Encounter at Shadow Castle Keep Parts 1 and 2

[patransom]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Do you all agree to follow Prost to find the lizards with the prisoners? Any special tactics or preparations you want to make?

 

[CGM3]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Darn right Cyrius agrees!

 

“Sir paladin, I suspect the lizardman to whom Lola was taken is the most dangerous of those foes. I suggest you invoke the divine power Mitra has bequeathed you and concentrate on that one while Texudus and I engage the rest. I'm not sure what Prost can contribute directly, though he may serve as a distraction.” Cyrius glances at Fluffy. “We can try coaxing the dog to accompany us by invoking Lola's name and hope he moves to defend her, but animals are not my forté.”

[JPetherick]

“"I agree. I will attempt to identify the leader and engage him. Should someone else carry the wand, though?,"” asks Worrel.

[ElectroZman]

Tex says, “After that last fight, I'm thinking we can take on a few more. I could use some more arrows though.

Worrel, can you spare some of your Arrows?”

He looks around, “Lets come back for this stuff later I'm thinking.”

He then pulls out a piece of food and approaches at Fluffy, “Cmon boy (or girl), lets go find Lola!”
Animal handling:


“Ready whenever you are!”

[JPetherick]

Worrel reaches to his quiver and grasps all of his arrows. “"I will not be using them - make them count,"” says the paladin.

[CGM3]

“For me, a wand is merely a stick,” Cyrius responds to Worrel's query. “Unless our friends here can invoke its power, I think you must wield it.”

[ElectroZman]

OUT OF CHARACTER

I can never remember, can a Ranger use a wand?

 

[CGM3]

OUT OF CHARACTER

I can never remember, can a Ranger use a wand?

 

Yes, if its spell is on the ranger spell list (which cure light wounds is)

[ElectroZman]

Tex says, “I'll hold on to it.”

He tucks it into his belt for quick retrieval if needed.

[patransom]

Tex takes Worrel's arrows and wand. He easily coaxes Fluffy into following the party. The group leaves all the loot behind to deal with later and Prost leads them to the place where he last saw Lola. (I assume you continue to use Cyrius' sunrod as a source light.)

The room to which Prost guides the party has not changed much he left, but it's new to the rest of the group (so I'm repeating the description here). This room is different from the others in the lair. Decorations made of wood and clay beads hang from the walls, with egg symbols the most common element. A small pit of stone and clay holds the remnants of a fire, and several open pots of herbs stand near the fire pit. A pool of water surrounds a cluster of tree trunks in the center of the room.

There are several lizardfolk here, but the most notable is a stooped lizardfolk wearing necklaces and bracelets of animal’s teeth (Hi on the map). There is a snake (V) coiled nearby. In one corner of the room are two human prisoners—a male soldier (blue S) and a female mage (blue M, picture below)—unconscious and bound. Likewise, Lola is lying unconscious next to these two and has been bound and gagged since Prost left.

The lizardfolk are clearly aware of the party's approach, but they do not immediately attack. Instead, they look to the stooped lizard with the jewelry for guidance. This individual looks mildly surprised at the party's arrival. It raises one clawed hand and says in rather broken common, “Wait, wait! If you hoomansss here and not tied in ropesss, it meansss king isss dead, yesss?”

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Cyrius of the Sudden Blade: sunrod and mind blade readied, 17 bolts left, 4 hp damage 2. Worrel: longsword and shield readied, 0 arrows left, 0 lay on hands left, 1 smite evil left, uninjured 3. Texudus TreeBender: longbow readied, 46 arrows left, wand of CLW 25 charges left, 4 hp damage 4. Evan Prost: short sword and loaded slingstaff readied, 6 +1 bullets left, darkvision 172.9 minutes left, gaseous form 4.5 minutes left, 14 hp damage 5. Lola: short sword dropped, 49 bolts left, 39 hp damage + 6 hp nonlethal, unconscious, bound and gagged 6. Fluffy: 11 hp damage

[JPetherick]

Worrel steps forward, just into the room. He holds his shield up, and his longsword in a ready position, clearly able to defend himself.

“"Yes, the king is dead. We have come for our companion,"” he replies. “"None of them yielded, so they are dead, even the birdwomen."”

[ElectroZman]

Tex has an arrow notched and drawn. He'll fire if they take any aggressive action.

[patransom]

Keeping one claw raised in what appears to be an effort to look nonthreatening, the old lizard says a few words to its companions in their guttural language. Then it speaks to Worrel, “We tellsss the king itsss not wissse to make war on hoomansss. And we do not believe the wormsss is hoomanss fault. But the Black-Ssscaled Queen hasss poisssoned hisss mind and he doesss not lisssten.”

“Ssso we who are left do not want war with hoomansss. Inssstead, we make deal, yesss? You help usss, we help you?”

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Cyrius of the Sudden Blade: sunrod and mind blade readied, 17 bolts left, 4 hp damage 2. Worrel: longsword and shield readied, 0 arrows left, 0 lay on hands left, 1 smite evil left, uninjured 3. Texudus TreeBender: longbow readied, 46 arrows left, wand of CLW 25 charges left, 4 hp damage 4. Evan Prost: short sword and loaded slingstaff readied, 6 +1 bullets left, darkvision 172.8 minutes left, gaseous form 4.4 minutes left, 14 hp damage 5. Lola: short sword dropped, 49 bolts left, 39 hp damage + 6 hp nonlethal, unconscious, bound and gagged 6. Fluffy: 11 hp damage

[CGM3]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Lola seems to be missing from the map.

 

[ElectroZman]

OUT OF CHARACTER

I see lola, the light green L next to the blue S

 

Tex relaxes the tension on his bow, but keeps the arrow nocked.

[CGM3]

OUT OF CHARACTER

I see lola, the light green L next to the blue S

 

OUT OF CHARACTER

Ah, missed that.

 

Cyrius holds his mindblade pointed towards the ground.

[JPetherick]

Worrel considers for a moment before replying.

“"What help do you require?,"” asks the paladin. “"And what help do you offer to us?"”

While he waits, Worrel tries to recall if he has ever heard of the "Black-Scaled Queen".

[patransom]

The old lizard seems pleased with how this negotiation is going. It replies to Worrel, “The king isss no more, but the Black-Ssscaled Queen still hasss ssservantsss here. They sssay they are guarding our eggsss. We sssay our eggsss are hossstagesss. You powerful hooomansss get usss the eggsss and we give you back thessse other hooomansss. Easssy, yesss?"”

OUT OF CHARACTER

No one has ever heard of a Black-Scaled Queen

 

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Cyrius of the Sudden Blade: sunrod and mind blade readied, 17 bolts left, 4 hp damage 2. Worrel: longsword and shield readied, 0 arrows left, 0 lay on hands left, 1 smite evil left, uninjured 3. Texudus TreeBender: longbow readied, 46 arrows left, wand of CLW 25 charges left, 4 hp damage 4. Evan Prost: short sword and loaded slingstaff readied, 6 +1 bullets left, darkvision 172.7 minutes left, gaseous form 4.3 minutes left, 14 hp damage 5. Lola: short sword dropped, 49 bolts left, 39 hp damage + 6 hp nonlethal, unconscious, bound and gagged 6. Fluffy: 11 hp damage

[JPetherick]

Worrel continues the discussion, asking “"What is this about worms?"”

OUT OF CHARACTER

I cannot recall ... have we encountered worms before?

 

[ElectroZman]

Tex raises his bow again and says quietly, “I think they need to release the prisoners now...”

[patransom]

OUT OF CHARACTER

I'll post a reply from the lizard shaman later in the week, to give Prost and Cyrius an opportunity to chime in, but first...

 

I cannot recall ... have we encountered worms before?

OUT OF CHARACTER

I can't tell if this is meant sarcastically, but I suspect it isn't. We've been playing this a long time, so it's easy to lose the plot. Here are some key links to refresh your memory: Balabar Smenk (RIP) stole a green worm from the cult of the Triad of Sixes In the lair of the Triad of Sixes you found this and this Which leads to why you came here in the first place More recently, you might have missed something odd in the heat of battle, so I went back and highlighted it in red

 

[CGM3]

Cyrius keeps his mindblade lowered as he responds to Texudus' remark, “They can help us in retrieving the eggs.”

[kabkal]

OUT OF CHARACTER

How long will Lola be unconscious?

 

[patransom]

How long will Lola be unconscious?

OUT OF CHARACTER

In the absence of healing, two hours... although that might be resolved more quickly depending on what your allies do in response to the next post...

 

[patransom]

Worrel continues the discussion, asking “What is this about worms?”

The lizard responds, “The wormsss were a plague on the Twisssted Branch. They made the dead rissse and they killed our eggsss. The Black-Ssscaled Queen sssaved usss from the wormsss, and we are grateful for that. But now ssshe drivesss usss to attack the hooomansss. Ssshe tellsss usss they bring the wormsss.” He shakes his head, “But there isss no evidenssse. No direct conectssshun. And alssso isss logical fallasssy. Wormsss would kill hoomansss eggsss too...”

Tex raises his bow again and says quietly, “I think they need to release the prisoners now...” and Cyrius adds, “They can help us in retrieving the eggs.”

The shaman, keeping his claws raised, replies, “How about compromissse? We give you one prisssoner now, the ressst after you sssave eggsss?”

OUT OF CHARACTER

I just wrote a work email and had to restrain myself (ressstrain myssself) from typing three S's all over the place...

 

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Cyrius of the Sudden Blade: sunrod and mind blade readied, 17 bolts left, 4 hp damage 2. Worrel: longsword and shield readied, 0 arrows left, 0 lay on hands left, 1 smite evil left, uninjured 3. Texudus TreeBender: longbow readied, 46 arrows left, wand of CLW 25 charges left, 4 hp damage 4. Evan Prost: short sword and loaded slingstaff readied, 6 +1 bullets left, darkvision 172.7 minutes left, gaseous form 4.3 minutes left, 14 hp damage 5. Lola: short sword dropped, 49 bolts left, 39 hp damage + 6 hp nonlethal, unconscious, bound and gagged 6. Fluffy: 11 hp damage

[smeltdm]

Prost floats out in front of the old lizard man, pointing to Lola, in his most intimidating voice...“Heal my friend!”

OUT OF CHARACTER

Prost would move through the walls to pop out (1631 to 1732) in front of the old Lizard man

 

OUT OF CHARACTER

Not sure which would apply so here is both;

 

[patransom]

Prost floats through the walls towards the old lizard. L11 is startled and swipes at Prost defensively with his morning star as he passes by, but misses.

Arriving in front of the shaman, Prost points to Lola and shouts, in his most intimidating (and very spooky, because of the gaseous form spell) voice, “Heal my friend!”

OUT OF CHARACTER

I gave you a circumstance bonus to the intimidate check, because the shaman does not have spellcraft and has no idea that Prost isn't some kind of ghost or entity!

 

“Gah!” says the shaman with a start. It wades through the pool and casts a spell on Lola.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Lola is healed 10 hp lethal, plus all of her nonlethal, for a total of 16 hp. She is now conscious, but she's still bound and gagged.

 

Spellcraft DC16 to identify the shaman's spellShow

Cure Light Wounds

The old lizard, still frightened of Prost, says, “Pleassse, I am helping you. We are negossshiating in good faith! We let thisss one go and you sssave eggsss? Pleassse?”

ACTIVE EFFECTS

1. Cyrius of the Sudden Blade: sunrod and mind blade readied, 17 bolts left, 4 hp damage 2. Worrel: longsword and shield readied, 0 arrows left, 0 lay on hands left, 1 smite evil left, uninjured 3. Texudus TreeBender: longbow readied, 46 arrows left, wand of CLW 25 charges left, 4 hp damage 4. Evan Prost: short sword and loaded slingstaff readied, 6 +1 bullets left, darkvision 172.6 minutes left, gaseous form 4.2 minutes left, 14 hp damage 5. Lola: short sword dropped, 49 bolts left, 29 hp damage, bound and gagged 6. Fluffy: 11 hp damage

[ElectroZman]

“Let them all go.” Tex says. “Now.”

“We'll save your eggs.”

[CGM3]

“It's possible these two won't be any help,” Cyrius points out, “while Lola is a known quantity. And it's not surprising these folk might not trust us to help them without an incentive.”

[ElectroZman]

“We might not need their help, but I see no reason to let them remain prisoner or be held for some future demands,” Tex replies. “We've already seen one of ours fall to their kind. These 'folk' are in no position to make demands of us and I remind you that they began all this with the attack on the keep and kidnapping. We can finish this now one way or the other.”

“We've already said we'd help retrieve their eggs. That should be good enough.”