Titaani catches the rope in perfect synchronization with Strongheart's fall, and surfs the hapless paladin as he swings in a wide arc under the stairwell.
As they come to the end of their swing and begin to drop back again, it's clear that Strongheart still thinks he is in mid-combat with the League of Malevolence. "Thank you, kind gnome!" he booms. "But stand back. That foul wizard shoots fire. But Steel and I will smite them all yet."
"Uh..." he continues, as they swing back under the stairwell again. "Do you have a way back up, by chance?"
"Wizard? No, no, you've got it all wrong! We've defeated them!" Titaani explains, having caught her breath after her momentary fright. "Ben and the others will pull us up, and then we can tell you everything. I know Elkhorn will be really happy to see you."
With the help of the others, Ben pulls in a confused Strongheart, together with Titaani. He sheathes his unusual longsword.
Elkhorn does his best to convince his friend that much time has passed and that the battle is over. "You were frozen, Strongheart! It's been months - or days - or something - since our battle. I was captured! These nice folks rescued me, and I brought 'em back to finish the job. The League of Malevolence is vanquished. We won! But everyone here is frozen. Well, most everyone..."
"Everyone may think I'm crazy, but shouldn't we go kill that jabber-thingy next? The cauldron it's guarding was important to restoring the queen, right? Now we have Strongheart, we may have a real shot at it. And we can restore the others in that room." Offers Horatio. Then, looking at Strongheart, "Would you be up for that? Do you need a minute?"
(( OOC: Does Strongheart need a Long/Short Rest to be combat effective? ))
(Strongheart seems to be pretending to shake it off, but he is battered and bleeding from a number of wounds – burns, contusions, and bruises.)
"I led Valor’s Call to this palace, although I'm beginning to suspect we were duped here by that coven of hags," explains Strongheart. "I planned to bring the members of the League of Malevolence to justice, but I suppose I underestimated their tenacity and resourcefulness. Warduke used his horn of blasting to punch a hole in yonder wall and sent me hurtling through it. That's the last thing I remember. But I am grateful to you, my rescuers, and pledge my help to accomplish whatever goals brought you here."
”Welcome back, Strongheart,” says Ben warmly, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder (Lay on Hands for 20 points of healing).
”Our overall goal is to free the Fey Queen so this realm does not collapse in on itself. We also have two more of your companions to free, though they are currently in the room with the Jabberwocky, so that could be difficult to do quietly. I don’t know that we have to slay the Jabberwocky—I think it is the queen’s pet—but we will defend ourselves if it comes to that.” informs Ben.
”Freeing one frozen in time requires knowledge of the person’s true name in addition to the horn Titaani has,” Ben adds, “And we have some leads on finding out the Queen’s true name, but I am inclined to help your friends first, if we can.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Matilda nodded emphatically, " Throw out anyone's names that you know Sir Strongheart. The more people that we can wake the better our chances of fixing everything."
"Speaking of names," Titaani pipes up, "Mine's Titaani Leelathae. That's Ben, that's Horatio, that's Pud and his bird Rizzo, that's my sister Matilda, and this is my pet bunny Tiny."
"Ooh, that's nice," says Strongheart, flexing his shoulders. "Thank you."
"A pleasure and an honor to meet you all. I don't know any special names, I'm afraid. I know everyone with me from Valor’s Call, of course. And those of my foes, in the League of Malevolence." He spits over the side of the stairway railing, and glances scornfully at the hole in the side of the tower. "I believe I know the three hags names, although I know they probably have many. And Zybilna, of course. I don't know the names of her courtesans and staff here, I'm afraid, though. Her big owl is called 'Bloodybeak', I recall. I don't know the Jabberwock's name..."
"You are welcome," responds Ben to Strongheart, adding, "So your other two members are frozen in the room with the cauldron and the Jabberwocky. We should come up with a plan should he awake when we enter and try to free them."
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"What if the owl attacks us, though?" Titaani asks worriedly, glancing at Tiny. "I've heard that some owls like to eat rabbits..."
" Hmmm, your right....Maybe I should do it....I'm probably faster than a giant bird......probably....do you think the owl would know the Queens right name? They're supposed to be wise in the stories."
”I think the Jabberwocky is in th room between us and the owl. Perhaps we try and rescue Valor’s Call on the way?” suggests Ben, “unless someone wants to sneak by first and free the owl.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Those folks may scream out like Strongheart did, and I don't imagine the beastie is going to sleep through us calling out names anyways. But, if we get to the owl and it attacks, then that noise may wake it up anyways. I don't care whose pet it is, the jabber-thing is a problem we need to deal with. Can we restrain it while it's asleep at least?" Horatio asks.
Unless you have further business on the stairwell, the party, now joined by Strongheart, begins to quietly make its way down the stairs and then north, up the hallway.
(What's your preferred marching order? Which hallway and doorway do you wish to use to enter the Ballroom? Any stops along the way? Anyone trying to stealth ahead?)
Volunteering to be towards the front of the non-scouts, Ben says, "I don't know if the owl will attack us or the Jabberwocky or us both, but it seems likely to at least wake the beast. Let's go in ready to fight and try to bring back the Valor's Call members. Alternately, if you really want to try the owl, I say just the stealthy people sneak by the Jabberwocky, open the cage for the owl, then wake the owl and hopefully the two huge creatures will fight each other if you can hide and the only visible enemies are each other."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
" My only worry with waking the people with the dragon still there is that they might yell out or something when they wake......and then everyone dies."
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Titaani catches the rope in perfect synchronization with Strongheart's fall, and surfs the hapless paladin as he swings in a wide arc under the stairwell.
As they come to the end of their swing and begin to drop back again, it's clear that Strongheart still thinks he is in mid-combat with the League of Malevolence. "Thank you, kind gnome!" he booms. "But stand back. That foul wizard shoots fire. But Steel and I will smite them all yet."
"Uh..." he continues, as they swing back under the stairwell again. "Do you have a way back up, by chance?"
Ben:
Smiling that it actually worked, Ben says, "It seems like we caught a live one. Let's reel him in."
He does his part to help the rescued Strongheart back up to safety.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Wizard? No, no, you've got it all wrong! We've defeated them!" Titaani explains, having caught her breath after her momentary fright. "Ben and the others will pull us up, and then we can tell you everything. I know Elkhorn will be really happy to see you."
With the help of the others, Ben pulls in a confused Strongheart, together with Titaani. He sheathes his unusual longsword.
Elkhorn does his best to convince his friend that much time has passed and that the battle is over. "You were frozen, Strongheart! It's been months - or days - or something - since our battle. I was captured! These nice folks rescued me, and I brought 'em back to finish the job. The League of Malevolence is vanquished. We won! But everyone here is frozen. Well, most everyone..."
Where to? What next?
"Everyone may think I'm crazy, but shouldn't we go kill that jabber-thingy next? The cauldron it's guarding was important to restoring the queen, right? Now we have Strongheart, we may have a real shot at it. And we can restore the others in that room." Offers Horatio. Then, looking at Strongheart, "Would you be up for that? Do you need a minute?"
(( OOC: Does Strongheart need a Long/Short Rest to be combat effective? ))
(Strongheart seems to be pretending to shake it off, but he is battered and bleeding from a number of wounds – burns, contusions, and bruises.)
"I led Valor’s Call to this palace, although I'm beginning to suspect we were duped here by that coven of hags," explains Strongheart. "I planned to bring the members of the League of Malevolence to justice, but I suppose I underestimated their tenacity and resourcefulness. Warduke used his horn of blasting to punch a hole in yonder wall and sent me hurtling through it. That's the last thing I remember. But I am grateful to you, my rescuers, and pledge my help to accomplish whatever goals brought you here."
Elkhorn nods emphatically.
Ben:
”Welcome back, Strongheart,” says Ben warmly, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder (Lay on Hands for 20 points of healing).
”Our overall goal is to free the Fey Queen so this realm does not collapse in on itself. We also have two more of your companions to free, though they are currently in the room with the Jabberwocky, so that could be difficult to do quietly. I don’t know that we have to slay the Jabberwocky—I think it is the queen’s pet—but we will defend ourselves if it comes to that.” informs Ben.
”Freeing one frozen in time requires knowledge of the person’s true name in addition to the horn Titaani has,” Ben adds, “And we have some leads on finding out the Queen’s true name, but I am inclined to help your friends first, if we can.”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Matilda nodded emphatically, " Throw out anyone's names that you know Sir Strongheart. The more people that we can wake the better our chances of fixing everything."
"Speaking of names," Titaani pipes up, "Mine's Titaani Leelathae. That's Ben, that's Horatio, that's Pud and his bird Rizzo, that's my sister Matilda, and this is my pet bunny Tiny."
"Ooh, that's nice," says Strongheart, flexing his shoulders. "Thank you."
"A pleasure and an honor to meet you all. I don't know any special names, I'm afraid. I know everyone with me from Valor’s Call, of course. And those of my foes, in the League of Malevolence." He spits over the side of the stairway railing, and glances scornfully at the hole in the side of the tower. "I believe I know the three hags names, although I know they probably have many. And Zybilna, of course. I don't know the names of her courtesans and staff here, I'm afraid, though. Her big owl is called 'Bloodybeak', I recall. I don't know the Jabberwock's name..."
Ben:
"You are welcome," responds Ben to Strongheart, adding, "So your other two members are frozen in the room with the cauldron and the Jabberwocky. We should come up with a plan should he awake when we enter and try to free them."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
" Oh! Should we wake up the owl!!!", Matilda said excitedly.
"What if the owl attacks us, though?" Titaani asks worriedly, glancing at Tiny. "I've heard that some owls like to eat rabbits..."
" Hmmm, your right....Maybe I should do it....I'm probably faster than a giant bird......probably....do you think the owl would know the Queens right name? They're supposed to be wise in the stories."
(Where to? What next?)
Ben:
”I think the Jabberwocky is in th room between us and the owl. Perhaps we try and rescue Valor’s Call on the way?” suggests Ben, “unless someone wants to sneak by first and free the owl.”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Those folks may scream out like Strongheart did, and I don't imagine the beastie is going to sleep through us calling out names anyways. But, if we get to the owl and it attacks, then that noise may wake it up anyways. I don't care whose pet it is, the jabber-thing is a problem we need to deal with. Can we restrain it while it's asleep at least?" Horatio asks.
Unless you have further business on the stairwell, the party, now joined by Strongheart, begins to quietly make its way down the stairs and then north, up the hallway.
(What's your preferred marching order? Which hallway and doorway do you wish to use to enter the Ballroom? Any stops along the way? Anyone trying to stealth ahead?)
Ben:
Volunteering to be towards the front of the non-scouts, Ben says, "I don't know if the owl will attack us or the Jabberwocky or us both, but it seems likely to at least wake the beast. Let's go in ready to fight and try to bring back the Valor's Call members. Alternately, if you really want to try the owl, I say just the stealthy people sneak by the Jabberwocky, open the cage for the owl, then wake the owl and hopefully the two huge creatures will fight each other if you can hide and the only visible enemies are each other."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
" My only worry with waking the people with the dragon still there is that they might yell out or something when they wake......and then everyone dies."