stream of similar syllables drones on, and becomes progressively louder, and faster, like the roar of some unimaginable stream, until the individual phonemes are impossible to separate. After what seems like an eternity, the sound suddenly abates, and a deep quiet settles over the lightless caverns, as if the mere pronouncement of the name had somehow swallowed all other sound.
If the name isn't random words and letters strung together, she may even understand what his name means, and in so repeating it back to him will be far easier as she uses his own tongue.
With her also being a ritualist, she is used to long chants of arcane words. It is perhaps this reason she feels more at home than some others who may consider the exchange ominous. Once he is finished, she shivers at the feeling. Her mind tries to not only memorize what she heard, but how it was said, what his name actually means (generally), and how she will repeat it back to him in the same tongue and method; after all, pronunciation is important. If he found her humorous before, how much more if she gets it first try? She will attempt it perfectly recalling each syllable, sound, speed, and tone.
"At this rate, I am willing to sacrifice my warehouse, as we have our goal. Let us make our way down to this so called 'Blood Queen', and deal with these kidnappings at their source."
If the name isn't random words and letters strung together, she may even understand what his name means, and in so repeating it back to him will be far easier as she uses his own tongue.
[dice=Autohypnosis (Memorize)]1d20+17
With her also being a ritualist, she is used to long chants of arcane words. It is perhaps this reason she feels more at home than some others who may consider the exchange ominous. Once he is finished, she shivers at the feeling. Her mind tries to not only memorize what she heard, but how it was said, what his name actually means (generally), and how she will repeat it back to him in the same tongue and method; after all, pronunciation is important. If he found her humorous before, how much more if she gets it first try? She will attempt it perfectly recalling each syllable, sound, speed, and tone.
Each successful check allows you to memorize a single page of text (up to 800 words), numbers, diagrams, or sigils (even if you don’t recognize their meaning). If a document is longer than one page, you can make additional checks for each additional page.
"We agreed and are determined to leave this area safely, with your permission, and thanks for the information."
"We agreed and are determined to leave this area safely, with your permission, and thanks for the information."
(but you can’t memorize magical writing or similarly exotic scripts)
It would appear, that after that civil discussion our "host" is letting us leaving peacefully. Let's retreat quickly before it changes its mind... The waterfall is a good place to enact the teleportation ritual without further disturbing the ancient being.
Sethris whispers in the dark to Opal. With that he turns and starts back down the tunnel from where they came.
Opal had asked permission from the Trog to leave with its permission, but it merely stared at her. With Sethris mentioning they should leave, she nods.
"Very well, to the Slave Market..."
She will move back down the hallway and recall the location.
"We agreed and are determined to leave this area safely, with your permission, and thanks for the information."
The troglodyte grunts, indicating its agreement.
Opal had asked permission from the Trog to leave with its permission, but it merely stared at her. With Sethris mentioning they should leave, she nods.
"Very well, to the Slave Market..."
She will move back down the hallway and recall the location.
[dice=Knowledge Local]1d20+38
Being very familiar with the open air-pit, she will teleport them nearby and then using Astral Caravan with Rani's palanquin, they will travel deep down into the underdark until the Great Shobaoth or other hazard prevents them from the half-planar travel.
Being very familiar with the open air-pit, she will teleport them nearby and then using Astral Caravan with Rani's palanquin, they will travel deep down into the underdark until the Great Shobaoth or other hazard prevents them from the half-planar travel.
Because of the blurring of reality between the Plane of Shadow and the Material Plane, you can’t make out details of the terrain or areas you pass over during transit, nor can you predict perfectly where your travel will end. It’s impossible to judge distances accurately, making the spell virtually useless for scouting or spying. Furthermore, when the spell effect ends, you are shunted 1d10 x 100 feet in a random horizontal direction from your desired endpoint. If this would place you within a solid object, you are shunted 1d10 x 1,000 feet in the same direction. If this would still place you within a solid object, you (and any creatures with you) are shunted to the nearest empty space available, but the strain of this activity renders each creature fatigued (no save).