Keep on the Shadowfell IC

[Phantom Genius]

"We have leads. I have a gnome in a box. He knows things. I will ask him for more." She lifts the crate and moves to take it to her room to question the gnome.

"Then let's finish our meal and take him upstairs. No torture, though. That would be wrong, no matter what his crimes may be."

(Stupid LG characters ruining a perfectly good interrogation...)

[Dimers]

"If you don't think my presence would hinder, I'd like to join you in questioning this man," Gagan says slowly. "I can be rather intimidating when I try. And occasionally when I don't." He chuckles.

[Phantom Genius]

"If you don't think my presence would hinder, I'd like to join you in questioning this man," Gagan says slowly. "I can be rather intimidating when I try. And occasionally when I don't." He chuckles.

"Of course, but let's finish eating first...ummm...unless you eat gnomes...?"

[Ridai]

"Oh, uh, I can sit this one... out if this is... getting too crowded...?" Brina floats, seeing how more and more people want to question box gnomes, gaze switching back and forth between Gagan, Drang, Melhved, Gagan, Melhved, Gagan, before swallowing more water.

[Dimers]

"Of course, but let's finish eating first...ummm...unless you eat gnomes...?"

Gagan laughs; it's unsurprisingly loud. "I don't even use that as a scare tactic. Nobody believes it."

"Oh, uh, I can sit this one... out if this is... getting too crowded...?"

"No, no, come with. You've got a good ear for social stuff." In the short time Gagan has been traveling with Brina, he's given the impression that he won't be offended if she turns him down -- but also that he means what he says.

[Ridai]

"No, no, come with. You've got a good ear for social stuff." In the short time Gagan has been traveling with Brina, he's given the impression that he won't be offended if she turns him down -- but also that he means what he says.

"Oh! Sure thing!" And to not hold people up any further, the elf rises quickly, avoiding stumbling over a chair or two, and quietly comes with, water in hand.

[TurboGhast]

The people who've finished their meals leave to prepare an upper room for interrogation. By the time they're done, the rest are ready to join them. The boisterous game of the villagers continues throughout this process.

You ensure Agrid can't escape by tying his limbs to a spare chair, completely disarming him, locking all the room's exits, and vastly outnumbering him. Someone rouses him from unconsciousness to begin questioning him.

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

Looking at the massed crowd in the room, Melhved gets slightly nervous. Shows of metal and strength she is used to, but words, never have they been her friend. However, as the gnome is her package, and she needs the information, she steels herself, and growls, "Where's Kalarel?" Her voice cracks and she stumbles as she turns to face the gnome, tripping into the empty crate, and getting lost in her locks. She rights herself and looks to others to continue.

Spoiler: Action

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Intimidate - (1d20-1)[1]

[Ridai]

Brina plants herself out of the way in the room to keep an eye on things, sitting legs crossed under her raincloak and feeling sorry for poor Melhved. Public speaking sure is difficult, and Brina can draw from plenty of experience in that matter, having a long, long history of trying to say something, only for it to be understood as something else or not being the right thing to say to begin with. The desire to show an encouraging thumbs up for the goliath is suppressed due to that, in a rare moment of self-awareness.

[Dimers]

Gagan crosses the room to loom over the gnome, head lowered to make himself look more draconic and generally threatening. "Little man, when we turn you over to the authorities, what we tell them will determine whether you're hung or merely socked away in prison a while. And what you tell us, now, will determine that. How do we reach Kalarel? And what else do you know about his cult?"

Spoiler: intimidate

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I'd appreciate a bonus on the check for my dragonfear power. If I need to roll an attack to get that bonus:

Spoiler: sub-spoiler!

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(d20+7)[20] to hit his Will

And the intimidate check itself, absent any bonus, is (d20+11)[23].

[TurboGhast]

Agrid is unfazed by Melhved's attempt to intimidate him, and remains silent. He keeps his eyes on her, but the rest of his body remains particularly still.

Gagan manages to get a reply. "You think you can intimidate me with a death threat? When I die I'll go to Orcus and serve him in the afterlife too." Agrid's tone, as well as the way he began to tremble in his chair, betrays the fear his words aren't showing.

Spoiler: OOC

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On the idea of getting a bonus for hitting with dragonfear before an intimidation check: I'll allow it. Creative use of your abilities should be encouraged. Specifically, hitting with dragonfear then making an intimidation check will give that check a +2 bonus. However, due to the power's short term nature, future intimidation checks won't have that bonus.

[Phantom Genius]

Gagan manages to get a reply. "You think you can intimidate me with a death threat? When I die I'll go to Orcus and serve him in the afterlife too." Agrid's tone, as well as the way he began to tremble in his chair, betrays the fear his words aren't showing.

"You didn't figger out I'ma cleric? You won't be going to Orcus, little one."

He's not really bluffing, because if we don't kill him, then he doesn't go to Orcus.
-Dwarf logic

[TurboGhast]

Agrid struggles to maintain his composure as he replies. "You... you'd only be delaying the inevitable. Same as your effect on our goals in general. The mirror is a mere catalyst, not a necessary component."

[Phantom Genius]

Agrid struggles to maintain his composure as he replies. "You... you'd only be delaying the inevitable. Same as your effect on our goals in general. The mirror is a mere catalyst, not a necessary component."

"Why don't you try to convince us? Maybe if you tell us where he is and what he wants, you can convince us to take him the mirror. Or maybe he'll be waiting for us, kill us all, and take the mirror from our cold, dead hands? Then you will have truly served him."

[Dimers]

Gagan comments to Agrid, "And you do want to be sure to serve well. Orcus isn't know for his generosity and mercy to those who fail him, now is he?"

[TurboGhast]

Agrid's eyes glaze over a little as he considers his options. It takes some time for him to reply.

"Perhaps... If... How do you know about Kalarel already? We haven't exactly gone public yet."

[Buufreak]

Johuan watched quietly, attempting to strike his most terrifying and imposing pose possible. Then, upon seeing Gagan's display, tries a different approach.

Upon hearing the discussion of Orcus, he truly perks up and steps forward. "What do you know of the Death Prince? I know one thing. Should you go to him, I will merely kill you again."

Spoiler: rolling

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Lets do Religion and Intimidate.
R (1d20+6)[17]
I (1d20+1)[20]

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

Hearing the trigger word "Kalarel" again makes Melhved want to rush in and lash out, demanding answers, but she catches herself with a touch of embarrassment about her last 'performance'. With a steadying breath or two, she stays back, watching others be more successful at the task. Not happy about it, but grateful. "Better to follow in worn footsteps than fall a third time," her teacher had told her once.

[TurboGhast]

"Orcus is a demon prince that deserves the worship that our cult gives him. A master of the undead that, in due time, will use that power to rule the world of the living as well. Even if my efforts were in vain, my allies will take the next step to make that a reality, and be rewarded for their efforts with powerful, immortal forms." Agrid's words trail off into mumbled praise and prayers for assistance, made hard to distinguish from eachother by his shaky tone of voice.

What you've heard about Orcus from less biased sources generally lines up with this information. He's a demon lord worshipped by both the undead and the living who want to become undead, ever seeking ways to expand his power.

[Ridai]

Brina, sitting on the sidelines, is sure everything is going absolutely perfectly fine with no deception whatsoever, and the aftertaste is starting to dissipate as well! Riding high on how well things are going in these three to four minutes, give or take, it may be time to squeeze in one question she has been wondering over for a while now:

"So where do necromantic cults like to spend their time? Always thought maybe you find yourselves a fancy graveyard, but that seems bit out in the open. Do you shack up in crypts, or is that too impolite towards the dead, since you are kind of mates and all, them just currently not moving? Maybe a nice house in the countryside?"

[Buufreak]

Johuan scoffs. "Please. Any that would follow Orcus are about the furthest away from polite as you can imagine. They'd likely roll around in any dirt hole if they thought a bone was in there in the past hundred years."

[TurboGhast]

Agrid tries to counter Brina and Johuan's suggestions, but doesn't find the words quickly enough to interrupt. Only when they've finished speaking can he reply coherently. "Our living conditions are better than you think. The cult and those who support them have multiple buildings to themselves. There'll be no need for us to hide soon, so we can spruce our home up all we want then. Just wait until then and I can show you freely."

Spoiler: For those who make a DC 17 insight check

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His voice took a weirder tone when he said "multiple", and there was a disguised "co" sound just before, as if he changed his wording at the last second. The next sentence only refers to one home as well. His claim of multiple buildings seems exaggerated, so there are probably only one or two places truly controlled by the cult at the moment.

[Ridai]

"Aw, you don't have to nervous about having one home! Having a home is great! Sounds like you got a little club house on top of it, way to go!" Brina commends, distinctly having been homeless for quite a while. "Do you have a nice view from your home? Must be pretty spacious to fit all your cult friends. You know, living as well as those that are getting a little smelly."

[TurboGhast]

Brina's warm words get Agrid to reveal more information. "Not at the moment. I heard the place had a tower once, as it used to be a keep built to prevent someone from doing what we're planning to do. Honestly, we only got close to success because the place was long abandoned when we arrived."

[Phantom Genius]

Brina's warm words get Agrid to reveal more information. "Not at the moment. I heard the place had a tower once, as it used to be a keep built to prevent someone from doing what we're planning to do. Honestly, we only got close to success because the place was long abandoned when we arrived."

Any Insight into where that might be?
[roll]1d20+8[/roll]

[Phantom Genius]

Any Insight into where that might be?
(1d20+8)[27]

What on earth is going on?
(1d20+8)[26]
Insight

Sorry about that. I guess it worked, but it sure looked wrong on my screen. <Edited>

[Ridai]

"Wow, a whole keep! Sounds like it's seen better days, must be a big group effort to renovate the place. They liked to build those up on hills and mountains, or, well, sometimes next to them, right? Must be rough, to think to cart everything up there and clear all that rubble, oof." Brina's cheeks puff out as she oofs, thinking about the mindboggling effort involved the logistics of moving to and tidying up a partially destroyed keep.

[TurboGhast]

"Don't worry about our mortal shells. We haven't actually attempted any renovations, since the effort itself would leave us exposed. The place is infamous for a reason."

After deeper look at Agrid, Drang can see that he's been telling the truth for the entire conversation. However, that info alone doesn't tell him where the keep Agrid's referring to is.

Spoiler: OOC

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Drang's check was handled in this way because I think it's the wrong type of check to answer the question asked. Future instances of these circumstances will be handled similarly: The narration of the check result will give potentially useful information related to that type of check, but note that this information isn't an answer to the question asked to indicate that you should try another strategy. In fact, I might be less subtle about the indicating that another strategy would be useful, since someone might have not tried that strategy in parallel.

Gagan notes that the Shadowfell Keep, a ruin found along the road leading north from Winterhaven, fits the description Agrid's given. The keep was built by the Nareth Empire in a location without obvious tactical relevance, and fell when its garrison commander, Sir Keegan, suddenly went mad and began to kill everyone he could. Those under his command eventually managed to bring his violent rampage to a violent end, but the incident caused the location to be abandoned out of fear.

[Phantom Genius]

After deeper look at Agrid, Drang can see that he's been telling the truth for the entire conversation. However, that info alone doesn't tell him where the keep Agrid's referring to is.

Spoiler: OOC

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Drang's check was handled in this way because I think it's the wrong type of check to answer the question asked. Future instances of these circumstances will be handled similarly: The narration of the check result will give potentially useful information related to that type of check, but note that this information isn't an answer to the question asked to indicate that you should try another strategy. In fact, I might be less subtle about the indicating that another strategy would be useful, since someone might have not tried that strategy in parallel.

TurboGhast, you handled that very tactfully, but I'm not at all offended. I tried the only skill that seemed vaguely useful, as there is no Knowledge:Local, at least on my character sheet. "Keep" up the good work.

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

Hearing the voices ramble on and on makes her tired head wander down a dreamy road of adventures. Picturing herself back on the trail, the tromping on her feet on the road fall into easy rhythm, a pace she could maintain for quite sometime. Traveling had never been something she thought she would look forward to, spending most of her early life not far from the village. Now, with the wide world before her, she felt a greater sense of what Mother had whispered to her. "All things connected, all things the same." Whether sunlit or shrouded in darkness, the plants survived. Whether predator or prey, all needed sustenance but returned it to Mother at the end. The leaf, the petal, the needle, the frond: different shapes, different functions, all serving their function. "Much like our group," she mused. "Some will protect, some will sustain, some will progress. Each has their purpose." She continued to mull as the rhythm of her steps treaded on.

Suddenly she jolts aware, looks around and realizes she had been nearly asleep on her feet. Mumbling for pardon, she steps from the room to clear her head. Perhaps a quick refreshing drink.