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Lubella succumbed to much of the dark energy and takes cover inside the west tower. Sidius considers his actions (delays). The winged devil woman sneers at Kenji. Bravo! You were brave enough to come forward, so I will accept you as volunteering to be first on my wrack downstairs. She flies back 15' and fires one shot with her flaming bow on the furry flying paladin as she continues to move. for
will vs Unholy Blight fails ?
Kenji avoids most of the unholy blast as he uses his new found flight to rush the flaming devil where she hovers. His path is just out of reach of the readied wyvern and knight commander. His large blade JUST barely reaches through her defenses. ”OUCH! So you do have some spunk! “ Arcos is not able to shoot around the large paladin.
She rapidly pulls back twice more on her firey bow...shooting at Kenji while flying 20' up in the courtyard. for
The mounted knight calls down from his perch atop his mount on the wall. You will suffer the consequences of your futile rebellious acts now. ======round 16====
Kenji strides forward to get closer to the double doors. He squeezes and hacks away some of the webbing. Arcos and Sidius looks for healing, staying in the back.
Eululae Smiles as the paladin appears. ”Oh here they come, Lucian. Well one brave one. A big fur ball. No tattoos for me. Phooey. “ She pulls back on her firey bow for ======round 16====
”You made such a mess in there, poor Lucian and the remainder of his detachment will be cleaning up for days. Come outside where we can get a good look at you. “ she sneers.
Kenji moves back towards the double doors and the sound of the voices above. Arcos considers his injuries and decides to hunt thru his pack for healing.
A shadow is seen cast on the ground of the inner court as the knight and winged woman converse. ”Your guards barely put up any fight Lucian. If this is an advance scouting party for those putrid Reclamation filth, you need to at least notify Barzillai of your failure here. “ she laughs in a mocking tone. The mounted knight snaps back at the insult. ”YOU DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO! You can take him word that reinforcements are needed if a larger detachment is headed this way. This handful of rebels does not worry me.“ Calling down through the double doors… ”YOU INSIDE! Surrender NOW! This is your last chance.“ ======round 15 ====
The devil sighs in frustration ”Fine! Lucian if you will not come in and deal with them, I am coming out there.“ She flitters back and with an arcane chant, disappears. You hear her voice from out in the courtyard ”you can go in and clean up the mess they made of your men. “
The devil continues her sneering and taunts the group, especially singling out Sidius for his hex and spell. You made this mess. Are you sure you will not come in and play? She flitters over and calls down another unholy blight on the entirety of the room. DC19 WILL for half (or quarter) damage and no sickness. I bet some of you are going to need to run home to your mommies. She calls out, above in a commanding infernal voice laced with annoyance LUCIAN! Your guards are dead. Where ARE YOU!?!?!? You hear the male knight reply from up the stairs. Eululae! Just like your kind. I offer you gifts and you are still complaining. Why am I surrounded by such incompetence???? Smoke and the odor of burnt webs can be smelled from above. Purple reloads in the southern room
======round 13 ====
Sidius and Aeria escape most of the blast but the elemental and Arcos are not as lucky. The unholy blast takes out Sparky and sickens Arcos
Sidius calls forth a mass of tentacles, which easily grab the three guards.
The erinyes smiles at Sidius as she deftly dodges the tentacles grasping at her. (Missed CMD) ”Nice trick, but you will have to do better.“ Aerias air blast goes wide…
Talvek dashes up to reach the devil and score a hit, but his blade finds some partial resistance. ”Oh a feisty one. You may be my new favorite toy. “
The nature of events that take up the remainder of
Regardless of any other activities, Manticce, the Queen of Delights, whispers as you are about to leave.
She whispers. I know her to be a wererat and a fanatic of Norgorber. You may have made an adversary. Beware. And speak carefully in the city, and do not let her know what I have told you. Fare ye well my princelings. The handmaidens of the Queen help you collect your things and show you to the side door.
The queen puts her finger to a red lip wish a "Shhh"
“My darlings, your
The queen smiles radiantly
“And of course Vyre will support
The help starts to clear the dishes and most of the guests
As the guests are ushered from the hall, the Queen raises a delicate finger to stop your group, and then gliding over, puts her hands on Sidius and Talvek's arms. Would you two remain behind for a “private conversation" in my...study? DC 20 Sense Motive: you read between the lines and recognizes
that the queen is more interested in physical companionship than she is in chatting with them.
The Queen waits for the last of the gifts before deciding who receives her favor. ”Oh come now, my dears. Do not be shy. After coming to an event like this, one would think guests would be more vocal. “
Lubella presents her gift to the Queen. ”This is truly a rare find. I appreciate the thoughtfulness.“ Not quite as energetic reaction as the book but still favorable compared to the five cheap spider hair clips others have offered.
The Queen smiles politely at Talvek's comments and takes the wrapped book as an afterthought. She opens it with an expression of tedium but then her face lights up as she sees the title. "In the Council of Corpses"? by Ailson Kindler!!! I have heard this expands upon the death of King Ardurras Virholt and the fall of Ustalav to the Whispering Tyrant. Oh deary, wherever did you find this book? And bound in embossed black leather is just delicious. Well played. she blows a mock kiss to the fellow tiefling. If there are more books like this, you will definitely have to share a few tales with me, maybe later. She turns towards the others, a few people hiding gifts behind their backs, obviously not quite up to par.
With the extra information from Sidius, both Lubella and Talvek were able to open their containers and enjoy the honey covered spiders as they were meant to be consumed. Molly and Elitu and Tsutsia are also able to open theirs, leaving the rest of the table envious. Well done, to all of you who succeeded! cheers the Queen. Since you have finished, you can each present me with any of your purposals while we let those others finish enjoying their desserts. she smiles, obviously delighting in the jealousy and discomfort of those other guests. She winks at Talvek and Sidius. Perhaps you two have brought me something interesting from your travels? You and your group are not native to Vyre, so I am certainly going to want to hear all about your trip here.
Finally, the Queen concludes the course with the comment. Excellent discussion. But sadly, I see that most if not all of you were so absorbed with my little question, that you were not able to enjoy your dinner. She motions again with her tail to the servants. We need to remedy this immediately. Who is ready for something sweet? The final course is the dessert course. At each setting, the
The help lift the lids of all plates
These candied spiders are a
The honey sauce itself appears trapped within the dodecahedron, and
kn:arcane 25 or spellcraft 25:
Opening the magical version requires tracing runes along its 12 faces, with failure causing a blast of energy that harms the user. Fortunately, these containers are nonmagical reproductions, but they’re still difficult to open—a successful DC 20 Disable Device or Intelligence check is required to open a sauce container. INT check 20+:
The honey is trapped within a puzzle box of sorts, but non-magical DC 20 Disable Device or Intelligence check is required to open a sauce container. As the desserts are served, several of the guests stand and offer the Queen a gift.
Ah yes, you have my gratitude. I will certainly place this on my shelf with the others just like it.
”Ah yes. Excellent. All good and throught provoking answers.“ She smiles as if she has learned something deeper about those who spoke. ”Yet there are some who have yet to speak. And do they withhold their opinion from us out of arrogance? Or do they have sins too great to share?“ She looks specifically at Kenji then Arcos and a few of the other local ladies and guests at the end of the table.
The Queen reaches each of you next. And what sin do you think is the worst?
The help trot out a large tray balanced on the back of
The queen claps her hands in delight,
These pies are filled with a most unusual and curious meat—the braised flesh of an invisible stalker. When cooked delicately, this meat
The meat itself is relatively flavorless, but the thick, mostly clear sauce it’s cooked in is quite savory.
As the meal is served, the Queen poses another question. Morality is a strange topic, especially for the dinner table. She taps her red lips as if in thought as she wonders aloud. Why the strangeness of sin—more precisely, how
She goes around the table, asking the guests what they
The Queen listens to the lengthy discourses but is soon distracted by other guests vying for her attention. ”Yes, this is a subject which will take further consideration. For now other more immediate concerns abound. “ She motions to the servants to start clearing the empty bowls in preparation for the next course.
Talvek is able to bite his tongue and resist the burning spices Sidius manages to choke down his spices without wincing The Queen smiles at his comments as well. ”The future favors the bold. Those desiring power cannot rely on anyone currently with power to give up anything willingly. So loyalty to the state competes with loyalty to one self. At what point in the equation does the scale tip is the question. Would you agree?“
As Talvek speaks, he feels the spice continue to burn in his throat, and finds his mouth and throat somewhat swollen by the sauce, The Queen turns her attention to Lubella as Talvek's eyes are watering a bit. Ah yes, darling. This would be a grand plan. Social changes can be oft times easier to instigate than geo-political changes. But that does not mean the change should not be attempted. Rulers who abuse power may gain the contempt of their subjects, from the lowest tier affected by crippling taxes, to the highest aristocrats and nobles, who are deprived of their seat at the governing table. At this point, she uses her prehensile tail to shush away some of the staff attempting to clear her plate. She notices Lubella's attention to the other ladies bickering and smiles, as if entertained. Lubella:
The Queen seems to be ignoring much of the words, other than a backdrop, and focused more on actions and mannerisms for her opinions of her guests. This should be interesting.
Sidius:
You get the impression from some of her mannerisms and markings that the Queen is a practitioner of your type of magic.. The queen nods to Talvek with a smile as he suffers the full effect of the spices. ”A valid question and well stated. Although some would say a legitimate ruler is responsible for the majority of his or her subjects. Sometimes sacrifices are made to benefit the majority.“
Lubella is able to excuse herself between courses and 'freshen up'. GM:
H P K Lubella:
You are not interrupted during your trip to the hallway, but you notice both the Queen and an elderly female Tian human from another table glance in your direction when you return. Some of the other guests stand for a short period or walk over to guests at other tables before returning to their seats when the course chime rings. The second course arrives in large clay pots, the tops of
You can smell the host spices and would have to endure the sauce without
The Queen taps her crystal goblet again. Ah yes, delightful. One of my favorite dishes. Please enjoy.
She smiles. Ponder how rebellions are often bloody and how rebels can
This question is pointedly aimed at your group as the queen seems intrigued by your attendence.
Talvek recollects hearing of this dish before. Something to do with the fish as a trick. Talvek:
In order to properly eat quicksoup, the minnows must be transported and filleted properly with a successful DC 12 Sleight of Hand or Dexterity check. On a success, one fish is properly eaten. Higher is beter. From the head table, the Queen of Delights taps her crystal glass. Distinquished guests. Welcome. I know you are enjoying this first of many treats. We are fortunate to have them you know.
With a wry grin...
One of the dinner guests, the Molly mentioned as
Only a few minutes after your arrival, you are ushered into a large hall, the focus of which is a sprawling table capable of seating two dozen guests. The head of the table is reserved for a setting for the queen herself, while the last setting at the far end of the table contains only a slumped and dusty skeleton clad in fine clothing at least a decade out of date. Three more of the hulking butlers stand motionless in the corners of the room. You are all seated together, along with Molly, in a row of chairs near the foot of the table--Lubella has the "honor" of getting to sit next to the bones. Soon enough, the host of the banquet enters the room--the Queen of Delights, Manticce Kaleekii. Manticce is a beautiful tiefling woman clad in a long, flowing gown with black spiderweb lace and elegant gloves. Her dark hair is held back in a net of cobwebs, revealing her pointed ears, little red horns, and the spiderweb tattoos on both sides of her neck. Her eyes are an unnatural crimson, and she moves with an unnerving grace— all manifestations of her tiefling heritage. The guests rise to give the queen a standing ovatoin, and she smiles at you.
A small army of servants enters the room, all clad in diaphanous white robes and wearing wraps of gauzy veils over their faces to hide their identities. They distribute the first course to all the guests--including the skeleton next to Lubella. None of hte other guests speak of the bones or even cast them much of a glance, even as the food is placed before them.
”You would have to find someone closer to the city government or their cronies. But I ain’t suspecting you’d get much better treatment than Strea did.“
The headquarters, with the sign simply stating'Cloven Hoof Society' and located in the Redroof district, is now boarded up and those it formerly served desperately seek the help it once provided. Approaching the described HQ of the Cloven Hoof Society you find the building boarded up. As you look around, a young tiefling woman steps out of the shadows. ”They ‘re gone. Whoever you seek here…gone. Since the Night of Ashes. Strea Vestori ain’t here. Dead maybe. Nobody knows. “ She pauses. ”But you…your group. I heard the rumors. You could find her if anyone in this forsaken city still gives a rats %#^{“ She continues with her tale. ”You be friends with Hetamon. That’s good enough for us. Find her and we will help if we can. “ |
