Chapter 2: Where evil lurks

[TheFred]

If Molgrug is pleased that his verbal torture has caused sufficient suffering amongst the mortals to provoke such a reaction, he doesn't show it. Rather, he looks at - what remains of - the group in a kindly, almost grandfatherly - but somewhat condescending - way.

"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves!" He chides. "We still don't know anything about each other! And, if you want us to help you get your, uh, dark shard from... wherever it is... well, you'll need to give us more information than that! And, offer us something suitable in return! We are not mere mercenaries, I should have you know, oh no! I have, myself, been a mercenary in the past; we yugoloths often participated in both sides of the War, and - my! - I could tell you stories!"

 

Statblock

[URL=/sheets/?id=2794812][B]Molgrug[/B][/URL] [B]Senses:[/B] Darkvision 60ft, Spot/Listen +7, [B]Init:[/B] +2 [B]HP:[/B] 16/16 [B]AC:[/B] 17, [B]Touch:[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed:[/B] 14 [B]Saves:[/B] Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6 (+2 vs mind-affecting spells, +4 vs poison) [B]Soulmelds:[/B] Mage's Spectacles (1), Lightning Gauntlets (0) [B]Spells:[/B] Command x2, Resurgence, Obscuring Mist, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Create Water [B]Special:[/B] None

Molgrug
Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Spot/Listen +7, Init: +2
HP: 16/16
AC: 17, Touch: 12, Flat-footed: 14
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6 (+2 vs mind-affecting spells, +4 vs poison)
Soulmelds: Mage's Spectacles (1), Lightning Gauntlets (0)
Spells: Command x2, Resurgence, Obscuring Mist, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Create Water
Special: None

[Enkhoffer]

 Brandisher is quite satisfied that the audience and showcase is over quickly - but Molgrug is much less sated.

 

He turns to look the Arcanoloth in the eyes.

 

"I killed a great many fiends. Then I became one, and I killed a great many more."

Though it is not clear from his charred canine face, his eyebrows raise up - and his eyes peer towards the store of arms and equipment.

 

Show Statblock

 

Brandisher

Paladin of Tyranny lvl 2

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision;

HP 24/24;

AC: 20; Touch: 11; Flat-Footed: 19;

Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +7;

Resist Electricity 5; Resist Acid 10; Immune to Poison

Edited December 15, 2023 by Enkhoffer (see edit history)

[Roughtrade]

 

Shillereese

HP 17/17  | AC 14 |  Fort 6 - Reflex 6 - Will 9  |  Claw +3 (1d3+1) | Eldritch Blast +5 (1d6)

---

Shillereese observes the interplay of egos in the mortals and cannot help but let a sly smile curl one corner of her lips. The coalition of ... Clerics? Worshippers? This Dark Six will bear some investigation. Do these mortals have libraries? It might be faster to learn their catechism from books than wait for someone to explain their beliefs.

Such fanciful names. Dragon Between. The Mockery. And there are four or five more who are yet unnamed.

Ah, but they have presents. Shllereese has little need for weapons, as much as she can mock the eldritch bolts and wish for her true powers to return, the warlocke black power is superior to simple steel. Reviewing the blades and other implements of pain and blood allows her to keep an observant eye upon their mortal hosts without staring.

And then, there is a sudden shriek of almost girlish glee from Shillereese. She clutches some sort of dress, a tavern wenches outfit of sultry design, and dances in a twirling sort of circle as she giggles and hops.

"Yes!" Shillereese laughs. "Oh, Yes!"

The Succubus strips out of her dress right on the spot and tries on the outfit, which immediately conforms to her own curves, leaving an enticing décolletage and quite a bit of leg to show. Shillereese giggles and twirls the skirt again, and then strolls a circle around Molgrug as she swishes the skirts.

 

OOC

Besides the "Michael Bonus Alternate Form" given to all of us, Shillereese has one Alternate Form for being a Succubus. The official write up has it as Change Shape, instead of Shapechange, which means her clothing doesn't change. The annoying part of this is, if you are trying to use it to escape someone, changing your face and body but wearing the same clothes rather ruins things. I found an Ebberon specific fix.

Warlocks have Detect Magic at Will, if anyone would like to assume Shill found enchanted items for their use, be my guest.

And, of course, Suspicious Sense Motive Check Below = 14. Apparently she is distracted by a pretty dress.

 

Dark One's Own Luck = +2 Bonus to a single save. Changeable as Standard Action. Currently on Fortitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[W0LF]

Creed

Creed HP: 18/18 Saves: Fort 8, Ref 8, Will 3  AC: 16, 15 (touch), 13 (flat-footed)
Initiative: +7, Speed: 40', Low Light Vision: 60ft, Search: +5, Spot: +9, Listen: +9, Hide: +10, MS: +10, Swim +4

---

Creed says nothing but raises an eyebrow at the display. There was certainly some power struggles going on here and he appreciated the Hobgoblin was at least forthright. Or maybe. Suspicion flared within him but he was far from a good judge of character.

Seeing his fellows go to look at the gear, he looks at most of the worthless gear impassively until something catches his eye. Reaching over he lifts a medallion on a chain and turns it over in his hand, noting the crest of a small, demonic creature on it. With a satisfied "hrmph" he slips the chain over his neck. He picks through the rest of the gear and picks up a pack to pop a few things into. As the others look at him he simply shrugs. However he does pause as the succubus disrobes, never one to disregard beauty he takes all of her in but quickly moves on. He had dallied with a succubus in the past and only trouble had followed.

 

OOC

Creed picks up a Drow Insignia (360gp Races of Faerun, pg173) imbued with the 1st level spell Babau Slime.

He will also pick up a backpack and load it with a few basic items - I'll list these in my thread.

 

[Polyphemus]

 

Kerapsis|Female, Medium Outsider (Tanar'ri, Extraplanar, Evil, Chaotic), Vrock, Cleric 2

HP: 21/21 | AC/Touch/FF: 21/13/18 | Str/Dex/Con/Int/Wis/Cha: +4/+3/+3/+0/+3/+0 | F/R/W: +6/+6/+6 | Speed: 30ft | Spells Active: 

---

Kerapsis watches the exchange between the mortals with interest until the equipment draws her attention.

She chuckles to herself about the strange outburst and odd naming customs for this world's realms as she picks through the assorted gear. She begrudgingly decides to value a well-made sword and shield over her claws. Paying no mind to the disrobing succubus, Kerapsis dons her new armor and gives her sword a few swings to get a feel for its weight.

OOC / Actions

Kerapsis picks out a chain shirt (100gp), 2 cure light wounds scrolls (50gp), heavy steel shield (20gp), masterwork longsword (315gp) = 485gp total

[Grand Poobah]

Nizell works her way through the pile as she does multiple arms are picking up different weapons and putting them back as if all working in parallel. It takes all her effort to do this basic task let alone fight with them all so the Maralith is doing some hard recalibration of the state of her abilities…..she settles on pathetic.

Deciding on a few weapons and and some scrolls she can’t help but ask “So are we going to get an overview of  THE ORIGINAL PLAN?"

To the party she says via telepathy “Play along, we should use them as long as we can, they will be useful, maybe essential.”

 

OOC: Items on sheet with costs=weight but will review tonight

Statblock

Nizell, Mage Slayer

Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Telepathy 100ft Spot/Listen +13 
Level 2: HP: 22/22 Speed 40ft Init:3
AC: 18, Touch: 13, Flat-footed: 15

Attacks: Melee +5, Ranged +4, Tail +5 (3d6+4), TWF +3/+3

Weapons: Great Sword, longsword, short sword, Dagger x2 [4 spare] - if OK

Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +3 (+1 vs spells)
Spells:[5x0, 1x1] No Light, Ghost Sound, Open/Close, Mending, Charm Person, Shield
Special: Fast Healing 1, Sneak attack +1d6, Improved Grab (Ex), Detect Magic 1/d, Steel Spells (0,1)

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Grand Poobah (see edit history)

[Michael]

Parameters have, well shifted

Says Daria. She was initially a bit flustered by Krassus' abrupt outburst, but appears to agree with what he said.

Do this for us, and we can both reevaluate how best to move forward...although, in all honesty retrieving the shard was the first step of the original plan.

Daria is sounding a bit like Molgrug. Interesting.

The council meeting is clearly at an end. Wieller teleported away. Presence and Jessup are engaging in some kind of telepathic communication with others and are paying no further attention, and without a word Janus has simply up and left. Daria and Krassus are the only ones paying the fiends any attention.

Krassus responds

The original plan was we gain power from some long lost artefacts. As far as I am concerned it remains the current plan. After that we'll see, but if you return successful I can at least offer a holding in Darguun or Droaam, or see you off to the Demon Wastes.

As an after thought he adds

Darguun is my homeland, a goblin kingdom. Droamm is run by three hags, and home to more monstrous races. The Demons Wastes are as they sound.

It's clear Daria does not agree with Krassus' summary of what the original plan was, but she does not interject. She's not much of a fan of you heading off to another kingdom either.

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by Michael (see edit history)

[Roughtrade]

 

Shillereese

HP 17/17  | AC 14 |  Fort 4 - Reflex 6 - Will 11  |  Claw +3 (1d3+1) | Eldritch Blast +5 (1d6)

---

It takes only a few moments for the Succubus to calm down from her fashion discovery. The sultry wench outfit with it's up-lifting bodice half laced and silky leggings suit her, but look less expensive than the tawdry gown lifted from the mayors stash. A gown which Shillereese also keeps. She lingers about while the rest continue but seems fairly content to only select a dress. As of yet, she has only used the eldritch power of a Warlocke in confrontations and it appears she intends to continue.

 

But then there is the telepathic conversation...

 

"Play along? I do not play the games of mortals, they play mine." Shillereese snorts, and then adds....

"With that in mind, there may be no game for us to play on any road. They are mortals with limited spans of their life to complete their plots. Half of them are distracted with other things."

"The angry one, Krassus.. the large goblin. He is invested elsewhere and could give a fig if we succeed or not. Janus, the pretty one, he is also already moving on to other considerations and has dismissed us as having importance. I think we will not see them again unless we seek them out."

"All of them, the entire lot, are vile as any mortal which has crossed my path before and will turn on us should we prove too weak. However, their current offers are, for lack of better terms, sincere. We can trust them in the same manner, well, in the same manner as we trust one another. While our concerns are aligned then we can expect their support to continue."

"Our only real ally is Daria, and her power within this collation is rapidly falling. They seem to have invested a great deal in bringing us to this place. Our lack of knowledge of their realm has cost her much, and she is filling with doubt. If we wish to attain any grasp on the power these individuals represent then we need to bolster her status."

"I strongly suggest any disagreements we have moving forward should be kept out of mortal hearing."

In keeping with her points, Shillereese addresses the remaining... Well, she addresses the hobgoblin and the gnome as it seems they are the only ones remaining who are paying attention to the gathering of fiends.

"Your offer of lands within your realm are gracious, but matter little." Shillereese replies to Krassus, with the hope is calms any concern Daria has that we might abandon her cause. "We are beings from beyond the sphere which your Dragons exist. While our interests coincide, we shall remain but when that time has passed it is likely we will return. There are worlds beyond this one which require attention."

"As you see, our lack of information on issues which concern this mortal plane are but a minor misunderstanding." Shillereese continues, strolling about rather like a lawyer during a summation. She makes certain to make eye contact with each mortal who still listens.

"Prophecies are never fully understood within their own time. Gods, both dark and light, are more apt to be coy with their omens and ever are the principals of a fortune telling left to stumble along until their fate lands upon them."

"You are faithful to your gods, continue to hold faith with their words. The particulars of their catechism can be explained if you wish, but I am much more interested in the actual prophecy to which you have often referred to. Is it written in some place where it could be studied. Perhaps there is a message in the words which holds meaning to us which mortals eyes did not discover."

 

 

OOC

Dark One's Own Luck = +2 Bonus to a single save. Changeable as Standard Action. Currently on Will.

Ooh, sense motive rolled one better than last time! *sigh

In the interest of Expedience:

Not intending to cut out any Role Play opportunities but we can't spend all of December debating with the humans or among ourselves on things. My thought is that we need to support Daria before the rest of her Council of Six kicks her out. Krassus isn't really interested in us but seems at least willing to explain things and could be made an ally.

But what we most need right now is to know what exactly the Prophecy says about us. It might tell us what the frell happened to bring us here.

Also, we could use more information than "Go someplace and steal a thing" such as, how do we get there, how far way is it anyways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheFred]

If Molgrug is pleased that his verbal torture has caused sufficient suffering amongst the mortals to provoke such a reaction, he doesn't show it. Rather, he looks at - what remains of - the group in a kindly, almost grandfatherly - but somewhat condescending - way.

"Mmm, very good, very good! Well put, brilliant!" Molgrug remarks, nodding enthusiastically at Shillereese's eloquent speech which he had definitely been listening intently to, rather than studying the mortals and their paltry collection of offerings. "Also, has anyone been taking minutes of this meeting? I think next time we should nominate a, ah, a scribe, as it were."

 

 

Statblock

[URL=/sheets/?id=2794812][B]Molgrug[/B][/URL] [B]Senses:[/B] Darkvision 60ft, Spot/Listen +7, [B]Init:[/B] +2 [B]HP:[/B] 16/16 [B]AC:[/B] 17, [B]Touch:[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed:[/B] 14 [B]Saves:[/B] Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6 (+2 vs mind-affecting spells, +4 vs poison) [B]Soulmelds:[/B] Mage's Spectacles (1), Lightning Gauntlets (0) [B]Spells:[/B] Command x2, Resurgence, Obscuring Mist, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Create Water [B]Special:[/B] None

Molgrug
Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Spot/Listen +7, Init: +2
HP: 16/16
AC: 17, Touch: 12, Flat-footed: 14
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6 (+2 vs mind-affecting spells, +4 vs poison)
Soulmelds: Mage's Spectacles (1), Lightning Gauntlets (0)
Spells: Command x2, Resurgence, Obscuring Mist, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Create Water
Special: None

Edited December 13, 2023 by TheFred (see edit history)

[Grand Poobah]

Telepathy to Group

I will leave the talking to you as ....you have a way...but I agree with you and maybe you put it to her that we support her as the one who brought us here and has earned an element of trust?

We do need to understand where we are and what the area about us is and how SHE would plan to accommodate us in this mortal city to meet our needs the moimportant of which is I am hungry and would ask that we need we to feed and I will not put up with eating ..filth..surely someone in this city will deliver fresh mages or clerics of whatever exalted blaberdash power they follow here. Maybe they are waiting when we return with these shards.

 

[Roughtrade]

"Why don't we put a pin on the whole cannibalism thing until we have a little more of their trust." Shillereese suggests.

[Michael]

You arrive at the portal, which oddly is basically just down the corridor. Daria explains this stronghold was built around said portal in a previous age by peoples unknown and long dead.

The portal is 7' wide, with rectangular base and sides and an arched top. The arch stones each have a glyph inscribed in them which glow purple/black, as does the strange mist which fills the portal and makes discerning anything beyond impossible.

Daria goes on to explain that they have yet to translate the glyphs fully, but they mean something like "the doorway to the forgotten", or perhaps "doorway to the lost". The council is sure it's an ancient draconic tongue. Sadly ancient dragons are hard to come by for a more thorough translation.

The two squads that have been sent through have not returned, and the black mist burns like acid, but is unlikely to affect non natives.

[Roughtrade]

 

Shillereese

HP 17/17  | AC 14 |  Fort 4 - Reflex 6 - Will 11  |  Claw +3 (1d3+1) | Eldritch Blast +5 (1d6)

---

Daria goes on to explain that they have yet to translate the glyphs fully, but they mean something like "the doorway to the forgotten", or perhaps "doorway to the lost". The council is sure it's an ancient draconic tongue. Sadly ancient dragons are hard to come by for a more thorough translation. 

"Give me a moment then, my draconic is a little rusty but maybe that's a good thing. Perhaps the dragons I used to know are older than the dragons around here." Shillereese saunters up to the arch and studies the runes.

"What about you, Molly?" She calls over her shoulder to the Arcanaloth. "Surely you have some notes on dragon glyphs someplace within that addlepated skull of yours."

 

 

OOC

Dark One's Own Luck = +2 Bonus to a single save. Changeable as Standard Action. Currently on Will.

 

 

 

[TheFred]

Molgrug is more than a little annoyed that their hosts are ushering them so quickly to their task. His companions, clearly quite easy to manipulate, don't seem to mind, however, so he grudgingly goes along with it - after helping himself to what few magical scrolls their paltry armoury offers. After all, they are probably still too weak to take this council by force just yet, and once they have this shard thing that the mortals care about so much they'll at least have some real bargaining power.

Once at the portal, however, he is quickly distracted by the intellectual challenge - such as it is - presented by the glyphs. Sighing melodramatically, he fixes Shillereese with a withering look.

"Ancient draconic? Hmph. These glyphs look a rather primitive form of script to me," he says. Stepping closer to the portal, he peers at each of the sigils, adjusting his magical spectacles to get a better view. "I am sure you mortals consider them beyond you... in fact, when Material Plane species achieve sentience they typically exhibit remarkably similar traits amongst their early forms of written word. Once one has performed a cursory study of such lexicographical histories - as, um, I have, in fact... yes, I even wrote a brief paper on the commonality of orthographic and paradigmatic features across the lexemes of one hundred and seventy-two primitive scripts - well, then, one quickly sees patterns which are pertinent even to entirely unknown forms of writing!"

OoC

Of course Molgrug was wise enough to put a rank in Decipher Script - not that he needs one, as his Mage's Spectacles allow him to make such checks untrained and in fact provide a +6 insight bonus!

EDIT: Should have taken 10...

Statblock

[URL=/sheets/?id=2794812][B]Molgrug[/B][/URL] [B]Senses:[/B] Darkvision 60ft, Spot/Listen +7, [B]Init:[/B] +2 [B]HP:[/B] 16/16 [B]AC:[/B] 17, [B]Touch:[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed:[/B] 14 [B]Saves:[/B] Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6 (+2 vs mind-affecting spells, +4 vs poison) [B]Soulmelds:[/B] Mage's Spectacles (1), Lightning Gauntlets (0) [B]Spells:[/B] Command x2, Resurgence, Obscuring Mist, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Create Water [B]Special:[/B] None

Molgrug
Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Spot/Listen +7, Init: +2
HP: 16/16
AC: 17, Touch: 12, Flat-footed: 14
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6 (+2 vs mind-affecting spells, +4 vs poison)
Soulmelds: Mage's Spectacles (1), Lightning Gauntlets (0)
Spells: Command x2, Resurgence, Obscuring Mist, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Create Water
Special: None

Edited December 13, 2023 by TheFred (see edit history)

[Michael]

For those of you that understand draconic you come to the same conclusion as your hosts. It does mean doorway to forgotten/lost. There's some stylings to the glyphs which are probably Eberron specific and thus unknown to you. Draconic is a language in which the glyphs can change meaning considerably based on the flares and accents around the main character.