Noticing Umberto's reaction, Tristan adds, "It seems your researches may have uncovered something similar, Umberto?" Moving over to put a comforting hand on the gnome's shoulder, he adds, "The more we know about this threat, the better we can equip ourselves to end it before it causes such horrible damage."
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Larry sits back and watches the others both cajole and soothe the released prisoners in an attempt to pump them for information. Not really that comfortable with these methods, he tries to keep his trap shut and let them work. But the described vision sounds more like nightmare than something useful. Regardless, she seemed to need to get it off her chest, to vent the pressure of it building up inside her mind.
Umberto, still pale and shaky, doesn't immediately respond. I-I was afraid you'd think I was with the cult. I am the foremost researcher and historian of Vecna, and that's whom this cult worships and works for. I thought that maybe they just wanted me for information...but it seems that there may be more to their plans, perhaps directions from Vecna himself.
(The knowledge that Umberto is a Vecna historian is a secret that you have now learned)
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Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"Don't worry, Umberto" Khessa hugs him. "I understand your initial distrust... you had never seen us before... And I'm glad that now you trust us enough to reveal everything to us!"
"Anyway, this... Vecna..." the blonde arcane warrior releases her hug and asks, curious "would be the undead seen by Sarcelle? Since you are the foremost researcher and historian of Vecna, you will know something about his powers... Is he a lich? And do you think he would really be able to unleash an explosion of incredible proportions?"
Umberto shakes his head. Vecna is not a lich...he is the lich. He is an Arch Lich, and has become a divine being over his kingdom of Oerth. His power knows no bounds, or none that matter, anyway. Even his hand and eye, though severed from his body, are extremely powerful magic items. I have actually recently been studying the relationship between Vecna and his former lieutenant, Kas. It's quite interesting, yes, quite interesting.
Despite holding back the information initially, now that's it out there, Umberto seems almost giddy when speaking about his current research, bouncing a little as he talks.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa diligently notes in her spellbook the new information about 'The Lich', no less excited than Umberto, to be able to increase her arcane knowledge.
"Never heard of this 'Kingdom of Oerth'..." the blonde arcane warrior comments "It must be very far away. But anyway Vecna is a god... A lich-god... Not an easy enemy to face, then... But it can't be true that his power 'knows no bounds' - or he wouldn't need machinations and Cultists, to achieve his goals. Maybe we just need to deprive him of his Cultists and thwart his plans, to prevent him from doing any harm".
"You're right, Umberto, this 'Kas' must be interesting..." the tall adventuress tries to elaborate "Usually, liches have a terrible temper. One who is a 'former' lieutenant of Vecna must therefore be very powerful (and perhaps able to help us counter him), if he was able to become a 'former' without being... permanently disposed of".
Larry's face seems to express . . . frustration? "If it is a lich, then it is undead and can be made dead. If it is a god, then either Kas is a god, too, or it is a very weak god. Are you certain that your interest in this thing hasn't led you to overstate its position and capabilities?"
Umberto shakes his head, warming to the topic. Not at all, not at all. This business with Kas was long ago, and Kas only escaped because of the sword. Hundreds of years ago, Vecna and Kas were close associates. They were driven men who shared similar evil outlooks. Kas admired Vecna’s sadism and thirst for power, while Vecna valued Kas’s ferocity and cruelty. His most trusted lieutenant, Vecna created a powerful, enchanted sword named the Sword of Kas. It also happened to be intelligent, and turned Kas against his former master. He used to the sword to sever Vecna's hand, put out his eye, and kill the lich. Before his death, however, Vecna flung Kas across the multiverse, separating him from the sword. In the hundreds of years since, Kas has become a vampire lord in the Shadowfell, and Vecna has reformed, more powerful than before. He is only a deity over his plane of Oerth, which is, of course, very far away from here he finishes nodding at Khessa.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"Oh, so Oerth is another plane" Khessa smiles. "Good to know; at least Vecna has no godly powers here, then. And perhaps in the future, in times of need, we could use Kas' help, if we could find him in the Shadowfell. Since they parted on bad terms, one might be willing to stand in the way of the other".
"But first things first" the blonde arcane warrior focuses back on the present. "We have more hostages to free, before we drown the surviving Cultists like the rats they are".
With no further clues as to the whereabouts of the remaining prisoners, the tall adventuress approaches the nearest door and prepares to continue the exploration in that direction, attempting to open it from a distance with her Mage Hand.
Umberto, now in full swing, babbles on happily as he follows out of Sarcelle's cell. Oh, don't underestimate him though...he's still the most powerful Arch Lich any plane has ever seen. And be very careful having any kind of dealings with Kas...the vampire lord of Tovag isn't exactly trustworthy. All of this is hypothetical anyway...I'm sure whatever Vecna is planning is far from here...Umberto continues on, mostly to himself at this point.
Sarcelle, for her part, looks a little confused at the gnome but follows the party out of the cell as well, rubbing her arms absentmindedly and staring at nothing in particular.
Khessa's spectral hand opens the door on the right, revealing a small, square room with a large iron grate set into the middle of it.
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Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Peering through from the edge, you can see this 5 foot square grate blocks access to a shallow stone pit holding a small gold harp, a handful of loose papers, and a piece of bloody cloth.
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Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa is intrigued by the find... They are probably objects that could be useful - but something about seeing them so blandly kept screams 'trap' in her mind!
The blonde arcane warrior warns her companions: "Contrary to what I expected, there is no prisoner here... There is loot... But it is probably best to check for traps, before taking it!"
Larry shakes his head as he moves up towards the grate. "I agree. It seems too simple, too easy. Everything inside this place has, really. That bothers me. But I'll take a look."
The farmer turned mercenary examines the grate, looking to see fi it is trapped somehow, or maybe even just accidentally connected to or covered in something dangerous.
Perception: 6
[If it appears to need a check to disable something]
Sleight of Hand w/ Trained Tool use: 29
[Assuming Larry believes it is safe to handle . . ..]
Once he's confident the grate is now simply a grate, Larry grabs hold of the bars and attempts to move it to of the way. Hopefully it isn't secured somehow. If it is, well, fixing that comes next. Right?
Wary of a trap, but not seeing anything obvious, Larry cautiously puts a hand on the grate and leans out for a better look. The tremor in the bars gives his excellent reflexes plenty of time to kick in and he yanks backwards, as blades shoot out of grooves in the bars.
Now with a sense of the trap, Larry disarms it easily. The items lay there for the taking, just a few feet from the bars.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
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Tristan:
Noticing Umberto's reaction, Tristan adds, "It seems your researches may have uncovered something similar, Umberto?" Moving over to put a comforting hand on the gnome's shoulder, he adds, "The more we know about this threat, the better we can equip ourselves to end it before it causes such horrible damage."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Larry sits back and watches the others both cajole and soothe the released prisoners in an attempt to pump them for information. Not really that comfortable with these methods, he tries to keep his trap shut and let them work. But the described vision sounds more like nightmare than something useful. Regardless, she seemed to need to get it off her chest, to vent the pressure of it building up inside her mind.
Umberto, still pale and shaky, doesn't immediately respond. I-I was afraid you'd think I was with the cult. I am the foremost researcher and historian of Vecna, and that's whom this cult worships and works for. I thought that maybe they just wanted me for information...but it seems that there may be more to their plans, perhaps directions from Vecna himself.
(The knowledge that Umberto is a Vecna historian is a secret that you have now learned)
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"Don't worry, Umberto" Khessa hugs him. "I understand your initial distrust... you had never seen us before... And I'm glad that now you trust us enough to reveal everything to us!"
"Anyway, this... Vecna..." the blonde arcane warrior releases her hug and asks, curious "would be the undead seen by Sarcelle? Since you are the foremost researcher and historian of Vecna, you will know something about his powers... Is he a lich? And do you think he would really be able to unleash an explosion of incredible proportions?"
Khessa's blue eyes are still on Umberto, friendly but curious... What will he be able to reveal about this mysterious 'Vecna'?
Umberto shakes his head. Vecna is not a lich...he is the lich. He is an Arch Lich, and has become a divine being over his kingdom of Oerth. His power knows no bounds, or none that matter, anyway. Even his hand and eye, though severed from his body, are extremely powerful magic items. I have actually recently been studying the relationship between Vecna and his former lieutenant, Kas. It's quite interesting, yes, quite interesting.
Despite holding back the information initially, now that's it out there, Umberto seems almost giddy when speaking about his current research, bouncing a little as he talks.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa diligently notes in her spellbook the new information about 'The Lich', no less excited than Umberto, to be able to increase her arcane knowledge.
"Never heard of this 'Kingdom of Oerth'..." the blonde arcane warrior comments "It must be very far away. But anyway Vecna is a god... A lich-god... Not an easy enemy to face, then... But it can't be true that his power 'knows no bounds' - or he wouldn't need machinations and Cultists, to achieve his goals. Maybe we just need to deprive him of his Cultists and thwart his plans, to prevent him from doing any harm".
"You're right, Umberto, this 'Kas' must be interesting..." the tall adventuress tries to elaborate "Usually, liches have a terrible temper. One who is a 'former' lieutenant of Vecna must therefore be very powerful (and perhaps able to help us counter him), if he was able to become a 'former' without being... permanently disposed of".
Larry's face seems to express . . . frustration? "If it is a lich, then it is undead and can be made dead. If it is a god, then either Kas is a god, too, or it is a very weak god. Are you certain that your interest in this thing hasn't led you to overstate its position and capabilities?"
Umberto shakes his head, warming to the topic. Not at all, not at all. This business with Kas was long ago, and Kas only escaped because of the sword. Hundreds of years ago, Vecna and Kas were close associates. They were driven men who shared similar evil outlooks. Kas admired Vecna’s sadism and thirst for power, while Vecna valued Kas’s ferocity and cruelty. His most trusted lieutenant, Vecna created a powerful, enchanted sword named the Sword of Kas. It also happened to be intelligent, and turned Kas against his former master. He used to the sword to sever Vecna's hand, put out his eye, and kill the lich. Before his death, however, Vecna flung Kas across the multiverse, separating him from the sword. In the hundreds of years since, Kas has become a vampire lord in the Shadowfell, and Vecna has reformed, more powerful than before. He is only a deity over his plane of Oerth, which is, of course, very far away from here he finishes nodding at Khessa.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"Oh, so Oerth is another plane" Khessa smiles. "Good to know; at least Vecna has no godly powers here, then. And perhaps in the future, in times of need, we could use Kas' help, if we could find him in the Shadowfell. Since they parted on bad terms, one might be willing to stand in the way of the other".
"But first things first" the blonde arcane warrior focuses back on the present. "We have more hostages to free, before we drown the surviving Cultists like the rats they are".
With no further clues as to the whereabouts of the remaining prisoners, the tall adventuress approaches the nearest door and prepares to continue the exploration in that direction, attempting to open it from a distance with her Mage Hand.
Umberto, now in full swing, babbles on happily as he follows out of Sarcelle's cell. Oh, don't underestimate him though...he's still the most powerful Arch Lich any plane has ever seen. And be very careful having any kind of dealings with Kas...the vampire lord of Tovag isn't exactly trustworthy. All of this is hypothetical anyway...I'm sure whatever Vecna is planning is far from here...Umberto continues on, mostly to himself at this point.
Sarcelle, for her part, looks a little confused at the gnome but follows the party out of the cell as well, rubbing her arms absentmindedly and staring at nothing in particular.
Khessa's spectral hand opens the door on the right, revealing a small, square room with a large iron grate set into the middle of it.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"A new cell, perhaps?" Khessa muses aloud "These Cultists certainly didn't bother with the comfort of their prisoners!"
The blonde arcane warrior cautiously approaches the iron grate, intent on seeing if anyone is being held prisoner below.
Peering through from the edge, you can see this 5 foot square grate blocks access to a shallow stone pit holding a small gold harp, a handful of loose papers, and a piece of bloody cloth.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa is intrigued by the find... They are probably objects that could be useful - but something about seeing them so blandly kept screams 'trap' in her mind!
The blonde arcane warrior warns her companions: "Contrary to what I expected, there is no prisoner here... There is loot... But it is probably best to check for traps, before taking it!"
Larry shakes his head as he moves up towards the grate. "I agree. It seems too simple, too easy. Everything inside this place has, really. That bothers me. But I'll take a look."
The farmer turned mercenary examines the grate, looking to see fi it is trapped somehow, or maybe even just accidentally connected to or covered in something dangerous.
Perception: 6
[If it appears to need a check to disable something]
Sleight of Hand w/ Trained Tool use: 29
[Assuming Larry believes it is safe to handle . . ..]
Once he's confident the grate is now simply a grate, Larry grabs hold of the bars and attempts to move it to of the way. Hopefully it isn't secured somehow. If it is, well, fixing that comes next. Right?
[ooc]This is the safest trapped grate you have ever seen![/ooc]
((Would Cat-ero fit between the bars of the gate? Not that I don't have faith in Larry's skills. Well, maybe his hazard perception))
(Larry, give me a dexterity saving throw at advantage)
(Cat-ero, you probably could slip between the bars if you squeezed in real tight)
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
[ooc]Oops. Sorry about the delay. Just got home.[/ooc]
Dex Save w/Advantage: 14
Wary of a trap, but not seeing anything obvious, Larry cautiously puts a hand on the grate and leans out for a better look. The tremor in the bars gives his excellent reflexes plenty of time to kick in and he yanks backwards, as blades shoot out of grooves in the bars.
Now with a sense of the trap, Larry disarms it easily. The items lay there for the taking, just a few feet from the bars.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk