Arabesu's Eyes of the Lich Queen - IC

[Arabesu]

The poison dusk addresses the blackscales in draconic, with one eye held steady on trent like a man sized chameleon. <"Our captors wish to know what is in the cage. I know it is some beast, obviously. Could you indulge them by elaborating?">

The blackscale bows his head and thinks for a minute mulling the words 'indulge them by elaborating' under his breath as if sounding them out. Then he straightens and speaks, <"Big ape. We throw prisoners in to feed it. It rend. Very funny. Ha Ha Ha.">

The poison dusk grimaces at the blackscale's macabre joke and addresses Rosa, "Spy mistress,* did you catch that? Do I need to explain what he means?"

* - The lieutenant has mistaken Rosa for an operative of The Trust. A gnomish organization of spies and assassins that operates like a secret police in Zilargo. Clearly he has traveled abroad, but does not understand the significance of whisper gnome versus a true blooded gnome. He probably infers that she is of a roguish profession and has leapt to a conclusion slightly off target.


OOC: I need spot checks from everyone. Those involved in the discussion, i.e. Trent and Rosa, are considered distracted (so @ -5).

 

[renau1g]

Fenwick calls Hoppy over to him from Rosa and turns his attention away from the current scene and watches their back in case any more of the smaller lizardfolk are attempting to sneak up on them.

[sblock=Rolls]
Spot (1d20+3=14)
[/sblock]

 

[moritheil]

Rosa nods at the poison dusk, and translates for Trent. How much does this lizardman know? she wonders.

"They have some sort of ape, possibly a dire ape, in the cage. Its captivity is apparently a source of humor for the larger blackscales. I imagine that under their treatment it is quite ill-tempered."

She carefully scrutinizes the poison dusk. Certainly he is more intelligent than normal, but for an outsider to know of the Trust is quite unusual. Is he a former adventurer? Has he traveled? She looks for some indication. "You know of our ways," she says in draconic.

So surprised is she that she loses awareness of her surroundings.

Spot at -5 (1d20 4=6)

OOC: Rosa finds this more than a little ironic, but she is very curious how an outsider knows of the Trust.

 

[Vertexx69]

With the blackscale well in hand, Hightower's rattling chain vanishes from it's resting place around his chest and appears in his still free hand. Just as a matter of course in a still possibly hostile area, he scan the clearing again, eyeing the still forms of the other lizard folk after the acting job that the leader just pulled. Spot: (1d20+5=23)

 

[Arabesu]

The poison dusk responds simply, "I have traveled throughout southern Korvaire. Indeed, I have gone to places few know of and through stealth and my observations I have learned many secrets." He slowly unbuckles his belt. "Now. Where were we." looking at Trent and then back to Rosa, "You were going to agree to let me go if I tell you the secrets of my magic."
_____________________________________________________________________________

As Trent, Rosa, and the Lieutenant are conversing, Hightower senses slight movement to the north. Looking in that direction he gazes upon the front of the temple. The portico is comprised of a stone roof supported by thick white columns covering a steeply stepped dais. Hanging down from the roof edge are a number of strips of a kudzu-like tangle of vines. The strips of vines and shadows they cast on the columns behind them and steps below give the illusion of sharp teeth and the whole portico looks not unlike the mouth of some terrible reptilian beast; slightly open. The vines also conceal the area on the dais somewhat, deepening the shadow cast by the roof above.

It was the swaying of one of these hanging strips of vines that caught Hightower's attention. The wind is light here and the rest of the vines are quiescent. As it settles and stills, Hightower guesses that someone or something had held the vines aside to spy upon them, and believing that they would be spotted, had let the vines fall back to their natural position. He scans the gloom behind the vines carefully, but sees no one. Whomever or whatever was watching them seems to have retreated away from them, deep into the temple proper.

 

[Vertexx69]

After the movement has stopped, Hightower turns back to the rest of the group. "We are being watched by something from the temple there. Ask the lizard what dwells in that place, and if it is going venture out in darkness to devour us while we rest." He returns his gaze to the trees, wondering as to where the rest of the group wandered off to.

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

"If there are others in that temple, then we are sure to find them soon enough. We shouldn't ignore our guests for now," he says, hinting at their captive audience.

"Let's take a look at the ape creature. Perhaps we can think of a creative way to use it to our advantage..."

Trent then goes about examining the huts, the cage, and removing all weapons from their captives. Then he takes an account of the findings, while turning to the shapeshifting one of their group.

"Think you can get into the woods, then double back as a bird or something, to the Temple entrance, and find out who is there watching us? It might help out if we know if they are friend or foe..."

 

[moritheil]

"Yes, we accept your surrender," replies Rosa in draconic, loud enough for all lizardfolk to hear. "Our discussion of surrender terms was not complete. Of course you will not be further harmed. Safety is what you were offered and this we will honor. Our desire is to see that we are not further harmed. Your weapons and magic are now ours. We will release you, but after some delay, as is our custom. This is no insult, but respect for your ability as warriors. The heat of battle has been known to tempt proud warriors to take fresh weapons and return."

A small trickle of blood escapes her lips and she wipes it away with the back of her hand. "I don't suppose you have antitoxins or healing?" she asks Trent. She then repeats her explanation of terms in common, for the benefit of her allies. "Some of us may want to take all weapons from the other camp as well," she points out.

OOC: Rosa has a potion of lesser vigor that she will use if her ally has no healing spell. She does not want to stay wounded with all these prisoners close at hand.

 

[Arabesu]

loot!

"Very well, assemble a pile of items and I will explain their utility." He watches as Trent pulls gaudy gold chains off of the three blackscales from the western camp including the still conscious, but bound, survivor. Additionally, the poisondusks had a number of useful items similar to those that ambushed the group less than a half-hour earlier. He is still stacking the gear into a neat pile, and hasn't yet inspected the cage or journeyed to the blackscale camp, while the group continues their conversation with the captive poisondusk.

"By the way, my name is Verdin. Yours is?" looking to Rosa and then to the rest. Continuing, "Your forces are formidable, but no doubt the temple is now on alert; most of us have keen ears and while the signal was eratic its meaning is clear. However, in at least one fashion you have an advantage. You have captured me. I know of a safe haven just over that rise. I used to go to it when I wished to be alone. I will take you. Clearly you have need of rest. No one in the temple is aware of it, and I believe they will be wary to attack without some plan. Perhaps you have the time you need to clean out our camp before they become bold. I doubt they will be able to find you, assuming you do a passable job of hiding yourselves." As the pile is nearly full he identifies all of the items save one.

Faris and Saris have still not returned yet, apparently detained by the terrain or perhaps they were distracted by some other feature of the temple. The whole time that he gathers this gear up, Rosa converses with the lieutenant and Hightower stares at the temple but sees no further movement.

Surveying the pile of gear and loot from the combined encounters with poisondusks and blackscales you find that you have collected the following so far (OOC i.e. includes the loot from the previous encounters):

Four potions of cure moderate wounds, Four sets of gaudy draconically themed jewelry (560 gp each), four large greatclubs, and four large javelins; five small masterwork longbows, two small masterwork composite longbows with +2 strength pull, seven small masterwork longswords, seven small masterwork bucklers, seven reed whistles, 128 arrows, 4 broad leaf arrows (slashing rather than piercing damage), 2 amulets of natural armor +1, 8 doses of refined spotted toad stool venom (fort DC 16, 1d6 str/1d6 con) plus numerous spent vials for the stuff; 36 small dragonshards with a total value of 162 gp and alchemical tools/equipment useful for purifying and refining poisons are found in the smaller huts. Lastly, the lieutenant removes his fine quality belt and places it on top of the pile, which even at arms reach is obviously of the finest quality.


"Alas, no, I have no antitoxin. My belt is a healing belt, but it is spent for the day. I will hold on to the identity of the command word as a guarantee of my safety. Tomorrow before it recharges at sunrise I will take my leave and shout the command word to you as I depart. Is that fair?"


OOC Faris and Saris are not available to you. Make it work without them.

OOC Oh, and I need those last two fort saves for Hightower and Rosa.

I'm going to hold off on ID'ing the DC for you above until you decide if you want to use action points. Normally you could technically only use one action point for the poisoning since you were each hit twice in the same round and thus you would check simultaneously for the two doses. However I want you to have the chance to use AP for none, one, or both rolls if you desire. So I am going to ignore that technicality this one time.

 

[Vertexx69]

Hightower's eyes widen as the poison's effects once again assault his senses. While the first burst barely even registers on him, the poison's last blast takes a hold in him as his strength is well and spent. Fort: (1d20+6=23, 1d20+6=7)