Once Captain Blythe is satisfied, Hewelathan will glance toward Rhaenys and say, "Flinn and the eladrin are keeping an eye on the sailor, and I don't think that we've raised any suspicion yet. I'll stay here, at a little distance, but my friends and I all stand ready in case there's trouble."
Rhaenyssends another telepathic message to Hewelathan: "The target is still unaware and acting normal. What has Blythe said? Will she be arresting him herself? By the way, from those two next to Flinn and I, the cursed one is the one on the left. Blue eyed, blonde haired, goatee, red shirt". She stops for a moment and then adds: "Poor boy. He appears to be of my same age. They won't hurt him, right?"
On the outside, the sorcerer keeps chatting with Flinn as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening:
- And you say you left Truthseeker outside of your quarters last night!? Oh boy, I wager you'll be paying dearly for that!
The captain leans back in her seat, considering the new information carefully.
"You're going to see the Broken Lord himself," she says at last. "I had assumed you were simply going to look for treasure on the island... but that is neither here nor there, we have to take care of the infiltrator before he can sabotage the mission."
She gets up and summons two security officers to help apprehend the young sailor. The youth looks up in surprise when he sees the Captain and the two officers approaching, but he doesn't look worried immediately.
"Captain... is there something I can help you with?" he asks.
"Yes, I'm afraid that there is, Rupert," the Captain somberly. "We have reason to believe that you may be acting as an unwitting spy for a dangerous cult... just hand over any weapons you may have and come with us. As long as you cooperate we should be able to find a way to free you from the curse before..."
As soon as the Captain mentions a cult, Rupert's eyes turn cold... in a split second he has drawn two shortswords...
Those who are present right now (I think that's Rhaenys, Flinn, and Hewelathan) have a moment if you want to try to try something to prevent this from escalating into violence.
Seeing how the situation is escalating, RhaenysbegsStafford:
"Give me back my natural form, please!"
As Stafford complies, everyone sees the male eladrin form shift into the young sorceress' pale-skinned and long white-haired appearance. She inmediately says:
- Please don't be scared! This is just my natural form. I am not anyone's enemy - she says this to everyone, but then turns to Rupert- I am not your enemy. How old are you? Twenty? Twenty two? You look as young as me! Please heed Blythe's words. Don't fight. Let them help you. Don't you see you have your whole life before you? Don't do anything crazy, please. (OOC: Persuasion 20)
Rhaenys is clearly distressed, as she feels that any of the companions could have been standing in Rupert's shoes. She doesn't do anything yet, but has every intention of doing whatever is necessary to disarm Rupertand/or keep him from harm. She wants him to live.
Rhaenyssends another telepathic message to Hewelathan
Hewelathan points out the young man in the red shirt to Captain Blythe and her two security officers. As they approach, he looks at Rhaenys and thinks, "No, they just want to take him into custody. I had to tell Captain Blythe some of our story. Hopefully, that won't lead to more trouble for us."
Those who are present right now (I think that's Rhaenys, Flinn, and Hewelathan) have a moment if you want to try to try something to prevent this from escalating into violence.
(OOC: It figures. On the first day that Hewelathan doesn't prepare entangle, he needs to restrain someone!)
Hewelathan had been thinking about what they would do if the man resisted being taken into custody of the security officers. He was about to spring into action, but when Rhaenys steps forward, he waits to see whether she (or Jodie) can convince the sailor to surrender. He simply moves to stand near Rhaenys, saying, "I'm here." He gets ready to knock the man down if he tries to attack.
Movement: Move up to stand next to Rhaenys Action: ready - if the sailor tries to attack anyone and Hewelathan can reach him, shove the man prone (Athletics11) Free Action: Talking
Jodie walks over to Rupert, "Hey, I'm Jodie. No need to get excited. We're here to help. It's not your fault if you've been enchanted. A Geas is strong spell! It may be safer if we can keep a watch on you. If you commit a crime while enchanted, you'll be blamed and not the wizard."
Rupert stands, his arms shaking as he is stuck between two compulsions...
Eventually, the two swords drop from his hands... and immediately he lets out a cry of pain, clutching his head as he is hit with 28 psychic damage. Blood spurts from his nose, as if his brain was physically struck by the spell.
"Oh... oh gods!" he exclaims."What has happened to me? P-please help me!"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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- Oh no. No no no... the curse is killing him! Is this what happens when he doesn't act according to the command that has been implanted in him? We need to end it. I can try to end it, but ... not sure I'll be able...- Rhaenys says, her gaze shifting from Ruper to the rest who are gathered there - Anyone on the ship can break curses? Flinn, are you able to? We could try both approaches. We could also keep healing him until we are able to break the curse - "...as long as the curse doesn't finish him before", she thinks.
"Rhaenys. Calm down. You can do this."
She doesn't answer back, but she does squeeze Stafford tighter as she approaches a hand towards Rupert...
(OCC: Will roll to try to dispel the Geas asap. Minimum DC is 15. So I need at least an 11)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Jodie looks horrified at the impact of the stronger enchantment."I'm so sorry. Focus on my voice to ease your pain."6hps
"Come, lie down and I'll play a soothing song. Over the next few days, you're going to try to do what the wizard asks. We'll just try a little harder and keep everyone safe until we can break the curse. How does that sound?" Jodie gently dabs the blood from Rupert's nose with a cloth.
Jodie plays relaxing music to help Rupert recover further during a short rest (Song of rest +1d6 hp)
Rupert gasps in surprise as Rhaenys casts her spell... and he is suddenly free. He lays on the deck, still clutching his aching head as a bit of blood trickles from his nose. The man is clearly in shock, his entire body trembling as he lays there. But he's alive, and free of the wizard's dark magic.
(OOC: my gosh were you (and Rupert) lucky... that spell was upcast to 9th level!)
As he lays on the deck, something happens... Rupert's form blurrs, and then... he changes. His skin and hair are white... even his eyes are white, with dark circles around them. You may be surprised, but knowing Rhaenys cues you in on what just happened: "Rupert" is a changeling!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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(OOC: my gosh were you (and Rupert) lucky... that spell was upcast to 9th level!)
I think this deserves "Marisha Ray falling from a chair after her character [spell[Feeblemind[/spell]s a super tough dragon" gif. I mean, not the same I know, but doing this with a level 3 Dispel Magic makes me happy! (Also, I love this gif 🤣)
You may be surprised, but knowing Rhaenys cues you in on what just happened: "Rupert" is a changeling!
Well, I should now I'm not the only changeling around but this did surprise me!! xD
(Rhaenys' very surprised reaction)
Seeing the sailor free of the curse, Rhaenysblinks in surprise and stares at her own hand as if not really believing what she and Stafford have just achieved.
"See? Told you! Have a little more faith in your sorcery, girl!"
"Sweet Hells, Stafford. I..... Well... Wow I guess! I'd highfive you if I could!"
As she stands and leaves space for Jodieto heal Rupert, she's suddenly struck with another surprise:
- A changeling !? Wha...? But...!! Didn't expect that!!
She'd ask them a thousand questions, because she hasn't really met one of her kind for a while now. But perhaps this is not the moment. They must be exhausted!
Hewelathan, glad that he didn't jump in with a more "brute force" solution, just stands back, staring in awe of the power Jodie and Rhaenys wield. He looks over to Captain Blythe and reminds her of his words from before, "I hope that Rupert will be OK, but it appears that the curse on him has been broken. As I said, we also command powerful magic."
As Rhaenys calms down after everything that has transpired, she begins to feel a little worried. And as such, she joins Hewelathanin talking to Blythe:
- Captain, did you know Rupert was a shapeshifter? I myself was pretty surprised and I can imagine that you might be too. People are ... not very fond of us Changelings ... - she says sadly - So I guess what I want to ask is what is he going to happen to them now? - turning to Hewelathan and the rest of the party who are present (maybe the commotion has brought everyone to deck?), she continues - I suppose we'll want to question them. I want to be present when that happens, please.
The Captain is absolutely stunned by the sequence of events... but she does her best to recover.
"I honestly had no idea," she says uneasily. "I suppose it's possible that he simply hid his true self from us for as long as he has sailed with my crew... but... unfortunately it seems more likely that he used his shapeshifting abilities to replace the real Rupert... I hope to the gods that I'm wrong..."
She visibly shudders at the thought. Then she looks at the security officers.
"Take him to the infirmary... hopefully with the curse lifted he will be willing to work with us. If... if Rupert is dead, I understand that this individual's actions were not of his free will and I cannot in good conscience punish him for something he was forced to do... but I will keep him confined until we reach land just to be safe."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
While Rupert is taken away, Hewelathan watches the other sailors to see whether anyone's reaction is out of place, such as someone who seems unsurprised when Rupert is revealed to be a changeling. (Assuming that it's perception or Insight: 18.)
Once the first mate gets the sailors back to work, Hewelathan gathers together with the rest of the party. He wants to make sure that Tytus and Korba know what happened with Rupert in case they weren't on deck or weren't close enough to see it. He also suggests that while the party are passengers, they may want to set their own watch rotation so that at least one of them is on deck at all times in case something else threatens the ship during their voyage.
While the group is together, Hewelathan takes out 5 signal whistles on loops of plain, sturdy twine. He offers one to each party member and reveals that he has an identical one around his neck. He says, "It's clear now that we are not safe anywhere. I suggest that you wear the whistle at all times -- but especially when you're separated from the group. That way, we have a common way to signal for help that we can hopefully hear from far away.
I worked out a few signals that we could use:
Blow one long note if you need immediate help, such as when you are being attacked.
Use two short notes to signal that you need help but that we should approach with caution. For example, you're not in immediate danger, but you're about to be captured.
And, mostly for our invisible scout, Tytus, use four staccato notes to indicate that the coast is clear, and we can join you."
Hewelathan demonstrates the signals as he explains them: 1 long note (tweeeeet), 2 short notes (tweet, tweet), and 4 staccato notes in fast succession (twee-twee-twee-tweet). He hopes that the signals are distinct enough that they can recognize them even if they only hear part of the signal.
turning to Hewelathan and the rest of the party who are present (maybe the commotion has brought everyone to deck?), she continues - I suppose we'll want to question them. I want to be present when that happens, please.
Hewelathan doesn't expect that there will be room for the whole party to be there for Rupert's questioning. (Rooms are typically small even on a ship this size.) But he offers to accompany Rhaenys so that he can watch the prisoner while she questions him.
Hewelathan has the highest insight bonus. He would use guidance, but that spell probably doesn't last long enough to be useful in this situation.
Korba takes the whistle and places it in a pocket for later, acknowledging that they need to be more careful, he says, "We already had one cult after our items. Is this other group related to us and what we carry? Or have we simply found ourselves in the middle of something bigger?"
Rhaenys sends another telepathic message to Hewelathan: "The target is still unaware and acting normal. What has Blythe said? Will she be arresting him herself? By the way, from those two next to Flinn and I, the cursed one is the one on the left. Blue eyed, blonde haired, goatee, red shirt". She stops for a moment and then adds: "Poor boy. He appears to be of my same age. They won't hurt him, right?"
On the outside, the sorcerer keeps chatting with Flinn as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening:
- And you say you left Truthseeker outside of your quarters last night!? Oh boy, I wager you'll be paying dearly for that!
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Nessa | Saxa | Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
The captain leans back in her seat, considering the new information carefully.
"You're going to see the Broken Lord himself," she says at last. "I had assumed you were simply going to look for treasure on the island... but that is neither here nor there, we have to take care of the infiltrator before he can sabotage the mission."
She gets up and summons two security officers to help apprehend the young sailor. The youth looks up in surprise when he sees the Captain and the two officers approaching, but he doesn't look worried immediately.
"Captain... is there something I can help you with?" he asks.
"Yes, I'm afraid that there is, Rupert," the Captain somberly. "We have reason to believe that you may be acting as an unwitting spy for a dangerous cult... just hand over any weapons you may have and come with us. As long as you cooperate we should be able to find a way to free you from the curse before..."
As soon as the Captain mentions a cult, Rupert's eyes turn cold... in a split second he has drawn two shortswords...
Those who are present right now (I think that's Rhaenys, Flinn, and Hewelathan) have a moment if you want to try to try something to prevent this from escalating into violence.
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Jodie was interested in how to spy was going to be dealt with and watched it play it out. If she's nearby, she starts a song with the harp
No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face, I've changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose
Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not beaten yet
Don't give up
I know you can make it good
Jodie casts Charm Person on Rupert, DC 14 Wis (disadvantage from the harp)
Fargen Hill Dwarf Cleric/Barbarian - Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Jodie Olwen Half-Elf Bard- Chronicles of the Accursed
Seeing how the situation is escalating, Rhaenys begs Stafford:
"Give me back my natural form, please!"
As Stafford complies, everyone sees the male eladrin form shift into the young sorceress' pale-skinned and long white-haired appearance. She inmediately says:
- Please don't be scared! This is just my natural form. I am not anyone's enemy - she says this to everyone, but then turns to Rupert - I am not your enemy. How old are you? Twenty? Twenty two? You look as young as me! Please heed Blythe's words. Don't fight. Let them help you. Don't you see you have your whole life before you? Don't do anything crazy, please. (OOC: Persuasion 20)
Rhaenys is clearly distressed, as she feels that any of the companions could have been standing in Rupert's shoes. She doesn't do anything yet, but has every intention of doing whatever is necessary to disarm Rupert and/or keep him from harm. She wants him to live.
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Nessa | Saxa | Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Wis save: 6
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Hewelathan points out the young man in the red shirt to Captain Blythe and her two security officers. As they approach, he looks at Rhaenys and thinks, "No, they just want to take him into custody. I had to tell Captain Blythe some of our story. Hopefully, that won't lead to more trouble for us."
(OOC: It figures. On the first day that Hewelathan doesn't prepare entangle, he needs to restrain someone!)
Hewelathan had been thinking about what they would do if the man resisted being taken into custody of the security officers. He was about to spring into action, but when Rhaenys steps forward, he waits to see whether she (or Jodie) can convince the sailor to surrender. He simply moves to stand near Rhaenys, saying, "I'm here." He gets ready to knock the man down if he tries to attack.
Movement: Move up to stand next to Rhaenys
Action: ready - if the sailor tries to attack anyone and Hewelathan can reach him, shove the man prone (Athletics 11)
Free Action: Talking
Jodie walks over to Rupert, "Hey, I'm Jodie. No need to get excited. We're here to help. It's not your fault if you've been enchanted. A Geas is strong spell! It may be safer if we can keep a watch on you. If you commit a crime while enchanted, you'll be blamed and not the wizard."
Fargen Hill Dwarf Cleric/Barbarian - Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Jodie Olwen Half-Elf Bard- Chronicles of the Accursed
Rupert stands, his arms shaking as he is stuck between two compulsions...
Eventually, the two swords drop from his hands... and immediately he lets out a cry of pain, clutching his head as he is hit with 28 psychic damage. Blood spurts from his nose, as if his brain was physically struck by the spell.
"Oh... oh gods!" he exclaims. "What has happened to me? P-please help me!"
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- Oh no. No no no... the curse is killing him! Is this what happens when he doesn't act according to the command that has been implanted in him? We need to end it. I can try to end it, but ... not sure I'll be able... - Rhaenys says, her gaze shifting from Ruper to the rest who are gathered there - Anyone on the ship can break curses? Flinn, are you able to? We could try both approaches. We could also keep healing him until we are able to break the curse - "...as long as the curse doesn't finish him before", she thinks.
"Rhaenys. Calm down. You can do this."
She doesn't answer back, but she does squeeze Stafford tighter as she approaches a hand towards Rupert...
(OCC: Will roll to try to dispel the Geas asap. Minimum DC is 15. So I need at least an 11)
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Nessa | Saxa | Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
(Got a 18+4= 22! Stafford is at 47/50)
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Nessa | Saxa | Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Jodie looks horrified at the impact of the stronger enchantment. "I'm so sorry. Focus on my voice to ease your pain." 6 hps
"Come, lie down and I'll play a soothing song. Over the next few days, you're going to try to do what the wizard asks. We'll just try a little harder and keep everyone safe until we can break the curse. How does that sound?" Jodie gently dabs the blood from Rupert's nose with a cloth.
Jodie plays relaxing music to help Rupert recover further during a short rest (Song of rest +1d6 hp)
Fargen Hill Dwarf Cleric/Barbarian - Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Jodie Olwen Half-Elf Bard- Chronicles of the Accursed
Rupert gasps in surprise as Rhaenys casts her spell... and he is suddenly free. He lays on the deck, still clutching his aching head as a bit of blood trickles from his nose. The man is clearly in shock, his entire body trembling as he lays there. But he's alive, and free of the wizard's dark magic.
(OOC: my gosh were you (and Rupert) lucky... that spell was upcast to 9th level!)
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As he lays on the deck, something happens... Rupert's form blurrs, and then... he changes. His skin and hair are white... even his eyes are white, with dark circles around them. You may be surprised, but knowing Rhaenys cues you in on what just happened: "Rupert" is a changeling!
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(@fair's very suprised reaction)
I think this deserves "Marisha Ray falling from a chair after her character [spell[Feeblemind[/spell]s a super tough dragon" gif. I mean, not the same I know, but doing this with a level 3 Dispel Magic makes me happy! (Also, I love this gif 🤣)
Well, I should now I'm not the only changeling around but this did surprise me!! xD
(Rhaenys' very surprised reaction)
Seeing the sailor free of the curse, Rhaenys blinks in surprise and stares at her own hand as if not really believing what she and Stafford have just achieved.
"See? Told you! Have a little more faith in your sorcery, girl!"
"Sweet Hells, Stafford. I..... Well... Wow I guess! I'd highfive you if I could!"
As she stands and leaves space for Jodie to heal Rupert, she's suddenly struck with another surprise:
- A changeling !? Wha...? But...!! Didn't expect that!!
She'd ask them a thousand questions, because she hasn't really met one of her kind for a while now. But perhaps this is not the moment. They must be exhausted!
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Nessa | Saxa | Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Hewelathan, glad that he didn't jump in with a more "brute force" solution, just stands back, staring in awe of the power Jodie and Rhaenys wield. He looks over to Captain Blythe and reminds her of his words from before, "I hope that Rupert will be OK, but it appears that the curse on him has been broken. As I said, we also command powerful magic."
As Rhaenys calms down after everything that has transpired, she begins to feel a little worried. And as such, she joins Hewelathan in talking to Blythe:
- Captain, did you know Rupert was a shapeshifter? I myself was pretty surprised and I can imagine that you might be too. People are ... not very fond of us Changelings ... - she says sadly - So I guess what I want to ask is what is he going to happen to them now? - turning to Hewelathan and the rest of the party who are present (maybe the commotion has brought everyone to deck?), she continues - I suppose we'll want to question them. I want to be present when that happens, please.
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Nessa | Saxa | Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
The Captain is absolutely stunned by the sequence of events... but she does her best to recover.
"I honestly had no idea," she says uneasily. "I suppose it's possible that he simply hid his true self from us for as long as he has sailed with my crew... but... unfortunately it seems more likely that he used his shapeshifting abilities to replace the real Rupert... I hope to the gods that I'm wrong..."
She visibly shudders at the thought. Then she looks at the security officers.
"Take him to the infirmary... hopefully with the curse lifted he will be willing to work with us. If... if Rupert is dead, I understand that this individual's actions were not of his free will and I cannot in good conscience punish him for something he was forced to do... but I will keep him confined until we reach land just to be safe."
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While Rupert is taken away, Hewelathan watches the other sailors to see whether anyone's reaction is out of place, such as someone who seems unsurprised when Rupert is revealed to be a changeling. (Assuming that it's perception or Insight: 18.)
Once the first mate gets the sailors back to work, Hewelathan gathers together with the rest of the party. He wants to make sure that Tytus and Korba know what happened with Rupert in case they weren't on deck or weren't close enough to see it. He also suggests that while the party are passengers, they may want to set their own watch rotation so that at least one of them is on deck at all times in case something else threatens the ship during their voyage.
While the group is together, Hewelathan takes out 5 signal whistles on loops of plain, sturdy twine. He offers one to each party member and reveals that he has an identical one around his neck. He says, "It's clear now that we are not safe anywhere. I suggest that you wear the whistle at all times -- but especially when you're separated from the group. That way, we have a common way to signal for help that we can hopefully hear from far away.
I worked out a few signals that we could use:
Hewelathan demonstrates the signals as he explains them: 1 long note (tweeeeet), 2 short notes (tweet, tweet), and 4 staccato notes in fast succession (twee-twee-twee-tweet). He hopes that the signals are distinct enough that they can recognize them even if they only hear part of the signal.
Hewelathan doesn't expect that there will be room for the whole party to be there for Rupert's questioning. (Rooms are typically small even on a ship this size.) But he offers to accompany Rhaenys so that he can watch the prisoner while she questions him.
Hewelathan has the highest insight bonus. He would use guidance, but that spell probably doesn't last long enough to be useful in this situation.
Flinn, really stunned by the events goes down to the infirmary to see if he can lend any assistance to the wounded changeling .
(He may use his lay on hands to heal him if needed, and/or appropiate)
PbP Character: A few ;)
Korba takes the whistle and places it in a pocket for later, acknowledging that they need to be more careful, he says, "We already had one cult after our items. Is this other group related to us and what we carry? Or have we simply found ourselves in the middle of something bigger?"
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM: