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Melchia will try to Aid Another, helping Selia pull up the rope. If he succeeds, she'll get a +2 on her check.
Aid Another [STR check, DC 10]: (1d20)[19]
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
Your sword slices what was left of the zombie in half.
As you three work together to lift the bucket, a very dirty elven child emerges, trembling with fear. He doesn't seem to be able to speak right now - he can't even cry.
You are able to patch up the largest scratch he has, but you know it won't last long. As you do it, the child gradually stops shaking and then suddenly erupts in a loud cry.
Spoiler
I allow these Pathfinder uses of Heal: DC 20 to heal 1 hp, DC 25 to heal 1+Wis hp. They still take one hour to perform, and without a healer's kit you have a -2 to Heal checks.
After helping the child out, Rubido made a point to grab his crossbow. Maybe I should've focused more on first aid before I started adventuring. I'm going to check out the shed to see if there's anything useful in it.
In the hut, you find a lot of common tools for surviving in the forest, as well as a score of necklaces made with various forest fruits. No odd or interesting items, though.
The description of the child you've been given matches the kid you found.
Rubido takes a look at the boy after checking the shed. Description matches. I just need to ask the obvious question. "I know you've just been through quite an experience. But you're safe with us. What's your name?"
The kid calms a bit after you reassure him. He breathes in some air, then still sobbing he answers: "My... My... My name is Zadsa. Please take me to mo-mommy!" He starts crying again.
Melchia approaches the boy, gazing at him as if looking at him for the first time, as if he is only now acknowledging his presence as a living thing. Kneeling down to his level, he speaks softly to him, staring directly into his eyes.
"Relax, Zadsa. You are safe now. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"
The question was a formality, however. Silently, subtly, he tried to alter the boy's disposition towards himself, using his will alone.
Spoiler
Melchia will manifest Attraction on Zadsa, expending his psionic focus to boost the save DC. Zadsa is entitled to a DC 15 Will save. On a failure, he will become attracted to Melchia, making him interested in, and wanting to be near, Melchia. Melchia will gain a +4 bonus on social interaction skill checks with the boy. All of this will last for 1 hour.
On a success, nothing happens.
Melchia will make a Concentration check to try and manifest the power without its display, DC 16: (1d20+6)[26]
This is a telepathy Charm effect, so the elf racial bonus on saving throws might apply.
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
Last edited by CockroachTeaParty : 10-10-2011 at 01:34 AM.
"Yes, we will return you home soon. How did you get trapped down in that well, Zadsa?"
Melchia's voice remains level, calm, almost soothing. He never takes his eyes from the boy.
Spoiler
Diplomacy check, if necessary, with a +4 bonus: (1d20+6)[18]
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
The child looks at Melchia in a shy way and smiles. "It's because I didn't do what my father says. He will be angry at me if he knows, he will beat me. He told me not to go near the Druid's house, but I wanted to see what was there. Then I saw the well and climbed down, there was something noisy there. And it was a monster! I am going to tell this to all of my frie-"
The kid only now notices the other corpse, the one that came out of the hut. He startles. "The Druid! You killed him! Why did you do it?"
Melchia does not follow the child's gaze, but keeps it locked on the boy.
"We did not kill the druid; he had turned into a monster by the time we arrived here. Someone must have created these monsters using dark magic. Did you see anyone else around here?"
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of the strange blue discs they found in the hidden room underneath the temple, before they made it out of town.
"Do you recognize this symbol? Do you know what it means?"
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
"I don't think I saw anyone..." mutters the boy. "Oh, that is a common thing. It is of an old religion or something. The Druid told us many tales about it, but the priest in city said that it's all bad things to say and that Pelor is the true religion. He gets angry when he hears people talk about that s-symbol."
The sun is slowly setting. As the clouds in the sky become red, the light starts to dim and the temperature falls a bit, also because of the insistent wind.
"Were there any other children that knew about the secret passage beneath the temple? Were there any other children with you recently?"
Melchia is careful to keep his voice soft and calm; he didn't want to seem like he was interrogating the boy, rather just asking him questions to make sure everything was okay.
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
Now the boy's voice becomes almost gleeful. "Yes! I showed this to almost all of my friends! It's a shame that many of them don't hang out with us anymore. Their parents always say that they don't want to go out. But I didn't anger them!"
Melchia wondered whether the boy's enthusiasm had wound up causing the death of some other children, such as some of the bodies they saw in the charnel pit of the feral humanoids. Such accusations could wait, of course. He stands, and looks to his companions.
"Well, we should return young Zadsa to his home. It would seem our task is complete."
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
Selia nods. She stayed quiet during the questioning of the child, deciding that her ally would be better at getting answers, seeing as he'd gotten him to stop panicking. She was, however, thinking about the baby-thing in the cave. It ate meat, probably at least, so for a while it would be alright...but at the same time, the adult thing had spoken, albeit brokenly, when one of the others had been killed, so they probably needed enough time to mature that it would need someone to take care of it. It was too young to fend for itself, for sure, and there hadn't been any real sign of inherent evil in the adults. Thinking back on it, it might have been possible for them to communicate with the creatures, seeing as one of them spoke.
Then again, to simply leave the thing to die would be to show clear weakness. The bard considers the path the group took. Perhaps they could go close enough to the cave that she could do something. However, taking it into the town would create quite a few problems, but perhaps she could bring food to it occasionally enough to keep it alive...
Selia raises her eyebrows and turns to the others. Hesitant to make unnecessary noise, she simply points into the room with her thumb and raises one eyebrow, shrugging her shoulders at the same time.
I'm beginning to see a trend here, Rubido thought. He resisted the urge to sigh loudly. He motions for everyone to hide and listens near the door to try and figure out what is going on.
Despite the distance, after a bit of listening you are able to understand that the voice is that of an elderly male. You even understand some words, and they are mostly lamentations. Sentences like "why did you do this to me?" mostly, that you can hear.
It doesn't sound like he's dangerous. Wonder if I can surprise him? With that thought, Rubido would take a look around the corner to see if he had a clear way to sneak up on the man, if he did, let the sneaking commence.
As you start walking down the tunnel, the person on the other hand doesn't seem to notice you. You can see clearly now, that he is the local priest. He is still lamenting, and you see him continuously open drawers, move things around, pick up one of the blue symbols in quiet rage and so on.
Melchia keeps his back to the wall, risking a peek over at the priest. He whispers to his companions in the darkness.
"What should we do? Zadsa, do you know that priest?"
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Will you take the rocket launcher?
Zadsa whispers back. "Yes, that is our priest. He always says bad things about those blue symbol. He is a good person and always gives us sweets when he has some. I think he will be angry if he finds me in here, he always says that we must not enter the forbidden rooms in the church."
Now what to do, what to do...I guess all I can do is keep the guy busy. I'm fairly sure they can't all sneak past him. Rubido would attempt to sneak up on the priest and scare him into submission by putting his sword to the priest's throat. While it wasn't a good idea in the long run, Rubido wasn't the religious type.
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