IC Droaam Expedition - Benejeseret

[Benejeseret]

The small assassin squirms against his bonds as Knaath approaches. With the Flind looming over him and his companions long slaughtered, the lone goblin sweats and whimpers. He tries to avoid Knaath's gaze during the questioning but his sideways glance falls upon the gnollish alchemist Smarsh laying out tonics and strange tools upon a blanket at Knaath's elbow. He is currently inspecting a bone saw...and the little goblin suddenly finds the view of the Flind's fangs the better option.

"Clan Eship, we are Clan Eship. Goblin horde who run DirkTip Academy. Contract we have, hired...know not who. Just us four sent out first, top of our class year. More maybe sent, senior students, cause we failed.........You release me to deliver stern warning, yes? Brooding threat from powerful warlord Flind?"


Over near the pool a shriek breaks the morning. Kaej drops to the ground clutching his eyes. The closest gnolls scatter and one dares face FingerDeath with the intension of diving under the wagon. Grim rushes to the adepts side but finds no injuries on the shifter and opts to help rest him comfortable against an outcrop as Kaej tries to blink off the daze.



Lukas

Spoiler

Show

The pond is out of place, and too perfectly symmetrical to be a naturally forming spring. In fact, the geology of the area seems completely wrong to even have a spring or any water bubbling up from this place.

The more you stare at the oddity the more you notice a lack of things that should be here. There are plants and trees off of the oasis, but to animals, birds or even insects. As Lukas walks around the small pond it becomes clear no track marks of any kind approach what should be a common and well used watering hole.

Kaej

Spoiler

Show

For the next minute or so you are dazed, cannot speak more than a babble and are partially blind (like after staring at the sun for a sec - big white spot).

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Maosh decides to join Knaath in the interrogation. Not that he could actually ask better questions, but that the presence of the Ogre that captured him standing nearby may further unnerve the goblin. Who knows, maybe he'll actually learn some new knife techniques from watching Knaath.

Hearing Kaej's scream, Maosh grabs his club and moves to the water. Not seeing any immediate danger he grins greedily when he sees the crystal and watches as those with more skill than he continue their inspections. That is a nice rock. But still just a rock. Why does it seem so special? Maosh sits down at the waters edge and begins to growl low while stretching and beating on himself, hoping that beginning some meditation may help him focus on this puzzle before him.

Spoiler

Show

Maosh will take the time to watch and listen, imitating his teachers.
Spot (1d20+6)[19]
Listen (1d20+5)[23]

[Benejeseret]

Maosh hears a wisp of a sound and he enters into his trance-like state of awareness. Hardly there, yet just on the edge of his mind.

Spoiler

Show

The faint echo of a sound is a slow rushing, rhythmic and sweeping sound like waves over a beach or a gentle lapping of a riverbank.

[Duke of URL]

Knaath

Gah! What else can go wrong on this journey!

He holds his frustration in check, looks at the goblin prisoner, and says, "we're not done yet," before heading out to check on the source of the scream.

[Boggs]

Lukas

Squatting next to the pool, Lukas scoops a bit of water into his hands. He smells it and rubs it into his hands. "There's something... peculiar about this oasis." He makes another glance around the edge of the water. "This is the only watering hole in this area. And look, the only tracks around are ours. Kind of an... ill omen, right?" Lukas wades into the water trying to get a better understanding of the crystal and water.

If any of these can apply (I forgot about action points in the previous rolls):

Spoiler

Show

Nature - (1d20+9)[15]
Action Point - (1d6)[6]
Geography - (1d20+9)[14]
Action Point - (1d6)[6]
Search - (1d20+5)[23]

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Life is shock. Maosh seems to stare beyond everyone moving about him...
Life is calm. not even bothering to ignore the strange looks from the smunderlings...
Life is pain. as he continues his slow exercise and concentration.
Feel the pain. His deep breaths exhale in low growls.
Find the calm. He finds a distant place in the waters...
The pain is not surprise. It is my friend. he stares into the waters pausing...
It will always find me. Maosh takes another deep breath as if trying to smell the air in a far off dream.

"I hear waves. From far away. They not strong. But they call us."

[Benejeseret]

The water is cool and refreshing. There is almost no silt, no algae, incredibly clean water. Up close the crystal shimmers is a way not caused by the water above. To Lukas it appears there is water inside the crystal as well.

Calcified coral coming from the depths and engulfing the shard catches Lukas eye as it is not native to these lands. It is a deep coral, usually found only in caverns. This close the coral can be seen slowly moving or growing in a matrix up and around the crystal. The shard, however, is vibrating in a way that breaks off small bits of the coral every once in a while. Lukas cannot be sure, but he perceives that the crystal is slowly coming loose from the matrix.


Maosh

Spoiler

Show

nice post by the way

The ogre relaxes. His conscious floats on the ocean of his mind, but he finds the ride not as calming as the sounds first appeared. He senses a struggle. Its cause, or the forces involved, remain far outside his skill and focus.

[serow]

As the minute slowly passes second by second, Kaej suddenly remembers that he was a sailor in his past life, a brave and daring buccaneer of great wealth! He owned a ship called The Heavy Line, and was second only to Grimm the Grim in infamy. Then, he realises that 46 years after his death, the whole of Eberron will experience a great catastrophe and the entire planet will shapeshift into a planet-sized kobold to battle the catastrophe using a very very long longspear.

And as Kaej begins to regain coherent thought, he wonders if that was a premonition, all a dream, or... the crystal. "Be very careful, that thing in the water has very very strong magics about it."

[Duke of URL]

Knaath

"Well, it's valuable, then. Do your best to retrieve it and we'll keep it safe until we can get an expert to look it over. At least it's not another attack." He leaves the others to the task of securing the crystal, and returns to the goblin.

"See, you say you don't know who hired you, but how can I be sure that you're not lying? The good news is, well at least from my point of view, that I'm rather going to enjoy the next ten minutes or so." He reaches over and grabs the goblin's hand, takes one finger, and breaks it.

Spoiler

Show

To save the need for getting graphic, Knaath will inflict -- and enjoy doing so -- as much pain as he can on the goblin until it passes out. If he gets more information, great, otherwise he'll simply enjoy venting his frustrations.

In any case, when he's done, he'll kill the prisoner, cut off his head, and have it mounted on a pointed stick by the side of the road with a note stuffed in its mouth warning Dirk Tip Academy against sending any more assassins.

The rest of the goblin... well... it is time for breakfast...

[Benejeseret]

(( *Poke* OOC: unless a PC follows through on Knaath's orders by later tonight I'll NPC either a smunderling or one of the other characters to do it. ))

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Maosh listens to Kaej's warning and shakes off his attempted meditation hearing Knaath's commands. Playing with magic he didn't understand, which was most of it, was never something he trusted or enjoyed doing. That was best left for the Shaman or some other fool.

As Knaath leaves, Maosh looks at Kaej until he has his attention and then looks to the smunderlings standing near with a plain face. Gain at someone else's expense is always better.

{OOC - My apologies. I have been having problems with the webpage trying to post.}

[Benejeseret]

With the champions turning back to other tasks, the two gnolls who first noticed the thing originally take up their mining equipment from the cart and begin pickaxing the coral below the crystal. Within a few minutes the shard shifts breaks off into the pool. The mass of it takes four smunderlings to carry to the cart. They leave it there to dry and return to readying the camp to leave.

All of you enjoy a bit of goblin flesh over the fire courtesy of Knaath. The sniveling sot told him nothing more of value about his academy.

Spoiler

Show

I am making a general Intelligence for Knaath here to see if he remembers to ask about the wand Maosh now carries. If it is above DC10 then knaath remembers and you learn the activation (making UMD easier as if used before). (1d20)[20] plus or minus knaath's intel mod

_____________________________

Having broken their fast with some meat, the caravan remains in high spirits as it sets off on the last leg of the journey to the Hag. The sun continues to bake down on the scorching red sands of the cracked riverbed. Within a few hundred feet of leaving camp many notice water still streaming off the back of the cart. In fact, most of the cart is now waterlogged and sloshing around. The small stream pouring off the rear of the cart is leaving a clear water trail of red mud.

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Maosh "supervises" the removal of the stone with an unrevealed sense of anxiety. Is this a curse or an opportunity?

After the meal he takes to his usual marching. Seeing the stream of water pour from the back of the cart, Maosh checks on the cart to see what has spilled, hoping the water kegs have not sprung a leak. Seeing the crystal sitting in a pool of water, he is not quite sure what to make of this again. Instead he pushes a smunderling toward the cart, "Make sure food not get soggy."

[serow]

Kaej looks at the crystal warily, cautious of its magic. But it's just sitting there and not doing anything right now, and Kaej doesn't know what to do with it. He touches it a bit, trying to get a feel of its material consistency.

[Benejeseret]

The few gnolls near the wagon do their best to remove and dry waterlogged items. Each is unwilling to stay to close to the shard but manage to recover all the supplies. One of the younger gnolls simply hops up on the rear corner of the cart and begins bailing with an iron pot. Red specks of mud splash across the ruts left by the passing wheels.

Kaej

Spoiler

Show

The shard is cool and still vibrating slightly. Every so often a larger jiggle seems to rock the small crystal to one side or the other in a circular rhythm. As always, it is wet and sweating water.

The journey continues into the late afternoon. As the halo of the sun begins to kiss the horizon the caravan comes upon a deep gash in the earth. The crack starts as nothing but a hairline and slowly widens as you progress into a chasm some 15 feet across. Its depth trails off into darkness after nearly a hundred feet in the dimming sunlight. Your trail follows the jagged earth before the canyon below you cuts across, halting the wagon's path. In the air you detect the hints of smoke, which grows into the deep aroma of campfires and roasting meat as you round the last hoodoo.

A small rope bridge tied to pounded posts dangles to your left. On the far side a small gnollish camp is setup. Two sentries eye you from small wooden perches overlooking either side of the rope bridge. Your arrival has causes a stir in the camp and some ten to twenty more gnolls and a few flinds are moving about, lighting campfires and preparing an evening meal. Tension surrounds their movements and you can see none of them is far from their weapons. At least four more guards are making their way out to join the sentries each carrying bone longbows.

To the left and below the encampment a smunderling points out activity within the gaping chasm. In the rear of the camp a set of criss-crossed wooden platforms and ladders crawl down the side of the canyon cliffs to a small cavern opening some thirty feet down. A few gnolls in pale robes just scampered down the ladders and into the cavern.

[Benejeseret]

((bump))

A few of the gnolls from the bridge and approach. Their shields bear the mark of the dust hag. "Vut? Vut do you vant?" the closest calls.

[Duke of URL]

Knaath

"I, Knaath of the Eye-Gouger clan, on behalf of Calach, Ogre-Mage and clan leader, have come to seek an audience with the hag. And I bear a gift," he adds, holding up the package given to him by the ogre-mage.

[Benejeseret]

"Ahhh, a gift fer tha Seer...Ve can deliver it fer you." The few gnolls look back and forth, delivering less than subtle winks and nods, "Uh...no foreigners in camp, disturbs da Seer."

{bluff (1d20-2)[0] - anyone who passes their sense motive can tell it is an obvious ploy....a course if you all fail then obvious or not your characters might believe it. OOC: to lay it out, violence may not be a wise option (but always an option) but you need to find a way to get in to the Seer one way or the other.}

[Duke of URL]

Knaath

"I don't think so," glares the warlord. "And I suggest that you don't try. We did not come all this way to deal with underlings -- stand aside!"

Spoiler

Show

SenseMotive - (1d20+4)[13], only a natural 1 will fail.
Intimidate - (1d20+8)[14], (includes +2 racial bonus vs. gnolls)

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Sense Motive (1d20+4)[8]

Maosh watches the approaching guards noting the greed in their eyes and the eagerness in their step. How shall we pass these? Intimidation? Bribery? Just kill them? But, not seeing a danger in their steps yet, he remains among the larger group waiting for a better time.

[Benejeseret]

((Collective intimidation 'save' = (1d20+4)[23], I gave him a +2 situational check since their whole clan is behind them. Will post once I see the result.))

[Benejeseret]

((oooh, burns))

The gnolls puff up and look around the camp. With your party being across a flimsy bridge and his guards arriving soon the sentries are not phased by the threats of some 'city-born' clan.

"Vut you thinking strutting around like dat? Ve might be 'underlings' but ve be on the right side of that bridge, no?" He lowers his scimitar to the ropes holding the small bridge, "Ve never heard of the Eye-Gourgers. Vut be your business vith the Seer?"

By now another four guards arrive to the far platforms. Creaking ropes bear them up to small perches where they notch their bows. They do not look overly aggressive, secure that they control the passage.

[serow]

Kaej mumbles to himself, growling about irritating minions and terrible bridges. "What do you think?" He replies irritatedly. "To get him to see something. He's a seer."

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Spoiler

Show

Knowledge Check - (1d20-3)[4]
To see if Maosh knows anything about the Hag or tribe.

Maosh moves forward and thinks about telling the gnolls about taking out their little bridge, but then thinks better of it. Instead he stands next to Kaej and mumbles quietly to him. "Hag is girl. Better not call boy."

[Duke of URL]

Knaath

Well, that didn't work. Nice going, idiot, he admonishes himself. Still, he wasn't going to back down to this lot.

"Never heard of the Eye-Gougers? My, you must lead sheltered lives here. After we finish our business with the seer, perhaps we can sit down and tell you some stories of life outside your walls."

[Benejeseret]

The lead sentry gives a hyena-like barking laugh. "Vut, you think we're from around here at all. Bah, Ve be from tha far north. Hired on by tha Seer herself."

"Very vell, a few of you can enter and see if tha clerics let you in to Her." Seeing no hostility he waves the four of you in but insists on the rest and the smunderlings to stay behind at the bridge just within bow's length. "I am Vallice," the sentry greets you as you enter his camp. He begins to lead you toward the ladders along the cliff, "Ve be tha SnowMongers from tha mountains, most here but the Seer and Her clerics all from ma tribe. You can tell our clan brothers by our white fur.." Sure enough most of the camp Gnolls have tuffs of crystal white fur around the edges of their armour.

As you near the ladders a small gnoll with dark fur, slicked with oils beneath a long reddened robe, approaches and bows. He waves an arm out and downward to the cave.

[Boggs]

Lukas

Lukas remains in the back, keeping to himself to avoid any other difficulties with the clan. When the archers arrive Lukas discreetly tries to knock an arrow, hoping to remain prepared for the chances of an attack.

Spoiler

Show

Hide - (1d20+7)[10]

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Maosh takes a place following Knaath. "Me not know this hag. What priests does she keep?"

[Benejeseret]

"Ah, looks like dey vill let you in. Lucky you. You'll find, ogre, that these be silent clerics...lacking a tongue and all. Ve not even sure vut they vant half da time or vhy they follow da Seer." The white gnoll steps back to let the bulk of Moash at the now greatly creaking wooden ladders. It seems these stairways were made from scavenged wood and bound by hide.

A short series of platforms and ladders latter, those entering the cavern face a small crack in the side of the great canyon. The path is lit with small candles whose wax looks more like lumps of congealed fat. The air here is cool and moist blowing out from the crack.

((Moash will have to squeeze to fit through...if he enters I will also make the odd roll to see if he burns himself pushing by a candle.))

The crack proceeds through nearly forty feet at a slightly downward angle before lengthening in breadth and height. A small pool of light swells twenty feet further along. From here a small barrow can be seen, lined with the skeletons of many species cut into the walls in shelves. At its end a small crone sits hunched over on a bed of ancient pillows. She looks up as you approach, candlelight glinting off the bluest eyes you have ever seem. They are incredibly deep, and out of place on a withered and cracked body. Her edges seem so dry that the skin cracks, peels and with each breath small bits crumble into dust. Her wisps of yellowed hair almost all fallen away. She is sitting, kneeling over a small pool of deep water. As you approach the hint of images ripple across its surface but disperse with your footsteps.

"All, the Fulcrum approaches. Will the Gougers of Eyes be the Gougers of Earth? The Parchers or the Drowners stand before us. Will you release the Seas?" the whispers of her voice reaches to you. She rocks, sending cascades of skin and hair down her back. The dark gnoll cleric following her scampers forward to assist the Hag, propping her back with more pillows.

[Nomad5]

Maosh

Maosh will continue in with the group unless asked to do otherwise with curiosity about the hag pushing him forward into the cramped space. He does what he can to minimize his form, but he is an ogre after all. Any burns will only awaken the spirit before seeing the seer.

As Maosh moves into the final chamber he is careful to move to the side and find a place to be as unnoticed as he can rather than forcing his size to the middle of the chamber. He listens with eagerness to the hag's rattled speech. Not realizing he is speaking his thoughts out, he mutters, "Oohhh. I have not seen the seas."