This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Galingal History Check: 15
(No there's nothing in his past where he would have come across this kind of . . . aberration).
Galingal pauses at the sibilant voice in his head. He looks the strange in the eyes and nods as he finally sits down.
"Can share information about immediate unrest if you share what you know of unrest across Underdark. Have to travel through it again and always better to know what might be a head."
The description matches that you may have heard for an illithid, or mind flayer... though you're not quite clear on relations, you don't recall them being welcomed into polite society (if Sloobludop could be considered polite), though this one seems unwell, perhaps it is likewise an outcast from its people?
<Thee immeeediaate unnreessst... the dauughhterrr seeekss to gaaain heeer owwn poweerr by aabaandoooninggg herrr faaatherrr aaand Mothhherrr for aaa newww Faaather. Eaaach wwwhiipingg thhe faaithffull innnto aaa deellliccciouuss freeenzzyy. Sheee maaakess plaaans for a riituaaal sooon, buut neeedsss saaacrrifffiiices. Hoowww aaare weee doooingg sooo faaar?>
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
"You know much," Galingal says with a nod. "But not quite all. Some will be trying to stop the ritual and take away the daughters power. All happening soon."
He looks around the room for a moment, wondering at the oddity of this illithid sitting here quietly with no one taking any interest in them.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Lia replies to Lex, “A couple of hours?!…”. The phrase is accompanied but a despondent chord on her Lyre. She follows this with a few more tuneful strums, as she gets up, walks around her stool, and eventually sits up on her edge of the table, feet on her stool.
She sighs, and gets comfortable, continuing to strum and to hum a pleasant tune… weaving in some of the elements of the sounds she’s heard through their journeys: something sounding like the wind through the caverns, something else sounding like the drip-drip of water…
She starts quiet, but soon she gets a little lost in her musings…
Performance check (for my own info): 6
For some reason she’s not feeling it… She looks up at the ceiling as she plays, and hits a bum chord!… And stops…
She shuffles back into her seat and stows her Lyre away for now. She sits cross-arms, frustrated that even the music seems to have left her… for now.
Several of the kuo-toa patrons turn to face Lia as she begins playing her weird, experimental ambient noise set, starting to circle the table.
They cheer and stomp their finny feet when she stops, darting off on whatever whim took them. One of them tosses Lia a smooth pebble, a pale pink snail shell (empty) and a silver coin for her efforts.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Disappointed with her set, Lia’s surprised that she managed to draw in a small crowd, and even more so that one listener tosses her a couple of trinkets and a coin! “… I… Oh… Thank you very much!..”. Still, she settles into a mild grump nonetheless.
Galingal realizes he may need to be guarded in his thoughts as well as his speech. He has little to hide but still, having thoughts read was discomforting.
"That is a question I can not answer. I have not had friends. I have comrades. Fellow soldiers who I have suffered with and who I have bonded with. And now," he pauses as he looks over at the party and the KT's appreciating Lia's unusual music, "companions of a sort. And I have had enemies."
He looks at the mindflayer for a moment.
"I do not think you are an enemy."
Galingal realizes that he has been speaking the shadar-kai dialect of Elvish. Reading minds is an interesting ability he thinks. As he does he remembers an unsavory aspect of mindflayers he had heard about - their food requirements.
Galingal does his best to pick up on any changes in tone of the thoughts provided by Svezzekt. Not knowing what a trustworthy mindflayer would sound like makes it difficult but he tries nonetheless.
Insight to see if Svezzekt seems on the level or if he's just looking to get info to use against the party: 13
You get the sense that he is positioned here as an information broker, gleaning info from patrons for his own use or for when it benefits him. When he says 'friends', it's likely a term of convenience, and likely malleable to fit the moment.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Galingal looks back at Stena and the others and decides to risk it. They may get something useful that will help them when they leave this place. Maybe at least a sense of which way to head.
"The father is going to take out the daughter," Galingal says, again in his dialect of elvish, but still in a low voice, almost a whisper. Somehow that makes it easier to think the thoughts. "He wants to enlist our help in doing it. During the ritual. Something akin to civil war is bound to breakout when that happens and this village is going to go up in flames. You may want to consider making plans to move quickly."
Galingal looks around the room again, sparing a glance up into the rafters.
"What have you seen on your travels? Is there anything akin to a safe city down here? Some where we won't stand out."
When you ask about a place you won't stand out, he rasps a dry chuckle, both in your mind and through his tentacles, which writhe and scrape dryly across one another.
<Wheeeree yoou woon'tt ssstaaand ouuut? Yooou maaay bee alllreaaady inn youur besst bettt! Aa sstraangge assortmeeent youu trraavell witthh. Inn Meennzzoobeeraaannzzan, yoou willl ssstannd ouut aass nott drrroww. Aand inn Grraaacklsstuggh asss nottt dueerrgaar. Aandd mosst off yoou aarree tooo talll tto passs ass deeep gnooomesss inn Blllinggdeensstonee. Noooneee aaree sssaaaffeee. Drooow woouldd maakee yoou sslaaves. Ddeep ggnoomes iin aaree desspaaraate too reeclaaaim rruiinss. Grrey ddwaarvesss aaabiid bbyy thheeir lawws, buut theiiir lawws aaree madde foor themm.>
((I think that might be all the Svezzekt typing I can handle, may just summarize any further dialogue for now?))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
"Yeah that's right mates, Ploopp did say two hours, I suppose yer right Lex. I'm with Madam Lia on this one, that thing up in the rafters has me a bit paranoid! I mean, that and whatever the heck it is that Galingal's got going on with the other table over there and the person with the tentacles."
Thom would've been happy when Lia performs but is getting more and more anxious the longer Galingal is over there speaking with the tentacled one.
He shrugs his shoulders at Lia and watches on as the KT seem to enjoy the performance. "Well... I thought it sounded great Madam Lia!" (even though he has heard her sing better than that even when they were in the prison!)
During this time as well Thom would say to Lia "I suppose he (Gal) knows best though yeah? I mean, to get us home and all? Let's hope so anyhow." and he fidgets a bit when Galingal looks back at us and starts to talk to the tentacled person again.
He's also watching Stena but if she ever looks back he is not making eye contact with her. Just more observing her as she also waits for whatever is next. Something about her and Shuushar arguing or something earlier? Stena looks upset or frustrated? Bah, he doesn't know, he was listening to Lia's performance!
((Did Thom have to use any of the daggers for the drinks/food? Thom wants another water-beer as well. Can he get another one brought to the table?))
He will say "Madam Lia, why don't you give it another go, yeah? They seem to like it! And so do I!"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Lia looks at the smooth pebble and the pink shell, and smiles at Thom’s kind words and request for an encore… It fills her with a little determination. Last time she got spooked by the ceiling thing… maybe this time she’s use it as inspirations.
”Ok, I will..”, she says, and climbs back onto her stool and sits back up on the table. This time she starts with a few spidery, weblike plucks at the strings… then adds a percussive beat with her boot on the school and her palm against the Lyre… and then a melody…
She throws everything into it as the tune builds up…
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
((Pulling from Lia's playbook... Does the Cave Fisher like it? 1))
As Lia is playing, Thom notes a few KTs around the room looking up. His gaze follows theirs, and gets his first good look at the creature above... it's scuttling along the hull upside down.
A long thin filament begins descending from its mouthparts and some of the KT point upwards, but at that point Lia packs it in and the fisher retracts is line and scuttles wherever it makes its lair out of sight.
((Jimjar also said he had the meal covered if Ploopp isn't able/willing to pay, and no one has asked for payment yet... though dining and dashing is probably frowned upon by the establishment. Eitherway, Thom and any others would be free to order additional beverages or food.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Galingal History Check: 15
(No there's nothing in his past where he would have come across this kind of . . . aberration).
Galingal pauses at the sibilant voice in his head. He looks the strange in the eyes and nods as he finally sits down.
"Can share information about immediate unrest if you share what you know of unrest across Underdark. Have to travel through it again and always better to know what might be a head."
The description matches that you may have heard for an illithid, or mind flayer... though you're not quite clear on relations, you don't recall them being welcomed into polite society (if Sloobludop could be considered polite), though this one seems unwell, perhaps it is likewise an outcast from its people?
<Thee immeeediaate unnreessst... the dauughhterrr seeekss to gaaain heeer owwn poweerr by aabaandoooninggg herrr faaatherrr aaand Mothhherrr for aaa newww Faaather. Eaaach wwwhiipingg thhe faaithffull innnto aaa deellliccciouuss freeenzzyy. Sheee maaakess plaaans for a riituaaal sooon, buut neeedsss saaacrrifffiiices. Hoowww aaare weee doooingg sooo faaar?>
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
"You know much," Galingal says with a nod. "But not quite all. Some will be trying to stop the ritual and take away the daughters power. All happening soon."
He looks around the room for a moment, wondering at the oddity of this illithid sitting here quietly with no one taking any interest in them.
"What have you seen elsewhere? Similar?"
Lia replies to Lex, “A couple of hours?!…”. The phrase is accompanied but a despondent chord on her Lyre. She follows this with a few more tuneful strums, as she gets up, walks around her stool, and eventually sits up on her edge of the table, feet on her stool.
She sighs, and gets comfortable, continuing to strum and to hum a pleasant tune… weaving in some of the elements of the sounds she’s heard through their journeys: something sounding like the wind through the caverns, something else sounding like the drip-drip of water…
She starts quiet, but soon she gets a little lost in her musings…
Performance check (for my own info): 6
For some reason she’s not feeling it… She looks up at the ceiling as she plays, and hits a bum chord!… And stops…
She shuffles back into her seat and stows her Lyre away for now. She sits cross-arms, frustrated that even the music seems to have left her… for now.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
<Iitt isss paaartllyy beecaaussse weee aaarre noo looongggerrr illliiithiiid. Buutt aaallssso thaaat weee aarre a frieend to thoosse whoo wissh ouurr frienndshiip.>, the creature says in response to your unspoken thought.
<Appoollooggieesss, thaaat wasss a biit ruude offf usss. Youuu maaay calll usss Svezzekt. A ssstoppp to theee riittuall... faaascinatinng.. Ssiimillarr? Maayhaaps. Wee finndd aa ccerrtaiiin accepptaaance aamong Slooobluuuddoppp, thaaat wee dooo not in thee oootherr ciitiess. Aaand maany ssooorts of creeaaturress and beeeingss finddd theeirr waaay intoo thisss towwn. Andd theeey alll eend uppp visssitinng thhe Beeer Rooom. Wee heaar maaany thingsss... thiiinggss thaat wee shaaare wittth frieendsss. Aarree weee frieendsss?>
He steeples his long, dry fingers in front of his twitching tentacles.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Several of the kuo-toa patrons turn to face Lia as she begins playing her weird, experimental ambient noise set, starting to circle the table.
They cheer and stomp their finny feet when she stops, darting off on whatever whim took them. One of them tosses Lia a smooth pebble, a pale pink snail shell (empty) and a silver coin for her efforts.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Disappointed with her set, Lia’s surprised that she managed to draw in a small crowd, and even more so that one listener tosses her a couple of trinkets and a coin! “… I… Oh… Thank you very much!..”. Still, she settles into a mild grump nonetheless.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Galingal realizes he may need to be guarded in his thoughts as well as his speech. He has little to hide but still, having thoughts read was discomforting.
"That is a question I can not answer. I have not had friends. I have comrades. Fellow soldiers who I have suffered with and who I have bonded with. And now," he pauses as he looks over at the party and the KT's appreciating Lia's unusual music, "companions of a sort. And I have had enemies."
He looks at the mindflayer for a moment.
"I do not think you are an enemy."
Galingal realizes that he has been speaking the shadar-kai dialect of Elvish. Reading minds is an interesting ability he thinks. As he does he remembers an unsavory aspect of mindflayers he had heard about - their food requirements.
<Fooor oneee wiitth noo friieendsss, theen nooot beeeing ann enneemyyy wiilll suffficce. Whaaat thheen shhouldd bee thhe curreencccy of ouur exxchaaange, twwo beeeingss whoo aare nott eneeemiesss? Maany thinggss aaare knooown to usss, annd we caan shhhaare, iff ittt'ss woorrthwhhille.>
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Galingal does his best to pick up on any changes in tone of the thoughts provided by Svezzekt. Not knowing what a trustworthy mindflayer would sound like makes it difficult but he tries nonetheless.
Insight to see if Svezzekt seems on the level or if he's just looking to get info to use against the party: 13
You get the sense that he is positioned here as an information broker, gleaning info from patrons for his own use or for when it benefits him. When he says 'friends', it's likely a term of convenience, and likely malleable to fit the moment.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Galingal looks back at Stena and the others and decides to risk it. They may get something useful that will help them when they leave this place. Maybe at least a sense of which way to head.
"The father is going to take out the daughter," Galingal says, again in his dialect of elvish, but still in a low voice, almost a whisper. Somehow that makes it easier to think the thoughts. "He wants to enlist our help in doing it. During the ritual. Something akin to civil war is bound to breakout when that happens and this village is going to go up in flames. You may want to consider making plans to move quickly."
Galingal looks around the room again, sparing a glance up into the rafters.
"What have you seen on your travels? Is there anything akin to a safe city down here? Some where we won't stand out."
<Thhee sspuurnnedd ffaattheer taakingg ouutt theee daaugghterr... dellliccciouuss.>
When you ask about a place you won't stand out, he rasps a dry chuckle, both in your mind and through his tentacles, which writhe and scrape dryly across one another.
<Wheeeree yoou woon'tt ssstaaand ouuut? Yooou maaay bee alllreaaady inn youur besst bettt! Aa sstraangge assortmeeent youu trraavell witthh. Inn Meennzzoobeeraaannzzan, yoou willl ssstannd ouut aass nott drrroww. Aand inn Grraaacklsstuggh asss nottt dueerrgaar. Aandd mosst off yoou aarree tooo talll tto passs ass deeep gnooomesss inn Blllinggdeensstonee. Noooneee aaree sssaaaffeee. Drooow woouldd maakee yoou sslaaves. Ddeep ggnoomes iin aaree desspaaraate too reeclaaaim rruiinss. Grrey ddwaarvesss aaabiid bbyy thheeir lawws, buut theiiir lawws aaree madde foor themm.>
((I think that might be all the Svezzekt typing I can handle, may just summarize any further dialogue for now?))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((Yes, please. It must take you ages to write that.))
"Yeah that's right mates, Ploopp did say two hours, I suppose yer right Lex. I'm with Madam Lia on this one, that thing up in the rafters has me a bit paranoid! I mean, that and whatever the heck it is that Galingal's got going on with the other table over there and the person with the tentacles."
Thom would've been happy when Lia performs but is getting more and more anxious the longer Galingal is over there speaking with the tentacled one.
He shrugs his shoulders at Lia and watches on as the KT seem to enjoy the performance. "Well... I thought it sounded great Madam Lia!" (even though he has heard her sing better than that even when they were in the prison!)
During this time as well Thom would say to Lia "I suppose he (Gal) knows best though yeah? I mean, to get us home and all? Let's hope so anyhow." and he fidgets a bit when Galingal looks back at us and starts to talk to the tentacled person again.
He's also watching Stena but if she ever looks back he is not making eye contact with her. Just more observing her as she also waits for whatever is next. Something about her and Shuushar arguing or something earlier? Stena looks upset or frustrated? Bah, he doesn't know, he was listening to Lia's performance!
((Did Thom have to use any of the daggers for the drinks/food? Thom wants another water-beer as well. Can he get another one brought to the table?))
He will say "Madam Lia, why don't you give it another go, yeah? They seem to like it! And so do I!"
Lia looks at the smooth pebble and the pink shell, and smiles at Thom’s kind words and request for an encore… It fills her with a little determination. Last time she got spooked by the ceiling thing… maybe this time she’s use it as inspirations.
”Ok, I will..”, she says, and climbs back onto her stool and sits back up on the table. This time she starts with a few spidery, weblike plucks at the strings… then adds a percussive beat with her boot on the school and her palm against the Lyre… and then a melody…
She throws everything into it as the tune builds up…
Performance check: 24
((I’ll narrate the outcome on the next post))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Lia really throws everything into it…
It builds up a little something like this…
She is lost in her own creation… it’s… it’s a masterpiece!!! But maybe far too progressive for this crowd…
As the last note rings out, she realises the shocked silence that greats her…
”I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet…… … But your kids are gonna love it!…”.
She slinks back down in her seat…
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
((Pulling from Lia's playbook... Does the Cave Fisher like it? 1))
As Lia is playing, Thom notes a few KTs around the room looking up. His gaze follows theirs, and gets his first good look at the creature above... it's scuttling along the hull upside down.
A long thin filament begins descending from its mouthparts and some of the KT point upwards, but at that point Lia packs it in and the fisher retracts is line and scuttles wherever it makes its lair out of sight.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((It thought the music was an attack? Ouch, that's some harsh criticism!))
Stena is just sitting with her head down so Thom wouldn't have caught her eye.
((Jimjar also said he had the meal covered if Ploopp isn't able/willing to pay, and no one has asked for payment yet... though dining and dashing is probably frowned upon by the establishment. Eitherway, Thom and any others would be free to order additional beverages or food.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock