“Damit!” Khadath says as he hefts up his shield “We are the intruders here, don’t you all see that. You may have ruined any chance of communicating with it.” From Khadath tone is quite clear he is displeased by his companions hasty actions.
Still refusing to attack the creature unprovoked, Khadath lowers his mace to his side then calls out “Forgive us, you started my companions. I mean you no harm. Can you understand me?” he ask, even though he doubts that a peaceful resolution is plausible by this time.
Worried that there may be countless other creatures in hiding, Khadath readies himself in the event he is attacked.
Diplomacy check if applicable = 20
Taking a Readied Action to attack if attacked himself
The eye things floats back a little at Khadath's words, carefully watching the party as though judging them before turning to look closely at Kells.
Kells:
If you fail: It pings as evil but you fall asleep before you can announce the fact.
If you succeed: You detect it as evil and feel some sort of spell effect try to grip you.
Kessel draws his bow (move action) and (depending on Kell's reaction) probably fires.
Darie was working frantically to pull back the sinew on her crossbow, when Kadath called out for negotiation. She blushed, dropped the Crossbow, and raised her hands over her head in surprise. "It just startled me! I never meant any harm to anyone! I'm sorry!"
Tobin draws his bow, and knocks an arrow, but doesn't aim it at the strange creature. "If you want to talk, rather than fight, float up to the ceiling," he calls out in elvish. "I promise we won't harm you any further unless you harm us." He watches the thing closely, ready to aim and fire should it attack him or his colleagues.
The floaty eye thing looks back at the group as Kells' eyes slide shut and he falls over, hitting the floor and breathing gently. It merely floats there, doing nothing and watching you all.
Kells:
Is Kessel still wanting to shoot it?
Zereta is looking angry, about ready to hit the thing but appears to be restraining herself as people try talking at it.
Kells hits the floor heavily, his hammer ringing on the stone floor. His breath coms out in a ragged snore... and a soft mummble before the next exhale. "...hhhhfoul hhgrapessssssss..."
Kells hits the floor heavily, his hammer ringing on the stone floor. His breath coms out in a ragged snore... and a soft mummble before the next exhale. "...hhhhfoul hhgrapessssssss..."
Is Kessel still wanting to shoot it?
Yes Kessel is going to shoot! Had Kells shouted something like: "it's not evil", or if the strange monster had somehow communicated with him, then yes Kessel would have held his attack, but as is, this thing tried to sneak up on us, and now Kells suddenly drops? This thing means us harm. Kessel is sure of it.
Kells hits the floor heavily, his hammer ringing on the stone floor. His breath coms out in a ragged snore... and a soft mummble before the next exhale. "...hhhhfoul hhgrapessssssss..."
Khadath, upon seeing Kells go down, rushes to his side since the creature has move back a little and is not activerly attacking.
"Just relax everyone, it likely defended itself since Kells attack may have wounded it. I'm not sure if it understood me but i suspect it my have simply been watching us, observing our actions to see what our intent is. Though stay alert in the event others appear.”
”someone try and talk with it or offer it some food. Maybe even place it in the hands of one of the statues as Ms. Billown said they appear to her as if they looked like they awaited for something to be place there.”
Khadath then turns his attention to kells and begins shaking him, gently at first, then a bit rougher if needed
”Kells, Kells. Waken my friend. Can you hear me?
I'll Take 10 on a Heal check if needed for a total of 19
Darie, on the suggestion of the priest, took a step forward towards the creature. "Can you understand me? Do you know what we are speaking off? Stop attacking us, and we can talk."
After a somewhat longer pause, she decided to switch to the language that had been in the back of her mind for a long while now. The one she did not want to speak in. "Kavesh te ma Karek? Le, tenese Krikul mame. Krikul ave, mame dir Vashnek"
The sounds were harsh, barbed and without pity or feeling. As calculated as a machine ticking down a gear.
"Khadath," Kessel shouts, "this thing trying to kill us! It was stalking us! Don't you see it's not defending anything, it's just trying to kill us!"
"Khadath," Kessel shouts, "this thing trying to kill us! It was stalking us! Don't you see it's not defending anything, it's just trying to kill us!"
Khdath glances over at the creature which merely floats there, doing nothing and watching everyone.
"it does not seem so threatening now that no one is attacking it, and as far as i can tell, Kells is merely unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. The creature may have been stalking us or watching, whichever you perfer but it did not attack until we did, sounds like self-defense to me. What would you have done in its place or if your home were invaded?"
Khadath again attempts to rouse the sleeping paladin.
"It's not attacking because we're still awake and can defend ourselves! It's going to keep blasting till there's no one left standing! Chauntea knows what will happen then!"
The floating eye thing looks pained as Kessel's arrow hits it. It floats back and away from the party, looking at you all. Kells slowly starts to awaken with Khadath's help.
Kessel:
Things don't look good
Yuck, that roll is terrible
"It's not attacking because we're still awake and can defend ourselves! It's going to keep blasting till there's no one left standing! Chauntea knows what will happen then!"
The floating eye thing looks pained as Kessel's arrow hits it. It floats back and away from the party, looking at you all. Kells slowly starts to awaken with Khadath's help.
”I believe fear as grabbed hold of you KC…” Khadath begins to say then pauses as he feels Kells start to stir ”ah, there you go, how do you feel my friend” Khadath asks Kells as he regains consciousness ”when I saw you fall I feared the worst, till I noticed it appeared you were asleep.”
Seeing as Kessel has taken to his own accord to attack and injure the creature, Khadath notices the pained look upon it as it draws back from the group. He unfastens his mace as he moves to stand between his companions and the creature.
”Enough! What madness has taken hold of you KC.” Khadath says standing with his back to the creature ”The creature merely disabled Kells from attacking it further. You see that Ms. Billown suffer no ill effects from her miss fired bolt. We are the aggressors here and it is responding as we would in its place.”
if Kessel also falls asleep because of a failed saved, Khadath will ask that someone assist in rousing him as he did with Kells, then continues
”I believe this creature is here for a reason. Perhaps to serve as a warning to any that would enter this place. If we could reason with it, then we may learn something of this place”
”When I left Daggerford yesterday it was not with a rabble group of marauders believing that they may assault and pillage whatever they came across simply because it was there.”
”This creature has just as much right to survive as we do. Bear in mind we’ve enter its domain of our own accord and without just cause.”
” and unless this creature attacks any of us further without provocation, I will see no further harm befall it whilst I stand” he adds as he stands firm with his mace raised to defend himself and the creature behind him.
Darie swallowed. Kadath was putting her own fears into words all too well - but still there was something she though he missed. "Do you know for sure it is really supposed to be here? It... does not look like these statues at all. It looks more like some... absurd wizardly creation."
Kells emits a childish grunting snort as Khadah tries to rouse him, shaking his head once and mumbling in a sleep thickened voice "..mmmeeef illllld.."
"Do you know for sure it is really supposed to be here?"
”considering what we had to do to get down here Ms. Billown, I have no other explanation as to why it would dwell down here. I do not believe the creature is capable of operating the apparatus that allowed us entry. Also, there is the large stone which blocked the passageway. Either the creature was trapped by accident or sealed away for unknown reasons. Unless of course we can find another means by which it may have been able to enter, which would explain why its here.”
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"It... does not look like these statues at all. It looks more like some... absurd wizardly creation."
[b]”I agree that this creature looks quite odd, rest assure we look just as odd to it.” Khadath replies after taking a quick glance back at the odd looking creature. ”it is possible if the creatures intent were to cause us serious harm, then it may well be delaying because of our own resemblance to these statues. More so in my case I would believe.” he states referring to his own baldness.
Khadath looked upon his companions one by one, wondering what each would think of his actions. He could only hope that they would come to understand that slaying a creature merely because it existed could well be construed as an evil act in itself if the creature was not ruled by evil with malice coursing through its being.
”I just wonder what these outstretched hands mean. As if something should be placed in them..."
Then he recalled something that Darie had said earlier.”Ms. Billown, earlier you had a sense that these statues gave you a feeling to place something in there hands, as if to make an offering. Such things are normally associated with religion in some fashion, usually found in a shrine, a sanctuary or temple. If we could find some markings, it would help in understanding what were dealing with, and shed some light upon what this place is. This creature may well serve a useful purpose other than quelling an unwarranted fear which some of us may be feeling.”
The floatings eyes simply hang there in the air, watching you all as you talk.
Kessel:
Kessel's dark eyes open wide and his mouth opens in a silent scream. He glances to his friends and companions, then back to the floating horror, and it's clear from his expression that he can't see any difference. Kessel turns and flees.
”This creature may well serve a useful purpose other than quelling an unwarranted fear which some of us may be feeling.”
Tobin keeps his bow at the ready, nervously shuffling backwards. "It doesn't look as though KC's fear is unwarranted, Khadath," he says. "I agree that we shouldn't kill an innocent creature, but if it splits us up or sends us all to sleep, who knows what it might do then? It could even summon some other, even more fearful, guardian!"
Darie nodded, and while her weapon still in front of her feet, the look on her face seemed like she might pick it up any moment. "It could be anything. Some guardian, a test of strength. But it sure is ugly and i would not want to be helpless in its presence."
Contradicting a clergymen like this send a shiver up her spine, and not a pleasant one. She blushed, deeply. "I am sorry, Reverent, but this... thing looks anything but friendly. Who knows, maybe it came here to desecrate rather than guard this place?"
Kessel's dark eyes open wide and his mouth opens in a silent scream. He glances to his friends and companions, then back to the floating horror, and it's clear from his expression that he can't see any difference. Kessel turns and flees.
Khadath eyes met Kessels, and he knew at that moment that his friend was not himself. For a moment he believed Kessel would charge forward and attack the creature once more, but khadath could see the terror in his eyes.
“Kells! Zereta! Grab him quickly before he hurts himself or runs into greater danger” he calls out as Kessel turns to flee.
Khadath had a theory about the nature of this unusual creature which sprang to mind when Kells was first exposed to one of its inherent abilities and Darie was not, which Kessel’s behavior confirmed when he turned to flee.
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Tobin keeps his bow at the ready, nervously shuffling backwards. "It doesn't look as though KC's fear is unwarranted, Khadath," he says. "I agree that we shouldn't kill an innocent creature, but if it splits us up or sends us all to sleep, who knows what it might do then? It could even summon some other, even more fearful, guardian!"
[b]”I do agree that a measure of caution is needed, please keep your weapon at the ready in the event the creature takes any further hostile actions. Though I do not believe it will, as it has only affected those that have caused it harm."
Looking to Darie he adds ”Ms. Billown, please ready your weapon as well, but do not draw it at the creature. I believe that if the creature isn’t harmed it will not take any actions against us. Let us wait but a few moments without provoking it to see if this is the case. If so, then we should be reasonably safe for the moment. I will try and communicate with it once more. If anything ill should happen to anyone one of us the others should take it down immediately. Would that suffice all for the moment?” he ask, not quite knowing what to expect from his companions
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"It could be anything. Some guardian, a test of strength. But it sure is ugly and i would not want to be helpless in its presence.” “Who knows, maybe it came here to desecrate rather than guard this place?"
[b]"That is quite possible but as the way we entered wasn’t a simply matter, I do not believe there would be another means of accessing this place. But I believe you may be onto something Ms. Billown, perhaps instead of a test of strength, we are being measured for the strength of our character?”
”I ask only for a few moments to see what the creatures intent is if unprovoked.”
If the others respond favorably, Khadath refastens his mace on his belt. His hand reaches to a side pouch on his pack and he withdraws some dry rations of food which he will then move to one of the statues near the creature and place it there in its cupped hands.
”go on, its food and will do you no harm” he says in a calm voice after watching the creatures initial reaction after he set the food in place
Zereta moves to try to intercept the fleeing bard but fails miserably in her attempts, obviouslt a little too distracted by the desire to hit the floating eyes with her oversized weapon.
Meanwhile as Khadath reaches up to the statue's hands he feels a gust of wind. The air catches the food and holds it in the air, floating just above the surface of the figure's cupped hands.
The eyes simply watch you all.
Darie looked the creature in the eye for a moment, then bend down and retrieved her discarded crossbow. "There was some gap between the stone and the ceiling, right? It could have squeezed through that. Or it might have been trapped down here on purpose..."
The tension was really becoming troublesome. Somehow, Darie just could not bring herself to extend any real goodwill to the creature, but Kadath, being a priest of the Morninglord, probably knew better than her. Or so she hoped.
The floating eye thing looks pained as Kessel's arrow hits it. It floats back and away from the party, looking at you all. Kells slowly starts to awaken with Khadath's help.
If I'm not mistaken this was Kells que that he was awake
Still muzzy from the effects of the spell, Kells groggilly looks around, his hand padding around looking for his hammer. "Did you kill... the evil grapes?" he asks his voice still thick from sleep.
The 'evil grapes' look at Kells, they don't seem impressed.
"Did you kill... the evil grapes?" he asks, his voice still thick from sleep.
"Evil grapes? Do you mean the floating eyes, Kells?" Tobin asks. "Are they evil? What did they do to you? Khadath is trying to make friends with them." He looks around, uneasily. "I'm worried about KC, running off like that. I'm going to check that he's okay." Keeping his bow ready, Tobin backs away in the direction that Kessel ran in.
Kessel runs back to the elevator and, somehow, in his current state, manages to activate the thing.
"This is enough... Reverent, i really don't want to be alone with that thing, and... we've given it plenty of chances to stand down" Darie, clearly frightened, set back to reloading her crossbow. The reverent was right to give it the benefit of doubt - but that credit was spend.
Kells shakes his head and lurches to his knees pulling up his hammer. "No. It's evil. I sensed it. I meant to yell it as I was attacking, but it laid some sort of hex on me that knocked me out completely. I may have jumped too quickly to smash it, but it unnerves me. I think we need to destroy it." He looks at Khadath and says "It is evil and unnatural."
"It is evil and unnatural."
”that it may be Kells and I don’t doubt you my friend” Khadath begins saying as he takes a glance at the creature. [b]”but lets be sure of its intent. So far I’ve determine it has only affected those with its inherent abilities that have harmed it. We may yet learn something of value from this creature. If any other is assaulted I’ll be the first to strike it down.”
”it was hidden behind that statue there when we entered” he motions with his hand ”one or two of us should begin searching behind and around each of these statues and see if anything unusual turns up. The rest can mind the creature in the event it takes any further hostile actions against us.”
”its best we do so when Tobin and Kessel have returned.”
”Zereta, would you mind in assisting Tobin and trying to get Kessel to return please?”
”and what does everyone make of that?” he states pointing to the floating rations above the cupped hands
Darie could scarcely believe what she was hearing "Reverent, why do you want to bargain with an agent of ev... wait a moment..." Her face was rapidly draining of color. "Could this thing have put him under some kind of charm? Like he put you to sleep, and scared off Kessel?"
She raised her crossbow, ready to release the string once more if the aberration so much as turned towards her. With one eye closed, she aimed very carefully at the center of its body.
Darie raised her crossbow, ready to release the string once more if the aberration so much as turned towards her. With one eye closed, she aimed very carefully at the center of its body.
Once more Khadath assumed a defensive position between his companions and the creature when he sees Darie taking aim.
”Ms. Billown! What are you doing? This creature will most likely use one of its abilities against you. Please, I’m asking you to try and control your fears! keep your weapon at the ready but lower it to your side.” he says hoping that his words sink in before its to late.
His hand slid to the lash of his mace and he slowly unhooked it, he keeps it low to his side as he only needs deflect her bolt with his shield if she were to in fact fire upon the creature.
”I shall see no harm come to this creature until we’ve determined its intent and purpose here. I would think learning all one can from ones enemies would be helpful, don’t you agree?”
”I can assure you Ms. Billown, that I have not felt any effects, nor am I under any influence from this creature.” he replies in a clear steady tone
The pair of eyes seems to go tired of you all and slowly floats back behind one of the statues.
Kessel feels the fear placed upon him lift as he exits the lift upstairs. Jeny looks up a little surprised from where she sits apparently chatting top the mule to pass the time and to stop her panicking over the notion of wolves or bandits again.
"I understand your stance, Khadath," says Kells as he rubs his eyes with the heel the hand not holding his hammer "I understand, but disagree with you. It is evil and it is unnatural and I don't trust it or want to suffer it to live. It has a feel of creeping menace that doesn't seem to fit within the rest of this tomb. But I will assent to your council for now. While it has slunk off, I will take the advantage to divine if there are any other sources of evil about."
Kells starts concentrating hard using his Detect Evil to thoroughly scan the hallway.
As he sees Kessel returned to normal, a smile spreads across Tobin's face. "I hope it was just that strange creature that made you run off, KC," he says, "and not a change of heart about your new companions." He pauses, and looks back the way they came. "Perhaps we'd better return to the others. Khadath is determined that no-one should harm that thing, but Kells seems convinced that it's evil and should be destroyed."
Kells:
As he sees Kessel returned to normal, a smile spreads across Tobin's face. "I hope it was just that strange creature that made you run off, KC," he says, "and not a change of heart about your new companions." He pauses, and looks back the way they came. "Perhaps we'd better return to the others. Khadath is determined that no-one should harm that thing, but Kells seems convinced that it's evil and should be destroyed."
"There was an overwhelming sense of fear Tobin," Kessel says, "completely unnatural, and it came from the horrid little beast. Thank you for coming after me but I fear that we shouldn't split up with that monster still about. Khadath is my friend, and I respect his opinions, but he's wrong here I'm sure of it. If it were a guardian you'd think it would be more visible, if it was a creature native to these tunnels you'd figure there'd be a nest or something . . ."
Kessel seems to think for a moment.
"Tobin I think that horrid little monster was stalking us, who knows why, but if Kells doesn't like the sight of it we have to assume that it only means to do us harm."