"Necromancy. Pale Esparan Dragonborn. Ghouls. And vampires." says Bombil. "Fun." he adds with a helping of irony laced in his voice. He turns to Assarion, "You said that the cracks in the statue likely were from someone with a grudge against Stoneclaw, right? Xavword's disappearance, the rumors of Esparan involvement in Darkbranch's assasination, the possibility of vampires, and this Esparan dragonborn. Seems to me either an old plot attempting to come to fruition. Or, given Victor's doubts as to the credibility of the rumors, that someone may be using the guise of an Esparan plot to misdirect investigations." He turns to the group as a whole, "I'm curious as to your thoughts on the matter. And, forgive my ignorance, but I'm wondering if any of you might have better knowledge on how the necromancy incident played out. My own understanding is rather sparse."
He takes a look around the room and then turns to Victor, "From this room, where would one go for... privacy? Regardless of Yostil's allegiance, it would seem important to find him and get some answers." He also glances around for any tracks that might be present.
"Well," Tagreth replies. "The current rulers of Espar have outlawed necromancy, which I believe was around the time of the assassination. Although, I'm sure you are all aware of Espar's past with necromancy."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
"I'm more interested in this necromancy incident," says the swordsman, gesturing at the grave with his rapier. "A grave, marked Lyndon Lowclaw - but nothing there but dirt. No coffin, no body. And you, sir," he says to Victor. "When I said his name, you turned as if to see him. Is he here, roaming these tunnels? And if so...in what form?"
“I think in light of all this context, necromancy undead and such. Tomorrow I’ll be praying for more focused spells.” If Kaliden can locate the source of the sounds he will pursue.
"I mean it could be worse." Victor said with a small shrug as he took a few more steps away from the party. Although he stopped when he was asked about a place one might go for privacy.
"Well other than one of the secret tunnels... there's always the dragon's den or the vault although I don't think Yostil would have access to either. Unless he was the one behind Xavword's disappearance then he might be able to gain access... if he's still here then it would probably be in the best interest to find him before it's too late."
{With a 17 Bombil notices that there are what look to be two different sets of prints (a set of boot prints and a set of footprints) heading to the west, there's two sets of boot prints heading to the north and a set of footprints followed by a consistent looking drag mark just to the side of them heading east. It's possible that the Dragonborn was one of the pair heading to the west while the two heading to the north could be the vampire spawn and it's creator.}
Victor seemed to tense up a little at the mention of the state of the grave and he dug his nails into his palms. He took a deep breath and turned to face Assarion. "Are you implying that I killed my husband then resurrected him? I mean it's not that farfetched but I'd never do that to Lyndon, even if he asked me to... I'm not a fan of necromancy." He replied with a soft sigh. "I hadn't seen him in months... can you blame for wanting to see him? If he is here then he's... I don't really know what state or form he may be in..."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Tagreth tilts his head to the left as he studies Victor.
(Insight: 20)
"Loss can take its toll on all of us. Longing for a late spouse is natural and something I have seen in many people. I do not blame you for wanting to see him. Although, if he is wandering around, in some resurrected state, I would suggest you take caution."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
"Deep currents," murmurs the half-elf with a frown. After a moment he adds, "We are trying to find someone, but have yet to follow the clues. We did hear someone, or something, down here. Once we're finished here, shall we investigate?"
"In terms of following the clues," says Bombil, "I found some tracks."
"To the West tunnels is a set of bootprints and set of footprints. It's quite possible that could've been the way Yostil went."
"To the North are two sets of bootprints. I'm hoping that it's just the two men Victor said found their way down into the tunnels. But there's also a very real and distinct possibility those tracks could belong to a vampire spawn and its creator."
"And finally, to the East tunnels, is a set of footprints and a rather consistent drag mark. Now I don't really have an idea as to what those prints could be. Perhaps related to the noise we heard earlier? Something else we haven't come across yet?"
He turns to Victor for a moment, pauses, and then looks to Assarion instead. He had considered for a moment asking if one of tracks might have been Lyndon's. But even if the answer was in the affirmative, he wasn't sure how much utility that would. No, he reconsidered, probably better to not risk putting salt on the wound so soon.
He forces an awkward grin. "Shall head into the West tunnels?" he asks.
[[OOC:
just a little self-note because I kept confusing myself :p
Set 1: North. Bootprints+Bootprints. Vampire spawn and creator? Set 2: West. Footprints+Bootprints. Yostil? Set 3. East. Footprints+dragmarks.
Tagreth tilts his head to the left as he studies Victor.
(Insight: 18)
"Loss can take its toll on all of us. Longing for a late spouse is natural and something I have seen in many people. I do not blame you for wanting to see him. Although, if he is wandering around, in some resurrected state, I would suggest you take caution."
Victor nodded slightly as he thought about what Tagreth had said, then he stopped in his tracks and turned back to the group. "I wish that I could say that I didn't know the toll of loss. I don't know how long he's been dead but that grave and stone weren't there before I got trapped in the tunnel with the two ghasts. Maybe it would be best if I avoid looking for him for the time being... I have something more important to worry about right now anyway. Assisting you guys with searching for Xavword is a high priority..." He trailed off slightly as he looked at the rest of the group.
{ With an 18 Tagreth can tell that Victor seems quite conflicted about what to do at the moment. When he mentioned having something more important to worry about he notices that Victor quickly glanced towards the east for a moment before quickly shifting his gaze back to the group before bringing up helping with the search for Xavword almost as if he'd forgotten about the task at hand.}
"Deep currents," murmurs the half-elf with a frown. After a moment he adds, "We are trying to find someone, but have yet to follow the clues. We did hear someone, or something, down here. Once we're finished here, shall we investigate?"
"What if the sounds we've been hearing are caused by something that is trying to lure us deeper or separate us?" Victor replied with a question before shrugging ever so slightly. "If the clues don't lead to any useful information about the location of Xavword then perhaps investigating the sounds might shed some light on what's going on down here."
"In terms of following the clues," says Bombil, "I found some tracks."
"To the West tunnels is a set of bootprints and set of footprints. It's quite possible that could've been the way Yostil went."
"To the North are two sets of bootprints. I'm hoping that it's just the two men Victor said found their way down into the tunnels. But there's also a very real and distinct possibility those tracks could belong to a vampire spawn and its creator."
"And finally, to the East tunnels, is a set of footprints and a rather consistent drag mark. Now I don't really have an idea as to what those prints could be. Perhaps related to the noise we heard earlier? Something else we haven't come across yet?"
He turns to Victor for a moment, pauses, and then looks to Assarion instead. He had considered for a moment asking if one of tracks might have been Lyndon's. But even if the answer was in the affirmative, he wasn't sure how much utility that would. No, he reconsidered, probably better to not risk putting salt on the wound so soon.
He forces an awkward grin. "Shall head into the West tunnels?" he asks.
[[OOC:
just a little self-note because I kept confusing myself :p
Set 1: North. Bootprints+Bootprints. Vampire spawn and creator? Set 2: West. Footprints+Bootprints. Yostil? Set 3. East. Footprints+dragmarks.
]]
Victor took note of the location of each set of footprints/bootprints and thought about the possibility of what each set of tracks could have been left by. When he heard the mention of footprints and drag marks to the east he went pale and looked down at the ground beneath his feet. "West might just be the safest of the three directions..."
Bombil purses his lips for a moment in thought when Victor goes pale. He opens his mouth as if to speak and then decides to close it instead. Turning to Assarion he telepathically asks, (Lyndon is human?) Perhaps if the answer is no, Victor's reaction could be from the thought of an undead Lyndon. For if Lyndon was something like a tailed tiefling, that could maybe explain the drag marks.
[[OOC: Putting the description of Limited Telepathy from the Verdan racial traits here as a reference for ease of access in case it's needed.
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathy, but it must be able to understand at least one language. This process of communication is slow and limited, allowing you to transmit and receive only simple ideas and straightforward concepts.
The half-elf glances quickly at Bombil and shrugs before turning back to Victor. After one last thoughtful frown, he sheathes his sword and gives his opinion. "I do like east, but first...we did hear voices, at least one of which seemed in pain. Perhaps that should be our priority?" If there's no other suggestion, he'll add, "Master Bombil, your verdan ears are sharper than mine. Will you guide our path?" The fighter prepares to take point whichever way Bombil directs.
Tagreth ponders Bombil's words, "A drag mark with a set of footprints could indicate someone being dragged by another. It would be unfortunate to find yourself being dragged by another. It would indicate that the person being dragged was incapacitated in some way. Either unconcious or tied it up, I could not say."
Tagreth then turns his attention to Assarion, "If you looking to choose a path by means we could help someone, then east might be our priority. On the other hand, we could arrive to find someone who had fallen victim to some creature and is now dead. Then only later to find someone else has died down here as a result of injury. Perhaps, someone we could have saved if they were our priority."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Shaking his head ruefully, the swordsman begins reasoning aloud. "I agree with Victor," he begins, looking up at him. "West is probably safest - which means that's where we're needed least." He turns to Kaliden, then to Tagreth. "One who is unconscious is in worse straits than someone who can speak," he muses. Assarion then turns to Bombil. "Master Bombil, would you mind if we went east rather than west?"
Tagret shrugs his shoulders, "Alright, then. It looks like most of us want to go east. Although, who is going to lead the way? What about you, Assarion? I think you are probably the most prepared for a surprise attack. Maybe then, Kaliden, you could protect the group from behind?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Victor quietly listened to the others as they discussed which way to go and hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. 'Well they aren't wrong, if someone unconscious had been dragged down that way then... maybe it really is the best decision to go east. I just hope that whoever it is is still alive.' He thought as he began to search through his pouch for something, cursing under his breath when he couldn't seem to find it. "If someone or something dragged someone down that way then it might be a good idea to keep your guards up. If it was a person dragging an injured allie then it might not be that bad but if it was something like the ghasts then there's a chance that... that it might already be too late."
“Destroying ghasts is a very fine thing to do, destroying what creates the ghasts, even better. Rescuing someone at the mercy of a ghast is priceless.”
I’ll take rear guard, Clangeddin take point.
(not sure how much time has transpired since our last engagement, if less then an hour Bombil is still protected by warding bond.)
Following Assarion's earlier comment about his Verdan ears, Bombil prepares to take front as the groups prepare to go East. But he will slide into second if Assarion follow's Tagreth's suggestion.
"Necromancy. Pale Esparan Dragonborn. Ghouls. And vampires." says Bombil. "Fun." he adds with a helping of irony laced in his voice. He turns to Assarion, "You said that the cracks in the statue likely were from someone with a grudge against Stoneclaw, right? Xavword's disappearance, the rumors of Esparan involvement in Darkbranch's assasination, the possibility of vampires, and this Esparan dragonborn. Seems to me either an old plot attempting to come to fruition. Or, given Victor's doubts as to the credibility of the rumors, that someone may be using the guise of an Esparan plot to misdirect investigations." He turns to the group as a whole, "I'm curious as to your thoughts on the matter. And, forgive my ignorance, but I'm wondering if any of you might have better knowledge on how the necromancy incident played out. My own understanding is rather sparse."
He takes a look around the room and then turns to Victor, "From this room, where would one go for... privacy? Regardless of Yostil's allegiance, it would seem important to find him and get some answers." He also glances around for any tracks that might be present.
(rolled in log)
Survival: 17
seeing if there's ghoul/vampire/dragonborn signs leading any particular direction
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
"Well," Tagreth replies. "The current rulers of Espar have outlawed necromancy, which I believe was around the time of the assassination. Although, I'm sure you are all aware of Espar's past with necromancy."
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Assarion
"I'm more interested in this necromancy incident," says the swordsman, gesturing at the grave with his rapier. "A grave, marked Lyndon Lowclaw - but nothing there but dirt. No coffin, no body. And you, sir," he says to Victor. "When I said his name, you turned as if to see him. Is he here, roaming these tunnels? And if so...in what form?"
Kaliden Two-stones
“I think in light of all this context, necromancy undead and such. Tomorrow I’ll be praying for more focused spells.” If Kaliden can locate the source of the sounds he will pursue.
"I mean it could be worse." Victor said with a small shrug as he took a few more steps away from the party. Although he stopped when he was asked about a place one might go for privacy.
"Well other than one of the secret tunnels... there's always the dragon's den or the vault although I don't think Yostil would have access to either. Unless he was the one behind Xavword's disappearance then he might be able to gain access... if he's still here then it would probably be in the best interest to find him before it's too late."
{With a 17 Bombil notices that there are what look to be two different sets of prints (a set of boot prints and a set of footprints) heading to the west, there's two sets of boot prints heading to the north and a set of footprints followed by a consistent looking drag mark just to the side of them heading east. It's possible that the Dragonborn was one of the pair heading to the west while the two heading to the north could be the vampire spawn and it's creator.}
Victor seemed to tense up a little at the mention of the state of the grave and he dug his nails into his palms. He took a deep breath and turned to face Assarion. "Are you implying that I killed my husband then resurrected him? I mean it's not that farfetched but I'd never do that to Lyndon, even if he asked me to... I'm not a fan of necromancy." He replied with a soft sigh. "I hadn't seen him in months... can you blame for wanting to see him? If he is here then he's... I don't really know what state or form he may be in..."
Tagreth tilts his head to the left as he studies Victor.
(Insight: 20)
"Loss can take its toll on all of us. Longing for a late spouse is natural and something I have seen in many people. I do not blame you for wanting to see him. Although, if he is wandering around, in some resurrected state, I would suggest you take caution."
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Assarion
"Deep currents," murmurs the half-elf with a frown. After a moment he adds, "We are trying to find someone, but have yet to follow the clues. We did hear someone, or something, down here. Once we're finished here, shall we investigate?"
"In terms of following the clues," says Bombil, "I found some tracks."
"To the West tunnels is a set of bootprints and set of footprints. It's quite possible that could've been the way Yostil went."
"To the North are two sets of bootprints. I'm hoping that it's just the two men Victor said found their way down into the tunnels. But there's also a very real and distinct possibility those tracks could belong to a vampire spawn and its creator."
"And finally, to the East tunnels, is a set of footprints and a rather consistent drag mark. Now I don't really have an idea as to what those prints could be. Perhaps related to the noise we heard earlier? Something else we haven't come across yet?"
He turns to Victor for a moment, pauses, and then looks to Assarion instead. He had considered for a moment asking if one of tracks might have been Lyndon's. But even if the answer was in the affirmative, he wasn't sure how much utility that would. No, he reconsidered, probably better to not risk putting salt on the wound so soon.
He forces an awkward grin. "Shall head into the West tunnels?" he asks.
[[OOC:
just a little self-note because I kept confusing myself :p
Set 1: North. Bootprints+Bootprints. Vampire spawn and creator?
Set 2: West. Footprints+Bootprints. Yostil?
Set 3. East. Footprints+dragmarks.
]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Victor nodded slightly as he thought about what Tagreth had said, then he stopped in his tracks and turned back to the group. "I wish that I could say that I didn't know the toll of loss. I don't know how long he's been dead but that grave and stone weren't there before I got trapped in the tunnel with the two ghasts. Maybe it would be best if I avoid looking for him for the time being... I have something more important to worry about right now anyway. Assisting you guys with searching for Xavword is a high priority..." He trailed off slightly as he looked at the rest of the group.
{ With an 18 Tagreth can tell that Victor seems quite conflicted about what to do at the moment. When he mentioned having something more important to worry about he notices that Victor quickly glanced towards the east for a moment before quickly shifting his gaze back to the group before bringing up helping with the search for Xavword almost as if he'd forgotten about the task at hand.}
"What if the sounds we've been hearing are caused by something that is trying to lure us deeper or separate us?" Victor replied with a question before shrugging ever so slightly. "If the clues don't lead to any useful information about the location of Xavword then perhaps investigating the sounds might shed some light on what's going on down here."
Victor took note of the location of each set of footprints/bootprints and thought about the possibility of what each set of tracks could have been left by. When he heard the mention of footprints and drag marks to the east he went pale and looked down at the ground beneath his feet. "West might just be the safest of the three directions..."
Bombil purses his lips for a moment in thought when Victor goes pale. He opens his mouth as if to speak and then decides to close it instead. Turning to Assarion he telepathically asks, (Lyndon is human?) Perhaps if the answer is no, Victor's reaction could be from the thought of an undead Lyndon. For if Lyndon was something like a tailed tiefling, that could maybe explain the drag marks.
[[OOC: Putting the description of Limited Telepathy from the Verdan racial traits here as a reference for ease of access in case it's needed.
]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Assarion
The half-elf glances quickly at Bombil and shrugs before turning back to Victor. After one last thoughtful frown, he sheathes his sword and gives his opinion. "I do like east, but first...we did hear voices, at least one of which seemed in pain. Perhaps that should be our priority?" If there's no other suggestion, he'll add, "Master Bombil, your verdan ears are sharper than mine. Will you guide our path?" The fighter prepares to take point whichever way Bombil directs.
Tagreth ponders Bombil's words, "A drag mark with a set of footprints could indicate someone being dragged by another. It would be unfortunate to find yourself being dragged by another. It would indicate that the person being dragged was incapacitated in some way. Either unconcious or tied it up, I could not say."
Tagreth then turns his attention to Assarion, "If you looking to choose a path by means we could help someone, then east might be our priority. On the other hand, we could arrive to find someone who had fallen victim to some creature and is now dead. Then only later to find someone else has died down here as a result of injury. Perhaps, someone we could have saved if they were our priority."
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Kaliden
”I say we go to the sound, rescue whomever might need be rescued. Nothing worse then being almost saved.”
Silverbeard be with ‘em if their in the grasp of something here.
Assarion
Shaking his head ruefully, the swordsman begins reasoning aloud. "I agree with Victor," he begins, looking up at him. "West is probably safest - which means that's where we're needed least." He turns to Kaliden, then to Tagreth. "One who is unconscious is in worse straits than someone who can speak," he muses. Assarion then turns to Bombil. "Master Bombil, would you mind if we went east rather than west?"
"You make a good point as to where we may be most needed." replies Bombil, "I have no objections to us going East."
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Tagret shrugs his shoulders, "Alright, then. It looks like most of us want to go east. Although, who is going to lead the way? What about you, Assarion? I think you are probably the most prepared for a surprise attack. Maybe then, Kaliden, you could protect the group from behind?"
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Victor quietly listened to the others as they discussed which way to go and hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. 'Well they aren't wrong, if someone unconscious had been dragged down that way then... maybe it really is the best decision to go east. I just hope that whoever it is is still alive.' He thought as he began to search through his pouch for something, cursing under his breath when he couldn't seem to find it. "If someone or something dragged someone down that way then it might be a good idea to keep your guards up. If it was a person dragging an injured allie then it might not be that bad but if it was something like the ghasts then there's a chance that... that it might already be too late."
Kaliden Two-Stones
“Destroying ghasts is a very fine thing to do, destroying what creates the ghasts, even better. Rescuing someone at the mercy of a ghast is priceless.”
I’ll take rear guard, Clangeddin take point.
(not sure how much time has transpired since our last engagement, if less then an hour Bombil is still protected by warding bond.)
Following Assarion's earlier comment about his Verdan ears, Bombil prepares to take front as the groups prepare to go East. But he will slide into second if Assarion follow's Tagreth's suggestion.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary