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Sophiel hold tight onto the kobold leader, uninterested by its observation. She simply remained hovering in place, knowing that there was little she could do to match the offensive power of her companions. Besides, they had things well in hand, and the celestial never favored killing anything but the vile of heart. Fearsome as they may be, she did not believe the predators to be evil.
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
Well at least this will help bleed off some aggression. No sport at all. Maybe the kobolds will eat well tonight. Excalith called jeeringly as he once again brought up his arms to slam them down into the creature.
Spoiler
Power Attack for 9 on the uncharmed one
Attack (1d20+17)[28]
Damage (4d6+28)[42]
Stun DC 34 (in case of a 4 again) (1d4)[4]
The unheld panther drops to the ground, dead. The kobolds all ready their crossbows, aiming at the locked up animal. They look to Rrrlaf for guidance. Calling to him in Draconic as they spread out in a rough circle around it You want us to kill it?
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Celeste leads the animal gently, not wanting to appear threatening. She says to all, "Lower your weapons for now. This one will BE friendly to us for the time being. If there something you need it to pull? If we want to keep it alive, we may wish to heal it somewhat as well."
Descending softly towards the ground, Sophiel lets Rrrlaf down onto its feet. "I have faith in her magic." The celestial assured the kobolds, "As long as it is not provoked, the beast will remain tame."
Turning to Celeste, "My kind are friends to the natural world; If you could keep it tame with your magic for a few weeks... I may be able to teach it to refrain from sating its hunger without your compulsions, and even to serve our purposes."
As she stroked the back of the animal's neck, Sophiel gave a dry, almost sinister smile as she remarked to her companions, "I find these beasts would make for better companions than most mortals, at least. In simplicity, they are not subject to such things as avarice or hatred."
Spoiler
In other words, a Handle Animal check to domesticate the panther, though Greyen is free to veto, since the PHB says nothing about taming a magically compulsed animal, or an animal that would claw out your throat if it wasn't under a compulsion...
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
We shall butcher this one and take it home also. We are only a few hours away from the village anyway. Hopefully we will have no more attacks. He turns and barks orders at the other kobolds, who swarm the dead panther and Rahna skinning and swiftly butchering the dead. They make a great mess and are very cheerful in the process. There is a small scuffle over the heart of the dead panther before Rrrlaf intervenes taking the still warm mass of meat the size of a watermelon and presents it to Excalith. The mighty deserve the heart of the fallen as their due. The liver is portioned out amongst the rest of the kobolds and the others of you, The liver is for strength. it is customary to eat of the fallen before it spoils. He begins eating noisily, gore dripping from his chin.
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Zariel watched the customs of the kobolds closely, noting once again the respect for strength and brute force that seemed to be a hallmark - or at least a respect for power. That would prove quite useful - and perhaps an easy way to convert them to Trual's path, if they could demonstrate his strength to these creatures. they might even prove perfect for creating Trual's idol...
Excellent... we look forward to meeting the rest of your folk. We herald the coming of great things to this world, and I'm sure your folk will be in the forefront of helping us achieve them.
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"I think not." Sophiel said to the kobold as it presented the panther's liver, "I have enough strength as it is, and my contribution to the battle is not worth such...'praise'."
Looking around, Sophiel seems almost saddened by the panther's affinity for the shadowy depths of the forest around them. "That beast will be saddened when it realizes the fate of its' companion." the angel sullenly remarked.
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
Rrrlaf looks puzzled for a moment at Sophiel before turning away saying If you do not want to be strong... He shrugs and shouts some orders to the troops who begin to drive the ranha down the road once again.
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Celeste makes a showing of eating the liver bits. "It's not like we can get sick from this, fellas. Granted, I prefer cooked liver, but this will do in a pinch." she thinks to all of her outsider allies. "One can never be too strong, Rrlaf. Panther liver isn't half bad, but I think I'm too full for any Ranha meat for now."
The kobold troop their slow path toward the foothills that you can eventually see as the forests thins into woods and then hills. A few small clearings and breaks in the branches ahead alow you to see steep sharp mountains far on the horizon. The road runs straight only diverting to cross streams at small stone bridges that are very well made and maintained. These bridges bear marks of their dwarven makers on the end caps. A few times you all can catch glimpses of the panther stalking along in the forest, shadowing your footsteps. You all alos notice that occaissionally Rrrlaf moves to the noses of each Ranha feeding them something as they move along.
As the day passes into evening you come to a small fork in the road wher you all turn to the south. A stone pillar carved in draconic marks the edge of kobold territory. The woods are a little denser than you have been traveling in, harkening back to the primordial forest you left earlier that day. As you move south ward you all hear a barking in draconic coming from in the woods to your left, which Rrrlaf answers back with another series of barks. As you all round a bend in the road a steep drop marks the entrance into a cleared area.
Set into a natural bowl the road circles the edge dropping in a spiral to the center where a large cavern opens. There are several smaller caverns set into the couple hundred meter wide depression. You can see a few kobolds venturing about on some ledges but there are just those few seen. Standing at the edge of the bowl, Rrrlaf steps to a large flat stone that is intricately carved at the lip of the bowl. There he takes a striker stone and smacks them together three times like a gavel. We are announced. Come we will put the beasts away and I will take you to [Winged Elder]
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Concious of their appearance and wanting to make an impression, Zariel follows confidently after Rrrlaf, his wings spread wide, eager to meet this Winged Elder and curious what he will prove to be.
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Waetir takes a better grip on the homunculus before moving forward, allowing his innate invisibility to cover himself and the creation. "I would rather be overly cautious, than loose the creation."
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Most excellent Rising Echo avatar created by GryffonDurime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cardea
That is the scariest two lines I have read in a forum of any kind.
Take two internets, a cookie and a vorpal sword, please.
Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, drunkeness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.
As you all reach the floor of the bowl, several other kobolds come out of small caverns near the mouth of the largest cavern. These circle the guards and begin leading the Ranha's away. After a moment only Rrrlaf and yourselves are left.
Rrrlaf begins to lead you down into the mouth of the main cavern. There are no natural lights, but that is not a problem for you. As you decend you can see that the natural lloking cavern mouth is actually a finely crafted facade. The cavern is a worked tunnel. You can see that small but skilled workers have decorated it in fantastic scenes of dragons and kobolds. There are many of them that are of a single kobold fighting amongst gnomes and coming out victorious, Kertlmak the Kobold God-Hero. As the route moves downward several branches and galleries come off the main passage that you travel down. After several hundred feet of downward movement you come to a set of large bronze doors. These are carved into the form of an uprising dragon. Grasping a claw handle Rrrlaf says to you all before entering The [Winged Elder]'s chamber. We go now to present you to him. Please allow me to speak first.
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Celeste walks confidently at the side of Rrlaf, happy that they'll have their chance to work with a being of local influence. "There's a lot of kobolds here. If we can convert them all, we'll be much closer to our goal." she thinks to her allies. Pointing to some of the scenes in the tunnel, she says, "Those are some finely-crafted bas-reliefs, Rrlaf. It must be a great hero being depicted for so many gnomes to be defeated."
Kurtulmak was the greatest of all kobolds. Rrrlaf says in respectful tones. He qiickly changes gears But now is time to meet the [Winged Elder], keeper of our tribe. Rrrlaf walks the last fes steps to the doors before pushing them open. The Dorrs swing as if on smoothly oiled hinges. They are large enough so that even Excalith can walk through with out stooping.
The chamber beyond is quite large, and very well lit. There are singular chains hanging from the ceiling of the chamber every 20 or so feet with a brightly glowing last link, which shed light on the area. The walls are only partially finished. The walls nearest the doors are the ones most finished, with a slow progression to stone walls that still bear marks of the pickax that origianlly hewed them out. You can see 2 kobold workers chipping and smoothing away midway down one of the walls. The primary feature of the room is the skeletal head of an enormous dragon that has 2 brightly glowing pinpoints of light which seem to bore into you as you approach. The skull is supported by a the usual series of bones which proceed into the floor. The floor behind where the neck emerges from is bare stone, unsmoothed. There you can see the gleaming off-white skeleton, trapped forever in the stone of tha chamber. The winges of the beast make up the back wall. You can see the strong but delicate bones of the wings, partially chipped out. You think that the doors to the chamber may have been an image of this ancient relic of a dragon in its prime. The head, easily 15 feet long, does not move. In fact as you all get closer you can see that while the bones are cut cleanly from the stone, it is all a single piece. The draconic skeleton is fused into a single piece of petrified stone.
Rrrlaf steps into the chamber onto a well worn spot on the stone. He kneels and says [Winged Elder] I bring to you strange and powerful beings. Beings who have helped us finish our paper early and walk among us in their true forms. his small voice echoes through the chamber, the accoustics carrying his coversational tone through out the room. He waits a moment then seems to have a small one sided conversation with himself.
Yes lord.
No lord.
I will, lord. I will see to it.
We are planning a festival lord. These great beings helped fell one of a mated pair of the great forest panthers. The other they charmed and allowed to flee. There is a surplus of Ranha meat also lord which needs to be eaten and stored. The tribe will be greater lord.
He stands and turns to you and says It is time for me to leave. I must make arrangements. When you are done just rap the stone next to the door. He walks out closing the doors behind him.
A moment after he leaves a respectful, deep and all together old and tired voice comes into your minds <Greetings outsiders. You may call me [Winged Elder]. Why do you come as you are into these lands? Why do you interfere with my little tribe?>
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Zariel examined the massive creature in silence for a moment, taking its measure - it seemed as if he had been right, or at least parially so. But what bound the spirit of the wyrm to its husk? Why did it linger in the mortal world? Was it an accident? Or the will of the thing?
Greetings, [Winged Elder]... We do not mean to interfere, at least not in a way that will bring harm to your tribe. We are... emissaries. Agents from the God Trual - He wishes to manifest Himself in this world and bring it under his guidance... your people seemed well-disposed towards us, so we wished to offer our respect to their leader and discuss the possibility of an alliance.
Spoiler
Diplomacy - (1d20+24)[35]
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Giving a respectful bow, the elf-demon explains further their interactions with the kobolds so far. She will show how she only has the best interests of the kobold tribe in mind.
"We do not wish to cause any disturbance within your tribe, Winged Elder. Your people and us happened to be travelling the same way when we were attacked by some squatters in the forest. Our involvement was mainly to defuse the situation so as little of your people died as possible. Our leader Trual prefers to avoid senseless blood-shed and I believe you and your people could benefit much from his teachings. Of course, he is no push over either. If violence is indeed necessary, we are not afraid to use it, as you can see from some of ourmore...burly members."
Spoiler
Diplomacy roll: (1d20+32)[38] Also, since most of us have True Seeing on, what do we see when we look at the buried skeleton?
Sophiel remained silent, furrowing her brow as she let flow into her body the abilities of her kind; those that allow the angels to see things with eyes unclouded.
Spoiler
Giving the Elder a good once-over with Detect Magic, Detect Evil, Discern Lies, and True Seeing. Just curious.
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
LOTS! Necromancy, Abjuration, Transmutation are the strongest in that order. The skeleton is nearly blinding with power and active or old magics. The walls/floor/ceiling all glow of abjuration and transmutations, some left over evocations tuff there too.
@Discern Lies
Spoiler
No one is lying as far as you can tell.
@Detect Evil
Spoiler
EVIL! You are stunned for 1 round and the spell ends.
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
The two workers look up suddenly and scamper out of the room through the main doorway behind you. Leaving you alone in the chamber with the petrified wyrm skull. The pinpoints of light flicker for a moment and the lighting dims to near darkness.
The voice comes again <Emmisaries from a god. Interesting. I do not care for the actions of the gods, it is they who have imprisoned me here in this stony form for millenia.>
Another voice comes <Hee HEee hee HEEE We've been trapped forever.>
And finally a third can be heard, barely audible in the mental background noise of the other two <My babies, they war! Must protect my babies!>
The primary voice carries on over the others, seemingly unknowingly of them Tell me of this Trual. I have not heard of this GOD.
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Waetir appears, holding the homunculus. Not that is was probably necessary, a being like this most likely could see him anyways. But best to not even look like he was trying to hide. Not when they were speaking with the [Winged Elder]. "Lord Trual is the god of change and continuation, but also that of neutrality. His teachings preach that all should work together, and that no chain should bind a man, except the yoke he chooses on his own. Each of us swore our loyalty to Him, and have been granted new forms and powers, marking us as His servants. But He does not enforce His will over us, we follow Him willingly."
Waetir takes a hand from the homunculus and holds it open towards the skeleton head, showing the spider mark on his palm. "We have come to this Material Plane with a mission to find followers for Lord Trual. Possibly, we could find followers among your people, but we would not wish to do so behind your back, so to speak."
Spoiler
Aid another Diplo for Celeste: (1d20+8)[17]
__________________
Most excellent Rising Echo avatar created by GryffonDurime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cardea
That is the scariest two lines I have read in a forum of any kind.
Take two internets, a cookie and a vorpal sword, please.
Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, drunkeness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.
<The followers of Kurtulmak will not be pleased that you are trying to convert their people. I do not care either way. <New playthings>This is my tribe and they shall do as I tell them to. I do not meddle in their religious affairs though. You can attempt to sway them toward your god but I do not think you will be very successful with out proving first that your god is stronger.><The mines! The war in the mines. My babies are in the mines.> Again the eyes dim for a moment. It continues once more, seemingly more in control <Go now and experience my tribe. I will speak with you again on the rising of the moon tomorrow.>
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
Sophiel stiffened at the sight of the great beast's true nature. Her eyes squinted and she bit her lip as its evil overwhelmed her senses. As it demanded them to leave, the angel staggered away from the undead monstrosity's presence, bracing herself against a wall with one hand the moment she was beyond its sight. Sophiel stood there, catching her breath as she waited for the other outsiders to join her.
"That thing..." She whispered with her own mouth, fearing that it might detect her thoughts, "I have witnessed only one source of evil greater; that of an abyssal lord my legion once had the misfortune of facing... And the magics around it are truly worth the gods' ire."
Rubbing her forehead with the other hand, the celestial sighed. "This being... I find its existence unsettling." She admitted. "I shall commune with our master on this subject..."
Turning to a kobold (if there was one nearby), Sophiel asked, "I require some solitude. Take me someplace where I can meditate."
__________________ Paragon Badger (14 HP)
Str 23, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 17, Wis 27, Cha 19
AC: 33, Claw: +29 Melee (1d2+19)
Body by Jake Army. Avatar by Kyace.
Rrrlaf is waiting outside the chamber. He looks concerned at Sophiel's request but simply says I will take you to the guest chambers. He looks at Excalith and says I am sorry but we do not have anything large enough to accomodate you. We will have to make do for now. We are going to be feasting and celebrating this evening in the bowl.
He then leads you all back out to the bowl and into a large natural opening at the ground level. Just inside the opeing it changes into a finely furnished hall that opens into four chambers, three human sized bedrooms and a bathing area.
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Excellent Avatar of Uri by Retun of Lanky (Aka Lanky Bugger)
The diabolic creature looked around at the guest chambers, nodding. It didn't really matter - it wasn't as if he had to sleep. Seems I was both incorrect and correct at once... curious, it seems to have effected our angelic companion most severely. What are your impressions of the creature?
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