Dark Days in Sion - Act 2: Scene 2

[narayan]

Act 2: Scene 2

​

Continent of Akhenaten

Kingdom of Vulkh & Surrounding Region; Year 3500 - 10th day of Mid Spring
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< We are on DDS 212 now on rolz.org... please everyone roll up new Fate Pools ​>


Cavern of the Underfolk Aridu Tribe, Crushers Stronghold


Ania, Ersun, Half-Troll, Vakus

You remain within the dank, dimly lit tunnel between two identical gates about twenty feet apart. The air within stinks of half-rotten meat and old bloodstains. Both walls of the tunnel have been crudely excavated to make a holding cell (complete with iron bars) opposite a living space on the other. The eyes of the elderly goblin almost seem to glow in the deep shadows as he climbs atop a waist-high platform before the living space and seats himself behind a low desk at eye level with you.

Beside the platform, seated on a bench, is one of the most hideous looking humanoids you've ever laid eyes on. He has putrid grayish skin with less body hair than a typical underfolk. His exceedingly broad shoulders are hunched forward and sagging exaggerating the already unnatural long reach of his arms. His hands are oddly large, clawed and very strong looking.

Currently with one hand he grasps what looks like another humanoids forearm from which he rips strips of flesh off with the aid of fangs jutting out from beneath a grotesquely hooked nose. You'd guess if he stood to its full height this beastly being would stand about eight feet tall and carry nearly three hundred pounds of muscle.

His clothing is little better than rags with a patchwork of chain hauberks strapped around his torso as armor. A heavy bladed axe is tucked into a belt around his waist along with a wickedly curved dagger. He stares at the pair of you as though literally sizing you up as pieces of meat he might chew on.

Vakus meanwhile begins to shuffle papers around on his desk by the light of a single candle. (For a moment, you even wonder if this Goblin can actually read?!)

Vakus: -Speaking Goblin- "So you wish to pass through yesss?" He asks imperiously.

Ania: Corrects him. -Speaking Goblin- "It is not a wish, it is an order. As I said we are on an important errand for Crusher himself."

Vakus: Frowns. "So you say... but I take my job very seriously, as you know Ania. I will not be dissuaded from my duty!"

Ania: Nods. "I know the drill Vakus. Lets not waste any time..."

Vakus: Smiles for a split second before he stands and looks to the... thing... beside him. --Speaking Undercommon- "Hold her!"He orders.

With a grunt the thing rises from its bench and tucks the arm it was chewing inside its waist band for later, still dribbling with blood, and moves to reach for Ania. She does not appear to be alarmed however.

[Ersun: Make a Knowledge: Dungeoneering, DC 16. Check to know what type of humanoid that is who is taking orders from Vakus]

[Results of Dungeoneering: You are able to identify the other humanoid beside Vakus that reaches for Ania. It is a Half-Troll! A loathsome being possessing much of the strength and appetite for flesh of a troll with the patience and cunning of an underfolk. These abominations are extremely rare and generally are not permitted to live if they are found while they are still young. Those that do reach adulthood (usually far from the tribe) are typically shunned from civilization.

Most Warmages consider lone half trolls too dangerous to live among the tribe, but on some occasions half trolls are employed by powerful merchants or underworld bosses who vouch for them. Crusher would no doubt qualify as a figure with enough influence not to be challenged by the Warmages for one half troll guard.]

The half troll stands to its full height, nearly eight feet, and easily grasps Ania's arms with over sized clawed hands. She looks uncomfortable to say the least, but by the set of her jaw she appears resolved to get it over with. As the half troll holds her still the goblin clambers down from his desk and gest his hands busy searching her possessions.

Vakus: "You've been a busy girl..." He says rummaging through her robes' many pockets and pouches. "...and here again is the bag of holding you used to smuggle in this fellow..." He comments glancing towards Ersun. "He'll be next of course..."

Ania: "I am aware of that Vakus." She says matter-of-factly.

Vakus: Nods with apparent pleasure with her obedience with procedure. "You are a model of cooperation as usual Ania... so you should not be bothered by a new security precaution..." He adds with a sneer.

Ania: Swallows. "New security precaution?" She asks with thinly veiled concern.

Vakus: "Yes, something new and quite effective. It is a truth-potion, very strong. One swallow and you have to answer any question I ask with complete honesty."

Ania: Frowns. "Such a thing does not exist."

Vakus: Grins. "Believe me I had my doubts as well, but rest assured it works exactly as I claim." He says producing a strange vial of white liquid.

Ania: "Forgive me for taking offense, but such a demand is beyond tolerance! Where did you get it? Who made it?"

Vakus: Chuckles. "I am under no obligation to tell you! And you are in no position to argue. You will abide by this new procedure or else!" He spits testily.

Ania: Glances towards you Ersun with genuine panic in her eyes. You note her body gets tense and the half troll's grip appears to become much harder. Ania actually grimaces and cries out. "You're hurting me!"

The half troll grins with a very bloody smile, perhaps already savoring another meal to come...

[Ersun: What do you do?]
__________________________________________________ ________

<Start of Round 1>

• Bleeding Damage ( * )
  
• Fire Damage ( # )
  
• Cold Damage ( @ )
• Spell Damage ( ^ )
• Poison Damage ( ! )

The order of initiative is:
(22) Vakus
(21) Half Troll (-22^)
(06) Ersun
(06) Ania
__________________________________________________ ________

[Initiative: 6]

[if Early Move Action: Drawing Weapon and Positioning]
Ersun quickly reacts and positions himself while drawing his sword. He moves so to get onto the goblin’s side so it would be harder for the half-breed to come and charge or flank him.

[Early Move Action: At the start of a normal round, if you’ve had a chance to roll initiative, you can take a half-move action before your turn. You can use this move to back away from a threat or find cover, or ready an item. This uses up the move action you would normally get on you turn as you merely took your move action early. Moving early in this fashion still provokes AOO’s against you if it normally would.]

You successfully draw your blade and step to the side of Vakus, placing him between you at the Half Troll (Early Move Action)

Ania: Attempts to dart to your side (Early Move Action)(Provokes attack of opportunity from the Half Troll)

Half Troll: -Speaking Undercommon- "Aaaaargh!" It roars grasping for her with bloodied claws!

(Unarmed Attack, Attempt to initiate a grapple: = 13, Hit!)(Location: Gut)

The Half Troll's claws manage to grab Ania's armored robes around her waist as he attempts to drag her into his clutches once again!

(Opposed Grapple Check: = 23)

Meanwhile Ania struggles to get out of his grip!

Ania: (Opposed Grapple Check: = 9, Fail)

The Half Trolls freakish strength is too much for her to overcome as he attempts to dig his claws in through her armored robes!

Half Troll: (Attack Roll to Penetrate her Armored Robes: = 17, Miss)(Damage: 10, no damage to armor due to hardness)

The half trolls claws only manage to scrape against the armored plates sewn into her robes and she suffers no damage, yet she still remains tightly in his grip.

Vakus: "Traitors!" He squeals pulling a wand from his sleeve (Move Action) attempting to point it at you Ersun and speak a command word. This provokes an attack of opportunity from you Ersun.

[Ersun: What do you do?]

 

[Shun001]

Kryslogious

Frustrated beyond measure, Garrisan hastily takes his leave striding back the way you came cursing bitterly. As he departs, Malic acknowledges the armored strangers words with a nod, though he clearly remains uneasy about him.

Malic: -Speaking Common to Kryslogious- "Alic sharpens that axe every evening, fortunate for you that your armor is fine enough to prevent a more serious wound."

Alic:-Speaking Dwarven to Malic- "Perhaps more fortunate for me that the skull of a StoneBones dwarf is harder than a rock!" He jokes while tying off the bloody bandage around his head and grimaces. "What do you think father? Should I let the stranger 'tend to my wounds'?"

Malic: -Answers back to Alic in Dwarven- "If they wanted to finish us off at this point they wouldn't have to resort to trickery. So far as this goes we might as well trust them knowing mighty Moradin is watching over us."

Alic: -Speaking Dwarven- "Does it not shame us to receive aid from a human cleric?"

Malic: -Speaking Dwarven- "No son, it does not shame us. It honors them rather to be able to aid a warrior son of Moradin, even if they might not see it that way."

Alic: Grunts and calls back to Wrenwil. -Speaking Common- "Yes sir you may tend to my wounds!"

Meanwhile Malic continues to look upon the armored knight scratching at his beard before he finally works up the nerve to ask...

Malic: -Speaking Common to Kryslogious- "Who are you strange one and why have you appeared?" He asks.

The rest of the caravan begins to move forward again now that the battle has ended. None of the others seem interested in comment except the Mgorongoron bard who timidly approaches Ordechai for an introduction.

[Kryslogious, Wrenwil: What do you do?]

Seeing that Garrisan had left them he decides to offer himself some relief before answering the dwarf. He loosens the scarf and picks at the latching belts on his helm. With a release of tension the helm is free and he removes it. Locks of golden blond hair fall upon his scarf slightly longer then shoulders length, his face clean shaven with a broad defined jaw. He peered out into the light for the first time with his brilliant blue eyes quickly shading himself with his free arm til they can adjust. After taking in his surroundings he wiped his sweaty forehead and musters up a reply for the dwarf.

"Though I myself have trouble remembering everything about who I really am I can tell you what I know." he thinks upon where to start. "I am Kryslogious of Anasteria, a small farming village near Halcilar, and Knight of Saint Vespasian of Pentos. My being lives on in the tome of my legendary tales and I am summoned to serve those who have a legendary wish. My memories and experiences though are sealed within the pages of the tome, I don't have much more to tell you about myself I am afraid."

then...

...a side question staked his mind.

"My lord," he asked Wrenwil "for what cause have you summoned me? I do not recall hearing a legendary wish when I stepped fourth from the light."

 

[97mg]

Wrenwil

Wrenwil breathed a sigh of relief as the Barossan walked off muttering into the distance.

"I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of that one," he mumbled whilst removing the trusty hat and fanning at beads of sweat on his brow.

The old cleric looked to the knight with a smile, and spoke in the ancient tongue of their homeland, "Kryslogious, it is my honor to make your acquaintance." His elderly hand gave the fellow a friendly tap to the shoulder, but did not rest there too long...

"Indeed you must be burning up in there. This man, Ordechai handed me the Tome, and with all my resolve did I resist to read further, for fear of consequence. I did not knowingly summon you my friend, though your arrival has saved many a man from death here on this confounded path. You are a free man Kryslogious, in so much as I am grateful to you, and have no intention of preventing you from doing as you wish. As for me, there is no legendary wish that I know or seek. Instead however, perhaps a wish of such magnitude will come in time, if I make it safely to an old friend many miles away in this land. I ask that you come with me, should you wish, and perhaps by each others side, we can form new legends of our own."

As he waited for the knight to contemplate, Wrenwil looked to Alic.

"I am honored by your resolve and assistance today, both you and your father. It seems I have a debt to pay, and so it shall be done."

Tired old fingers hovered above the bleeding and mangled scalp, as old words were spoken to Pentos, words that the knight would know.

[Cure Serious Wounds on Alic, 8HP restored - depending on how bad the injury still appears Wrenwil might do a little more work on it]

 

[Shun001]

Kryslogious

Wrenwil breathed a sigh of relief as the Barossan walked off muttering into the distance.

The old cleric looked to the knight with a smile, and spoke in the ancient tongue of their homeland, "Kryslogious, it is my honor to make your acquaintance." His elderly hand gave the fellow a friendly tap to the shoulder, but did not rest there too long...

"Indeed you must be burning up in there. This man, Ordechai handed me the Tome, and with all my resolve did I resist to read further, for fear of consequence. I did not knowingly summon you my friend, though your arrival has saved many a man from death here on this confounded path. You are a free man Kryslogious, in so much as I am grateful to you, and have no intention of preventing you from doing as you wish. As for me, there is no legendary wish that I know or seek. Instead however, perhaps a wish of such magnitude will come in time, if I make it safely to an old friend many miles away in this land. I ask that you come with me, should you wish, and perhaps by each others side, we can form new legends of our own."

"I thank you for your concern my lord but as long as I am here with the power of the tome I am magically bound to you and influenced by your suggestion." he humbly replies with respect to the notion of him being recognized as free.

"as for not making a wish, there are some rare instances where people are involved or will be involved with a legendary tale which can substitute for the lack of a wish. I find this most fortunate since it opens up my ability to act of my own will and not be forcibly controlled to the guidelines of a strict wish." he nods with appreciation for his fortunate situation.

He peers out to the river and then turns to Wrenwil "I beg to take leave now as I wish to relieve myself from this horrid heat with the water of the river, If you should need my assistance the Tome will surely guide me back."

He then began to trek off towards the river and its inviting comfort. He fiddles with the back of his blue coat to notice a new tear from whence the axe struck him. He frowns to himself as he was fond of the article of clothing wishing to have it repaired when immediately possible. His mind wanders to the sparse shrubbery asking himself if there is nourishment to be had amongst its berries, if they would upset or worse kill him, a question to be asked when he returned.

 

[narayan]

Alic, Bax, Kryslogious, Malic, Ordechai, Wrenwil

Alic: Hrmms "That's better, thank you." He says.

[Wrenwil:You guess the wound is a little less than half healed in truth, but so long as you do not expect further combat today it should not be an issue. Of course you may insist on healing him completely?]

Malic: Pauses at scratching his beard after hearing Kryslogious' explanation, exclaiming... "You dwell within the magic tome?!" ...out loud with piqued curiosity.

Malic and Alic are clearly father and son, but there are more differences between them than just grey hair. Malic keeps his beard thick and square, braiding the strands beneath his jaw through beads marked with runes. The strands beneath his chin are longer and braided through additional beads, though these ones are spaced horizontally rather than vertically. Alic wears his beard plainer, no braids, no beads, and trims it more in the triangular fashion.

Both dwarves wear billowy travel cloaks with hoods. Both cloaks are plain and identical in their brownish color. Each ones carries a round medium steel shield strapped over their backs bearing the painted symbol of the StoneBones clan, a skull made of rock with veins of silver and gold spider-ed through it and a diamond clenched between the teeth.

Malic wears a breastplate over a short sleeve tunic. It is clearly a functional rather than a fashionable piece as its steel is heavily scoured with pitting, dents and spots of rust. Hanging around his neck is a heavy silver chain bearing the anvil holy symbol of Moradin that tinks as he moves. His forearms and the back of his hands are thickly tufted with grey hair. He also wears two rings on each hand. Alic wears a chain-shirt and wears no holy symbol or rings, but he does bear a tattoo of Moradins hammer and anvil on the back of each hand.

[Kryslogious: After you reach the river you notice quite a few trade ships at full sail heading downstream, indicating a sort of mass-migration from whatever lies upstream? You have no difficulties cooling yourself with the water. Determining the edibility of the berries would be a DC 13 Survival check, or a DC 15 Wisdom check.]

 

[thisthingcantbedeleted]

Ersun

Ersun tries to focus on Vakus first and carefully tracks his movements as he takes his position. He sees the goblin fumbling in his sleeve and uses the opening to take a meticulous swing at him with his heavy blade. Meanwhile he assesses what exactly the monstrous pair is equipped with to better deal with them.
(Attack of opportunity; hit roll: 23; damage: 13)

[I am assuming the standard action of Vakus would be attempting to use the wand at Ersun, and that he wouldn’t be dead from that much damage. Depending on the effect of the wand Ersun’s actions could be hindered or changed, so the next part is somewhat conditional, but I think it should be fine.]

He steps in to follow up the swing with a proper offense. Up close, being in enemy territory, and having Ania in the half-troll’s grip makes him leave the planning and witty magic for later, rather his blood starts pumping with the need of breaking out from here.
(Standard attack; hit roll: 15; damage: 13)

 

[Shun001]

Kryslogious

he kneels on all fours reaching his hand into the river he splashes water across his face and hair. He shifts into a seated position undoing the tattered earthen colored scarf from his neck and placing it into the water to soak. He peers amongst the trade vessels, people shuffling across the decks as orders are barked from the captain too far to be understandable.

~sure art a gross amount of people moving down the riv'r~ he thought to himself as he pulled the soaked scarf from the riverside and wrapped it around his neck, pulling it tight dripped the cool relief down into the padded shirt under his plate. heading back towards the camp he sees Wrenwil finished with his treatment and conversing with the dwarves. Thy note his return with an exchange of raised hands and continue their journey.

 

[narayan]

Alic, Bax, Kryslogious, Malic, Oredechai, Wrenwil

Oredechai is not at all receptive to the bards approach. The stress of a chop to the skull and subsequent threats of execution has clearly soured his mood.

The Mongorongoron quickly retreats from an onslaught of obscenities, along with further prompts from the bloodied wooden shard wielded by Oredechais goblin slave.

Meanwhile the rest of the caravan makes its way by without further pause, though certainly not without lingering sidelong stares and hushed commentary. As soon as they pass Malic squares his shoulders and attempts to take charge.

Malic: Clears his throat. "We should move on and keep pace with the caravan. I'll wait to question Ordechai until nightfall."

Ordechai: "Malic, I'll take no responsibility for your safety once I divulge those dark secrets."

Malic: Snorts. "I am no coward. Just be sure you tell all if there is to be any chance for leniency in your trial. Also, I ask for your word that you will not attempt to flee or otherwise avoid answering to this warrant. Do you give it?"

Oredechai: Huffs. "I will not agree to be executed for crimes I did not do, but I will cooperate if I'm treated fairly."

Malic: Nods. "Fair enough. Lets be on our way then."

[Kryslogious, Wrenwil: What do you do? It appears that Malic is ok with carrying on as you were until nightfall.]

 

[Shun001]

Kryslogious

Kryslogious looks to the dwarves as the caravan begins to organise and prepare for its continued march.

"may I ask a favor, It seems this area is not suited for Chivalan full plate. Since you both are familiar with donning armor I ask you help me dismount my gear before we continue." he politely requests of them while pulling the shield and scabbard off his belts and latches to place onto the sand. He starts to quietly hum the tune of a holy Pentos chant.

 

[97mg]

Wrenwil

The old cleric was keen to move on, pleased that the hill dwarves also seemed anxious to be on their way. It had worked out well, far better than expected, they would journey as a group, Ordechai was alive, and it seemed Malic and Alic would be true to their word... for now.

Wrenwil was busting to learn more of the Tome from the knight, it itched at him, the unlikely sequence of events that had played out since stepping aboard the riverboat. The real question was, where was this all leading, what exactly was it that Pentos had set in motion here? The boiling heat and constant activity was taking it's toll, prayer was needed, rest, and maybe some reading time. A peaceful night would make all the difference, but Wrenwil wasn't naive enough to be getting his hopes up too high.

Right now though, the knight, his knight, no... his friend, needed a hand.

He did what he could to assist Kryslogious to wriggle free of the scorching burden, layers of shining steel which singed the tips of the fingers as he worked. ~Let us see what lies beneath.~

"I will gladly share rations with you friend, should you wish to quench your thirst or crave for sustenance. I owe you a banquet, yet can only offer the most simple of trail rations at this point in time. With some rest, and a peaceful evening, I may ask Pentos to grant as edibles and fresh water on the morrow."