Well done here in the Dungeon of Graves, she hasn't tried to kill you - yet. Plus, you did live through the evening, so all things considered you figure she's trustworthy enough. A nice clear gems or two could pry her lips open.
"Nothing is free."
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Desmond chuckles. "Ah, walked right into that one. Would you please be so kind as to let me know where that is?" She rubs her hands together and smiles, just as she opens her upward palm. "A few baubles should do it."
Desmond gives a weak but charismatic smile. "With a face like this? You can't pass up on a second chance. Any chance you know where my companions went to sleep last night?" "Yes."
Desmond stumbles out fatigued but with a couple pouches of gems from a night of unholy romping. He sold his virginity for a few trinkets and baubles. He wanders around a bit before finding his way back to the drow poisoner. With a smirk and a raised brow, "She actually let you live?"
She smiles at Nym, undercommon: "You don't understand a word most of them speak do you?" She chuckles. "Strange allies you all make. Beware the Fallen Angel, Lord Napharathoth, will be hunting you now. You're comrades [i]newly acquired[i] dwarven waraxe is quite remarkable even under a cloak."
"yes, I have what you are looking for songibird." she has two gaseous form potions.
The drow slips the oil to the Nym and picks up the coin. She give one singular nod to her kin. [b}"Nothing for your comrades. Instinctively knowing that drow have no "friends."
"Ohhhh yes, I'll sell to anyone."
"Well...if you aren't going to purchase anything from me that is your unwise choice. Be gone...be gone your keeping paying folks from my wares."
"I have both slippery oil and remove curse." She shurgs looking quite disinterested with your group now.
"yes...I have just what you are looking for to remove curses."
The drow snatches up the coin, "You want nothing to conceal your true nature?' She slowl starts to pull the vials and potions towards her.
The potionmaking poisoner gives directions to the where enchantments can be had and other gear purchased. "So will you be purchasing any of my goods....or will your visit to this market be concluded?" The emphasis on concluded does sound grave to you.
"Oh...I believe in a fair price...fair price given the situation. I only offer the highest quality items. Of course, as you know, obtaining quality ingredients down here comes at great personal expense." She smiles as her long fingers with stubby nails rub her chin, "But for you my fellow kin I'll slash my price to $1000 gold per potion." "Oh, I have a few potions of misdirection, they can particularly helpful when divination is used. Here everyone is divining something. Becasue I like you, I'll sell those for the same fair and reasonable price of $1000 gold."
A wicked smile appears on her face."Deception my drow brethren...deception.' She places a third vial on the counter. "Here disguising you yourself and gear can be important to survival, or perhaps one would need to make their moral characteristic undetectable, or shifting some of your gear's characteristics. All are critical to survival"
"Don't worry I have plenty for everyone." She motions outward with her hands. "That is if you have the coin."
The drow vendor doesn't even glance towards the shriek. "Dangerous place."
"Well that depends on the dwarves." She smirks, "Trade is welcomed if it is done right." She drums her stubby fingernails on the counter, "Midway down you'll find your ale and spirits." Her hand slides out a couple potions, "These could help with your looks." Her fingers continue to drum on the counter.
After some jostling and nasty glares are extended Nym starts to ease into the market area, he quickly notices dozens and dozens of magical auras coming from the crowd and the items being hawked. A quick assessment reveals that most evil mundane items can be purchased here and many evil magical items with values up to 20,000 gold. It's a flee market for the wicked. One interesting stall is guarded by a two headed mutated cyclops that hovers over a seductive drow mistress who has an assortments of vials and potions displayed. "Can I tempt you in the best poisons in the underdark." She utters in undercommon the universal trade language below the surface. She glances over the party. "How but you...my lovely, care for love potion." She speaks to Felicitas. "Your pale skin would be a an enticement for anyone with a few drops of my creation. You can be the a princess of pleasure." She quickly continues on to the next topic. "So, what brings..." her voice lowers to mere whisper, "surface dwarfs here?" She clearly sees through the makeshift disguises of Grung's and Karnog.
Felicitas bravely opens the tent flap and steps through, she is quickly followed by the others. You enter a massive ornately decorated room. It's clearly an extradimensional space or pocket. There are 3 large columns on either side of the entryway. The room is filled with chest of treasure, spoils, and wealth beyond compare. Enough to make any ancient dragon green with envy. Standing at attention in perfect alignment is an undead army of ghasts, ready to move on command. At the other end of the room stands next two stone giants, each holding a boulder ready to throw and greatclub, flanking a richly crave bone throne. Between the fierce giant sits a dark‐skinned elf, her tarnished silver hair tumbles lifelessly over her shoulders. Her eyes are reveal she has embraced death fully and returned transformed by the experience. Her flesh loosely hangs from her body. She speaks in crackled voice but great power resonates in it. "You've come to trade, deal, seek something of value?"
DC 20: You understand that the creature on the throne is a lich. Few creatures are more feared than the lich. The pinnacle of necromantic art, the lich is a spellcaster who has chosen to shed her life as a method to cheat death by becoming undead. While many who reach such heights of power stop at nothing to achieve immortality, the idea of becoming a lich is abhorrent to most creatures. The process involves the extraction of the spellcaster’s life‐force and its imprisonment in a specially prepared phylactery —the spellcaster gives up life, but in trapping life she also traps her death, and as long as her phylactery remains intact she can continue on in her research and work without fear of the passage of time. While it is true most, if not all, liches are evil, some have been known to work deals especially if it achieves another purpose they desire.
RD 6 Drow allies Felicitas and Kalim you don't see the fighter drow but there is a trail of blood going down a steep winding tunnel. The cleric looks at you and shrugs, "I've have to find him, he's not a runner, and the smart gold is on saving your hides and pulling back. I used my only dispel earlier, so that silence is there unless you can break it."
RD 4: Drow priestess 'It's insanity staying here...I lost two already. That damn gobbo is powerful and he has hoards to throw at us...we have have open water infront they they have boats in, multiple tunnels to come through, we need better position." She points to the wall that karnog built, "Purbok is crazier than your sorcerer..." She ties to pummel with her heavy mace at the goblin in W:-7. ; ; She smashes the shoulder of the remaining enemy.
RD 3 Drow Allies the fighter is down the tunnel trying to heal up. potion
The cleric will cast dispel magic on Desmond to rid him of the greater command spell,
the attempt fails. she is boxed in so she does not move away from the protection. Fortunately the unholy blight had no effect on me...may the Spider Queen bless me.
RD 2: Drow Allies Filtua the fighter, who is torn to shreds form the negative blasts, yells, "Kill the cleric on the dock he's crushing us." He then uses a withdraw to slip down the tunnel he is near. Verna
Finally stands up, she sees Flitau leave and she mumbles, 'useless wizard.' She reaches and touches Kalim, "Lloth will curse me for helping you...I'm sure." then she actually casts a cure spell and touches Kalim. 'I've lost two and Filtua needs healing, I'm out of here soon."
Vertek hand signs to Teran (they are behind Meath'd in the tunnel leading to the dock). Their eyes meet.
Will Save Drow.
The fighter withstands the enchantment but Zerna (cleric) drops face down on the cave floor.
"Rather than carrying one of us, let's have you capture two and walk us out....loosely tied."
"Well where do you suggest this grand battle take place?"
Teran steps up after casting her arcane eye comes over and reports her findings: "Well if we try to set up a meeting on the docks we would face those enemies on the ledges, but we'd have to limit the access from the side passage that Prudol's troops would come in from. Of course, the water would help us unless they have boats and there is an access to the underdark. I like that." He pauses, "Then there are those stepping stones, attacking in the other half of the caves could provide escapes route."
"Loads of wisdom there, I see." She chuckles.
So let Teran cast a spell to determine a few locations to try to have the meeting occur in. We can stir the pot tomorrow." "We'd you pick him up at?" The drow cleric asks about Meath'd. The begin ogre entertaining himself by smashing small bugs popping them in his mouth which is followed by licking a giant salt stick.
"Chaos and it's best."
The next day after you've had a chance to rest and prepare for what lies ahead, Xil leads you back through the cavern tunnels and into Greznek. She'll explain that she can only get you to a guard post then you'll be on your own. That normally they don't permit non-goblinoid's across the river. Remember you're here to trade which you have done and to kill the hydra, then let's hope that convinces them to let you go further.
"Well look for ZERNA, and if your find her or anyone from that party mention my name. Either you'll fight or you won't it'll be decided pretty quickly I suspect.' Xil responds to Karnog.
Later on you'd be rejoined with Xil'etha, "So he gave you his mission, it's not quite so simple as he makes it sound, but one thing that should go off without a hitch is getting to the other side of the river. Tribitz is looking for hydra killers so if you come under that disguise you should be able to meet him." She puts her slender fingers under chin. "I still think an attack on the outpost is the way to go first, but it's your decision."
"Correct."
"If you haven't figured it out I'm sort of a loose adviser to the Captain of the Guard, so I'll be able to get you to see him and take you through areas you would otherwise be less than welcomed." She stands up. "Let's go." When she stand her guards begin to move. Two take point to lead the way, and ensure there is no trouble, while three others remain in the rear.
"We'll head out within the hour." She puts a few coins on the table for the wine.
"As stated earlier, Herzord has ambitions to assume the seat of power in Greznek He despises and distrusts Tribitz, and is himself revered by most of the citizenry of the city. Unfortunately for Herzord, his troops, including some of his lieutenants, do not share his distrust of Tribitz." She pauses a second then continues. "He is a solid tactician, intelligent speaks several languages, not rash like most around here. Although he likes his whip if his troops get out of hand." "There is no time like the present to depart. Too many eyes and ears around."
Her thin eyebrows raise, "They'll need to be strong to hold on to it."
"Those slavers are off to the slave pit by now. If you try to start something now - here - you'll be overwhelmed eventually. Sure you will kill quite few but their shear numbers ill crush you eventually. Besides you have what a couple spell slingers at best, by the looks of you. They have dozens. I'm sure they have quite few with much more experience to." She pauses to let that sink in. "If you take a meeting with captain of the guard, he may be able to aid you in some way." She blinks a few times, "If you take the fight to the outpost and destroy the contingent there, you will weaken the city because they will have to send out support." "Orcs? Well that depends on which side of the falchion I'm looking at. I once had an orc train me in my house...he was useful. Why do you ask?" She looks up at Kalim, "What do you get out of it? Kill some goblins and hobgoblins that have it coming," she looks at Malcolm, "You get to put a kink in Orcus' worshipers." Her attention then goes to the entire group, "Open up trade route. You may even be able to limit goblin surface raids. Perhaps it can serve as rallying point for an eventual excursion into the Slave Pit."
"Help? I suppose it can be looked at that way. Your friend is perceptive. I'm looking out for myself and my house. Your actions could have beneficial ripple effects to my house. If you choose to create some of the chaos, I'll benefit...as your friend pointed out my race is generally not altruistic. But we are not all pure evil, although many are." She sips her wine. "I benefit if you strike the outpost and open a direct path to the surface, as that will weaken the current powers here in the city. They will have to send their god-awful clerics and warriors to refortify the outpost. Likewise, if the path can remain open, I'll benefit from trade with the surface." You clearly hear the contempt in her voice when she's referring to Orcus. "That'll provide opportunity for chaos and possibly upheaval' She shrugs. "It's low risk for me to push you in that direction you take the risk...I don't." She eyes everyone in the conversation. "If you choose instead to meet the Captain of the Guard, he'll probably make an equally bold suggestion to weaken his nemesis, Tribitz, the goblin cleric of Orcus, in the city ."
"I live in a world of chaos." She exhales, "I get change."
"I know the Captain of the Guard and could arrange a safe meeting, if you like or I could point you in the right direction to find that surface exist." |