The Floating World [IC]

[TheOneHawk]

Carlisle frowns as he leans in to examine Ennius' collection of notes. "Circumstantial, he muses, "But quite possible. I wouldn't stake my life on it, though. In any case, I think we're better off opening some of these other doors before the dangerous one, to get a better idea of what the other side of the rooms looks like and any other information we may be able to gather."

[Recherché]

Ryoko continues trying to peer into the gloom of the unnumbered room frustrated. So close to understanding this place and yet so far! I might have a way to get a light in here tomorrow once I can change out some of of my spells. Could the rest of you also add in acid based spells since we have an idea that it does not like those? Until then probably best not to risk it.

The witch lets the energies lapse with a grimace and the scrying sensor blinks out of existence.

I have a few more theories if you'd care to idiot-check me. First I suspect that this place may hold or have held some kind of creatures with teleportation abilities. The redirecting effect seems likely to be to stop them from escaping by translocating.

Second we can assume that the inhabitants were not eaten or killed since they apparently had time to remove their personal effects. Which means that the blood in this room is not theirs. Also the blood is still liquid so it must be fresh and not the result of an older accident. The enchantments on the glass are to stop living creatures from crossing. Constructs are not living and thus would be able to move unimpeded. What if the blood is from the constructs bringing the creature inside its nourishment? The offal from cooking has to go somewhere or maybe its even fed whole creatures. Either way it would be bloody. This would also mean that if we waited around all the entrances to the cells long enough we might see golems opening the doors and provisioning the creatures inside.

I'm not sure I want to wait around that long myself, but if I might volunteer my familiar Cherya to keep watch for a while they can make themselves invisible and can fly fairly fast if anything does come up.

The tiny devil pops out of invisibility long enough to cast an uneasy look at the prospect but makes no overt comment.

I'd personally rather not open any of these doors until we've spent more time looking around areas that are less likely to be dangerous. There's still much to learn from the rest of this place. Who knows there might even be a map somewhere.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Spells cast in the morning for all day: Mage Armor, False Life: (1d10+8)[15], Threefold Aspect to Maiden form

[The Hellbug]

Ennius nods at Ryoko's plan, but most of his attention is on the equipment hanging on the walls. As she finishes, he finds what he was looking for. "That sounds good--you were the only one to see whatever was behind that door so you know best," the druid agrees as he selects 6 pairs of earplugs from a box, "but we don't have to wait on the other cells--not with the information we have. Here"--he tosses two pairs to each of his companions--"let's see what's in 162. What do you say?"

[Recherché]

I'd still prefer to map out the less dangerous areas first but if the group consensus is against it I'll defer. Ryoko catches the earplugs and begins puts the first one in. Any plans for how to communicate while wearing these things? I don't think a cantrip will help here.

[TheOneHawk]

Carlisle catches the earplugs then hesitates for a moment before nodding and walking towards 162. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. For being so cavalier about eating potentially dangerous food you seem remarkably concerned about something that is most likely already well contained within its cell." He shrugs, puts in the earplugs and draws his blades, waiting for the rest of the group to follow suit.

[Recherché]

I was reasonably sure it wasn't dangerous based on logic, testing and Ennius eating first. This all evidence suggests is dangerous. You don't have safety precautions unless you need them. Ryoko snaps slightly.

[The Hellbug]

"But we have the safety precautions if we need them," Ennius emphasizes as he moves into the hallway and gets his bearings on the door numbers, "as far as communication? Just don't put them on until I'm ready to open the door. Although..." he taps his chin "...I just thought of something. If people were leaving notes on the care of whatever was living here, that means the golems weren't responsible for them...not much to lose by checking though."

[ylvathrall]

The bar on the door is easy to remove, and it isn't locked. The heavy metal door swings open smoothly and silently, the hinges apparently being exceedingly smooth in their operation.

Inside is something you can only describe as a cell, lit by the harsh glare of another magical panel. The room is simple, almost stark; nothing more than a plain stone box. The walls aren't adorned or decorated, though you can see marks on them, as though they have been repeatedly scored with claws. If so, they weren't able to make much progress, because the walls are still fully intact. There's a metal drain in the floor, and a handful of bones on the floor; they look to be fresh, likely the detritus of a recent meal. You can see a grille in the back wall, which looks quite similar to the ventilation grilles you passed earlier; set high in the wall and inset, it looks to be quite inaccessible. Beyond this, the room has no furniture at all.

There is, then, nothing to distract you from the room's sole occupant. A thin figure the size of a child, he looks to be vaguely humanoid in shape, but is clearly inhuman. Dusky grey skin and eyes far too large for his face, which are a green so intense it's almost luminescent, show him to be something entirely different. He has black claws which are long and slender, and sharply hooked. His feet are digitigrade, resembling those of a cat, and tipped with more claws. He is naked aside from a heavy metal collar, from which a chain leads to a metal hook set into the wall.

As you open the door he first stares at you in obvious shock. A moment later, though, he opens his mouth, considerably wider than a human could, showing small, needle-sharp teeth. A moment later he begins to howl, a wail loud even through your earplugs and which seems to go straight to your gut, something like the sound of nails on slate but far, far more intense.

Spoiler: Knowledge (nature) DC 13

Show

The creature is a churl, a type of monstrous humanoid native to the jungle. Churls are named for the sound they make when content, which is akin to a cat's purr. Despite their human-like appearance, churls are not particularly intelligent, having at most the mental capacity of a human child, and appearing to have no capacity for language at all. Despite this they are competent predators, hunting in packs to bring down prey much larger than themselves. Churls howl when threatened, or when hunting; this sound is extremely loud, and triggers feelings of intense nausea in most creatures listening to it. After incapacitating a target with this howl, they then leap upon it, raking with their claws in a manner similar to the hunting patterns of the cats they resemble, as well as biting into it.

Despite this carnivorous nature, churls aren't inherently malicious. With care, and allowance for their lack of language, they can be communicated with, and they are intelligent enough to avoid attacking particularly threatening foes.

Spoiler: DC 18

Show

There is some evidence to suggest that churls actually do have a language, just not one that humanoids are equipped to use. They encode meaning in their purring and howls, in ranges outside what most humanoids are able to hear, and far outside what they can produce. With enough practice it is possible to learn to understand their speech, though it is impossible to actually speak in that language without magical assistance.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

All of you have to make a DC 14 Fortitude save or be sickened from the sound of the howling. This is a sonic effect, and you receive a +3 bonus on the save from the earplugs.

[Recherché]

Ears still ringing slightly Ryoko pushes the door closed again immediately. Give me a minute? That thing may be intelligent but I'll need my familiar to act as translator if we wish to speak to him.

The witch jogs back to the unnumbered room and returns quickly with her imp at her side.

Okay Cherya try projecting to him "We are the people who just opened and closed the door to your room. We are not necessarily your enemies, we only want information. If you cooperate with us, we may see fit to release you. If you displease us we will kill you. You are currently chained up and have no means of stopping us. Do you understand?"

[The Hellbug]

Ennius rips his earplugs out as Ryoko slams the door shut, barely fazed by the howl, unpleasant though it is. "This I cannot recommend," he urges, "you'll just confuse the creature. All it needs to understand for now is that we are a threat, but a known one, on that can navigated, and definitely not prey--" he pauses to tap his spear against his shield "--a notion that can much more easily be communicated in person and without words it likely won't understand."

[Recherché]

Ryoko shrugs Talking to idiots was never my strong point. As for communication in person if you wish to try go ahead. Gods if you have a better idea of what to say you can ask Cherya to send a telepathic message for you. Or you could threaten it with a weapon but I don't see that as conveying any terribly sophisticated information.

[Bhaakon]

The thing's bellow rocks Sute to the core, quite literally. The reverberations leaver her slightly queasy and off balance. The feeling of nausea passes almost instantly, but the unpleasant memory remains as the argument goes on. "If we're trying this, I'm attempting a spell to calm it. I have a couple that might do the job--one to drug it, though I fear it would be unresponsive, and another that will suppress its base instincts long enough for use to try and communicate. But, well, I'm not exactly a deft hand at the latter spell."

Spoiler

Show

So, I can cast Euphoric Cloud, which would, mechanically, cause it to be fascinated and therefore incommunicado. Or I can use Shadow Enchantment to emulate Calm Emotions, hopefully giving us 36 second to make a case before it start wailing again. But, in the second case, it would get two Will saves (DC 18) to make one.

[TheOneHawk]

Carlisle winces as the sound cuts straight through the earplugs and begins ringing through his head. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but quickly closes it and shakes his head, struggling to string his thoughts together through the incessant noise. Instead, he turns and walks a short distance down the hall until the volume reaches a bearable level.

[Recherché]

Ryoko keeps an eye on Carlisle as he retreats only returning to the door after he seems well.

The problem I see Sure is that trying to talk to it will likely take quite a while and there are relatively few spells that last that long. And from your description you aren't talking about any of them. For that matter I'm not absolutely sure the creature can understand Cherya. If you wish to try either I won't object, perhaps simply making it listen would be enough to get a conversation started. I might still give the churl a few minutes to respond first before we start wasting magic.

[The Hellbug]

"If that's what you all think," Ennius concedes with a shrug, "I still think a little show of force might be the best bet, but it may not matter. How much could a lone prisoner like this know that we can't already guess, anyway?"

[Recherché]

The people who used to inhabit this place kept gear around to enter its cell regularly. Therefore the churl can probably tell us when the last time someone else visited it was. It could describe the beings that were using the earplugs and making the notes on it that we found. Were they human? Dwarf? Celestial? It knows at least a little. Maybe it could tell us if there were any changes in routine during the last days. Certainly the creature knows if its still being fed and if so by who. This could confirm or refute our suspicions about the golems doing the feeding and everyday caretaking. Ryoko returns Ennius's shrug Of course maybe it doesn't have enough of a memory or capacity for description to answer these questions but still, its a possible lead that involves little to no danger to us.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Cherya

Show

The churl's mind does carry enough intelligence to respond to the imp's telepathic prodding, though it seems to be a basic sort of intellect. Perhaps, though, that is simply the nature of its response, which is rather clear. Liar, it projects, its thoughts laden with a considerable amount of venom. Want to cut me up again. Won't fall for it again, no. Stay out!

[Bhaakon]

"A show of force? Do you really think that will work? What could we possibly threaten it with that's worse than this imprisonment." Sute snaps. "If you want to try reasoning with it before resorting to spells, then try offering it something. Something you can actually follow through on, like better food."

"That's assuming it isn't as well fed as whoever used to live in those dorms." She adds, belatedly.

[Recherché]

Cherya is not getting a clear response exactly, but the creature doesn't seem to believe us and based on its response I think it might have been experimented on. Ryoko relays the information from her familiar. Hopefully everything is getting passed on correctly. Twould be a shame to miss something due to an error in translation.

Tell the churl "If you don't answer out questions we'll open the door. If you do we'll bring you extra food. What can it tell us about the people here before? What did they look like? What did they do to it? When did he last see them? That sort of thing."

[The Hellbug]

"Well, I didn't mean 'attack it'," Ennius says in his defense, "or even 'threaten it' really. Just give it a feeling that we're not a group it can afford to engage in a fight."

[Recherché]

Once again, if you have anything specific to relay to Cherya you can always talk to them directly. They understand most languages fine and its not like I'm going to get jealous of you talking to my contracted familiar. But fine Cherya can you amend something on about how we obviously were barely affected by its attacks when we opened the door? Also we're heavily armed and outnumber it.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Cherya

Show

The response is less clear than the previous one, more vague suggestion than clear word. The churl's thoughts appear to be somewhat indistinct, not precisely stupid but rather too nuanced and interwoven to readily translate to other modes of thought. You get the impression of continued distrust and dismissal, as the churl clearly doesn't feel intimidated by the threat. You also get the distinct impression that the churl does not believe your offer to be sincere. He seems to be aware of your questions, and expresses a capacity to answer them, but doesn't actually do so.

Finally, you get a clear thought, with the implication of an offer or demand: Let me out.

[Recherché]

Ryoko frowns slightly We're unfortunately not getting much. Just a sense that the churl doesn't believe us and a demand to be let out.

Wonder if it'd believe us if we told them the only way off this is falling to its death The imp finally speaks up out loud with a wicked smirk.

[TheOneHawk]

"Let out?" Carlisle scoffs. "And why in Kimiko's name would we do that? I'm sure there's plenty more creatures in this enclosure smart enough to tell us what we need to know. We should just kill the little monster and use its body as either an example to others or as food for whichever one cooperates."

[Recherché]

Ryoko nods Fair enough. We don't know that there are other sentient creatures in the complex so I wouldn't be too quick to kill this thing, but I certainly wouldn't mind trying to find another to talk to.

Cherya, let the churl know that if he's not going to be helpful to us, we're going away. We'll leave it imprisoned and in the dark. If the creature won't start talking now.

[The Hellbug]

"What are we, barbarians?" Ennius is quick to ask at Carlisle's suggestions, making no effort to disguise his disgust. "No," he continues, turning more to Ryoko, "if all it wants is to be set free, I say we do it. We've already seen plenty that's more dangerous than one of its kind in this fortress, and, hey, 'seeing is believing'. Perhaps it'll be more inclined to cooperate once it has the benefit of perspective."

[Recherché]

The last time we opened that door it attacked us immediately. It might not have been very effective but it tried. If we let it out what's your guess that it would attack us again and this time we won't have the option of closing the door. Twill be kill or be killed. Ryoko points out cool.

[TheOneHawk]

Carlisle clicks his tongue in irritation and turns towards the door directly opposite the churl's, casually drawing a blade with one hand and shoving the door open with the other before stepping back from the door and to the side quickly.

[ylvathrall]

The door Carlisle opened reveals a less dramatic scene than the last. Behind door 161 is a cell much like the one the churl was in. The occupant, though, is very different. A large, ugly humanoid shape, its proportions are inhuman, with arms so long that they would reach the ground if it were standing. At the moment, though, it's sitting in the corner of the cell, legs stretched in front of it. Its green-grey skin looks strange in the harsh magical light, which certainly isn't helped by the numerous scars covering its body. There are so many scars on it that it's difficult to say where one starts and the other ends.

It makes no move as Carlisle opens the door, though it isn't restrained. It simply stares at you with empty black eyes, motionless and silent. It's not entirely clear whether it even notices you're there.

Spoiler: Knowledge (local) DC 13

Show

It's a troll, seemingly a common variant. You don't notice anything particularly special about it.

Spoiler: Heal DC 20

Show

Looking at the troll, you see a particularly vivid scar on its forehead. The wound looks to have covered its entire forehead, and the scarring is so heavy in that area that the damage must have been extreme.

Spoiler: DC 24

Show

Its blankness and lack of reaction, too, seem distinctive. They aren't natural -- this isn't just disinterest, it's something drastically wrong.

Putting the two together, you think this troll might have been surgically lobotomized.

[TheOneHawk]

Carlisle peeks into the room after nothing seems to happen in the moments immediately following the door opening. His immediate reaction upon seeing the troll is to raise his blade defensively, though he quickly lowers it again after a more thorough look at the beast. Frowning, he walks forwards and looks more closely at the creature, snaps his fingers in front of its face, then shakes his head. "Won't be getting any use out of this one, whoever ran this place did a number on its brain. Best if we finish it off, anyone have fire?"