Act 2, Scene 3: Techuhltli

The great bronze gate swings open, as soon as he can the pale man squeezes through. The men behind only open the heavy door just wide enough for you to get through one at a time and they shut the door behind you as fast as they can. Your guide shouts, "Its about time! Did you think the Crawler would wait forever?" The men he's shouting at are just as pale as your guide, one of them exclaims, "The Crawler? Aieee!"

Turning to you, "Now at last we are truly safe my friends. Even the Crawler can never break down the Door of the Eagle." Leading you down the hall he says, "Now, come... and I will take you to the rulers of Tecuhltli."

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Another pair of doors swings open and the party enters a large open room with a raised dias at the far end. A pair of thrones flank a crimson stone pillar. A brawny man with a curly beard down to his waist stands and all but bellows, "In the name of Set, Farther of Serpents--Who dares disturb the solitude of Prince Olmec and Princess Tascela?"

Your pale guide immediately kneels and replies, "Y-your pardon, majesties--but I bring allies from the world beyond the forest. In the Chamber of Tezcoti I found them, after the slaying of my companion Chicmec--these men slew the Burning Skull himself!!"

The bearded man sits back down, "The Burning Skull you say?" He pauses to stroke his beard, "Well then, I bid these strangers welcome. I am Prince Olmec," pointing to the woman seated on the throne beside him, "and this is Tascela, a princess of Tecuhltli."

Olmec bids you sit and eat and asks how you made your way to the city. The court falls silent when you tell them how you made your way through the jungle and defeated the Hydra. When you have finished your tale and begin to query Olmec and his court about their city he recounts a tale of his own;

More than half a century ago a rebel tribe rose against the King of Stygia. Defeated, they fled southward to the great jungle yonder. There, the Hydras fell upon them. So that they fled to the plain which lies outside these doors.

The city was inhabited then; but its founders shut the gate to keep the newcomers out. The rebels camped there, caught between hostile city and deadly hydras. That night, a man named Tolkemec came secretly to their camp, he had been taken as a slave by the city's people, years before. He struck a dread bargain with the rebels.

At dawn he opened the gates from the inside! The newcomers swarmed inside and the halls of Xuchotl ran red!

The founders of this city were few in number then. And so, led by two brothers, Tecuhltli and Xotalanc--and by old Tolkemec--they were speedily slaughtered, save a hundred or so who were given over to the torture racks of vengeful Tolkemec.

For five years, we dwelt here as one tribe. Then, Xotalanc took a woman to wide, whom the other two desired. In his madness, Tolkemec helped Tecuhltli to steal her from her husband, and when Xotalanc's men sought to recapture her the warriors of Tecuhltli battled them in the Great Hall. Soon it was war--brother against brother--as vengeance followed hard on the heels of vengeance!

Treacherous Tolkemec's men aided first one side, then the other-- till all three ruling factions were at each other's throats. But Tolkemec's scheming did not save him the night we of Tecuhltli stormed his quarter of the city! We tortured Tolkemec for days, till he screamed for death as for a bride. Then we cast him half-alive into a dungeon.

Both brothers died soon after--Xotalanc, slain in battle, and Tecuhltli flayed alive by the maddened by the Xotalancas who captured him. Meanwhile, Tolkemec escaped from the dungeon--the gods only know how! Doubtless to perish catacombs beneath the city. Though his bones were never found, and some swear his ghost still haunts the crypt below.

But our feud goes on! We bear no children, we are a dying race--but before we die we will slay as many men of Xotalac as the Gods permit!

Olmec finishes his bloody tale and the servants clear away the last of your meal, "Many would flee from this place at the tale of our endless struggle against the Xotalanc, but I beg of you, fight with us against them! You are mighty warriors indeed and we have treasures here we have no use for. Fight for us, and we'll give you all the jewels you can carry!"

If you have any questions for Olmec or any Skills you'd like to try go ahead. If not then please post so either IC here or in the OOC thread. Regardless the scene will move forward tomorrow night.

Whatever happened to the woman who was at the heart of all this? Greil inquires after listening to the tale. i never caught her fate.
Blurting out before he really thinks Greil directly asks, Also why are so many of you so pale? do you not have the strength to stand under the sun?

Forgive my bluntness, but you could at least bear one child, could you not? All can see the princess is a woman.

Diplomacy Check for Question Asked Above:
Dice Roll: 1d20+16
d20 Results: 10 (Total = 26)

In an aside to Greil, Rune mentions his unease with his previous questions. Greil, now is not the time to be so blunt. I know not what exactly they were talking about for the past hour, but I do know there is something not right with this "princess" of theirs. Either she knows something and cannot blurt it out in fear of punishment from these "palies" or she is the master mind behind this. Let me take a closer look into this first and then we'll try to come up with a course of action. Completely unsettled by the staring of the princess during the entire meal, perhaps because Rune did not touch a single morsel of the food since it would only jam up his internal mechanisms. He attempts to focus in on the princess to read more in to her, for he feels there may be some sinister magic lingering about the room, possibly emanating from herself.

Dice Roll: 1d20+10
d20 Results: 18 (Total = 28)

Arcana Check

Boone notes Olmec's stare and finally can take it no longer. "Do I know you from somewhere, friend? Perhaps you have an interest in matters arcane or believe that the powers of my art can aid you in your fued"

Boone makes an

Dice Roll: 1d20+8
d20 Results: 18 (Total = 26)

insight check to try to get a read on Olmac and whatever the Heck it is that he wants.

"We have many women," looking around you see Olmec tells the truth, "But they have not borne a child in twenty years. As for the color of our skin, we have not seen the Sun in longer than that for we dare not venture out into the desert." grimly Olmec explains, "There is no where else in the world for us; Stygia would have us killed, no other nation would accept as refugees. It has its perils, but this city is our home!"

When the meal is over and your questions answered (most of them anyway), your guide, whose name is Techotl, leads you to chambers where you can sleep the night. Greil, Orion and Finley in one room and Boone and Rune are taken down the hall to another.

Just before the alarm is sounded Orion bolts straight upright from where he had been asleep on the stone floor. He pulls his cloak up from the floor and over his shoulders and bolts out into the hallway and into the great hall there.

And there he see so much suffering. Born of jealousy and desire and now fuel by despair and rage the men of the city have made this place a beating heart of suffering in the world of men, the blood of their brothers on their hands for lust of a woman. Orion pauses at the threshold as a few tears stream down the monks face, one of the first genuine displays of emotion the others have seen of him. One of his hands reaches behind his back and clutches something that no one else can see, and the agile monk just stands stock still, eyes closed and weeping, as the vendetta ensues.

/Dialogue redacted for those not in the room./

OOC

Dice Roll: 1d20+8
d20 Results: 7 (Total = 15)

Acrobatics.

Note: Boone will make his quip with a smile regardless of whether his check succeeds or fails.

Shifting to get his armor on Greil lags behind. I'm not going anywhere near these crazies without my proper gear, he grumbles getting himself set.
Upon reaching the battle Greil instinctively brings his shield arm up in a defensive position. Leaning over to the monk he whispers. There must be something else to this attack. Why send such a small group to attack a lions den?

Perception:
Dice Roll: 1d20+14
d20 Results: 1 (Total = 15)

Initiative:
Dice Roll: 1d20+6
d20 Results: 16 (Total = 22)

Starting Location C-3

Dice Roll: 1d20+15 1d20+6
d20 Results: 17 (Total = 32)
d20 Results: 1 (Total = 7)

Athletics Check to escape and Nature check to identify the flower