Little Green II

[Monodominant]

The words are an archaic form of common but you can get the meaning.



"I thank you for freeing me. The little girl has a bright future ahead of her and I would hate to have to kill her... If I choose to do so you will never find me... I know this place very well and its big enough for me to hide using my powers without you ever finding me.

I propose that you activate the portal room and then let me through first. I then will lift the curse from the girl and you can depart as well...

Best Regards,
Igana

[planswalker]

Grumbling to himself about getting bullied, LG shows the note to Jana and the priestess. "My question is: do we trust it or do we set a trap?"

[Monodominant]

Jana is adamant.

"We dont negotiate with evil witches!!!" she says firmly.

The Sister is not so sure.

"I am once again low on casting potential... the healing and protective magic I needed to memorise has not left me in the best condition.

Still... it is likely a trap but if she sees that we dont comply she can just as well hide in this place using her abilities to go ethereal to evade us..." she says.

"On the other hand this makes it obvious that she herself cannot operate the portal room on her own..."

[planswalker]

" I say that we should set up a trap for its at the portal. If we can keep it from leaving the portal room, and we should be able to kill it. I have the firepower to do that all we would need to do is keep it from fleeing the room. Do you think we can do that? "

[Monodominant]

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I remember you had gotten a high roll for the knowledge check on Night Hags... just to remind you they are immune to cold and fire...

By the way, I didnt choose these monsters to counter you specifically (in case you had that thought) its the monsters that were in the adventure/fit the area.

"Well her target is Jana. So I can place a sanctuary spell on her to ensure the hag doesnt try to attack her... but she must understand she should not attack either...

Also keep in mind this creature has been here for ages... it might have stolen magic items or otherwise bolstered itself somehow... we should be very careful...

But yes, I think we can try and keep it in the room..."

[planswalker]

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It cool.

"Then let's get going."

[Monodominant]

You go past the room with the fountain, that has now started giving water again and yet as you left the rods there the two doors are still open.

The portal room is unchanged from before... the teleportation circle is comprised of 6 spots, 2 of which are indicated separetly with golden runes around them.

You quickly deduce via your knowledge of arcana that it is those two spots that need to be activated for the teleportation circle to work.

The wards around the teleportation circle are circles of protection from all 4 alignments and a seperate one against neutrality. It seems the priesthood did not care to risk intrusion from any kind of extraplanar creatures regardless of affiliation...

[Monodominant]

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bumping cause it might not be visible...

[planswalker]

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I swear I responded

" I propose that you to activate the circles will I go invisible. When it appears I will slow it down and we will spring the trap. "

[Monodominant]

"Very well..." says the priestess and takes her position and indicating to Jana where to go.

The runes light up as the two women take their place but nothing more happens.

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Spellcraft check for you and Jana.

[planswalker]

spell craft - (d20+24)[44]

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jana is untrained in spell craft... I thought it was a trained only skill. Her modifier Is only plus five.

[Monodominant]

You very quickly find out how to actually activate the circle. It once again requires a small sacrifice of blood for the runes to start working.

Even better your intricate knowledge of the magic art allows you to create a delay mechanism. Meaning that although the portal is now active it will not teleport anyone until you finish the last step of the process you have put in place.

[planswalker]

"Igana, I have done as you ask and the portal is active. It requires but one last simple step before it is ready. However, I have a little policy I enforce with everyone whom I do business with: I want to see my business partner face to face." bluff - (d20+24)[44]

[Monodominant]

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You and your natural 20s!

You have to wait for a while but indeed you think you hear a sound from somewhere behind you.

A minute later the form of a hideously ugly human woman walks into the fountain room. Her flesh is a faded blue violet colour and is covered with warts, blisters and sores.

She has straggly white hair and jagged yellowish teeth. Her eyes focus on you and she cackles. You notice that she is carrying 2 small vials in her left hand as she walks forward but at the same time keeping her distance.

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She is in the room with the fountain. From you (being the closest to her) she is about 50 feet away... Jana and the Sister are another 15 feet behind you.

[planswalker]

"I have done as you asked, and the portal is ready, save for one final touch from me. Would you be willing to humor me for a moment and tell me why you didn't just seek my aid from the beginning? If you had not singled out my protege as your victim, we likely would have left two days ago and saved you the wait. We stuck around this long so we could find you to stop her nightmares." diplomacy - (d20+24)[32]

[Monodominant]

"You bring a child into this place and you ask me why?" she chuckles.

"I do it because she is sweet and innocent and must be taught what this world is like. I had no great respect for Tharizdun or his lackeys but he kept me alive..., as punishment perhaps like that poor shadow of his, but he did it anyway... and you come in here and pretend to own this place while you ransack it... you have to admit some punishment and teaching of lesson IS needed" she says with a mad glint in her eyes.

"Plus I havent had so much fun in ages... those little halflings stopped sleeping and dreaming ever since I ended up killing them so its been very borning I tell you!

Anyway, little green devil. I am sure you plan a trick one way or the other so I will have you know... if you betray me the girl will die even if it means I have to stay here for another 100 years! The Mad God protects!"

[planswalker]

"Aye, I have a trick in place, just as you have said you do. What assurances can I have that she will be safe once I have upheld my end of the bargain? Her life means more to me than vengeance. I won't pull my trick and leave you trapped here if you can convince me that Jana will be safe from your predation."

[Monodominant]

The hag seems to consider what you say and she grins evily.

"I can give you my hearthstone... without it I cannot haunt the girls dreams. Once we are through the portal I can give it to you and you can then rest assured the girl is safe..."

[planswalker]

"Or perhaps you could give it to me now, that I have something besides your word. I swear, upon my soul and upon the great Tiamat, that should you treat with us in good faith that the same will be given to you."

diplomacy - (d20+24)[35]

[Monodominant]

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Does he mean it? Otherwise its bluff not diplo...

[planswalker]

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yes, he really will.

[Monodominant]

The woman watches you curiously as if in disbelief.

"Very well... I will trust you for now little green devil..." she says and approaches.

[planswalker]

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is the woman the hag or the priestess?

LG will approach slowly with one hand held over his mouth, the other held out to receive the heartstone.

[Monodominant]

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The hag.

The night hag approaches, continuing to look from you to the other 2.

She extends her hand and drops a small dirty little stone that is pulsing slowly and steadily.

[planswalker]

"Give me just a moment to verify that this is genuine, please. I didn't survive as a mutant dragon orphan in the streets by trusting things given to me from strangers." spellcraft - (d20+24)[31]

Assuming that LG is reasonably confident that it is genuine, he'll open the portal for her.

[Monodominant]

You are convinced the heartstone is real and you proceed to activate the portal.

The hag looks at all of you once more and then dashes forth. With a flash of light she disappears.

The portal is still active...

[planswalker]

"Let's go on after her and see if we're not too late to hunt her down. She made it through unharmed, but she still threatened to harm my pupil and in fact tortured her for days just to get attention. It will die."

LG will lead the other two through the portal.

[Monodominant]

There is a moment that feels like an eternity as the circle humms and you are all teleported... somewhere.

You find yourselves in a chamber just like the one you left but half-collapsed. Similar runes and patterns are everywhere but even with a glance you can deduce that from this side the portal wont work to teleport you back. There might be other destinations it can take you though.

Apart from the room itself you see a door that is broken and leading to a corridor outside. After many days in the underground temple made from the same strange material this is a welcome sight. It looks similar to that of the rooms under the Sisters convent but a part of it you had not seen before.

There is no sign of the night hag.

[planswalker]

LG will lead them outside.

[Monodominant]

You exit the room to a similar corridor. You can only follow one way out, to the left as the right passage has collapsed a few meters away from this exit.

The one to the right is also old and has signs of disrepair. You can also see clearly clawed footsteps in the thick dust leaving this way.

Before long you come to an intersection with 3 possible routes to follow. The one to the left has footprints but it is the one to the center that seems the 'newest' or at least less damaged passage.