Loramar looks to the others a bit sheepishly, "One of our great bards sang a lyric '...Lightning reactions must be carefully trained...' for good reason."

From within the comforting shadows provided by the veiling spell, Tali looks at the others, arching her brows questioningly. They should address that tattooed person, right? No way to go past him to examine the tapestry and the rest of the room otherwise. She hopes they can speak to him peacefully but steadies herself in case the contrary happens...

The sound of the breath made little to change Radu’s behavior or thoughts. The years had taught to be always and naturally alert of everything around while the battles had taught him to abandon any thought and feeling that could not help in defeating the enemy.

“If it’s a walking enemy one of us should cast Spike Growth between it and us while the other use Plant Growth on the thorns.” He whispered to Tali'Zorah. “We can use gestures to coordinate who casts what.”

From the moment he said that the Moon Druid entered a deep, focused silence. His mind picturing large creatures, such as a dragon. Finding the humanoid by firelight was surprising to say the least. There shouldn’t be anyone else sent into the Tomb.  Enemy, he considered. Either that or an illusion set into the dungeon by its makers. Either way it was better to prepare for battle and he started to look around for signs of movement and hidden enemies, for places to take cover.

The tapestry on the north wall caught his attention. The place was no room, but a mere interception of pathways. It was strange to decorate it, even more with a single piece of ornamentation. From distance he tried to grasp something about it.

Notes: Radu keeps constantly looking around for enemies/strange movements (hopefully using his 24 passive perception). Can he see anywhere to take any kind of cover and if yes, how far from his current position? Can he notice anything about the tapestry while stopping for a moment to pay attention to it?

Radu studies the tapestry, trying to figure out what seems off. He realizes that the tapestry is fluttering in a breeze, and he can make out some sort of large space behind the tapestry, which the tapestry seems to be covering.

Tali thinks she remembers something: a story about how a brave hero tried to venture into the tomb, and was trapped in there. This person must be the hero! They'll probably help you!

Does anyone make any moves or noise that would alert this person to your presence or do you all stand there in the tunnel staring at them?

Victor's ego has been greatly inflated by passing through the arch unscathed, and has spent the last length of the dungeon quietly smirking to himself, so deep in his mental affirmations that he barely noticed the sound of breathing until the party arrived. He remains quiet, following suit with the rest of the party, and whispers 'I don't trust a thing about that person. Makes no sense for anybody to be here. Where are they getting the food or water they need to survive, and if there are monsters in here, how do they best such threats alone? I say we try and sneak past into the closest tunnel under Tali's shroud of stealth. Nothing good will come from investigating things that aren't integral to the mission. Best case scenario is that we now have another person we're responsible to keep safe, and I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood to look after some rando that tags along. Worst, and most probable, case is that they're a threat, so best we keep moving swiftly and silently.'

Loramar nods in agreement with Victor.  He then looks to the exits to find a likely passage leading from the nexus of halls.  He does look upon the tapestry to see if he recognizes anything depicted there, History check = 25

(ooc: oookay, nat1, here we go)

Tali turns to Victor and whispers back. "And what if they ventured in before us, trying to solve the curse on their own and got trapped? They might know something useful! Besides, I myself can create water and food, that wouldn't be so strange!" She turns slightly to peek at the stranger, whispering even softer, "They... look pretty strong too... Look at those tattoos, they're... hot ... I MEAN... interesting, right?" Her cheeks flush as she awkwardly glances at Loramar, noticing his agreement with Victor. Radu hasn't said anything, but he's crearly eyeing the stranger as if they were an enemy. Considering all this, she sighs as her shoulders slump a little, and concedes, "All right... let’s go." 

When the party begins toward the selected exit, Tali'Zorah will glance at the stranger, hoping to catch a glimpse of their face or overhear what they are murmuring. (Perception: 16)

 Tali keeps her Pass without Trace active at all times (unless we want at some point in the future to be noticed, that is!)

 Realizing the movement of the tapestry Radu could not help but think about angler fish. A creature of the deep sea whose spine evolved through time to act like a fishing rob, adorned with a dot of light. Biolumiscent organ, he could hear the voice of his master insisting he learned the proper term.

“The tapestry is fluttering.” He whispered as the others started to move, courteously omitting any commentary regarding his fellow druid’s slip of tongue. “The source of the breath we heard may be behind it, the man in front of us some sort of illusion conjured to have us leave stealth and lower our guards.” If that was true, he pondered, the one to which that visage belonged was not only long dead but had become a tool to the killer.  “Let’s just hope that is not the way we need to follow.”

Assuming his supposition was right the risk of the creature noticing their passage and following them was small. What worried Radu was the fact that most predators decided on their hunting grounds according to the availability of prey. In the dungeon that should mean the path most likely to be travel. The question was if said path led to a trap or the only passage to deeper into the tomb.

Notes: Radu follows the party, looking around as to use the passive perception. His player would like to speak with the stranger, but Radu's too careful for that.

Cyan eyes their friends. "How do we know this person is not integral to our mission? The Fates may have put this person here just for us to interact with them. The Fates... or, I concede, Death. However, we learn nothing by sneaking by and I am not sure that any of us have a clear idea on how to find the artifact and shrine, and we only have three days. If it is a trap, I have full confidence that my companions are up to the task; we probably would kill them in less than 30 seconds." They say, glancing to everyone. "We all trained, excessively, for danger and we are all here with the express purpose of risking our lives. If this person has knowledge to help us, that will save time. If they have critical knowledge, we cannot advance and we would waste time by avoiding them, only to return later."

Cyan considers Radu's words a moment. "Let us assume both possibilities are true for a moment; that the person there is both illusion and material. How do we plan for both? Shall Victor step into another metaphorical arch by tapping this person on the shoulder, while someone else investigates the tapestry?"

As soon as you step into the room, something happens. A blast of wind assaults you, and before any of you can process, the strange figure is standing before you, uncomfortably close. "Hello!" the figure says, they're face like nothing you've ever seen before. At first glance it appears beautiful and androgynous, the picture of angelic perfection. Except for the chains. As with the figures arms, red runes glow along their skin, writhing across their face in the form of chain links, crisscrossing their visage.

They smile, the expression wide and almost unsettling. "Well, who are you all?"

Victor stares back at this person with a look of disdain. They must have some incredible senses in order to notice the party just as they entered, even with Tali's shield of stealth. That, or there's magic afoot. He responds harshly with 'Who we are is of no importance at the moment. I'd actually prefer if you could state who you are and what you're doing here before we proceed any further.' He says that last part with a silvered tongue, an almost hypnotic aura radiating from his eloquent words. In fact, he's played to his Yuan-Ti strengths and casted suggestion on this mysterious person, hoping to glean some information from them if the spell succeeds, or gauge their strength if they manage to overcome it, considering it's one of his well trained specialties. [They must succeed a DC 17 Wisdom Save or follow the instructions in lighter coloured italics]

Cyan blinks hard, processing the speed of the creature and the implications. "30 seconds was... an overly generous miscalculation." they say with a deadpan delivery. 

Tali's eyes widen as the strange figure approaches, caught off guard by their sudden closeness. She instinctively steps back, bumping into whoever might be behind her. She doesn't utter a single word and waits to hear what the stranger has to say in response to Victor's words.

(ooc: can we notice what the runes are now that they are so close? Not sure if I need another roll since I rolled Perception in my previous post?)

Loramar’s hands go to the hilts of his blades as he slowly circles around the the runed person.  He is on high alert watching for danger to come from another direction.

The runes, as said, appear to be glowing red chains, which writhe over the skin of the person as if they are living.

The figure blinks as the magical suggestion wafts through the air towards them, honeyed words of enchanting flowing from the sly serpents tongue of Victor to invade the mind of this figure. The figure merely blinks once again after the spell hits them.

"Well...I'm Urdum. But come, sit" the person gestures to the ground around the fire "I'm sure you have many exciting stories to tell." With that, you blink, and a gust of air is heard, whipping your hair in your face as you suddenly find yourself sitting on the floor in a circle around the fire, all of you, your packs off your backs and against the wall out of reach, next to your weapons. The figure looks at you expectantly.

Victor is alarmed to be stripped of his backpack and sword, since that leaves him vulnerable to any potential attacks from this mysterious person, but tries to maintain a cool attitude. He looks them dead in the eyes and hisses 'Well Urdum, you'd be correct. I do have many a story to tell, and ones so exciting it'd make the hairs on the back of your neck not only stand up, but cartwheel thrice over and sit back down again in sheer awe!' He jumps to his feet, now his moment to shine, ready to tell one of his many great tall tales, but as he gets up to his feet, he's suddenly overcome with a great sense of stage fright. What if this person was a mind reader and they could see right through his lies and would then eat him alive as punishment, or even worse, shame him in front of his party?! He stands there, frozen for a solid six seconds, and then just squeaks out 'I...uhh...uhm...beat a goblin in an arm wrestle once...'  and then just immediately sits back down rapidly, before falling uncharacteristically silent. 

[Performance Check: Nat 1 for a total of 6....I was hoping to impress them with one of Victor's amazing and entirely truthful stories, but I think this is way funnier!]

Loramar smiles at Victor's performance, keeping his eyes on Urdum.  He carefully tests to see if he remains bonded to his weapons and able to call them to his hands.  "We are adventurers, Urdum.  We have come here to seek out new tales to tell."  He looks around to the rest, "But, you have come here ahead of us.  What tales have you to tell?"

Persuasion check = 15

Tali gasps as she finds herself, along with the others, suddenly sitting around the fire and stripped of all her belongings. She immediately looks back to the wall, searching for the staff her mentor gave her, worry knotting in her stomach at how easily it was taken from her, and how tangible the loss of power feels the moment she isn't holding it.

Fighting the urge to stand and grab her weapon, she turns back to watch the scene unfolding in front of her. Victor begins boasting, only to trail off and fall silent. Well, that’s a first! The druid’s mouth drops open for a split second, stunned. But as Loramar starts speaking, she refocuses and addresses Urdum as well. "Blessings be upon you," she says. "We didn’t expect to find anyone inside this place. Have you been here long? And… are you quite alright?" She tilts her head slightly as she eyes the chain-like runes winding over their skin. 

(Insight on their replies, if possible: 25)

Cyan flinches as the gust of wind forces their eyes closed and when they reopen them, they find themself bereft of their rapier and pack. Without looking or reaching for it, Cyan focuses their attention to their belt harness, searching for a familiar weight, only to find that their dagger has been liberated from their person. Cyan swallows hard and a faint twitch into a frown is suppressed just as the impulse began.

As Victor stumbles through his story followed by Deth and Tali attempting to seize control of the conversation, Cyan...

OOC: Finishing this sentence based on whether the DM considers my Bandura a weapon.

It's A Weapon: ... unclasps a button on their thigh and slides from a leather holster a beautifully polished, blackwood pan flute with an ivory splint lined with silver, giving it a faint appearance of damascus steel.

It's Not A Weapon: ... slides their bandura around from their back. A large instrument that seems unwieldy, but somehow seems to fit Cyan's tiny frame. Ebony wood for the exterior, which has been polished to a mirror shine, it has somewhere in the range of 70 strings, which start a crimson red near the neck, which fade into orange, yellow, then silver at the opposite end.

Cyan gently begins to play. "Very well. We are your guests, it seems. It would be rude not to share at least one... full story". They glance to Victor before continuing. Then, almost as if an entirely different person overtakes Cyan, their body relaxes, a whimsical smile spreads out across their face as a bird's wings do when preparing for flight, and they play a bit more to set the stage.

"Draw close, my friends, to the fire's warm embrace as I spin thee a yarn of courage and ascension. 'The Squire's Ascendancy' is the tale of a young man names Eoric, of humble beginnings but a mighty heart, whose destiny, drawn by the gods themselves, led him to knighthood and beyond."

Here, Cyan is on their feet and performs an elaborate gesture and, assuming nothing prevents the casting of a spell, casts Minor Illusion and produces a large, 3ft tall image of a young, handsome man's face with a bright expression and hopeful gaze into the distance.

OOC: If for some reason, the casting cannot be completed, Cyan will continue on uninterrupted, using dance to mask the failed casting.

"Born to a humble serf, Eoric was a lad of fierce spirit, a flicker of defiance in a land overshadowed by darkness. Serving under the noble but jaded Sir Alden, Eoric polished armor and mended shields while yearning for a life beyond servitude."

Cyan continues, spinning as they circle the group and increases the speed and intensity of their instrument. They then cast their spell again, this time showing an image of Eoric hard at work, polishing armor and looking quite displeased with his lot in life.

"His chance came on a harsh winter's night as the monstrous frost giant, Grimnir, a spawn from the deep lands of ice and snow beyond civilization, descended upon the kingdom. Like many brave knights, Sir Alden was hewn down before Grimnir's terrifying might. Yet, where others saw despair, the lad Eoric saw an opportunity - his call to arms. Snatching Sir Alden's sword where it lay in the bloody snow at his feet, he faced the gigantic reaver."

Another image, this time of a terrible looking monster, frozen in a bellow. The creature is covered in wiry hair, with large tusks, and spittle frozen mid air, flung from its mouth in a fury. Eoric stands, half the creature's size, sword at the ready. Cyan's playing becomes louder and more intense still to meet the building rising action of the story.

"Eoric held his ground with each bold stroke of his borrowed blade in the howling blizzard. Brave knights and hardy soldiers watched in awe as the squire danced with death, his courage outshining his lack of experience. By the break of dawn, he struck the final blow, splitting Grimnir's skull and delivering his kingdom from the giant's evil."

Images flash by of the creature striking, over and again, with each blow dodged or turned away by the sword of an unarmored Eoric. The final image showing the slaying of the beast, which fades away as Cyan dismisses the spell. Cyan holds the pregnant pause a moment, for dramatic effect. Then, they continue.

"Victorious, Eoric returned, not as the squire they had known but as a true knight. His name echoed through the halls, his courage praised in songs, his tale etched in the annals of the kingdom. He had crossed the threshold of the ordinary world into the realm of heroes, faced trials to quell even the bravest of hearts, and emerged victorious, transformed."

Cyan returns to their seat by the fire, playing their instrument quietly as it becomes slower and softer. Their sweet voice now quiet and soothing.

"His tale speaks of the power of courage, a beacon for those who dare to dream beyond their station. It reminds us that not all heroes are born. Some are forged in the crucible of trials and tempered by adversity. As we face our difficulties, friends, may we find the spirit of Eoric within our hearts, lighting our path. May it lead us to our heroic transformations.

"So, I say to you, steel your hearts, for, as Eoric's tale teaches, no matter how lowly born or how dark the night, the dawn ever breaks, and no matter how great the evil, courage shall always prevail."

Cyan closes their eyes and then, as if a switch is turned off, their face falls back to its familiar stone expression. "What stories do you have Urdum? Perhaps any of your time here?"

OOC: The melody used (pan flute in video):

He felt tempted to answer the bard. To tell that they didn’t train to risk their lives, but to defeat the dungeon. That albeit risk was inherent to the task it was indispensable to avoid as much of it as they could, to choose their battles lest their energies are spent before truly critical moments. The three-day limit meant that if the stranger had no useful information talking to him would be at the very least a waste of precious time. Before the Moon Druid decided speak, the figure had reached them.

Radu was surprised, but he didn’t dwell on it for long. His mind turned to the fast movement, the wind, their positions. Magic? It was the most logical option. An answer to stepping in the room. It had to be. The second gust brought him back to reality and he found himself in a circle around the fire, unarmed. Looking around for his belongings he saw them besides that of his companions. We shouldn’t have come here. He was certain.

As the others broke the silence he started pondering if Urdum could simply will himself outside of a grapple. That would made fighting without the sickle considerably harder. The tapestry, said the voice of his mind as he looked around.

Notes: Radu is silently observing the surroundings and Urdum (if possible using his passive perception). Have anything on the tapestry changed? Is there any sign of an approaching creature? Have heard of anything like the powers Urdum displayed and/or the tattoos?