While the group pauses for Vethna to explore the chamber, Phodoxia shuffles her feet nervously. There probably can't be anything too friendly that's glowing red down a crevice, can there? Well, maybe. Someone might have lit a fire. Which will mean the drow will find them soon...
As they wait, she overhears the first part of Shoowaa's conversation with Kisiki. "Oh!" she turns to them, "I forgot, we were all in such a rush..." She pulls out a dagger. "We can do this now, Shoowaa, while we're waiting!"
As Vethna eases into the crevice, she hears scrabbling noises. Once she can get a look down into the chamber, she's sees around a dozen large beetles (2 to 2.5 feet in length) in a small chamber. The beetles have glands that give off a reddish orange glow. The room also has interesting crystal formations on the walls that are reflecting the light from these beetles.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Okay, sit down, this is probably going to sting. For a bit anyway. I can fix you afterwards." Phodoxia lays the tail out carefully against the stone once he's sitting down comfortably. "Now, look over there. Look at Kisiki's rat."
She tests the edge of the dagger---good, still nice and sharp---then slashes hard at the base of the tail, trying to cut it off cleanly.
He puts a clawed hand on the Goblin's shoulder. "Peace, Shoowaa, you speak like a spring storm. I am the shaman of this..." He gestures to all the fellow prisoners, "... temporary tribe. I do not know the words for it in Common. <he says the word for it in Draconic>." He continues on without worrying about the insufficiencies of Common as a language. "Why do you wish to remove your tail? It helps with balance and aids in swimming. Your mentor does not mind your choice - every tribesman is different. It was his job to find a place for your talents within the tribe. Now it is mine. What can you do with mushrooms?"
"Hold." He commands Phodoxia. "This tail could be a blessing of Semuanya. It is unwise to play with the signs of the Creator." He tries to pull Shoowaa away from the blade but is probably unsuccessful.
Vethna looks over the large bugs, then crawls back up to her companions. "Big bugs, I don't think we want to meet them." She whispers to the others, then moves back towards the tunnel they had planned to go down already. She eyes the three discussing one of the other's tails and shakes her head as she passes them. "Let me know when you are all ready to get moving again." She says to the group.
[OOC: I don't know what Shoowaa wants done or will allow with the tail. I normally don't allow player vs. player, but if he wants to sit still for having it sliced off, that roll should be enough to do it. He's going to need healing afterwards. If he doesn't really want to lose it, we can retcon that Kisiki intervened.]
If no one is interested in the beetles, the party can continue on past. They aren't going to bother you. You don't encounter anything of note for the rest of the day.
When you're ready for a long rest, I'll need a survival check from someone to locate a safe place to camp (if no party member wants to do that, Eldeth can). Also, I need a watch order for the night. If multiple people are watching at the same time. Let me know.
Shoowaa looks a the lizardfolk. ”One I get talking I talk and talk a bit too much. Oh as for mushrooms I kind of figured out how to kind of release some and hurt people with them if they get too close.
I…I only had it for a few weeks at most, I’ve known my life without it.”
Shoowaa puts a hand to stop Phodoxia. ”Uh hold for now.” Shoowaa turns to Kiski “Explain how this is a blessing.”
Petmailer agrees with moving past the beetles without disturbing them. He can take first watch, only needs 4 hours of meditation and has superior darkvision to 120 ft. If possible, he likes the idea of two on watch on any given shift, perhaps one at the front and one at the rear.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Phodoxia makes a face but stops her swing when Shoowaa asks her to wait, sheathing her dagger.
"What do you mean, a blessing?" she huffs at Kisiki. "Just 'cause you got one? Goblins, we don't have tails. It's weird and revolting for a goblin to have a tail. How would you like it if you sprouted a couple of giant ears, huh? Would that be a blessing?" She grasps her large pointed ears and pulls them upwards as if to make them bigger.
She'll offer to take second watch with Shoowaa when that time comes.
(It's as part of the RP, since neither of the goblins like it, so I don't think of it as PVP, since she will only do it with his permission and she'll stop if he asks her to. She does have healing spell to use afterwards should it go that way. :D)
Kisiki explains the way of the natural world to the Goblins, stooping somewhat to seem more equal with them. "Great-Scale created all things. We are Her children," he says, referring to Lizardfolk, "but She also created all the beasts of the land and the sea and the plants and the mountains. In short, everything is part of the Creator, and She loves it all. Very few are chosen by Semuanya, but those who are, are given a sign - it is a reward, in a way, for showing interest in Her creations. This was my sign." Kisiki holds his mummified rat head up to Shoowaa and Phodoxia for inspection, a warm light still pouring out of its mouth and eye sockets. "After years of meditation on the connection of all things, She taught me the language of nature. This rat was the first creature whom I understood but I can speak with all things, including plants, and I can read the secret meaning of the signs that She shows me, though all can plainly see them."
He takes his rat head away and stands up straight again. "You can take the form of beasts, you have said, and you have a rapport with funguses. She has trusted you with a great undertaking. It would be foolish throw away a sign of Her love, no matter how She manifests it. Even if it were great big floppy ears."
Kisiki then responds to the scouts, who have spotted the beetles. "This is their home. Would you not like to solicit the advice of the denizens of this world?"He turns to Shoowaa, "You will learn, if you have not already, that creatures are creatures, and will act according to their nature. Fire exists only to burn, beetles exist only to be beetles - they will only know what a beetle knows, even if you can talk to them. Now, tell me, what does a beetle do, and what would a beetle know?"
((As for watch, Kisiki might be the worst choice because he's the only one without darkvision. However, my perception is pretty good. I probably won't take a watch unless we need more people to fill it in.))
"Yeah," Phodoxia says, "but look, she created mountains mountains, and plants plants, and seas seas, and mushrooms mushrooms, and goblins goblins. Mountains aren't made of liquid, and plants don't walk around--uh, usually--and goblins don't have tails. So what's the reason to think why she'd give a goblin a weird tail, when she gave you a perfectly normal rat on a stick?" But she can see that Shoowaa seems a little entranced by the lizardman. The blind scaly shaman does sound pretty compelling. She kind of wants to sit down and listen more to what he's saying, herself. But that hideous tail is distracting and she's annoyed at what seems to her very silly and unfounded reasons for thinking it's a blessing. "Just because something's weird doesn't mean it's a good thing. Especially if it's all backwards from what it should be!"
Phodoxia looks around, at the phosphorescent moss on the walls, at the other people in the party, at anything other than the tail. Half listening to Kisiki's lesson to Shoowaa about beetles. "That's a good question," she says, intentionally not looking at either of them. "What would a beetle know? Are you gonna talk to the beetle, Shoowaa?"
Tanis believes Vethna is best suited to identify a good spot for a long rest (best Survival bonus at +7 - Tanis has a +5, same as Eldeth and some other PCs... but Tanis is happy to help if that gives Vethna advantage).
Tanis will take last watch with Eldeth. He will ask the dwarf to tell him more of Gauntlgrym. He will also relate to her the story of his capture, chasing duergar from Icewind Dale with his company from Bryn Shander, down into the bowels of the earth beneath a mountain fortress they had thought to be abandoned.
Kisiki shakes his head patiently, "If it is, then it is supposed to be. What is an ocean but a mountain made of liquid? Is it so different because it is flat at the top instead of the bottom? There are many ways to look at everything, and Her gift symbolizes that Shoowaa has taken his first steps into seeing the truth of the world. Why did She choose a tail for him and a rat for me? I do not know, She knows him better than I, but I can read the signs - I know what the tail means."
"But I am only here to advise and guide - a chieftain makes decisions for the group, and each member must make decisions which only affect him or herself. Shoowaa will choose what is right for him."
With that he departs the Goblins and sees if he can help the scouts, and what their decision is on speaking with the beetles.
Phodoxia stares flatly at Kisiki as he says this. "An ocean is a mountain, an orc is an elf, the underground is the sunshine, a drow is an ooze," she calls out after him as he leaves. "That's not the truth of the world, that's just wrong! Inaccurate! You can't prove anything about this tail meaning something, but anyone can prove to you that GOBLINS DON'T HAVE TAILS!"
She sighs and unsheathes her dagger again, flipping it into the air and catching it. And smiles at Shoowaa. "Well, he's right about one thing. It's up to you. I promise I won't cut it off if you wanna keep it." She grimaces, clearly still grossed out by it. "I just don't know why you'd want to..."
Shoowaa looks very conflicted , as both of them have good points. “…Huh. Now I am not sure. It could be a blessing or a curse I guess, but I am not sure what to think sbout it. Um let me think about it for a few days okay? At worst I have to live with it for a little longer, but if you chop it off I won’t get it back.”
Shoowaa looks at Phroxdia “Ooh you need to come to the feywilds, there is plently of wierd stuff there! There’s a lot of magic there so there is plently of odd contradictions! I’ve seen a dog that wasn’t really a dog there before. If a quaggoth can be an elf, why not an elf be an orc?”
”I am going to speak with the beetles for a bit, lets see what they know of the land!”
If shoowaa has time, he will ritually cast communicate with animals. If not he’ll use a spell slot and crawls to the beetles. <Hi! Can you guys tell me about this area?>
"That's very sensible," Phodoxia agrees, and sheathes her dagger again. "There's no rush, ugly as it is, it's not hurting anything. You just let me know what you decide and I'm happy to help!"
She listens curiously as he tells her about the Feywilds, but she looks less than enthusiastic, and even a little bit terrified. "I'm, uh, I mean, I've seen things like that. I ran too far into the wrong forest once. It wasn't the Feywild, maybe, but it was awfully close. You're right, it's really weird. The magical people and strange beasts there, they did not like me. They were going to kill me. I had to beg for my life, you know. I... um... well," she looks very embarrassed, and then, even dejected. "I had to make a deal. Sometimes I regret it, but at least I'm still alive." She cracks a toothy grin again. "Not even drow can get me now."
Phodoxia follows Shoowaa to the mouth of the crevice where the others said there were beetles. She crawls in too, but stays some distance behind, wanting to get a glimpse of these things. And, be on hand to help if they're aggressive...
Just before end of his long rest, IF he hasn't used his spell slots yet, Tanis uses both his 1st level spell slots to cast Goodberry so he has 20 Goodberries for the next 24 hours to give out. Of course, if there is a surprise between now and the end of the long rest that causes him to use his spell slots, that may change.
While the group pauses for Vethna to explore the chamber, Phodoxia shuffles her feet nervously. There probably can't be anything too friendly that's glowing red down a crevice, can there? Well, maybe. Someone might have lit a fire. Which will mean the drow will find them soon...
As they wait, she overhears the first part of Shoowaa's conversation with Kisiki. "Oh!" she turns to them, "I forgot, we were all in such a rush..." She pulls out a dagger. "We can do this now, Shoowaa, while we're waiting!"
As Vethna eases into the crevice, she hears scrabbling noises. Once she can get a look down into the chamber, she's sees around a dozen large beetles (2 to 2.5 feet in length) in a small chamber. The beetles have glands that give off a reddish orange glow. The room also has interesting crystal formations on the walls that are reflecting the light from these beetles.
Shoowaa nods. “Yea I think we are far enough away from them to do it.”
"Okay, sit down, this is probably going to sting. For a bit anyway. I can fix you afterwards." Phodoxia lays the tail out carefully against the stone once he's sitting down comfortably. "Now, look over there. Look at Kisiki's rat."
She tests the edge of the dagger---good, still nice and sharp---then slashes hard at the base of the tail, trying to cut it off cleanly.
Attack roll: 18
Damage: 6
He puts a clawed hand on the Goblin's shoulder. "Peace, Shoowaa, you speak like a spring storm. I am the shaman of this..." He gestures to all the fellow prisoners, "... temporary tribe. I do not know the words for it in Common. <he says the word for it in Draconic>." He continues on without worrying about the insufficiencies of Common as a language. "Why do you wish to remove your tail? It helps with balance and aids in swimming. Your mentor does not mind your choice - every tribesman is different. It was his job to find a place for your talents within the tribe. Now it is mine. What can you do with mushrooms?"
"Hold." He commands Phodoxia. "This tail could be a blessing of Semuanya. It is unwise to play with the signs of the Creator." He tries to pull Shoowaa away from the blade but is probably unsuccessful.
Vethna looks over the large bugs, then crawls back up to her companions. "Big bugs, I don't think we want to meet them." She whispers to the others, then moves back towards the tunnel they had planned to go down already. She eyes the three discussing one of the other's tails and shakes her head as she passes them. "Let me know when you are all ready to get moving again." She says to the group.
[OOC: I don't know what Shoowaa wants done or will allow with the tail. I normally don't allow player vs. player, but if he wants to sit still for having it sliced off, that roll should be enough to do it. He's going to need healing afterwards. If he doesn't really want to lose it, we can retcon that Kisiki intervened.]
If no one is interested in the beetles, the party can continue on past. They aren't going to bother you. You don't encounter anything of note for the rest of the day.
When you're ready for a long rest, I'll need a survival check from someone to locate a safe place to camp (if no party member wants to do that, Eldeth can). Also, I need a watch order for the night. If multiple people are watching at the same time. Let me know.
Shoowaa looks a the lizardfolk. ”One I get talking I talk and talk a bit too much. Oh as for mushrooms I kind of figured out how to kind of release some and hurt people with them if they get too close.
I…I only had it for a few weeks at most, I’ve known my life without it.”
Shoowaa puts a hand to stop Phodoxia. ”Uh hold for now.” Shoowaa turns to Kiski “Explain how this is a blessing.”
Shoowaa will take second watch,
Petmailer agrees with moving past the beetles without disturbing them. He can take first watch, only needs 4 hours of meditation and has superior darkvision to 120 ft. If possible, he likes the idea of two on watch on any given shift, perhaps one at the front and one at the rear.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Phodoxia makes a face but stops her swing when Shoowaa asks her to wait, sheathing her dagger.
"What do you mean, a blessing?" she huffs at Kisiki. "Just 'cause you got one? Goblins, we don't have tails. It's weird and revolting for a goblin to have a tail. How would you like it if you sprouted a couple of giant ears, huh? Would that be a blessing?" She grasps her large pointed ears and pulls them upwards as if to make them bigger.
She'll offer to take second watch with Shoowaa when that time comes.
(It's as part of the RP, since neither of the goblins like it, so I don't think of it as PVP, since she will only do it with his permission and she'll stop if he asks her to. She does have healing spell to use afterwards should it go that way. :D)
That's the way I was taking it, so not really PVP, but wanted to make sure it was something Shoowaa wanted.
Kisiki explains the way of the natural world to the Goblins, stooping somewhat to seem more equal with them. "Great-Scale created all things. We are Her children," he says, referring to Lizardfolk, "but She also created all the beasts of the land and the sea and the plants and the mountains. In short, everything is part of the Creator, and She loves it all. Very few are chosen by Semuanya, but those who are, are given a sign - it is a reward, in a way, for showing interest in Her creations. This was my sign." Kisiki holds his mummified rat head up to Shoowaa and Phodoxia for inspection, a warm light still pouring out of its mouth and eye sockets. "After years of meditation on the connection of all things, She taught me the language of nature. This rat was the first creature whom I understood but I can speak with all things, including plants, and I can read the secret meaning of the signs that She shows me, though all can plainly see them."
He takes his rat head away and stands up straight again. "You can take the form of beasts, you have said, and you have a rapport with funguses. She has trusted you with a great undertaking. It would be foolish throw away a sign of Her love, no matter how She manifests it. Even if it were great big floppy ears."
Kisiki then responds to the scouts, who have spotted the beetles. "This is their home. Would you not like to solicit the advice of the denizens of this world?" He turns to Shoowaa, "You will learn, if you have not already, that creatures are creatures, and will act according to their nature. Fire exists only to burn, beetles exist only to be beetles - they will only know what a beetle knows, even if you can talk to them. Now, tell me, what does a beetle do, and what would a beetle know?"
((As for watch, Kisiki might be the worst choice because he's the only one without darkvision. However, my perception is pretty good. I probably won't take a watch unless we need more people to fill it in.))
"Yeah," Phodoxia says, "but look, she created mountains mountains, and plants plants, and seas seas, and mushrooms mushrooms, and goblins goblins. Mountains aren't made of liquid, and plants don't walk around--uh, usually--and goblins don't have tails. So what's the reason to think why she'd give a goblin a weird tail, when she gave you a perfectly normal rat on a stick?" But she can see that Shoowaa seems a little entranced by the lizardman. The blind scaly shaman does sound pretty compelling. She kind of wants to sit down and listen more to what he's saying, herself. But that hideous tail is distracting and she's annoyed at what seems to her very silly and unfounded reasons for thinking it's a blessing. "Just because something's weird doesn't mean it's a good thing. Especially if it's all backwards from what it should be!"
Phodoxia looks around, at the phosphorescent moss on the walls, at the other people in the party, at anything other than the tail. Half listening to Kisiki's lesson to Shoowaa about beetles. "That's a good question," she says, intentionally not looking at either of them. "What would a beetle know? Are you gonna talk to the beetle, Shoowaa?"
Tanis believes Vethna is best suited to identify a good spot for a long rest (best Survival bonus at +7 - Tanis has a +5, same as Eldeth and some other PCs... but Tanis is happy to help if that gives Vethna advantage).
Tanis will take last watch with Eldeth. He will ask the dwarf to tell him more of Gauntlgrym. He will also relate to her the story of his capture, chasing duergar from Icewind Dale with his company from Bryn Shander, down into the bowels of the earth beneath a mountain fortress they had thought to be abandoned.
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
Kisiki shakes his head patiently, "If it is, then it is supposed to be. What is an ocean but a mountain made of liquid? Is it so different because it is flat at the top instead of the bottom? There are many ways to look at everything, and Her gift symbolizes that Shoowaa has taken his first steps into seeing the truth of the world. Why did She choose a tail for him and a rat for me? I do not know, She knows him better than I, but I can read the signs - I know what the tail means."
"But I am only here to advise and guide - a chieftain makes decisions for the group, and each member must make decisions which only affect him or herself. Shoowaa will choose what is right for him."
With that he departs the Goblins and sees if he can help the scouts, and what their decision is on speaking with the beetles.
Phodoxia stares flatly at Kisiki as he says this. "An ocean is a mountain, an orc is an elf, the underground is the sunshine, a drow is an ooze," she calls out after him as he leaves. "That's not the truth of the world, that's just wrong! Inaccurate! You can't prove anything about this tail meaning something, but anyone can prove to you that GOBLINS DON'T HAVE TAILS!"
She sighs and unsheathes her dagger again, flipping it into the air and catching it. And smiles at Shoowaa. "Well, he's right about one thing. It's up to you. I promise I won't cut it off if you wanna keep it." She grimaces, clearly still grossed out by it. "I just don't know why you'd want to..."
Shoowaa looks very conflicted , as both of them have good points. “…Huh. Now I am not sure. It could be a blessing or a curse I guess, but I am not sure what to think sbout it. Um let me think about it for a few days okay? At worst I have to live with it for a little longer, but if you chop it off I won’t get it back.”
Shoowaa looks at Phroxdia “Ooh you need to come to the feywilds, there is plently of wierd stuff there! There’s a lot of magic there so there is plently of odd contradictions! I’ve seen a dog that wasn’t really a dog there before. If a quaggoth can be an elf, why not an elf be an orc?”
”I am going to speak with the beetles for a bit, lets see what they know of the land!”
If shoowaa has time, he will ritually cast communicate with animals. If not he’ll use a spell slot and crawls to the beetles. <Hi! Can you guys tell me about this area?>
"That's very sensible," Phodoxia agrees, and sheathes her dagger again. "There's no rush, ugly as it is, it's not hurting anything. You just let me know what you decide and I'm happy to help!"
She listens curiously as he tells her about the Feywilds, but she looks less than enthusiastic, and even a little bit terrified. "I'm, uh, I mean, I've seen things like that. I ran too far into the wrong forest once. It wasn't the Feywild, maybe, but it was awfully close. You're right, it's really weird. The magical people and strange beasts there, they did not like me. They were going to kill me. I had to beg for my life, you know. I... um... well," she looks very embarrassed, and then, even dejected. "I had to make a deal. Sometimes I regret it, but at least I'm still alive." She cracks a toothy grin again. "Not even drow can get me now."
Phodoxia follows Shoowaa to the mouth of the crevice where the others said there were beetles. She crawls in too, but stays some distance behind, wanting to get a glimpse of these things. And, be on hand to help if they're aggressive...
Just before end of his long rest, IF he hasn't used his spell slots yet, Tanis uses both his 1st level spell slots to cast Goodberry so he has 20 Goodberries for the next 24 hours to give out. Of course, if there is a surprise between now and the end of the long rest that causes him to use his spell slots, that may change.
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