The paladin pressed the indentation next to the concealed door and a mechanism behind the door started clanking and grinding. The section of wall started to swing open, revealing a secret passage!
What greeted their eyes was a scene of eerie desolation — the room beyond was a cramped space filled with cobwebs that hung like veils of silk from the ceiling, shrouding the chamber in darkness. Scattered across the floor were countless spiders of various sizes, their beady eyes glinting in the torchlight as they scurried about their domain.
At the center of the chamber, a large eyebolt connected to a long silver chain. Connected to the chain, crouched in the far corner of the room, a small, cruel looking devil, its fiendish features contorted into a snarl of frustration and despair. For years apparently, it had languished in this forsaken place, its only companions the relentless swarm of spiders that plagued the room.
A voice entered the heroes' minds then. Telepathic, there was no actual sound. "You... you have found me at last." The voice said. "Release me from this wretched prison, and I shall grant you power beyond your wildest dreams!"
The voice dripped with honeyed words, and held a air of mystery — of power — and the magic to see its promises fulfilled.
Weapon at the ready, Yaudara slowly entered the room, glancing around to spy any other potential foes before returning his gaze to the devil in the corner. "Who are you," he said out loud in Common, "and why are you imprisoned here?"
„Ooooh. A tempting offer. We should consider it.“ Ichep squints his eyes, desperately wanting to know what exactly the creature is and much more importantly if promises of its kind can be taken seriously. (Arcana 4+5=9)
Ichep recalls that devils hail from the Nine Hells of Baator. According to a strict heriarchy, all devils also serve the ruler of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus. They can also be pressed into service of a mortal through contracts and enchantments that include the devil's true name. The epitome of a Lawful Evil creature, devils will obey their masters even when they envy or dislike them. Devils are known to strike bargains with mortals seeking to gain some benefit or prize, but a mortal making such a bargain must always be wary ... for if they were to break the contract ... they forfeit their soul.
The changeling had been too absorbed into thinking that there was another secret passage behind the sword that when Faen miraculously picked it up and there was no follow up click or hiss from another door opening that he just stared blankly wide eyed at it. "Oh?"
That was... not what he expected. All this lead up just for... a sword? No, there had to be something more to it than that. His eyes trailed the maze patterns some more, trying to see if there was something else he was missing. As they continued down the path of the hallway his suspicions were answered by the devil in the other room. The hair (well, scales) on the back of his neck were standing straight as the voice whispered in his mind. Its sickly sweetness made him want to tear his own head off. He frantically looked around at his companions if they could hear it too. By the looks of it though, it seemed like they did as he watched Ichep answered back to the creature in Common. Why would he even ask that?... Oh right. He eyed the tieflingsuspiciously.
His fingers itched for his dagger, but he suddenly became hyper aware that the devil might be to able to read his mind. His mind was a mess anyways. The sight brought back feelings of being back on the ship and in the captain's quarters filled with glass cages of dried out magical creatures, the silver-tinted weapons, the harengon's foot that hung on the archway... among other things. It all made him feel as if he couldn't breathe. He thought about pretending to be the kuo-toa if this that guy was his master or something like that. Though now that he thought this, the probability was now probably moot. Plus, it didn't seem likely if they chained him up like that.
Balen didn't like the idea of making a deal with him. It seemed too risky. The captain of his ship didn't believe in taking shortcuts, making deals included. He'd heard a story of how some of his crewmates had defected from the captain's orders and did something like this before. They lived like kings for a short while only to die gruesome deaths (maybe even worse!) by the end of the tale. He didn't trust this devil and eyed him warily. He didn't say anything. His mind just growled with angry intentions. 'I don't trust you, I don't trust you,' is all that repeated in his mind as he tried to come up with something to say. Nothing came up but angry thoughts and suspicions that made him feel like he was drowning.
'Who are you?' was the only coherent thought that came up in his mind.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Faen does not like devils in the slightest. While he appreciates their whits and their opinions on the importance of words (similar to the Fey, ironically, in that regard), they ultimately want to crush life underneath their feet. The bard views them as ultimately antithetical to himself and everything that he holds dear...the freedom that he loves.
"A devil, correct?" asks Faen with disdain, "Ironic really, that you wish to be free of your subjugation, yet if it were the other way around, you would gladly see us in chains."
He chuckles a bit and says, "What do you have to offer us? Even the silver blade in my bag could kill you...a chain can leave you bound...yet you think that you can grant us power? What power do you have other than that which has been insufficient to free you?"
This is a part of Faen that's, perhaps, a bit darker and sly. While he may be drawn by magic, his disdain for tyrants (even small ones) is strong.
He doesn't trust this imp and readies the silver sword, to be used if the devil tries anything.
"My suggestion," Faen continues, "is to tell us everything you know about this place, rather than trying to swindle us of our souls." He removes the blade from his bag and draws the silver short sword, looking at the devil with menacing eyes.
As the heroes interrogated the trapped devil, it weighed each question carefully, considering its responses with cunning and guile.
When asked to identify itself, the devil sneered at the audacity of the mortals. Devils knew full well the power that resided in True Names, and often adopted monikers when dealing with inhabitants of the Prime Material Plane. "You may call me Ordrax." The telepathic response came in smoothly. "It is not my True Name, but it will do."
Regarding its imprisonment, the devil bared its many teeth in a silent snarl, memories of its captivity burning with bitter resentment. "I was ensnared by the cult of Bhaal, foul worshipers of death and destruction," Ordrax explained, its voice dripping with contempt. "They bound me here, fearing the might of my infernal powers. But those fools are long dead, their dark ambitions turned to dust. The dungeon was abandoned for many years after that ... nothing to keep me company in the dark except the spiders."
"A few months ago, however, I heard sounds within the stone halls of dungeon ... the cult, it seems, has returned."
The small devil waved a taloned hand to indicate its surroundings. "Whoever they were ... these small minded new residents never approached my cell."
When questioned about what it could do for them if freed, Ordrax leaned in closer, eyes glinting with malice. "I can offer you power beyond your wildest dreams," it whispered, its telepathic voice laced with honeyed deceit. "With my knowledge and influence, you could conquer kingdoms, bend the very fabric of reality to your will."
And then came the question that struck a nerve, the one they dared to ask in their foolishness. "How is it that I have not escaped myself?" The devil repeated, smirk fading, replaced now by a flicker of frustration as it shook the silver chain that bound it at one of its wrists.
"I am bound by the magic of an oath I made," Ordraxadmitted grudgingly, its pride wounded by the admission. "I swore to never harm this chain." The infernal prisoner's eyes glassed over then, seeming to be recalling the event all those years ago. "The promise was made under duress, of course ... but words carry power with my kind. Once that vow was uttered, it was as good as a contract. More powerful than any spell those dullards could have come up with."
Switching then to a more direct line of questioning, the small devil indicated that its interrogation had come to an end.
"What will it be mortals?" It inquired telepathically. "Will you free me in exchange for power untold?"
After brandishing the silver blade at Ordrax, Faen noticed a glimmer of concern flash in the devil's eyes. The moment was fleeting, however, and after the brief reaction its scaly eyes resumed their normal, calculating appearance.
Ichep was no fool, he knew devils were renowned for their tricks. However it was trapped in a desperate situation. A good enough deal on its end could be struck to bargain for some worthwhile power. Oh, he would. He would in a heartbeat. Ichep glanced at his companions. ‚Yeah I don’t think that‘s happening.‘ Presumably the devil would be granted its freedom soon enough given that fiends ought to return to their plane after death. Though strangely enough for a moment it did seem concerned about the silver- SILVER. Silver was weakness to devils. That’s what he couldn’t remember earlier. ‚By the gods, Ichep.‘ In retrospective it was obvious.
Yaudara smiled at the silver sword, his concern at the devil possibly being freed allayed somewhat. Brandishing his yklwa, he turned to the beast.
"You'll never be free of that chain while I live, foul hellspawn, and I'll gladly send you back to hell, so no souls on this plane have to suffer your lies."
The devil grinned showing off row after row of razor sharp teeth as the heroes showed their resolve.
"Pity," It said, raising its manacled wrist to show where the silver chain had kept it bound.
The devil paused in contemplation for a moment — turning the hand over, working the wrist and fingers this way and that — as if admiring a work of art.
"I always liked this hand."
Ordrax's sharp, serrated teeth bared in a heinous, inhuman grin just before it chomped down on its own hand! The flesh yielded beneath powerful jaws, the sound of tearing sinew and snapping bone echoed through the cramped area as the silver chain fell, useless — and quite unharmed — to the ground.
Ordrax looked up, its jaws dripping with black blood and flecks of torn scaled flesh.
"Let's play."
OOC — We will now track things round-by-round, gang. Please roll initiative. This room is unlit save for what light sources you provide. Ordrax will act on init 3, and there is a swarm of spiders in the room that will act on init 6.
Yaudara will take the lead and press the indentation to open the door.
The paladin pressed the indentation next to the concealed door and a mechanism behind the door started clanking and grinding. The section of wall started to swing open, revealing a secret passage!
What greeted their eyes was a scene of eerie desolation — the room beyond was a cramped space filled with cobwebs that hung like veils of silk from the ceiling, shrouding the chamber in darkness. Scattered across the floor were countless spiders of various sizes, their beady eyes glinting in the torchlight as they scurried about their domain.
At the center of the chamber, a large eyebolt connected to a long silver chain. Connected to the chain, crouched in the far corner of the room, a small, cruel looking devil, its fiendish features contorted into a snarl of frustration and despair. For years apparently, it had languished in this forsaken place, its only companions the relentless swarm of spiders that plagued the room.
A voice entered the heroes' minds then. Telepathic, there was no actual sound. "You... you have found me at last." The voice said. "Release me from this wretched prison, and I shall grant you power beyond your wildest dreams!"
The voice dripped with honeyed words, and held a air of mystery — of power — and the magic to see its promises fulfilled.
Weapon at the ready, Yaudara slowly entered the room, glancing around to spy any other potential foes before returning his gaze to the devil in the corner. "Who are you," he said out loud in Common, "and why are you imprisoned here?"
„Ooooh. A tempting offer. We should consider it.“ Ichep squints his eyes, desperately wanting to know what exactly the creature is and much more importantly if promises of its kind can be taken seriously. (Arcana 4+5=9)
"A foul promise from a foul creature" Toadstool grunts
"What will you do if, if we free you?"
Ichep recalls that devils hail from the Nine Hells of Baator. According to a strict heriarchy, all devils also serve the ruler of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus. They can also be pressed into service of a mortal through contracts and enchantments that include the devil's true name. The epitome of a Lawful Evil creature, devils will obey their masters even when they envy or dislike them. Devils are known to strike bargains with mortals seeking to gain some benefit or prize, but a mortal making such a bargain must always be wary ... for if they were to break the contract ... they forfeit their soul.
The changeling had been too absorbed into thinking that there was another secret passage behind the sword that when Faen miraculously picked it up and there was no follow up click or hiss from another door opening that he just stared blankly wide eyed at it. "Oh?"
That was... not what he expected. All this lead up just for... a sword? No, there had to be something more to it than that. His eyes trailed the maze patterns some more, trying to see if there was something else he was missing. As they continued down the path of the hallway his suspicions were answered by the devil in the other room. The hair (well, scales) on the back of his neck were standing straight as the voice whispered in his mind. Its sickly sweetness made him want to tear his own head off. He frantically looked around at his companions if they could hear it too. By the looks of it though, it seemed like they did as he watched Ichep answered back to the creature in Common. Why would he even ask that?... Oh right. He eyed the tiefling suspiciously.
His fingers itched for his dagger, but he suddenly became hyper aware that the devil might be to able to read his mind. His mind was a mess anyways. The sight brought back feelings of being back on the ship and in the captain's quarters filled with glass cages of dried out magical creatures, the silver-tinted weapons, the harengon's foot that hung on the archway... among other things. It all made him feel as if he couldn't breathe. He thought about pretending to be the kuo-toa if this that guy was his master or something like that. Though now that he thought this, the probability was now probably moot. Plus, it didn't seem likely if they chained him up like that.
Balen didn't like the idea of making a deal with him. It seemed too risky. The captain of his ship didn't believe in taking shortcuts, making deals included. He'd heard a story of how some of his crewmates had defected from the captain's orders and did something like this before. They lived like kings for a short while only to die gruesome deaths (maybe even worse!) by the end of the tale. He didn't trust this devil and eyed him warily. He didn't say anything. His mind just growled with angry intentions. 'I don't trust you, I don't trust you,' is all that repeated in his mind as he tried to come up with something to say. Nothing came up but angry thoughts and suspicions that made him feel like he was drowning.
'Who are you?' was the only coherent thought that came up in his mind.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Faen does not like devils in the slightest. While he appreciates their whits and their opinions on the importance of words (similar to the Fey, ironically, in that regard), they ultimately want to crush life underneath their feet. The bard views them as ultimately antithetical to himself and everything that he holds dear...the freedom that he loves.
"A devil, correct?" asks Faen with disdain, "Ironic really, that you wish to be free of your subjugation, yet if it were the other way around, you would gladly see us in chains."
He chuckles a bit and says, "What do you have to offer us? Even the silver blade in my bag could kill you...a chain can leave you bound...yet you think that you can grant us power? What power do you have other than that which has been insufficient to free you?"
This is a part of Faen that's, perhaps, a bit darker and sly. While he may be drawn by magic, his disdain for tyrants (even small ones) is strong.
He doesn't trust this imp and readies the silver sword, to be used if the devil tries anything.
"My suggestion," Faen continues, "is to tell us everything you know about this place, rather than trying to swindle us of our souls." He removes the blade from his bag and draws the silver short sword, looking at the devil with menacing eyes.
OOC - Intimidation 15 + 3 = 18
As the heroes interrogated the trapped devil, it weighed each question carefully, considering its responses with cunning and guile.
When asked to identify itself, the devil sneered at the audacity of the mortals. Devils knew full well the power that resided in True Names, and often adopted monikers when dealing with inhabitants of the Prime Material Plane. "You may call me Ordrax." The telepathic response came in smoothly. "It is not my True Name, but it will do."
Regarding its imprisonment, the devil bared its many teeth in a silent snarl, memories of its captivity burning with bitter resentment. "I was ensnared by the cult of Bhaal, foul worshipers of death and destruction," Ordrax explained, its voice dripping with contempt. "They bound me here, fearing the might of my infernal powers. But those fools are long dead, their dark ambitions turned to dust. The dungeon was abandoned for many years after that ... nothing to keep me company in the dark except the spiders."
"A few months ago, however, I heard sounds within the stone halls of dungeon ... the cult, it seems, has returned."
The small devil waved a taloned hand to indicate its surroundings. "Whoever they were ... these small minded new residents never approached my cell."
When questioned about what it could do for them if freed, Ordrax leaned in closer, eyes glinting with malice. "I can offer you power beyond your wildest dreams," it whispered, its telepathic voice laced with honeyed deceit. "With my knowledge and influence, you could conquer kingdoms, bend the very fabric of reality to your will."
And then came the question that struck a nerve, the one they dared to ask in their foolishness. "How is it that I have not escaped myself?" The devil repeated, smirk fading, replaced now by a flicker of frustration as it shook the silver chain that bound it at one of its wrists.
"I am bound by the magic of an oath I made," Ordrax admitted grudgingly, its pride wounded by the admission. "I swore to never harm this chain." The infernal prisoner's eyes glassed over then, seeming to be recalling the event all those years ago. "The promise was made under duress, of course ... but words carry power with my kind. Once that vow was uttered, it was as good as a contract. More powerful than any spell those dullards could have come up with."
Switching then to a more direct line of questioning, the small devil indicated that its interrogation had come to an end.
"What will it be mortals?" It inquired telepathically. "Will you free me in exchange for power untold?"
After brandishing the silver blade at Ordrax, Faen noticed a glimmer of concern flash in the devil's eyes. The moment was fleeting, however, and after the brief reaction its scaly eyes resumed their normal, calculating appearance.
Ichep was no fool, he knew devils were renowned for their tricks. However it was trapped in a desperate situation. A good enough deal on its end could be struck to bargain for some worthwhile power. Oh, he would. He would in a heartbeat. Ichep glanced at his companions. ‚Yeah I don’t think that‘s happening.‘ Presumably the devil would be granted its freedom soon enough given that fiends ought to return to their plane after death. Though strangely enough for a moment it did seem concerned about the silver- SILVER. Silver was weakness to devils. That’s what he couldn’t remember earlier. ‚By the gods, Ichep.‘ In retrospective it was obvious.
Yaudara smiled at the silver sword, his concern at the devil possibly being freed allayed somewhat. Brandishing his yklwa, he turned to the beast.
"You'll never be free of that chain while I live, foul hellspawn, and I'll gladly send you back to hell, so no souls on this plane have to suffer your lies."
The devil grinned showing off row after row of razor sharp teeth as the heroes showed their resolve.
"Pity," It said, raising its manacled wrist to show where the silver chain had kept it bound.
The devil paused in contemplation for a moment — turning the hand over, working the wrist and fingers this way and that — as if admiring a work of art.
"I always liked this hand."
Ordrax's sharp, serrated teeth bared in a heinous, inhuman grin just before it chomped down on its own hand! The flesh yielded beneath powerful jaws, the sound of tearing sinew and snapping bone echoed through the cramped area as the silver chain fell, useless — and quite unharmed — to the ground.
Ordrax looked up, its jaws dripping with black blood and flecks of torn scaled flesh.
"Let's play."
OOC — We will now track things round-by-round, gang. Please roll initiative. This room is unlit save for what light sources you provide. Ordrax will act on init 3, and there is a swarm of spiders in the room that will act on init 6.
Initiative 13 for Yaudara.
A massive 4 to Toadstool.
Faen rolled an 11 (9+2) for his initiative.
Initative 14 for Ichep
Initiative of 3 for Balen
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance