You move like shadows yourselves, skimming along the back of the houses, Tempest and Erro managing to spot a couple of near misses and guide the party on. As you pass some of the houses, you realise they are in a better state of repair, and peering through the window you see evidence of recent Yuan-ti presence. These seem to be guard rooms and barracks. You might again reflect how much more difficult this would have been without the Yuan-ti distracted....
Without further incident you arrive at the last house, before you is a small open plaza, leading to the sides of the hill that curve around in front, blocking of sight of the Grove behind. This is the top of the great hill, and the central road ends here. You see a single tunnel carved through the rock that must lead inside. In the middle of the square a huge statue to Dendar has been placed, the familiar ring of skulls surrounding it. By the entrance you see a single figure, wreathed in shadow. It appears to be another zombie, though this one seems more alert somehow. You see the occasional movement of the strange shadow creatures flitter through the square, and know there are zombies close.
((Also, the end is in sight whatever happens! Once you have dealt with the trifling matter of the Lingering Shadow and got home safely, I'd quite like to hand over the DM reigns and get back to Darion. Xtra, are you still okay to pick up DMing after?))
(Yes, I think I've settled into having a new baby girl (born May 26th)... That's right Justbrad, we're like the same person... and I can take up the very tall mantle that you and Justbrad have left me to climb up to. Hopefully I won't scare everyone away.)
Spider Tempest will finally come out of spider form and whisper, "How do we want to do this? I can attack from afar or shapeshift and get in close. I'd prefer to hang back and keep watch in the event that someone gets badly injured."
((A baby girl, how delightful! The amount of same-timing is uncanny. Did you celebrate your birthday yesterday too? Congratulations though! Welcome to team No Sleep.))
“Beyond here is the Heart isn’t it? I suspect this will come to combat in the end, but how about we attempt a ruse first? I can speak the slaver’s language and match their accent. Perhaps I could convince whatever is commanding these zombies here that I come bearing more fruits for their wretched dark harvest and get us beyond this gate without a fight. You have seen the inside of their slave-pens; you know how to make it look convincing.” “Either way, I’m resolved to finish the job.”
"I like that idea. Though I would yield to Tempest and Ellis on the look of prisoners. The only captures I've seen were in nets or unconscious." Rawk chirps back quietly.
“Ellis, I remember when you showed me that disguise kit that you have and I said ‘What use could that possibly have in the middle of the jungle?’ I take it back! Perhaps we could draw in some of those wretched tattoos on me and make you guys look especially beat up.”
(Also maybe Ellis could dramatically play the prisoner roll with that Performance skill)
Ellis saw as now they were so close to the Heart now, thinking of what Tempest said. But then he heard Erro talk about pretending to be a slaver bringing in more for the harvest, remembering his disguise kit just as Erro mentioned that too. "That could work. We could easily look like prisoners and acting as one should not be a problem after what we went through at the temple." Ellis said back to him, nodding in agreement.
Okay, cool - is the plan to give Erro some fake tattoos, and the rest of you pretend to be prisoners. If so, I need you to roll an Intelligence check with proficiency for the disguise kit, to see how well you can disguise him!
Ellis spends a good fifteen minutes, using the various skin colours, dyes etc from his disguise kit to mimic the tattoos and look of the slavers. Though someone very familiar with the various Slaver clans would probably be able to smell a rat, you feel they are convincing enough at a distance, or on general inspection. I suspect you might also touch up everyone else to give a more beaten look!
“Rawk I may need to borrow your axe. Can’t have you carrying that around. Ellis I’ll hold on to your weapon too, though as a spell caster I don’t suppose that will do much harm. We can loosely tie you all up with some rope and you’ll walk before me as my captives. Grovel all you want, but I figure I should say as little as possible. We’ll just walk through the passage and I’ll act like I know what I am doing. If it doesn’t work perhaps we’ll still have the drop on them. The first thing I’ll do is toss the axe to Rawk. While Ellis is doing his wonderful job can someone tie some easily escapable knots for everyone?”
”Let’s also have a code word to use. If someone says this then someone has noticed something and is telling us all to immediately attack. The code word will be ‘Cinnamon’.”
You move like shadows yourselves, skimming along the back of the houses, Tempest and Erro managing to spot a couple of near misses and guide the party on. As you pass some of the houses, you realise they are in a better state of repair, and peering through the window you see evidence of recent Yuan-ti presence. These seem to be guard rooms and barracks. You might again reflect how much more difficult this would have been without the Yuan-ti distracted....
Without further incident you arrive at the last house, before you is a small open plaza, leading to the sides of the hill that curve around in front, blocking of sight of the Grove behind. This is the top of the great hill, and the central road ends here. You see a single tunnel carved through the rock that must lead inside. In the middle of the square a huge statue to Dendar has been placed, the familiar ring of skulls surrounding it. By the entrance you see a single figure, wreathed in shadow. It appears to be another zombie, though this one seems more alert somehow. You see the occasional movement of the strange shadow creatures flitter through the square, and know there are zombies close.
What so you want to do?
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
((Also, the end is in sight whatever happens! Once you have dealt with the trifling matter of the Lingering Shadow and got home safely, I'd quite like to hand over the DM reigns and get back to Darion. Xtra, are you still okay to pick up DMing after?))
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
(Yes, I think I've settled into having a new baby girl (born May 26th)... That's right Justbrad, we're like the same person... and I can take up the very tall mantle that you and Justbrad have left me to climb up to. Hopefully I won't scare everyone away.)
Spider Tempest will finally come out of spider form and whisper, "How do we want to do this? I can attack from afar or shapeshift and get in close. I'd prefer to hang back and keep watch in the event that someone gets badly injured."
((A baby girl, how delightful! The amount of same-timing is uncanny. Did you celebrate your birthday yesterday too? Congratulations though! Welcome to team No Sleep.))
“Beyond here is the Heart isn’t it? I suspect this will come to combat in the end, but how about we attempt a ruse first? I can speak the slaver’s language and match their accent. Perhaps I could convince whatever is commanding these zombies here that I come bearing more fruits for their wretched dark harvest and get us beyond this gate without a fight. You have seen the inside of their slave-pens; you know how to make it look convincing.” “Either way, I’m resolved to finish the job.”
"I like that idea. Though I would yield to Tempest and Ellis on the look of prisoners. The only captures I've seen were in nets or unconscious." Rawk chirps back quietly.
((Unless there is some amazing dynamic combat encounter that you have been working on that we are walking up to. As a DM I get that, lol))
“Ellis, I remember when you showed me that disguise kit that you have and I said ‘What use could that possibly have in the middle of the jungle?’ I take it back! Perhaps we could draw in some of those wretched tattoos on me and make you guys look especially beat up.”
(Also maybe Ellis could dramatically play the prisoner roll with that Performance skill)
((First,congratulations Xtra, what wonderful news!! Remember, sleep is a luxury :D ))
((@Brad lol, happy whatever way you chaps get through this encounter))
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
Ellis saw as now they were so close to the Heart now, thinking of what Tempest said. But then he heard Erro talk about pretending to be a slaver bringing in more for the harvest, remembering his disguise kit just as Erro mentioned that too. "That could work. We could easily look like prisoners and acting as one should not be a problem after what we went through at the temple." Ellis said back to him, nodding in agreement.
Okay, cool - is the plan to give Erro some fake tattoos, and the rest of you pretend to be prisoners. If so, I need you to roll an Intelligence check with proficiency for the disguise kit, to see how well you can disguise him!
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
Do the roll with advantage, as Erro will be able to help, with his knowledge of these slavers.
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
(You can do it Ellis!)
(Intelligence? Hopefully this works.)
Intelligence: 20
Ellis spends a good fifteen minutes, using the various skin colours, dyes etc from his disguise kit to mimic the tattoos and look of the slavers. Though someone very familiar with the various Slaver clans would probably be able to smell a rat, you feel they are convincing enough at a distance, or on general inspection. I suspect you might also touch up everyone else to give a more beaten look!
Okay, how are you going to go about this?
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
“Rawk I may need to borrow your axe. Can’t have you carrying that around. Ellis I’ll hold on to your weapon too, though as a spell caster I don’t suppose that will do much harm. We can loosely tie you all up with some rope and you’ll walk before me as my captives. Grovel all you want, but I figure I should say as little as possible. We’ll just walk through the passage and I’ll act like I know what I am doing. If it doesn’t work perhaps we’ll still have the drop on them. The first thing I’ll do is toss the axe to Rawk. While Ellis is doing his wonderful job can someone tie some easily escapable knots for everyone?”
”Let’s also have a code word to use. If someone says this then someone has noticed something and is telling us all to immediately attack. The code word will be ‘Cinnamon’.”
“Anyone else? What am I missing?”
Okay, whoever is doing the ropes make a deception check, using Dex as your ability score though.
Do you like my Boots of Flying?
Deception: 11
Tempest would carefully weave the rope tight around their arms but put in a small pull loop that would instantly release the knot.
The ropes look convincingly well tied, but will easily slip off when needed?
So, are you going to take the plunge?
Do you like my Boots of Flying?