Episode 2

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Nov 26, 2018 3:27 pm
Akkeen looks at Elam with more worry and perhaps frustration, but then nods to Adar-Malic and follows along. He shouts out ahead at Namtur, "Shaham was not your only brother, Namtur. Do you contend with that?!"

No answer from the marching myrmidon.

"Still yet, I am at your side, you bull-head! You are not the only one with grievance!"

Adar-Malic falls in line behind his twin.

Elam draws his swords calmly, nods at Kray, and then walks forward down the hall, every muscle of his body alert as he scans high and low.
Nov 26, 2018 3:35 pm
Iasu scrambles to put away his medical gear. "They make too much noise!" he grumblesm then nocks an arrow to his bow and follows his half-brothers.

Rolls

Perception - (1d20+10)

(1) + 10 = 11

Stealth - (1d20+11)

(13) + 11 = 24

DMJ

Nov 26, 2018 3:43 pm
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/mws33gxoqvjpk04/Lower%20Halls%20Inner%20Chambers.jpg

DMJ

Nov 26, 2018 4:05 pm
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/y72fvtlsjwmtf6g/Lower%20chambers%20hanger.jpg

DMJ

Nov 26, 2018 4:06 pm
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/684l79c6k8ao2oq/Lower%20Chambers%20%20tunnels%20behind%20door.jpg

DMJ

Nov 26, 2018 4:11 pm
A heavy voice. Calling out from the chamber ahead.

The sound echoes through the hall. The spring in the sound carries and reverberates even further still in the room you just past, the one with foul water on both sides of a narrow walkway.

"Turn back, Elam," the voice says firmly. "Stop your intrusion. There does not have to be war."
Nov 26, 2018 4:16 pm
Namtur stops when Elam puts his hand on his shoulder.

Elam steps forward, swords in hand, and speaks out into the empty room.

"Suter-Set has already unleashed this war, Uburatu. You and Naram have served him well. You have already chosen this path for all of us. Tonight it ends."

DMJ

Nov 26, 2018 4:24 pm
The Voice. Uburatu.

"You defiant upstart. It is you who has brought us here. Your greed and pride and lies! You fool the weak-minded with your manipulations, but not me, thief! It is Suter-Set who extends a last warning to you, but as for me I welcome your approach. We will put an end to you once and for all, but first you will confess. Namtur, you will see that you have been played for a fool! As have you, Akkeen!"
Nov 26, 2018 4:29 pm
"You cannot beat us, Uburatu. We are too strong for you now," says Akkeen, holding his plank bow at the ready. "Stand aside. It is Suter-Set and Naram who must fall. Not you and not the others. I know they are with you."

He pauses, "...but they will not be enough. Brother. All of you. Brothers, join us, do not fight us! Suter-Set must be stopped."
Nov 26, 2018 4:41 pm
Elam sees Akkeen's plea, pauses briefly, but calls out clearly again. "The boy pleads for your life, Uburatu, but I do not. I sense your fear, and it is justified. You are no match for me. No match for Namtur. We have the Northerners with us. Soldiers of war. We will march forward and kill you. And you, Balis. And you, Abros. And you, Nabua. All of you. Must you die for a sorcerer who would cast you into The Pit without a second thought if it served his purpose? Make your choice then. Step forward to meet me, either with weapon in hand or on your knees."
Nov 26, 2018 5:18 pm
OOC:
Do we have a net or something we can string up to hamper the flight of the heads?
Nov 26, 2018 7:17 pm
OOC:
There's one by Ivor's corpse. :-D

DMJ

Nov 26, 2018 9:01 pm
Movement is seen in the shadows of the far hallway, at the opposite end of the chamber. The details are vague. Shadows are thick and the light is low. No torches or lamps light the other side.

Still, the silhouettes of tall bulky figures move forward and take position as a group at the far portal. Perhaps three or four of them, shoulder to shoulder. They are armored with large shields, that is clear enough.

Ubaratu speaks out again. "We have heard the boasts of Elam the Deceiver. Who else can speak? Namtur, have you turned your judgment over to this charlatan? Have you not received our offers of peace and compensation for the wrongful death of your kin? Iasu, your prowess out on the range is renown through Jara Hili to Aviram. We know your true name and have no quarrel with you, the Blood of Our Father. As for Lord Mercon and Ahri ka Salim, what has your careful handler told you in order for you to adopt his mission with so few words spoken? I suspect it is gold and gemstones that he promises. Did Devil-tongue Elam the Knife Spinner tell you that he has already seized those treasures for himself, hidden away in the very chambers you departed from this hour?"

A sound rings out as he lifts his body shield up and then crashes it down to the stone floor. "Yes. Against invaders - assassins - we will defend ourselves and our home." Ubaratu raises his voice, but then softens it back a notch to his serious proclamation as before, "But for those seeking stolen loot or battle against invented spooks, you would be best to turn your swords on the one in your midst who has woven a grand lie and uses you as pawns in his own schemes. He is the one who hordes treasure. He is the one who communes with the beasts from the Underworld."
Nov 26, 2018 9:16 pm
Uburatu's reference to his real name makes Iasu flinch, but he steels himself. "Lies. Uburatu lies." Iasu knows the Cursed will remain steadfast. But what of the Northerners? If they are swayed, Iasu and his brothers will be caught in between two hostile forces!
Last edited November 26, 2018 9:23 pm
Nov 26, 2018 9:38 pm
Quote:
Namtur, have you turned your judgment over to this charlatan?
Quote:
As for Lord Mercon and Ahri ka Salim, what has your careful handler told you in order for you to adopt his mission with so few words spoken? I suspect it is gold and gemstones that he promises. Did Devil-tongue Elam the Knife Spinner tell you that he has already seized those treasures for himself, hidden away in the very chambers you departed from this hour?
Lies? Has Namtur and Mercon and us all been deceived? A brief memory of Elam ignoring Maeriks' questions, a visual of the man looking squarely at Maeriks and then turning and walking away. At the time, Maeriks just assumed the time to talk had passed, the bosses were moving the group out. Had he missed something? Maeriks looks at Elam, watching his reaction as the shadowed figure denounces the pointy-eared man. Maeriks stares intently while listening carefully to the words...

Insight check to see if the words ring true. Also adding a Guidance cantirp casting as Maeriks focuses intently.
Result: 22
[ +- ] Maeriks Mac Mahan Mac Hannoc
Last edited November 27, 2018 6:58 pm

Rolls

Insight, disadvantage (ZHP state) Is Elam or the other telling the truth? - (1d20+7, 1d20+7)

1d20+7 : (11) + 7 = 18

1d20+7 : (15) + 7 = 22

Guidance - (1d4)

(4) = 4

DMJ

Nov 27, 2018 6:05 pm
OOC:
CB, I've read what you wrote above on the Insight check to discern the truth among the swirl of conflicting claims. I understand what Maeriks is trying to do and can see why.

A couple of things though that I have to talk through to see what is possible in a realistic way:

1) Maeriks can't speak Heshbaan. I really can't see how he would catch all of the detail that is being bantered back and forth so quickly. I wrote those statements out clearly in the spirit of the "New Transparency Protocols" (Ha!) to avoid the annoying use of Notes and even try to cut down on Spoiler tags. But in reality they should still be there. In the real exchange here, the PCs who could understand everything to the word would be Iasu, Ahri, and Bryn. Kray and Thorn could pick up some of it, but I think the finer details might still be elusive for them. Not to pick on Maeriks, but with his INT score we've already faced it before that he would probably understand the least of anyone. I think there could be a scenario where Bryn stepped in to start voicing out translation, but I haven't seen that stated so far. Even if we just assumed it, I think it would still be tough - in a translation for this sort of scenario, I might picture the translator conveying the claims in an abbreviated sense (example: "He says Elam is lying, that he already has the gold") rather than a word-for-word translation that would deliver every last clue and detail to use optimally for lie detection.

2) Also, I just don't think there is enough exchange and talking just yet. Elam hasn't gone back and forth in a Q&A manner. Neither has Uburatu. In fact you haven't even met or seen that guy's face. Maeriks hasn't seen enough claims and counter claims. Again I would say... not YET.

So what I'm going to say on this is that the rolls are in, but we will have to wait and let the situation develop a little bit more than these few seconds worth of across-the-room call-outs in a foreign language before Maeriks can get to a judgment on this. It's a scenario that just has to cook a little longer.
And if/when results come, I'll send in NOTE format. No billboard announcement for the crowd. Haha! Maeriks will have to voice it out after as you direct.

Still I dig it though. And remember the old adage in the Danneinkiff too, bro: one old reference here. ( "It is said that no one can talk to a druid for any length of time and successfully lie to him. Druids have ancient ways to understand the words of all men, not just their words but their intentions." ) Maeriks doesn't think of himself that way I know, but … could be something to it. Ha!

J-Complicated

Nov 27, 2018 6:52 pm
Kray advanced alongside Elam, the conversation taking place at length warranting his attention. Only picking up part of it, nuances of accusation and mistrust, he looks to Bryn for translation, wary. "What do they speak of?"

Judgement and lit torch at the ready.
Nov 27, 2018 6:57 pm
OOC:
Quote:
Maeriks can't speak Heshbaan
Ah yeah, totally right. I mixed up Heshbaan and Yuoric. Lets not worry about it. Maeriks has no idea what's happening.
Quote:
And if/when results come, I'll send in NOTE format. No billboard announcement for the crowd. Haha! Maeriks will have to voice it out after as you direct.
That's what copy/paste is for!
Last edited November 27, 2018 8:51 pm
Nov 28, 2018 6:08 pm
"So, this is why you speak Heshbaan to me . . .," Elam says, almost to himself at first but then getting louder as he returns his verbal volley back to Uburatu, but the brief follow up phrase is in Otessite.
DMJ sent a note to jabes.plays.rpg
Elam squints his eyes, incredulous and angered, and sends out sharp words like daggers, switching back to the local common language. "As always, Old Uburatu, you reveal your frustration every time you run an errand for your Master. Suter-Set is clever in all things, golden-tongued, moving with ease from one skill to the next. You have remained forever slow in speech and poor in action."

Elam shifts his stance and grips both blades tightly. "I will send you to the Underworld soon though, Slow Foot. There you can grope around until you find the degenerate Iz Jeddriss - chastise him yourself for hurting you so when he passed you over, naming your younger brother as his successor. But still the Young Snake is greater than you in all things, lackey."

DMJ

Nov 28, 2018 6:20 pm
Remaining watchful in the back of the group, Ahri has kept one eye and ear to the ongoing exchange ahead, but the rest of his attention scanning for danger through the large open room and even back in the previous flooded room through which the group just passed.

He glances back again at something that catches his eye on the narrow walkway that passes through the center of the other room, between the two pools of water on either side. The back room seems to be somewhat of a low catch for runoff water that might pour in from the room ahead.

Ahri looks forward again, checking on the group.

The one called Bryn, the tool master - he still seems groggy for some reason. He is having a slow go of translation duties when the mercenary captain Mercon asks for a conversion of the loud argument between the two faction leaders.

Ahri looks again back at the walkway in the flood room. Is the water level lower now than it was?

Something seems odd, but he cannot place exactly what it is. He turns back to shine the torchlight back into the room, to throw back some of the darkness and see if anything is amiss.
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