Flickering candles in iron holders fill this room with light and shadows. This room has a ten-foot-high ceiling and a large black pentagram inscribed on the stone floor. At each point of the pentagram rests a wooden chair. Seated in four of the five chairs are men and women in black robes with hoods: a young man who has the face of an angel; a balding hulk of a man; a squat, middle-aged woman; and a taller, younger woman with an unsettling glare. They rise to confront you.
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I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
Razz is going to use his daily use of Faerie Fire to light up all of them and the whole room with as much variety of colors as he can.
"Oh wow, look at that—glowing like proper little targets now. Convenient, really. Saves us all the trouble of squinting in the dark."
He clasps his hands together, voice still light but edged with amusement and warning.
"Now, I could give you the usual ‘surrender or else’ speech, but let’s be honest—none of you are in a great position to negotiate. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and now you’re glowing. That’s three problems, and I’m feeling real generous about giving you the chance to fix at least one of them."
He lazily gestures to their illuminated figures.
"How about we skip the dramatic chanting, avoid any unfortunate limb-removal incidents, and you all just… drop your weapons, hmm?" After a moment he continues "So, what’s the plan? You drop your weapons, we walk away with minimal bloodshed, and nobody gets mistaken for an impromptu firework? Sound good?"
The cultists all look between each other, each one trying to read the others. After a few moments, one of them sighs and puts their scimitar on the ground. The rest follow suit. If no one stops them, they will attempt to leave.
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I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
Razz looking almost a little confused that it actually worked stutters a bit. After hearing Kess, it jars him back to his senses an he says, "Hold it. Before you go, we need to talk. I wouldn't be so eager to leave with those Vallaki folks on their way here."
The younger man answers, "We're higher ups in the cult. We had a meeting with our leader today. While we were waiting we heard your confrontation with the skeletons. If they did this little to you, I doubt we'd do much more." He decides to add one last comment. "And, if she hasn't arrived yet..... I fear the worst."
The middle-aged woman replies, "Do you really want to go back to killing, Kessintra? Strahd told us a little bit about each of you. More of you than the others, but that's besides the point. Are you really going to kill us, the unarmed cultists? If so, why? To relive old times?"
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I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
Kessintra's frown deepens as she glares at the older woman in frustration. "Oh, I see. That's...a little unfair of him. He didn't tell us anything about you...It would be...empty, but I bet you're not very loud..." She shakes her head, grasping her lyre instinctively and stepping back. "We should...Ugh, what should we do? Other than take everything they have."
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| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep| Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep| Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia| Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA| Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren| Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron| Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault| Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor |
"What about the imp? I think we need to know they managed or didn't manage to summon down here. I don't think most of that was just for show."Razz says while looking at the colored over pentagram on the floor. "We should have them destroy that before they go. Also, who summoned the skeletons? One of you or Fiona?"
The balding man replies, "Fiona raised the skeletons. She used some bodies from the church's graveyard. The imp was in here with us, but they turned invisible a while ago."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
The section of the wall swings open with ease.
Flickering candles in iron holders fill this room with light and shadows. This room has a ten-foot-high ceiling and a large black pentagram inscribed on the stone floor. At each point of the pentagram rests a wooden chair. Seated in four of the five chairs are men and women in black robes with hoods: a young man who has the face of an angel; a balding hulk of a man; a squat, middle-aged woman; and a taller, younger woman with an unsettling glare. They rise to confront you.
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
"Damned cultists!" Kessintra recoils back from the door in surprise, drawing her bow.
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor |
Razz is going to use his daily use of Faerie Fire to light up all of them and the whole room with as much variety of colors as he can.
"Oh wow, look at that—glowing like proper little targets now. Convenient, really. Saves us all the trouble of squinting in the dark."
He clasps his hands together, voice still light but edged with amusement and warning.
"Now, I could give you the usual ‘surrender or else’ speech, but let’s be honest—none of you are in a great position to negotiate. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and now you’re glowing. That’s three problems, and I’m feeling real generous about giving you the chance to fix at least one of them."
He lazily gestures to their illuminated figures.
"How about we skip the dramatic chanting, avoid any unfortunate limb-removal incidents, and you all just… drop your weapons, hmm?" After a moment he continues "So, what’s the plan? You drop your weapons, we walk away with minimal bloodshed, and nobody gets mistaken for an impromptu firework? Sound good?"
Persuasion Check: (Nat 20) 27
The cultists all look between each other, each one trying to read the others. After a few moments, one of them sighs and puts their scimitar on the ground. The rest follow suit. If no one stops them, they will attempt to leave.
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
"Wait! Who are you people? You...don't seem very dedicated to your religion."
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor |
Razz looking almost a little confused that it actually worked stutters a bit. After hearing Kess, it jars him back to his senses an he says, "Hold it. Before you go, we need to talk. I wouldn't be so eager to leave with those Vallaki folks on their way here."
Persuasion/Deception check: 15/14
Ada picks up her javelin and follows the others into a room filled with cultists. She eyes the pentagram on the floor with clear disgust.
"Not so fast," she says. "Tell us what you were doing in here. Now."
Her eyes glow with righteous anger as she gazes at each of them in turn.
Intimidation - 21
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus & Phandalin Adventures
Striker hisses at them as they are about to move to scare them into staying in place while Kess interrogates them.
The younger man answers, "We're higher ups in the cult. We had a meeting with our leader today. While we were waiting we heard your confrontation with the skeletons. If they did this little to you, I doubt we'd do much more." He decides to add one last comment. "And, if she hasn't arrived yet..... I fear the worst."
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
"Yes, we killed your leader. Why shouldn't we do the same to you? Strahd is expecting us to make a big show of it, but you're all so pathetic..."
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor |
The middle-aged woman replies, "Do you really want to go back to killing, Kessintra? Strahd told us a little bit about each of you. More of you than the others, but that's besides the point. Are you really going to kill us, the unarmed cultists? If so, why? To relive old times?"
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
“She doesn’t have to be the one to do it.”, Garrick says as he raises his crossbow
"Oh? So instead of relapsing you want to become a monster? Face it, we're harmless to you now. If Fiona is truly dead there's no reason to kill us."
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
Kessintra's frown deepens as she glares at the older woman in frustration. "Oh, I see. That's...a little unfair of him. He didn't tell us anything about you...It would be...empty, but I bet you're not very loud..." She shakes her head, grasping her lyre instinctively and stepping back. "We should...Ugh, what should we do? Other than take everything they have."
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor |
“They’ll just find another leader to serve if we let them go…”
"What about the imp? I think we need to know they managed or didn't manage to summon down here. I don't think most of that was just for show." Razz says while looking at the colored over pentagram on the floor. "We should have them destroy that before they go. Also, who summoned the skeletons? One of you or Fiona?"
The balding man replies, "Fiona raised the skeletons. She used some bodies from the church's graveyard. The imp was in here with us, but they turned invisible a while ago."
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
Kessintra looks around the room at the mention of an invisible imp about. She tries calling out in Infernal.
"Hey! Show yourself. Your human is dead. What will you do now?"
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor |
Razz looks all over the hidden room. "Dang, I wish the Faerie Fire had hit him, that would have made this a lot easier."
Razz then starts yelling in celestial, hoping it would bother the imp enough that he'd show himself:
"Come out, Come out, wherever you are.
There's no response to either call.
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.