The following is intended for the play-by-post delve of SND-02: Fane of the Heresiarch.
Vitals + Rumors + Crusaders + Score + Watchtower + Bleak Seminary + Confessional + Black Cathedral + Ashen Ambulatory + Pleasure Crypts + Catacomb Reliquary + Death Wyverns' Crucible + Prison of Frozen Gods + Observatory + Gauntlet of Walls + Blighted Grove + Chaos Maze + Mothers' Cloister
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| from grind4e.blogspot.com |
Hissing black rain begins to fall lightly when you enter – it is uncomfortable but harmless.
20 ft. high stone walls surround this courtyard strangled by dead trees and algae-caked fountains. The courtyard is open-topped, exposing the ashen sky above.
Beyond the trees, a colossal iron trapdoor 10 ft. to a side lies embedded in the ground. Torches surround it, each flickering in the rain. (Squares J16 - K17)
A maypole erected from polished humanoid spines rises from the center of the grove. Black and violet streamers dangle from the bones. (Squares P7 - Q8)
Spectral children skip stones on a pond of brackish water at its base.
The humid air is dense with the odor of rotting vegetation. The piercing screams of wyverns can be heard in the distance beyond the courtyard walls.
A blindfolded medusa with pallid skin crouches in a nearby wooden gazebo.
Nelson stealths through the trees to get a closer look at this Gazebo and Medusa, but of course, averting his eyes in case she were to take off the blindfold.
ReplyDeleteMove to B5 (through trees)
Stealth +12
Perception +8
OOC: I'm assuming we entered through E1-F1?
Delete[NELSON]
DeleteThe little Nelson, a full-grown Halfling, ducks and weaves through the underbrush to get a closer view of the gazebo interior. As he approaches, he hears the sounds of cracking and slurping, and lips smacking against something ripe and juicy like two impassioned teenagers fumbling in the dark desperate for each others' tongues.
A white marble table, about 2 ft. in diameter, stands in the gazebo topped by a silver platter. Splayed upon the platter is a trim and fit man, his Elven ears protrude out past a stylized bronze helm of the lost Fey kingdoms and an oil-coated spear of ash is clutched in his white-knuckled hand. The man's armor and clothing has been carefully, meticulously, opened up and removed from groin to throat. Hunched over him is this blind-folded medusa. Her snakes grown from her scalp hiss and sniff the air. She clutched a pair of golden utensils, a delicate blade and an elongated set of tweezers. Dark blood pools across this poor man's chest as she slowly, gently, slices open the skin around the edge of his navel and feasts upon a string of narrow intestine not unlike a coil of bloody rope, savoring every forbidden bite, not a drop of blood spilling onto the table or out of her mouth.
As Nelson draw closer, he sees the chest of the man has been further mutilated. Where his nipples should be are but bright, bloody circles of exposed, bloody muscle. It is at that moment that this man's green Elven eyes twitch and locked with Nelson's. Visible straining, the splayed warrior silently mouths the words "help. me."
[TECH] Stealth (4)+12, Perception (13)+8
Nettle will draw the looking glass, and stealthily creep in behind Nelson looking for any unseen creatures.
ReplyDeleteTech:
Move to C4
Stealth: +12
Perception: +9
[NETTLE]
DeleteNettle finds no hidden creatures in the courtyard, despite the penetrating gaze of the Spyglass. He does, however, spot more details about the gross spine-maypole.
The maypole is made up of elf spines polished smooth and dripping with ochre jelly. The ethereal children are human boys and girls with the trident symbol of the Heresiarch tattooed on their foreheads.
Seeing the Medusa not react to either Nelson or Nettle, Kaddim slowly approaches the gazebo, stopping short of entry, least he seem presumptuous. "My lady, my name is Kaddim, child of lighting and servant of the arced veil. It is a honor to meet you. May you grant me your name?", Kaddim speaks as he bows, to appear deferiantial nd to also avoid her immediate gaze.
ReplyDeleteOOC: seems like a lot of ladies in this dungeon....and I've always had more luck with flowers...diplomacy +2 (weak!) just in case.
[KADDIM]
DeleteA gravelly voice responds back to thine honeyed words:
"Hail and well met, crusader. The attentions of a man, even one as weak as you, do so light the fires once again in my heart and for that I am pleased.
I am called Dusk Blossom and once lived in lavish luxury and blasphemy in the PLEASURE CRYPTS as the Heresiarch's consort. Such debaucheries that we had! Such lavish gifts he bestowed upon me! Now, nevermore.
I have been replaced, usurped by the whore-demon named Sorrow Nimbus – a half-angel succubus blackguard. Now my days are spent in servitude standing watch over the Heresiarch’s irascible ghost-children in this dirty hovel. If the head of Sorrow Nimbus is brought to me, I will open the way to the CHAOS MAZE; wherein, thou may find one of the precious gem PLANETS in the twisting passages of the labyrinth, as well as the CHAOS DEVICE."
With that, she bids you good luck on your quest.
[TECH] Diplomacy (19)+2
"My lady Dusk Blossom, yours is such a beautiful name. You say you were displaced by a whore-demon? Any male should treasure a lady such as you. I, for one, would gladly shower you with gifts, if ever I worthy of your attentions..."
ReplyDeleteOOC:
So looks like the head of the Sorrow Nimbus is a hot commodity! What to do, what to do.....
Nettle will cast a quick spell before stepping out of the trees and joining Kaddim in the negotation.
ReplyDelete"My dear lady, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and tragic to hear of your replacement by the vile Sorrow Nimbus. We would like nothing more than to bring you the head of the whore-demon, but alas we have already removed it and given it to another: Lahamu, bride of the Heresiarch. I can assure you that Nimbus met a most humiliating end: I myself cast her into the pit in those chambers, and one of our dear departed comrades performed the most stunning leap from the balcony to grab a hold of her and land upon her unconscious form before severing her repulsive head. How the Heresiarch came to choose her over your beauty is beyond my mortal understanding.
"I know not the nature of your relationship with Lahamu, but has it not been said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Lahamu may be loth to part with Nimbus's head, but we would be willing to bring you her whip and ornate armor in its stead as proof of her demise. Would this suffice?"
Tech:
Minor: Cast Words of Friendship.
Move: to Kaddim's side.
Free: Above text, diplomacy +18.
[NETTLE}
DeleteShe replies with her voice loud and her face contorted in rage: "How now, yet another man to spurn me?! Gifts to Sorrow Nimbus, Gifts to the old crone Lahamu, only ashes and hollow words for Dusk Blossom."
Her hands reach for her face to catch the tears, now all gone and dried.
"Go! Leave me! Thou art cruel and merciless and I wish no part of thine disparagement and jeers!"
[TECH] Diplomacy (14)+18
OOC: When we were speaking to her, could Nettle get a sense of whether she could see us through the blindfold? e.g. Did she turn toward him before he started speaking?
ReplyDeleteTech: Insight +9
Nettle could detect no indications that Dusk Blossom could see him. It appeared as though she reacted to the sound of his voice alone.
Delete[TECH] (6)+9
OOC: How tall is the maypole?
DeleteThe maypole is approximately the height of a man. Or, in Nettle's case, several men.
DeleteNettle will examine the maypole for magical auras, and if he detects nothing, he will fly to the top of it as soundlessly as possible, without touching it. At the top, he will look all around with the spyglass.
ReplyDeleteTech:
Arcana +13
Stealth +12
Perception +9
[NETTLE}
DeleteWith no indications of magical enchantments, Nettle deftly flies up to the tip of the maypole. He balances himself ever so carefully, always keeping an eye below to make sure as to never touch the dripping ochre jelly. Ghost children dance below.
From the high vantage point, Nettle peers over the walls and sees an endless expanse of ruddy wasteland in all directions. Amidst the endless wastes, a coil of thick smoke appears on the horizon, as if a great structure were burning.
[TECH] Arcana (2)+13, Perception (15)+9
OOC: And the spyglass reveals nothing hidden?
DeleteOOC: Oh man, sorry, skipped that part.
Delete[NETTLE]
Peering through the spyglass, Nettle sees the coil of thick smoke take on a distinct shape: the Supernal rune for 'Winter'.
OOC: No worries. I was just a little confused...
DeleteNettle will fly back down and join Kaddim again.
OOC: OK, so looks like if we can't placate the Dusk Blossom, its time to head back to the ambulatory. Unless someone wants to fetch the Nimbus' body and bring it here...
ReplyDeleteNettle looks about, scratches his head and says "Hey, where did Nelson go? Oh well, that tricksy halfling is probably just hiding somewhere. Anyone want to go check out that lock back in the Ambulatory?"
ReplyDelete