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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Kazz
Startled beyond measure by the sudden explosion, Kazz takes a second longer to respond to it than she'd have liked. A slow turn brings the smoking remnants into view. She takes a few tentative steps forward, waiting to see if there is enough left of Atoly to help.
Why would he trap the bodies? All the journals mentioned were the flayers, the shambler, the cats and the magmin...right?
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
In the greatroom ...
As charred splinters of wood and bone rain down, those within the greatroom find themselves temporarily deafened from the explosion. The tinnitus soon fades however, and everyone is surprised to find everyone else (except for Atoly) unharmed by the explosion.
There is little trace of the young noble other than a wide smear of carbonized tissue spread across the ceiling and the adjacent wall. The explosion seems to have been shaped in some way so as to focus its energy more upward than outward. Although the table and one of the mummified displacer beasts have been completely destroyed, the other tables are surprisingly undamaged.
In the barricaded bedroom ...
Fizahn slips into the room and stealthily approaches the inert figure, keeping to the shadows. As he gets closer, he can make out the figure better by the moonlight reflecting off the floor. The dead figure is gaunt, almost skeletal in appearance. Fizahn judges him to be male, though of unknown species. His hair is braided into dreadlocks, and he wears some kind of exotic ornate armor. After pausing for a moment, the gnome reaches a hand out toward the sword. The sword lacks a crossguard, its handle and pommel ornately decorated in the same style as its owner's armor. The blade, however, is what catches Fizahn's eye - it looks like three feet of quicksilver, the moonlight rippling off of a mesmerizing, undulating pattern as though the blade itself were a living thing ...
Suddenly, the floor is rocked by a muffled BOOM!!!. Shouting can be heard from downstairs in the greatroom.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Kazz
Having never witnessed death firsthand, Kazz is shocked by how sudden it seems. Atoly was moments ago standing just over there, and now there's not so much as a smoking boot to tell he'd ever existed.
Slowly she sinks into a sitting position, wondering with increasing paranoia what else could be trapped.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Davek
As the dust clears, the wheels are visibly turning in Davek's head. That's some serious alchemy, he says. This hunter is truly full of surprises. And definitely NOT a friendly sort. I wonder... perhaps his aim is to take the keeps for himself? It may be that the trap was set for Callos and Fizahn, in hopes that their curiosity would get the better of them.
Spoiler
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OOC - That sword creeps the bejesus out of me. I'm putting a second bet down on the BBEG, and calling it in favor of Mr. Stabby there. Edit: Githyanki!
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Darros
Moments after the loud explosion, Darros rushes into the greatroom, robe swishing. His sleeves fall back from freshly inkstained hands, holding a sword out wide and his orb aloft, crackling with arcane energy. "What in the name of the gods happened?" Lowering his skinny arms, the elf sheathes his sword and pockets the orb. "Illithids...and a displacer beast...what caused the blast? And where..." Spying the debris on the ceiling, Darros simply trails off. "Oh."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Ginevra
Ginevra jumps several feet into the air at the explosion from above. She ends up crouched almost on all fours, shaking from the sudden, startling noise, her hands balled into fists.
It takes her a while to realize that she is still in control of her shape. Normally... I'd never be human when I was this scared. Shakily, she rises to her feet, feels her hands for claws, runs her tongue over her teeth, rubs her arms and finds only human hair.
I should have changed long since...
In a slight shock, she leans against the wall of the stairs to try to figure out what has happened.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Kavri
Kavri jerks his entire body around towards the sound of the explosion. He stands stone still for a few seconds and then decides to slowly creep back downstairs to see what's going on. If that mage guy or something... His mind rushes furiously, but runs into a wall of fear. Stealthily peeking around the base of the stairs, he gazes on the large hole where Atoly once was. All he can say is, "Oh. Wow. What happened?" to no one in particular.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Fizahn:
As the explosion rocks the floor, Fizahn jerks his hand away from the sword. Not really my type of weapon. Much too big. The gnome scuttles back to the furniture barricade, and starts moving what he can away from it. "What the hell's going on out there, Tiriel? Oh, and there's a nice sword in here for you."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Tiriel
Tiriel grits her teeth as she keeps the door propped open for Fizahn. "I don't know! I think it came from down below where the weird bodies were." As the weight on the door eases Tiriel does what she can to help clear the barricade from the wrong side of the door.
Once the door is clear she joins Fizahn inside. "It's dead right?" She asks glancing at what appears to be another mummy. "And you're not telling me to get the sword because you're afraid something might happen, are you?" she asks the gnome, eyes narrowed in suspicion as she crouches down next to the odd weapon.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Patash (Dragonborn Cleric)
Hearing the explosion Patash returns to the Great Room to see if he can be of any help. Upon entering the room he says, "Is anyone hurt?"
He listens as the others explain what happened to Atoly, Patash mumbles a soft prayer for his soul, "May Bahamut watch over him and guide him to his place of rest."
Seeing nothing more he can do here Patash returns upstairs and asks, "Fizahn are you done in there? Atoly just got blow up and I think we need to hunt down the plant creature."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Elthan
The half-elf shows little to no sense of loss at the swift passing of Altoy, not having developed any particular care or sense of worth for the nobleling. Instead, he kneels down to Khaz and puts a hand on her shoulder, addressing her in a terse but gentle tone. "Come on up, there's no reason to be down there. Things would only get worse if you curled up like that."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Kavri
Kavri listens to the explanations, sighs and returns upstairs. Atoly who? Bah, at least now we know what to expect in this place. He forces his way into the room where Fizahn and Tiriel are. Seeing Tiriel eyeing the sword, he cautions her against it. "Somebody just got blown up down there. I wouldn't touch anything before carefully inspecting it."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Grynde
BOOM, and his flail is drawn and despite the almighty ringing in his ears he's staring around for the source of the disruption, a little keen to fight something. To his intense disappointment, nothing sprang out from behind the exploding table, and what's more, the stuck-up kid had gone and spoiled the ceiling.
"Ouch..." he says. "I think I'm gunna keep away from these tables," and he trots upstairs to ask Fizahn why the furniture in these houses keeps exploding.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Evendur
Evendur followed closely behind Fizahn as the gnome entered the mysterious room. Hand on his sword he kept a close eye on the figure under the bed, watching for any sign of movement.
BOOM!
As the explosion sounds downstairs, he had his sword drawn and was sprinting down the stairs towards the others. When he reached the room, Evendur quickly took stock of everyone there. "What happened? Where are the others?" As the situation is explained, sheaths his weapon again and begins a prayer for Atoly. "Lady Firehair, may-" he cuts himself off. "May... I... Rest in peace, noblemen." The paladin turns away from the others and moves back towards the stairs. What happened? Why is it happening? Is this some test, and I am failing?
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
A long night passes.
As people rush into the greatroom, the story of Atoly's obliteration is told and retold. The young noble had done little to ingratiate himself with any of you, and it is almost hard not to feel that the brat had somehow deserved his fate. Patash and Evendur bow their heads and pray on behalf of lost Atoly, though Evendur seems to derive little comfort from doing so.
The bodies of the other displacer beast and the illithids are given a wide berth, and most everyone decides to leave the greatroom to Atoly for now, moving upstairs instead to investigate the bedrooms.
Darros shares the contents of the library papers with the rest of you. The alien symbols, aligned in a series of grids, mean nothing to everyone else, but Darros' ritual appears to have given him the ability to decipher them. Though the journal entries hint at a number of different threats, they are out of order, making their interpretation difficult.
Eventually, Fizahn and Tiriel are able to clear the furniture from behind the now unlocked door, allowing entrance. After the explosion down below, no one is eager to move the body of the alien. He appears to have died with his eyes closed, weapon close at hand, almost hiding under his overturned bed. His skin is jaundiced and stretched taut over a skull-like face flanked by pointed ears. His left forearm is tightly bound in what appears to be silk. A dark fluid has leaked through to the surface, staining it an umber brown.
Tiriel is suspicious when Fizahn "offers" her the longsword without touching it himself. She kneels beside it, unconsciously sweeping her sheathed secondhand sword aside. The alien's weapon glimmers as if it attracts the moonlight still spilling into the room through the arrowslits. The blade is so finely polished that it looks wet, and so perfectly reflective that it resembles a silvered mirror more than steel. The sword has a single edge that curves slightly toward the point. Tiriel's knowledgeable eye judges the blade to be more than razor sharp.
Two more loose pages are found near the alien's corpse. Darros eagerly scans them, reading their contents aloud ...
"93381072 - Ha! She is a worthy opponent, that is for sure. More cautious now, she was displaced just enough to avoid the brunt of the explosion. The illithid's gift continues to drain me, leveling the playing field I suppose.
"66881029 - The small cut refuses to heal. Poisoned, no doubt, by that last illithid bitch. Please spare me! she thought at me as she scrabbled at my arm. I should have been more careful."
Scribbled on the back of the second page is what appears to be a poem ...
"Perhaps does the hate divide forever;
Perhaps does the river always grow and flood.
Does the dragonfly leave its skin?
And only its soul can see the face of the sun?"
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Fizahn:
"Actually, Tiriel, I'm not offering it to you because I'm afraid to touch it. I'm offering it to you because it's almost as tall as I am. I mean, could you seriously imagine me wielding that thing? I've only got a few inches on it. It's more like a little brother than a sword. I'll make sure it's safe for you to touch." Fizahn examines the sword, area around the sword, and the body for any traps. If he doesn't find any, he'll pick up the sword and hand it to Tiriel.
[roll0]
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Darros
Entering the bedroom, Darros recoils visibly upon seeing the body on the floor. "Githyanki! No, don't touch the sword! Not unless you're sure its dead, and I'd stay away from it even then. Githyanki are fierce about their weapons, and might even come looking for someone who took a silver sword, even someone who touched it without permission."
Retreating back into the room with the illithids and one remaining displacer beast, things start to come together for the eladrin mage. "Of course...that makes a lot more sense now. The hunter's contempt for mind flayers, his knowledge of planar mechanics...his disregard for humans and general haughtiness. Githyanki." Darros shares the rest of what he knows about the planes-faring race.
Spoiler
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Monster Manual page 129 for those who aren't familiar with this classic monster race. I done rolled good on my knowledge check :smallbiggrin:
Darros scribbles down the most recent two entries on strips of paper, and sets them in order with others. "These last four digits of the entry number, the first two don't change, and the last two make the most sense arranged in sequence. My guess is that they indicate the passage of days, or at least some other measure of small, yet significant time. Alternatively, they could tally the number of entries, in which case we are missing quite a few."
For those looking:
Spoiler
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84271017 - The hunting here is good. The last illithid begged for its life, claiming neutrality. I laughed as I severed its head from its body.
65691019 - This time they came in force, but I managed to hole up inside some sort of temple complex. They linger outside, afraid to enter for some reason. Cowards.
66881029 - The small cut refuses to heal. Poisoned, no doubt, by that last illithid bitch. Please spare me! she thought at me as she scrabbled at my arm. I should have been more careful.
56281033 - Narrowly escaped immolation. The jump to an elemental plane caught me by surprise.
78411034 - The local inhabitants, magmins, appeared to be quite surprised by my presence. The language barrier prevented much useful communication, but apparently they know as little about the complex as I do.
22881039 - Another shift. This plane appears to be material. Time appears to be unidirectional here.
94811045 - The shifts are increasing in frequency. Current plane inhabited primarily by intelligent saurans. A majestic and graceful people, but once again unhelpful with my predicament.
99791049 - I have sealed the shambling mound within the courtyard as best I can, having no need of the dormitories or stables in that part of the complex. It apparently has rudimentary intelligence and has not ventured out of the undergrowth since our last encounter.
16291053 - The shifts or jumps continue to occur. Each entrance is accompanied by a major meteorological disturbance e.g. a thunderstorm or blizzard. My fourier transformations have failed to predict the exact time of each subsequent quantum leap. Interestingly, however, the last nine jumps have terminated in various material planes, all populated by sentient simians. It is as though the structure is homing in on a particular junction in space-time, but has not yet quite reached it.
04191055 - Yet another hidden chamber discovered. This one a crypt containing 98 simian skeletons, ritually interred. I am almost sure, however, that the entrance to the crypt did not exist when I last surveyed the shrines. Perhaps even the layout of this complex is plastic and ever-changing?
01381061 - Another statue has been added to the basilisk's collection. I heard the poor soul shouting in the darkness, but before I could warn him away, he was caught in the basilisk's gaze. I believe that this one makes four, not counting the one who tipped over and shattered.
34521063 - Total jumps equal 19 to date. No progress in controlling the destinations. Moving inexorably farther and farther from home.
11331067 - We seem to have picked up some hitch-hikers on our last jump. I estimate only three displacer beasts but they shift so quickly that I might have miscounted. I believe that they are currently unaware of my presence. With luck, they will get bored and leave in a jump or two. I have set a number of traps and hidden the stairs just in case.
01091070 - Wound festering. Running high fever. Only one of the beasts remains, but she's a crafty one. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve however.
00301071 - She knows now that the hunter has become the hunted and will be even more wary. The infection has weakened me, but my sword remains sharp.
93381072 - Ha! She is a worthy opponent, that is for sure. More cautious now, she was displaced just enough to avoid the brunt of the explosion. The illithid's gift continues to drain me, leveling the playing field I suppose.
"I think our friend here was part of a Githyanki raiding party, hunting illithids, their ancient racial enemy. He may even have been alone, which would be a testament to his prowess. In the fight with the last of them, he was poisoned or contracted a disease, which seems to have finally brought him down. He then travelled the planes with these structures, and this journal documents part of those journeys."
"That leaves us with a couple of intriguing points. First, I think we need to be very cautious about the possibility of another displacer beast. In all likelihood, the githyanki slew it before succumbing to his injuries, but with only one body remaining, we can't be certain of its demise. The third may have been the bait for the first explosion, or not. If it is dead, why wasn't the staircase illusion dispelled? Insufficient data. We ought stay on our toes."
"Second, that shambling mound was at least enough to give our gish friend pause, so running off to hunt it isn't likely the best plan."
"Third, we should search the shrine hall more thoroughly, it seems another hidden room lurks there."
"Finally, and most alarming, we probably ought to be very careful around that body, lest we contract whatever killed it."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Kazz
Elthan helps Kazz up, and she shakes her head, trying to shed weakness like water.
"I apologize. It's just so...senseless." She mutters.
Kazz doesn't sleep that night, staying up with the others and leafing through the Githyanki's journal, once Darros has collected it all. The words mean nothing to her eyes, but concentrating on the elegant script is enough of a mental exercise to keep her going.
At one point, she offers, "There's a chance that this place was looking for us, if the Githyanki was right about it searching for someone. We should try and find the crypt. Knowing who lived here might tell us what they were up to."
A bit later, she finds herself gathered around the body, with the others.
"Maybe he can help you," she says. "If he was respected by his people, they may want to know what happened to him, and get his sword back. Khazrael told me about the illithids,"-is that right?-"And if they were his enemy, I'd sooner be on his good side. Maybe they can help you all get home."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Davek
Spoiler
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[roll0] to see what Davek can contribute to the conversation on Githyanki
Edit: not much. Carrying on.
I'm not sure what we'd gain by being extra respectful to the dead...Githyanki...as its journals imply it is far from its home. It doesn't sound like we're likely to run into more of them, but I'll leave the decision as to whether we take the sword up to those who would wield it.
He then pauses for a moment, as something else occurs to him. Wait a minute. If we've gained access to Callos' keep through the hidden chambers, then the labyrinth's purpose is much less clear. Shall we make it our next stop, and attempt to somehow solve it?
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Fizahn:
Fizahn ignores Darros's warning. "No one's coming looking for him. If his friends had been powerful enough to rescue him, they would have rescued him already." Unless the keeps were looking for us and once they find us they'll stop dimensionally shifting, which might be the only thing keeping his friends from finding him... Unlikely, they probably don't know where he is. The gnome continues in his actions of giving the sword to Tiriel.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Retay
The barbarian jumps at the explosion. He lifts his drawn greataxe, but finds no foe to attack -- only a disturbing stain on the wall and roof.
He whispers, "See?" to Davek, and moves out of everyone's way to stand guard by the door.
...
Retay frowns as Darros explains his discoveries.
"I don't know... I suppose it all fits, but how can you guess so much? Those little marks don't tell me any stories."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Darros
"They tell you nothing because you're looking at the untranslated text. Here, I've transcribed it into the Common tongue. I performed a ritual, a complicated spell, that enables me to read foreign script for a time. It will wear off though, and I want to be able to refer back to it later." Darros hands his notes to Retay, having now been transcribed in order. "When they're strung together, they do indeed tell an interesting tale, though I confess I have yet to comprehend the original grid pattern."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Kazz
Kazz nods to Fizahn. "Of course," she says, "They may not have come for him while he lived simply because it was not their way. If he is dead, his weapon is forfeit and they may be more eager to recover it."
In among the sheaf of papers, Kazz comes across the map again. She turns it over in her hands, tracing slightly sharpened nails over the rooms unaccounted for. She steps out toward the entrance, keeping a wary eye out for any signs of movement in the darkened halls.
"If someone would be so kind as to escort me, I wish to see something once more," she says.
The hall of altars has what looks like a hidden room bordering it, she thinks, Particularly, it sits alongside the icons of the dragon skull, the spider, the fist, the serpent, and the shattered skull.
Kazz walks along the hall, examining each of the recessed altars slightly closer, looking for any signs of former offerings, or anywhere that the figurines might be able to fit. She then steps outside to examine the fountain in the courtyard.
"I had guessed that the figurines might fit here. I am unfamiliar with these gods, but if there is a crypt below us, would it not be most logical to place the entrance in this room?" She asks.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Callos
To say Callos was surprised when the arrogant noble's son exploded in white light and disappeared was an understatement, the necromancer flinched back with a startled look on his face when the light faded and shook his head with disbelief at the utter...nothing that was left behind.
"Figures. Any researcher worth their salt insures that nothing happens to their test subjects." He mutters to himself before turning away from the mummified bodies before temptation got the better of him, and he knew it would. Instead he goes looking for Tiriel and Fizahn, entering into the room with the supposed githyanki laying on the floor with the silvery weapon.
"Interesting. I wouldn't have pegged the owner of this place as an actual warrior but I guess surprises will never cease. Did you find anything else in this room Fizahn?" he asks pointedly.
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Elthan
With the nobles death an uninteresting event, and the mystery of the journal writer solved, Elthan accompanies Kazz in order to occupy himself and keep an eye on her for any developments.
He takes a second look at the statues, listing off the general concepts behind the gods and the items they pilfered from the secret room. "I would suppose that it makes sense symbolically, but would if you were designing a building, if you were to hide a crypt would you do it so close to the entrance? My guess is it might be beyond the maze and the trinkets have nothing to do with this. Nothing says we can't try anyway."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Ginevra
For at least half an hour, Ginevra leans against the wall, trying to figure out why she would not be changing at the full moon, without any effort to resist or indeed any signs of her body wanting to shift.
[hr]
Eventually she walks up the stairs, somewhat confused, and immediately spots the remains of Atoly on the ceiling. "...What just happened?"
And I mean that in more ways than one. What is happening?
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Addis and Mazom quickly fill Ginevra in on Atoly's untimely death as well as the discovery of the githyanki upstairs.
Fizahn continues his explorations, but finds little else of value or interest on this floor. By the time all four bedrooms have been fully explored, everyone is bleary-eyed and quite hungry. Almost unnoticed, the moon has set and dawn breaks on a second day.
Yawning and starving, you leave Callos' corpse-riddled tower for now and wander back into the main temple complex. Fizahn hands the silvery longsword to Tiriel, despite Darros' warnings.
The morning sun illuminates the fountain in the courtyard, sending ripples of light dancing over the stone block set within the pool of water.
Paying attention to the location of the sun rising over the kitchen/shambling mound courtyard, you are forced to reorient yourselves and the hand-drawn map. The main entrance to the temple lies on the north side of the complex, with Fizahn's keep tucked into the mountainside to the south. Callos' keep lies within the western part of the complex, while the overgrown courtyard is located to the east.
Kazz leads the way back into the hall of shrines. She stands in the center of the hall, studying the small altars and the carved symbols on them.
Unexpectedly, loud voices can be heard from outside the main doors. Someone is yelling. Opening the doors to the entrance gallery, you can make out the shouts and pounding on the doors more clearly.
"Open up in the name of the King!"
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Davek
Void beyond, Davek mutters to himself. To the group, he asksThose of you who went to the village, was there any mention of a king? Best we be careful here, lest we accidentally find a use for that sword. So, do we open or take up ambush positions?
As he speaks and before the others respond, Davek listens as best he can to the noises from outside. He hopes to discern something about their numbers specifically, though also pays attention to their speech and tone of voice.
Spoiler
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[roll0] - trying to figure out if these are conscripted commoners with spears, career soldiers, if the lead speaker is a knight, etc.
Dammit, why do I get so many crappy rolls in this game?
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Retay
[conversation slightly displaced in time]
The tall axeman glances at Darros' translation, and looks up at him again as if he is mad. "They're... just marks."
[in the present]
Retay, who had been paying attention in the village, does his best to answer Davek. "There was... yes, there was a Red King, I think. And a Cold Guard, and a Summer Duke of... somewhere."
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Re: NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep
Elthan
"I wonder why they simply don't open it?", the half-elf thinks aloud. "We surely didn't lock it or anything, did we?" Quickly rushing to the door, Elthan examines it as quickly as he can for any latches or bars for the door and, if it is not locked already, puts them into place and locks the door before anyone on the other side decides to open it or break it down.