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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
The Hunt
- Thread starter LostSoul
- Start date
Graf
Explorer
Tira leans over the dwarf's ear and whispers urgently "What if the monster's replaced... him?" She points at the high priest glancing nerviously about to see if anyone is watching them.
"Skamos," she guestures imperiously, "Go with Erias, maybe you'll be able to help."
She returns to her conversation with the dwarf. "We can't take any chances... lets see if we can ask around town and find anything." Tira heads outside intent on talking to passerbys, both to talk up Erias' ritual and find out if rumours of anything unusual are circulating.
"Skamos," she guestures imperiously, "Go with Erias, maybe you'll be able to help."
She returns to her conversation with the dwarf. "We can't take any chances... lets see if we can ask around town and find anything." Tira heads outside intent on talking to passerbys, both to talk up Erias' ritual and find out if rumours of anything unusual are circulating.
Storminator
First Post
Erais snaps at an acolyte, 'take me to the Eye! Skamos! Come with us, and bring the...token.' Erais follows the acolyte to the Eye.
When the time comes, I have a Religion check of 14 (roll) +6 (mod) = 20.
When the time comes, I have a Religion check of 14 (roll) +6 (mod) = 20.
LostSoul
Adventurer
Erias lights black candles rendered from an unknown tallow. Skamos lights a brazier and burns pungent incense. Blue smoke fills the room. Erias' eyes roll back into his head. He reaches a state of ecstasy, touching the divine. The walls of time and space dissolve before him, and he can see everything.
Visions swim over him, and he feels his mind, his conciousness, being torn away from his body. "Now!" he yells at Skamos, and the teifling wizard casts the token of Shalmanisar into the brazier. Suddenly, everything comes into focus for Erias.
He sees Shalmanisar in his true form - a grey, humanoid being, devoid of sex organs, a featureless face with large, black eyes, two tiny pinpricks for nostrils, and a small slit for a mouth. The doppleganger is crouched in deep concentration over a large stone sarcophagus, drawing arcane symbols in blood upon its lid.
As the vision recedes into smoke and haze, and Erias's conciousness returns to his body once again, he realizes what he saw - the shapechanger making preparations for a summoning ritual.
That was a success; he's in the "old city" catacombs. You don't have to go in there to get him, though; you can "call him out" via successful skill checks.
Visions swim over him, and he feels his mind, his conciousness, being torn away from his body. "Now!" he yells at Skamos, and the teifling wizard casts the token of Shalmanisar into the brazier. Suddenly, everything comes into focus for Erias.
He sees Shalmanisar in his true form - a grey, humanoid being, devoid of sex organs, a featureless face with large, black eyes, two tiny pinpricks for nostrils, and a small slit for a mouth. The doppleganger is crouched in deep concentration over a large stone sarcophagus, drawing arcane symbols in blood upon its lid.
As the vision recedes into smoke and haze, and Erias's conciousness returns to his body once again, he realizes what he saw - the shapechanger making preparations for a summoning ritual.
That was a success; he's in the "old city" catacombs. You don't have to go in there to get him, though; you can "call him out" via successful skill checks.
LostSoul
Adventurer
Graf said:
Rolled 1d20=17+9 for Streetwise, that's a 26 - success!
Tira heads out into the streets, chatting up strangers while Erias and Skamos deal with the ritual. The villagers are friendly, but they keep their conversations with Tira as short as they can without being rude. They just don't trust her.
Tira decides to make the best of it - it's a nice day and she's tired, so she heads over to the local inn. She sits down at one of a pair of unoccupied tables on the front porch, putting her feet up to let the ache drain out of them. The summer sun, a scourge during the chase, now feels warm and relaxing.
The innkeeper takes his time serving her, bringing her a cold drink. "Sorry for the wait," he says. "I'm a little short-staffed. I'm sure you heard." Tira doesn't push him.
A few more drinks go down. The innkeeper sits at the table next to Tira on the porch and lights a pipe, leaving the inn empty. Tira realizes she hasn't seen the innkeeper's wife, and asks after her.
"Mother's gone into the old city," the innkeeper says, "to gather some crypt cloth for a proper burial shroud. I told her no, but... well, she never listens to me. Just like her daughter." He exhales a ring of smoke. "Should be safe; the sun's still high, and she's doing a child's work. I'm guess I'm just jumpy."
He gets up from the table. "Look, Tira," he says, "you seem like good people, and Borden says you're just trying to help. But all these questions you've been asking people - makes them antsy, upsets them. Now I want to find that bastard who killed my Connie, and I'm glad for your help; but when mother comes back, just let the questions drop. She's sensitive and I got to protect my family."
So yeah, if it's not obvious from that, it's obvious to Tira - Shalmanisar has taken the innkeeper's wife's shape. She might be dead, too.
edit: I just saw that Tira has 18 Cha. I hope I didn't push "the people don't accept you" bit too much.
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Graf
Explorer
I think Tira generally acts terribly toward people. Which explains a lot.
Tira nods and thanks the innkeeper. The inn's mild beer has left her a touch fuzzy. She eyes the lowering sun. "Erias' ritual will be complete soon. The creature's form will be revealed to us. I assure you your daughter will be avenged."
She leaves some coin on the table and rises to meet Erias. When she hears his news she sucks in air over her teeth.
The innkeeper's wife has gone to the old city... it all matches up. The mother would be all to easy to replace after the daughter. When she returns with the cloth for the shroud we will have our best chance to confront he... it. She catches herself and rests her hand on her wand.
Tira nods and thanks the innkeeper. The inn's mild beer has left her a touch fuzzy. She eyes the lowering sun. "Erias' ritual will be complete soon. The creature's form will be revealed to us. I assure you your daughter will be avenged."
She leaves some coin on the table and rises to meet Erias. When she hears his news she sucks in air over her teeth.
The innkeeper's wife has gone to the old city... it all matches up. The mother would be all to easy to replace after the daughter. When she returns with the cloth for the shroud we will have our best chance to confront he... it. She catches herself and rests her hand on her wand.
