She can feel him tense up under her touch, but he doesn't pull away. "Memory and I have a spotty relationship at best. I try not to get too invested in either type of person."
His tone remains playful, so she doubts he's upset. But she gets the distinct sense that he does not like to be touched, though whether its from pain or simply from a discomfort at the close contact, she cannot tell.
Khessa, who would probably instinctively pat on the shoulder even a Pit Fiend, if she ever happened to talk to him, doesn't immediately realize that Ozus doesn't like to be touched... but when that impression finally sinks in, she is ready to stop and break contact.
"Maybe your memory will improve..." the blonde arcane warrior smiles "Whatever happened to you, it should be possible to fix it. I've never seen it happen with my own eyes, but I've heard of holy men who can even bring back the dead... So it should be possible to bring back your memory, too, I guess!"
"One can only hope." He pauses. "Of course the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible. One could argue ruthlessness is simply mercy towards oneself."
“Perhaps” Khessa smiles. “But if I hadn’t dared to hope for fear of being naive, my family would have remained slaves in the Underdark forever…” she shrugs “We each have to make our own choices, I suppose.”
The door opens up to what's obviously the source of the smell that was in the cell...and it's obviously being used as the latrine. A few loose planks cover a hole in the floor. The smell is overbearing.
There's a long corridor to the south, with multiple doorways leading off of it. A cultist slowly shambles down the corridor, a vacant expression on her face.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa whispers to her friends: "A Cultist is incoming" then, lacking better options, she enters the latrine to be out of sight of the newcomer.
The blonde arcane warrior will do her best to resist the stench, until the Cultist reaches the height of the threshold (so the corner of the corridor) and at that point she will attack her.
Khessa steps into the bathroom...but just isn't ready for the overwhelming stench that burns her eyes and seems to envelope her. She has disadvantage on any attack rolls.
The cultist continues shambling down the hall...not even looking at the group as she stumbles forward. The blank gaze never leaves her face as she draws near to the group.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"That... can't be normal." Ozus says hesitantly. His voice takes on an unnaturally soothing quality, as though his words themselves were laden with honey. "Darling stop right there for me. Kindly tell us what you're doing, and what threats to us my lie ahead."
Khessa meanwhile thinks: 'Whatever Ozus is doing... I hope he does it quickly! This stench will kill me if I hide here much longer... I thought that working occasionally with manure in the fields would prepare me for bad smells - but this is much worse!'
Ozus sighs. "Well that was a waste of a spell. The good news is as long as I focus on the spell, she won't move for like...8 hours." He looks around at the others. "She didn't seem to react at all to seeing us, and apparently can't speak...This feel like a trap to anyone else?"
Working his way up to the front, Tristan evaluates the zoned-out cultist, trying to understand what influences she might be suffering from.
Insight: 9
Medicine: 7
If he assesses that removal of poison would be beneficial, he Lays on Hands and spends 5 points to remove poison from her so she can hopefully answer Ozus' questions.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Tristan can't see anything physically wrong with her, and doesn't detect any sort of poison effects that he's aware of. She acts much like the zombies in the graveyard proper, but doesn't seem to be undead either.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian(Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"Agreed, but just in case she is faking and planning to warn her companion cultists, we should lock her in a room or restrain her somehow," counsels Tristan, eyeing the nearby rooms for a likely location.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
She can feel him tense up under her touch, but he doesn't pull away. "Memory and I have a spotty relationship at best. I try not to get too invested in either type of person."
His tone remains playful, so she doubts he's upset. But she gets the distinct sense that he does not like to be touched, though whether its from pain or simply from a discomfort at the close contact, she cannot tell.
Khessa, who would probably instinctively pat on the shoulder even a Pit Fiend, if she ever happened to talk to him, doesn't immediately realize that Ozus doesn't like to be touched... but when that impression finally sinks in, she is ready to stop and break contact.
"Maybe your memory will improve..." the blonde arcane warrior smiles "Whatever happened to you, it should be possible to fix it. I've never seen it happen with my own eyes, but I've heard of holy men who can even bring back the dead... So it should be possible to bring back your memory, too, I guess!"
"One can only hope." He pauses. "Of course the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible. One could argue ruthlessness is simply mercy towards oneself."
“Perhaps” Khessa smiles. “But if I hadn’t dared to hope for fear of being naive, my family would have remained slaves in the Underdark forever…” she shrugs “We each have to make our own choices, I suppose.”
The door opens up to what's obviously the source of the smell that was in the cell...and it's obviously being used as the latrine. A few loose planks cover a hole in the floor. The smell is overbearing.
There's a long corridor to the south, with multiple doorways leading off of it. A cultist slowly shambles down the corridor, a vacant expression on her face.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa whispers to her friends: "A Cultist is incoming" then, lacking better options, she enters the latrine to be out of sight of the newcomer.
The blonde arcane warrior will do her best to resist the stench, until the Cultist reaches the height of the threshold (so the corner of the corridor) and at that point she will attack her.
Ozus lets out a low growl of annoyance. "These ****ers just keep coming." He says, reading his blades as he lurks behind the corner.
Naero
Watching Khessa and Ozus ready themselves, Naero can only imagine what's coming. He too gets ready for a fight.
Khessa, give me a constitution saving throw from stepping into the bathroom area.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa's constitution saving throw: 9
Khessa steps into the bathroom...but just isn't ready for the overwhelming stench that burns her eyes and seems to envelope her. She has disadvantage on any attack rolls.
The cultist continues shambling down the hall...not even looking at the group as she stumbles forward. The blank gaze never leaves her face as she draws near to the group.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
"That... can't be normal." Ozus says hesitantly. His voice takes on an unnaturally soothing quality, as though his words themselves were laden with honey.
"Darling stop right there for me. Kindly tell us what you're doing, and what threats to us my lie ahead."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Casting suggestion on the cultist
The cultist slows to a stop, still staggery, but doesn't speak. She seems incapable of speaking...she still has the blank, thousand yard stare.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Khessa meanwhile thinks: 'Whatever Ozus is doing... I hope he does it quickly! This stench will kill me if I hide here much longer... I thought that working occasionally with manure in the fields would prepare me for bad smells - but this is much worse!'
Ozus sighs. "Well that was a waste of a spell. The good news is as long as I focus on the spell, she won't move for like...8 hours." He looks around at the others. "She didn't seem to react at all to seeing us, and apparently can't speak...This feel like a trap to anyone else?"
Tristan:
Working his way up to the front, Tristan evaluates the zoned-out cultist, trying to understand what influences she might be suffering from.
Insight: 9
Medicine: 7
If he assesses that removal of poison would be beneficial, he Lays on Hands and spends 5 points to remove poison from her so she can hopefully answer Ozus' questions.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Tristan can't see anything physically wrong with her, and doesn't detect any sort of poison effects that he's aware of. She acts much like the zombies in the graveyard proper, but doesn't seem to be undead either.
Ready to DM and chew bubblegum. And I'm alllll outta bubblegum.
Kellen Rivian (Level 12 Lore Bard)- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8)
Ruven Gilrel (Level 4 Bladesinger)- The Shattered Obelisk
Naero
"Shall we move on? Seems like this one is of little use" Naero pipes up from behind the lead few companions. He attempts to move the group forward.
Tristan:
"Agreed, but just in case she is faking and planning to warn her companion cultists, we should lock her in a room or restrain her somehow," counsels Tristan, eyeing the nearby rooms for a likely location.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"I mean..." the Tiefling's tone is hard to read. "If we're gonna do all that we could also just gut her. Why take the risk?"