Post-war sandbox, Team Green IC

[Anachronity]

Jarnegwirn notes the scuttling sounds, and is left to wonder if their host is skittish or simply toying with them... Or perhaps a different entity entirely than what made those noises? Could the siege factory itself be sentient, a relic of the war? Telepathy is not so common a thing.

"May we look upon you? I assure you we are more peaceable than our visages may suggest; do not be alarmed."

Spoiler: Diplomacy?

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Diplomacy: (1d20+33)[36]
if applicable

[J-H]

Soooon

whitespace for character count

[Rhyvurg]

Manus looks around. "I assume someone is communicating with us."

[Metahuman1]

"Yes, though they seem, hesitant, to show themselves." Magnhild offers to Manus, being ever so cautions as she entered the building near the front of the group.

[J-H]

Nothing else happens after you walk a few feet further in.

[J-H]

The group continues to advance forward, their path lit by the holes in the roof. There is dust in some areas of the floor, but not in others, and some of the bloodstains look newer than half a decade ago.

Spoiler: Map

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Yellow = holes in the roof

[Simba]

R'Ror

Seeing the floor has dust in only some places, R'Ror goes to check the ground carefully, trying to discern what removed the dust. Maybe there are tracks.

Spoiler: rolling

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Survival check for reading tracks: (1d20+18)[37]

[J-H]

The dust is most disturbed - even almost missing - around the ramp, the north storage room and kitchen area, and underneath the largest hole in the roof.

Most of the tracks that R'Ror can make out are bird-like, but the tracks over by the ramp include something larger with clawed feet and something snake-like. There are also drag marks where things have been dragged, along with a few faints smears of blood. Something or somethings may have brought their meals back here.

[Metahuman1]

Magnhild looked the scene over, contemplating for a moment. "Manus, take point would you? Jarnegwirn, Alcor, see if you can detect magic, or, mind powers, if there's even a distinction."

[Rhyvurg]

The golem nods and steps farther into the space, weapon gripped firmly.

[J-H]

Nothing happens as you advance further into the space. The door to the storage room by the kitchen is standing open, and when you look inside, you see quite a mess. The shelves have been broken and shoved into the corners, and the room is trashed. There are bone fragments on the floor, large feathers scattered around, and three mounded piles of debris that look vaguely like some sort of nest. Nobody has the correct knowledge skill to identify the feathers.

Still, this floor appears unoccupied at the moment.

[Anachronity]

Jarnegwirn completes the simple spell and casts about the main area for magical auras.

[J-H]

You detect no magical items or auras.

[Metahuman1]

"I respect your concern about coming out, however, I must confess, I am beginning to think if you won't then my group and I should just leave." Magnhild offers. There was no attempt at a deception, it was just what her thought process was at the moment.

[J-H]

Another voice sounds in your heads – telepathic speech again. This one is a rich, deep voice, sounding like it might belong to something a bit larger. What is it that you come here to seek, mortals? Perhaps we can make a deal.

You feel like whatever is speaking to you can hear anything that you deliberately shape and send as a response.

[Anachronity]

In a hushed tone, Jarnegwirn relates the words and existence of this new voice to Manus, before daring a reply...

"We seek supplies. Particularly those which might allow us to navigate the lake."
Despite her intuitive feel for what the effect allows, she speaks aloud so that the others remain informed of the dialogue.

[J-H]

The voice sounds in your head again, deep and amused. Simple supplies draw you to visit us? And what would you sacrifice for these…supplies? Potions aplenty and other items we have, left from the former inhabitants of this place.

[Anachronity]

"We have coin, and a few magical items we may be willing to part with...?"

Jarnegwirn feels a lingering uneasiness, and can't help but suspect this entity would prefer some more dire form of payment instead.

[J-H]

Trinkets.

Jarnegwirn can feel the disdain, and is (Sense Motive) pretty sure that his assumption is correct.

[Anachronity]

That made things clear enough; this building was not likely taken peaceably, and its inhabitants would no doubt already be upon them with tooth and claw if they were not so visibly formidable. But still her companions seemed hesitant. They were... very trusting, it seemed.

Now hoping only to make these creatures' intentions plain to the others with her, Jarnegwirn's voice takes a more conspiratorial tone.
"It seemed a matter of course to offer. But sacrifices could be made of many things... which sorts might you usually prefer?"

[J-H]

One of your own, perhapsss? Cull the weakest of your numbers and grow stronger. If that does not ssuit, some weaker mortals from the city nearby. Even some of their spawn would do. We have helms for your air-breathing members to allow travel underwater, scrolls, and more. A sssimple trade with a fair merchant.

You can almost feel the smugness of the creature as it makes an offer it knows you will probably refuse.

[Anachronity]

It would not do to simply agree; that would be too obvious. Their initial attitude was too friendly.
Or at least, her own was. The others had said relatively little. Perhaps she was under duress? She might just be able to sell that...

Were it her, she would demand the sacrifice be killed first. Could any of these others feign death?
No, she would need to play that part as well. These creatures had telepathy, it seemed; what other capacities might they have? She would need to be careful not to betray her thoughts.

Magnhild was their leader-apparent; could she be convinced to go along with it?

"Weakest...?"
"Master, Surely you no longer need that manling, w-we could use him!"
She indicates Alcor with a claw and tries to betray a hint of fear in her speech, quickly switching the small magical gemstone upon her tongue for the one that would allow her to speak the giant's language.
Not knowing if this creature was presently watching, Jarnegwirn also makes a show of fearfully backing away from Magnhild.

She speaks now in giant, but in a rapid and obviously distressed cadence to complete the charade.
"I will feign death, but first you will need to 'kill' me and place me some distance away from you. Speak little, for you seem a poor liar."

Spoiler: Secret Message to the rest of the party

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"We're going to deceive them, play along"
Bluff, to conceal the meaning: (1d20+26)[46] (since I can't fail a DC 20 the meaning is immediately apparent to the intended recepients; only non-party-members need to roll to try to decipher it)

Other bluffs(?) needed will be rolled in OOC

[Metahuman1]

Magnhild came over, saying nothing, seeming to casually disregard what Jarnegwirn was saying. And just as casually, she reached down, clasping a hand around Jarnegwirn's Throat. She had some skill as a combatant, more than the average person would ever have. She knew just how tightly she could actually squeeze, to depress the visible scaly flesh, and not ACTUALLY do any damage. But it did look rather impressive. More so, since she tensed her muscles in that arm, making it visibly and audibly strain to contain them as she did. All of which contributed to create the image, that she was, rather callously, choking the life form her team mate.

[Anachronity]

The small - well, comparatively small - landwyrm fights and writhes against the giant's grip, making a few superficial scores and tears in the giant's hands with her claws, to acquire the smell of blood and make the struggle seem more real.

Alongside a few gagging, choking noises of a dying creature, she uses the telepathic connection to cry out mentally to the being they were intent upon fooling, marking her thoughts with a tone of helpless desperation.

Please! We have valuables! Other sources of food!
The breathless nature of telepathy means her communication does not fade as she 'suffocates'. Rather, her communications become ever more frantic as her 'end' grows near. Unreasonable promises and outright pleas to the last.

Soon she grows still, and tries to keep her thoughts so as well. She waits, hoping for any sign that these creatures had been fooled past their mental powers.

[Simba]

R'Ror

R'Ror stays where he was, at the back of the group, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. He completely ignores what is happening at the front of the group. He keeps his bow in hand but holds it casually, no arrow nocked.

[Metahuman1]

Magnhild waits abit, keeping a mental timer on her mind. Keeping track of how long the landwyrm should be able to go with out breathing before it was done. Based on her not inconsiderable combat experience. And that, in turn, let her rely on muscle memory for the actual technique.

Which, in turn, meant there was no though to betray her there in terms of having held back. She wasn't pondering grabbing and holding but not actually harming. Her arm was doing that much on it's own with no more though than she was accustomed too putting into breathing when she wasn't schooling that in a specific way for a specific technique.


Once the timer has Elapsed, she maintains the grip, and begins speaking.


"That's finished now. We want the things to let us breath under water. I think you'll need to come out now if an exchange is going to be possible."

It was true. An exchange would be possible, and the matter was over in so far as Jarnegwirn was concerned. She just very carefully didn't say, or think, about the rest of the context. Leaving nothing there for them to pick up on.

[Rhyvurg]

Manus, unable to hear any of this, only sees Magnhild inexplicably kill one of their group. Stunned, he grabs her arm to turn her to face him. "...WHY!?" All he had seen was senseless, pointless murder, something he hadn't believed the giant was capable of.

[J-H]

Interesting. A moment.

After just a few seconds, the air in front of Magnhild is displaced with the Thump of a short ranged teleport, and a large creature with dark red skin, two humanlike arms, and two more arms that end in lobster-like pincers appears.



You’re not sure exactly what it is (no K: Planes), but it’s definitely some type of evil Outsider.

It has two helmets with glass fronts in one claw, and two rings and an amulet in a hand.

[Metahuman1]

Magnhild looked at Manus for a moment, before the outsider arrived, taking her attention once more. She took a few seconds, looking at the items. "Check them Manus. I'll step out of your way for that. Normal Trading Procedure, he makes sure what you got is legitimate, then a swap as the follow through." And she did, stepping aside, pulling her arm free rather forcefully as she did. Of course, stepping aside put the creature between her and Manus, and put her in-between the deeper interior of the building, and the outsider.

She slid an arm behind her, the one still dragging poor Jarnegwirn, behind her, and dropped the body rather casually. Which meant Magnhild was now in between Jarnegwirn and the outsider as well.


And now positioned so as to put it in the worst possible place to fight, She reached deep, and looked for exactly the right spot, and reached out, fast, decisively, fully committed to the swing, trying to crush the creatures skull with one stroke, her little helping hand tucked in it's usual place for the attack.

"DIE YOU VILE FILTH!!!!!!"

Spoiler: Mechanics.

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Move Action: I'm slightly repositioning myself to make sure 1: The creature is between me and Manus for flanking, 2: I'm cutting off the obvious escape route so it HAS to go through one of us to get away, 3: any attempt to get away WILL provoke at least 1 AoO, and 4: Jarnegwirn is behind me and NOT in melee range with this thing.

Currently Active Stance: Pearl of Black Doubt. +2 to AC every time an opponent attack's me and fails to hit me, for every other attack that get's thrown at me for the same combat round.

Standard Action: I'm attacking at it with Emerald Razor Strike. I'm Flanking, and it should also be Flat footed since up too this point it's been taken in by the group effort deception. So I should, at absolute most, need to beat AC 10 for this attack roll. I will be full power attacking on this attack. I am of course also attacking unarmed wit Hammerfist.

(1d20+15)[22]

(3d6+25)[32] + (1d4)[2] Sonic.

[Metahuman1]

Spoiler: Initiative check for when we need that.

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(1d20+11)[19]

Extra text to meet character minimums and make it post.