Ednyss is confused by the dwarves' warning, but as soon as the illusion disappears and the floors unstick, Ednyss knows that the robbers are going to be making a run for it. As a result, instead of spending time thinking about the illusion, even though he knows something is up, he runs towards the mean teens that are fighting on table 10. As he runs, he turns around and commands the robber holding the bag near Dolkum to "Drop!" As he does this, he yells to Dolkum, "Grab the bag!" (OOC: Smendrick already posted his turn but it would just be an object interaction to pick it up...) From there he glances ahead again to ensure the mean teens are also not escaping with their stolen money.
Action: Cast Command (Against B3) DC 15 Wisdom Save; On a failure, must spend their entire turn dropping whatever they are holding and ending their turn immediately
Bonus Action: None
Move: 25 Feet Towards Table 10 (Taking any opportunity attacks that come his way)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Ednyss 13. Enthralled by Ednyss’ divine power, the ruffian with the till (B3) drops the bag of gold. Ednyss makes it all the way to Table 10.
Mittens 6 (OOC: I’m going to bot Mittens this round.) Mittens casts frostbite on the cardshark holding Ednyss’ gold atop Table 10, but the hooligan makes his save and takes no damage. (OOC: Mittens, please roll Insight and Arcana checks for next round.)
Dolkum 6...charges into the two ruffians at the door with the gold (B3, B1), crashing into the one who just dropped the bag but pulling up short and doing no damage. We’ll say Dolkum is now holding the bag of gold.
Varielky 5...Kicks the Orracan thug (3-2), whose torso is thrown forward as her boot connects with his solar plexus, then her shield smashes him hard and he’s lifted off the ground and thrown backward to K9. He runs for the door while yelling over his shoulder, “too scared to fight with yer fists alone are y’ girl?! Need a shield t’ protect ya?!”
People
The cavalrymen awaken before the expatriates, stand up and start kicking them in the ribs. The expatriates, on the floor, grip their sides and grunt in pain.
The mean teen on table 10 is knocked out, and the card shark (12-1) holds onto the gold but sees Ednyss coming close and pulls a knife. “Why don’t you bugger off and count yer losses!!” The other Shians from the card game (12-2 & 12-3) are closing in and bolting for the door. Other fist fights are continuing on the dance floor and around table 4.
Suddenly, the static electricity returns to the room, and the floor is ‘sticky’ once more (movement on the floor is 1/2 speed again). The gem in the doorframe behind the bar shines again, emitting the same starry head illusion, which says in its stone-against-stone grating voice, but more laboured than before, “Bakkali’s home tavern, Well come to...” and falling an octave, it continues “Merry, do prepare...We’ll awaken...time.”
The heavy outer doors slam shut. The ruffian (B3)’s arm which was half-way outside, is now clamped in place and the chimp yells in frustration. A heavy puff of vapor streams from the illusion’s mouth toward the door, and everyone nearby falls asleep once again, and Dolkum does too. (Dolkum, B1, B2, B3, 14-1, 14-2, 15-1, 15-2, and 2-4 are asleep.)
A few of the dwarven travelers from Table 6 have continued on toward the bar, and they’re yelling in Dwarvish for Ednyss to <“come over here, friend!”>
Most people are against the walls, eyes wide, as the illusion comes back on again.
Varielky sighs. She usually doesn't let provocations like this one affect her, but a fistfight isn't such a big deal. She doffs her shield and stows it on her back (OOC: Which, I just found out takes an action). She starts walking toward the man, although the stickiness slows her down and she can't catch up to him quickly. "You're right. Come on then, I'm not holding my shield anymore. Hopefully, it wouldn't bother you that it's just on my back. Or, maybe, it's just an excuse that you're saying because a girl beat you up? Come on! Show me your worth! Even without holding my shield, I bet I could take on three of you alone." Varielky also doesn't try to provoke others, usually, but if the floor is sticky like this she'll never catch up to the man.
Provocation? 3 +3 if it's Persuasion/straight Charisma, +5 if it's Intimidation.
Varielky sighs. She usually doesn't let provocations like this one affect her, but a fistfight isn't such a big deal. She doffs her shield and stows it on her back (OOC: Which, I just found out takes an action). She starts walking toward the man, although the stickiness slows her down and she can't catch up to him quickly. "You're right. Come on then, I'm not holding my shield anymore. Hopefully, it wouldn't bother you that it's just on my back. Or, maybe, it's just an excuse that you're saying because a girl beat you up? Come on! Show me your worth! Even without holding my shield, I bet I could take on three of you alone." Varielky also doesn't try to provoke others, usually, but if the floor is sticky like this she'll never catch up to the man.
Provocation? 3 +3 if it's Persuasion/straight Charisma, +5 if it's Intimidation.
Caught in the magical vapor, the object of Varielky's taunting (3-2) falls asleep as he turns, raising his fists. (OOC: I forgot to list him above, but color-coded him on the map. Sorry, but go ahead and post your full round 8 activities.)
Varielky is about the accept the Orracan's offer for a fair duel but frowns as he runs away and falls asleep. She looks around, disappointed that no one seems to be fighting anywhere close. She didn't find any worthy fighter in this entire brawl. She's bored and decides she wants to finish what's left of her meal, but the annoying head and stickiness aren't gone yet. Maybe the one who came out of the kitchen will be able to turn it off. Varielky tries to run as fast as she can, even though the stickiness (dashing) towards the kitchen door.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
CON 18
If the roll fails then Dolkumm is asleep
If the roll passes then Dolkumm tucks the bag into his belt for safekeeping and then grabs the 2 ruffians by the scruffs of their necks for the express purpose of banging their heads together. Now that's using your noggins, gents!
(All, I’m going to push this forward a round earlier than anticipated just to arrive at a stopping point for the weekend.)
The moment the card-shark on Table 10 draws his blade, the starry head turns to face him directly, and now, a cloud of vapor rushes from its pursed lips, lingering over everyone in that vicinity, who all fall asleep (Ednyss, 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 4-6, 9-4, 9-6, 10-6, 10-8, 10-3, 10-4, etc.). The little bag of gold falls to the tabletop out of the Shian’s senseless hands, and a few coins spill out, rolling in circles and glinting in the light from the hearth. As Ednyss succumbs to sleep, he sees two more cards fall out of the Shian’s sleeve.
The mother whose baby fell into Dolkum’s arms at the very start of the brawl, finally sees her chance to run toward her child. With her brother beside her, from the hallway where they’ve been hiding, the pair, with difficulty, trudge past Dolkum and the sleeping crooks over the ‘sticky’ floor toward the southwest wall.
They don’t make it. The head slowly rotates, and like a farmer throwing seed over a field, soon covers the entire tavern in vapor, causing everyone to fall asleep: Dolkum, Ednyss, Varielky, and everyone else. Soon all the whispering and shouting, grunts of pain, thuds of fists against flesh, all that has stopped, and everyone falls into a gentle slumber.
Everyone that is, except for Mittens, standing atop the bar, and two dwarves huddled against it.
“Beeeee…...thooooouuu…...goooooood…...nooowwwww,” says the head in a voice speaking so slowly and at such a low pitch as to be almost incomprehensible.
Then suddenly, the head disappears, and all of the lanterns and torches and candles, and even the hearth are extinguished, and the tavern is in darkness -- to Mittens’ surprise, a darkness which even his cats eyes cannot penetrate, and which grows thick and suffocating, soon covering sound and sense as well, like a thick black soup. There, Mittens floats in silence for a moment until now, the starry head reappears, directly facing him. But its aspect has changed, and the black-furred wizard senses that the consciousness which had previously inhabited the illusion is gone, replaced by something else. A sickening green flame now burns slowly within, which sucks light into it rather than giving off illumination, and razor-sharp bull’s horns now slowly emerge from its forehead, until, until...Mittens knows exactly to whom this new head belongs. The evil one, The Employer, from whose powers Mittens' parents sacrificed themselves to rescue him. Somehow, it has found him.
Then, in an instant, it disappears, leaving Mittens bewildered. The darkness recedes, all the torches, candles and lanterns rekindle, and the hearth, with a small whooshing sound, relights itself as well. The sounds of breathing return at the same moment, and the grandmother from table 2 and several others begin quietly snoring. The heavy doors click and swing gently open, and fresh air flows in, causing the lamps and candles to flutter in the ocean breeze.
The gem in the doorpost dims, the little panel slides down to cover it, and the stone door heavily grinds back down to the floor. Mr. Bakkali peeks around the door into the tavern, a quizzical expression on his face, and he stands in the doorway, arms akimbo, regarding Mittens.
Mittens is the only other person awake in the room, the dwarves under the bar having succumbed to the thick, suffocating darkness.
At that moment, the sound of horse hooves and snorting can be heard outside, and the spring doors are flung open. Several men in leather armor with flat helmets with plumes, and old Orracan arms on their shirts-- the local constabulary -- stand in the doorway. “Howya, Bakkali. Somethin told me somethin wuz up. Who we takin in this time.” Bakkali hands the ruffians over to the constabulary, who chain them together and march them home, the constable kicks the mean teens in the pants and sends them home, and the till is replenished. One by one, Ednyss, Dolkum, Varielky, and the other tavern patrons are gently awakened and helped to their feet feeling refreshed, and a round of drinks on the house is distributed by the wait staff. The bag of coins from the card game is put in Ednyss’ hands, with the result that Ednyss ends up beating the Troop after all!
The traveling dwarves ask Ednyss if he’d like to play a couple of hands with them (which Ednyss can roll for), and tell him about the starry head, which they figure he should hear since it’s Dwarven-made, after all.
The starry head is one of what’s called a Hearth Guard, a magical ward which, when triggered, channels a bit of celestial power to defend one’s home. These were usually built into the outsides of buildings, so presumably the magic predates the erection of the tavern roof, etc. This one seems...old and weak, reminding them of something one of them once saw in a dwarven museum. A suit of armor with rusted inner joints, from the dark ages, soon after the Fall, when dwarves were barely holding it together and their craftsmanship was poor. One important tactical thing they make sure you remember is that Hearth Guards are limited in that although they possess darkvision and hearing, their powers can only affect what they can see. That’s why the area immediately next to the bar was hidden (at least until...well who knows what happened, but it wasn't the Hearth Guard that put the dwarves to sleep!) The dwarven travelers continue: It was silly to build the bar where old Bakkali, long ago, did, in fact, given the visual limitation of the Hearth Guard, but presumably there haven’t been that many times over the years when the magical ward was called into action.
The dwarves eventually bid Ednyss and Dolkum good night and head to their own rooms in the Inn.
Does anyone wish to do anything before going to bed for the night? One thing I'll point out is that by the time you get back to your rooms, Wad and Flint, Tuff and Granophyre and Benita have all gone to sleep.
Varielky blinks once when she is woken up before springing up. She didn't remember falling asleep. Did the head get her? But she didn't even have a chance to avoid it. Did someone hit her from behind? It didn't feel like that. She feels ashamed and quietly retires to her room.
That night, late, Varielky, in her sleep, has a premonition of danger. She awakens immediately alert, and, looking across the room, finds that Benita is not on her pallet, and the window is open, curtains blowing tumultuously in a brisk late winter breeze. She parts the curtains and sees, dimly lit by a half-moon peering out behind clouds, Benita, 50 yards away, wearing nothing but undergarments, walking barefoot around the curve of Asilah’s main street, which hugs the sea cliff. Varielky sees her friend walk toward the low sea wall with a slow, determined step as the wind flips her long ravenblack hair left and right. As Benita nears the wall, she disappears from view behind the corner of a building. The sound of the ocean permeates the night as a distant, portentous roar.
No time for humility or carefulness, not if Varielky is right. She hopes she's wrong but if she's right, there's no time to waste. She doesn't even bother to fully dress. Rather, she grabs a hold of the bed's sheets and peels them off the bed as she runs to the door/window (could she safely jump out of the window? If so, she will. If it's too high, she'll run through the building).
Not even holding any weapons nor her shield or armour, only covered by the bed's sheets, Varielky (jumps down from the window/bursts out of the building's door) and dashes to the direction to which Benita was headed. The gods woke her up for a chance, she's not going to mess it up.
Varielky is on the second floor but immediately under her window is the roof of the Inn’s lobby. She can jump a few feet down to it, then down to the ground from there. (OOC, roll athletics or acrobatics vs DC 15 to avoid taking 1d6 damage from the drop).
When Varielkyarrives to the spot she had last seen Benita, she looks to the cliff wall and sees her friend right away, her white undergarments dimly reflecting the moonlight. Benita cautiously climbs upon it, and stands there, one hand touching a squat stone pillar beside her, oblivious to the world, nothing between her and a 60’ fall to the brisk ocean waves crashing against the rocks below at high tide.
That’s when two big chimps wearing leather armor and dark cloaks step out of the shadows beneath a palm tree on the edge of the road, blocking Varielky’s way. A dagger in each chimp’s hand glints in the moonlight.
“Nice to see you Varielky. You may not remember us, but we remember you. For sure, don’t we, brother?” asks the first chimp, in an unctuous, threatening tone, yelling to be heard over the crashing waves below and the steady, wet, sea wind. The other nods his head slowly in answer, dark eyes fixed grimly upon Varielky. The first one continues, drawing out his words, savoring the moment. “You and your friend Benita here. Pretty amazing that you survived. Opium-poison is no fun, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll know everything about it soon enough.
Things might have gone differently for her if her boyfriend hadn’t agreed to throw the match for Gwafa Jlassi. Our man Syphax Amazigh couldn’t let that stand, could he brother? Nope, he wanted to send a message to Jlassi. Through Abodolla. Through us. Jlassi thinks he can turn someone at the Arena? That is Amazigh family territory and they know it. Nope, our man Abodolla says, Syphax wants to send a message. Kill them all. All the fighters in the flocking match. Every. ‘Lloshing. One. ‘Cause we’re in control, not Jlassi. So...we did.” As he speaks, the chimp paces slowly back and forth, gesturing roughly with his free hand.
“And then Jlassi sent the flocking Azhvuvs to take vengeance on Markunda Amazigh. WHEW, Jlassi ain’t playin’ around either. But that’s not our business, is it brother? Nope. Our business is what Abodolla tells us. And he said: ‘Every. ‘Lloshing. One.’ And we did.” He smiles. “All except for you two.” He frowns. “Abadolla don’t like leaving loose threads. Time to tie those aaaall up.”
The chimps slowly step toward Varielky, 5’ apart, flanking her.
Round 1
Initiative: Varielky 17, Chimps, 11.
Benita stands atop the cliff wall, perhaps 3’ above the ground, lightly touching a square stone pillar beside her for balance.
The two chimps have stepped out across the lane to block Varielky's path to her friend.
Meanwhile, a few moments back in fact, Dolkum, who had been thinking about Benita, feels a nudge which awakens him. He looks up, but he is alone except for Ednyss, sleeping on his pallet across the room. Then, rubbing his eyes, Dolkum turns the other way, almost in slow motion, seemingly, as if time has stopped. At his window, looking out, he sees Idiwala, human-sized, watching something outside, then it disappears. Looking out of his window following the vision's gaze, Dolkum sees Varielky sprint across the sandy lawn in front of the inn, wearing nothing but a bedsheet wrapped around her, then stop short 100 yards away, on the shore road just as it turns, talking to someone who is not visible beyond the edge of a building. There’s a brisk breeze blowing off the ocean, and waves crash against the sea cliffs far below.
After his vision ends, Mittens blinks in confusion as reality reasserts itself. A feeling of numb dread begins to settle across him. He goes and checks to make sure his friends aren't too badly hurt, and they can tell he seems a bit distant for some reason. After checking on them, he makes his way to his room. Once inside, he begins mechanically chanting an incantation. The whole time he does, he does this without thinking, almost like an out-of-body experience. Once he finishes, he numbly climbs up into bed and just lies there for a long time, his mind blank. Pooky curls up on the window seal, silently standing vigilant over his friend. This can't be happening, is the last thing he thinks before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
((Casting alarm as a ritual on his room. The alarm will be mental.))
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Athletics: 18. If failed, 1 damage.
"Abodolla? That backstabbing snake. He'd better not be in Ishi Ammah if I ever come back there."Varielky quickly assesses the situation. Two chimps with leather armour and daggers, possibly poisoned. Benita looks like she'll jump off the cliff soon. Varielky had... a bed's sheet. Outnumbered, no gear and has to finish this quickly.
'Llosh it. Why did she not take any weapons with her? Armour would have taken time, but just grabbing her shield or an axe wouldn't take more than taking the sheet did. A mistake. A huge mistake. This will not be a fair fight, even if she tries to fight fairly. Nothing honourable about dying to poison while trying to punch someone. Besides, at night, she'll be at a disadvantage. She has to find a way out of the situation...
(OOC: If you read the previous thing that was here, disregard it.)
But, she had done too much wrong lately. Going without weapons like this - without the weapon, she was given by the gods, is obviously a sin. She'll repent later if she's not punished by death before that. What's sure is that she can't fight dishonourably. Varielky runs forward. If she wants to stay alive, she must take the targets out as fast as possible. She runs to the closer Chimp and channelling all her hatred at him, she throws two punches at him, hoping to knock him unconscious quickly.
Run to O6. Unarmed Attack (using Inspiration to gain advantage on the attack roll): 15 Damage: 4 (I've dealt it 3 instead of 4 during the tavern brawl by mistake. Forgot it's 1+Str mod, and not just Str mod.) Action Surge: Unarmed Attack: 10 Damage: 4
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ednyss! Weapons and Shield! Action out back!
Dolkumm slaps Ednys' pallet, grabs up his warhammer and javelins, and goes to the window looking for a way down to follow in the direction the image of Varielky was headed. Dolkumm had a funny feeling that the image sent by Idiwalla was a warning of something happening now or soon, rather than a portent of events to come later.
After being awoken by the tavern staff, Ednyss goes around and helps them arouse the other innocent patrons and apprehend the ruffians (if they need it). As he gives the thieves an especially vicious glare, the dwarves approach him and ask him for a few games. Ednyss never declines a game of cards and although he is wary of cheaters, he knows that dwarves can be expected to play fairly, even if humans always can't so he sits down and plays a few hands. He listens patiently to the dwarves' description of the Hearth Guard and with their reminders, he starts to remember bits and pieces about it from his time in the Core of Onyx, although his memory is far from perfect.
Although he pretty much reveals his hand with his expression, it is only because the hand is so good. Even with his blunder, he manages to read the other players effectively and convince them into betting long enough for him to win the round.
Total: 126 (Success) 5 other players (Winnings: 3 x 5 = 30 GP)
Winning the second round cleanly, the dwarves call it a night, and Ednyss figures he should as well. There has been enough excitement for one day, so Ednyss heads up to his room as soon as the second round is over. Dolkum is already fast asleep, having said his prayers, so Ednyss doffs his shield and armor, places his weapon by his bed and says his own prayers quietly before falling fast asleep.
Shaken awake for the second time that evening, Ednyss sits up with a start at Dolkum's call. Not sure what the issue is, Ednyss grabs his War Pick and shield and looks down where Dolkum had jumped down. Ednyss was quite nimble in his time, but age had worn him and he wasn't quite as athletic as he had always been. He calls down from the window that Dolkum jumped from and says, "You go ahead, leave a trail in the direction we need to follow and I'll be there in a moment." Trusting the other dwarf to handle the situation temporarily, but knowing he needs to get to the bottom floor he spends a quick second to think about how to get down. Willing to spare a moment to ensure he didn't get injured, Ednyss sprints out the door to their room and starts running downstairs to get around to the back where Dolkum was. As he runs, if he goes past Mitten's room, he will run into Mitten's room for a brief second and to the cat's bedside where he tries to shake the cat awake.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Varielky powers into the first chimp, doing 8HP damage.
The chimp takes the blows, which would have KO’d one of the hoodlums Varielky fought earlier, and he doesn’t budge an inch. His head rebounds left, then right, then he faces Varielky, wiping a drop of blood from his lip with the back of his hand. Suddenly, his dagger whips back, its moist blade gleaming, and slashes across Varielky’s collarbone, leaving a dark stripe and doing 7HP damage. Varielky immediately feels lightheaded, and staggers backwards, poisoned. The 2nd chimp just watches, his dagger at the ready, dripping. The first chimp gloats.
“That’s the way, Varielky. You see? It’s easy to die. Just keep calm and let it happen.”
Varielky feels herself blacking out, blinded, unable to move. Then, she is dreaming.
She is alone in the living room of Omar El Idrissid. There on the wall before her, the longsword, at eye level upon its little wooden stand. She sees its carbon scoring, the runes carved into it, some of them obscured, covered up. She remembers its dull, dead weight when she tried to swing it, helplessly unable to strike a target of any kind. Yet it calls to her. She reaches out, and takes it by the hilt. Suddenly, like a match lighting, the carbon over one of the runes burns off. Twin daggers are revealed beneath.
Varielky feels nauseated, as if her head is in a vice grip, hot pokers impaling her mind, and she falls to one knee, blinded, eyes forced shut.
The chimps, seeing what they believe to be the effects of the poison, wait a moment, then exchange a look, and take a step toward their victim, but then stop. Something is not right.
Varielky rises, eyes still closed. She turns to the chimps, and when her eyes open, they shine with their own inner fire, like twin spotlights. The glyph on her forehead glows red, and she comes to her senses, finding the sword is in her hand. It glows and makes a low, throbbing sound, not unlike the hum of the disc trains at top speed, flaring up, vibrating, shrieking, until the barren, dull surface of the blade shatters, exploding in a rain of dull shards, revealing red-tinted, razor-sharp steel. Its visible runes glow red, matching the glyph on Varielky’s brow, and one rune which before was covered, now glows with the rest: the twin daggers of Ellosh now shine with deadly portent.
The chimps take a step back, shielding their faces from the carbon shards, and seeing that you are now armed, you see a hot fury in the first chimp's eyes. Fury...and fear. You’re now situated like so:
(OOC: @Varielky, treat the sword as longsword +1, granting use of a light cantrip (eye beams). You are no longer poisoned, although you’re not sure why. It also seems to teleport.)
Ednyss is confused by the dwarves' warning, but as soon as the illusion disappears and the floors unstick, Ednyss knows that the robbers are going to be making a run for it. As a result, instead of spending time thinking about the illusion, even though he knows something is up, he runs towards the mean teens that are fighting on table 10. As he runs, he turns around and commands the robber holding the bag near Dolkum to "Drop!" As he does this, he yells to Dolkum, "Grab the bag!" (OOC: Smendrick already posted his turn but it would just be an object interaction to pick it up...) From there he glances ahead again to ensure the mean teens are also not escaping with their stolen money.
Action: Cast Command (Against B3)
DC 15 Wisdom Save; On a failure, must spend their entire turn dropping whatever they are holding and ending their turn immediately
Bonus Action: None
Move: 25 Feet Towards Table 10 (Taking any opportunity attacks that come his way)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 7 Results
Ednyss 13. Enthralled by Ednyss’ divine power, the ruffian with the till (B3) drops the bag of gold. Ednyss makes it all the way to Table 10.
Mittens 6 (OOC: I’m going to bot Mittens this round.) Mittens casts frostbite on the cardshark holding Ednyss’ gold atop Table 10, but the hooligan makes his save and takes no damage. (OOC: Mittens, please roll Insight and Arcana checks for next round.)
Dolkum 6...charges into the two ruffians at the door with the gold (B3, B1), crashing into the one who just dropped the bag but pulling up short and doing no damage. We’ll say Dolkum is now holding the bag of gold.
Varielky 5...Kicks the Orracan thug (3-2), whose torso is thrown forward as her boot connects with his solar plexus, then her shield smashes him hard and he’s lifted off the ground and thrown backward to K9. He runs for the door while yelling over his shoulder, “too scared to fight with yer fists alone are y’ girl?! Need a shield t’ protect ya?!”
People
The cavalrymen awaken before the expatriates, stand up and start kicking them in the ribs. The expatriates, on the floor, grip their sides and grunt in pain.
The mean teen on table 10 is knocked out, and the card shark (12-1) holds onto the gold but sees Ednyss coming close and pulls a knife. “Why don’t you bugger off and count yer losses!!” The other Shians from the card game (12-2 & 12-3) are closing in and bolting for the door. Other fist fights are continuing on the dance floor and around table 4.
Suddenly, the static electricity returns to the room, and the floor is ‘sticky’ once more (movement on the floor is 1/2 speed again). The gem in the doorframe behind the bar shines again, emitting the same starry head illusion, which says in its stone-against-stone grating voice, but more laboured than before, “Bakkali’s home tavern, Well come to...” and falling an octave, it continues “Merry, do prepare...We’ll awaken...time.”
The heavy outer doors slam shut. The ruffian (B3)’s arm which was half-way outside, is now clamped in place and the chimp yells in frustration. A heavy puff of vapor streams from the illusion’s mouth toward the door, and everyone nearby falls asleep once again, and Dolkum does too. (Dolkum, B1, B2, B3, 14-1, 14-2, 15-1, 15-2, and 2-4 are asleep.)
A few of the dwarven travelers from Table 6 have continued on toward the bar, and they’re yelling in Dwarvish for Ednyss to <“come over here, friend!”>
Most people are against the walls, eyes wide, as the illusion comes back on again.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Varielky sighs. She usually doesn't let provocations like this one affect her, but a fistfight isn't such a big deal. She doffs her shield and stows it on her back (OOC: Which, I just found out takes an action). She starts walking toward the man, although the stickiness slows her down and she can't catch up to him quickly. "You're right. Come on then, I'm not holding my shield anymore. Hopefully, it wouldn't bother you that it's just on my back. Or, maybe, it's just an excuse that you're saying because a girl beat you up? Come on! Show me your worth! Even without holding my shield, I bet I could take on three of you alone." Varielky also doesn't try to provoke others, usually, but if the floor is sticky like this she'll never catch up to the man.
Provocation? 3 +3 if it's Persuasion/straight Charisma, +5 if it's Intimidation.
Varielky
Caught in the magical vapor, the object of Varielky's taunting (3-2) falls asleep as he turns, raising his fists. (OOC: I forgot to list him above, but color-coded him on the map. Sorry, but go ahead and post your full round 8 activities.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
You’re now situated like this.
Please post for Round 8
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(Then...)
Varielky is about the accept the Orracan's offer for a fair duel but frowns as he runs away and falls asleep. She looks around, disappointed that no one seems to be fighting anywhere close. She didn't find any worthy fighter in this entire brawl. She's bored and decides she wants to finish what's left of her meal, but the annoying head and stickiness aren't gone yet. Maybe the one who came out of the kitchen will be able to turn it off. Varielky tries to run as fast as she can, even though the stickiness (dashing) towards the kitchen door.
Varielky
CON 18
If the roll fails then Dolkumm is asleep
If the roll passes then Dolkumm tucks the bag into his belt for safekeeping and then grabs the 2 ruffians by the scruffs of their necks for the express purpose of banging their heads together. Now that's using your noggins, gents!
No CON roll, just out like a lamp. Powerful spell...
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(All, I’m going to push this forward a round earlier than anticipated just to arrive at a stopping point for the weekend.)
The moment the card-shark on Table 10 draws his blade, the starry head turns to face him directly, and now, a cloud of vapor rushes from its pursed lips, lingering over everyone in that vicinity, who all fall asleep (Ednyss, 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 4-6, 9-4, 9-6, 10-6, 10-8, 10-3, 10-4, etc.). The little bag of gold falls to the tabletop out of the Shian’s senseless hands, and a few coins spill out, rolling in circles and glinting in the light from the hearth. As Ednyss succumbs to sleep, he sees two more cards fall out of the Shian’s sleeve.
The mother whose baby fell into Dolkum’s arms at the very start of the brawl, finally sees her chance to run toward her child. With her brother beside her, from the hallway where they’ve been hiding, the pair, with difficulty, trudge past Dolkum and the sleeping crooks over the ‘sticky’ floor toward the southwest wall.
They don’t make it. The head slowly rotates, and like a farmer throwing seed over a field, soon covers the entire tavern in vapor, causing everyone to fall asleep: Dolkum, Ednyss, Varielky, and everyone else. Soon all the whispering and shouting, grunts of pain, thuds of fists against flesh, all that has stopped, and everyone falls into a gentle slumber.
Everyone that is, except for Mittens, standing atop the bar, and two dwarves huddled against it.
“Beeeee…...thooooouuu…...goooooood…...nooowwwww,” says the head in a voice speaking so slowly and at such a low pitch as to be almost incomprehensible.
Then suddenly, the head disappears, and all of the lanterns and torches and candles, and even the hearth are extinguished, and the tavern is in darkness -- to Mittens’ surprise, a darkness which even his cats eyes cannot penetrate, and which grows thick and suffocating, soon covering sound and sense as well, like a thick black soup. There, Mittens floats in silence for a moment until now, the starry head reappears, directly facing him. But its aspect has changed, and the black-furred wizard senses that the consciousness which had previously inhabited the illusion is gone, replaced by something else. A sickening green flame now burns slowly within, which sucks light into it rather than giving off illumination, and razor-sharp bull’s horns now slowly emerge from its forehead, until, until...Mittens knows exactly to whom this new head belongs. The evil one, The Employer, from whose powers Mittens' parents sacrificed themselves to rescue him. Somehow, it has found him.
Then, in an instant, it disappears, leaving Mittens bewildered. The darkness recedes, all the torches, candles and lanterns rekindle, and the hearth, with a small whooshing sound, relights itself as well. The sounds of breathing return at the same moment, and the grandmother from table 2 and several others begin quietly snoring. The heavy doors click and swing gently open, and fresh air flows in, causing the lamps and candles to flutter in the ocean breeze.
The gem in the doorpost dims, the little panel slides down to cover it, and the stone door heavily grinds back down to the floor. Mr. Bakkali peeks around the door into the tavern, a quizzical expression on his face, and he stands in the doorway, arms akimbo, regarding Mittens.
Mittens is the only other person awake in the room, the dwarves under the bar having succumbed to the thick, suffocating darkness.
At that moment, the sound of horse hooves and snorting can be heard outside, and the spring doors are flung open. Several men in leather armor with flat helmets with plumes, and old Orracan arms on their shirts-- the local constabulary -- stand in the doorway. “Howya, Bakkali. Somethin told me somethin wuz up. Who we takin in this time.”
Bakkali hands the ruffians over to the constabulary, who chain them together and march them home, the constable kicks the mean teens in the pants and sends them home, and the till is replenished. One by one, Ednyss, Dolkum, Varielky, and the other tavern patrons are gently awakened and helped to their feet feeling refreshed, and a round of drinks on the house is distributed by the wait staff. The bag of coins from the card game is put in Ednyss’ hands, with the result that Ednyss ends up beating the Troop after all!
The traveling dwarves ask Ednyss if he’d like to play a couple of hands with them (which Ednyss can roll for), and tell him about the starry head, which they figure he should hear since it’s Dwarven-made, after all.
The starry head is one of what’s called a Hearth Guard, a magical ward which, when triggered, channels a bit of celestial power to defend one’s home. These were usually built into the outsides of buildings, so presumably the magic predates the erection of the tavern roof, etc. This one seems...old and weak, reminding them of something one of them once saw in a dwarven museum. A suit of armor with rusted inner joints, from the dark ages, soon after the Fall, when dwarves were barely holding it together and their craftsmanship was poor. One important tactical thing they make sure you remember is that Hearth Guards are limited in that although they possess darkvision and hearing, their powers can only affect what they can see. That’s why the area immediately next to the bar was hidden (at least until...well who knows what happened, but it wasn't the Hearth Guard that put the dwarves to sleep!) The dwarven travelers continue: It was silly to build the bar where old Bakkali, long ago, did, in fact, given the visual limitation of the Hearth Guard, but presumably there haven’t been that many times over the years when the magical ward was called into action.
The dwarves eventually bid Ednyss and Dolkum good night and head to their own rooms in the Inn.
Does anyone wish to do anything before going to bed for the night? One thing I'll point out is that by the time you get back to your rooms, Wad and Flint, Tuff and Granophyre and Benita have all gone to sleep.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Varielky blinks once when she is woken up before springing up. She didn't remember falling asleep. Did the head get her? But she didn't even have a chance to avoid it. Did someone hit her from behind? It didn't feel like that. She feels ashamed and quietly retires to her room.
Varielky
All is well that ends well :) Good night, all. Dolkumm trudges off to nightly prayers and then sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
POST #5a
That night, late, Varielky, in her sleep, has a premonition of danger. She awakens immediately alert, and, looking across the room, finds that Benita is not on her pallet, and the window is open, curtains blowing tumultuously in a brisk late winter breeze. She parts the curtains and sees, dimly lit by a half-moon peering out behind clouds, Benita, 50 yards away, wearing nothing but undergarments, walking barefoot around the curve of Asilah’s main street, which hugs the sea cliff. Varielky sees her friend walk toward the low sea wall with a slow, determined step as the wind flips her long ravenblack hair left and right. As Benita nears the wall, she disappears from view behind the corner of a building. The sound of the ocean permeates the night as a distant, portentous roar.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
No time for humility or carefulness, not if Varielky is right. She hopes she's wrong but if she's right, there's no time to waste. She doesn't even bother to fully dress. Rather, she grabs a hold of the bed's sheets and peels them off the bed as she runs to the door/window (could she safely jump out of the window? If so, she will. If it's too high, she'll run through the building).
Not even holding any weapons nor her shield or armour, only covered by the bed's sheets, Varielky (jumps down from the window/bursts out of the building's door) and dashes to the direction to which Benita was headed. The gods woke her up for a chance, she's not going to mess it up.
Varielky
Varielky is on the second floor but immediately under her window is the roof of the Inn’s lobby. She can jump a few feet down to it, then down to the ground from there. (OOC, roll athletics or acrobatics vs DC 15 to avoid taking 1d6 damage from the drop).
When Varielky arrives to the spot she had last seen Benita, she looks to the cliff wall and sees her friend right away, her white undergarments dimly reflecting the moonlight. Benita cautiously climbs upon it, and stands there, one hand touching a squat stone pillar beside her, oblivious to the world, nothing between her and a 60’ fall to the brisk ocean waves crashing against the rocks below at high tide.
That’s when two big chimps wearing leather armor and dark cloaks step out of the shadows beneath a palm tree on the edge of the road, blocking Varielky’s way. A dagger in each chimp’s hand glints in the moonlight.
“Nice to see you Varielky. You may not remember us, but we remember you. For sure, don’t we, brother?” asks the first chimp, in an unctuous, threatening tone, yelling to be heard over the crashing waves below and the steady, wet, sea wind. The other nods his head slowly in answer, dark eyes fixed grimly upon Varielky. The first one continues, drawing out his words, savoring the moment. “You and your friend Benita here. Pretty amazing that you survived. Opium-poison is no fun, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll know everything about it soon enough.
Things might have gone differently for her if her boyfriend hadn’t agreed to throw the match for Gwafa Jlassi. Our man Syphax Amazigh couldn’t let that stand, could he brother? Nope, he wanted to send a message to Jlassi. Through Abodolla. Through us. Jlassi thinks he can turn someone at the Arena? That is Amazigh family territory and they know it. Nope, our man Abodolla says, Syphax wants to send a message. Kill them all. All the fighters in the flocking match. Every. ‘Lloshing. One. ‘Cause we’re in control, not Jlassi. So...we did.” As he speaks, the chimp paces slowly back and forth, gesturing roughly with his free hand.
“And then Jlassi sent the flocking Azhvuvs to take vengeance on Markunda Amazigh. WHEW, Jlassi ain’t playin’ around either. But that’s not our business, is it brother? Nope. Our business is what Abodolla tells us. And he said: ‘Every. ‘Lloshing. One.’ And we did.” He smiles. “All except for you two.” He frowns. “Abadolla don’t like leaving loose threads. Time to tie those aaaall up.”
The chimps slowly step toward Varielky, 5’ apart, flanking her.
Round 1
Initiative: Varielky 17, Chimps, 11.
Benita stands atop the cliff wall, perhaps 3’ above the ground, lightly touching a square stone pillar beside her for balance.
The two chimps have stepped out across the lane to block Varielky's path to her friend.
You are now situated like so.
Please post round 1 action.
_____
Meanwhile, a few moments back in fact, Dolkum, who had been thinking about Benita, feels a nudge which awakens him. He looks up, but he is alone except for Ednyss, sleeping on his pallet across the room. Then, rubbing his eyes, Dolkum turns the other way, almost in slow motion, seemingly, as if time has stopped. At his window, looking out, he sees Idiwala, human-sized, watching something outside, then it disappears. Looking out of his window following the vision's gaze, Dolkum sees Varielky sprint across the sandy lawn in front of the inn, wearing nothing but a bedsheet wrapped around her, then stop short 100 yards away, on the shore road just as it turns, talking to someone who is not visible beyond the edge of a building. There’s a brisk breeze blowing off the ocean, and waves crash against the sea cliffs far below.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
After his vision ends, Mittens blinks in confusion as reality reasserts itself. A feeling of numb dread begins to settle across him. He goes and checks to make sure his friends aren't too badly hurt, and they can tell he seems a bit distant for some reason. After checking on them, he makes his way to his room. Once inside, he begins mechanically chanting an incantation. The whole time he does, he does this without thinking, almost like an out-of-body experience. Once he finishes, he numbly climbs up into bed and just lies there for a long time, his mind blank. Pooky curls up on the window seal, silently standing vigilant over his friend. This can't be happening, is the last thing he thinks before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
((Casting alarm as a ritual on his room. The alarm will be mental.))
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Athletics: 18. If failed, 1 damage.
"Abodolla? That backstabbing snake. He'd better not be in Ishi Ammah if I ever come back there." Varielky quickly assesses the situation. Two chimps with leather armour and daggers, possibly poisoned. Benita looks like she'll jump off the cliff soon. Varielky had... a bed's sheet. Outnumbered, no gear and has to finish this quickly.
'Llosh it. Why did she not take any weapons with her? Armour would have taken time, but just grabbing her shield or an axe wouldn't take more than taking the sheet did. A mistake. A huge mistake. This will not be a fair fight, even if she tries to fight fairly. Nothing honourable about dying to poison while trying to punch someone. Besides, at night, she'll be at a disadvantage. She has to find a way out of the situation...
(OOC: If you read the previous thing that was here, disregard it.)
But, she had done too much wrong lately. Going without weapons like this - without the weapon, she was given by the gods, is obviously a sin. She'll repent later if she's not punished by death before that. What's sure is that she can't fight dishonourably.
Varielky runs forward. If she wants to stay alive, she must take the targets out as fast as possible. She runs to the closer Chimp and channelling all her hatred at him, she throws two punches at him, hoping to knock him unconscious quickly.
Varielky
Ednyss! Weapons and Shield! Action out back!
Dolkumm slaps Ednys' pallet, grabs up his warhammer and javelins, and goes to the window looking for a way down to follow in the direction the image of Varielky was headed. Dolkumm had a funny feeling that the image sent by Idiwalla was a warning of something happening now or soon, rather than a portent of events to come later.
Athletics 23
After being awoken by the tavern staff, Ednyss goes around and helps them arouse the other innocent patrons and apprehend the ruffians (if they need it). As he gives the thieves an especially vicious glare, the dwarves approach him and ask him for a few games. Ednyss never declines a game of cards and although he is wary of cheaters, he knows that dwarves can be expected to play fairly, even if humans always can't so he sits down and plays a few hands. He listens patiently to the dwarves' description of the Hearth Guard and with their reminders, he starts to remember bits and pieces about it from his time in the Core of Onyx, although his memory is far from perfect.
Rolls:
Insight: 26
Investigation: 4
Sleight of Hand: 5
Deception: 14
Perception: 16
Insight (Repeat): 16
Inspiration: 1
Guidance: 3
Total: 95 (Success)
Although he pretty much reveals his hand with his expression, it is only because the hand is so good. Even with his blunder, he manages to read the other players effectively and convince them into betting long enough for him to win the round.
Rolls:
Insight: 17
Investigation: 5
Sleight of Hand: 10
Deception: 6
Perception: 17
Insight (Repeat): 11
Inspiration: 5
Guidance: 4
Total: 126 (Success)
5 other players (Winnings: 3 x 5 = 30 GP)
Winning the second round cleanly, the dwarves call it a night, and Ednyss figures he should as well. There has been enough excitement for one day, so Ednyss heads up to his room as soon as the second round is over. Dolkum is already fast asleep, having said his prayers, so Ednyss doffs his shield and armor, places his weapon by his bed and says his own prayers quietly before falling fast asleep.
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Shaken awake for the second time that evening, Ednyss sits up with a start at Dolkum's call. Not sure what the issue is, Ednyss grabs his War Pick and shield and looks down where Dolkum had jumped down. Ednyss was quite nimble in his time, but age had worn him and he wasn't quite as athletic as he had always been. He calls down from the window that Dolkum jumped from and says, "You go ahead, leave a trail in the direction we need to follow and I'll be there in a moment." Trusting the other dwarf to handle the situation temporarily, but knowing he needs to get to the bottom floor he spends a quick second to think about how to get down. Willing to spare a moment to ensure he didn't get injured, Ednyss sprints out the door to their room and starts running downstairs to get around to the back where Dolkum was. As he runs, if he goes past Mitten's room, he will run into Mitten's room for a brief second and to the cat's bedside where he tries to shake the cat awake.
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 1 Results
Varielky powers into the first chimp, doing 8HP damage.
The chimp takes the blows, which would have KO’d one of the hoodlums Varielky fought earlier, and he doesn’t budge an inch. His head rebounds left, then right, then he faces Varielky, wiping a drop of blood from his lip with the back of his hand. Suddenly, his dagger whips back, its moist blade gleaming, and slashes across Varielky’s collarbone, leaving a dark stripe and doing 7HP damage. Varielky immediately feels lightheaded, and staggers backwards, poisoned. The 2nd chimp just watches, his dagger at the ready, dripping. The first chimp gloats.
“That’s the way, Varielky. You see? It’s easy to die. Just keep calm and let it happen.”
Varielky feels herself blacking out, blinded, unable to move. Then, she is dreaming.
She is alone in the living room of Omar El Idrissid. There on the wall before her, the longsword, at eye level upon its little wooden stand. She sees its carbon scoring, the runes carved into it, some of them obscured, covered up. She remembers its dull, dead weight when she tried to swing it, helplessly unable to strike a target of any kind. Yet it calls to her. She reaches out, and takes it by the hilt. Suddenly, like a match lighting, the carbon over one of the runes burns off. Twin daggers are revealed beneath.
Varielky feels nauseated, as if her head is in a vice grip, hot pokers impaling her mind, and she falls to one knee, blinded, eyes forced shut.
The chimps, seeing what they believe to be the effects of the poison, wait a moment, then exchange a look, and take a step toward their victim, but then stop. Something is not right.
Varielky rises, eyes still closed. She turns to the chimps, and when her eyes open, they shine with their own inner fire, like twin spotlights. The glyph on her forehead glows red, and she comes to her senses, finding the sword is in her hand. It glows and makes a low, throbbing sound, not unlike the hum of the disc trains at top speed, flaring up, vibrating, shrieking, until the barren, dull surface of the blade shatters, exploding in a rain of dull shards, revealing red-tinted, razor-sharp steel. Its visible runes glow red, matching the glyph on Varielky’s brow, and one rune which before was covered, now glows with the rest: the twin daggers of Ellosh now shine with deadly portent.
The chimps take a step back, shielding their faces from the carbon shards, and seeing that you are now armed, you see a hot fury in the first chimp's eyes. Fury...and fear. You’re now situated like so:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eCjdmoZm89czrHcyqgHCO8V1YSozsW5t/view?usp=sharing
Please post for Round 2.
(OOC: @Varielky, treat the sword as longsword +1, granting use of a light cantrip (eye beams). You are no longer poisoned, although you’re not sure why. It also seems to teleport.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer