Khessa tries to speak to it in undercommon, in friendly tone: "Listen, no need to play dumb now. Only the both of us speak this language. I'm Khessa, pleasure to meet you. What's your name? And what's the point? We really are only interested in the eggs. We are giving you food because food you asked. But we can agree on other terms also... What would you like? You can trust me and my companions. We wish you no harm".
"We will Kriv, and we'll make an omelet out of those eggs, the best one ever tasted!" the dwarf laugh, patting the Dragonborn shoulder. But he whispers (not udibile by the Roper) "that guy over there can be a serious problem, we must be sure we are going to keep him apart, and moreover, I would suggest to keep at least one egg back to Greenest town, so we can prove everything we saw"
Khessa tries to speak to it in undercommon, in friendly tone: "Listen, no need to play dumb now. Only the both of us speak this language. I'm Khessa, pleasure to meet you. What's your name? And what's the point? We really are only interested in the eggs. We are giving you food because food you asked. But we can agree on other terms also... What would you like? You can trust me and my companions. We wish you no harm".
Nixi nods. "Yes, I think that would be best..." she raises her wand and points it at the nearest egg.
Out of nowhere a tendril flies toward you and wraps around you (18 to hit 11 + 7) and Roper reels you in. It gets you halfway.
In flawless Common the Roper says: I'm afraid I can't let you do that, little one. You see, as long as those eggs are here I'm getting food. You! Tall one! Since you figured me out, why don't you suggest a solution for my problem. Those eggs will hatch one day... who will bring me food?
"Of course I have a solution for your problem!" Khessa replies, slightly altered, switching back to Common, so that her companions too can understand "You could have spoken to me right away, without subterfuge. Ah, and as I told you before, my name is Khessa".
However, the blonde arcane warrior seems to calm down almost immediately: "Okay, however, I understand, you didn't know me and you wanted to be cautious. After all, until today you have dealt with the followers of the Cult of the Dragon, who, as you understand, would have only used you as long as it suited them. Once the eggs hatched, you would have no longer the problem of food… because they would kill you".
"I, on the other hand, can get you a new job, from now on" continues the tall adventurer. "A job you can do for as long as you like. And as long as you do it, you will be fed, as was the case here".
"Actually," Khessa adds, "it's a completely analogous assignment to the one you had here... You will have a place to defend. You will become a guardian, a permanent guardian, with no deadlines. If one day you want to leave, you will be free to do so. But as long as you won't want it, no one will send you away, because there is a real need for someone like you. You see, your nice ex-employers have attacked that place, decimating its defenders; you will be a real unexpected blessing for them. And, how I said already, you will of course be fed regularly".
"So? What do you think, Mr Long Arms?" the blonde arcane warrior smiles "Isn't this a better contract than the one you had here? Come on, I know you're too smart to turn down such an opportunity... Let go of my friend Nixi, tell me your name - unless you prefer me to continue to refer to you as Mr Long Arms indefinitely - and start putting the eggs where I asked you to before. Deal?"
Before the tendril reaches her, Nixi changes incantations, casting shield to deflect it. "Whoa!" She exclaims, "That was unexpected!"
Initiative 12
(range to target?)
In that case the Roper continues his multi attack with 3 other tendrils, 2 miss but the last 1 ( 17 + 7 = 24 ) hits. The syory continues as written above (for now).
Zale, who had previously thought this roper to have little more intelligence than the average Kobold, is shocked to hear the creature speak so clearly. Pulling out her crossbow she prepares to shoot it if it tries to attack again. "You bloody bastard!" She yells at the creature. "Attacking us is not going to make us want to work with you!" She growls then whispers to Khessa ensuring the beast can't hear her. "We could suggest that it protects something else in return for food. Maybe one of those gems. Have it give us the eggs then toss one of them down to it. Of course, we don't have to follow through with the deal. I don't think we can trust it with an actual job."
"Hey!" the dwarf yells to the Roper "The ones who fed you have.... left, we are the only ones that can provide you food, so be nice and let the Gnome down! if you want to have a reliable source of food again, better making a deal, it's your only chance!" he points his finger toward the creature "if we shut this place down, the best meal you will be able to get from now on will be rats and cave spiders! So.... we I think we have mutual interests, we can provide food in exchange of those eggs and everyone win!" The dwarf shrugs whit a quite hysteric smile on his face.
Deception? I don't know of Eric but Khessa really means what she said. She believes the Roper could work for Greenest and both can benefit from that. He could be a powerful guard... fulfill his goal to be fed all days... and Greenest would pay him only his food, not a salary neither equipment expenses so he should be not more expensive than just another guard - but much more effective. (She might be wrong or not, but that's what she believes)
Deception? I don't know of Eric but Khessa really means what she said. She believes the Roper could work for Greenest and both can benefit from that. He could be a powerful guard... fulfill his goal to be fed all days... and Greenest would pay him only his food, not a salary neither equipment expenses so he should be not more expensive than just another guard - but much more effective. (She might be wrong or not, but that's what she believes)
occ: Eric doesn't lie but he doesn't care about the Roper either, his intention is to force him to deal with the party, making him to understand than we can make him starving... He is not willing to have a creature from the underdark as an ally
Calvin is still completely astounded to see how things are progressing with the creature. However, he continues to hold his giant lizard form. Although, he is not sure how long it has been since he did transform.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
You make a good point. The problem is, even if I trust you, it will take time and the and effort from others not present. So I need some guarantees. Let me think... I believe you had to kill quite a few Humans to get here? Bring those bodies to me! Humans are quite delicious! Especially the females! I'll have the first egg ready for you when you return. As a sign of goodwill I'll give you back this little one.
"Mr Long Arms," sighs Khessa, "I greatly appreciate your sign of goodwill; so I will bring you the bodies you ask for. Remember though that the deal I am proposing is for all the eggs, not just one...and I have already explained to you the situation of the 'others not present'; for them you will represent a blessing, because they need protection and you can provide it. It is a situation in which everyone wins by collaborating and no one by betraying. By collaborating, they will earn a powerful guardian - and they need it. By collaborating, you will earn food as long as you live - and you want it. By betraying, they would make a powerful enemy - and get no additional protection. By betraying them, you would have to start afresh looking for food every day - and starve to death if you don't find it. It's not only a matter of honesty and trust, but also of pure common sense".
"Are you all right, Nixi?" the blonde arcane warrior worries, dragging her friend for good measure out of the Roper's reach "Mr Long Arms squeezed you too much? Or are you okay?"
After that, if the friend is well, the tall adventurer fetches the requested bodies.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Khessa tries to speak to it in undercommon, in friendly tone: "Listen, no need to play dumb now. Only the both of us speak this language. I'm Khessa, pleasure to meet you. What's your name? And what's the point? We really are only interested in the eggs. We are giving you food because food you asked. But we can agree on other terms also... What would you like? You can trust me and my companions. We wish you no harm".
Kriv looks to the rest of the group. “Should we smash the eggs now?”
Nixi nods. "Yes, I think that would be best..." she raises her wand and points it at the nearest egg.
"We will Kriv, and we'll make an omelet out of those eggs, the best one ever tasted!" the dwarf laugh, patting the Dragonborn shoulder. But he whispers (not udibile by the Roper) "that guy over there can be a serious problem, we must be sure we are going to keep him apart, and moreover, I would suggest to keep at least one egg back to Greenest town, so we can prove everything we saw"
Suddenly the Roper stops eating and looks at you.
Out of nowhere a tendril flies toward you and wraps around you (18 to hit 11 + 7) and Roper reels you in. It gets you halfway.
In flawless Common the Roper says: I'm afraid I can't let you do that, little one. You see, as long as those eggs are here I'm getting food. You! Tall one! Since you figured me out, why don't you suggest a solution for my problem. Those eggs will hatch one day... who will bring me food?
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
"Of course I have a solution for your problem!" Khessa replies, slightly altered, switching back to Common, so that her companions too can understand "You could have spoken to me right away, without subterfuge. Ah, and as I told you before, my name is Khessa".
However, the blonde arcane warrior seems to calm down almost immediately: "Okay, however, I understand, you didn't know me and you wanted to be cautious. After all, until today you have dealt with the followers of the Cult of the Dragon, who, as you understand, would have only used you as long as it suited them. Once the eggs hatched, you would have no longer the problem of food… because they would kill you".
"I, on the other hand, can get you a new job, from now on" continues the tall adventurer. "A job you can do for as long as you like. And as long as you do it, you will be fed, as was the case here".
"Actually," Khessa adds, "it's a completely analogous assignment to the one you had here... You will have a place to defend. You will become a guardian, a permanent guardian, with no deadlines. If one day you want to leave, you will be free to do so. But as long as you won't want it, no one will send you away, because there is a real need for someone like you. You see, your nice ex-employers have attacked that place, decimating its defenders; you will be a real unexpected blessing for them. And, how I said already, you will of course be fed regularly".
"So? What do you think, Mr Long Arms?" the blonde arcane warrior smiles "Isn't this a better contract than the one you had here? Come on, I know you're too smart to turn down such an opportunity... Let go of my friend Nixi, tell me your name - unless you prefer me to continue to refer to you as Mr Long Arms indefinitely - and start putting the eggs where I asked you to before. Deal?"
Before the tendril reaches her, Nixi changes incantations, casting shield to deflect it. "Whoa!" She exclaims, "That was unexpected!"
Initiative 14
(range to target?)
In that case the Roper continues his multi attack with 3 other tendrils, 2 miss but the last 1 ( 17 + 7 = 24 ) hits. The syory continues as written above (for now).
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
Zale, who had previously thought this roper to have little more intelligence than the average Kobold, is shocked to hear the creature speak so clearly. Pulling out her crossbow she prepares to shoot it if it tries to attack again. "You bloody bastard!" She yells at the creature. "Attacking us is not going to make us want to work with you!" She growls then whispers to Khessa ensuring the beast can't hear her. "We could suggest that it protects something else in return for food. Maybe one of those gems. Have it give us the eggs then toss one of them down to it. Of course, we don't have to follow through with the deal. I don't think we can trust it with an actual job."
"Hey!" the dwarf yells to the Roper "The ones who fed you have.... left, we are the only ones that can provide you food, so be nice and let the Gnome down! if you want to have a reliable source of food again, better making a deal, it's your only chance!" he points his finger toward the creature "if we shut this place down, the best meal you will be able to get from now on will be rats and cave spiders! So.... we I think we have mutual interests, we can provide food in exchange of those eggs and everyone win!" The dwarf shrugs whit a quite hysteric smile on his face.
I need Deception checks from Khessa and Eric.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
Deception? I don't know of Eric but Khessa really means what she said. She believes the Roper could work for Greenest and both can benefit from that. He could be a powerful guard... fulfill his goal to be fed all days... and Greenest would pay him only his food, not a salary neither equipment expenses so he should be not more expensive than just another guard - but much more effective. (She might be wrong or not, but that's what she believes)
If you still think deception is needed, this is Khessa's roll 19 (but I hope she does not need)
Deception: 13
<insert Bender's "oh you're serious" meme>
In that case Persuasion would be ok.
Eric? Are you being honest?
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
We can keep the 16 I rolled. Both skills have the same modifier for Khessa.
occ: Eric doesn't lie but he doesn't care about the Roper either, his intention is to force him to deal with the party, making him to understand than we can make him starving... He is not willing to have a creature from the underdark as an ally
Calvin is still completely astounded to see how things are progressing with the creature. However, he continues to hold his giant lizard form. Although, he is not sure how long it has been since he did transform.
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
The Roper thinks for a minute before he replies.
You make a good point. The problem is, even if I trust you, it will take time and the and effort from others not present. So I need some guarantees. Let me think... I believe you had to kill quite a few Humans to get here? Bring those bodies to me! Humans are quite delicious! Especially the females! I'll have the first egg ready for you when you return. As a sign of goodwill I'll give you back this little one.
Nixi is returned to the party.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
"Mr Long Arms," sighs Khessa, "I greatly appreciate your sign of goodwill; so I will bring you the bodies you ask for. Remember though that the deal I am proposing is for all the eggs, not just one...and I have already explained to you the situation of the 'others not present'; for them you will represent a blessing, because they need protection and you can provide it. It is a situation in which everyone wins by collaborating and no one by betraying. By collaborating, they will earn a powerful guardian - and they need it. By collaborating, you will earn food as long as you live - and you want it. By betraying, they would make a powerful enemy - and get no additional protection. By betraying them, you would have to start afresh looking for food every day - and starve to death if you don't find it. It's not only a matter of honesty and trust, but also of pure common sense".
"Are you all right, Nixi?" the blonde arcane warrior worries, dragging her friend for good measure out of the Roper's reach "Mr Long Arms squeezed you too much? Or are you okay?"
After that, if the friend is well, the tall adventurer fetches the requested bodies.