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HIGHLANDER'S REALM ("D&D" FORUM RPG)
Posts
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
LockeZ
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Close"There were about a hundred people. I was the only kid there, everyone else was an adult. They took care of me my whole life."
"We can go there if you want... if I can find the way back."
"We can go there if you want... if I can find the way back."
So then, I start walking towards where we presume the temple to be together with the others. After a few minutes of walking, I abruptly turn to Leara:
"Say, Leara, you briefly mentioned your mother yesterday. That just now reminded me that you haven't really disclosed much about your background yet. For instance, I don't even know where you are from, or what brought you to these parts. Would you be so kind to sate my curiosity?"
"Say, Leara, you briefly mentioned your mother yesterday. That just now reminded me that you haven't really disclosed much about your background yet. For instance, I don't even know where you are from, or what brought you to these parts. Would you be so kind to sate my curiosity?"
I turn to Aldus and wonder what I should tell him. My past was another time, when I was another person. I always imagine it was someone else, that I was just an observer watching, and that I was a completely different person. "It was a throwaway comment, you know, in response to Agnelia's statement that she likes blood. I thought the color of my skin made it obvious, but I'm from the Lower Realm. You know, it's not like the people of the surface don't have a good reason to hate and fear us, especially considering such traditions as 'The Running' and 'The Blooding'." I find myself momentarily lost in thought, memories of the past coming back to me. "No, we're not very nice people..."
You all head towards the temple.
Finding the main road, you travel along it during the night and Agnelia feels a pull to the southeast, off the road. The party travels along, following Agnelia. After a few hours the sun begins to rise as the party sees the temple: stone bricks layered on top of each other forming a pyramid structure with four towers on the corners. The peak of the pyramid is square with holes as windows. What's striking is few corpses at the entryway, uniformly fallen and rotten. Once the party gets closer, the stench of death gets stronger. Looking into the pyramid from the outside reveals a square chamber with dozens more corpses radiating from a raised dais with a queen sized bed on it. The ceiling is pointed with a chandelier with blue flames hanging from the center. There are doorways in the corners, presumably leading to the four towers.
Finding the main road, you travel along it during the night and Agnelia feels a pull to the southeast, off the road. The party travels along, following Agnelia. After a few hours the sun begins to rise as the party sees the temple: stone bricks layered on top of each other forming a pyramid structure with four towers on the corners. The peak of the pyramid is square with holes as windows. What's striking is few corpses at the entryway, uniformly fallen and rotten. Once the party gets closer, the stench of death gets stronger. Looking into the pyramid from the outside reveals a square chamber with dozens more corpses radiating from a raised dais with a queen sized bed on it. The ceiling is pointed with a chandelier with blue flames hanging from the center. There are doorways in the corners, presumably leading to the four towers.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
"Oh, it must be really dirty down there," I conclude after hearing Leara's story. "You've still got color all over your skin even after getting snow on you."
I look at the temple.
"This is where I lived until a couple days ago. I left because I ran out of food."
I look at the temple.
"This is where I lived until a couple days ago. I left because I ran out of food."
I laugh. "Oh! No. I am not painted or dyed. This is what color my skin is. You don't suppose my hair would be so silvery if anything else were the case." I stop short as I see the temple for the first time. "Oh, my...You don't have to come in with us if you don't want to." Seeing the carnage, I'm afraid to ask Agnelia what happened, not wanting to upset her.
Carefully observe the temple. Perception roll: 8, +5. Comes to 13.
"Who could have done something like this? Why would anyone do this?"
Carefully observe the temple. Perception roll: 8, +5. Comes to 13.
"Who could have done something like this? Why would anyone do this?"
Looking at the temple you see it's in surprisingly pristine condition. Each individual corpse has a ceremonial looking knife near their body. The tattered and rotting bodies have only clothes on them, no valuables at all.
My first thought is mass suicide. I've seen it before, and it's always disturbing. I kneel so that I'm eye level with Agnelia, addressing her as an equal. I don't want to press her but there doesn't seem much choice at this point. A mass suicide, by itself, isn't so unusual. What is unusual is where there's a survivor none of the victims seemed to bother accounting for. "Agnelia, I'm sorry, but how did they die?"
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
I'm not okay. I thought I would be okay. I was okay all the way here and I was sure I could do this. But it's terrifying. Tears are streaming down my face as I try to talk.
"I woke up one day and they were all doing this. Everyone had a knife and they were all, they were all holding them to their own necks, the knives."
I speak quickly without breathing, panicking, stumbling over my words.
"They all started yelling and screaming at me and they were all saying that, that their blood and their souls were mine now. They said I would go on to bring a new world. But I don't know what to do! What new world? Why me? I don't know what any of that means!"
I fall to the ground and close my eyes, sobbing softly. It takes me a minute before I finally speak again.
"I was all alone. There was no one left to ask."
"I woke up one day and they were all doing this. Everyone had a knife and they were all, they were all holding them to their own necks, the knives."
I speak quickly without breathing, panicking, stumbling over my words.
"They all started yelling and screaming at me and they were all saying that, that their blood and their souls were mine now. They said I would go on to bring a new world. But I don't know what to do! What new world? Why me? I don't know what any of that means!"
I fall to the ground and close my eyes, sobbing softly. It takes me a minute before I finally speak again.
"I was all alone. There was no one left to ask."
I listen carefully, wishing I hadn't asked, but knowing I had to. I wonder what this cult was hoping to accomplish. I give Agnelia all the time she needs. I grew up in a world where sacrificing others under a knife was one's duty to society; even your brothers and sisters. I wonder what they were trying to summon? I know this magic. I know it only too well. My mother was a Matron. This kind of magic was commonplace. I wonder how well this cult knew that magic. It sounds like they were trying to bond something with Agnelia. I know full well that there are plenty of other nasty things that could come with it. Just because Agnelia didn't encounter it, doesn't mean it isn't there. Of course, with this young child's skills, I almost wonder if she actually did encounter something and proceeded to beat the ever-loving crap out of it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know all about being surrounded by death." I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. I'd like to hug her but I'm not sure if she'd allow it. "Agnelia, did you encounter something...," I struggle to find the right word, "...unnatural...while you were here? I mean, after all of this happened?"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know all about being surrounded by death." I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. I'd like to hug her but I'm not sure if she'd allow it. "Agnelia, did you encounter something...," I struggle to find the right word, "...unnatural...while you were here? I mean, after all of this happened?"
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
"No," I sob. Then I become less sure of that answer. "I don't know. I don't know what they did. I didn't see anything else but I think something's wrong with me. I know things and I don't know how I know them. I don't get cold and I don't get hurt and... and my hair used to be black and now it's white."
She knows things and doesn't know how she knows them? I think a search for answers is in order, and a mage would certainly be helpful in figuring this out. I incline my head towards Aldus. "Aldus, we need answers and this seems to be just the sort of knowledge that interests you: unusual and dangerous."
It's times like this I wish I had retained some of my childhood lessons. I knew that I was in more danger here than anyone, save Agnelia. As an outcast, turning my back on Drow society, I was marked by my people. They employed demons to hunt me and anywhere such magic is used, just by being there, I risked exposing myself. I hope Aldus and Agnelia don't see my fear as I try to swallow it. "I propose we explore this temple."
It's times like this I wish I had retained some of my childhood lessons. I knew that I was in more danger here than anyone, save Agnelia. As an outcast, turning my back on Drow society, I was marked by my people. They employed demons to hunt me and anywhere such magic is used, just by being there, I risked exposing myself. I hope Aldus and Agnelia don't see my fear as I try to swallow it. "I propose we explore this temple."
During the whole time Agnelia and Leara are talking, I have been unusually quiet. While listening intently to their conversation, I begin carefully examining my surroundings and the bodies with great interest, but a terrified look on my face, and murmuring the same short sentence to myself over and over again. Everything we found and heard in here points towards a terrible attempt to gain power over the incomprehensible - but not by moving along with it, but through violence and brute, rigid, mindless force.
A new world? Every single second the world turns into a new world. An atrocity like this can only have been planned by an extremely narrow mind, or else they would not have wasted so much potential for change and development on a vision so transient and futile.
Only when Leara addresses me personally, I am reminded of their physical presence here. I look at her and once again repeat the sentence I've been saying to myself all this time, but out loud: "I don't like this place."
I'd like to make an Investigation or Arcana check to try and find out more about the nature of the ritual that took place here. My dice roll is only an 8, which would still turn into a 16 for Investigation or a 17 for Arcana, whichever applies.
A new world? Every single second the world turns into a new world. An atrocity like this can only have been planned by an extremely narrow mind, or else they would not have wasted so much potential for change and development on a vision so transient and futile.
Only when Leara addresses me personally, I am reminded of their physical presence here. I look at her and once again repeat the sentence I've been saying to myself all this time, but out loud: "I don't like this place."
I'd like to make an Investigation or Arcana check to try and find out more about the nature of the ritual that took place here. My dice roll is only an 8, which would still turn into a 16 for Investigation or a 17 for Arcana, whichever applies.
After Aldus investigates, he takes note of these things.
Each body is surrounded in a fine grained and black salt, the smell of which reminds him of his mind's time in The Beyond. The daggers' blade all bear the symbol of a Deity that a religion check would reveal, as well as an odd head of a creature for the handle that an excellent History check might reveal. Each body seems to be randomly placed,which for any other ritual would not do anything significant. Each body has deteriorated as bodies do yet it seems accelerated. Usually there would still be skin, but there is only bones and a few clumps of muscle tissue.
The temple itself is enshrouded in an Anti-Scrying field. Aldus senses something else above them, but is not close enough to know exactly what. He'll have to climb one of the corner towers and make his way to the pinnacle room on the top of the pyramid to find out. There are also many miasmal energies below the temple which Agnelia finds soothing.
Each body is surrounded in a fine grained and black salt, the smell of which reminds him of his mind's time in The Beyond. The daggers' blade all bear the symbol of a Deity that a religion check would reveal, as well as an odd head of a creature for the handle that an excellent History check might reveal. Each body seems to be randomly placed,which for any other ritual would not do anything significant. Each body has deteriorated as bodies do yet it seems accelerated. Usually there would still be skin, but there is only bones and a few clumps of muscle tissue.
The temple itself is enshrouded in an Anti-Scrying field. Aldus senses something else above them, but is not close enough to know exactly what. He'll have to climb one of the corner towers and make his way to the pinnacle room on the top of the pyramid to find out. There are also many miasmal energies below the temple which Agnelia finds soothing.
I relay all of the information I just obtained to the rest of the party. I'd also like to to take some of this black salt with me, but touching it with my bare fingers seems like a bad idea. So I use Prestidigitation to move some of the salt into my pouch.
"I agree with Leara. This is a terrible place where, in their blindness, people tried to force an "order" upon chaos in the name of some religious dogma, and potentially cursed our friend Agnelia in the process. Let's explore."
"I agree with Leara. This is a terrible place where, in their blindness, people tried to force an "order" upon chaos in the name of some religious dogma, and potentially cursed our friend Agnelia in the process. Let's explore."
I puzzle how Aldus could know what I was thinking. I suppose it's just another mystery of the mage. I too avoid the silver salt (IRL black salt is made through the oxidization of silver). "I don't like this either." I stand. "We need to find out what was going on."
Out of character for a second: I feel it would be appropriate if either Leara or Agnelia would try to tackle those History and Religion checks Seiromem mentioned to gather some more information. I know that technically, Aldus has a good score in both of these skills, but it would be extremely atypical for him to know about something like this, especially since he's the kind of person who would get their history mixed up.
Is it possible for me to assist either of them during such a roll to grant them an advantage, though? That might work.
P.S.: I didn't mean to make it seem like I was letting Aldus use player knowledge there, pianotm. I just based my dialogue on Leara saying we should explore the temple. Sorry if that came across wrong.
Is it possible for me to assist either of them during such a roll to grant them an advantage, though? That might work.
P.S.: I didn't mean to make it seem like I was letting Aldus use player knowledge there, pianotm. I just based my dialogue on Leara saying we should explore the temple. Sorry if that came across wrong.
Can I? I wouldn't know the history of the temple per se, but I might be able to shed some light on what was going on.
Religion check. Rolled an 11. Would that be same as perception check? If so, +5.
Religion check. Rolled an 11. Would that be same as perception check? If so, +5.
Piano you have no points into the Religion skill, no proficiency with it, and no intelligence bonus, therefor you don't get any numerical bonuses. You do, however, have advantage on the roll (so you can roll again and take the higher)
With the religion check you have now, you know the blade of the ceremonial daggers have etchings of Viria, a popular Drow deity. She is known as "The Dagger in the Back".
Aldus moves the black powder, which seems to gleam blue despite no direct light-source being around, into his pouch. He can get a maximum of 1000 grams of this salt if he gathers every last bit. Tell me whatever amount out of that Aldus would gather.
With the religion check you have now, you know the blade of the ceremonial daggers have etchings of Viria, a popular Drow deity. She is known as "The Dagger in the Back".
Aldus moves the black powder, which seems to gleam blue despite no direct light-source being around, into his pouch. He can get a maximum of 1000 grams of this salt if he gathers every last bit. Tell me whatever amount out of that Aldus would gather.
