Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

"I hope so too" Khessa smiles. "But if that doesn't happen, I'll use our Stonespekaer's Crystal to interrogate some of the fallen Troglodytes. They weren't too cooperative when they were alive... but magic will force them to be, now that they're dead. If they know anything useful, they'll tell us".

"This is not what I had in mind for them," the blonde arcane warrior sighs, a bit saddened "but they left us no choice. Probably Demon Lord madness at work once again".

By the time Traydark and Khessa arrive where the prisoners were, the drow have already left but the shield dwarves are still there. They look extremely tired and drained but are alive.

Sighing as he realizes the drow have already left, Traydark sends Grax'xt and the earth elemental servant to locate them and bring them back for some questioning. He lets the others deal with the dwarves as they would most likely only scoff at a drow and are more unlikely to be familliar with Wormwrithings. 

Grax'xt reports there are a couple of fresh mutilated bodies in part of the cave north of where the prisonders were.

Lulu gives Thora a look that all healers perfect over their careers for protesting patients; one that says "sit down, shut up, and let me take care of you." The cleric cleans her wounds with oxymel then carefully packs them with spider silk to help prevent infection then to Horkas calls, "Kas, do ye need restoration? Any signs of poison in yer system?"

Jogging to catch up with Traydark and Khessa, Lulu asks anyone not busy to feed the troglodyte's lizard mounts using the leftover food divinely conjured the previous night.  

At the pit, Lulu immediately jumps down to assess the dwarves and see what ailment is the biggest concern: dehydration, starvation, or wounds. "Ye'll be alright, now," she soothes, handing them a waterskin and some rations. "What're yer names, friends? How did ye find yerselves captives here?"


((Was waiting to see if Thora might have the chance to take a short rest here while our smaller party explores the caves for anything useful, in which case Thora could roll her hit dice. Or, if we're heading out right away again, if Lulu should to expend spell slots to heal her and the prisoners.))

The dwarves are: Dauthorn Brightmantle (male), Traldak Xornbane (male), Zulia Stonewhisper (female), and Hargritt Hammerhome (female). They have severe exhaustion (level 4).

They are originally from the Silver Marches but were part of an expedition group that ran into trouble down in the Underdark, got separated from the others and captured by the troglodytes.

Katryl is relieved as it seems the threat from these creatures are ended.  She follows with the others towards the captives.  Seeing that those remaining are dwarves, she greets them in Dwarvish, "Good to meet other folk down here. Lunaria here is a wonderful healer if any of you have any injuries."  She stands by to see if the firbolg needs anything or if the dwarves themselves have any questions. 

Lulu smiles up at Katryl, glad she's there to comfort them in their mother tongue.

Seeing how exhausted they are, the cleric helps carry the dwarves out of the pit and explains to the others, "They need rest. And lots of it." With a sharp whistle, she calls her giant lizard, Hestur (which she admitted while tipsy once means "horse" in Giant). "I reckon we could send them to the camp outside the tower? We've extra mounts now."

Khessa assists Lunaria in monitoring the state of the poor captive dwarves, providing them with moral comfort, even before inquiring about their (probably non-existent) familiarity with Wormwrithings.

However, when the gentle firbolg mentions 'the camp outside the tower', the blonde arcane warrior frowns and replies: "I don't recommend it at all. You shouldn't put too much faith in Vizeran - I speak from personal experience. I have no doubt that he will create the Heart of Darkness for us, since this is in line with his plans, but he would certainly have no care for these poor people and, if he finds them, he would not hesitate to cause them harm, if it could benefit him - or perhaps even just if no disadvantage could arise from him".

"Let's keep them with us, instead..." the tall adventuress counter-proposes, after thinking a bit "At least until we find a safer place for them. As you rightly observed, Lulu, they can travel on the new Giant Lizards, so as not to tire further... and we will always try to keep them away from battles. I'm not saying that they won't be in danger... but it still seems to me to be the least dangerous solution of all for them".

Letting the gentle firbolg and the fire genasi handle the dwarves, the noble Drow again demands a much more extensive and thorough report from Grax'xt. For example, are the mutilated bodies drow, what kind of wounds do they have, what in the vicinity could have caused those wounds?

Horkas calls back to Lunaria, "No, dear, the nasties never got a strike on me - my mechanicals sliced and diced anything near me! They were like a great big blending machine!"

He examines the bodies and the area while the others go to tend the prisoners. (Percpetion: 4...guess the stench of dead trogs is worse than when they're alive!!) 

The noble Drow has nevere heard of a blending machine but he assumes it is some kind of war machine and he makes a mental note of asking the artificer about it at some later point. "No, wait, Horkas, whatever mutilated those bodies might still be around, let Grax'xt make sure it is safe before we go near them." He calls out after the Gnome but also sends his earth elemental servant to intercept any threats coming at him.

Quote from Oberon99 >>

Letting the gentle firbolg and the fire genasi handle the dwarves, the noble Drow again demands a much more extensive and thorough report from Grax'xt. For example, are the mutilated bodies drow, what kind of wounds do they have, what in the vicinity could have caused those wounds?

 They are drow. Grax'xt isn't that knowledgeable, but it appears they were ripped apart and bitten, probably by the ropers and piercers in the cave where they were found. Any other explanation seems unlikely. Grax'xt then gives Traydark a precise postional account where the ropers and piercers are inside the smaller cave area.

The noble Drow quickly explains to Horkas and the others what Grax'xt has reported. "We'd better not disturb the creatures responsible for the mutilation. Let's find a safe spot and rest a while before moving on." He says with a small sigh. He would have expected the ropers to devour their prey but maybe they were fed up with drow.

Quote from Rhanloi >>

Horkas calls back to Lunaria, "No, dear, the nasties never got a strike on me - my mechanicals sliced and diced anything near me! They were like a great big blending machine!"

He examines the bodies and the area while the others go to tend the prisoners. (Percpetion: 4...guess the stench of dead trogs is worse than when they're alive!!) 

 There isn't anything Horkas can find on the bodies, save for the longsword of drow manufacture, but where the captives are, Horkas can spot four zurkhwood boxes hold a 50-foot length of spider-silk rope, four flasks of oil, twenty pounds of rancid food, a pile of moldy blankets, six maces and sixteen javelins (all battered but usable), four casks of unspoiled wine worth 10 gp each, and a locked tribute chest.

"Tis likely better we give them our mounts for now," Lulu compromises. "We cannae depend on the new just yet, though hopefully the food offers a bit o' motivation." The firbolg wipes a damp cloth over Hargritt's brow and cheeks, cleaning away the grime to check for any wounds. "That is... assuming ye lot want to come with us," she asks the dwarves. "We're here to fight demon lords--at the moment looking for purple worms and beholders. We will no' force ye into danger with us."

Whatever the Silvermarch dwarves decide, as they gather for rest, Lulu compares the longsword to her own, curious if it has any other properties. And provides Guidance to whoever attempts to open the tribute chest. 


((A few questions, @DM!
-Can Lulu tell if the sword has any magical properties? Anything else peculiar about it?
-Can the flasks of oil be turned into holy oil to coat weapons with? To add radiant damage to weapons/ammo?
--Did feeding the trog's lizards seem to help at all?))

There is a tired murmur between the dwarves for a moment before Dauthorn answers, "Well I suppose we could come with ya, but we ain't in no fightin' condition and might just be a drain on you and your resources. I reckon we can fend for ourselves now if need be with a bit more rest. Demon lords and the like sounds a bit above our pay grade if you take my meaning, but if ya insist I won't deny more company wouldn't be so bad. We don't have no special talents though, but we can hold a weapon sure enough if needed."

OOC:

The sword is just a +2 longsword of Drow make. If it is exposed to sunlight (like all drow made things) for an hour it will lose its magical properties.

The oil is just lantern oil, it cannot be repurposed.

Feeding the lizards doesn't seem to matter much. 

"If you believe you can make it back to the sunblasted surface then we will wish you the best of luck with that." The noble Drow says with a polite tone, seeming pleased with the thought of not having even more people following the team around in these perilous warrens.

Lulu does not insist. She too is glad not to be bringing the dwarves into further danger and  will leave them with rations and water and the troglodyte’s meager weapons for protection. Not wishing to risk the lizards deciding they no longer want to be mounts at the worst moment, she unsaddles and sets them free.

The cleric is ready to move on whenever the company is.

Horkas collects the items worth keeping and distributes them as seems best. Lulu takes the drow longsword, determining its magic properties. He gives the 50-foot length of spider-silk rope to Katryl, and leaves the locked tribute chest with her to examine and open. The flasks of oil he will pack onto one of the lizards, along with the casks of wine. The six maces and sixteen javelins, battered but usable, are distributed to the freed dwarves. Any remaining weapons are distributed among the heavy warriors.

The rest of the moldy and rancid items he leaves in a pile...