Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

As you all turn and continue to survey the scene, you do notice that on the west side of the trench the market stalls are completely devoid of persons and wares, leaving only the stalls and tents in place. On the other side though, the market is in chaos: stalls and goods have been knocked over and things are strewn about. Then you see dead lizards and steeders as well adding their corpses to the landscape on this side of the city.

Lulu you would notice too that the two gnomes running from the enlarged duergar are rather blurry looking and completely panicked as they run from the duergar. There also appears to be another deep gnome trying to hide in plain sight under a zurkhwood stall, clutching a pale leather bag under his arm.

Khessa doesn't know whether to be more relieved or more worried about the fact that Lunaria is forcing the party to get involved in the matter... On the one hand, the blonde arcane warrior would like to avoid the apparent massacre that the duergar seem determined to carry out against the svirfneblin , but on the other hand she shares Traydark's perplexities... how to know the reasons of the parties involved? What if the duergar were, for example, reacting to a serious act of sabotage or theft perpetrated by the svirfneblin? Or if, simply, it was an episode of blind and unjustified violence, as they had already seen in Gracklstugh, caused by the influence of the Demon Lords (Demogorgon, in that particular case)?

Hoping that someone might be able to understand something more than her, the tall adventurer, with Dawn ready in hand, limits herself for the moment to keeping an eye on the party members, ready to defend them in case one of them is attacked.

The firbolg's eyes dart from ruined stalls to dead lizards to the hiding gnome, feeling that the situation will continue to escalate without intervention. No stranger to chaos, Lulu cuts a path through it as though a stone parting a turbulent river--a beacon of calm as she approaches. "Alright, folks," she says and places herself directly in the path of the gnomes and duergar, hands raised and slowly moving in the air like a conductor.,"Why don't we all just take a nice, deep breath? Give our minds a chance to catch up with our emotions so we might talk this through?" Her tone a gentle breeze and hands continuing their motions, she channels the Mistress' serene presence. As though conducting an orchestra of emotions and signaling for the endorphins and serotonin to play, the cleric beseeches everyone to be calm. 


((Lulu will cast Calm Emotions centered on the duergar if possible! DC 15 CHA save. If the save is failed, she'll apply the indifference effect. If the save succeeds, she'll immediately cast Hold Person on them.))

One of the duergar slows up and begins to wander a bit aimlessly before the second duergar also pauses to look at their fellow large comrade. But as Lulu then tries to cast hold person, it doesn't work! The duergar then slaps his partner and the two of them begin chasing the freaked out deep gnomes again as they run around the fungi garden nearby. As you follow them a bit more you can see dozens of dead deep gnomes around the fungi garden, evidently the work of the enraged duergar.

“Titania’s tits,” the cleric sighs. “Perhaps ye both need to be put down for a nap, then?” Changing the motions of her hands, the duergar begin to hear a faint lullaby as the relaxing scent of lavender wafts about their enlarged nostrils. 

As she spots the bodies of deep gnomes strewn about, her jaw tightens. This is the last time she‘ll ask nicely. 

((Goin’ for broke! She’s gonna try and cast Sleep at 4th level, hitting just the two duergar and covering 11d8s worth of hit points: 68.))

(Nice roll!)

The two enlarged duergar keel over and begin snoring loudly and obnoxiously. The couple gnomes they were chasing suddenly stop as well hearing them fall and snore, look back toward Lulu and dash over to her. They both begin talking anxiously and over each other and pointing back to the northeast where the loud booms are coming from. They quickly begin trying to explain the duergar are trying to force their way inside the svirfniblen building and they don't know why, because one of their deep gnome leaders is being held as a captive in the duergar stronghold just south of them (her name is Yantha Coaxrock). They have no idea why the duergar have suddenly broken the tenuous peace in the city and beg you all to do something about the duergar before they murder the rest of the deep gnomes.

As the group turns back, Katryl eventually spots Lunaria heading off by herself to try to help out.  She leaves the others behind, trying to catch up to the Firbolg. When the two large druegar fall asleep, she is relieved.  Finally, she does catch up as the deep gnomes make their pleas. 

"Whatever were you thinking Lunaria?" she says, in a lowered voice, trying not to disrupt the other conversation. 

Considering the new informations, Khessa exchanges a look with Traydark: "If the Duergar have suddenly and without explanation broken the peace of the city... not only is it right to stop them before they commit a massacre (especially since there could well be the influence of the Demon Lords behind), but it could also be useful to us... All of Mantol-Derith will be grateful to us if we stop this chaos, don't you think?"

Horkas feels compassion for his deep cousins, and urges his comrades to follow Lulu's lead and put an end to the feud before it destroys anything else or hurts any more people...

(...and with this post, I'm out! Culuril has tactical control of Horkas, Skitter, and the Shield Guardian =)

 "If you are looking for gratitude I think you have come to the wrong place human..." The noble drow says grimly as the companions gather by the wayward Firbolg, the chattering svrifneblin and the snoring duergar. "...let us have a word with these ones before making any more decisions." He says firmly, motioning to the sleeping deep dwarves. "Be ready though, they can turn invisible too and we don't want them to leave before we've sorted out what is going on in Mantol-Derith."

As soon as the duergar return to their normal size, Traydark would want to wake them up and talk to them, insisting on that both parties should be treated with respect for now.

“I wasn't thinking about having a statue dedicated to us by the authorities of Mantol-Derith, Traydark..." Khessa sighs "I just thought the factions might be better disposed towards us if something threatens the civic peace and we stop that from happening - especially if said 'something' is Demon-Lords-related”.

“Anyway, focusing on 'sleeping beauties' here..." the tall adventuress points to the two big snoring duergar "if they can become invisible, the easiest way to keep them from escaping is to 'respectfully' tie them up…”

"If I had Anator with me," the blonde arcane warrior adds "he would be able to see them even when invisible, but I had to leave him with our much feared 'army of eight'... so I won't be able to stop them if they try to escape after having made themselves invisible. If no one has better means, I see no alternative to tying them up".

Traydark would much prefer if the Duergar weren't tied up, doubting there would be any respectful way to restrain them. If needed his own familiar would be able to track them down should they turn invisible.

"How long do we have?" Katryl asks. "Until the pair awaken?"  She isn't really sure. "I'm not sure they'll be any happier about having been knocked out. But I guess we can try to learn more here quickly." 

Lulu assures the deep gnomes in her broken Undercommon that they have their help. Because, whatever may or may not have happened--whichever party was "guilty"--it was no excuse for this immense loss of life. 

"We've a minute til they wake," the cleric explains, moving far more quickly than her usual pace as she slings her pack around. "I agree with our adventuress, Lord Duskryn. Restraints until we can confirm tis no' Madness that plagues them. And they'll not be sent on another rampage." Lulu kneels to retrieve a coil of silk rope and hands it to Khessa, before looking at the others. "And while they're questioned, I could use some help searching for survivors. There was a third deep gnome trying to hide their wee self as well." 

Turning to the svirfneblin, she stoops to better address them. "[Gnomes? Survive? Check together.]" 


((Lulu will quickly check the area for any survivors in need of help or a Spare the Dying and approach the svirfneblin with the leather pouch if they're still there! The group would know too that Lulu can use See Invisibility (and has used it before) so could count on her too if needed.))

Horkas had already been keeping back a bit, trying to keep an eye out. The Firbolg's suggestion to look for survivors spurs him to further action.  Still keeping wary, he will look for any gnome survivors. (Perception: 23)

Katryl reacts to Lunaria's suggestion quickly, without a word, starting to move around also looking for any gnomes that might still be alive. (Perception: 12)

Khessa tries to assess the situation... The duergar can make themselves invisible. But Traydark's familiar can detect them with his Blindsight - and so can Lunaria with an appropriate spell. So, for this purpose, tying them may be superfluous. However, if they still wake up in the grip of a homicidal fury, it would be a good idea to at least limit their possibilities of doing harm... She then quickly removes the weapons of the two, placing them out of their reach and unfastens the buckles of their armor - perhaps she will not have time to remove the armor completely, but with the buckles undone they should neither offer the maximum of their usual protection nor allow the duergar to fight without hindrance. Perhaps this will limit their warlike instincts. Unless they are driven by the madness of the Demon Lords... which she doesn't feel like ruling out at all.

Anyway, having limited the two 'sleeping beauties' potential to do damage, the blonde arcane warrior also tries to help locate any surviving svirfneblin.

Khessa's Perception: 9

Unfortunately, it does not appear that there are any other survivors of the svirfniblen currently in the marketplace area.

Reaching the hiding deep gnome though, they crawl back out and take a few quick glances around. He then begins laughing softly in a crazy manner, "It's here, it's here, I know it's here!" He laughs some more, a terrible maniacal laugh. "I'll find him soon enough! Yes, Peebles will find him! Not with the gnomes and duergar, must be with the others! Ah ha! Ha ha ha!"

'Madness' Khessa immediately frowns upon hearing the maniacal laughing deep gnome. 'It's clear that this poor guy's mind has been influenced by a Demon Lord. And the 'him' this wretch is looking for is either a Demon Lord himself or an agent of him. It was probably his intrusion into Duergar territory that sparked the violence. And he doesn't even care, only interested in the mad search of this 'him'. We must do something...'

The blonde arcane warrior immediately makes telepathic communication with her magical sentient sword: "Dawn... We need to know more, about what this guy is looking for. Let's try a little innocent deception. Talk to him with your telepathy, please. Pretend to be the one he is looking for and tell him: 'Don't wander around randomly, or you'll get uselessly killed! Tell these people I sent to save you about me and your search! You can trust them! With their help, you will find me'. Please, Dawn, try this".

Dawn takes a few moments to attempt to converse with the deranged looking deep gnome. Her soft voice comes back after a bit, "He isn't persuaded. I'm sorry but I'm just not the one he is looking for. He's looking for aberrations. Beholders to be precise it seems. He is convinced there is one here somewhere."