Keep on the Breland Borderlands -- PBP

[ahzreal]

Tak pouts cutely for a second at the Coporal. "Well.. If you say I must surrender my weapons, I'm sure that a wise, strong man such as yourself knows what is best.." She smiles at him, leaning close, brushing his chest just barely. "But surely, you would not leave such a fair trinket at the mercy of such a villian?" She stares into his eyes with her deep lilac orbs.

[The803]

As the scribe takes Ein's pack and holds it up for him, the master of records places a hand in front of Ein. "You may retain your walking stick, old man, but take care that it isn't taken from you. I will retrieve your writing supplies for you." A guard puts an armored shoulder between Ein and his pack as the master of records does so.

The corporal laughs, "Ha! Now, now, dearie, part of the deal here is no weapons. But if you're so worried, here." He grabs a battered practice-shield and thrusts it into Tak's hands. "That should do you just fine. Just keep that 'tween you and the bad guy if he acts up." He laughs again and turns to go as the guards finish disarming the lot of you.

A mongrelfolk jailer appears at the top of a narrow stone spiral stair, holding a number of candles and a lantern. He lights the candles from the lantern in turn as he hands one to each of you. "Follow me. Watch for drips," he says in a gentle voice as he turns and descends again.

The master of records and the scribe stay put at the top of the stairs, as do four of the guards watching your things. The corporal is in an adjacent dining area, eating and humming to himself.

[GalaGalaxia]

Qelster hums a tune from his homeland as they descend the stairs to the dungeon.

Dwarves and stone
Hounds and bone
Soap and steak for every home

Orcs and shoes
Pigs and booze
My mother has a broken head

Gnomes and bricks
Elves and sticks
Come yonder and stomp silently

[ahzreal]

Tak follows the mongrelfolk down, holding the candle at an angle so as to not harm her delicate skin.

[GalaGalaxia]

Mewrik nudges Tak: Best not hold that candle at an angle, or the candle wax will come dripping all over the place, onto your skin and your clothes. Best hold it straight and steady. Besides, it comes with a holder which will catch the wax anyway. *points*

Mewrik has 200 ranks in Knowledge(burning candles)

[darkedge]

*From the back of the group with a slight cackle* "Best listen to him lass, he knows his wax"

[The803]

The mongrelman jailer shuffles off down the cool, dark corridor at the bottom of the stairs without waiting. He doesn't go far before reaching a narrow iron door that is barred shut. He removes the bar and swings the door open, and a strange smell, like hot stones, wafts out. The air remains cool as the mongrelman steps through the narrow doorway, motioning for you to follow.

The cell behind is quite large; it is obviously a holding pen for multiple prisoners. In the center of the empty room stands a stone statue, and the mongrelman begins speaking to it gently in the guttural tongue of the goblinoids.

As the mongrelman speaks to it, you see that the 'statue' is obviously the prisoner as, slowly and silently, it animates. In the candlelight, you can see that the prisoner looks like an emaciated hobgoblin made entirely out of stone. A pair of tentacles, which had been wrapped tightly around its waist and legs when you entered, uncoil sinuously into the stuffy air of the cell. The tentacles, which protrude from the prisoner's back, motion gracefully for the jailer to leave, and the mongrelman steps hurriedly through and past the four of you, returning to the corridor, where he waits with a hand on the open cell door.

"Not to be frightened, please," the statue says in gravelly, halting common, "The Daelkyr could not take eyes; am not all dolgaunt yet. Ask you questions; will try to answer." He seems broken and ashamed.

[ahzreal]

Tak does as is suggested, and holds the candle upright, still catious about the hot wax.

As they enter the cell, Tak is curious about not who, but what the creature before them is. She's never seen something like this. She walks up to the prisoner, but now is unsure of what to ask. She's also unsure of how something like this would act to her feminine wiles. She looks back to her comrades, making slight casting gestures, attempting to discreetly cast Charm Person on the prisoner. She lays her hand on its shoulder. "Now, why are you in here, hun?"

[darkedge]

In Goblin: "And feel free to answer in Goblin if it would prove easier" *as he passes his walking stick back towards the mongrelfolk*

[GalaGalaxia]

Qelster: Greetings, stranger. I am Qelster, of a far-away land. I am merely a guest in this keep, and I seek you no harm. Rather, I have come down here so that those who may seek otherwise will have no reason to pursue those thoughts further. I intend to protect you from unjustice. They say you are a prisoner, but have made no effort to further elaborate on what makes you one. No mention of a crime committed or any harm done. As such, you stand innocent before me, barring any charges presented against you. I also bring word from some who claim to be on your side. Perhaps a word of comfort in exchange for your cooperation. You have become quite the topic of discussion among the guard and tavern guests. I have heard you being called many things, but not once has anyone had the courtesy to call you by name. Do tell, what is your name? Diplomacy (1d20+0)[3]

Mewrik eyes the prisoner cautiously. What are the charges under which you are locked up down here, stoneskin?

[The803]

The prisoner smiles hideously at Tak and answers in a mixture of common and goblin, with Ein translating the latter bits.
"My name is Yktiss. I was brought here to train as a sell-sword, but once the uprising over the mountains began to take back our lands from Cyre, I rose up against my human masters as a crusader. I went to guard my people at the delve-town in the old quarry just beyond the great stone dragon's head. From the small goddess that watches over the dragon's head, we learned much of my race's history and we were proud and united until the arguments over faith began.

"Strangers came from the west, claiming to know the spiritual ways of our ancients, but some among them were servants of the Dragon Below. They eventually summoned an abomination from Khyber and purged all who opposed them, including me. Some fortunates were slain, but most were brought back from defeat and twisted, like me, into their servants. I am here because it is the safest place from the agents of the Daelkyr, but I fear they have infiltrated this keep, posing as holy men, just as they did to us.

"The guardsmen tell me that was many years ago now, that the war is over, that hated Cyre is no more, and that a different Dragonmarked house now commands this keep. I do not care. I only remember awakening with the small goddess standing over me. She told me: warn the newcomers that these mountains are not safe. The great stone dragon is dying, and when it passes, the maggots of the Dragon Below will feast upon its flesh and let loose an eruption of death and madness."

[GalaGalaxia]

As he's speaking, Mewrik and Qelster are trying to gauge his honesty and whether he is trying to hide anything.

Sense Motive for Qelster: (1d20+3)[4]
Sense Motive for Mewrik: (1d20+3)[5]

[GalaGalaxia]

Ok, OOC -- just looking at my last several die rolls, I simply have to say:
BLOODY DICE!!

There, it's been said!

This is absolutely ridiculous. A 3 for diplomacy, and a 4 and 5 for sense motive -- with a +3 modifier! Not to mention the utterly failed bluff earlier ... and the listen check in the tavern.

Maybe I should have Qelster and Mewrik attempt to punch each other?
Qelster (1d20-2)[12]
Mewrik (1d20+2)[19]

[darkedge]

*Taking the usual 17 for a sense motive on what's being told*

"This warning would seem to fit with the dissappearance of your people's presence in the area. What more can you tell us of the small goddess? We should likely seek her advice."

[ahzreal]

Tak nods at the second question asked. "Yes, and what is this Stone Dragon?" Her voice seems to have taken on a more serious tone, some of the softness that made it utterly seductive earlier leaking away. It was just a small slip in her guise, but she doubted anyone would notice, or rather, that anyone important had noticed.

[The803]

Ein is in best position to gauge Yktiss' sincerity, being the only Goblin-speaker. As far as Ein can tell, he's telling the truth and not holding anything back.

"The stone dragon is the grave of a line of great wyrms that lived during the age of the Dhakaani Empire. The small goddess was a mountain nymph, a fey creature that has watched over the hatching grounds around the grave for many centuries. Like my people, she has become a twisted slave of the Daelkyr, lost to madness and despair."

[darkedge]

"I had myself one more question, if you would provide some enlightenment, as my knowledge on the Daelkyr is somewhat lacking. I have ofttimes heard of someone called the "Anointed One", does that name hold any significance to you?"

[GalaGalaxia]

Qelster: So far, none of the things you have told us indicate a reason why you should be locked up and treated like a prisoner. Can you tell me more about the circumstances surrounding what we have been told being your capture?

The people of Daelkyr, how can we recognize them? And what do they want with you, if you are found or delivered into their hands?

The House of Sivis seem to have an invested interest in you as well. Any ideas why that might be?

Mewrik: Do you have any friends or allies in the area? Is there anyone within the walls of this keep that can vouch for you?

[ahzreal]

Tak turned back towards her party. "I believe him. He has nothing to gain from our delusion, and even, perhaps, more to be gained with our victory, and even less to lose..." She turned back to the prisoner, her expression thoughtful.

[GalaGalaxia]

Qelster: Whether for good or not, I was asked to show you this ... *takes out knot of rags* Does this have any meaning to you at all?

[The803]

Yktiss leans close to peer at the knot of rags, and his eyes brighten for a moment.

"I know that smell; those rags smell of the small goddess when she was with child. A spell-scale child it was, yes, a sorceror's daughter. The father could not be identified, and the mountain goddess lost much face for her refusal to name him. She hoped her child would be educated as a spiritual teacher of our people, like she had become, but the idea turned many against her. The false prophets convinced us to exile the fatherless child, but I do not know where she was sent. That was the beginning of the end; the small goddess fell into despair after her daughter was taken, and the false prophets began their takeover.

"The dragonmark guildsmen who trained me as a sell-sword could vouch for my name, and I do not know why the gnome-guild has an interest in me. I have no allies for the same reason I am down here; I am a daelkyr abomination, hideously alive beyond my years. They will seek to recapture or slay me because I am their handiwork, a flesh-puppet for them to mold and command. I still do not know how to spot them.

"I half-expected to be killed by the horsemen who found me, but my stone skin spared me from harm. I offered them the warning from the small goddess, but they would not listen. They are soldiers; they took me prisoner and would not let me speak. I think they feared I might bewitch them."

[GalaGalaxia]

Qelster: This knot of rags *holds them up one last time before putting them back in the belt pouch* came from a woman flanked by someone wearing clothes in their resemblance. She carried that same smell, too.

Tell me more about the warning. What does it mean? And, can anything be done to prevent this doom? And, can anything be done to prolong the life of the stone dragon?

Mewrik: In the tavern ... we heard about a young boy soldier who was present at your capture. He acted as though he had seen or experienced something unspeakable ... *marked pause as to suggest that Yktiss should fill in*

[The803]

"I know little more about the stone dragon, only that it is very important to the small goddess. Her fate and its fate are the same.

"The young soldier you speak of was probably the one who first found and attacked me in the wild. He was no boy. About your age, I'd say. He was quite upset that his weapons and training were of little use, but I think the looks of me alone are unspeakable enough."

[ahzreal]

"An actual goddess?" Tak asks, her look serious. "Not just some really powerful sorceress, or a spirit, but an actual true-to-life goddess?" She lifts a delicate brow slightly.

[The803]

"We paid homage to her, and she taught us things about the past and the worlds beyond this world. She was our goddess for a time, until she was brought low by sadness."

Spoiler

Show

This is a nit-picky world-detail, ahzreal, but Tak's actually asking a meta-game question, like asking Yktiss how many hit points or what monster-template he has. Even the most learned religious scholars on Eberron don't distinguish between powerful sorcerers, spirits, and "actual" gods; if something is worshiped, it is divine. Other campaign worlds, especially Forgotten Realms, treat the gods as just another species of powerful monster and clerics as extensions of their will; Eberron's approach to religion and the divine is more ambiguous and more like the real world. I'm only reminding you of this for future reference, because it's something that everyone on Eberron knows and takes for granted.

In answer to the question, I'm going to put some beliefs into the characters' heads. As Vassals of the Traveler, they would assume these points:

• the "goddess" was a magical creature who formed a cult around herself
• the "goddess" was probably not the Traveler
• there is a chance the "anointed one" could be connected to the Traveler
• do not ever fully trust anything that could be the Traveler

The degree to which individuals believe those points is a matter of how devout they are, and since most Vassals of the Traveler aren't particularly dogmatic, they are meant merely as points of reference.

[darkedge]

Well do you think your goddess might pose any threat to her daughter, lost to madness as she was. Beyond that, you have been quite compliant, are there favors you would like to ask for?

[The803]

Yktiss looks long and hard at Ein. Until now, he has been speaking in a mix of common and goblin so that Ein's translation will be easy, but now he speaks in his native goblin tongue with confidence and power.

"The sorrow of the small goddess is what makes her dangerous. If her daughter has returned, there is a chance she will remember her power and her duties to the Stone Dragon and to my people. There is a chance she will finally break the bonds of the daelkyr and cleanse our delve of their tainted presence."

You feel a twinge of fear and awe as he brings himself to his full height, stone fists clenched and tentacles rearing like angry cobras in the guttering candlelight.

"If this 'anointed one' is the daughter of the small goddess, then I will swear, on my honor as an heir of Dhakaan, to bring her before her mother or die in the attempt. I bear no grudge as yet against the soft new folk of this keep, but if there is yet a chance for me to free my kin, I will not be denied it by mere walls of stone or weapons of steel."

[darkedge]

Ein raises an eyebrow, and talks in goblin with a raised voice. "And would you slaughter those of your people under the sway of the dragon below and in your, for the freedom of those that would remain? Would you be as resolute in insuring the safety of the heir from any madness on the part of the goddess as you would be in bringing the heir before her, even going as far as moving against your goddess for the chance of restoring her? Consider this question well, would you swear to all of this on the honor of Dhakaan?"

[The803]

Yktiss settles down a bit, and casts a grim half-smile at Ein;

"I will decide what oaths I swear, old one, but such ugly thoughts are right to consider. If this 'anointed one' joins the small goddess in madness under the sway of the daelkyr, they must both be destroyed. I must meet with her soon, so that I might better judge her intent.

"Those truly under the sway of the Dragon Below are no longer of my people; they have been changed as I have, many even more so. They have become abominations that must be butchered or driven into the depths of Khyber. There may be some like myself, changed in body but not in spirit, but if we remain abominations in the eyes of my people for our deformities, I, for one, will gladly give up my birthright and submit to exile, or even execution.

"But before I will seek such judgment by the Heirs of Dhakaan, I must first seek an honorable death. I must account for as many of my enslaved delve-brethren as I can, and release them through freedom or death."

[darkedge]

Still talking in Goblin. "It seems she may have been interested in meeting with you as well. I will see what I can do to arrange for your meeting, and your release if I can manage it. I for one plan to leave to inact this meeting no longer then two nights hence. If you hear nothing by then, you know thier answer, but I will still plan on being on the trail. . . Can you keep track of time down here in any way?"