Hearing Xilrah's conveyance of the conversation (she moved out to talk to him right, or is he close enough at this point that Narstin hears as well?), Narstin agrees with Beegred, unwilling to simply leave the elf to it's own devices. He moves closer to the man. "Are you injured?" he asks.
The elf looks more and more conflicted as the entire party approaches, switching between doom, as would be expected alone in the underdark, or saved from loneliness and misery if the party could be believed. Seeing Narstin, a dwarf, ask the question, the elf answers in dwarvish, "No master, I will manage. I just need to eat, drink and sleep and I will be able to serve."
Xilyrah scowls impatiently, as she can't understand anything that's being said (even though she'd done the exact same thing by speaking in Elvish).
"Well," she says in Common, "What are you quarterlings saying? Are we going to bring this pitiful creature along with us? How do we know he's not lying and is actually serving the drow and has been out here scouting for us?
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‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
The elf, switching seamlessly to common, says "My masters are duergar. I serve duergar. If the drow are scouting ahead for you, why don't you just ask them, they'll tell you." The elf looks pointedly at Sarith. Then, "Do you have any water?"
Tozer shakes his head, partially in disbelief at the elf's ignorance and partially in annoyance at Xilyrah's attitude. He responds to the elf, in Dwarvish, and says, "We have water for you, yes."
To Xilyrah, Tozer says in Common, "I was just telling this elf how charming you are. He's hoping you'll be his new master."
The elf, who still has his hands cupped from his failed attempt to trickle water from a damp spot on the wall, turns to Tozer hands still cupped, takes a tentative step forwards and holds out his still cupped hands while saying in dwarvish, "No master, duergar are dwarves, not drow. The drow are not my masters. Are they your masters?"
Xilyrah chuckles upon hearing Tozer's reply. "Leave the entertainment to bards. Stay within your own skill set; being short and pissed off all the time."
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‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
The elf, still holding out his cupped hands, looks from Xilyrah to Tozer and says, still in dwarvish, "Are you a duergar then? Are you ill? Your color looks sickly. I can care for you." Then, with a quick almost forgot and it was almost too late, "Master."
Beegred: "We are being trailed by pissed off Drow, and headed into more danger. We can't leave him to starve, but I think he would be in more danger if he stays with us longer than the minimum. If he only knows how to be a slave, then we should find someone or some group who would treat him properly. Until we find a way out of the Underdark, we can't take care of him."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
The party returns to their impromptu camp and settles in for a long rest. Everyone eats their fill and thanks to Narstin, everyone drinks their fill as well. After Burfeth drinks and eats, he settles into a trance and is unresponsive as the remainder settle into their watch shifts.
The first shift consisting of Sarith, Narstin and Xilyrah is only interrupted once, with a sudden yelling from a distance, chanting "Slaughter for Diinkarazan!!!" repeatedly, then stopping just as suddenly.
The second shift consisting of Tozer and Derendil is not bothered at all.
However, the third shift consisting of Eldeth and Jimjar become aware of a figure walking towards them. Eldeth is the first to notice, and immediately eliminates the possibility of it being Buppido as this creature is much too tall.
Eldeth stands, with bow drawn and arrow nocked, and calls out in Common, "That's far enough, stranger! Identify yourself!" She makes certain her voice is sufficiently loud to awaken her fellow adventurers.
The figure stops walking and raises it's hands, palms out and motionless. Eldeth hears the response in her mind, "Peace. I know now what you said. You may put your bow down, it won't do you any good in any case. I am alone and mean no harm. I would ask you some questions and be on my way if you do not wish to share my company."
(Safe to assume that Eldeth's voice caused the other to wake up?)
Eldeth, unnerved by the voice in her mind, turns to see if her fellow party members are awake. She gives a not-so-subtle nudge with her foot to whoever is near while simultaneously keeping an eye on whoever it is that is approaching. Aloud, she says, "This hasn't proven to be a place that provides quality company, mind you."
Once again, the response plays out in Eldeth's head, "Indeed. I would much rather be in my study than walking these infested tunnels. But I am out and about to prove our theory, so it is what it is. Let me ask you my question. If you do not like it, you can let me pass and I'll be on my way. Have you run across any faerzress and did you gain the impression there is demonic activity around it? Have any of you run into demons? Are you plagued by unusual and persistent nightmares?"
(Note, I haven't been playing up the nightmares much since the beginning, because I keep forgetting. The party members don't have them every night, but it is fairly certain that at least one member will have one on any given night, and they are always the same: Loud buzzing, stalactites and stalagmites that become massive tentacles that reach out for you, postules that pop open and pour out pestilence and rot, slime everywhere, and so on.)
(The surfacers have not run into Faerzress yet - it's part of the random encounter table - but the underdark denizens will know what it is:
An unusual magical energy the drow call faerzress pervades much of the Underdark. The origin of this mysterious arcane power is unknown. Legend claims it is an ancient elven magic dating back to the time when the dark elves were first exiled from the world above. The drow and other Underdark creatures use the properties of areas suffused with faerzress to protect their settlements.
Areas suffused with faerzress can range in size from a few dozen feet across to several miles in diameter, and feature the following effects:
Areas suffused with faerzress are always filled with dim light.
A creature in an area suffused with faerzress has advantage on saving throws against any divination spells. If a divination spell doesn’t allow a saving throw, the caster must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw to cast the spell. Failing this save means the spell is wasted and has no effect.
Any creature attempting to teleport into, within, or out of a faerzress-suffused area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 force damage and the teleportation attempt fails. Even if the save succeeds, the teleportation attempt can suffer a mishap as if the destination was known only by description, regardless of how familiar the destination actually is. See the table in the teleportspell for more information.
Jimjar has been watching the interaction between Eldeth and the mysterious intruder and is baffled by what appears to be Eldeth having a conversation with herself.
"What's all this then? I'd bet my last coin this stranger has cast a spell on our lady dwarf!!!"
And with that he moves closer to try and get a better look at the tall, silent creature.
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‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
As Jimjar says this and begins to approach, the creature responds to Jimjar telepathically, "You owe me your last coin, Snirfneblin. I have not cast any magic, let alone at your lady dwarf. As I communicated to her, I do not want to waste even the little effort it would take to decimate all of you. I would rather peace and an exchange of information. As a member of the Society, I certainly have knowledge that would be valuable to you. And surely you have information that would help my research."
Roll perception to see how close Jimjar has to get to identify the creature.
Hearing Xilrah's conveyance of the conversation (she moved out to talk to him right, or is he close enough at this point that Narstin hears as well?), Narstin agrees with Beegred, unwilling to simply leave the elf to it's own devices. He moves closer to the man. "Are you injured?" he asks.
The elf looks more and more conflicted as the entire party approaches, switching between doom, as would be expected alone in the underdark, or saved from loneliness and misery if the party could be believed. Seeing Narstin, a dwarf, ask the question, the elf answers in dwarvish, "No master, I will manage. I just need to eat, drink and sleep and I will be able to serve."
"He's not your master," chastises Tozer in Dwarvish. "No one is. You're the captain of your own ship now. We're all equals here."
The elf looks at Tozer oddly, "I'm the what of what? Do you have any water?"
Xilyrah scowls impatiently, as she can't understand anything that's being said (even though she'd done the exact same thing by speaking in Elvish).
"Well," she says in Common, "What are you quarterlings saying? Are we going to bring this pitiful creature along with us? How do we know he's not lying and is actually serving the drow and has been out here scouting for us?
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
The elf, switching seamlessly to common, says "My masters are duergar. I serve duergar. If the drow are scouting ahead for you, why don't you just ask them, they'll tell you." The elf looks pointedly at Sarith. Then, "Do you have any water?"
Tozer shakes his head, partially in disbelief at the elf's ignorance and partially in annoyance at Xilyrah's attitude. He responds to the elf, in Dwarvish, and says, "We have water for you, yes."
To Xilyrah, Tozer says in Common, "I was just telling this elf how charming you are. He's hoping you'll be his new master."
The elf, who still has his hands cupped from his failed attempt to trickle water from a damp spot on the wall, turns to Tozer hands still cupped, takes a tentative step forwards and holds out his still cupped hands while saying in dwarvish, "No master, duergar are dwarves, not drow. The drow are not my masters. Are they your masters?"
Xilyrah chuckles upon hearing Tozer's reply. "Leave the entertainment to bards. Stay within your own skill set; being short and pissed off all the time."
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
The elf, still holding out his cupped hands, looks from Xilyrah to Tozer and says, still in dwarvish, "Are you a duergar then? Are you ill? Your color looks sickly. I can care for you." Then, with a quick almost forgot and it was almost too late, "Master."
"'Tozer,' not 'master,' please," implores the barbarian. Tozer then walks toward Beegred, Narstin, and the others and explains the situation.
Beegred: "We are being trailed by pissed off Drow, and headed into more danger. We can't leave him to starve, but I think he would be in more danger if he stays with us longer than the minimum. If he only knows how to be a slave, then we should find someone or some group who would treat him properly. Until we find a way out of the Underdark, we can't take care of him."
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Xilyrah shrugs in resignation. "It appears I'm outnumbered, so I suppose we've adopted an elf.....for now."
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
The party returns to their impromptu camp and settles in for a long rest. Everyone eats their fill and thanks to Narstin, everyone drinks their fill as well. After Burfeth drinks and eats, he settles into a trance and is unresponsive as the remainder settle into their watch shifts.
The first shift consisting of Sarith, Narstin and Xilyrah is only interrupted once, with a sudden yelling from a distance, chanting "Slaughter for Diinkarazan!!!" repeatedly, then stopping just as suddenly.
The second shift consisting of Tozer and Derendil is not bothered at all.
However, the third shift consisting of Eldeth and Jimjar become aware of a figure walking towards them. Eldeth is the first to notice, and immediately eliminates the possibility of it being Buppido as this creature is much too tall.
Eldeth stands, with bow drawn and arrow nocked, and calls out in Common, "That's far enough, stranger! Identify yourself!" She makes certain her voice is sufficiently loud to awaken her fellow adventurers.
The figure stops walking and raises it's hands, palms out and motionless. Eldeth hears the response in her mind, "Peace. I know now what you said. You may put your bow down, it won't do you any good in any case. I am alone and mean no harm. I would ask you some questions and be on my way if you do not wish to share my company."
(Safe to assume that Eldeth's voice caused the other to wake up?)
Eldeth, unnerved by the voice in her mind, turns to see if her fellow party members are awake. She gives a not-so-subtle nudge with her foot to whoever is near while simultaneously keeping an eye on whoever it is that is approaching. Aloud, she says, "This hasn't proven to be a place that provides quality company, mind you."
Once again, the response plays out in Eldeth's head, "Indeed. I would much rather be in my study than walking these infested tunnels. But I am out and about to prove our theory, so it is what it is. Let me ask you my question. If you do not like it, you can let me pass and I'll be on my way. Have you run across any faerzress and did you gain the impression there is demonic activity around it? Have any of you run into demons? Are you plagued by unusual and persistent nightmares?"
(Note, I haven't been playing up the nightmares much since the beginning, because I keep forgetting. The party members don't have them every night, but it is fairly certain that at least one member will have one on any given night, and they are always the same: Loud buzzing, stalactites and stalagmites that become massive tentacles that reach out for you, postules that pop open and pour out pestilence and rot, slime everywhere, and so on.)
(The surfacers have not run into Faerzress yet - it's part of the random encounter table - but the underdark denizens will know what it is:
An unusual magical energy the drow call faerzress pervades much of the Underdark. The origin of this mysterious arcane power is unknown. Legend claims it is an ancient elven magic dating back to the time when the dark elves were first exiled from the world above. The drow and other Underdark creatures use the properties of areas suffused with faerzress to protect their settlements.
Areas suffused with faerzress can range in size from a few dozen feet across to several miles in diameter, and feature the following effects:
Areas suffused with faerzress are always filled with dim light.
A creature in an area suffused with faerzress has advantage on saving throws against any divination spells. If a divination spell doesn’t allow a saving throw, the caster must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw to cast the spell. Failing this save means the spell is wasted and has no effect.
Any creature attempting to teleport into, within, or out of a faerzress-suffused area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 force damage and the teleportation attempt fails. Even if the save succeeds, the teleportation attempt can suffer a mishap as if the destination was known only by description, regardless of how familiar the destination actually is. See the table in the teleport spell for more information.
… and that's Faerzress.)
Jimjar has been watching the interaction between Eldeth and the mysterious intruder and is baffled by what appears to be Eldeth having a conversation with herself.
"What's all this then? I'd bet my last coin this stranger has cast a spell on our lady dwarf!!!"
And with that he moves closer to try and get a better look at the tall, silent creature.
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
As Jimjar says this and begins to approach, the creature responds to Jimjar telepathically, "You owe me your last coin, Snirfneblin. I have not cast any magic, let alone at your lady dwarf. As I communicated to her, I do not want to waste even the little effort it would take to decimate all of you. I would rather peace and an exchange of information. As a member of the Society, I certainly have knowledge that would be valuable to you. And surely you have information that would help my research."
Roll perception to see how close Jimjar has to get to identify the creature.