The drow doesn't lead you down to your surprise. Instead, the curvy and comly woman leads you back outside then down an alley with a dead end. Before any of you panic, however, the drow looks around at the party and four of her companions before motioning to a grate in the ground then to a human man.
"Fennek make us disappear," the drow says to a shaggy looking human man in all black who makes a few gestures to create a minor illusion the dead-end alley is empty.
It takes a while but you travel down for a solid ten minutes before hearing the first whisper of noise ahead. Then it happens. A bustling meeting place below the streets that looks well maintained and light by magical means. The drow leads the party on into a building of some sort made of stone. She tells you to wait as the four men who followed her seem to block the exit.
"I'll announce you," she adds with a smirk before disappearing through a door leaving you in a small room, 15x15, with no furniture and light by magical means.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Nat does his best to maintain a relaxed and confident manner, though not feeling it completely. He looks to Duc; Well, you're the card-carrying member. I guess you'll be giving the report of our grand adventure most likely, and he gives her a d6 bardic inspiration.
"I could point out that you are all more in need of their goodwill, you might want to do it yourself, but don't worry I will speak and I will try not to get us all killed."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
After what seems like forever the party is joined by a hooded figure in the room from behind as the door ahead opens. Moving down a long chamber you find an underground throne room of sorts. The long chamber is lighted with the same magical lights in the sewer come underground lair outside this chamber. High ceilings reveal stone work as if it's a sunken temple. At the head of the chamber seated in a high back chair is the silver man the party has get to meet but Duc remembers from the welcome party nearly a week before.
"Approach," the same genderless voice from the arena that made the warnings before the fight began.
The silver androgynous person with iridescent skin and silvery white hair to thier shoulders. They observe each of you with piercing silver pupil-less eyes. They're wearing robes of deep purple nearly black with brilliant black jewels around thier neck and on their fingers.
"Speak," they then says it's a command but thier to tone like their expression is blank.
Everyone roll WIS saves please DC15.
"They departed with Tarwick your grace and he did...did not return," the drow explains before the silver man raises a hand to silence her.
They then gestures to you.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Retiog slowly shakes his head and then glares to the figures in the shadows. "Get outta my head," he sneers.
The half-orc returns his glare to the silvery figure. "What do you want to know? We went to the mountain... retrieved the item... encountered some well-armed drow on the way out... escaped... Gimble disappeared in the night on the way back here, possibly brought back to the mountain... We were not equipped well enough to follow over the mountain, so we have returned."
"Watch yourself half-man," a green skinned Orc with large tusks and at least eight feet tall comes from the shadows her hands rested on the shafts of two battleaxes at her hips. She's in all black leathers wearing a breastplate with Medusa's head of writhing snakes emblazoned upon it. "The blue one has the cape your grace," the orc then says motioning to Duc looking to the silver figure. "We raised the others. They've proved they weren't worthy of the effort," she adds with a smirk at Retiog. "Shouldn't we hear from her," she adds pointing at Duc.
"Here...here," says a green cloaked figure. A halfling picking his nails with a dagger.
"Duquesse," the silver hair figure says looking at Duc to speak.
Creepy. Good use of lighting. Very theatrical. Is this a test? I wonder if Gimble will step out from the shadows. Pretty black jewels. How much would they fetch at the market? Tarwick? Oh, Gimble, of course. He did give us his name. I wonder where he is now. Focus, Nat. Don't say anything that will get you killed. Really? You think you have any control over what happens here? They are very nice jewels. She would have liked them a lot. Cape? What cape? Oh, they mean Duc. Heh. They're going to kill us now. Do we have any leverage? No, I don't think so. I wonder what Duc will say.
This is ridiculous, they should have just let me die, dishonored and disgraced before my people, exiled to a foreign land, I was as good as dead already. Why isn't anyone talking, Ducquesse should be the one to speak. What was the point of all of this anyway. If they truly wanted to succeed why didn't they send reinforcements behind as a precaution? You're worthless, accept your fate. Keep your mouth shut no matter what happens.
Alici crosses her arms and purses her lips, looking up at some very interesting cobwebs.
Duc feels the probing against her mind, her resistance is strong enough to block out the intrusion but she shows no sign of the contest physically.
She walks forwards a few steps, bowing to the silver figure "Well met again, I will give my report, it will be true, even if you are not able to read my mind to verify this." she looks up with a hint of defiance in her eyes but carries on as she addresses the main figure and pays attention to nobody else. "We left with Gimble, he was the only one with us after we got the horses and we have not interacted with anyone else from the Order until we arrived at the tavern again. Gimble led us to the temple, we navigated our way through to the drow burial chamber, found the black gem, fought off the undead defenders and as we came to leave a small group of very capable drow assassins were waiting in an ambush. Gimble went first up the rope, by the time we caught up to him he had been shot and poisoned and was nearly down, a poisonous grenade knocked him out and caused most of the party harm. We tried to stall the drow while we healed him, he used his magic to bring down the cavern and we used the distraction to escape, we all made it outside alive and with the gem. Gimble seemed convinced that the time we had spent below was distorted in some way and more time had passed that we had experienced below, somebody had stolen our horses, or they had freed themselves and gone so we slept. When we awoke, he was gone and there were tracks to indicate a couple of creatures had snuck into the camp and made off with him. We followed the tracks, it appears there was a fight at some point along the way but eventually the trail led us to the mountain. We could find no sign of their passing after this and so we returned here, without the horses it has taken us longer than we would have liked."
Duc stands straight and looks at the silver figure "As the only member of the Order in the party I will take the responsibility for any failure you deem on our part but I will say that I believe none of this is as it seems, the chances of a long-abandoned burial site being raided by two parties simultaneously seems unlikely ten the ease with which Gimble was taken from our camp seems odd, thirdly the interactions with the drow in the cavern seem wrong, they had all the advantages and should have killed us, they are not known for their mercy and we did nothing to warrant it so we should by rights all be dead in the mountain. The very fact that we are not makes me think that this has all been a setup."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
"I am at a loss," Gimble appears from the shadows as well. "They hid in the temple...well plenty took a hit early on but they hid all the same and she," he says firmly motioning to Duc, "tried to run," he adds frowning. "Cloak or no they all failed. I died...twice..," he exclaims, "but they did revived me," the half-elf explains with a smirk and a shrug. Gimble then walks to the thorne that now the silvery figure has shifted and exposed more of the throne itself you see it's a coiled snake made of rough hewn black stone. "This," Gimble begins looking back to the party before gesturing at the silvery figure, "is their grace sworn leader of the Order is Turo Caelano," Gimble explains. "I call for mercy your grace. I did, after all, escape my captors filthy stinking druids," he adds spitting on the chamber floor. "They did come after me or so they say," he adds looking curiously at each of you. "You have the jewel your grace," Gimble offers looking back at Turo. "We'll test them again," he adds. "Just..maybe something less...sensitive to our efforts," he adds with a smirk crossing his arms and looking back at the party.
Thinking Turo Caelano looks torn. Looking to the orc and halfling staring daggers at Gimble who's exposed himself and stood up for the party it takes a brief moment before Turo speaks.
"Their yours to command Tarwick," Turo replies then eyes each of you in turn. "Fail me again and you'll return to the dust you were raised from," he adds to the party, "or the air," he adds pointedly at Duc before standing up and leaving the room before anyone else speaks.
Turning back to the party Gimble frowns.
"You let that bloody mountain get in your head," Gimble says still frowning. "Still nice to see you're not dead," he adds hjs smirk returning.
So, a test after all. Hmmm. Need to think about that. Oh, 'they' revived you? Jackass. I revived you. Twice. I'm glad you're okay, but still, what a jackass. And yes, we did come after you. This still feels like a test. Does everyone 'fail' the first time, so they keep you scared, keep you pliant? Did we fail, really? Hmmm. I guess Gimble just risked... something... to stand up for us. Gods, I really know nothing about these people and how they operate? Did he tie his fate to ours? Or was this just another performance. Maybe I owe him my life. Again. Or not.
Nat stands quietly, looking at Gimble but saying nothing out loud.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Insight on Gimble and the truth of what he has just said. 18
"I was trying to distract them, make them split their focus, I wasn't going to leave the others behind, but glad to know you were paying lots of attention while you were dying.."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
"Hid?! We were trying to stay alive so that we could save your ass that managed to get ambushed as well." Retiog nods along with Duq. "Very aware for a 'dead' man," he snorts, shaking his head. He takes a breath, trying to calm himself, as he feels the rage rising.
After a moment of pacing, he looks to the half-elf. "I guess I do owe you some thanks for sticking up for us there," he says begrudgingly.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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The drow doesn't lead you down to your surprise. Instead, the curvy and comly woman leads you back outside then down an alley with a dead end. Before any of you panic, however, the drow looks around at the party and four of her companions before motioning to a grate in the ground then to a human man.
"Fennek make us disappear," the drow says to a shaggy looking human man in all black who makes a few gestures to create a minor illusion the dead-end alley is empty.
It takes a while but you travel down for a solid ten minutes before hearing the first whisper of noise ahead. Then it happens. A bustling meeting place below the streets that looks well maintained and light by magical means. The drow leads the party on into a building of some sort made of stone. She tells you to wait as the four men who followed her seem to block the exit.
"I'll announce you," she adds with a smirk before disappearing through a door leaving you in a small room, 15x15, with no furniture and light by magical means.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Nat does his best to maintain a relaxed and confident manner, though not feeling it completely. He looks to Duc; Well, you're the card-carrying member. I guess you'll be giving the report of our grand adventure most likely, and he gives her a d6 bardic inspiration.
"I could point out that you are all more in need of their goodwill, you might want to do it yourself, but don't worry I will speak and I will try not to get us all killed."
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
Lyreis - Level 6 Elf Fighter - Eberron: Omega
DM - Dzenda: The Cracks - DM - Dzenda: Whispered Tales
After what seems like forever the party is joined by a hooded figure in the room from behind as the door ahead opens. Moving down a long chamber you find an underground throne room of sorts. The long chamber is lighted with the same magical lights in the sewer come underground lair outside this chamber. High ceilings reveal stone work as if it's a sunken temple. At the head of the chamber seated in a high back chair is the silver man the party has get to meet but Duc remembers from the welcome party nearly a week before.
"Approach," the same genderless voice from the arena that made the warnings before the fight began.
The silver androgynous person with iridescent skin and silvery white hair to thier shoulders. They observe each of you with piercing silver pupil-less eyes. They're wearing robes of deep purple nearly black with brilliant black jewels around thier neck and on their fingers.
"Speak," they then says it's a command but thier to tone like their expression is blank.
Everyone roll WIS saves please DC15.
"They departed with Tarwick your grace and he did...did not return," the drow explains before the silver man raises a hand to silence her.
They then gestures to you.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Wisdom save 20
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
Lyreis - Level 6 Elf Fighter - Eberron: Omega
DM - Dzenda: The Cracks - DM - Dzenda: Whispered Tales
Wisdom save: 4
wisdom : 9
~♡~
Wis ST 12
Duc and Retiog notice a presence in their minds. Hooded figures flanking the chamber hiding in near shadow.
Alici and Nat are none the wisers of this intrusion.
OOC: post or PM thoughts guys. Duc and Retiog resisted the deep probe (sounds SO bad)
detect thoughts was cast.
"Are they mute," the silver figure asks the drow. "Speak," they command again.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Retiog slowly shakes his head and then glares to the figures in the shadows. "Get outta my head," he sneers.
The half-orc returns his glare to the silvery figure. "What do you want to know? We went to the mountain... retrieved the item... encountered some well-armed drow on the way out... escaped... Gimble disappeared in the night on the way back here, possibly brought back to the mountain... We were not equipped well enough to follow over the mountain, so we have returned."
OOC: Detect thoughts still apply. Post or PM.
"Watch yourself half-man," a green skinned Orc with large tusks and at least eight feet tall comes from the shadows her hands rested on the shafts of two battleaxes at her hips. She's in all black leathers wearing a breastplate with Medusa's head of writhing snakes emblazoned upon it. "The blue one has the cape your grace," the orc then says motioning to Duc looking to the silver figure. "We raised the others. They've proved they weren't worthy of the effort," she adds with a smirk at Retiog. "Shouldn't we hear from her," she adds pointing at Duc.
"Here...here," says a green cloaked figure. A halfling picking his nails with a dagger.
"Duquesse," the silver hair figure says looking at Duc to speak.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Creepy. Good use of lighting. Very theatrical. Is this a test? I wonder if Gimble will step out from the shadows. Pretty black jewels. How much would they fetch at the market? Tarwick? Oh, Gimble, of course. He did give us his name. I wonder where he is now. Focus, Nat. Don't say anything that will get you killed. Really? You think you have any control over what happens here? They are very nice jewels. She would have liked them a lot. Cape? What cape? Oh, they mean Duc. Heh. They're going to kill us now. Do we have any leverage? No, I don't think so. I wonder what Duc will say.
OOC: For those who failed the save right?
OOC: Yes. Making the save you also know someone was listening.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
This is ridiculous, they should have just let me die, dishonored and disgraced before my people, exiled to a foreign land, I was as good as dead already. Why isn't anyone talking, Ducquesse should be the one to speak. What was the point of all of this anyway. If they truly wanted to succeed why didn't they send reinforcements behind as a precaution? You're worthless, accept your fate. Keep your mouth shut no matter what happens.
Alici crosses her arms and purses her lips, looking up at some very interesting cobwebs.
~♡~
Duc feels the probing against her mind, her resistance is strong enough to block out the intrusion but she shows no sign of the contest physically.
She walks forwards a few steps, bowing to the silver figure "Well met again, I will give my report, it will be true, even if you are not able to read my mind to verify this." she looks up with a hint of defiance in her eyes but carries on as she addresses the main figure and pays attention to nobody else. "We left with Gimble, he was the only one with us after we got the horses and we have not interacted with anyone else from the Order until we arrived at the tavern again. Gimble led us to the temple, we navigated our way through to the drow burial chamber, found the black gem, fought off the undead defenders and as we came to leave a small group of very capable drow assassins were waiting in an ambush. Gimble went first up the rope, by the time we caught up to him he had been shot and poisoned and was nearly down, a poisonous grenade knocked him out and caused most of the party harm. We tried to stall the drow while we healed him, he used his magic to bring down the cavern and we used the distraction to escape, we all made it outside alive and with the gem. Gimble seemed convinced that the time we had spent below was distorted in some way and more time had passed that we had experienced below, somebody had stolen our horses, or they had freed themselves and gone so we slept. When we awoke, he was gone and there were tracks to indicate a couple of creatures had snuck into the camp and made off with him. We followed the tracks, it appears there was a fight at some point along the way but eventually the trail led us to the mountain. We could find no sign of their passing after this and so we returned here, without the horses it has taken us longer than we would have liked."
Duc stands straight and looks at the silver figure "As the only member of the Order in the party I will take the responsibility for any failure you deem on our part but I will say that I believe none of this is as it seems, the chances of a long-abandoned burial site being raided by two parties simultaneously seems unlikely ten the ease with which Gimble was taken from our camp seems odd, thirdly the interactions with the drow in the cavern seem wrong, they had all the advantages and should have killed us, they are not known for their mercy and we did nothing to warrant it so we should by rights all be dead in the mountain. The very fact that we are not makes me think that this has all been a setup."
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
Lyreis - Level 6 Elf Fighter - Eberron: Omega
DM - Dzenda: The Cracks - DM - Dzenda: Whispered Tales
"I am at a loss," Gimble appears from the shadows as well. "They hid in the temple...well plenty took a hit early on but they hid all the same and she," he says firmly motioning to Duc, "tried to run," he adds frowning. "Cloak or no they all failed. I died...twice..," he exclaims, "but they did revived me," the half-elf explains with a smirk and a shrug. Gimble then walks to the thorne that now the silvery figure has shifted and exposed more of the throne itself you see it's a coiled snake made of rough hewn black stone. "This," Gimble begins looking back to the party before gesturing at the silvery figure, "is their grace sworn leader of the Order is Turo Caelano," Gimble explains. "I call for mercy your grace. I did, after all, escape my captors filthy stinking druids," he adds spitting on the chamber floor. "They did come after me or so they say," he adds looking curiously at each of you. "You have the jewel your grace," Gimble offers looking back at Turo. "We'll test them again," he adds. "Just..maybe something less...sensitive to our efforts," he adds with a smirk crossing his arms and looking back at the party.
Thinking Turo Caelano looks torn. Looking to the orc and halfling staring daggers at Gimble who's exposed himself and stood up for the party it takes a brief moment before Turo speaks.
"Their yours to command Tarwick," Turo replies then eyes each of you in turn. "Fail me again and you'll return to the dust you were raised from," he adds to the party, "or the air," he adds pointedly at Duc before standing up and leaving the room before anyone else speaks.
Turning back to the party Gimble frowns.
"You let that bloody mountain get in your head," Gimble says still frowning. "Still nice to see you're not dead," he adds hjs smirk returning.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
So, a test after all. Hmmm. Need to think about that. Oh, 'they' revived you? Jackass. I revived you. Twice. I'm glad you're okay, but still, what a jackass. And yes, we did come after you. This still feels like a test. Does everyone 'fail' the first time, so they keep you scared, keep you pliant? Did we fail, really? Hmmm. I guess Gimble just risked... something... to stand up for us. Gods, I really know nothing about these people and how they operate? Did he tie his fate to ours? Or was this just another performance. Maybe I owe him my life. Again. Or not.
Nat stands quietly, looking at Gimble but saying nothing out loud.
Insight on Gimble and the truth of what he has just said. 18
"I was trying to distract them, make them split their focus, I wasn't going to leave the others behind, but glad to know you were paying lots of attention while you were dying.."
Vhon - Level 2 Warlock - What shall become of the Drunken Sailor?
Lyreis - Level 6 Elf Fighter - Eberron: Omega
DM - Dzenda: The Cracks - DM - Dzenda: Whispered Tales
"Hid?! We were trying to stay alive so that we could save your ass that managed to get ambushed as well." Retiog nods along with Duq. "Very aware for a 'dead' man," he snorts, shaking his head. He takes a breath, trying to calm himself, as he feels the rage rising.
After a moment of pacing, he looks to the half-elf. "I guess I do owe you some thanks for sticking up for us there," he says begrudgingly.