"Sir, your role in this town is to keep custody of an artifact meant to protect the town. If you're not going to fulfill those duties,, you'll have to be relieved of them so they can be taken over by someone willing to do so." He attempts to pick the lock on the front door as well -- and, for the intimidation factor, manifests his Echo.
Dimiter begins to work on the lock as the party speaks to the Keeper. At the mention of the Bright Queen, however, there is a looong pause. Long enough for Dimiter to successfully unlock the door before a shrill screech can be heard through the pipe, followed by a clearing of the throat. "Ahem. P-pardon my manners. I-I, um.... I don't think I heard you r-right... did you... did you say the B-b-b-b-bright Queen? S-s-she was the one? T-that s-sent you h-here? Ah.... Aha... Aha ha ha ha, w-w-w-why didn't you just say so in the ffirst place! I-I'll be riiiight down with you all in but a moment! Just give me a few seconds!"
You all hear various sounds of clattering and thumps through the door as he seemingly scrambles to reach you all. Hops sees various windows on the lower floor that can be reached but none of them look to be the kind that can be opened. Is there anything you wish to do before he reaches the door?
(@Felix, you can only manifest your echo in an unoccupied space that you can see so I don't think you'll be able to do that before the Keeper opens the door, unless I've missed something in the echo knight's features.)
Dima quickly re-locks the door before the Keeper arrives, who subsequently unlocks the door and opens it up. You see an incredibly old drow, short with a wild mess of white hair and weathered violet skin. He wears immense, voluminous robes that hide his figure. He greets the party with a broad smile, arms wide open. "Honored guests, you must be hungry after your trip from the capital! Please, join me for some nourishment? I can prepare a feast of fine food with a snap of my fingers.” Without waiting for your answer, the Keeper clicks his fingers and suddenly, right in the antechamber of house, a fully set table with a splendid feast of Xhorhasian delights appears out of thin air. He seats himself at the end of the table and invites the party to do so as well.
In the antechamber, you see a tall spiral staircase nearby. A hallway extends past the stairs, but the entrance is covered with a shimmering, translucent wall.
"Quite a change in attitude." Meklit grumbled to the party. The genasi enters the antechamber, her attention focused on the room as a whole. Rather than go for the food, she looks around for any recognizable symbols or objects that would stand out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The ever growing document of character concepts can never be too long, can it?
"Always a pleasure when the locals cooperate in saving themselves," Hops replies to Meklit.
He joins the group walking into the manor and inspects the food. "Keeper, how are we to eat illusions? Surely your power isn't so great that you can conjure real sustenance but leave the people of this town in such a sorry state at the same time?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wildemount: Dark Star One Shot (potatocrown) - Hops - Level 7 Wood Elf Monk (Way of the Drunken Master)
(Oh, I must have missed that. Thanks for pointing it out.)
Felix thanks the Keeper for his kindness. He is a bit skeptical, however, of the nourishment the Keeper has provided for them. "We're not here to be friends," he finally speaks up. "We're here on a rescue mission for the town, as we have mentioned before. There is no time to waste -- we only have until sundown." But eventually, out of politeness, he sits down in the seat opposite the Keeper. "Thank you, nevertheless."
Oloren sits down at the table and silently takes a piece of fruit and some water. Oloren will maintain silence unless spoken to, but he will carefully watch the keeper, evaluating everything he says and trying to get a good read on him in general (attempt at insight check if possible).
Any examination of the food would conclude pretty easily that none of it is an illusion and is actually real food that can be eaten. There don't seem to be any objects or symbols that stand out nor any traps, magical or otherwise, present. Seeing that most of you have chosen not to sit, the Keeper shrugs and happily takes some of the food he summoned himself. "I can assure you, this is no illusion but, rather, a spell of my own devising." He seems to ignore Hop's statement about the people of the town and simply eats some of the food. He takes a sip of wine before patting his mouth clean with a napkin. Clearing his throat, his demeanour suddenly changes as he straightens his back and puts on a charismatic smile.
“Now then, I suppose we should get down to business. I never thought I would meet mercenaries as keen-minded as you. I think you and I can see eye to eye. The people of this town… when faced with disaster, they panicked. They devolved into chaos and barbarism—you see what transpired down there? They will stab anyone in the back if it means their own survival… even you. Can you not see what they’ve done? They are using you as fodder against the horde, a way to buy time for them to escape. They are almost as monstrous as the undead. Now, I know where the Dark Star is. I am a dunamancer—nay, I am the Dark Star’s Keeper! Bring it to me, and I can use the power to turn this horrid zombie problem into a boon. And of course, I can afford to pay you very, very handsomely. 1000 gold per person if you return the Dark Star to me safely.”
Oloren:
You don't pick up on any signs that he's hiding anything or being untruthful in anyway but you can very clearly see that he is incredibly confident in himself.
"If it is not in your possession, why have you not gone to retrieve it? If you are a dunamancer, you clearly have a grasp upon the arcane arts." Meklit added.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The ever growing document of character concepts can never be too long, can it?
Felix is a bit tempted by the 1000 gold reward, but shrugs it off. "No wonder the townsfolk call you a coward. You're cynical, at best. You are leaving everyone to survive for themselves, when in reality you should be the one actively working to keep them safe." Frustrated, he promptly rises from the table. "Every villager out there is counting on you. Not us, not the gods, you. And you are going to sit back and watch them suffer?" Felix summons an Echo of his future self behind the Keeper, and motions it to give the Keeper a good slap on the face. (Do I need to roll an attack roll?)"That's for those who have died under your negligence." He then walks up to the Keeper and slaps him himself. "And that's for everything else."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Felix Unarmed Attack vs Keeper: 18
"Of course I don't have it in my possession! You think I'd just have it in my home? No, it's locked away in a vault, in a location only I know about. I can't go there myself because it would be too dangerous and I-" Before he can finish his sentence, Felix interrupts him before summoning his echo and attempts to slap him.
The Keeper flinches at the sudden appearance of the echo and instinctively casts Shieldto protect himself. He jumps out of his chair before Felix can reach him and scrambles backwards, looking incredibly offended. "How dare you! I am the only one who knows where the Dark Star is and you treat me like this!? If you refuse to cooperate with me, then I'll.... I'll just find other adventurers to go fetch it for me!"
After realizing the food was real, Hops picked up a few small pieces of food and began to inspect the wine.
"Now, now Felix, no need to insult our host. Even if he is a coward."Turning to the Keeper: "Clearly there's some miscommunication here. We don't know everything, but neither do you. Help paint us a picture, would you? Detail us on the specifics of your relationship with this town? Who are you and how did you come to be the Dark Star's Keeper? Why is it kept far enough away that it can't be used to defend the town when needed? Seems counter-intuitive, eh? Come to think of it: is the Dark Star even meant to be a defensive tool? And then... what's stopping you from getting the Dark Star yourself, besides the undead and 'barbaric' townsfolk?"He sets down his glass and leans back in his chair. "Oh, and start with your name. I like to know who I'm dealing with."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wildemount: Dark Star One Shot (potatocrown) - Hops - Level 7 Wood Elf Monk (Way of the Drunken Master)
Felix sighs. "Very well then. I apologize," he tells the Keeper. His Echo reprimands him, telling him "I told you this wasn't a good idea," before disappearing. He steps back and listens for the Keeper's answer to Hops.
The Keeper huffs, annoyed at Felix, before sitting back down in his chair. "My name is Ralyx Mirimm! I was chosen to be the Keeper of the Dark Star by the previous keeper. Obviously, they saw my immense potential and power and decided that I was the best choice. The Star is kept far away enough so that it isn't so easily STOLEN. Many people would want to get their hands on such a powerful artifact. It has defended the town from evil for all these centuries and has done so, far from the town. It's influence and power extends greatly. I do not know how it wards evil away from this town but I know that it does. I do not need to explain myself to you but if the Star is causing these hoards at the town, I cannot even begin to imagine what might have been summoned at the vault. I'm powerful, but not so powerful that I can go in by myself."
Hops takes a few steps back from the front door and takes in the manor.
Perception Check: 16
(OOC: Do any of the windows look reachable, trapped, or locked?)
Wildemount: Dark Star One Shot (potatocrown) - Hops - Level 7 Wood Elf Monk (Way of the Drunken Master)
"Sir, your role in this town is to keep custody of an artifact meant to protect the town. If you're not going to fulfill those duties,, you'll have to be relieved of them so they can be taken over by someone willing to do so." He attempts to pick the lock on the front door as well -- and, for the intimidation factor, manifests his Echo.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Dimiter Thieves' Tools: 22
Dimiter begins to work on the lock as the party speaks to the Keeper. At the mention of the Bright Queen, however, there is a looong pause. Long enough for Dimiter to successfully unlock the door before a shrill screech can be heard through the pipe, followed by a clearing of the throat. "Ahem. P-pardon my manners. I-I, um.... I don't think I heard you r-right... did you... did you say the B-b-b-b-bright Queen? S-s-she was the one? T-that s-sent you h-here? Ah.... Aha... Aha ha ha ha, w-w-w-why didn't you just say so in the ffirst place! I-I'll be riiiight down with you all in but a moment! Just give me a few seconds!"
You all hear various sounds of clattering and thumps through the door as he seemingly scrambles to reach you all. Hops sees various windows on the lower floor that can be reached but none of them look to be the kind that can be opened. Is there anything you wish to do before he reaches the door?
Re-lock it. (Dima wouldn't have finished unlocking it if it sounded like the Keeper was going to come down.)
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Felix will also try to summon an Echo of his future self on the inside of the door before the Keeper reaches it.
Oloren waits patiently for the keeper.
(@Felix, you can only manifest your echo in an unoccupied space that you can see so I don't think you'll be able to do that before the Keeper opens the door, unless I've missed something in the echo knight's features.)
Dima quickly re-locks the door before the Keeper arrives, who subsequently unlocks the door and opens it up. You see an incredibly old drow, short with a wild mess of white hair and weathered violet skin. He wears immense, voluminous robes that hide his figure. He greets the party with a broad smile, arms wide open. "Honored guests, you must be hungry after your trip from the capital! Please, join me for some nourishment? I can prepare a feast of fine food with a snap of my fingers.” Without waiting for your answer, the Keeper clicks his fingers and suddenly, right in the antechamber of house, a fully set table with a splendid feast of Xhorhasian delights appears out of thin air. He seats himself at the end of the table and invites the party to do so as well.
In the antechamber, you see a tall spiral staircase nearby. A hallway extends past the stairs, but the entrance is covered with a shimmering, translucent wall.
"Quite a change in attitude." Meklit grumbled to the party. The genasi enters the antechamber, her attention focused on the room as a whole. Rather than go for the food, she looks around for any recognizable symbols or objects that would stand out.
The ever growing document of character concepts can never be too long, can it?
"Always a pleasure when the locals cooperate in saving themselves," Hops replies to Meklit.
He joins the group walking into the manor and inspects the food. "Keeper, how are we to eat illusions? Surely your power isn't so great that you can conjure real sustenance but leave the people of this town in such a sorry state at the same time?"
Wildemount: Dark Star One Shot (potatocrown) - Hops - Level 7 Wood Elf Monk (Way of the Drunken Master)
(Oh, I must have missed that. Thanks for pointing it out.)
Felix thanks the Keeper for his kindness. He is a bit skeptical, however, of the nourishment the Keeper has provided for them. "We're not here to be friends," he finally speaks up. "We're here on a rescue mission for the town, as we have mentioned before. There is no time to waste -- we only have until sundown." But eventually, out of politeness, he sits down in the seat opposite the Keeper. "Thank you, nevertheless."
Dima also stays away from the table, looking for traps at the table - magical or physical, as well as trying to determine if the food is an illusion.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Oloren sits down at the table and silently takes a piece of fruit and some water. Oloren will maintain silence unless spoken to, but he will carefully watch the keeper, evaluating everything he says and trying to get a good read on him in general (attempt at insight check if possible).
Oloren Insight: 9
Any examination of the food would conclude pretty easily that none of it is an illusion and is actually real food that can be eaten. There don't seem to be any objects or symbols that stand out nor any traps, magical or otherwise, present. Seeing that most of you have chosen not to sit, the Keeper shrugs and happily takes some of the food he summoned himself. "I can assure you, this is no illusion but, rather, a spell of my own devising." He seems to ignore Hop's statement about the people of the town and simply eats some of the food. He takes a sip of wine before patting his mouth clean with a napkin. Clearing his throat, his demeanour suddenly changes as he straightens his back and puts on a charismatic smile.
“Now then, I suppose we should get down to business. I never thought I would meet mercenaries as keen-minded as you. I think you and I can see eye to eye. The people of this town… when faced with disaster, they panicked. They devolved into chaos and barbarism—you see what transpired down there? They will stab anyone in the back if it means their own survival… even you. Can you not see what they’ve done? They are using you as fodder against the horde, a way to buy time for them to escape. They are almost as monstrous as the undead. Now, I know where the Dark Star is. I am a dunamancer—nay, I am the Dark Star’s Keeper! Bring it to me, and I can use the power to turn this horrid zombie problem into a boon. And of course, I can afford to pay you very, very handsomely. 1000 gold per person if you return the Dark Star to me safely.”
Oloren:
You don't pick up on any signs that he's hiding anything or being untruthful in anyway but you can very clearly see that he is incredibly confident in himself.
"You are its Keeper, and yet you do not have the star in your possession?"
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
"If it is not in your possession, why have you not gone to retrieve it? If you are a dunamancer, you clearly have a grasp upon the arcane arts." Meklit added.
The ever growing document of character concepts can never be too long, can it?
Felix is a bit tempted by the 1000 gold reward, but shrugs it off. "No wonder the townsfolk call you a coward. You're cynical, at best. You are leaving everyone to survive for themselves, when in reality you should be the one actively working to keep them safe." Frustrated, he promptly rises from the table. "Every villager out there is counting on you. Not us, not the gods, you. And you are going to sit back and watch them suffer?" Felix summons an Echo of his future self behind the Keeper, and motions it to give the Keeper a good slap on the face. (Do I need to roll an attack roll?) "That's for those who have died under your negligence." He then walks up to the Keeper and slaps him himself. "And that's for everything else."
Felix Unarmed Attack vs Keeper: 18
"Of course I don't have it in my possession! You think I'd just have it in my home? No, it's locked away in a vault, in a location only I know about. I can't go there myself because it would be too dangerous and I-" Before he can finish his sentence, Felix interrupts him before summoning his echo and attempts to slap him.
The Keeper flinches at the sudden appearance of the echo and instinctively casts Shield to protect himself. He jumps out of his chair before Felix can reach him and scrambles backwards, looking incredibly offended. "How dare you! I am the only one who knows where the Dark Star is and you treat me like this!? If you refuse to cooperate with me, then I'll.... I'll just find other adventurers to go fetch it for me!"
After realizing the food was real, Hops picked up a few small pieces of food and began to inspect the wine.
"Now, now Felix, no need to insult our host. Even if he is a coward." Turning to the Keeper: "Clearly there's some miscommunication here. We don't know everything, but neither do you. Help paint us a picture, would you? Detail us on the specifics of your relationship with this town? Who are you and how did you come to be the Dark Star's Keeper? Why is it kept far enough away that it can't be used to defend the town when needed? Seems counter-intuitive, eh? Come to think of it: is the Dark Star even meant to be a defensive tool? And then... what's stopping you from getting the Dark Star yourself, besides the undead and 'barbaric' townsfolk?" He sets down his glass and leans back in his chair. "Oh, and start with your name. I like to know who I'm dealing with."
Wildemount: Dark Star One Shot (potatocrown) - Hops - Level 7 Wood Elf Monk (Way of the Drunken Master)
Felix sighs. "Very well then. I apologize," he tells the Keeper. His Echo reprimands him, telling him "I told you this wasn't a good idea," before disappearing. He steps back and listens for the Keeper's answer to Hops.
The Keeper huffs, annoyed at Felix, before sitting back down in his chair. "My name is Ralyx Mirimm! I was chosen to be the Keeper of the Dark Star by the previous keeper. Obviously, they saw my immense potential and power and decided that I was the best choice. The Star is kept far away enough so that it isn't so easily STOLEN. Many people would want to get their hands on such a powerful artifact. It has defended the town from evil for all these centuries and has done so, far from the town. It's influence and power extends greatly. I do not know how it wards evil away from this town but I know that it does. I do not need to explain myself to you but if the Star is causing these hoards at the town, I cannot even begin to imagine what might have been summoned at the vault. I'm powerful, but not so powerful that I can go in by myself."