We were told of strange keening noises that echo through the valley and strange armored contingent moving through the hills. But the strangest thing was the flying fish, which we dismissed until we saw a group of them with our own eyes.
Korm scratches his chin in thought for a moment. "Well the noises seem easy enough to explain. The spell engine does make one heck of a racket from time to time and between the tower opening and the waterfall cave, I can see where it might give some busybodies in the hills some consternation. The vault servants have been venturing out as of late to gather herbs and regents for me, so I guess that bit of bother is my fault, though I've told those rock-brains time and again to stay away from the locals. They don't have a lot of room in what's left of a mind up there to handle complex instruction you see. As for the 'flying fish'........do you mean Storm Seal pups?" A sour look crosses Korm's face. "A damnable nuisance if there ever was one. Seems the stone attracts them now that it's been uncovered. They've been nothing but a hassle to my research since they started hatching. I've had the vault servants fish some up for food when I can, but the bigger ones are keeping me from my work with the spell engine. I had hoped covering it up with metal plates might help dissuade them from lingering and move on, but it's really slow going......" A brief look of epiphany flashes across Korm's features. "Heeeeey......by chance could I get you 'Handy Band' folks to clear up a bit of the infestation for me? I don't have much gold to spare, but I can get some of the vault servants to work scraping free what's left of the sapphire mine if that'd help!"
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
“Before we agree to help you Korum I need to know what your intentions are with this research. What are you hoping to find and do with this lost knowledge? I have to say reanimating dead things for slaves gives me and others pause.”
"Intentions?" Korm frowns slightly. "My good sir, with power like this, the possibilities are endless! The Seree wizards of yore used spell engines like these to access limitless arcane energy. Sure they were a bit stuffy and structured and, some say, uncaring with those who couldn't rise to their level as equals...." He motions towards the remaining vault servant in the room. "But we are men of understanding and enlightenment, are we not? Can you imagine what wonders for the public good can be had with limitless clean energy? What technologies can be adapted to better the world? I'm sure I can't come to mind all the great things that could be spawned with this knowledge, but once we unlock the secrets of the spell engine, others will come with ideas and solutions. It could be down-right utopian starting right here in the humble hills around Rockmount!" Korm settles down just a bit, scratching a boil on his arm until it bursts with a soft POP as three or four large flea-like insects fall free of it and hop off into the shadows of the room's floor. "Eh....sorry 'bout that. Dire fleas." He says sheepishly. "Picked 'em up on my travels. Towns don't much care for 'em, which is why I try to steer clear of the civilized places."
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
“Excuse me while I confer with my friends about the job you want help with.”and I walk away so he cannot hear our conversation.
Gavin whispers to his group, “So what I am hearing is this limitless power can be used for limitless good or limitless evil depending on who uses it. I’m not so sure about helping this person, who by the way sounds a bit crazed. What happens when someone more powerful takes this engine from him? I mean we could take it if we wanted to and we are far from the most powerful group I can think of.”
Kathra does her best not to look too disgusted at Korm's whole boil-born flea situation, but she's pretty disgusted.
"If nothing else, we shouldn't bother to tell those dwarves back in town. They're not likely to have good intentions if they hear about it. Maybe we just head back and say there's nothing here, then seal this place up again somehow."
“Well, we can take some time to think about it while we take out those storm seals. Either way they are a threat to the local population...might as well get paid for it Right now I’m leaning towards destroying that thing but need to think on it some more and listen to everyone’s point of view”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Do we really have to kill the storm seals? They're kind of adorable." Mirabel tries to think of a way to drive off the seals or mask the discharge of the spell engine.
Arcana: 22
Nature: 10
Mirabel gives some more thought to the spell engine. "I'd love to have a chance to study such an ancient construct as that, especially as it appears we won't be harmed by the golems."
“Adorable??? Those little ones almost killed me in the river after I showed them no aggression. What if I had been a local child going for a swim? I respect you Mirabel but on this I will disagree with you. Those things are dangerous and need to be exterminated before they hurt any innocents.”
Gavin turns and addresses Korm from across the room, “What is the purpose of those orbs and the giant skull on top of the spell engine”
You think if you had the time to study the stone and maybe could figure out how to interact with it to draw out the power, you may be able to safely leech away the excess power and then maybe...maybe figure out how to stop it from drawing in arcane energy.
Also...yeah, those storm seals are pretty cute right? With their furry little seal faces and cute little fish flippers. Seems a shame to have to kill them. It's not like it's their fault that this big rock is drawing them here. They'd likely be happier flitting among the clouds where they belong....right?
At Gavin's questions Korm looks slightly confused. "Which orbs? As for the skull, it was sorta up there when I got here. I had the vault servants toss some planks out on the stone so I could take a look at it, but that seemed to rile up the Storm Seals and they ran me off. I reckon I could get up there and drag it off the stone if you lot keep those damnable flying fish out of my way for a few minutes."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
Gavin looks back at Korm equally confused, “The four orbs on each corner of the scaffolding on top of the engine. Have you not seen them or do you call them something else?”
((After being zapped in the water I do not find those things cute at all...just for the record :) ))
"Oh, the 'dampeners'...." Korm says, with new understanding. "Fascinating things, those. Some sort of solid glass-crystalline orbital matrix housing a preserved Wizard's Flower, each radiating a aura of calmness. No idea what they're for." Korm shrugs and give one of his rashes another scratch.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gavin turns back to his party, “This Guy has no idea what he is dealing with here and I do not trust his motives. Nor do I trust he is telling us everything he knows. I think that big skull is something that he wants but doesn’t want us to know. I say let’s kill those storm seals for the sake of the local people and then figure out a way to destroy or shut this thing down.
((I would like to do an insight check on the things he’s told us. Do I feel he’s being truthful and not withholding info?))
Oh your gut is pretty sure you're being shystered. Korm seems to be volunteering a lot of mostly irrelevant information with a lot of big words without actually saying anything meaningful while clearly holding back some key information. You think he's got an agenda that you are likely not being clued in on, though what it is, you couldn't quite say. Probably involves that giant skull though. You're not entirely sure how best to broach this knowledge though with so many variables. Korm is technically all alone down here, but he's a pretty beefy goliath who not only claims to be some sort of wizard but also seems to have a pretty solid handle on commanding several suits of, so far, mostly harmless animated armor that wander this place. For sure though, you shouldn't let him out of your sight for the time being. There's a sort of unhinged unpredictability that gleams in his eyes that makes you really uncomfortable.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
((I can cast zone of truth after our next long rest but not sure that will work as he can just refuse to answer. That in itself will tell us that he is lying but it may be worth a shot. It’s a DC 15 for me if we want to try that))
((Not sure we should try either yet, i am a little concerned with my wisdom dc save, being only 13))
I am not sure what to do next, Peren is thinking, but he really wants to just sneak up and cut the goliaths throat but he feels we need to find out what he is really up to, before we go to extremes
Mirabel, after some serious thought, remembers that not everyone is resistant to lightning damage.
"Before we go picking a fight with the storm seals, are we sure that leaving this giant magical stone activated and churning out... Whatever that fellow is using it for is the right move here?"
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We were told of strange keening noises that echo through the valley and strange armored contingent moving through the hills. But the strangest thing was the flying fish, which we dismissed until we saw a group of them with our own eyes.
Korm scratches his chin in thought for a moment. "Well the noises seem easy enough to explain. The spell engine does make one heck of a racket from time to time and between the tower opening and the waterfall cave, I can see where it might give some busybodies in the hills some consternation. The vault servants have been venturing out as of late to gather herbs and regents for me, so I guess that bit of bother is my fault, though I've told those rock-brains time and again to stay away from the locals. They don't have a lot of room in what's left of a mind up there to handle complex instruction you see. As for the 'flying fish'........do you mean Storm Seal pups?" A sour look crosses Korm's face. "A damnable nuisance if there ever was one. Seems the stone attracts them now that it's been uncovered. They've been nothing but a hassle to my research since they started hatching. I've had the vault servants fish some up for food when I can, but the bigger ones are keeping me from my work with the spell engine. I had hoped covering it up with metal plates might help dissuade them from lingering and move on, but it's really slow going......" A brief look of epiphany flashes across Korm's features. "Heeeeey......by chance could I get you 'Handy Band' folks to clear up a bit of the infestation for me? I don't have much gold to spare, but I can get some of the vault servants to work scraping free what's left of the sapphire mine if that'd help!"
Peren will look over at group and say, "what do you think guys, I am up for some action'
“Before we agree to help you Korum I need to know what your intentions are with this research. What are you hoping to find and do with this lost knowledge? I have to say reanimating dead things for slaves gives me and others pause.”
"Intentions?" Korm frowns slightly. "My good sir, with power like this, the possibilities are endless! The Seree wizards of yore used spell engines like these to access limitless arcane energy. Sure they were a bit stuffy and structured and, some say, uncaring with those who couldn't rise to their level as equals...." He motions towards the remaining vault servant in the room. "But we are men of understanding and enlightenment, are we not? Can you imagine what wonders for the public good can be had with limitless clean energy? What technologies can be adapted to better the world? I'm sure I can't come to mind all the great things that could be spawned with this knowledge, but once we unlock the secrets of the spell engine, others will come with ideas and solutions. It could be down-right utopian starting right here in the humble hills around Rockmount!" Korm settles down just a bit, scratching a boil on his arm until it bursts with a soft POP as three or four large flea-like insects fall free of it and hop off into the shadows of the room's floor. "Eh....sorry 'bout that. Dire fleas." He says sheepishly. "Picked 'em up on my travels. Towns don't much care for 'em, which is why I try to steer clear of the civilized places."
“Excuse me while I confer with my friends about the job you want help with.”and I walk away so he cannot hear our conversation.
Gavin whispers to his group, “So what I am hearing is this limitless power can be used for limitless good or limitless evil depending on who uses it. I’m not so sure about helping this person, who by the way sounds a bit crazed. What happens when someone more powerful takes this engine from him? I mean we could take it if we wanted to and we are far from the most powerful group I can think of.”
Kathra does her best not to look too disgusted at Korm's whole boil-born flea situation, but she's pretty disgusted.
"If nothing else, we shouldn't bother to tell those dwarves back in town. They're not likely to have good intentions if they hear about it. Maybe we just head back and say there's nothing here, then seal this place up again somehow."
“Well, we can take some time to think about it while we take out those storm seals. Either way they are a threat to the local population...might as well get paid for it Right now I’m leaning towards destroying that thing but need to think on it some more and listen to everyone’s point of view”
"Do we really have to kill the storm seals? They're kind of adorable." Mirabel tries to think of a way to drive off the seals or mask the discharge of the spell engine.
Arcana: 22
Nature: 10
Mirabel gives some more thought to the spell engine. "I'd love to have a chance to study such an ancient construct as that, especially as it appears we won't be harmed by the golems."
“Adorable??? Those little ones almost killed me in the river after I showed them no aggression. What if I had been a local child going for a swim? I respect you Mirabel but on this I will disagree with you. Those things are dangerous and need to be exterminated before they hurt any innocents.”
Gavin turns and addresses Korm from across the room, “What is the purpose of those orbs and the giant skull on top of the spell engine”
Peren agrees with Gavin, we must kill the storm seals. The only thing is as long as the spell engine is here, more seals will show up later.
We must figure out a way to shut down the spell engine, even if it means taking out mister, flee bags, over there.
Let’s just kill the ones that are here now and decide what to do after that.
For Mirabel:
You think if you had the time to study the stone and maybe could figure out how to interact with it to draw out the power, you may be able to safely leech away the excess power and then maybe...maybe figure out how to stop it from drawing in arcane energy.
Also...yeah, those storm seals are pretty cute right? With their furry little seal faces and cute little fish flippers. Seems a shame to have to kill them. It's not like it's their fault that this big rock is drawing them here. They'd likely be happier flitting among the clouds where they belong....right?
At Gavin's questions Korm looks slightly confused. "Which orbs? As for the skull, it was sorta up there when I got here. I had the vault servants toss some planks out on the stone so I could take a look at it, but that seemed to rile up the Storm Seals and they ran me off. I reckon I could get up there and drag it off the stone if you lot keep those damnable flying fish out of my way for a few minutes."
Gavin looks back at Korm equally confused, “The four orbs on each corner of the scaffolding on top of the engine. Have you not seen them or do you call them something else?”
((After being zapped in the water I do not find those things cute at all...just for the record :) ))
((And those were just the babies.....))
"Oh, the 'dampeners'...." Korm says, with new understanding. "Fascinating things, those. Some sort of solid glass-crystalline orbital matrix housing a preserved Wizard's Flower, each radiating a aura of calmness. No idea what they're for." Korm shrugs and give one of his rashes another scratch.
Gavin turns back to his party, “This Guy has no idea what he is dealing with here and I do not trust his motives. Nor do I trust he is telling us everything he knows. I think that big skull is something that he wants but doesn’t want us to know. I say let’s kill those storm seals for the sake of the local people and then figure out a way to destroy or shut this thing down.
((I would like to do an insight check on the things he’s told us. Do I feel he’s being truthful and not withholding info?))
Insight + guidance: 20
For Gavin:
Oh your gut is pretty sure you're being shystered. Korm seems to be volunteering a lot of mostly irrelevant information with a lot of big words without actually saying anything meaningful while clearly holding back some key information. You think he's got an agenda that you are likely not being clued in on, though what it is, you couldn't quite say. Probably involves that giant skull though. You're not entirely sure how best to broach this knowledge though with so many variables. Korm is technically all alone down here, but he's a pretty beefy goliath who not only claims to be some sort of wizard but also seems to have a pretty solid handle on commanding several suits of, so far, mostly harmless animated armor that wander this place. For sure though, you shouldn't let him out of your sight for the time being. There's a sort of unhinged unpredictability that gleams in his eyes that makes you really uncomfortable.
((Guys I could try to cast charm person, but the DC is only 13 and if it fails he will know I tried))
((I can cast zone of truth after our next long rest but not sure that will work as he can just refuse to answer. That in itself will tell us that he is lying but it may be worth a shot. It’s a DC 15 for me if we want to try that))
((Not sure we should try either yet, i am a little concerned with my wisdom dc save, being only 13))
I am not sure what to do next, Peren is thinking, but he really wants to just sneak up and cut the goliaths throat
but he feels we need to find out what he is really up to, before we go to extremes
Mirabel, after some serious thought, remembers that not everyone is resistant to lightning damage.
"Before we go picking a fight with the storm seals, are we sure that leaving this giant magical stone activated and churning out... Whatever that fellow is using it for is the right move here?"