Author Topic: The Keep - Part 1  (Read 38726 times)

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VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #260 on: August 01, 2010, 12:35:27 PM »
After taking some extra time to examine the kobold's wounds, Golkonda manages to patch it up enough to get it conscious. The kobold groans and moves to rub its head when it notices that its hands are tied down. It does not look happy to see you guys.

Risada

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #261 on: August 01, 2010, 12:38:34 PM »
Golkonda sits the prisoner, and start talking with a stern face.

"So, could you tell us about what you and your kin do?"

VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #262 on: August 01, 2010, 12:41:06 PM »
The kobold starts talking... in Draconic. It then coughs and spits some blood up onto the ground.

tallan

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #263 on: August 01, 2010, 04:19:42 PM »
<What was that kobold? I don't think we speak your language. Would communicating this way be easier on you? I can speak for you.> Min stoops down in front of it, resting on his staff.
[spoiler]Diplomacy:1d20+11=29[/spoiler]
Deep in the tomb of indelible gloom, an angel waits to die.
High on the peak, where only fools seek, a dragon tried to get high.
To which one we go, well f*ck if I know, the point is to question why.

VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #264 on: August 01, 2010, 04:33:48 PM »
"Rrrg... Get out of my head, smooth-skin! I speak your tongue just fine. It is merely inferior to that of the great Dragons."

You've gotten the kobold to speak in Common, but it's going to take more than what he perceives as taunting him with your mind-magic to get him to talk.

[spoiler]I believe I've stated it before, but Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate checks need to be accompanied by appropriate dialogue. You can roll all you like, but if your character doesn't say anything, or says something counter to the intention of the roll, it's not going to work as well as you'd like. Saying, "I'm the King of Karrnath" isn't very effective if you look like a gnome. Saying "I'm secretly the king of Karrnath, traveling under magical disguise to avoid attention" is a better lie, and while still unlikely, gets bigger points for creativity. :)[/spoiler]

Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #265 on: August 16, 2010, 02:47:12 AM »
"Please, he knows you all hate him. Allow me to speak to him, instead of prying him apart; I care not for his existence nor his death."

Gerand comes in close and squats in front of the kobold. He'd never sheathed his blade after wiping it, and now it stood bare and frosted-looking, point in the soft upper soil as a support. His left hand showed the small figurine from underneath his cloak, and he asked in a cold voice; "What are your kin doing with this? You DO understand the nature of the symbol you've crudely carved into the figure, don't you?"

Even more quietly, leaning in close enough that the only think the kobold could look into directly is his eyes, he presses, "I would have no contest with you, should you prove that your kin were not engaged against me and my mission specifically. My mistress, and you know her title, has entrusted me with a job that I must ensure is not endangered by your activities. Tell me what you know of your superior's motives, and I can see if you can't be tied up here to question more after, only to find you've 'mysteriously escaped your bonds' by the time we've returned. Otherwise, I could bring you back to town and torture you now until you told us the information. I must know why this demon's symbol is on the figurine, understood? Please understand, they can be misled to avoid your kin if I know how to."
[spoiler]
He's not too skilled at either diplomacy or intimidation, but here goes.
Diplomacy: 22
Intimidate: 3

Not a bad diplomacy all things considered. But my intimidate sucked...[/spoiler]

VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #266 on: August 16, 2010, 03:10:57 AM »
The kobold looks at the symbol, then back to Gerand. "Hmph. What does a smoothskin know of the Winged Demon?"

Listening further to Gerand, the kobold begrudgingly replies, "It does not matter what I say. Soon, my kin will have served their purpose in aiding the Winged Demon's great Prophet, the human who lives in the old keep, and you will all tremble before the might of the Dragon Below!" The kobold then starts snickering in a very, very annoying way.

Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #267 on: August 16, 2010, 03:14:45 AM »
"My Mistress knows quite a lot about all the old gods, and I have read quite well on his old ways. I choose not to utter his name, but I recognize that you are understanding of the power you give rise to..."

"...... the human who lives n the old keep? Who is this man? Why does he claim to be a prophet for the Old One?...."
Gerand manages to push aside his irritation at the kobold's snickering while questioning the kobold's deepest reserves of knowledge... granted, it wasn't like he was having to fish deep for arcane secrets...

VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #268 on: August 16, 2010, 03:46:05 AM »
"Hmm? The Winged Demon has no name of its own, being that it is merely an Aspect of the great Dragon Below! If you knew what you were talking about, you would know this! Everyone in my clan knows this. Hmph, stupid smoothskin."

The kobold snickers again, likely at thinking itself superior to you. The current reigns of power in this exchange ought to suggest otherwise.

"The human holds great power, and knows much about the Winged Demon. He must of course be the Winged Demon's prophet! What else could he be?"

You are beginning to get the feeling that you know more about the 'Winged Demon' than any of these kobolds do. Gerand certainly knows that Orcus is no Aspect of the Dragon Below.

Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #269 on: August 16, 2010, 04:17:06 AM »
Gerand, for a moment, seems completely still. His brain ticked and registered in an instant, before his veins started to cool down to freezing temperatures. He said quickly, "What is the name of this prophet, do you know? Has he told you who he is?" He was much more hurried than he had been before. Orcus was too little known here, and for good cause; the fact that someone with knowledge of him enough to trick these kobolds was vastly more worrying than the kobolds unleashing his power accidentally.

VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #270 on: August 16, 2010, 04:34:00 AM »
"No, I do now know. I forget, but it does not matter. We do the Winged Demon's will through the prophet's words and tasks. You will surely die anyway."

As a lowly peon, the kobold seems pretty exhausted of useful information.

Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #271 on: August 16, 2010, 05:38:54 AM »
Gerand looks down, somewhat frustrated, but somewhat understanding. There was no more this one could do, and he'd informed them quite well despite. The spark of haste bled out of Gerand's features, and by the time he had looked up, it was Lord Mytos' eyes that pierced the kobold. He stood slowly, moving finally over to the telepathic one. "Can you force him to remember something he'd forgotten? If it is not within your power, let the paladin kill him, and then we have to hurry."

VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #272 on: August 16, 2010, 12:39:50 PM »
At those words, the kobold's eyes widen, and it begins to squirm in its ropes.

tallan

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #273 on: August 17, 2010, 11:48:10 PM »
"Most unfortunately for him, no. I can only communicate with him what he is willing to share. I can however make his mind a very uncomfortable place. But it need not come to that." Min rests of his staff and eyes the kobold warily.
Deep in the tomb of indelible gloom, an angel waits to die.
High on the peak, where only fools seek, a dragon tried to get high.
To which one we go, well f*ck if I know, the point is to question why.

Risada

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #274 on: August 18, 2010, 12:25:30 AM »
"Anyway... I doubt he will speak anymore with us. Let's decide on his fate and move on..."

Golkonda pauses for a second.

"...if he will have one, that is."

Agita

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #275 on: August 18, 2010, 12:33:38 AM »
Aanna swiftly raises a hand to her mouth as Amnon talks of avoiding evil magics and turns away. Luckily, she just about manages to hold it in, though she looks as though a blood vessel might pop from the forcefully contained laughter. Looking for a distraction, Gerard's suspicious interrogation seems interesting enough. Suddenly, the half-elf is standing behind him and looking between him and the kobold curiously. "So? What did he say?"

[spoiler]Work with me here, Flay. Mentioning he's a stupid fanatic shouldn't be too much info, should it? ;) After all, we all already know they're demon worshippers anyway. No reason to mention Orcus at all.[/spoiler]
It's all about vision and making reality conform to your vision. By dropping a fucking house on it.

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VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #276 on: August 18, 2010, 03:12:58 AM »
[spoiler]No reason to mention Orcus at all.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Especially since no one else here's heard of him. :P[/spoiler]

Nanshork

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #277 on: August 18, 2010, 03:49:16 AM »
[spoiler]No reason to mention Orcus at all.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Especially since no one else here's heard of him. :P[/spoiler]


[spoiler]
Don't make me roll a religion check.   :P
[/spoiler]
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VennDygrem

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #278 on: August 18, 2010, 04:38:18 AM »
[spoiler]
Don't make me roll a religion check.   :P
[/spoiler]
[spoiler]You already did. You got a 13. :P

You didn't, though, roll Arcana. However, given how high Agita rolled without recognizing the etching, it's impossible for you to place it. Even if I allow you a religion check after hearing the name, Orcus is extremely obscure in Eberron. Flay got lucky with a really high roll and a high, trained modifier + key class stat for that skill. As religious as Amnon is, he doesn't actually know that much about other religions. He's more like the church's blunt instrument of judgement. :)[/spoiler]

Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: The Keep - Part 1
« Reply #279 on: August 18, 2010, 07:05:30 AM »
Mytos looks at the girl first with unmarked suspicion, then with his usual frosty irritation. "His kin are trying to bring out the power of some god of theirs, the 'Dragon Below,' whatever that is. There's a human priest who seems to be both insane and helping them. I think we need to exterminate them; I may not know many things about Gods, but I know plenty about fools trying to draw power forth from a nigh-godlike source. These kobolds could get significantly more dangerous."

As he says this, he walks non-chalantly to the kobold, taking out the bloody cloth he'd wiped his sword with. Placing the blade against the kobold's throat, he turns back to the group. "So it's decided that we leave him and continue? I would keep him alive so far as he could lead us to the cave, but that's assuming he's trustworthy enough not to run us into a trap. Can we track the fresh escapes quickly enough?" He seems unnervingly ready to slit the kobolds throat once he finds that the group is done with him.

[spoiler]For reference, I've decided that when leaning towards his saner side, Gerand is Gerand. When he's angry/violent/etc, I'll call him Mytos. It just sounds more evil.[/spoiler]