Chapter Three: The Last Dream of Mirza Horgul

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Jun 2, 2016 8:41 pm
Edit: got it

The two men reflexively step back as Zangua walks into the light and exchange a quick glance. Zangua can see that they appear to be ordinary men, but their ages are hard to tell, as they appear to be quite dirty, and both of them have some sort of white paint or ointment blotching their faces.

"P-peaceful, yes," the short one says. "We're only here to patrol the Queen's domain, see? Now, I'm sure the Sett doesn't want any trouble, so if you've come from there, we can show you right back, quick as you like, alright? You and...whoever you've got back there with you?"
Jun 2, 2016 11:04 pm
Hearing that the man sounds a little more scared than anything else Vad will walk right up besides Zangua, smie, and not say a word.
Jun 3, 2016 4:04 am
OOC:
Rolling hit die first, will do my real post in a minute

eta: I cannot believe those dice rolls. I rolled a total of 3d10+3 and ended up with EIGHT
Last edited June 3, 2016 4:07 am

Rolls

hit die - (1d10+1)

(1) + 1 = 2

hit die - (1d10+1)

(1) + 1 = 2

hit die (dear god please don't be another 1) - (1d10+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Jun 3, 2016 4:13 am
Leth isn't particularly pleased about being disturbed; it hurts even to get up off the cave floor to stand with the rest of the group. He knows he couldn't have been asleep very long, but fortunately these guys seem to be fairly peaceable, so Leth hopes they will be content to just guide them back down the tunnels a ways and then leave them alone so they can get back to sleep. He wonders for a moment if anyone should try to convince the... guards, perhaps? - to let them pass through, but he's tired and sore and doesn't really feel like persuading or arguing with anybody, so he keeps his mouth shut and lets the others do what they think is best. Leth is, for the moment, content to follow their lead.
12/26 HP
Jun 3, 2016 11:03 am
Their presence now obvious, Felor stands up but stays back in the shadows while Zangua and Vad talk to the interlopers.
Jun 3, 2016 1:30 pm
Mordred steps out of the shadows and approaches the men. "Look, friends, we are staying here for the night. We have never had the pleasure of being acquainted with your Queen, and we mean no harm to her or any of her subjects. We have had several long hard days of travel, and we must rest for the night before continuing on to the Sett. If you'd like to come back in 8 hours or so and escort us, or you'd like to help us keep watch for the night, you are more than welcome. In the end, we are staying right here, and there will be no further discussion."

Rolls

Persuasion - (1d20+4)

(19) + 4 = 23

Jun 3, 2016 4:00 pm
"Ah, well," the short one stammers, "if--if that's your plan, then, I suppose--"

The tall one speaks, cutting him off. "Continuing on to the Sett? Where did you all come from, eh?"
Jun 4, 2016 4:16 pm
"What's that? Ah, I must apologize, I meant..." Mordred mutters to himself in the Infernal tongue for a moment, "I think 'return to' the Sett? Common is not my first language, as you can see." He gestures to his horns.
Last edited June 4, 2016 4:18 pm

Rolls

Deception - (1d20+6)

(5) + 6 = 11

Jun 5, 2016 7:02 pm
As Mordred concludes his dissembling, he feels somebody push past him to step into the torchlight. "My name is Marjo Gull," Zora says, bowing her head to the patrolmen. "I have urgent business in Hazard and I have retained these mercenaries to convey me there safely. Tell me, by your reckoning, is the Sett north or south of here?"

The short one gives her a fretful look. The tall one squints. "The Sett is north of here. What overworld folk call the Badgerways."

Zora nods. "Of course. We were held captive by the Badger King and barely escaped with our lives. I have information your Queen must be made aware of. Please, take us to her. Let recover from our ordeal as guests in her realm, and we will tell her all that we know."

The tall patrolman casts a long gaze up and down the catchpole in a manner that might appear lecherous in other contexts. "By my reckoning they could kill us if they wanted, Sleem. We may as well take them to Gates."

"I don't like this at all, Wiz," the short one says, in a whisper you can all hear perfectly well. "They look dangerous."

"That's my point." He looks up at Zora. "We can take you to the Master of the Fourth Gate. "He'll decide to let you in or not. In return, you promise not to kill us, eh? Do we have a deal?"
Jun 5, 2016 8:17 pm
Zangua lifts the catchpole to a standing position, like one would hold a walking staff. He nods to Zora as a signal that he is willing to adopt a non-threatening stance.
Last edited June 5, 2016 8:17 pm
Jun 7, 2016 7:26 pm
Everybody on board with the offered deal?
Jun 7, 2016 9:25 pm
OOC:
If Zora thinks it's a good idea, Leth is okay with it. Also, Just a heads up; I'll be out of town at a camp all week. Not much signal. May not be on much.
Jun 8, 2016 9:08 am
It's good with me.

'Master of the Fourth Gate?' thinks Felor.

Rolls

History skill check - (1d20+3)

(7) + 3 = 10

Jun 8, 2016 12:34 pm
So far Mordred is happy to follow Zora's lead on just about any interaction with the strange denizens of the Badgerways, and this case is no exception.
Jun 8, 2016 8:00 pm
That's a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ for Felor!

Following Zora's lead, you all follow the patrolmen -- Sleemo and Wizard, as they introduce themselves -- into the dark southern recesses of the large cavern.

When you reach the Fourth Gate after walking for some time, your meeting with the Master is underwhelming. The Master is just another human, his face similarly caked with white crud, who sits on a wooden stool on the other side of a door of iron bars. He listens to Zora's spiel, exchanges some monosyllabic cant and meaningful looks with Sleem and Wiz, and finally decides to let you pass.

The natural tunnel beyond the gate gives way, after a few hundred yards, to a tunnel of reddish-brown brick. The brick tunnel empties out into something remarkable: an underground canyon with doorways, facades, and windows carved into its walls. Brown shelf fungus, yellow mold, and white mushrooms grow everywhere. Strange round pots of oil burn on ledges, filling the stuffy air with a somewhat nauseatingly sweet odor. You can hear the tink, tink of a smith echoing from someplace near. Someone at the far end of the canyon is shouting something. A young woman peers down out of a high window and smiles at the lot of you, and she appears to be wearing nothing but a mantle of the crusty white paint on her shoulders. An old man in a vest and short trousers sits cross-legged by a door just ahead, and he seems to be covered head to toe in the stuff.

Your escorts lead you to the end of the canyon, which lets out to a circular clearing that branches off into five other, presumably similarly developed canyons. There are people milling about the circle, talking to each other, arguing, eating, meditating, doing gods-know-what. All of them have at least some of the white stuff applied to their faces or bodies.

In the center of the clearing is a stone pedestal. and on top of the pedestal is a statue of a black dog with shining copper eyes. Round pots of oil, some burning and some empty, are clustered about the base of the pedestal.

Wiz walks up to the statue. "Wizard stands before you, returned from duty," he says. "I bring guests who want an audience with the Queen. They are armed and have passed through the Sett."

The flames atop the burning lamps suddenly flicker, as if a strong breeze had just gusted from the statue in all directions. Each of you hears a deep voice that seems to come from nowhere, sounding in your very thoughts.

Take them to the House of Armilla.

"Yessir," says Wiz. He leads you down the canyon that extends to the southeast. About halfway through (and here you pass the smith's shop that was the source of the tinking), Wiz gestures you into an open doorway in a portico on the left hand wall.

"Wait in here. Someone will come and get you when the Queen is ready to see you. You're free to leave the house and roam about the Queen's city if you want, but you'll have to leave your weapons inside."

Sleem gives you an odd three-fingered salute. "Enjoy your stay, eh?"

The House of Armilla smells of mold and damp stone. It extends, mazelike, deep into the rock of the canyon, with stairs going up and down and hallways that lead to little doorless rooms, some of which are already inhabited. After a bit of searching you find a hallway on the third level up with six empty rooms, which seems as good a place as any to claim for your own.

"This is good," Zora whispers to nobody in particular. "We're closer to Hazard. These people don't seem to want to kill us. I'm almost positive Everil got himself killed, and I think the Queen is going to be happy to hear that and want to help us." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "This is the most confident I've felt about this godsforsaken quest since Dad sent me on it." She sits down against the wall, then gets up abruptly, making a face as she brushes a brownish-green sludge off the seat of her breeches. "Wonder if there's a place out there I can buy a change of clothes," she mutters.

This concludes Chapter Three of The Secret History of Bload. All player characters should advance their characters to the next experience level.

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