Origin of Species [IC]

[Starbin]

He turned to peer down the cave, ears straining to here what the feathered one had heard. Something eating ... in the water? Perhaps another water lizard? Or bigger fish?

Gripping his new pointed stick, he waited to see what the others would do for now, raising his snout to the air and he sniffed deeply ...

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Perception: (1d20+8)[9], also has scent

Wow ... that was a kick in the nether region!

[ProudGrognard]

Proteros

stays quiet during the tactical discussion. He could not help much. But he would be ready when the time comes.

[Erik Vale]

When everyone pulls back, Inkfeather does to, with muttering, a grouping of lights appear before him, forming a glowing lion, and then he performs a similar gesture.
And the lion roars, loud, and the sound of heavy foot falls of a lion follow the illusionary bundle of lights as it approaches the bend.

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Dancing Lights+Ghost Sound.

[Drothmal]

Revelc had hoped for his improvised trap to lure whatever greater beast was lurking at the end of the pool, but he still makes the most out of his fishing, feeding Gnorts most of the fishes (which he gladly ate, although the fish did not seem to satisfy him as much as the meat).

When the discussion of a "pack" comes up, the kobold freezes. The word sort of made sense in his head, and he certainly had begun to entertain similar thoughts... but he wasn't sure about the others... at least not yet.

The ranger decides to evaluate his companions some more and see if they are "pack" material, staying behind and reading Gnorts for a charge should another enemy appear

Actions

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Readied actions: Should Inkfeather's trick be enough to lure out whatever creature is hiding, Revelc will cast Magic Fang on Gnorts and Gnorts will charge.

[nyarlathotep]

As inkfeather's nimbus approaches the bend a voice sounded to meet them

Voice: That is good child, but I can feel your movements with the waters and these sounds and light correspond to none.

[RandomWombat]

"Another hasth wordsth? Were you with the one with fire eyesth?" the ogre's voice rumbled through the cave in question, sounding to the others to be duller and slower than before, with a slight lisp. This new potential adversary had intelligence, and so the ogre endeavored to seem stupid in order to be underestimated.

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Bluff check to sound dimwitted: (1d20+7)[13]

[nyarlathotep]

From within the cave emerges a creature nearly as a wide as a tunnel itself. It is a shelled creature walking on four thick legs that protrude from holes along the armor's lip. The shell itself is a stark white color and is composed of dozens of shapes resembling humanoid faces. They have black holes in place or eyes and their mouth all hang open as if to scream.

Its head is sheltered by a hole similar to its legs, a head which resembles more a crude replica than the genuine article. Its eyes are positioned forward, but do not move together and are little more than white orbs with one bold black hole each. The mouth is too wide and has no cheeks, leaving its strange flat teeth plainly visible.

Turtle: No I am not he. Though he was among my guides.

[Starbin]

He saw the shelled thing, and the scent of cold, horrible cold filled his nose. Hackles raised on his skin as he looked at the thing that walked on four legs. The shell looked ... felt ... wrong, and the thing itself smelled wrong.

He paused for a moment, in thought. This thing used words ... words with meaning ... it ... spoke (yes, that felt right). It spoke and his pack (maybe? Not all said yes) spoke. It was in a cave, and they came from a cave. It spoke of a creature with burning eyes and they saw a creature with burning eyes. Was this another of the pack?

And yet, something felt ... off.

Moving back slightly and gripping his pointed stick, he watched warily.

Spoiler: @nyarlathotep

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Does this thing smell like the 'horrible cold' he detected earlier? Does the shell move? Does the thing look like it's been feeding? Can they slip past the thing to see further into the cave?

[ProudGrognard]

Prosperos

Prosperos stops gazing far away and focuses on the creature coming out. So. they were not the only ones who could think or talk.

"Greetings. We come without ...malice. Can we fish in this lake? Can we ...explore?"

[RandomWombat]

Eying the giant turtle, Ziegel made another dull rumbling inquiry, "What are you?"

[Drothmal]

When the strange turtle creature comes out, both the ranger and his mount react out of pure instinct: Gnorts lowers his head slightly and tenses his muscles in case that a battle should ensue, while Revelc hides behind the dinosaur and begins to plot.

"What is this thing? It looks like a hunter... We need to know more about it... find a weakness..." thinks the ranger.

As this mental exercise continues, new understanding makes its way into the kobold's mind. Reaching within himself, the ranger is able to reach a yet untapped power that he proceeds to focus on his analytic skills. Revelc's eyes and mind begin to detect and analyze every subtle motion in the creature's movements, finding strengths and weaknesses.

Actions

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Cast Know the Enemy (takes 1 minute to cast, although I assume that the time since we saw the creature + letting the others talk might be enough for this).
Knowledge check to see what this thing is and any relevant information.
Nature - (1d20+19)[28] (+16 if Dungeoneering works better)

[nyarlathotep]

Spoiler: @Starbin

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He does indeed smell of the horrible cold you detected earlier. The faces aren't moving. Bits of crushed fish can be seen drippling from his half-way open jaws. It would be possible though difficult to slip past it, impossible most likely to do so unnoticed.

As it speaks the creature begins to tremble and flick its tongue along its slat square teeth producing sounds that while understandable seem as though they lisp within syllables.

Turtle: Yes you may take of my fish, but not to excess. I am one that came before. I was deemed unfit. I will father no children, lead no nations, but I have been allowed to remain here for my effort. If I were to leave it would be on behalf of another younger race.

Know Thine Enemy result

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He is a second generation creature. They were the first livin being created without the use of a finite portion of divine soul, and instead intrusted with their own unique spark. Most could not survive in a functioning ecosystem outside of the cradle. If they leave the cradle their race will die with them once their natural life reaches its end, for neither they nor anyone else can return to this birthplace.

[Fibinachi]

Sereiliask

Frozen like the rock around them, Sereiliask waited. Answering the furred one too early would have been a mistreatment of the implicit honor in the question, the gravity of a bond of friendship so casually extended. But speaking carelessly in the presence of someone, something, so grand, clearly like them but not even close at all, would have been a graver mistreatment of every new speck of life they had within themselves.

Sereiliask was finding there was many ways to mistreat the world. It was not comforting knowledge. Not doing that would seem the bigger difficulty. It would take attention and care. He tried the Talking again, noting all the while the seeming difficulty all of them had in forming their own words.

"We are... honored, for the fish, and will not over-take. Nor ask you to leave your sanctuary. "

Perhaps that last addition had been unwise. Sereiliask slid his eyes across the bulk of the older creation, noting the expressions encapsulated in its shell. Something akin to the scales several of them had, larger and smaller both, yet different - an earlier design, perhaps, or an idea not fully developed.

"Your shell. Does it possess"

What word? What question? Fighting, he could leave to little one, it was eager, and killing, to the larger's capable hands. So left then, was curiosity, which was a emotion he possessed all on his own.

"Meaning?"

[RandomWombat]

"Unfit? Why isth you unfit?" the ogre asked, curiosity getting the better of him as well. There was logic in learning from flaws of the past, to avoid such a fate in their future.

[nyarlathotep]

The elder creature stills, and clamps its limps shut hiding its wide mouth's mock smile for the first time.

Turtle: Yes it does. It is a memory of that which came before. From the time when our creators were created themselves. They who were erased in the previous world's destruction were never truly gone. They live on in me as the Shadow lives on in you. The creators attempted my creation as an act to give them new form, but my own consciousness prevented that.

I was judged unfit for many reasons: my flat teeth that cannot tear the flesh i must consume, my legs are slow, even my eyes cannot find depth. Despite all these short comings my place in the Coming World was only truly taken when the Wurm Queen took my right to the gift of eggs. Though she triumphed she still lingers for the advantages she can confer on her children outside these Cradle walls.

[ProudGrognard]

Proteros

Proteros' gaze becomes more and more intense as the creature speaks. He was learning, oh he was learning.

"You have great knowledge, elder one. We are younger than you. Instruct us. Tell us what you know, so that we can follow our destiny"

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Not sure what skill check would be appropriate to see if Proteros knows anything of the things the creature speaks of. Oh kind DM, roll as you think appropriate.

[Drothmal]

The elder creature stills, and clamps its limps shut hiding its wide mouth's mock smile for the first time.

Turtle: Yes it does. It is a memory of that which came before. From the time when our creators were created themselves. They who were erased in the previous world's destruction were never truly gone. They live on in me as the Shadow lives on in you. The creators attempted my creation as an act to give them new form, but my own consciousness prevented that.

I was judged unfit for many reasons: my flat teeth that cannot tear the flesh i must consume, my legs are slow, even my eyes cannot find depth. Despite all these short comings my place in the Coming World was only truly taken when the Wurm Queen took my right to the gift of eggs. Though she triumphed she still lingers for the advantages she can confer on her children outside these Cradle walls.

When his spell was finished, Revelc's mind was filled with information about the creature. The kobold could now find its weaknesses and come up with a plan...

And then the turtle goes ahead and begins describing its weaknesses.

The creature's voluntary admission and associated vulnerability stagger the ranger for a while: What sort of creature would relinquish advantage so? Was this a trap?

Still, this could be a source of information, so Revelc proceeds to ask his own questions (albeit suspicious of any answers he might receive)

"You said the Shadow lives on us... what do you mean by that? I remember... being a shadow myself..."

"Who is this Wurm Queen, where is she and how did she take your "right to the gift of eggs"? Can anyone take "rights" from another creature?"

[Starbin]

He waited, listening at the others used their words. The meaning of the words drew his attention ... it interested him. The shelled one was like them ... given a chance to live through its pack. But it failed ... and now carried the failures of all on its shell. Would his pack fail? Would their faces join the others?

When the shelled one said its gift had been taken, his eyes narrowed. The small lizard made words he too wanted to know ... how could gifts be taken? Were all the things that made him him, could they be taken ... stolen? Could they be taken back? Could they be given?

He looked down at the second skin he wore, and the sharp and round sticks he held ... had they taken the water lizard's gifts? Turning back to the shelled one, he looked for the face of their last foe ...

[RandomWombat]

Ziegel had nothing to ask that Revelc had not already asked. Instead, the ogre listened intently for the information that would come. This Wurm Queen, it was perhaps a worthy adversary for the... pack. The word still seemed odd in his head, but coming up with a better one could wait. The call of adversity itched in the back of his mind, to face and overcome challenge.

[nyarlathotep]

Turtle: She is the who lives among the resin trees. Our combat has made her a complete being like you young ones. I could form eggs that would be my children from black tears, but she learned of my talent. She then copied it with her resin. The resin eggs hatched child worms that devoured my offspring, and rendered me barren. They then vanished into the outside world while their mother lingered.

[RandomWombat]

"So the... Wurm Queen, Ziegel had dropped the stupid act at this point, and as he spoke the name his voice was dripping with contempt, "Hides here among her trees in cowardice while her children do her work. A contemptible adversary, but worthy enough to warrant destruction." The ogre bared its own teeth in a grim smile.

"Old One, do you want revenge? Would you join us to crush the coward Queen?"

[nyarlathotep]

The old creature's lips part more to show its skull smile.

Turtle: No this is your world to claim. Dominance through combat is yours' to claim. All I ask is that I be allowed to assist and witness her downfall.

[ProudGrognard]

Proteros

...becomes even more serious by what he hears. If that were all true, this needed an answer.

"If that Wurm Queen can still our gifts, learn from them and destroy, she is too dangerous. I vote we confront her. I vote we learn about her. Or our people might be next."

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Waiting on the skill check, Nyarla!

[Fibinachi]

Sereiliask

Something like the jagged edge of bone liberated from the croco-saur pressed itself into Sereiliask' mind, a cold sensation. Trepidation. Sparks of creation from another place, another world itself, expressed in the form of a white shell. Bound into the structure of someones protection.

The petrified masks of fear had a meaning then, beyond the answer the Old Turtle had provided. What being wouldn't scream when denied the possibility of existence? Something here was a amiss.

"Wonder. The Wurm Queen created offspring, and the offspring ate. Cowardice, perhaps, yes. But. Do we trace responsibility, then, to the creator? Is the Fire Eyed One responsible for the death of the croco-saur?"

[Drothmal]

The old creature's lips part more to show its skull smile.

Turtle: No this is your world to claim. Dominance through combat is yours' to claim. All I ask is that I be allowed to assist and witness her downfall.

"For that, we need information." replies Revelc, agreeing that eliminating a potentially dangerous foe was also in his best interests and thus deciding to stick to the pragmatical side of the conversation. "What are her weaknesses? Was she injured during your battle? Is there something we can use to lure her out?"

[Starbin]

He heard the shelled ones words ... the words with meaning. But could there be meaning inside meaning? This thing spoke of gifts stolen, taking without care, but they had already done this. Was this stealing?

No ... he felt, he knew it was something else. It was ... survival. Yes, that was it. The Fire-Eyes had said to make a place ... for themselves and their people. The Queen Wurm ... she had children, spawn ... progeny ... these were her people? He remembered spawn ... no, children ... no ... a ... litter? Pups ... he would fight to the death for their survival.

"No this is your world to claim. Dominance through combat is yours' to claim. All I ask is that I be allowed to assist and witness her downfall."

The cold stench in his nose ... these words ... the shelled one wanted them to kill the Wurm Queen where he could not, because her 'people' tried to 'survive.' Was this good or bad? He did not know what right and wrong was ... not yet. But was it for the betterment of the pack? Perhaps.

But for the pack's reasons ... not for the shelled one. If their purpose was to dominate (kill? defeat? rule?) in combat (battle? fighting? destruction?), maybe others dominated without claws and teeth. Maybe some dominate with ... words.

Hackles still on edge, he growled, low in his throat, backing out of the cave slowly. This still felt ... wrong.

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Sense Motive: (1d20+1)[13]

[nyarlathotep]

Sense Motive results

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You're pretty sure he's seeing you guys as proxy children and a way out of his current situation. Sort of trying to get around being cheated otu of his place in the world.

One of the elder's eyes rolls in place to focus on Sereiliask.

Turtle: The Wurm is as responsible for her children's actions as I am for yours'. She stands as a threat to the survival of your race and would have powerful gifts to steal. Wouldn't you like those soul binder? The fiery eyed one's powers although infinite in scope are limited in precision. Their only true failings are those of foresight.

Independently its other eye sweeps across the assembled pack.

Turtle: She does have weakness for my tears melted her hide down to flesh. It is only with the stolen carapass of the death worm's sire that she can travel and touch. Her form is now monstrous and has two arms to rival your's black one and armor thick as the tree's bark of her home. However her true body is within the carapass; still burned, soft, and vulnerable.

[ProudGrognard]

Proteros

...black tears...

Proteros feels a wave of nausea at this phrase. Something awful hides beneath it. But is it something that was done at the turtle or something it did? Because it seems that black tears was at her command.

Proteros shifts again his gaze at the strands of Fate. If the others could see. He knows what he has to do. But at what cost? Is he to pursue the dominance of his people against everything else? If yes, why is what Wurm did different?

But then, if and when everything has been subjugated, what life would this be? How could his people be stooped from enslaving each other? No. He was given life and purpose. He must strive to do the same. Aggression, yes, but carefully. He needed to find a balance. He needed to think.

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Ten commandments, here I come.

The elder now. He wanted revenge, yes. He wanted for Proteros and the others to do what he himself could not. And they should. The Wurm had done it once. She was a danger.

Finally, Proteros speaks.

"I say we find this Queen and end her reign. There are many things to consider here and many decisions to be made. But we know she steals gifts and destroys races. At some point, she will turn on us.

I say we strike first.

And then, Elder, perhaps you will tell me why my sould aches when you speak of black tears."

[Drothmal]

Proteros

Finally, Proteros speaks.

"I say we find this Queen and end her reign. There are many things to consider here and many decisions to be made. But we know she steals gifts and destroys races. At some point, she will turn on us."

"I agree" says Revelc "if you cannot lure the enemy out to where you want them, then you must strike at them when they least expect it.

I say we attack" says the kobold as his mount gives a feral snarl, indicating his approval.

[Erik Vale]

"But such an attack would not be easy with her so incased. Perhaps she must rest outside of it, I suggest that first we observe her."