Adventures in Fallcrest - IC - Part III [4E]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Lucan goes over to examine the Glydax's remains, he eventually tracks down the strange glow to one of the Beholder's eyes on a seemingly random eye-stalk. Between the hooded cloak, and the frenzy of battle, you hadn't noticed it before, but it appears that one of his eyes had been physically removed, and replaced by this magical one. The texture feels like sandpaper, but you can see through it like glass into the pupil contained inside. (To examine it in any more detail, you'll need to surgically remove the eye)

The two Eladrin grumble slightly at being blindfolded. When Aramil speaks, the shorter gives a sneer. "Bah, we'll never tell you anything. We'll escape, and make you pay for your meddling." The second Eladrin sighs. "Mishra, please shut up..." He turns, and faces in Aramil's approximate direction (which is just a rough guess, given the blindfold).

"Sorry about my friend, but he is correct. We won't tell you anything. There's nothing you can do to us that would be worse than what we'd receive from our employeers if we revealed our purpose." He gives an apologetic shrug.

[Mando Knight]

"Really? Interesting..."

Aramil turns to Zyrr. "Zyrr, is there any of that--what was it, Teimann?--around here?"

[Hzurr]

DM Post

OOC: Aramil, give me an insight check. Anyone else paying attention to the interrogation (which I assume is Eltain & Zyrr) can also make the check at a -2

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain sighs. He has a purpose, he knows, even if he simply wants to curl into a ball and finish the death he should have just died. He can't help anyone while lost in self-pity, and his companions were able to function, so he should be as well. He turns to the Eladrin and stands over them, planting a foot on the nearest one's chest, angry now. The air around him once more turns cold as he spits his words at the eladrin.

"Your employer isn't here and isn't who you should be worried about. I'm here, and so are my associates. You don't think we can't think of things to do to you? I'm sure Zyrr would love some subjects for poison experimentation, or perhaps to practice seeing how much pain he can cause without actually killing someone. Hells, I might give it a go. People like you are an ugly blight upon the worlds and an offense to Corellon. You endangered the lives of my companions with your ugliness, and right now? I'm the last person in the multiverse you want pissed off at you. Unfortunately for you, I am."

Alas, he still hasn't fully recovered either from his brush with death or his sorrow at causing his allies to nearly be killed, and his words aren't as convincing as they might normally be.

[Mando Knight]

Horrible skill roll go!
Insight - (1d20+3)[6]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf Bard

Lucan goes to get Zyrr to help perform some surgery. "Are you busy?" he asks. "I could use some help cutting out one of the beholder's eyes."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Eltain's boot *thuds* into the Eladrin's chest, the bound fey gives a grunt. His nose twitches slightly as the air cools, "Are you from the winter court? No matter." He sighs. "Believe me, I'd rather tell you than face whatever it is you're about to do to me; but after I do...then what? Even if you let me go, I'll eventually be discovered, and there are fates worse than Drow poisoning."

[Mando Knight]

"Indeed. Like losing your mind ever so slowly while your enemies make their moves to carve up your estate."

Aramil crouches down between the captured Eladrin. "Or being forgotten in a gods-forsaken cave, your name never to be repeated again."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan notices the discussion with the eladrin, and says, "Never mind. I can probably manage myself." Pulling out his dagger, he returns to the beholder, and attempts to cut the fake eye out.

Spoiler

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Heal - (1d20+12)[21]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The Eladrin gives a chuckle. "Please, don't waste my time. There's nothing you can threaten me with that can even close to what would happen to me when my masters find me afterwards; alone and unprotected."

Insight DC 17 (this is unrelated to the Insight check earlier)

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He seems to have put a bit of emphasis on that last word

With a bit of a spurt of gooey blood, Lucan is able to remove the eye. As Lucan holds it in his hand, he can see that the eye is a full translucent sphere with an orange pupil in the middle. Once the eye is free of the beholder, it begins radiating magical power. As Lucan watches the eye, it slowly begins to shrink until it's roughly the same size as Lucan's own eye.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan peers at the eye with fascination, and no small amount of fear. He turns it over in his hand, gazing at it from every angle, while wracking his brain to see if he's ever heard of such a thing.

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Ah, heck, I'll just try them all.

Religion - (1d20+7)[21]
Arcana - (1d20+8)[21]
History - (1d20+7)[15]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Lucan doesn't recognize the object, nor can he really recognize any religious significance to it. The arcane weavings in the object are exceptionally complicated, more than he's ever seen before. The Bard isn't able to determine what it does, but he does see some very strong threads of divination magic

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Zyrr noticed that Mishra flinched slightly when the word "Teimann" was mentioned

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan holds the eye up to his own eye, peering into it. He realizes what he's doing, though, and quickly moves it away from his eye.

[Toric]

"Indeed, Aramil." Zyrr nods. "I don't see any Tiemann here, but I know a few substitutes that are less subtle." He leans in close, looking particularly at the hotheaded Mishra. "It's painful, and possibly lethal, but I could remove your minds. Your personalities. I've seen it done a few times and I've been curious for a while to try it myself. You could leave here convinced to your dying breath that you are one of these freed gnome slaves."

He turns to the more mellow fellow. "Or we could do the boring thing and take you as willing prisoners. Feed you, shelter you, guard you from whatever boogeymen you winter fey have. And if your behavior's good on the way back..." He holds up one dark finger. "I might sneak into your cell myself. Just to tie up any security loopholes I find."

Spoiler

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Intimidate - (1d20+14)[27]
and Diplomacy - (1d20+7)[15]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Mishra looks up at Zyrr (well, where he thinks the drow is. Blindfold and all that), and gives a half-wimper, half snarl. "I expected as much from a Drow..."

The other Eladrin tilts his head thoughtfully as Zyrr begins speaking of prisoners, but by the time the Drow finishes speaking he looks thoroughly confused. "Look, I know that you're oppressed by your priestesses, but I'd like you to refrain from sneaking into my cell at night. That threat won't work either" he gives a smirk.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain suppresses a noise of disgust at Zyrr's description and addresses the more reasonable of the two.

"You know what he means, you fool. He means seeing to it that you're protected and kept safe. We aren't unreasonable people, most of the time. In fact, when people give us what we want, we're very reasonable. Work with us, and I'll see to it myself that you're kept safe. We need information. You have it. This could work out beautifully for both of us. All it takes is a little cooperation on your part."

His voice takes on a gentle, soothing tone and the cold about him changes from a harsh chill to a gentle coolness.

(1d20+16)[26] Diplomacy

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Mishra, still a bit cowed by the Drow, answers Eltain in a hesitant voice "Save your breath. We'll never be traitors!"

The second Eladrin pauses for a long second, and gives Eltain a nod. After a moment, he clears his throat, and speaks loudly towards his companion. "You're absolutely correct Mishra. We'll stay loyal to the end!" He turns back to Eltain, and gives a subtle head shake.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain bends next to the agreeing eladrin and signals to him that he understands with a hand on his shoulder.

"Very well, then. Have it your way." He signals to the others to indicate what's going on.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick is far too busy with celebrating with the other gnomes to pay much attention to either the interrogation of the prisoners or the search for treasure. There will be time for those things later, for now, it was time for celebration! He is practically bouncing around from gnome to gnome, hugging, high fiving, and talking excitedly about their victory.

That was, until he remembered something. Pavick's face suddenly pales. He races over to the fallen gnome and checks him for signs of life. If he finds even the slightest sign, he quickly sets to work trying to save him. All the while he mutters to himself something about that damned eyeball.

Spoiler

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(I'm assuming he's well and truly dead, but if not...)
Heal - (1d20+6)[18]

(If he is dead...) Pavick stands, his hands covered in blood. He looks down at them, his bottom lip quivering slightly. "We need to lay him to rest properly, but I refuse to do it here. He died a free gnome, and we will carry him outside of this farm to lay him to rest," he declares proudly.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Pavick rushes over, it's clear that the gnome is dead. A large chunk of his torso has been dissolved away by the beholder, yet his face is serene, and smiling. The rest of the gnomes move to gather round him, and one of the former slaves, a short balding gnome named Fjord, gathers up the cloak Glydax had been using, and places it over the fallen gnome's body as a shroud.

Sven looks over at Pavick. "We'll go get the cart that those two were using" He jerks his head towards the Eladrin "And carry his body out on it." He and a few others trot back towards the main gate.

---------------------

The Winter Fey gives a slight smile at Eltain's understanding. The smile lasts only for a minute, before he looks in the direction he last heard Zyrr, and silently mouths: "You'll need to take care of him." he nods towards his (former) ally.

----------------

As Lucan examines the eye, he gets an urge not to replace his own eye, but rather to gouge out someone else's eye and replace it. The urge is not overwhelming, but it's suddenly a very prominent thought in his head.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan looks at the eye, then at the dagger in his hand, then over at Shep. He looks back to the dagger. Then the eye. Then Shep. Eye. Dagger. Shep. Shep. Eye. Dagger. With a shudder, he drops both the eye and the dagger, and backs away.

"Uh, Pavick?" he calls. Pavick's the smartest person he knows who's not busy interrogating someone. "I could use some help here."

[Haberdashery]

Oh my. What beautiful eyes the Shepherd has. They're so shiny, like obsidian glass. The Shepherd blinks back at Lucan, tilting his head at the bard.

[Toric]

The assassin frowns at the smarter fey's retort. "I'm a drow knife-fighter. I specialize in pain, penetration, and dark leather." He begins circling the two, irritated. "Double entendres are inevitable in my line of work. You'd be surprised at just how many people have whispered that I like to do it from behind." This is all the warning Mishra gets before Zyrr spins around and drives his feybane blade up through the base of the eladrin's skull, into the brain.

"Now." The voice continues circling the blindfolded traitor. "Let's really get down to business. What can you tell us?"

Spoiler

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Figuring up damage just for lulz. Coup de grace with assassin's strike against a helpless opponent: 52 damage, which probably is equal to or greater than this guy's bloodied value. ...Plus 2d10 if it really matters.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain was too horrified to speak. It was one thing to kill an opponent in battle where they pose an immediate threat to you and yours. It was another thing entirely to simply suddenly murder a man in cold blood simply because he wouldn't cooperate with you. There was no beauty in such a barbaric, evil act. He gives Zyrr a look that would freeze a lake, a cold wind laced with snow blowing about him as he looks at the drow with barely restrained fury, every inch of his willpower bent towards not simply striking the foul creature down where he stands. He'd tolerated the man because so far, the drow hadn't done anything completely intolerable. A line had been crossed now. It was just as the priests had always said back home, and not like the more moderate views he'd heard in the mortal world. There was no hope for the drow. The kindest thing that could be done to them was to kill them and put them out of everyone else's misery.

[Toric]

Zyrr catches the glare, and replies with a look of mere irritation and a mouthing of his own words. "Hate me later. He'll talk now."

[Haberdashery]

There was a heavy, gentle hand on Eltain's shoulder, and the tall shadow of the Shepherd loomed above him. His eyes were calm, and his voice soft.

"The peaceful goat watched his brother torn apart by a wolf. The peaceful goat, in his anger, tore apart the wolf, and in doing so wore his skin. So cloaked, when he returned to the pasture, his brothers chased the new wolf away."

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick nods at Sven. "Thank you," he says somberly, his eyes once again fixed on the cloaked corpse before him. He stands staring at it for a few moments in silence, lost in his own thoughts. For once, his body is still.

Lucan's request calls him out of his grief. Pavick shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. He turns to the bard, "What can I do for you?" he asks, still sounding less chipper than usual. As he approaches, he casts a quick prestidigitation, cleansing the blood from his hands and clothing.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan points to the eye. "I found that in one of the beholder's eye stalks. It's magic, and I think it might be evil. Could you take a look at it?"

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

"Sure, I'll take a look," Pavick says with a shrug. He bends down to pick up both the eye and Lucan's dagger. He hands the dagger back to Lucan and sits down crosslegged on the ground eye rolling around in the palm of his hand.

"I have to wonder if this is what he was talking about when he died. Something about not wanting me to have something, I think. Maybe this is it," he says as he begins a careful examination.

Spoiler

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Since I'm not sure what skills are appropriate, I'll just roll a few that seem like they might have some use. If you want something else instead, let me know.

Arcana - (1d20+18)[23]
History - (1d20+14)[21]
Perception - (1d20+6)[7]
Religion - (1d20+9)[28]
Nature - (1d20+11)[27]