For the past several days, the talk of the streets and taverns has all been about the so-called death curse: a wasting disease afflicting everyone who’s ever been raised from the dead. Victims grow thinner and weaker each day, slowly but steadily sliding toward the death they once denied. When they finally succumb, they can’t be raised — and neither can anyone else, regardless of whether they’ve ever received that miracle in the past. Temples and scholars of divine magic are at a loss to explain a curse that has affected the entire region, and possibly the entire world.
You have all been invited to the home of Syndra Silvane, a retired adventurer and merchant. A uniformed attendant leads you up a grand staircase to the third floor, then ushers you into a wood-panelled room with a fireplace, comfortable chairs, and a heavy table bearing goblets and bottles of wine. The darkly panelled walls are hung with maps and sea charts. Racks, shelves, and cabinets hold hundreds more rolled-up maps and charts.
A person is seated in an overstuffed chair near the fire. You can’t discern a gender, because only the person’s head emerges from under a heavy blanket draped over the chair, and an embroidered hood and silver mask conceal the wearer’s face. Even the person’s dry, raspy voice provides no clue. “Help yourselves to wine, and seat yourselves, friends — I hope I may call you that.”
A dwarf moves to the table to get a glass of wine. He is wearing dark leather covered by a black cape with a hood. A thick reddish beard can be seen. On his cape you can see a symbol: a skeletonized hand holding a scale in balance. The one who knows human religion recognizes the sign of Kelemvor.
"You can call me that as long as you act like a friend" you can hear that he have a dark, smoky voice but with a really tranquil undertone. After he pours himself the wine, he sits down. "But tell us, why did you call?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
--- Regular ---
LmOP, OotA and CoS as DM ---- SKT: Diero Merivaldi (Variant Human Arcane Trickster - lvl6) ---- ToA: Erevan (Drow Half-Elf Hexblade - lvl2)
--- PbP ---
Into the Mists - CoS: Euron Dread (Glasya Tiefling Hunter - lvl1) --- The Labyrinth of the Goblin King: Grigor Marsk (Human War Wizard - lvl3)
I was an adventurer years ago. I died once and was raised from the dead. I have since closed the door on that stage of my life.
The death curse you’ve heard about has struck me. I don’t know how much longer I’ll last before I perish. Clerics have no help to offer. They’re stymied by what is happening.
My contacts in the Harpers have learned that the cause of the death curse is a necromantic artefact called the Soulmonger and according to their sources, the Soulmonger is somewhere in Chult.
Chult is a peninsula ringed with mountains and choked with rain forests. Enormous reptiles, savage goblins, and an army of undead prowl its jungles and ruins. Mapping the place has always been nigh impossible, and nothing is known about the region’s current geography beyond a few miles from the coast, but luckily for you by working from dozens of sea charts, log books, and explorers’ journals, I assembled everything known about the current state of Chult into one map. I’ll provide it to you if you undertake my mission.
I want you to find and destroy the Soulmonger, for this I will give each of you a rare magical item of your choosing and I truly expect that exploring Chult will provide you all with enough treasure to set up your own kingdom.
If you agree I can teleport us all to Port Nyanzaru, the only real settlement in Chult at no cost.
The wood elf listens the whole time the discussion around her but says no word. Sure the invitation was promising and she wouldn't deny herself some good loot or a thrilling adventure. A magic curse, an artifact and a curious adventure, that was a good combination but she expected to act solo as usual or at least with some of her accomplices from previous jobs. She decided to throw a distrustful look at everybody before nodding positively with her head. She might accompany them but her trust had to be earned.
Tordek listens silently to what the figure tells. When she is finished, he says, "Death is not something you should fear child. Kelemvor is a righteous God and he will judge your soul justly. Cyric is no longer a god of death, the times of fearing death are over. When the time comes, you should accept it."
Then he takes a sip of his wine. "But yes, even in our temple the problems of the death curse are noticeable. People who die before their time cannot be resurrected. That's against everything i believe in! And you mean this... Soulmonger is to blame? And that this artifact is in Chult where it's teeming with undead? Then you are assured that if this information is correct, I will IMMEDIATELY accept. If you tell the truth, my first priority as Kelemvor Cleric is to go there and destroy the undead and shatter this necromantic artifact. Nothing that is undead should live. Necromancy is an unnaturalness I will not tolerate!" Tordek loudly puts his goblet on the table.
He suddenly seems to have completely lost his calm. From the moment he started talking about the undead, he seems to have lost some of his controlled way.
Tordek breathes in and out several times and seems to calm down. Then he looks over at the Tabaxi. "I'm sorry, when it comes to undead, I sometimes forget myself. I didn't mean to scare you."
Tordek seems a little offended by the masked person's behavior. "Ma’am, Why are you talking to me like an idiot? I understood what we had to do and I told you that I would accept. It is in the good of my Temple to break this curse and I will do everything in my power. But you should learn to have respect for servants of Kelemvor and other deities."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
--- Regular ---
LmOP, OotA and CoS as DM ---- SKT: Diero Merivaldi (Variant Human Arcane Trickster - lvl6) ---- ToA: Erevan (Drow Half-Elf Hexblade - lvl2)
--- PbP ---
Into the Mists - CoS: Euron Dread (Glasya Tiefling Hunter - lvl1) --- The Labyrinth of the Goblin King: Grigor Marsk (Human War Wizard - lvl3)
Crom sis a styrdy and quite lumpsy human in his twenties, broad shoulders, long unkept curly black hair, big mustaches,
the good armour and weapons anyway betray the poor condition of his clothes and general self.
He looks around at the packednroom, thinking
wow, this guy is ******* rich , lookmat all this ...this...stuff! Of course he wants his life back!
then he fills a cup with wine and listens to the others, still thinking
why does he not go with all his magical items? Maybe he is already getting ill?! And also, he wants me to go into a jungle just to get a magical ring or something, it is better if I take word
he empties his glass and starts to talk:
" so, your life is in danger, big deal, but why would we endanger also our lives? Why go in a jungle like chult with all these risks? To get a magical trinket when, sorry, if we are back? And, sorry for lack of good faith but, who tells us that when we are back these trinkets are cursed instead of magical? To sum up, I see you are a pratcical man, you know we will have to pay in advance for guides and equipment with money we don't have, so I think that a lump sum of 200 gold coins each is a fair sum "
Or I get four more adventurers to undertake this task, she looks at the arm of her chair, if you're not interested, please let yourself out.
She stands and walks towards the maps on her desk. So do I need to send my man to find me four more potential adventurers.
OOC: Please refrain from inner monologing, there's no way the other people around you know what you're thinking unless they are using magic, if your character wants to communicate it to the others, they'd either have to say it or find a way to non-verbally communicate it and then it'd only be fair to allow the NPCs a chance to understand it.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Oi, captain! No need to be angry and no need to look for other. Ye have here this fine elvish lad, mighty and brave fighter, Me Pit the Blanco and this wise red beard. Me do not know them well yet but me feel that ye will not find better. But i am afraid all me have is 2 gold coins"
OOC: I'm guessing Pit is assisting here so, roll advantage for persuasion Crom. Though any further attempts beyond this point will have to have a higher DC
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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A dwarf moves to the table to get a glass of wine. He is wearing dark leather covered by a black cape with a hood. A thick reddish beard can be seen. On his cape you can see a symbol: a skeletonized hand holding a scale in balance. The one who knows human religion recognizes the sign of Kelemvor.
"You can call me that as long as you act like a friend" you can hear that he have a dark, smoky voice but with a really tranquil undertone. After he pours himself the wine, he sits down. "But tell us, why did you call?"
--- Regular ---
LmOP, OotA and CoS as DM ---- SKT: Diero Merivaldi (Variant Human Arcane Trickster - lvl6) ---- ToA: Erevan (Drow Half-Elf Hexblade - lvl2)
--- PbP ---
Into the Mists - CoS: Euron Dread (Glasya Tiefling Hunter - lvl1) --- The Labyrinth of the Goblin King: Grigor Marsk (Human War Wizard - lvl3)
I was an adventurer years ago. I died once and was raised from the dead. I have since closed the door on that stage of my life.
The death curse you’ve heard about has struck me. I don’t know how much longer I’ll last before I perish. Clerics have no help to offer. They’re stymied by what is happening.
My contacts in the Harpers have learned that the cause of the death curse is a necromantic artefact called the Soulmonger and according to their sources, the Soulmonger is somewhere in Chult.
Chult is a peninsula ringed with mountains and choked with rain forests. Enormous reptiles, savage goblins, and an army of undead prowl its jungles and ruins. Mapping the place has always been nigh impossible, and nothing is known about the region’s current geography beyond a few miles from the coast, but luckily for you by working from dozens of sea charts, log books, and explorers’ journals, I assembled everything known about the current state of Chult into one map. I’ll provide it to you if you undertake my mission.
I want you to find and destroy the Soulmonger, for this I will give each of you a rare magical item of your choosing and I truly expect that exploring Chult will provide you all with enough treasure to set up your own kingdom.
If you agree I can teleport us all to Port Nyanzaru, the only real settlement in Chult at no cost.
6f tall (1.85m) Tabaxi with a black fur and sailor clothes moves from wall to wall and inspects each map.
"Oi! Thank you captain but wine do bad to me stomack. If you don't mind i will drink me own aye?"
Pit takes out metal flask from his sailor coat and takes a sip. One can smell rum mixed with milk and spices.
"Oi! You have here impressive set of maps"
I will arrive soon
,
The wood elf listens the whole time the discussion around her but says no word. Sure the invitation was promising and she wouldn't deny herself some good loot or a thrilling adventure. A magic curse, an artifact and a curious adventure, that was a good combination but she expected to act solo as usual or at least with some of her accomplices from previous jobs. She decided to throw a distrustful look at everybody before nodding positively with her head. She might accompany them but her trust had to be earned.
Tordek listens silently to what the figure tells. When she is finished, he says, "Death is not something you should fear child. Kelemvor is a righteous God and he will judge your soul justly. Cyric is no longer a god of death, the times of fearing death are over. When the time comes, you should accept it."
Then he takes a sip of his wine. "But yes, even in our temple the problems of the death curse are noticeable. People who die before their time cannot be resurrected. That's against everything i believe in! And you mean this... Soulmonger is to blame? And that this artifact is in Chult where it's teeming with undead? Then you are assured that if this information is correct, I will IMMEDIATELY accept. If you tell the truth, my first priority as Kelemvor Cleric is to go there and destroy the undead and shatter this necromantic artifact. Nothing that is undead should live. Necromancy is an unnaturalness I will not tolerate!" Tordek loudly puts his goblet on the table.
He suddenly seems to have completely lost his calm. From the moment he started talking about the undead, he seems to have lost some of his controlled way.
--- Regular ---
LmOP, OotA and CoS as DM ---- SKT: Diero Merivaldi (Variant Human Arcane Trickster - lvl6) ---- ToA: Erevan (Drow Half-Elf Hexblade - lvl2)
--- PbP ---
Into the Mists - CoS: Euron Dread (Glasya Tiefling Hunter - lvl1) --- The Labyrinth of the Goblin King: Grigor Marsk (Human War Wizard - lvl3)
Silvana momentarily raises a hand to their forehead it what looks like a little frustration.
She nods to the elf in appreciation then turns to the others.
"I thought I'd made my offer quite clear but we shall try again."
"You go jungle place....find thing called Soulmonger....you smashy smashy....you get shiney magic thing."
"Better?"
Pit (still watching maps on the wall) "Oi! Oi! Avast mr dwarf and calm ye self a little. Ye will scare rest of our mates."
[Avast! - Stop]
"Bloody curse and big booty..ye can sign Pit the Blanco in"
Pit stands next to the table and puts both hands on it. You can see small sparks from electric discharges jumping from his ears into the air.
"Show us ye map"
Tordek breathes in and out several times and seems to calm down. Then he looks over at the Tabaxi. "I'm sorry, when it comes to undead, I sometimes forget myself. I didn't mean to scare you."
Tordek seems a little offended by the masked person's behavior. "Ma’am, Why are you talking to me like an idiot? I understood what we had to do and I told you that I would accept. It is in the good of my Temple to break this curse and I will do everything in my power. But you should learn to have respect for servants of Kelemvor and other deities."
--- Regular ---
LmOP, OotA and CoS as DM ---- SKT: Diero Merivaldi (Variant Human Arcane Trickster - lvl6) ---- ToA: Erevan (Drow Half-Elf Hexblade - lvl2)
--- PbP ---
Into the Mists - CoS: Euron Dread (Glasya Tiefling Hunter - lvl1) --- The Labyrinth of the Goblin King: Grigor Marsk (Human War Wizard - lvl3)
Pit "Shiver me timbers! Pit is not afriad!"
Crom
Crom sis a styrdy and quite lumpsy human in his twenties, broad shoulders, long unkept curly black hair, big mustaches,
the good armour and weapons anyway betray the poor condition of his clothes and general self.
He looks around at the packednroom, thinking
wow, this guy is ******* rich , lookmat all this ...this...stuff! Of course he wants his life back!
then he fills a cup with wine and listens to the others, still thinking
why does he not go with all his magical items? Maybe he is already getting ill?! And also, he wants me to go into a jungle just to get a magical ring or something, it is better if I take word
he empties his glass and starts to talk:
" so, your life is in danger, big deal, but why would we endanger also our lives? Why go in a jungle like chult with all these risks? To get a magical trinket when, sorry, if we are back? And, sorry for lack of good faith but, who tells us that when we are back these trinkets are cursed instead of magical? To sum up, I see you are a pratcical man, you know we will have to pay in advance for guides and equipment with money we don't have, so I think that a lump sum of 200 gold coins each is a fair sum "
,
[ooc]Crom, persuasion check please[/ooc]
,
Or I get four more adventurers to undertake this task, she looks at the arm of her chair, if you're not interested, please let yourself out.
She stands and walks towards the maps on her desk. So do I need to send my man to find me four more potential adventurers.
OOC:
Please refrain from inner monologing, there's no way the other people around you know what you're thinking unless they are using magic, if your character wants to communicate it to the others, they'd either have to say it or find a way to non-verbally communicate it and then it'd only be fair to allow the NPCs a chance to understand it.
"Oi, captain! No need to be angry and no need to look for other. Ye have here this fine elvish lad, mighty and brave fighter, Me Pit the Blanco and this wise red beard. Me do not know them well yet but me feel that ye will not find better. But i am afraid all me have is 2 gold coins"
[OOC: persuasion 15 ]
Nemaia looks at Pit the Blanco angry.
" I'm a "lass" not a lad, is it so hard for you to distinguish a woman from a man or are you drunk ? "
She then returns to her seclusion but her face really shows that her patience has reached its limits.
Crom
Crom unsteadily tries to get best out of the situation:
“ok ok , let’s make 100 each, please understand govnor, we are risking OUR lives to save YOURS“
persuation if needed 9
,
Pit takes another sip from his flask. Small spark jumps from the metal bottle neck to his nose. "Oi Oi, yes lass! Undeniably lass! Me sorry."
Pit grins to Nemaia hoping that it will make her less angry
OOC:
I'm guessing Pit is assisting here so, roll advantage for persuasion Crom. Though any further attempts beyond this point will have to have a higher DC