Tribal Strife Pt 5
The Elders nod their heads then and they give you all a place to lodge for the night.
In the morning they guide you off to the south, toward where this Dehu Inu is. Your guide goes along with you as well, making sure that there's nothing funny going on.
Soon the elves stop, and they gesture forward, this is where they stop. From here forward, it's upon you heroes.
Chay wakes up with a spring to his step the next morning. Then he remembers where they are. From then on, he looks over his shoulder as they walk through the village, to towards the exit point. There merest leaf, even three inches tall, might conceal a determined sildanyari turned sideways.
"Peasse to you," he says to his companions. "Thiss one hass a desscription, and we have been given general direction." The tail flicks, moves side to side.
Dubtle kneels down for a moment and inspects the earth. Mostly becasue he's trying to stall and get time to wonder how he wound up in this position. NAVOS. WHY.
He straightens up with a sigh.
"Well... /now/ what?"
"We find them, sser," Chay replies. His tail moves side to side, slowly and quietly. He looks towards the khazad, expectant. "What do you remember from the desscription their elderss gave? One rememberss hearing 'curssed', from our own sshaman's transslation, but thiss one confesses, there were many wordss shared the other night. Perhapss your mind is ssharper, sser."
Tirr follows after everyone else, the tall Sith'Makar looking around curiously "I am soooo out of my element." She responds and smiles cheerfully before she glances now in the direction they're directed... "SOoo what do we do next?"
"Well, we look for the bones of fallen travelers. That's what the tales always have in this sort of land," remarks Dubtle in answer to Chay and Tirr.
HE pinches the bridge of his nose, lifts his spefctacles, and then straightens up.
His raven pecks him,.
The jungle thins out and becomes an open area of stunted and low growing brush. It's a swath of it, some half a mile wide. THe sounds of the jungle seem to drift away as you enter into this area with stone monoliths easily 10 feet tall and spaced out every 100 feet in a circular clearing.
There aren't any bones of fallen travellers though, but there is a 60-foot tall cliff that rises up to a plateau on the western border.
More of those monoliths can be seen at the top of the cliff, and about half way up there looks to be a ledge of some sort.
"..." the sith-makar slows at the sight of it. His tail flicks, lashes to the side. "Thiss one findss it odd, ssers," he says as they continue to move, "That the ssila and her people live among the trees, and yet thiss place is made of sstone."
The wariness becomes a halt near the foot of one of those monoliths. "Do the sshamans know of thesse?" he asks, with a look towards Dubtle and Tirrynelth.
"More than likely," is what Dubtle replies.
"Not that they'd have explained due to it 'taking too long for us to understand their ways'." SOMEONE'S NOT BITTER, NO REALLY.
He grumbles, stopping to stare at the monoliths once more.
"They called it Dehu Inu, and sshared words enough that it wass neither ssacred nor not ssacred, not forbidden, but forbidden. ...one understands," Chay says to Dubtle, the sith-makar risking such words for a moment. He then takes in a breath, and raises his palms. "Hunter," he says. "Show thiss one where evil liess."
Tirr tilts her head curiously and looks from one person to another, before tilting her head the other way, her tail lashing slowly.. "Sooo, what's the plan?" She asks curiously, glancing from person to person to person...."I guess we're climbing?"
"Perhapss thosse who undersstand magic might look at the sstones," Chay suggests as they approach the wall, "Or look for curses as the sila ssuggested there might be?"
"Thiss one will continue to ssearch for evil," the hunter asks.
"I can certainly try," agrees Dublte with Chay, nodding. He proceeds to invoke a spell with a wave of his hand, pushing his glasses back up thereaft er.
GAME: Dubtle casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
"There has been evil here for ssome time, ssers," Chay says warily. The sith-makar drops his hands at length. Then, raises one to point towards the cliff. "It focuses near that ledge, though one cannot ssee beyond, ssers. It may not be evil itsself--any more than rock may be--but there hass been corruption, here."
Tirr glances around still curiously, and if she can, she'll start looking at any writing or buildings and such to try and figure things out... She's kind of in her own world to boot as she looks around.
The hunter-caste is still for a while. "Kin of mine, forgive me," he says to the earth, the rocks. Then, "We will head up the cliffs with your pardon, ssers. Sshamans, if you would pleasse read what you can of the sstones--thiss one, we all rely on you," he says, looking towards them both.
The Monoliths are weathered smooth with time and the elements, leaving little to tell of the spot. The cave may have more, having been protected from the elements if not time.
So they climb to the ledge. The top of the plateau is still above them, though. Monoliths are above and below--though from their vantage, Chay stops now and then during the climb, to squint at the monoliths--so many more of them--that are atop the plateau.
Which is of course, still above them.
Now and then he asks Tirr or Dubtle about them, and what the words might mean. Now and then. He's /careful/ with his words, and seems to be interested in what the shamans might say or decide upon. Genuinely interested.
Either way...so, atop the ledge! Chay can do that. Sort of. He's decent with a rope and the others have magic--so between the three of them, they manage, right?
And, well, then there's the cave. By then, by the end of the climb, Chay's run out of questions--at least about the stones, at least for now. So he sits on the ground, and recoils his rope, and contemplates the cave there a while, as he does.
GAME: Chay rolls athletics: (12)+2: 14
"Thiss one will climb!" Chay says. Then, the sith-makar LEAPS onto the rock, and begins to pull himself up the cliff face! Then he falls down again. On his BUTT!
"I have fallen and I can't get up!" Chay says, sadly. Somehow, he attains glasses!
GAME: Dubtle refreshes spells.
"...well, then," says Dubttle. "Do you mind taking a look around, moron?"
The raven. He's talking to the raven. He throws up his arm and the raven leaps from it to scout up towards the cave. "Watch ywho you're calling a moron, moron," it replies. "I'm gonna poop on you if you keep it up!"
The Khazadi sighs, glancing towards Chay with a nod towards the rope. "If I'd known there was going to be a climb.."
Tirr glances up and tilts her head "Sooo wished I could learn Rope-trick..." She mutters and then tilts her head to the left. "However, I can maybe use a cantrip and try to lift a rope up there in place and all? Tie it around something?" She asks curiously, while walking back and forth a little ways away from the base of the cliff.
"There iss always a climb, sser," the reptilian says. He picks himself up though. He regathers his rope, then passes it on to Tirrynelth.
GAME: Tirrynelth refreshes spells.
GAME: Tirrynelth casts Mage Hand. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
GAME: Tirrynelth rolls dex: (15)+dex: 15
.
"
Once the rope appears to be tied, Chay grasps hold again! He works to haul himself up, one hand over the other!
Tirr nods to Char as she receives the rope, and with the rope now over her shoulder, she casually pulls a small book from her backpack. Anyone looking in will see several books, One titled Wilderness Survival for the not-inclined. Another, is how to tie knots... LIke a sailor... There's a few other useful titles and such. But Tirr has the how to tie knots... She grins and after flippng through it a bit she puts it back in the backpack and ties some kind of sailing knot around one end of the rope.
Tirr then looks up and whispers a brief set of words, probably in draconic, whatever it is, she's casting a spell and the end she just tied a knot in lifts upward rather quickly, then lodges around what looks like a really dense object and snakes down a bit, before the other end lifts up and slips through the loop she put in the end...
Next the un-tied end slides down, tugging the rope up and well locks its self around the object tightly, leaving the rope hanging off somewhere near the base of the cliff...
Tirr then claps her hands together and smiles happily, all teeth and fangs and whatnot considering the draconic countenance of the bronze-scaled book-wyrm... Still though, she lived up to her name!
"...well, that's going to work. So, ahh... I am really bad at climbing..."
Once Tirry has done her part, he'll let her climb and then st art up himself.
He's bad at this.
Really bad at this. Her probably got picked on in the Khazadi gymnasium.
The Guide has decided to hedge his bets on the side of living and is hanging back at the edge of the clearing. He stares off after the people as they head on over and then attach, and climb up, to the ledge where the cave is. The one that Chay saw with the faint evil.
As they finish climbing up they can see glyphs written on the inside of the cave and the way ahead seems to carry a more defined evil though still not anything in particular to be seen yet.
GAME: Tirrynelth rolls linguistics: (15)+3: 18
GAME: Dubtle rolls lINGUISTICS: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Dubtle rolls Knowledge/History: (16)+12: 28
Tirr tilts her head, a clawed finger tapping her chin... "Soooo, evidently, the Syl as a whole, I think all tribes, made a deal with something, a looong time ago. They were to become protectors of this site, and all the jungles nearby... But I am wondering if all the tribes follow this or just a few?" She says and rubs at the back of her neck. "I'm not seeing this..."
The ssila described it as ssacred, but not ssacred, and forbidden, but not forbidden," Chay supplies quietly, as though to not interrupt the shaman's thoughts.
He adds: "Failing in ssuch duty would desscribe ssuch very well. Hungry Maw. Ssomething went wrong, ssers. Thiss one fears we may find out that that iss." If no one stops him, he steps forward. Carefully, and with lots of stealth and perception checks, of course!
"You're right, of course," says Dubtle with a nod towards Tirry. "Not /all/ the Syl ever, of course, but these peoples." He waves his hand abroad. "With their arms wide, apparently."
Chay starts inching forward and the cave starts up on a slant, then turns to double back. It seems, this is a way to get up to the top without having to climb the entire plateau. The way it dark, no lighting besides the natural light filtering through and coloring the surroundings. Similar glyphs as those from below can be seen on the walls. The ones that tell of this place belonging to the Syl.
Nearing the top the glyphs start to fade, and then there are marks over it. A little further and the symbols for Syl have been gouged out from the wall.
GAME: Chay rolls survival: (11)+10: 21
Tirr nods "Wasn't speaking of all Syl, the ones here in the jungle nearby though... Am wondering what may be down there anyhoo and why it has this whole evil sense to it..." She says
GAME: Dubtle rolls Survival: (19)+2: 21
"Thesse are ressent, ssers." Chay traces his claws over the cuts. Tick, tick, as the tips catch in stone. Tick, tick as they pass, unsettling traces of dust--but not much more. "Within five years, perhapss, though of coursse..." he looks back, his hand dropping to his side. "...that iss one'ss best surmise. Sshall we go up?"
"I concur," says Dubtle to Chay, giving a nod. He kneels down to examine them a little more, adjusting his spectacles a second time before he adds, "Let's do this thing."
GAME: Chay rolls perception: (7)+9: 16
GAME: Dubtle rolls Perception: (16)+3: 19
GAME: Bolide makes Tirrynelth roll Perception:(12)+6: 18
"Stop,m" says Dubtle, promptly.
His hand holds up in the instinctive 'HEY STAHP' gesture.
"I see something."
He's letting his eyes roam up ahead of them for a moment, frownijng. Frowning heavily.
And so, they go! Well, Chay does. Onward along another cave passage, into the dark and rubble. When Dubtle says stop though, he does. "Ssa?" he asks Dubtle, his own voice tight. He looks ahead, then back to the khazad. "One ssees corpses, sser, but thiss one does not know what to make of it.
Tirr pauses, blinking cuirously as she looks ahead... "FOlks are like all steaked up... COrpses on Stakes...... Several of em..." She says and tilts her head....
GAME: Tirrynelth casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
GAME: Chay rolls perception-5: (6)+9+-5: 10
There seem to be about eleven of the the corpses, all of them missing their heads. Several of them are covered in ants as they work to devore them with gusto.
"It feels off, ssers," Chay says uneasily. He stands near Dubtle and Tirr. No warrior-caste, this one. Small twitches make their way up his scales, along his arms. Down his tail. "One doess not undersstand, but it doess."
"...something about them sure as hell isn't right. I wouldn't be surprised if they were horrible monstets getting ready to eat our faces," he adds. Then he too is casting a spell. Just in case.
GAME: Dubtle casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15
GAME: Chay rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+6: 26
GAME: Chay rolls heal: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Chay rolls knowledge/arcana: (8)+6: 14
GAME: Chay rolls spellcraft: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Dubtle casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
"Undead sil, ssers. The bodiess are arranged to fasse towards uss--" Chay says. He looks towards Dubtle then, and seeing the man working--the hunter scuttles out of his way, and keeps his own form low.
"Oooh boy," says Dubtle.
"...yeah. Not good magic, at all. This place definitely seems cursed. Who did this?" He asks, more rhetorically, "and why do they always have to make a show of it?" He lets out a sigh.
GAME: Tirrynelth rolls knowledge/arcana: (13)+8: 21
GAME: Tirrynelth rolls spellcraft: (16)+9: 25
GAME: Dubtle rolls knowledge/Religion: (19)+5: 24
Tirr peers curiously... "Ummm... Ok, so this these are rather brutal killings here.... Am thinking perhapse the spirits of the deceased might wish a lot of harm ont he living... Maybe someone sought to descecrate this place? WHo? I have no clue."
"...ssa. Then perhapss we musst return with a priesst." The sith-makar's tail falls. He looks to the shamans, "Do either of you know how we might get one out here, and quickly?"
Granit careens in from space to crash land on the icy surface. Watch your step!
Granit has arrived.
"...'the behaded'," murmurs Dubtle.
"I'd heard the name," he begins, "mentioned in the tales but I've seen litttle proof that they so much as even existed. The description here, of them on the pkes and more, fits. Tread warily. The tales said little more."
He moves towards them, then, aiming to carefully skirt the corpses as best he can while heading further.
Chay heads after Dubtle, one step after the other. The sith-makar is careful as he can be, and occasionally asks for the Hunter's help to Sift through sights and sounds.
Granit crouches, making himself small as he considers the stakes. He moves to go around. "Now, if I wanted to make a place seem cursed and maintain it's reputation, I would do something horrible like this."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bolide has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Bolide to instruct you further.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 20.
It is now Chay's turn! Tirrynelth is next!
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 19.
It is now Tirrynelth's turn! Granit is next!
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 5.
It is now Granit's turn! Beheaded is next!
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 3.
It is now Beheaded's turn! Dubtle is next!
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (10)+2: 12
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (18)+2: 20
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (14)+2: 16
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (20)+2: 22
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (5)+2: 7
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (7)+2: 9
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (18)+2: 20
GAME: Bolide rolls 1d6: (2): 2
GAME: Bolide rolls 1d6: (1): 1
GAME: Bolide rolls 1d6: (4): 4
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 3.
It is now Dubtle's turn! Chay is next!
The heads at the bottom of the pikes open wide as the people try to move passed them. A sort of death rattling sound builds and then they all open wide. Flames jut from between cracked lips and broken teeth, bugs quickly running out of their mouths to try and avoid the sudden heat.
GAME: Dubtle casts Lightning Bolt. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17
GAME: Dubtle rolls 5d6: (20): 20
GAME: Bolide makes Dubtle roll Intelligence:(14)+4: 18
"Oooh! Ow!"
The raven is flap[ping its wings away from Dubtle and putting space between it and the now zotted witch of Navos.
HE stumbles, whirls about with lightning crackling at his fingeres and he soon lets it rip! The lightning promptly /fries/ three of the damnble undeadheads.
They're probably grateful.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 20.
It is now Chay's turn! Tirrynelth is next!
GAME: Dubtle rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19
GAME: Dubtle rolls 1d8+3: (4)+3: 7
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 19.
It is now Tirrynelth's turn! Granit is next!
GAME: Tirrynelth rolls 1d6: (6): 6
GAME: Bolide rolls 1: (19)+1: 20
Tirr flails, yes she flails "The heads breath fire??!" She calls out, then darts ahead, slipping to the side so she can line up a couple before she takes a deep breath. Arcs of electricity dance along those teeth of hers over her lips and she suddenly exhails, barking out a rather small bolt of lightning. Still though, it's bright, zots things, and well makes a little bit of a thunderclap...
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 5.
It is now Granit's turn! Beheaded is next!
Good news, everyone! Chay has found cover. A small amount of it. He opens fire with his bow and spears another head through the eye with the shaft of an arrow. It works well enough. He looks satisfied as the head stops breating fire and what have you.
GAME: Granit rolls 1d20+9: (9)+9: 18
GAME: Granit rolls 2d4+11+1d6: (3)+11+(4): 18
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 3.
It is now Beheaded's turn! Dubtle is next!
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (12)+2: 14
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (13)+2: 15
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (15)+2: 17
Granit rises up, striking hard with the hook-end of his pole-weapon. The skull explodes, bits of skull propelled by a flare of blue flames. The secondary debris is incinerated insects, blown out of the skull by the shock of its passing.
GAME: Bolide rolls 1d6: (3): 3
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 3.
It is now Dubtle's turn! Chay is next!
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 20.
It is now Chay's turn! Tirrynelth is next!
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 19.
It is now Tirrynelth's turn! Granit is next!
GAME: Tirrynelth casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
GAME: Dubtle rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13
GAME: Tirrynelth rolls 2d4+2: (5)+2: 7
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 5.
It is now Granit's turn! Beheaded is next!
GAME: Granit rolls 1d20+9: (2)+9: 11
With a roll of his eyes, in so far as a lizard can roll their eyes in a recognizable way to humans, Chay fires another arrow off. This one lands short of one of the undead...
...by a head.
Granit swings again, though he's so wary of the flames that he doesn't get close enough to hit. It's really quite unfortunate.
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 3.
It is now Beheaded's turn! Dubtle is next!
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (9)+2: 11
GAME: Bolide rolls 2: (15)+2: 17
GAME: Bolide rolls 1d6: (1): 1
GAME: Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 3.
It is now Dubtle's turn! Chay is next!
Tirr quickly whispers another spell as a pair of slightly glowy bolts leap from her hand and strikes one of the heads, smashing it to pieces... Tirr blinks at the results and frowns "Ewwwwe.... I See why you normal humanoids turn green.... JUst glad my skin doesn't pigment like yours."
Dubtle will pick up a rock and throw it!
GAME: Dubtle rolls ranged-4: (17)+4+-4: 17
GAME: Dubtle rolls 1d3: (2): 2
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Bolide advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 20.
It is now Chay's turn! Tirrynelth is next!
"....stupid heads! Stop blasting!"
Dubtle throws a rock. It hits a head. It cracks.
GAME: Dubtle rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20
GAME: Dubtle rolls 1d8+3: (1)+3: 4
Narrowed eyes, now, and another arrow slices into the skull, the last one, with a great blast of blue flame that he shields his eyes from, looking way. From the hole left in the skull, a slew of slithering centipedes emerge as the bone cracks and crumbles apart.
GAME: Bolide removes the timestop.
Timestop by Bolide has left.