The Closed Eye (DM: Halford, Judge: garyh)

[Dunamin]

“Now that’s interesting,” Woe remarks, poking the elf in a missing-nipple wound again. “On an almost related note, don’t you find it thematically fitting that by blinding you we’ve ensured you’ll never be able to see your Unseen Lord?”

He pulls the gang aside for a moment to confer privately – that is, technically, he boots the tied up (former) archer over to a thorny part of the bushes to put it out of whispering earshot.

“So the bugbears betrayed the cult, and the residents of the house have evacuated to a place “beyond our grasp”. That choice of words reminds me of Yarg’s notes.

Veil in isles interior, bears further exploration. Karrimon killed by agents - what of the rest of the party? Persuit dangerous? Tribal religon, pre Daunton? What did they find?

Yarg appears to have suspected the existance of somekind of magical shroud in place in Daunton's interior.

“Now we may have been preoccupied with this picnic patrol, but I’m thinking we still would have noticed a conventional full-scale exodus from the mansion. Perhaps they accessed and fled to this “asylum” that Yarg speaks of through some sort of magical gateway from within the residence? A portal, perhaps, that we may be able to reactivate?”

“Regardless, let’s head in to investigate while the trail is hot. Carefully, though, the joint might be rigged with traps, guardians, or other types of hilarious welcoming parties.”

“Afterwards, we could prod flat-chest here about the Unseen Lord, the bugbears’ treachery, and other recent discoveries.”

[sblock=OOC]

Don't forget that Woe still has that 'wacky tobacky' from back in the apartment. Didn't see it on your character sheet.

Oh yeah, thanks! Added to inventory.

Looks like we might have hit a dead-end with the house, but we could get Neera to lead us to Clank's old place and search it for clues, too.

Good idea, though let’s turn this place inside out first.

After re-reading the entire thread a couple of times to make sure I listed everything important (or vaguely so), I realized this about Tander. In one section, he mentions a 'veil' over his memory. We're searching after opponents with a magical veil. Maybe his memory loss and our enemies are connected? (Good way to bring in back-story...)

Exactly my thoughts! Especially because there’s a nice parallel between an Unseen Lord and Tander not being able to discern the true nature of his god. That’s taking some mighty assumption leaps that we don’t know about the adventure, though.

Oh Mr. DM, what spoils did we find after dealing with the picnic patrol?[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=Ouch!]

“On an almost related note, don’t you find it thematically fitting that by blinding you we’ve ensured you’ll never be able to see your Unseen Lord?”

Man, that's cold![/sblock]

OOC: You know...

If that house is unoccupied, we can burn it down after we finish searching it. Anyone?​

 

[covaithe]

ooc: Uh, whoops. I completely forgot a rather important part of that last post. This is what happens when I finish a post in a hurry because my daughter's crying. :/

[sblock=Tander]He knows something more, but it's hard to tell what. Whatever he's concealing, he's doing it very skillfully.

ooc: I meant to give you more info, but his bluff check was a natural 20. Damn elves...[/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

ooc: No money on the bodies, but there are five sets of slightly used leather armor, a dozen javelins, five simple spears, and two longbows with mostly-full quivers of arrows.

 

[KenHood]

OOC: Let's dump it all in the Bag of Holding. It won't be worth a lot of money, but it will be worth some money.

Hey, Covaithe, you cool with the level-up changes?​

While the party converses, Palindrome casts Ghost Sound on the bushes near the elf.

The sweet (yet thoroughly androgynous) voice of the [insert name of prominent elf god] speaks...
'Oh my dear, sweet child, look at what those horrible monsters have done to you! What wounds you will bear in the afterlife! How shall you draw the bow in the Blessed Realm without your thumbs? How shall you aim the arrow without your eyes? And they will only do more if you do not assuage their hate! Oh my dear, sweet child! Tell them all they desire, and perhaps they shall dispatch you quickly, with wounds that the dew of the Elysium fields can heal!'

OOC: Bluff. (Messing with elf's head.) (1d20+7=27)

Ah-friggin'-ha! Yeah, I get it now. I type in 'generic wizard' for my character's name and suddenly I get a natural 20 on a roll. Uh-huh! Yep. I knew it! The programmers at Invisible Castle are plotting against Palindrome! It's a conspiracy, I tells ya!​

Palindrome snickers.

Then, he looks thoughtful. "Do you think they have any sandwiches in that house?"

 

[covaithe]

Hey, Covaithe, you cool with the level-up changes?[/INDENT]

ooc: To be honest, I haven't looked at them yet. It's about third on my priority list right now, behind updating other games I DM. I know that Woe and Tander are approved by other judges, so I'm sure those changes will be fine, but Palindrome doesn't have any comments yet that I've seen. I'll try to get to it tonight or, more likely, tomorrow.

 

[nerdytenor]

Despite having nearly been killed by him, and despite what has transpired in the last few minutes, Tander cannot allow the elf to suffer further. He does his best to patch him up, using means both magical and mystical.

With this done, he turns to his companions and says out of earshot: "He knows more, I'm sure of it, friends. But if what you did will not get it out of him, I fear nothing will." Under normal circumstances, Tander might take them to task for their treatment of the elf, but he feels strangely unmoved to do so today. "Woe is right - we should press on while the trail is hot."

Tander fetches his dagger out of the ground, pauses to consider it, and grabs one of the longbows and quivers. "I've never been very good with the longbow, but if we come across any more enemies that run about like this one, I'll be glad to have it."

 

[nerdytenor]

[sblock=Wishlist!]
Great Idea! I added it to Tander's new charsheet
[/sblock]

[sblock=I forget...]
Oh yeah. Tander's memory thing is not related to this adventure directly - that came directly from ON HIGH. However, it is possible that the heretofore unknown shadowy elements from his past are connected somehow - I'll leave that open.
[/sblock]

[sblock=New Statblock, Baby!]
Tander Oaksmith, Human Cleric 1
Passive Perception 15, Passive Insight 20
AC 17, Fort 14, Reflex 15, Will 19
Resist 5 poison
HP 29/29, Bloodied 14, Surge Value 7, Surges 3/8
Speed 5, Initiative +7
Action Points: 1

Current Effects
none

Encounter Resources
Spiteful Glamor
Divine Glow
Healing Word One
Healing Word Two
Channel Divinity (Turn Undead or Divine Fortune)
Second Wind
Use Action Point

Daily Resources
Beacon of Hope
Cure Light Wounds
[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

Palindrome climbs back over the wall and retrieves the arrows that had been pulled from his body. He returns to the group and hands the arrows to Tander. "Here. Shoot somebody with these."

He kneels beside the maimed elf and whispers, "You know why they had me heal you? So that they can come back later and do even worse things to you after we search the house. If you'd just tell them everything you know, we could end your suffering right now and forward you onto the cycle of life. I'd hate to think what that crazy wizard is going to do to you. Please. I can't save you, but I can spare you further pain."

OOC: Diplomacy. (Convince maimed elf to spare himself further suffering.) (1d20+7=8)



Guess Palindrome didn't sound like Tander at all.

Okay. Looks like the Invisible Castle guys figured out my whole 'Generic Wizard' trick.

But, there was that perfect '20' rolled on the Ghost Sound a couple of posts ago...​

[sblock=Add Palindrome to the record books...]I think he should get the award for most Natural 20's immediately followed by Natural 1's. This is the second or third time it's happened.[/sblock]

 

[Atriden]

" I am not impressed " say's Atreus to elf " Thou will have to do better than that if thou wish to live " and Atreus starts to tug the elf in a friendly manner, wrapping him tightly in the elf's clothing. " but there are other business to attend to and I will see thou soon...real soon " He then pulls forth one his daggers and with the handle coldly knocks the elf out with a well placed blow to the head. " Yes, we must leave now while the trail is hot. Let's move "
[FONT=&quot][sblock=OOC] Man I wish I was leveling up with you guys [/sblock][/FONT]