Tanis walks back towards the pool, getting ready to get back to work, and mutters "What was that thing?" in common.
But it's more of a rhetorical question to cover for him scanning the pool for any more oozes or similar hazards (Perception check rolled above if needed).
The ooze and the brief combat that surrounded it kicked up a disturbance in the water, so that things are a little murky and cloudy right now. But in general, you think this thing had been serving as kind of a garbage disposal for the drow outpost. It was slowly dissolving away all the debris that the drow were throwing into the waterfall. This pool and the surrounding area look like this water has been flowing through this path a very long time. Everything touched by the water has been eroded down to smooth rock surfaces. Where the waterfall hits the pool, it looks to be a good 20 feet deep. Then it quickly forms a channel as it flows across the cavern floor and turns underground again. You don't see signs of any other oozes or similar creatures, but the thing you fought was almost a perfect match for the color and texture of the stone surface at the bottom of the pool. When it was motionless, it couldn't be seen.
Let me know if there is anything else you want to do before your shift wraps up. The gnomes: Topsy, Turvey and Jimjar have been quiet and just kept working efficiently at cleaning tables, scrubbing floors, and washing dishes.
Phodoxia keeps cleaning quietly after the guard snaps at her, but looks up again after a few minutes. "Shoowaa is good at catching rats too," she says with a giggle, pointing at her fellow goblin. "You could put him on duty..."
He wants to test magic. Phodoxia keeps thinking about that. Fire or light would be too obvious. But maybe there is something else she can try. Phodoxia scrubs another plate in the bucket, looking at the handful of felted wool she's using to clean. Without looking up, she tries to focus, and cast a spell...
(If successful, Minor Illusion) A sound comes from the pantry of scratching, and a couple of squeaks here and there. She pretends not to notice as the sounds continue, but then cocks an ear, as if she just heard them, and turns again to the guard, eyes wide. "There they are.... rats! Can you hear them??"
Shoor calls an end to your labor shortly after the battle with the ooze. The drow soldiers with him look nervous. You can overhear them whispering to each other about the voice you all heard in your heads. Shoor sends one of guards up in the basket to get things organized and make sure there is a security detail waiting at the top of the lift, then has the Quaggoths bring you up in the same manner as you were lowered down to the cavern. While you're rising up in the basket, you see him walk over to the shore of the pool and look carefully over the surface. Then he comes up with the guards and orders them to take you back to your cell. You see him headed off toward Ilvara's chambers.
Tanis attempts to keep his face expressionless. Did not think a week ago that I'd be deep underground conspiring with a dark elf against other dark elves! But Petmailer, I and the rest of us will need to stick together if this has any chance of working.
Tanis normally knows less than nothing about Religion, though the word Jubilex vaguely rings a bell for some reason. An uncomfortable bell. Tanis replies to Petmailer's message:
"Jubilex. The Faceless Lord, must be? A... a demon? I was just throwing rocks into the pool to make sure the drow hadn't set a trap there somehow. Seems like the obvious way down if we can get free of the cell at some point. Bypass the lift and the spiderwebs if we can overcome the 2 drow posted in the northern alcove. I didn't think some ooze would talk to us in our heads! Still can't wrap my head around that. I just hope there are no more telepathic blobs down there if we do get the chance to jump!"
"Careful talking with Jorlan. Goes without saying you know drow better than I. And he does seem disgruntled. There's a chance he'll be an asset for us in some way, but I'm thinking just because there is a rift does not mean he is our ally."
For Petmailer and Tanis's religion checks, I dumped all the lore on the Faceless Lord in post # 220 response to Kisiki's 21 religion check. If you are looking for something else, let me know.
The crew working on the cavern floor are returned to the cell first. Once the adrenaline wears off from your encounter with the ooze, exhaustion sets in. You've been resting in the cell for a brief time when the kitchen crew are also returned. You all have a few brief moments to share what you learned when Jorlan arrives carrying a stack of clay bowls and a pot full of mushroom stew. He starts ladling the soup into the bowls and passing them through the bars. The only other drow around are guards in the watch tower.
When Petmailer approaches the bars to get his bowl, Jorlan mutters under his breath “If I could give you a means to escape from here, would you take it?”
Tanis quietly approaches Vethna if given the chance. "I hope everyone from the kitchen crew is all right. I believe we have some information to share from down on the cavern floor. If and when you think Stool is up to it, I'd love to exchange what we all know and plan further if we can telepathically. Maybe the same group as last time?"
In addition to a conversation, Tanis is hoping to have everyone pair off and each help their partner attempt to slip free of the manacles (assuming we're in them currently). (OOC: hopefully dex checks with the help giving advantage?). If free, he'd still want to pretend we're all still bound.
You are definitely still in the manacles and collars.
Also, feel free to role play whatever you want between the group, but this evening, the Drow are distracted by news of the ooze (particularly that it spoke telepathically). They don't care as much if the prisoners are having quiet conversations amongst themselves. You can just say "we share what we know" or you could role play the conversation. You could get the myconid to cause a mind meld again, or you could simply talk.
I think Tanis would be asking for the mind meld because he would not want Buppido as part of the conversation. Not sure about Sarith, the other drow. Everyone else, yes.
Petmailer says quietly to Jorlan, "Yes, I would. All of us. We heard something, down in the water, and fought off an ooze. All of us heard something talking in our heads, something speaking to the ? Faceless Lord... something is not right here. I know you probably have been told things about me, there is a bigger story here...I wish we could talk. I could message you if the anti-magic field could be dropped." He speaks rapid fire in a low voice, with urgency.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Jorlan replies "I'm not a magic-user. I don't have anyway to dispel the ward cast on this cell. It is a permanent block on magic within that space. Besides, I'm not interested in anything other than causing embarrassment for Ilvara and Shoor. He's been going around bragging about how he dispatched that ooze with no effort, while I was nearly killed by one. If you all killed that thing with rocks and a few crossbow bolts, it was nowhere near as powerful as the creature I faced."
He looks over his shoulder to make sure the guards in the tower aren't paying attention.
"Understand me, I am not your ally. We just have a common enemy. I could arrange for the gate here to be left unlocked and create a distraction to draw the guards attention. I'm not going to do it now because it would be obvious who aided you and they would have my head. If you can fight, or better yet, sneak your way into the guard tower, there is an armory and storage area above the guard post. You could find some basics that you need there. At that point, my advice would be to jump down into the webs, then drop from them into the pool below. If you survive the fall, you'll be on your own. Whatever you do, don't engage against Ilvara and Shoor. Even with weapons you would be easily overwhelmed. Talk amongst yourselves and be ready."
Petmailer says to Jorlan "Yes. We will be." He takes his bowl of mushroom soup and joins the others. In low tones, as he sits down he says "Tanis, Vethna, we need Sprout. A lot of information..."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Sprout, can you do it again?" Vethna asks, making the poofing motion with her hands to indicate use of the spores. Once it is active she would look to the others. "I don't see how this can work. We all still have our manicles on. With those on we cannot sneak, climb, or even fight very well. It seems he is only freeing us to give a mark against this other drow, not to actually give us a chance at freedom." She pauses, looking around. "If we can get free of the manicles, then I believe we could make this work."
Kisiki recites a verse from the Tale of Semuanya. It sounds like a rhythmic chanting - in fact it is ancient Lizardman poetry, used to facilitate recording their history with oral tradition:
Draconic:
"...but soon the world choked with the dead trees and vines. They filled the swamps so her people could not swim, and all the fish died, and new trees could not grow, and once again her people called out to her. She created a being of eternal hunger. One whose hunger was as vast as the swamp itself. One who would eat even the dead trees and vines. It was Juiblex, the Faceless Lord. Being only concerned with his hunger, he broke away from the will of the Creator, and consumed even the children of Semuanya. He grew so great, that he split into many forms, which still roam the swamps, consuming all things. For his impiety, Great-Scale bound him in Chaos, with her other failed creations. But he writhes against his chains, and when he is strong, the pieces of his body remember once being Juiblex, the Faceless Lord."
Common: "Juiblex, the Faceless Lord shakes his prison. The pieces of his body remember being whole. It is not safe here. I do not trust burnt-face, but we should leave soon. We should take the opportunity to leave."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Another Perception check if needed: 10
Tanis walks back towards the pool, getting ready to get back to work, and mutters "What was that thing?" in common.
But it's more of a rhetorical question to cover for him scanning the pool for any more oozes or similar hazards (Perception check rolled above if needed).
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
The ooze and the brief combat that surrounded it kicked up a disturbance in the water, so that things are a little murky and cloudy right now. But in general, you think this thing had been serving as kind of a garbage disposal for the drow outpost. It was slowly dissolving away all the debris that the drow were throwing into the waterfall. This pool and the surrounding area look like this water has been flowing through this path a very long time. Everything touched by the water has been eroded down to smooth rock surfaces. Where the waterfall hits the pool, it looks to be a good 20 feet deep. Then it quickly forms a channel as it flows across the cavern floor and turns underground again. You don't see signs of any other oozes or similar creatures, but the thing you fought was almost a perfect match for the color and texture of the stone surface at the bottom of the pool. When it was motionless, it couldn't be seen.
Kitchen crew:
Let me know if there is anything else you want to do before your shift wraps up. The gnomes: Topsy, Turvey and Jimjar have been quiet and just kept working efficiently at cleaning tables, scrubbing floors, and washing dishes.
Phodoxia keeps cleaning quietly after the guard snaps at her, but looks up again after a few minutes. "Shoowaa is good at catching rats too," she says with a giggle, pointing at her fellow goblin. "You could put him on duty..."
He wants to test magic. Phodoxia keeps thinking about that. Fire or light would be too obvious. But maybe there is something else she can try. Phodoxia scrubs another plate in the bucket, looking at the handful of felted wool she's using to clean. Without looking up, she tries to focus, and cast a spell...
(If successful, Minor Illusion) A sound comes from the pantry of scratching, and a couple of squeaks here and there. She pretends not to notice as the sounds continue, but then cocks an ear, as if she just heard them, and turns again to the guard, eyes wide. "There they are.... rats! Can you hear them??"
[OOC: outside of your cell, magic is working. Your minor illusion does work.]
Vrah goes back to gathering stones but does quietly so only Shoor can hear, "Could have warned us about the creature."
Rock Crew:
Shoor calls an end to your labor shortly after the battle with the ooze. The drow soldiers with him look nervous. You can overhear them whispering to each other about the voice you all heard in your heads. Shoor sends one of guards up in the basket to get things organized and make sure there is a security detail waiting at the top of the lift, then has the Quaggoths bring you up in the same manner as you were lowered down to the cavern. While you're rising up in the basket, you see him walk over to the shore of the pool and look carefully over the surface. Then he comes up with the guards and orders them to take you back to your cell. You see him headed off toward Ilvara's chambers.
Petmailer checks -
Religion : 20
Nature : 8
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Petmailer looks over to Tanis as the are walking toward the lift, holding his chain link and point his finger toward him, sending a message saying :
"If I see Jorlan, I'm going to send a message to him to start a conversation. I sense a rift among them. Ooze a minion of Juiblex?"
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Religion check: 17
Tanis attempts to keep his face expressionless. Did not think a week ago that I'd be deep underground conspiring with a dark elf against other dark elves! But Petmailer, I and the rest of us will need to stick together if this has any chance of working.
Tanis normally knows less than nothing about Religion, though the word Jubilex vaguely rings a bell for some reason. An uncomfortable bell. Tanis replies to Petmailer's message:
"Jubilex. The Faceless Lord, must be? A... a demon? I was just throwing rocks into the pool to make sure the drow hadn't set a trap there somehow. Seems like the obvious way down if we can get free of the cell at some point. Bypass the lift and the spiderwebs if we can overcome the 2 drow posted in the northern alcove. I didn't think some ooze would talk to us in our heads! Still can't wrap my head around that. I just hope there are no more telepathic blobs down there if we do get the chance to jump!"
"Careful talking with Jorlan. Goes without saying you know drow better than I. And he does seem disgruntled. There's a chance he'll be an asset for us in some way, but I'm thinking just because there is a rift does not mean he is our ally."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
For Petmailer and Tanis's religion checks, I dumped all the lore on the Faceless Lord in post # 220 response to Kisiki's 21 religion check. If you are looking for something else, let me know.
The crew working on the cavern floor are returned to the cell first. Once the adrenaline wears off from your encounter with the ooze, exhaustion sets in. You've been resting in the cell for a brief time when the kitchen crew are also returned. You all have a few brief moments to share what you learned when Jorlan arrives carrying a stack of clay bowls and a pot full of mushroom stew. He starts ladling the soup into the bowls and passing them through the bars. The only other drow around are guards in the watch tower.
When Petmailer approaches the bars to get his bowl, Jorlan mutters under his breath “If I could give you a means to escape from here, would you take it?”
Tanis quietly approaches Vethna if given the chance. "I hope everyone from the kitchen crew is all right. I believe we have some information to share from down on the cavern floor. If and when you think Stool is up to it, I'd love to exchange what we all know and plan further if we can telepathically. Maybe the same group as last time?"
In addition to a conversation, Tanis is hoping to have everyone pair off and each help their partner attempt to slip free of the manacles (assuming we're in them currently). (OOC: hopefully dex checks with the help giving advantage?). If free, he'd still want to pretend we're all still bound.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
You are definitely still in the manacles and collars.
Also, feel free to role play whatever you want between the group, but this evening, the Drow are distracted by news of the ooze (particularly that it spoke telepathically). They don't care as much if the prisoners are having quiet conversations amongst themselves. You can just say "we share what we know" or you could role play the conversation. You could get the myconid to cause a mind meld again, or you could simply talk.
I think Tanis would be asking for the mind meld because he would not want Buppido as part of the conversation. Not sure about Sarith, the other drow. Everyone else, yes.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Petmailer says quietly to Jorlan, "Yes, I would. All of us. We heard something, down in the water, and fought off an ooze. All of us heard something talking in our heads, something speaking to the ? Faceless Lord... something is not right here. I know you probably have been told things about me, there is a bigger story here...I wish we could talk. I could message you if the anti-magic field could be dropped." He speaks rapid fire in a low voice, with urgency.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Jorlan replies "I'm not a magic-user. I don't have anyway to dispel the ward cast on this cell. It is a permanent block on magic within that space. Besides, I'm not interested in anything other than causing embarrassment for Ilvara and Shoor. He's been going around bragging about how he dispatched that ooze with no effort, while I was nearly killed by one. If you all killed that thing with rocks and a few crossbow bolts, it was nowhere near as powerful as the creature I faced."
He looks over his shoulder to make sure the guards in the tower aren't paying attention.
"Understand me, I am not your ally. We just have a common enemy. I could arrange for the gate here to be left unlocked and create a distraction to draw the guards attention. I'm not going to do it now because it would be obvious who aided you and they would have my head. If you can fight, or better yet, sneak your way into the guard tower, there is an armory and storage area above the guard post. You could find some basics that you need there. At that point, my advice would be to jump down into the webs, then drop from them into the pool below. If you survive the fall, you'll be on your own. Whatever you do, don't engage against Ilvara and Shoor. Even with weapons you would be easily overwhelmed. Talk amongst yourselves and be ready."
Petmailer says to Jorlan "Yes. We will be." He takes his bowl of mushroom soup and joins the others. In low tones, as he sits down he says "Tanis, Vethna, we need Sprout. A lot of information..."
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Sprout, can you do it again?" Vethna asks, making the poofing motion with her hands to indicate use of the spores. Once it is active she would look to the others. "I don't see how this can work. We all still have our manicles on. With those on we cannot sneak, climb, or even fight very well. It seems he is only freeing us to give a mark against this other drow, not to actually give us a chance at freedom." She pauses, looking around. "If we can get free of the manicles, then I believe we could make this work."
Kisiki recites a verse from the Tale of Semuanya. It sounds like a rhythmic chanting - in fact it is ancient Lizardman poetry, used to facilitate recording their history with oral tradition:
Draconic:
"...but soon the world choked with the dead trees and vines. They filled the swamps so her people could not swim, and all the fish died, and new trees could not grow, and once again her people called out to her. She created a being of eternal hunger. One whose hunger was as vast as the swamp itself. One who would eat even the dead trees and vines. It was Juiblex, the Faceless Lord. Being only concerned with his hunger, he broke away from the will of the Creator, and consumed even the children of Semuanya. He grew so great, that he split into many forms, which still roam the swamps, consuming all things. For his impiety, Great-Scale bound him in Chaos, with her other failed creations. But he writhes against his chains, and when he is strong, the pieces of his body remember once being Juiblex, the Faceless Lord."
Common:
"Juiblex, the Faceless Lord shakes his prison. The pieces of his body remember being whole. It is not safe here. I do not trust burnt-face, but we should leave soon. We should take the opportunity to leave."