Ayyur starts to come to herself, and asks questions to orient herself. “What day is it, Juba? How long was I unconscious?” As the old man shrugs, Granophyre answers for him.
“I would estimate it is now five bells in the afternoon on the sixth day of Grandeur,” ventures the old dwarf, who then turns the the rest of you, “And, like Snow, my reserves of arcane strength are low indeed.”
“Sixth of Grandeur,” repeats Ayyur, wide-eyed. The old Head of House has been very quiet since the ghostly episode with the spirit of Nafsawiyyah. But in answer to a Snow’s question, she and Juba agree: “If that Jlasi lord and lady still run the castle, this is the only place of safety for miles.”
“We must bear in mind,” picks up Granophye, “that if the key has fallen just outside this door, our privacy could be broken at any moment. But, while our rations hold out, this could be a safe place to rest.”
Snow looks to the door as Strewn mentions the key on the other side, as if it could open any second.
“It would be a good idea to set a watch, well more of a listen”, he says with a smile. “It is quite likely that any goblin that saw us enter this room was killed in the explosion, and without knowing there is a key it would be unlikely to be found by pure chance in the mess out there. Better safe than sorry though”.
“I guess we should also keep our voices down so as not to give ourselves away”, he adds in a whisper.
Auger looks to Varielky for a moment, wanting to proceed with her but also wanting to keep the group together. Although he had some of his capabilities back, heading outside with many in the group weakened seemed like something to avoid.
"I have to agree with Snow. I will not know how to -- to use this,"Auger points at the Diadem he is holding in his hand, "until I have time to puzzle it out. The Yemma -- she seemed to know something of what waits for us out there and she thought we would need these items to survive. I can take the second watch --err listen after Snow."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky sits back on the floor, leaning on the vault's door. "I'd rather rest when the enemy's body lies lifeless, but to each their own." She can't force the others, and she's well aware she can't do this alone.
Varielky wonders what time of the day it is now. Either way, she's not yet tired enough to sleep, and if she's awake, there are plenty of other things she can do. First and foremost, she draws Dreygaard and runs her fingers on the broad side of the sword. Not yet, out of the castle. "Just a bit more." She mumbles to herself, accidentally speaking her thoughts, but she pays it no attention. As she sheathes the blade again.
Laying her shield in front of her, Varielky studies it for a while. How would this magical wood, or magically enhanced wood endure woodcarving? Had it been easy to cut into, not much would have been left of it by now. Was it even possible? Only one way to find out. "Auger, may I borrow your tools? The one you use to carve wood, I mean. I... want to try something."Assuming Auger lends her his tools, Varielky will try carving on her shield. She works slowly, paying uncharacteristically a lot of attention to every movement. In fact, even after some good hour of work - assuming she manages to carve into the wood - she lays down the tools, looks at the shield again, and returns them to Auger, thanking him for allowing her to use his tools. The shape on her shield is incomplete, nor is it even close to being so. At this point, even she needs to think about it to see what it will be, in the end. No rush, she'll work on it a bit every time. She does not want to make any mistake that'll be caused by quick work.
Varielky unties the string that keeps her hair braided, allowing the long light-brown strands to spread and fall behind her, reaching all the way to the floor while she is sitting. This is all part of the same decision she made just recently, following the thoughts and conversations she has had lately. It might even take her time to get used to this new style of living, but she's not hiding herself anymore. Who she truly is. Consequences, if any will be, she'll deal with directly.
The only matter left, it seems, is learning to use the armour, as Auger mentioned. Varielky would ask the two Shians if they have any idea what is special about the armour - other than that it glows - but otherwise, will try to figure it out herself. The spirit mentioned it was the last sight of scores of enemies. Usually, that is said about a weapon or its wielder. Varielky will try experimenting with the magic in the item but would try to do it carefully, fearing the armour is capable of hurting others... or blinding them, which also fits the spirit's description.
Time passes, and now you feel your energies restored. There is no way to gauge the hour, and the castle has been silent save for rustlings and whispers which might or might have been your imaginations.
Snow stretches as he stands from his position sitting against a wall, where he has been dozing on and off for a while. He feels much restored and ready to move once again. He has also spent some time examining the Treewild Cloak, and can now feel the connection to it, and beyond that an ever so slight connection to the foreign and magical Feywild. It is as if only a thin membrane separates him from that plane, and all he has to do is put a small amount of pressure against it and it will tear, allowing him to step through.
"It appears as though we have two choices when it comes to exits. We have the vault door, which we know leads to the crypt, and we also have the secret exit to the Master's Chamber. From what we know, it is likely the Jlasi are staying there, which means it is quite possible we can catch them unaware, bypassing the rest of the goblin horde for now", he says to the others as he walks across the vault to where he left his pack. "Assuming no-one outside here knows about the other exit, it would also avoid a potential ambush if we were to take the Master's Chamber route".
He waits for the others to voice their opinions whilst he gets himself ready to leave.
"That would work, but I refuse sneaking and assassinating anyone in their sleep." Varielky has a feeling this will not be the last time they'll argue about strategy, as it was not the first either. Their ideals were simply too different. "So although I don't mind dealing with the Jlasi before we do with the Goblins, I'll be obliged to give them time to prepare for a fair fight."
Auger finds a spot to sit and pulls the Yemma's Diadem from his head and contemplates it for a moment before first seeing to his provisions and a sleeping spot. Digging through his pack Auger pulls out a small candle and then lights it nearby. Then he sets out his food before him. Examining the rations Auger cannot muster a lot of interest and so he looks at the Diadem in his hand again, sets it back on his head and attempts to reach through the Sea of Stars to -- to touch it. To his surprise, it instantly responds and he gets a sense of how it would be able to expand upon his abilities, turning his motes from the Sea into something far more dangerous. Amazed at the simplicity of the process, and even engaged in a self-congratulatory moment, Auger returns to himself to find several disconcerting things had happened. His candle had burned down to nothing. His back ached from staying in what ended up being a bad position for - how long? An hour at least. Maybe more? And the food remained there, uneaten. Auger quickly eats and then gets some rest, without again touching the Yemma's Diadem till after he awakens. Py would make fun of me, Auger thinks as he drifts off.
After the rest-- morning, perhaps? Auger wakes, reaches out to Py again to see if perchance it could communicate with him, knowing it would amount to nothing yet again. So long without it, or its connection to the Dowager. It was all quite disconcerting.
As Snow lays out options, and then Varielky weighs in with her familiar need to engage in combat openly, Auger adds that heading straight up to the chambers to confront these Jlasi while avoiding the Goblins seemed exactly the right thing to do.
Granophyre agrees that traversing the secret passage seems to be the best option. You look to Ayyur, who nods, and with Juba’s assistance, approaches the mosaic archway laid into the farthest wall from the vault door. She has regained some color in her complexion, although she is still plainly unwell.
The old Head-of-House clears her throat and raises a plump arm, its skin hanging loosely upon it, to the wall, and whispers a phrase; a ring on her right hand shines for a moment, outlining a doorframe and door handle in its light, both of which were previously indiscernible. The elderly woman reaches out and pulls lightly on the latch. With a faint click and a sigh of stagnant air, a one-meter wide panel turns inward, opening onto a dark, narrow stairway which twists up and out of view.
Ayyur shakes her head as she looks at the stairs. “I cannot, Juba,” she whispers, “I don’t have it in me to make it to the top.” “It is all right,” he replies, “the Lord Abziri will forgive you.”
Ayyur seems reluctant to pass her duty to anyone else, but removes the ring and hands it to Jabu. “Take them,” she says, drooping. Juba accepts the ring and helps his wife slowly to sit, then turns to you.
“If you provide light, I will lead the way,” he offers, “for I must open the master chamber door,” he explains.
At the mention of the need for light Auger looks around and, finding nothing that seems right, he pulls out a single silver piece and slowly brings it into contact with the Diadem on his head. From it he brings forth a mote of simple light and attaches the mote to one side of the coin. Holding it in his hand he flips the coin over and the mote's light is mostly blocked by his hand, he flips it again and lights the room. To Juba, Auger says, "Truly the Yemma's gift is wonderous. Let the light of the fallen star guide us." Auger presses the coin into Juba's hand before going on, "I do not believe it will stay lit for more than an hour. When you do not need the light you can simply cover the coin."
"When you are ready sir. Lets move through this passage. Perhaps Varielky right behind? To lead into the room when we reach the top."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow nods as the decision is made to travel to the masters chamber, and watches as Ayyur opens the secret passageway. "My thanks, I was not looking forward to spending the rest of my days in here, truth be told", he says to her with a smile.
As Auger presents Juba with the light, he wanders over to Varielky. "It pains me that you think me some sort of assassin. I did not ask to be part of the conflicts we have found ourselves embroiled in, and in truth I would rather avoid conflict than engage in it at all. However, if I must fight I do not shirk from it. Whether that be in self defence or like here, where I find myself unable to turn a blind eye to events. And yes, I will do what needs to be done to survive, and to ensure you all survive. I do not see glory in a righteous death after a fair fight, which does put our perspectives at odds it seems. But I do believe that some causes are worth fighting for, which truth be told is a recent development for me”.
He takes a deep breath. “We do not have to agree or see eye to eye, but we are on the same side. I would like us to be able to trust each other. Perhaps it is too soon for that though, I don’t know”, he says with a shrug.
He looks to the staircase, “Whatever we find up there, it would be my first intention to subdue and question the Jlasi. If we can do that quickly and quietly all the better, in my opinion. If you have other ideas, I would like to know, so we can at least move with one purpose”.
Granophyre’s basso joins the conversation. “We do not know what to expect at the top of the stairs, but we must capitalize on any advantage we might gain from the element of surprise. I too refuse to be involved in an assassination. That said, let us see what lies before us.”
The old sage nods to Juba, who takes the silver piece from Auger and begins ascending, carefully watching his step in the magical light of the warlock’s spell, while Granophyre follows closely behind him.
As you follow, climbing out of the basement and to the castle’s upper reaches, sounds begin to reveal themselves around you, an intermittent rumbling. Soon, you are at the top of the staircase, and Juba raises Ayyur’s ring and whispers a magic word. In complete silence, a panel swings outward into a map-room, it appears, octagonal, 30’ across, with a table and chairs at its center, bookshelves around the walls, and narrow stained glass windows behind which lightning flashes, while the vague sounds you heard before now come into focus: thunder booms. Five goblins sleep against the walls, and one of the craggy chieftains you saw earlier sleeps in a chair, at the table. The movement of the door catches peripheral vision, and the creatures start awake in the darkness (Juba has covered the coin and stands aside just within the doorway). The chieftain, his eyes twin points of reflective green light, yells the goblin equivalent of “WHAT THE FLOCK!?!,” and launches to his feet, at the exact moment that a thunderbolt cracks loudly overhead, covering his shout.
The room looks like so. Goblins, just waking from sleep as a result of your entrance, are the circled numbers. The chieftain is #3. The arrow is your point of entry.
You have the initiative. Please post Round 1 actions.
Right behind Juba, Varielky walks with her shield strapped to her left hand and the right hand laying on her sword's hilt. "You might not be an assassin, but like it or not, I believe you think like one. You fight for a purpose, and therefore your first and second objectives when fighting are to achieve that purpose and to stay alive - which one matters more is not of importance to me. Don't be offended or anything, that is how most people think, unfortunately. I, however, was raised on different ideals.
"Fighting, by itself, when done gloriously, is the purpose. Staying alive is important, but not as much. Thus, dying in a fair duel, to the might of another great warrior, is far more desirable than staying alive by cowering from a fight." Varielky tries to explain herself as best as she can. By teaching - or even arguing - with others, you yourself learn the most. This way, she is forced to come up with answers to questions she never thought of asking. She values these conversations, actually, more than it might seem to others. "Most importantly, however, since everyone has just one life to prove their worth... well, usually... we cannot wrong them, deny them the opportunity by killing them unaware. You cannot expect to be given what you don't give others."
Varielky sighs. For her, this was as obvious as was it that the sun will shine when morning comes, but she can't expect others to think the same way. There are plenty of other things others grasp with ease that to her are beyond comprehension. "Similarly, I prefer to trust people until they break my trust, rather than make them prove they're trustworthy. So, unless you plan on stabbing me in the back, trust should not be an issue. If it were up to me, I'd wake up the Jlasi, invite them to a duel and see how things progress from there. We came to end their occupation of this castle, and for me, it is just a chance - perhaps a socially-accepted excuse - to fight. What is it you want to ask them, and why can't you do it while fighting them?"
Snow walks up the stairs, deeply engrossed in his conversation with Varielky.
“Our definition of an assassin are quite different. My thought at the term is someone who takes money for the purpose of killing without further reason or purpose. My motives for fighting have never been monetary, they have clearly been either self defence or to uphold my own moral code”, he says as he ascends.
“By my definition you did indeed cause offence, however by yours possibly not”, he continues with a small shrug.
“Now your point regarding glorious combat and fair duels is another matter. How do you determine a fair duel, or a great warrior? You have obviously trained a great deal to become the warrior you are today, whilst I was practicing with my violin. Would it be a fair fight for us to duel in those circumstance, be it with weapons or a musical duel? Yes they do exist, they just rarely end in anyone’s demise”, he says taking out his violin to emphasise the point and with a smile at the last comment.
He rounds the bend in the staircase and finally notices that the door is open, and that the room it enters into is occupied by goblins.
“Ah!”, he exclaims before shouting a curse at the chieftain from his position behind the others.
“Go back to sleep you filthy grotesque, nothing but pain to be found here!”, he calls to it.
He turns back to Varielky as he ducks out of the goblins sight. “And what of someone like myself, who is skilled in the art of improving or impairing the ability of another, am I classed as unfair?”, he says continuing the conversation.
Action: Vicious Mockery DC 18 Wis save or take 2+3=5 damage and have disadvantage on next attack. Reaction:
If anyone attacks himself or Juba that he can see he will use Cutting Words. Cutting Words: 5+2=7 “Go back to the depths of whatever hell spawned you!”
(The problem is that you can't fit much dialogue into 6 seconds :/ )
"Assassin? One who waits for their enemy to turn their back away before they strike." Varielky gives her own terse version as she steps into the room, drawing her blade. However, seeing all Goblins still more or less asleep, Varielky runs and jumps onto the table. As she lands on the table, her hairs rise for a moment, continuing their upwards movement from the jump, then fall on her back again. The others might notice she left her hair unbraided, which means it is the first time any of them sees her fight like that. Even for someone who isn't especially big in size, wearing all that heavy armour while landing on the wooden table makes enough noise to wake them all up, but probably not enough to alert anyone outside... unless they were listening intently. Or so she hopes, at least. Though she doesn't want to kill them in their sleep, she doesn't plan on fighting a hundred Goblins at once again.
Holding her blade ready, Varielky waits for any of the Goblins to attack her. Whichever of them does will probably lose their life, but they will lose them with bravery, probably, and that's more than they should be allowed to hope for. She'll answer the rest of the captain's questions later.
Action: Ready an attack against the first Goblin who comes to attack her.
Going up the stairs Auger listens to the conversation between Snow and Varielky, briefly recalling how it was always Benita who was most reliably able to move Varielky away from one of these strong beliefs of hers. Benita, always with her playful away about her but clearly a source of respect for Varielky because of Benita's own warrior prowess. Auger is close to chiming in with his own thoughts but then the door opens and things start happening quickly.
As soon as Varielky enters the room with the Goblins, Auger follows after, ready to support her attack. Moving quickly himself, Auger brings his rod up to touch Yemma's Starfell Diadem and from it brings forth a golden pulsing mote of light which he then flicks at the Goblin Chieftain. Auger then channels a pair of twisting blasts, one missing and then a second blast hitting the Chieftain and knocking it back against the wall.
Seeing Varielky standing on the table Auger is momentarily confused and is unsure why she has paused there. Hoping that she has not been frozen in place by some spell Auger notices the openings to the outside and tries calling out to Py. Can you hear me? We are in a tall tower. If you can respond tell us what has been going on outside.
Details
Move: To B7
Bonus Action: Throws the Diadem's Guiding Bolt, targeting #3. Roll = 28 (note I used the Eldritch Blast roll button for this, assuming the same bonuses apply) for 3 points of damage and applying Advantage to the next attack against to all attacks against #3 before the end of Auger's next turn.
Action: Cast Eldritch Blast, pushing 10' on a hit.
Beam 1, targeting #3 with Advantage (this use now dispels the Advantage on attacking #3) roll is a 16 which misses. Damage: 7 points
Beam 2, targeting #5. Roll is a 13 for a miss
Beam 2, targeting #3 with Advantage rolls are 13 & 28 for a hit and 15 points of damage.
Py responds to Auger’s mental sending. ‘I can barely hear you. It is storming outside!’
Snow’s verbal assault takes the goblin chieftain down a notch, as do Auger’s guiding bolt and one of his Eldritch blasts which powers into it, knocking it out of its chair and cracking ribs, but the creature dodges with great speed and gains cover from the chair he’d been sitting upon, which absorbs Auger’s second bolt. Varielky leaps onto the tabletop, daring the goblins to action, while Granophyre whips a length of wire out to the nearest foe, #4, which wraps around its leg; the old dwarf pulls, flipping the creature to the ground and unleashing an electric jolt to end its evil life.
The goblin chieftain now obliges Varielky. It draws a longsword, which it wields two-handed, and slices at the shield-maiden, at disadvantage, smashing against her breastplate, which absorbs the blow completely, but hitting her expertly on its second attack with a 19, inflicting 6HP damage.
Varielky may react with her readied action before the goblins complete their turns.
Varielky quickly slices downwards on the Goblin. Though she lets her guard down as she does so, and the chieftain manages to take advantage on that, her attack still hits the Goblin, guided by the light created by Auger.
The chieftain falls to Dreygaard, dark blood gurgling from its throat.
Goblin #5 draws its thin blade and leaps at Auger, screechingly, and slices at the warlock, hitting with a 20, but only a slight laceration for 3 HP.
Number 1 and 2 leap under the table, and then roll underneath and come out the other side (disengage), run to the door, which they fling open, and tear out of the room, turning left, and yelling; however their voices are covered by a furious thunderclap.
Please post actions for round 2. Only goblin 5 remains alive in this chamber, engaged in melee with Auger.
The single Goblin facing Auger proves to be problematic as it cuts him before he can react and redirect its blade. Although the range is too close, Auger attempts the same maneuver he did with the Chieftain a moment ago, hoping that the mote of light would either serve to kill the thing or to distract it enough to allow a follow up blast to strike it. The mote of fallen starlight strikes true, its intensity is too much for the Goblin as it succumbs to the overwhelming energy of the Diadem.
Over his shoulder Auger calls out, "Juba, close that door behind us and make yourself and your wife safe. We will come get you when this task is completed."
Auger then steps out of the chamber and looks to see where the Goblins went while carefully moving to avoid any attacks.
Details
Bonus Action: Diadem's Bolt (with disadvantage): roll is 16 for a hit and 10 points of damage against #5.
Move: Leaves the chamber. If it appears safe he moves after the Goblins.
Ayyur starts to come to herself, and asks questions to orient herself. “What day is it, Juba? How long was I unconscious?” As the old man shrugs, Granophyre answers for him.
“I would estimate it is now five bells in the afternoon on the sixth day of Grandeur,” ventures the old dwarf, who then turns the the rest of you, “And, like Snow, my reserves of arcane strength are low indeed.”
“Sixth of Grandeur,” repeats Ayyur, wide-eyed. The old Head of House has been very quiet since the ghostly episode with the spirit of Nafsawiyyah. But in answer to a Snow’s question, she and Juba agree: “If that Jlasi lord and lady still run the castle, this is the only place of safety for miles.”
“We must bear in mind,” picks up Granophye, “that if the key has fallen just outside this door, our privacy could be broken at any moment. But, while our rations hold out, this could be a safe place to rest.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow looks to the door as Strewn mentions the key on the other side, as if it could open any second.
“It would be a good idea to set a watch, well more of a listen”, he says with a smile. “It is quite likely that any goblin that saw us enter this room was killed in the explosion, and without knowing there is a key it would be unlikely to be found by pure chance in the mess out there. Better safe than sorry though”.
“I guess we should also keep our voices down so as not to give ourselves away”, he adds in a whisper.
”I am happy to take first listen”.
Auger looks to Varielky for a moment, wanting to proceed with her but also wanting to keep the group together. Although he had some of his capabilities back, heading outside with many in the group weakened seemed like something to avoid.
"I have to agree with Snow. I will not know how to -- to use this," Auger points at the Diadem he is holding in his hand, "until I have time to puzzle it out. The Yemma -- she seemed to know something of what waits for us out there and she thought we would need these items to survive. I can take the second watch --err listen after Snow."
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky sits back on the floor, leaning on the vault's door. "I'd rather rest when the enemy's body lies lifeless, but to each their own." She can't force the others, and she's well aware she can't do this alone.
Varielky wonders what time of the day it is now. Either way, she's not yet tired enough to sleep, and if she's awake, there are plenty of other things she can do. First and foremost, she draws Dreygaard and runs her fingers on the broad side of the sword. Not yet, out of the castle. "Just a bit more." She mumbles to herself, accidentally speaking her thoughts, but she pays it no attention. As she sheathes the blade again.
Laying her shield in front of her, Varielky studies it for a while. How would this magical wood, or magically enhanced wood endure woodcarving? Had it been easy to cut into, not much would have been left of it by now. Was it even possible? Only one way to find out. "Auger, may I borrow your tools? The one you use to carve wood, I mean. I... want to try something." Assuming Auger lends her his tools, Varielky will try carving on her shield. She works slowly, paying uncharacteristically a lot of attention to every movement. In fact, even after some good hour of work - assuming she manages to carve into the wood - she lays down the tools, looks at the shield again, and returns them to Auger, thanking him for allowing her to use his tools. The shape on her shield is incomplete, nor is it even close to being so. At this point, even she needs to think about it to see what it will be, in the end. No rush, she'll work on it a bit every time. She does not want to make any mistake that'll be caused by quick work.
Varielky unties the string that keeps her hair braided, allowing the long light-brown strands to spread and fall behind her, reaching all the way to the floor while she is sitting. This is all part of the same decision she made just recently, following the thoughts and conversations she has had lately. It might even take her time to get used to this new style of living, but she's not hiding herself anymore. Who she truly is. Consequences, if any will be, she'll deal with directly.
The only matter left, it seems, is learning to use the armour, as Auger mentioned. Varielky would ask the two Shians if they have any idea what is special about the armour - other than that it glows - but otherwise, will try to figure it out herself. The spirit mentioned it was the last sight of scores of enemies. Usually, that is said about a weapon or its wielder. Varielky will try experimenting with the magic in the item but would try to do it carefully, fearing the armour is capable of hurting others... or blinding them, which also fits the spirit's description.
Varielky
Time passes, and now you feel your energies restored. There is no way to gauge the hour, and the castle has been silent save for rustlings and whispers which might or might have been your imaginations.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow stretches as he stands from his position sitting against a wall, where he has been dozing on and off for a while. He feels much restored and ready to move once again. He has also spent some time examining the Treewild Cloak, and can now feel the connection to it, and beyond that an ever so slight connection to the foreign and magical Feywild. It is as if only a thin membrane separates him from that plane, and all he has to do is put a small amount of pressure against it and it will tear, allowing him to step through.
"It appears as though we have two choices when it comes to exits. We have the vault door, which we know leads to the crypt, and we also have the secret exit to the Master's Chamber. From what we know, it is likely the Jlasi are staying there, which means it is quite possible we can catch them unaware, bypassing the rest of the goblin horde for now", he says to the others as he walks across the vault to where he left his pack. "Assuming no-one outside here knows about the other exit, it would also avoid a potential ambush if we were to take the Master's Chamber route".
He waits for the others to voice their opinions whilst he gets himself ready to leave.
"That would work, but I refuse sneaking and assassinating anyone in their sleep." Varielky has a feeling this will not be the last time they'll argue about strategy, as it was not the first either. Their ideals were simply too different. "So although I don't mind dealing with the Jlasi before we do with the Goblins, I'll be obliged to give them time to prepare for a fair fight."
Varielky
Auger finds a spot to sit and pulls the Yemma's Diadem from his head and contemplates it for a moment before first seeing to his provisions and a sleeping spot. Digging through his pack Auger pulls out a small candle and then lights it nearby. Then he sets out his food before him. Examining the rations Auger cannot muster a lot of interest and so he looks at the Diadem in his hand again, sets it back on his head and attempts to reach through the Sea of Stars to -- to touch it. To his surprise, it instantly responds and he gets a sense of how it would be able to expand upon his abilities, turning his motes from the Sea into something far more dangerous. Amazed at the simplicity of the process, and even engaged in a self-congratulatory moment, Auger returns to himself to find several disconcerting things had happened. His candle had burned down to nothing. His back ached from staying in what ended up being a bad position for - how long? An hour at least. Maybe more? And the food remained there, uneaten. Auger quickly eats and then gets some rest, without again touching the Yemma's Diadem till after he awakens. Py would make fun of me, Auger thinks as he drifts off.
After the rest-- morning, perhaps? Auger wakes, reaches out to Py again to see if perchance it could communicate with him, knowing it would amount to nothing yet again. So long without it, or its connection to the Dowager. It was all quite disconcerting.
As Snow lays out options, and then Varielky weighs in with her familiar need to engage in combat openly, Auger adds that heading straight up to the chambers to confront these Jlasi while avoiding the Goblins seemed exactly the right thing to do.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Granophyre agrees that traversing the secret passage seems to be the best option. You look to Ayyur, who nods, and with Juba’s assistance, approaches the mosaic archway laid into the farthest wall from the vault door. She has regained some color in her complexion, although she is still plainly unwell.
The old Head-of-House clears her throat and raises a plump arm, its skin hanging loosely upon it, to the wall, and whispers a phrase; a ring on her right hand shines for a moment, outlining a doorframe and door handle in its light, both of which were previously indiscernible. The elderly woman reaches out and pulls lightly on the latch. With a faint click and a sigh of stagnant air, a one-meter wide panel turns inward, opening onto a dark, narrow stairway which twists up and out of view.
Ayyur shakes her head as she looks at the stairs. “I cannot, Juba,” she whispers, “I don’t have it in me to make it to the top.” “It is all right,” he replies, “the Lord Abziri will forgive you.”
Ayyur seems reluctant to pass her duty to anyone else, but removes the ring and hands it to Jabu. “Take them,” she says, drooping. Juba accepts the ring and helps his wife slowly to sit, then turns to you.
“If you provide light, I will lead the way,” he offers, “for I must open the master chamber door,” he explains.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
At the mention of the need for light Auger looks around and, finding nothing that seems right, he pulls out a single silver piece and slowly brings it into contact with the Diadem on his head. From it he brings forth a mote of simple light and attaches the mote to one side of the coin. Holding it in his hand he flips the coin over and the mote's light is mostly blocked by his hand, he flips it again and lights the room. To Juba, Auger says, "Truly the Yemma's gift is wonderous. Let the light of the fallen star guide us." Auger presses the coin into Juba's hand before going on, "I do not believe it will stay lit for more than an hour. When you do not need the light you can simply cover the coin."
"When you are ready sir. Lets move through this passage. Perhaps Varielky right behind? To lead into the room when we reach the top."
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow nods as the decision is made to travel to the masters chamber, and watches as Ayyur opens the secret passageway. "My thanks, I was not looking forward to spending the rest of my days in here, truth be told", he says to her with a smile.
As Auger presents Juba with the light, he wanders over to Varielky. "It pains me that you think me some sort of assassin. I did not ask to be part of the conflicts we have found ourselves embroiled in, and in truth I would rather avoid conflict than engage in it at all. However, if I must fight I do not shirk from it. Whether that be in self defence or like here, where I find myself unable to turn a blind eye to events. And yes, I will do what needs to be done to survive, and to ensure you all survive. I do not see glory in a righteous death after a fair fight, which does put our perspectives at odds it seems. But I do believe that some causes are worth fighting for, which truth be told is a recent development for me”.
He takes a deep breath. “We do not have to agree or see eye to eye, but we are on the same side. I would like us to be able to trust each other. Perhaps it is too soon for that though, I don’t know”, he says with a shrug.
He looks to the staircase, “Whatever we find up there, it would be my first intention to subdue and question the Jlasi. If we can do that quickly and quietly all the better, in my opinion. If you have other ideas, I would like to know, so we can at least move with one purpose”.
Chapter 9: Lord and Lady Tazellayt
Granophyre’s basso joins the conversation. “We do not know what to expect at the top of the stairs, but we must capitalize on any advantage we might gain from the element of surprise. I too refuse to be involved in an assassination. That said, let us see what lies before us.”
The old sage nods to Juba, who takes the silver piece from Auger and begins ascending, carefully watching his step in the magical light of the warlock’s spell, while Granophyre follows closely behind him.
As you follow, climbing out of the basement and to the castle’s upper reaches, sounds begin to reveal themselves around you, an intermittent rumbling. Soon, you are at the top of the staircase, and Juba raises Ayyur’s ring and whispers a magic word. In complete silence, a panel swings outward into a map-room, it appears, octagonal, 30’ across, with a table and chairs at its center, bookshelves around the walls, and narrow stained glass windows behind which lightning flashes, while the vague sounds you heard before now come into focus: thunder booms. Five goblins sleep against the walls, and one of the craggy chieftains you saw earlier sleeps in a chair, at the table. The movement of the door catches peripheral vision, and the creatures start awake in the darkness (Juba has covered the coin and stands aside just within the doorway). The chieftain, his eyes twin points of reflective green light, yells the goblin equivalent of “WHAT THE FLOCK!?!,” and launches to his feet, at the exact moment that a thunderbolt cracks loudly overhead, covering his shout.
The room looks like so. Goblins, just waking from sleep as a result of your entrance, are the circled numbers. The chieftain is #3. The arrow is your point of entry.
You have the initiative. Please post Round 1 actions.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Right behind Juba, Varielky walks with her shield strapped to her left hand and the right hand laying on her sword's hilt. "You might not be an assassin, but like it or not, I believe you think like one. You fight for a purpose, and therefore your first and second objectives when fighting are to achieve that purpose and to stay alive - which one matters more is not of importance to me. Don't be offended or anything, that is how most people think, unfortunately. I, however, was raised on different ideals.
"Fighting, by itself, when done gloriously, is the purpose. Staying alive is important, but not as much. Thus, dying in a fair duel, to the might of another great warrior, is far more desirable than staying alive by cowering from a fight." Varielky tries to explain herself as best as she can. By teaching - or even arguing - with others, you yourself learn the most. This way, she is forced to come up with answers to questions she never thought of asking. She values these conversations, actually, more than it might seem to others. "Most importantly, however, since everyone has just one life to prove their worth... well, usually... we cannot wrong them, deny them the opportunity by killing them unaware. You cannot expect to be given what you don't give others."
Varielky sighs. For her, this was as obvious as was it that the sun will shine when morning comes, but she can't expect others to think the same way. There are plenty of other things others grasp with ease that to her are beyond comprehension. "Similarly, I prefer to trust people until they break my trust, rather than make them prove they're trustworthy. So, unless you plan on stabbing me in the back, trust should not be an issue. If it were up to me, I'd wake up the Jlasi, invite them to a duel and see how things progress from there. We came to end their occupation of this castle, and for me, it is just a chance - perhaps a socially-accepted excuse - to fight. What is it you want to ask them, and why can't you do it while fighting them?"
Varielky
Snow walks up the stairs, deeply engrossed in his conversation with Varielky.
“Our definition of an assassin are quite different. My thought at the term is someone who takes money for the purpose of killing without further reason or purpose. My motives for fighting have never been monetary, they have clearly been either self defence or to uphold my own moral code”, he says as he ascends.
“By my definition you did indeed cause offence, however by yours possibly not”, he continues with a small shrug.
“Now your point regarding glorious combat and fair duels is another matter. How do you determine a fair duel, or a great warrior? You have obviously trained a great deal to become the warrior you are today, whilst I was practicing with my violin. Would it be a fair fight for us to duel in those circumstance, be it with weapons or a musical duel? Yes they do exist, they just rarely end in anyone’s demise”, he says taking out his violin to emphasise the point and with a smile at the last comment.
He rounds the bend in the staircase and finally notices that the door is open, and that the room it enters into is occupied by goblins.
“Ah!”, he exclaims before shouting a curse at the chieftain from his position behind the others.
“Go back to sleep you filthy grotesque, nothing but pain to be found here!”, he calls to it.
He turns back to Varielky as he ducks out of the goblins sight. “And what of someone like myself, who is skilled in the art of improving or impairing the ability of another, am I classed as unfair?”, he says continuing the conversation.
Action: Vicious Mockery DC 18 Wis save or take 2+3=5 damage and have disadvantage on next attack.
Reaction:
If anyone attacks himself or Juba that he can see he will use Cutting Words.
Cutting Words: 5+2=7
“Go back to the depths of whatever hell spawned you!”
(The problem is that you can't fit much dialogue into 6 seconds :/ )
"Assassin? One who waits for their enemy to turn their back away before they strike." Varielky gives her own terse version as she steps into the room, drawing her blade. However, seeing all Goblins still more or less asleep, Varielky runs and jumps onto the table. As she lands on the table, her hairs rise for a moment, continuing their upwards movement from the jump, then fall on her back again. The others might notice she left her hair unbraided, which means it is the first time any of them sees her fight like that. Even for someone who isn't especially big in size, wearing all that heavy armour while landing on the wooden table makes enough noise to wake them all up, but probably not enough to alert anyone outside... unless they were listening intently. Or so she hopes, at least. Though she doesn't want to kill them in their sleep, she doesn't plan on fighting a hundred Goblins at once again.
Holding her blade ready, Varielky waits for any of the Goblins to attack her. Whichever of them does will probably lose their life, but they will lose them with bravery, probably, and that's more than they should be allowed to hope for. She'll answer the rest of the captain's questions later.
Action: Ready an attack against the first Goblin who comes to attack her.
Varielky
Going up the stairs Auger listens to the conversation between Snow and Varielky, briefly recalling how it was always Benita who was most reliably able to move Varielky away from one of these strong beliefs of hers. Benita, always with her playful away about her but clearly a source of respect for Varielky because of Benita's own warrior prowess. Auger is close to chiming in with his own thoughts but then the door opens and things start happening quickly.
As soon as Varielky enters the room with the Goblins, Auger follows after, ready to support her attack. Moving quickly himself, Auger brings his rod up to touch Yemma's Starfell Diadem and from it brings forth a golden pulsing mote of light which he then flicks at the Goblin Chieftain. Auger then channels a pair of twisting blasts, one missing and then a second blast hitting the Chieftain and knocking it back against the wall.
Seeing Varielky standing on the table Auger is momentarily confused and is unsure why she has paused there. Hoping that she has not been frozen in place by some spell Auger notices the openings to the outside and tries calling out to Py. Can you hear me? We are in a tall tower. If you can respond tell us what has been going on outside.
Details
to the next attack againstto all attacks against #3 before the end of Auger's next turn.this use now dispels the Advantage on attacking #3) roll is a 16 which misses.Damage: 7 pointsBeam 2, targeting #5. Roll is a 13 for a missDM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Round 1 results (partial)
Py responds to Auger’s mental sending. ‘I can barely hear you. It is storming outside!’
Snow’s verbal assault takes the goblin chieftain down a notch, as do Auger’s guiding bolt and one of his Eldritch blasts which powers into it, knocking it out of its chair and cracking ribs, but the creature dodges with great speed and gains cover from the chair he’d been sitting upon, which absorbs Auger’s second bolt. Varielky leaps onto the tabletop, daring the goblins to action, while Granophyre whips a length of wire out to the nearest foe, #4, which wraps around its leg; the old dwarf pulls, flipping the creature to the ground and unleashing an electric jolt to end its evil life.
The goblin chieftain now obliges Varielky. It draws a longsword, which it wields two-handed, and slices at the shield-maiden, at disadvantage, smashing against her breastplate, which absorbs the blow completely, but hitting her expertly on its second attack with a 19, inflicting 6HP damage.
Varielky may react with her readied action before the goblins complete their turns.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Varielky quickly slices downwards on the Goblin. Though she lets her guard down as she does so, and the chieftain manages to take advantage on that, her attack still hits the Goblin, guided by the light created by Auger.
Attack: (6, 10 - advantage)+10=20. Damage: 5+9=14.
Varielky
The chieftain falls to Dreygaard, dark blood gurgling from its throat.
Goblin #5 draws its thin blade and leaps at Auger, screechingly, and slices at the warlock, hitting with a 20, but only a slight laceration for 3 HP.
Number 1 and 2 leap under the table, and then roll underneath and come out the other side (disengage), run to the door, which they fling open, and tear out of the room, turning left, and yelling; however their voices are covered by a furious thunderclap.
Please post actions for round 2. Only goblin 5 remains alive in this chamber, engaged in melee with Auger.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The single Goblin facing Auger proves to be problematic as it cuts him before he can react and redirect its blade. Although the range is too close, Auger attempts the same maneuver he did with the Chieftain a moment ago, hoping that the mote of light would either serve to kill the thing or to distract it enough to allow a follow up blast to strike it. The mote of fallen starlight strikes true, its intensity is too much for the Goblin as it succumbs to the overwhelming energy of the Diadem.
Over his shoulder Auger calls out, "Juba, close that door behind us and make yourself and your wife safe. We will come get you when this task is completed."
Auger then steps out of the chamber and looks to see where the Goblins went while carefully moving to avoid any attacks.
Details
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory