5e Adventure By Me. Yeah. II

IC#1 http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...ure-By-Me-Yeah
OOC http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...9#post21883379
The side of the mountain opens with a satisfying "clank". Copper lands and lets you all off. Standing there waiting are three figures:
A 4'2" Dwarf wearing the decapitated and rotting head of a red guard drake and missing an eye. In its place is a green and yellow orb inscribed with the symbol of Gruumsh. His graying beard leads you to believe that he's at least 200. He wears a fur coat that feels magical in some way.
A 5'10" humanoid. It can't really be called a creature; It has a crystal-like shape to its body.
A 6'2" Half-Orc. He wears leather armor and has a very long sword at his side. He looks much older than the average Half-Orc could live to be.

Spoiler: Daar

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You know these three. The Dwarf is Gluteus Maximus, High Priest of Gruumsh and interim leader of the Adventurers' League. The crystal-like humanoid is Naram Zikiti, a Shardmind and powerful psion. The Half-Orc is Scrag Ugarth, and is Gluteus' best friend.

The dwarf steps forward and claps his hands.
"Good job, Copper, with bringing these ones here."
Copper transforms into his human form.
"It wasn't a big problem. The Wagonrider got away again."
The dwarf grabs his face, frustrated.
"Either way, this brings back memories. All right, state your names. Not you, Daar."

Over the flight, Zuzu has had time to think. About the ill-fated expedition that resulted in his team being slaughtered by the myconids. About him finding a most strange fruit, and, in a moment of idiocy consumed it only to gain a parlor trick and a crippling weakness.

About how the quest to answer questions about the Clone-Clone fruit led first to the tower of an insane homicidal wizard, and then to the swamp of a group of warring amphibians. And just when he thought they reached the relative safety of a city, to a confrontation that Zuzu never asked for. And, the appearance of a clearly unhinged savior whose idea of recruiting allies consist of incinerating them, casting a powerful healing spell on them, and then spiriting them away involuntarily into his mountain hideout.

If this dragon works for this demanding dwarf, who evidently countenanced his behavior, then clearly this dwarf and his so-called "Adventurer's League" are mentally unhinged at the least, and insane loonies at worst.

Every fiber in the boy's body is telling him to assert himself. Not to give in too the whims of others, but to emphasize his own worth. The thing is though, these people are crazy and might kill him for the slightest provocation.

What should Zuzu do?

[roll0]

1: Finally deciding his life was forfeit anyway, if not now then in the future when this slave master sends him on an impossible adventure, Zuzu glares resentfully at the transformed dragon, and then at the dwarf. "You had him roast us, and then kidnapped us, and you don't even know our names? There are laws! What gives you the right to do that?"

2: Better that he play along for now, and tries to escape at the next opportunity. Still, there's no reason why he should tell the dwarf his real name. Zuzu gazes evenly into the dwarf and replies "I am Zer Greenche. Who are you and why are we here?"

3: Zuzu gulps audibly and starts to shiver. The Injustice of all of this has finally started to sink in and shake him to his core. He looks fearfully at the dwarf, and in a barely audible whisper and very much looking like the scared 11 year old boy that he is, says "Zuzu, sir. Is he going to eat us now?" The boy starts to sob.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zergrinch

. Zuzu gazes evenly into the dwarf and replies "I am Zer Greenche. Who are you and why are we here?".

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"Ossian"Ox", Half-Elf Fighter/Rogue (Swashbuckler) AC:16 (Chainmail), HP:25/12, Init:+6, Speed:30ft. Passive Perception:15

Stands besides Zuzu, and says

"I'm Ossian Ploughman, a comrade of the lad, and I'm also puzzled by our strange introduction!"

Daar slightly bows, then takes a few steps back. She looks at the group and began to think about her youngest brother and wished he was here to lay on ha NB D's on everyone here, but her own healing spells would have to do the trick.

Daar stands quietly and listens as everyone introduces themselves and waits patiently to introduce herself to this brave group.

"I am Altiui, a witch." Altiui states, still sort of in awe of meeting a dragon.

((Note: Altiui means wing in draconic.))

"My name is Arkhen'su'kiddash. A pleasure to meet you, I suppose."

I'm Zanan. Who are you and why have you brought us here? Why have you kidnapped us? And why did your dumb ass dragon spray us all with acid? It nearly killed us!

Hearing Zannan introduce himself and then ask his questions, Daar stifled a little laugh as Zannan asked about Copper.

Copper can get a bit.... Excited when it comes to battle.

Daar immediately got quiet before murmuring an apology to Gluteus for the interuption.

The crystal-like humanoid leans over to the Half-Orc and taps him on the head. The Half-Orc turns and looks at the Dwarf as they continue to speak.
"I feel like I'm looking at myself, 150 years ago. All right, you're probably unfamiliar with us, but we're the Adventurers' League. Evil or Good, Chaotic or Lawful, we don't care. As long as you get the job done. You kids have some experience. When I joined I had no experience whatsoever. We have a job for someone, but we felt it would really bore any other ones in our group. Well, besides Daar. It pertains to this Wagonrider you've been chasing. So, how about it?"

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"Ossian"Ox", Half-Elf Fighter/Rogue (Swashbuckler) AC:16 (Chainmail), HP:25/12, Init:+6, Speed:30ft. Passive Perception:15

"A job? Do you have firewood you need chopped? A field cleared of stones? How about I arm wrestle you for a dram of whisky?"

Getting a bit of his nerve back, Zuzu looks the dwarf in the eye.

"What's in it for us?"

Zanan stands by awaiting an answer to Zu's question.

"15% of all gold. It's usually worth it though. You can keep any magic items you find."

We are risking our lives, while you are sitting here in your mountain. That's not a fair split, we should receive whatever bounty is due.

Persuasion: [roll0]

The dwarf laughs loudly.
"Boy, you should have been there! But I guess it WAS 150 years ago so you couldn't have been. There's this Aboleth that keeps coming back to get me. I've killed it about 100 times. Today was the day it came back again. I'm exhausted. I'm leaving you to Scrag. G'night!"
He walks away.
The Half-Orc steps towards Zuzu.
"Best not to provoke him when he's got all his divine strength from Gruumsh. That 15% is non-negotiable, and that was after we negotiated it from 10. Our boss, who's away meeting with relatives, is the only one controlling that amount. It's to honor the death of our previous leader. He was decapitated in front of Gluteus, so he's inclined to agree."

"Even faeries provide a better sounding bargain. You wish to take the majority of gains from a job we do while you do not do it. Why would we agree to this? All you have done for us so far is harmed and abducted us and allowed the Wagonrider to escape. If you wish to not do something, don't do it. If someone is paying for us doing something you have no right to the payment." Altiui says.

After a pause to consider, "If this clear greed is the focus of the 'heroes' of 'civilized' lands it is not surprising threats like the Wagonrider is a burden we must bear."

Mostly Altiui is disgusted not by their self-interest, but by the insult that they think she is too stupid to serve her own interests as well. But part of her is also affronted that they would see threats of this scale as little more than an excuse to extort gold from others.

Not a good deal, unless the 15% is for each member. I think I'll pass. Shall we go, Zanan?

You hear in your minds someone speaking. It is clearly psionics.
"I have just received word. You're exempt from the 85-15 split. This is from Watt Ladmo himself, mind, strongest dwarf to ever live and wielder of two axes a normal man would have to hold with two hands. This is a very special event. No one else has ever gotten this exception. Consider yourselves lucky. The new deal is a 40-60 split, in favor of your group."

Clearing her throat Daar speaks up.

It's true, 40-60 split is rare and for him to give you the 60 is rarer still, there must be something very special about all of you for the leader of the Adventurer's League to offer such a huge favor.

Zuzu nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Who said that?" he yells psionically.

"I am the crystal creature in front of you. I am Naram Zikiti, and I am a shardmind. I am surprised someone among the common human folk could have abilities such as I. Though mine are many times stronger.

"So... I'm not a freak? There... are others like me?"

There is a clear undertone of relief in Zuzu's psionic voice. The shardmind can tell that a great weight has been lifted from the boy's psyche.

Altiui eyes Zuzu with confusion as his body language is conveying a lot while his mouth isn't.

((I'm correct that currently Zuzu's telepathy is single target right?))

You're going to have to clear some things up for me.

Right now, you're offering that we keep 15% of all good we find, plus magic items. For what? What is worth us giving up 85% of the gold we find? What support are you giving us?

Why shouldn't we just leave this place, go out on our own, and keep 100%?

Right now all you've told us is that we get to keep doing what we were doing without you, except we get less.

[Ooc]I'm assuming Zanan doesn't know about the 60/40 split, but even if he did, his argument still stands. They haven't told us what they're giving us.

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"Ossian"Ox", Half-Elf Fighter/Rogue (Swashbuckler) AC:16 (Chainmail), HP:25/12, Init:+6, Speed:30ft. Passive Perception:15

"So this is a shakedown?
Well here's all the gold I have."

(Presents 10gp)

"Are we done?"

"You're getting our protection. There's nowhere more safe than in the ranks of the Adventurers' League. The money is to support the League; Buy extra food, equipment, items that we might need in the future, and not to mention these."
The Half-Orc pulls out a little pebble from his pocket and hands it to Zanan. Zanan hears the words in his head,

Spoiler: Zanan

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"These cost a lot of gold to make."

[ooc] Yes, Zanan knows about the 40-60 split.
[ooc] You ALL heard the first one. The second part was directed towards Zuzu. I guess it would have been a good idea to put that in a spoiler, huh.

Spoiler: Zuzu

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"It is quite normal among my kind to have powers like mine. While you are, undoubtedly, an exception from the normal psionic abilities of your own kind. I will have to study how powerful it is in the future."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gluteus_Maximus

Spoiler: Zuzu

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"It is quite normal among my kind to have powers like mine. While you are, undoubtedly, an exception from the normal psionic abilities of your own kind. I will have to study how powerful it is in the future."

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Oh.

Zuzu's mental voice abruptly loses the initial excited and upbeat tone, as the shardmind pretty much confirms that, yes, Zuzu is indeed a freak among humans.

The boy tries his best to suppress his immense disappointment, to not cry. Big boys don't cry.

Spoiler: Everyone watching Zuzu's Body Language

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Performance check to hide his mood. Beat it with your Insight. :) [roll0]

[roll0]

Spoiler: Zuzu

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"I see you are disappointed. Do not worry about hiding your power, many will think you are only a master of the arcane arts. Many arcane magics have to do with the mind, detecting thoughts, and telepathy, of course."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gluteus_Maximus

[roll0]

Spoiler: Zuzu

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"I see you are disappointed. Do not worry about hiding your power, many will think you are only a master of the arcane arts. Many arcane magics have to do with the mind, detecting thoughts, and telepathy, of course."

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Sir, it is true that many arcane spells, particularly the school of Enchantment, do in fact replicate psionics. These are all effects of subtle alterations in Mystra's weave, facilitated by innate magical talent in the case of sorcerers, crafted items by artificers, years of study for wizards, the power of the natural world for druids, divine power for clerics, demonic power for warlocks, and the echoes of the power of creation for bards. The ability to do so innately does not occur naturally.

In fact, it is said that warlocks who patronize the denizens of the Far Realm gain terrifying telepathic abilities. As such, the general populace fear what they do not understand. To them, anyone with psionics is either pacted to a denizen of the Far Realm, or is descended from someone who was. Of course, pact magic is not inheritable, but that does not stop the whispers or the stigma.

There are theories that a certain tribe of halflings can communicate telepathically, much like their gnomish cousins who can somehow communicate with small first animals. But their existence and ability has never been conclusively proven. Hence the designation, Ghostwise Halfling by the academic community.

I know you are trying to comfort me, and I appreciate it. But I am aware of what I am and what I must do.

Zuzu attempts to conceal the repressed emotions that are coming to the fore by launching into a clinically detached academic speech. However, skilled telepaths are able to pick up some of the boy's memories: A man's voice, "Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show."

Zanan stands by awaiting an answer to Zu's question.