As soon as the door is locked you hear heavy knocks on the door "Open the door. We have dead drakes and 1 injured one out here. I need to speak with Dralmorrer"
((OOC: @Weathervision - Were any of the cultist guards we fought in the tower women? Either the three on the 2nd floor or the bodies of the slain cultists here in guard room (U) on the ground floor?))
((Well if the guard were stationed at the castle it's a good chance they would know their voices, if they can be bothered to distinguish one person's voice from another. It could be that they don't, perhaps if you're not Lizard or Bully they just don't care? Alternatively, there is probably some women who have come delivering gold and stuff...? Or, you know, go upstairs and get Zeds.))
Ixsas steps back away from the door, startled. He steps over to Krackle and Seraphina, and bending down to the Kobold, he says quietly: "They might only trust someone who speaks Draconic. You've got to pretend to be one of the guards here and convince them that everything is OK. Tell them that there was an attack. The fighting is done now, and Dralmorrer is safe. Dralmorrer will come down and give further orders when he is ready. Until then, this door must remain locked, and they should stand by and guard the door."
Ixsas then lays his hands on Krackle's head and says, "May Kossuth's light make the way clear," casting Guidance on Krackle. Then Ixsas steps back toward the stairs in case they need to retreat back to the room at the top.
Zeds is very slick at lying and bluffing his way through a situation like this, but Zeds is too far away. Ixsas isn't sure how good Krackle is at lying, but he thinks that he gave Krackle things to say that are all basically true.
((OOC: Voices - no idea. Hopefully, a thick wooden door makes it less obvious that it's a strange voice. I wanted to have Seraphina do the talking: it involves the new players more, and she has a high CHA. But if the guards happen to know that the only woman in the tower was a prisoner, her voice might give away the ruse. I considered getting Zeds, but I thought that we might need someone who speaks Draconic to be more convincing. I also worried that going up and back down might take too long for an initial response, especially if they just heard that someone just locked the door. Honestly, I'm just trying to find the shortest path to a Short Rest so that the party can at least heal up and recover some resources.))
The person on the other side of the door unconvinced then says "This is a serious matter. Now open this door. I'll leave as soon as I see Dralmorrer."
Ixsas asks Krackle to tell them to "wait there while you get Dralmorrer." Then Ixsas heads back upstairs, hoping that they're able to convince Dralmorrer that he must send away the guards, or he'll be the first to die. Assuming that the others come with him, Ixsas asks Seraphina whether she has any "bright" ideas. The cleric of Kossuth looks very tired from all of the recent fighting, and now he's worried that they'll accomplish nothing but killing this one officer of the Dragon Cult.
When they get to the 3rd floor, Ixsas quickly fills in Zeds and Thrax: he was able to lock the door downstairs, but there are more guards in the Inner Ward banging on the door and demanding to see Dralmorrer. "If they see Dralmorrer, I think they'll be satisfied, and he could send them away. If not...", he says, shrugging, "I'm not sure how long the door will hold them." Pointing to Dralmorrer, he says, "I can try to compel him to help us with magic, but if it doesn't work, you'll all have to convince him...somehow."
Zeds is more than happy to help Seraphina persuade Dralmorrer or take help from her to do the same... The general jist of the persuasion either way is going to be that we don't care one way or another if Dralmorrer lives or dies - He's just one lone cog in the cult machine and we really don't care about the individual cogs, we want to take down the whole thing. So if Dralmorrer wants to cooperate with use we'll let him walk once we're free of the castle and the grounds. If he doesn't want to cooperate, or if he tries to betray us, we may all die... But he will definitely be the first one killed. So it's really a question of whether Dralmorrer values his own life or not... Cause we are totally indifferent to it so long as we live.
(If Seraphina prefers to take lead she is more than welcome to reword or even re-argue the case entirely... But as I said, Zeds would back her up if so in order to give her every advantage...)
we don't care one way or another if Dralmorrer lives or dies - He's just one lone cog in the cult machine and we really don't care about the individual cogs, we want to take down the whole thing.
Yes, Ixsas is in total agreement. He's a bit of a zealot for Kossuth, but he believes that "Kossuth gave me a quest -- a divine mission, read by my superiors in the heart of the fire -- and that quest is to stop this Dragon Cult's plans." He's happy to trade Dralmorrer's life for accurate information and immediate help in their current situation.
Zeds is more than happy to help Seraphina persuade Dralmorrer or take help from her to do the same...
((OOC: Yeah, let's just hope that he's not a fanatic who is willing to die for "the cause." Tiamat is more of an eat-the-weak goddess. If Dralmorrer betrays the party, and we kill him, the cult probably won't bother resurrecting him. Even if he betrays the party and somehow survives, Dralmorrer's rivals in the cult would be rewarded for exploiting this failure and eliminating him. Does he really trust all of the cult's other officers not to betray him? If Dralmorrer values his life, his best bet is to grab the money and run! And it would even make sense for him to provide the party with additional information: better to have the party interfering with the cult's operations so that the Dragon Cult is too distracted to send agents to track down Dralmorrer!))
As Ixsas said earlier, this domed tower was once used by stargazers. Now that they're not fighting and may finally get to question Dralmorrer, he wonders whether the castle was just in a convenient location for the cult (in the middle of a swamp?!). Or did they come here specifically for this stargazing contraption -- the "telescope"? How would that be useful to Tiamat's cult? Could the telescope have some use other than looking at the stars?
Ixsas was raised from infancy at a temple of Kossuth. Therefore, his actual schooling was rather constrained and didn't cover much beyond his own religion and other "false" religions. Even so, he's naturally curious and reasonably bright. That, combined with his intuition, makes him pretty good at figuring things out if given the time. While Ixsas waits to see whether Seraphina, Zeds, and Thrax get what they need from Dralmorrer or whether they need Ixsas to try Suggestion, he spends his time examining the telescope and the hand cranks on the third floor, trying to determine how it all works. When he gets stuck, Ixsas prays to Kossuth to "shed light" this mystery and trigger a flash of realization.
Investigation: 24 + 4 (Guidance) = 28 (rolled in game log)
((OOC: @Weathervision - I don't remember whether you said so earlier. Is the domed roof entirely closed at the moment?))
The telescope is quite advanced and dilapidated at the same time. Using it would require extensive skill and practice. Though Ixsas prodigious talent seems to get the gist on how it works.
He then looks to the hand cranks and deduced the hand cranks can be used to rotate the dome as it sat on friction rollers on an internal track circular track. He also discovered one of the hand cranks opens the dome shutters using counterweights and sliding panels.
Thrax has a faraway look in his eyes in the aftermath of the battle on the third floor. The extensive loss of blood, the baying of the dying before a grim silence, the stench of viscera cut free from bellies, all serve to draw his mind away from the present. He stands in a grove, weeping over the shattered bodies of centaurs, kneeling over the broken skulls of druids who were his friends. He raises his head to the heavens and sees instead the smug, satisfied expression on the face of the one he called Mother, the theurge who commanded the arm of the cult into which he was born. His grief wells over into anger, as it so often does - the only vent for the hatred that burns inside him without end.
With glassy eyes, the barbarian is brought back to the present as Zeds jostles Dralmorrer's unconscious body. Stumbling out of his stupor, the dragonborn assists the efforts in whatever way he can, though he looks briefly confused by the attaching of bells. Eventually, when Ixsas arrives to explain the dilemma on the first floor, he finally speaks in a raspy voice. "Hrmgh. I can help. Help scare him. Let Seraphina talk first."
If Zeds notices Thrax's confusion about the bell he explains quickly by saying "If he tries to work his hands free while we are not paying attention the bell will alert us," but he otherwise doesn't really engage the Dragonborn. They seem like maybe they're still on edge and Zeds doesn't want to accidentally push them over...
Upon finding out that they need Dralmorrer to speak a bit, Zeds draws one of the curved daggers he appropriated from the masked rider what seems so long ago now and puts it to the Half-Elf's (?) throat. He tries to awaken them with some gentle shoving and light slapping of the face. If it takes more medical skill than that to bring them out of their enforced slumber then he'll probably have to leave it up to someone else. (Medicine Check is 5 so...)
Assuming someone can awaken them, Zeds first draws their captive's attention to the blade at their throat and explains "We're going to talk a bit, you and us. For now, just a little talk. But if you try any magicy boogity kazam or to call out and draw back up, you will be summarily put to death. We don't want that, but we can live with it if we have to. Can you?" Once he feels sure Dralmorrer is aware of the situation he will then signal for Ixsas to undo the gag so that Drally can speak...
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(No, they were all men)
((Well if the guard were stationed at the castle it's a good chance they would know their voices, if they can be bothered to distinguish one person's voice from another. It could be that they don't, perhaps if you're not Lizard or Bully they just don't care? Alternatively, there is probably some women who have come delivering gold and stuff...? Or, you know, go upstairs and get Zeds.))
((OOC: Ugh! OK.))
Ixsas steps back away from the door, startled. He steps over to Krackle and Seraphina, and bending down to the Kobold, he says quietly: "They might only trust someone who speaks Draconic. You've got to pretend to be one of the guards here and convince them that everything is OK. Tell them that there was an attack. The fighting is done now, and Dralmorrer is safe. Dralmorrer will come down and give further orders when he is ready. Until then, this door must remain locked, and they should stand by and guard the door."
Ixsas then lays his hands on Krackle's head and says, "May Kossuth's light make the way clear," casting Guidance on Krackle. Then Ixsas steps back toward the stairs in case they need to retreat back to the room at the top.
Zeds is very slick at lying and bluffing his way through a situation like this, but Zeds is too far away. Ixsas isn't sure how good Krackle is at lying, but he thinks that he gave Krackle things to say that are all basically true.
((OOC: Voices - no idea. Hopefully, a thick wooden door makes it less obvious that it's a strange voice. I wanted to have Seraphina do the talking: it involves the new players more, and she has a high CHA. But if the guards happen to know that the only woman in the tower was a prisoner, her voice might give away the ruse. I considered getting Zeds, but I thought that we might need someone who speaks Draconic to be more convincing. I also worried that going up and back down might take too long for an initial response, especially if they just heard that someone just locked the door. Honestly, I'm just trying to find the shortest path to a Short Rest so that the party can at least heal up and recover some resources.))
Krackle gives it shot in Draconic and says what Ixsas suggests.
Deception
6 + 4 = 10
((OOC: I was hoping for persuasion since he's not actually lying. But yeah, maybe faking being a human guard was too big a stretch for him.))
The person on the other side of the door unconvinced then says "This is a serious matter. Now open this door. I'll leave as soon as I see Dralmorrer."
Ixsas asks Krackle to tell them to "wait there while you get Dralmorrer." Then Ixsas heads back upstairs, hoping that they're able to convince Dralmorrer that he must send away the guards, or he'll be the first to die. Assuming that the others come with him, Ixsas asks Seraphina whether she has any "bright" ideas. The cleric of Kossuth looks very tired from all of the recent fighting, and now he's worried that they'll accomplish nothing but killing this one officer of the Dragon Cult.
When they get to the 3rd floor, Ixsas quickly fills in Zeds and Thrax: he was able to lock the door downstairs, but there are more guards in the Inner Ward banging on the door and demanding to see Dralmorrer. "If they see Dralmorrer, I think they'll be satisfied, and he could send them away. If not...", he says, shrugging, "I'm not sure how long the door will hold them." Pointing to Dralmorrer, he says, "I can try to compel him to help us with magic, but if it doesn't work, you'll all have to convince him...somehow."
Zeds is more than happy to help Seraphina persuade Dralmorrer or take help from her to do the same... The general jist of the persuasion either way is going to be that we don't care one way or another if Dralmorrer lives or dies - He's just one lone cog in the cult machine and we really don't care about the individual cogs, we want to take down the whole thing. So if Dralmorrer wants to cooperate with use we'll let him walk once we're free of the castle and the grounds. If he doesn't want to cooperate, or if he tries to betray us, we may all die... But he will definitely be the first one killed. So it's really a question of whether Dralmorrer values his own life or not... Cause we are totally indifferent to it so long as we live.
(If Seraphina prefers to take lead she is more than welcome to reword or even re-argue the case entirely... But as I said, Zeds would back her up if so in order to give her every advantage...)
Kracke does tells the person to wait.
Yes, Ixsas is in total agreement. He's a bit of a zealot for Kossuth, but he believes that "Kossuth gave me a quest -- a divine mission, read by my superiors in the heart of the fire -- and that quest is to stop this Dragon Cult's plans." He's happy to trade Dralmorrer's life for accurate information and immediate help in their current situation.
((OOC: Yeah, let's just hope that he's not a fanatic who is willing to die for "the cause." Tiamat is more of an eat-the-weak goddess. If Dralmorrer betrays the party, and we kill him, the cult probably won't bother resurrecting him. Even if he betrays the party and somehow survives, Dralmorrer's rivals in the cult would be rewarded for exploiting this failure and eliminating him. Does he really trust all of the cult's other officers not to betray him? If Dralmorrer values his life, his best bet is to grab the money and run! And it would even make sense for him to provide the party with additional information: better to have the party interfering with the cult's operations so that the Dragon Cult is too distracted to send agents to track down Dralmorrer!))
As Ixsas said earlier, this domed tower was once used by stargazers. Now that they're not fighting and may finally get to question Dralmorrer, he wonders whether the castle was just in a convenient location for the cult (in the middle of a swamp?!). Or did they come here specifically for this stargazing contraption -- the "telescope"? How would that be useful to Tiamat's cult? Could the telescope have some use other than looking at the stars?
Ixsas was raised from infancy at a temple of Kossuth. Therefore, his actual schooling was rather constrained and didn't cover much beyond his own religion and other "false" religions. Even so, he's naturally curious and reasonably bright. That, combined with his intuition, makes him pretty good at figuring things out if given the time. While Ixsas waits to see whether Seraphina, Zeds, and Thrax get what they need from Dralmorrer or whether they need Ixsas to try Suggestion, he spends his time examining the telescope and the hand cranks on the third floor, trying to determine how it all works. When he gets stuck, Ixsas prays to Kossuth to "shed light" this mystery and trigger a flash of realization.
Investigation: 24 + 4 (Guidance) = 28 (rolled in game log)
((OOC: @Weathervision - I don't remember whether you said so earlier. Is the domed roof entirely closed at the moment?))
(The domed roof is closed.)
The telescope is quite advanced and dilapidated at the same time. Using it would require extensive skill and practice. Though Ixsas prodigious talent seems to get the gist on how it works.
He then looks to the hand cranks and deduced the hand cranks can be used to rotate the dome as it sat on friction rollers on an internal track circular track. He also discovered one of the hand cranks opens the dome shutters using counterweights and sliding panels.
The Dome shutters at present are closed.
Thrax has a faraway look in his eyes in the aftermath of the battle on the third floor. The extensive loss of blood, the baying of the dying before a grim silence, the stench of viscera cut free from bellies, all serve to draw his mind away from the present. He stands in a grove, weeping over the shattered bodies of centaurs, kneeling over the broken skulls of druids who were his friends. He raises his head to the heavens and sees instead the smug, satisfied expression on the face of the one he called Mother, the theurge who commanded the arm of the cult into which he was born. His grief wells over into anger, as it so often does - the only vent for the hatred that burns inside him without end.
With glassy eyes, the barbarian is brought back to the present as Zeds jostles Dralmorrer's unconscious body. Stumbling out of his stupor, the dragonborn assists the efforts in whatever way he can, though he looks briefly confused by the attaching of bells. Eventually, when Ixsas arrives to explain the dilemma on the first floor, he finally speaks in a raspy voice. "Hrmgh. I can help. Help scare him. Let Seraphina talk first."
If Zeds notices Thrax's confusion about the bell he explains quickly by saying "If he tries to work his hands free while we are not paying attention the bell will alert us," but he otherwise doesn't really engage the Dragonborn. They seem like maybe they're still on edge and Zeds doesn't want to accidentally push them over...
Upon finding out that they need Dralmorrer to speak a bit, Zeds draws one of the curved daggers he appropriated from the masked rider what seems so long ago now and puts it to the Half-Elf's (?) throat. He tries to awaken them with some gentle shoving and light slapping of the face. If it takes more medical skill than that to bring them out of their enforced slumber then he'll probably have to leave it up to someone else. (Medicine Check is 5 so...)
Assuming someone can awaken them, Zeds first draws their captive's attention to the blade at their throat and explains "We're going to talk a bit, you and us. For now, just a little talk. But if you try any magicy boogity kazam or to call out and draw back up, you will be summarily put to death. We don't want that, but we can live with it if we have to. Can you?" Once he feels sure Dralmorrer is aware of the situation he will then signal for Ixsas to undo the gag so that Drally can speak...