Darkwood--Into the blackness....

Post by **Seven Words** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:59 pm

Skyseeker suddenly whips her head up..."I discern a pattern here. Consider...first, we found an altar for dwarves. Then the winged Aarakocra. Now we have found a place with creatures of fire. Are not dwarves sometimes called the children of the Earth? It seems likely there will be another defiled altar where these foes came from...leaving us one or two more altars....Water for certain, and possibly one of spirit, thus completing the elements."

Post by **Vynarkus** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:11 pm

"In that case, there should only be two more groups of enemies for us to fight.
"...If we have to fight at all. If it is acceptable to everyone, the next time we encounter a group of creatures, I would like to try to convince them to help us before we begin fighting. Depending what kind of creatures they are, they may only help us after I lie to them, and we'll still have to kill them before they turn on us, but I at least want to get information from them if possible."

Post by **Sigrid** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:06 pm

"I doubt it will work. But you can try."

Post by **Led Pighp** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:07 pm

Led stands up. "Well, let's look for the third alter, then." He heads back down the hallway.

[Hide & move silent checks, in case there are more enemies, plus Spot and Listen checks. And then Search checks for the alter and / or any sneaky portals or whatever.]

Post by **Vynarkus** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:13 pm

Stay invisible, float along behind Led, use Detect Magic to look for any magic that he might miss.

[ooc]Search and Spot checks, obviously[/ooc]

Post by **Kalindriel Ec'urb** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:16 pm

"Not as if I didn't try back with the elves and the golem, but if they'll actually refrain from hitting things long enough to let us talk I am for it."

"There isn't any need to lie or attack them after though. We can offer them a choice between death, assistance, or surrender."

Post by **Vynarkus** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:27 pm

Kalindriel Ec'urb wrote:"There isn't any need to lie or attack them after though. We can offer them a choice between death, assistance, or surrender."

Float back over to Kalindriel
"...That depends. Summoned beings don't really have a choice as to what they do, the only way to get them to help us would be to trick them into thinking we serve the same masters, and then we'd have to dispose of them before they realise the ruse and attack us. Besides, we are far more likely to succeed in convincing them to help us by tricking them than by convincing them we'll let them live if they do come to our aid.

Post by **Kalindriel Ec'urb** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:16 pm

"Summoned beings have more free-will than you give them credit for. Only the most temporary of conjurations tend to not have leeway. Now such beings may not be predisposed towards seeing our point of view, however the trick is to offer something they do want and to work around any compulsion they are under."

"That is how I convinced the tanar'ri to attack the baatezu in the large battle. Whatever compulsion or deals they had made, not attacking one another was not one of them. They just needed a little reminder." Her reference to the devils is tinged with a sharpness of breath.

"Nor does such magic sway the will of the elves. If they believe we will win here, that their master will win the overall battle, and that they can be alive to see that final victory, maybe a few will surrender. Maybe."

"Or we can just tell them what I was planning to, in that some of us are infiltrators. If they let us capture them, one of us will help them escape a few days from now. We have to keep the charade up though, so we will kill anything that doesn't surrender and destroy or alter enough evidence to throw the elves off. Since none of you can speak their language [as she is unaware Vyn is now affected by Tongues] you couldn't contradict my story either. Offer it as the only way they will survive this seige."

Post by **Katrina** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:21 pm

Take to the shadows, quietly, staying behind Led, search and spots as applicable.

Post by **Seven Words** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:16 am

Nothing amiss is found going back to the large room where the giant and the hellhounds had been. There is indeed another altar, with eye-burning sigils upon it.

There is a trapdoor (for want of a better term) to some way down...and exits to the north, south and east, with you all entering from the west.

Post by **Kalindriel Ec'urb** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:23 am

[Work my magic once again. Let's make it three altars down!]

Post by **Seven Words** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:33 am

The altar glows brightly, before reducing heatlessly to a puddle of slag.

Post by **Led Pighp** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 7:30 pm

Speaking Darelline, "Well... that's sorted." [That's the Darkwood's version of a British accent.]

"After all that killing and bleeding, it's kind of a let-down, really." He shrugs. "So then, where would we find the water temple? Air was underground, so I really have no idea where water would be."

The hunter (no longer a scribe) considers the different options. "Oh, in all of the being stabbed, I forgot. There may be another enemy here. Something spoke to me. In my mind." As he thinks through the implications, his expression sours. "Could your summoner be reading my mind? Tracking our progress? What if he's influencing me... or all of us?"

He starts to back away from the group, looking more and more nervous. "F---ing mind control. It's almost as bad as that damned fungus."

Post by **Sigrid** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:00 am

"I pray at sundown, only a few hours from now. Then I can provide more healing for the rest of the night. If I don't use up my offensive spells, I think we can push on. And I have several offensive wands."

"If you're worried about hurting the summoned creatures, we can simply dispel the summoning spell. They'll go back home, without further damage. Is there some other reason you're suggesting this course? My Volk wouldn't agree with me, but a surprise attack is the safest way for us. I don't want to hurt others needlessly, but I won't risk my live or someone I might care about, just to give them a chance to live."

I'm not looking at Annalysei when I say that. It's very important that I not look at her while I say it. Especially the last part.

Post by **Sorchat** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:05 am

"I was summoned. I answered the summons. And I made a pact with Sigrid when I arrived. A pact binding us equally, and one we both honor. But, the first act does not guarantee the rest."

Post by **Vynarkus** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:16 am

"Actually, I'm more concerned with getting information, and possibly convincing one group that other groups they used to be allied with have gone insane, setting the two against each other.
"Also, if everyone except Led and I stay back a ways until we know whether or not my talking succeeded, you can surprise them if they decide to attack us, and our attack will be a very large surprise, with us in a better tactical position, if we wait until the enemy thinks we are on their side before launching it."

Post by **Annalysei** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:04 pm

Anna notices Sigrid very carefully avoiding her gaze and after Sigrid gets done speaking, Anna places a hand on the back of Sigrid's neck. Saying nothing, just a soft touch, then wanders back to the edge of the room to patrol and look around.

Post by **Katrina** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:19 pm

Vynarkus wrote:"Actually, I'm more concerned with getting information, and possibly convincing one group that other groups they used to be allied with have gone insane, setting the two against each other.
"Also, if everyone except Led and I stay back a ways until we know whether or not my talking succeeded, you can surprise them if they decide to attack us, and our attack will be a very large surprise, with us in a better tactical position, if we wait until the enemy thinks we are on their side before launching it."

"If they are Bad then they need to be Dealt With, not talked to."

Thinking a bit then saying

"If the Bad Man can hear us, he knows out plans now, wouldn't he?"

I begin to write/draw a message on the wall.

Post by **Kalindriel Ec'urb** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:43 pm

Kali tries to hide behind her hand when she realizes what Katrina is doing.

"Wouldn't someone besides Led be a better choice? Everything we've met he either wants to kill or flee from, and I'm not sure he could hide those emotions. He's also fast and likes attacking on the run, so it makes sense for him to hang back. As far as the elves here are concerned, he is a slave race. The things in here probably won't take kindly to him acting like an equal."

"On the other hand, I am good at persuasion, can hide on the spot, speak just about everything, have a refined understanding of planar creatures, and have at least a tenuous tie to the dark elves given my sire."

Post by **Seven Words** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:25 pm

Skyseeker goes to each of the three exits, leaving the trapdoor down alone for now...."I smell brine from here..." gesturing to the southern exit.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Darkwood--Into the blackness....