D&D ADVENTURE! THE TEMPLE OF PIETER ONNE-DRAY

Penddraig

Member
Robin sat back, leaning against the wall and rubbed a hand down his face. "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? If we are going to move, we"ll need to do it quickly. Personally, I'd prefer to avoid the ritual room after recent events so that would leave the set of baths. Bufo and I could move on ahead, yes Bufo I did say you, and check it out. I'd also like to check out these tracks a bit more."
 

weazil

Moderator
Bari nodded appreciatively as he took in the profound religious truths that had so skilfully been applied to the walls.

"Truth is, Seu, I haven't got the first idea who Pieter Onne-Dray is. His name has been expunged from our records, so the brother must'a done something pretty rich to get that kinda treatment. What I can say is I can feel Jordann is getting all twisted up around about now, so there's something deep here." Bari pointed inadvertently at a couple enjoying a deep philosophical encounter on the wall.

"I have got to say, however, that this Pieter OnneDray cat knows his stuff. These arcane rituals are very similar to our own - and some are only practiced by the most experienced in our order. I'm not experienced enough to do that, for instance.

The party's heads' all cocked to the left as they attempted to fathom the physics of the scene Bari pointed to.

"Anyway, I know there are snakes and shit around here, but I would love... er, I mean, Jordann would love for me to have an opportunity to see the ritual room!I believe there is very valuable knowledge for my order there. Rich, rich knowledge."
 

Asslessman

Member
With his nose nearly touching the wall picture and his eyes all set on the scene, Seu still couldn't make any sense of it, it unexpectedly reminded him of his late boarding school and that time his father was out with the gardener at Wyrmrock Castle..
"Damn it'shot in here ! Bari's right... The day clerics, knights and more generally people of good flee the temples, is a very sad day actually. I cannot allow any evil presence to descrate a holy place... Still I don't want tpo endanger any of you by staying here. Maybe some of you would prefer we secure an escape route first?
 
Rambulge wasn't sure what kind of place this was, as he looked at the artworks he thought of that nurse that most certainly had a thing for him back in prison, and blushed.
The mention of Snakes snapped him out of it, and the spell sword clutched his trusty cudgel even tighter as he took a look at what Robin had discovered.

"I have a bad feeling about this" he said.
 
Bufo was confused. "Sooo are we going left, or right? To the baths, or to the ritual room? Can we make up our minds here? Should we split up?" he stood with his little hands on his hips, looking testy. Suddenly his look turned from exasperation to concern. "Guys... I can hear something"

Yngwie paused, listening. "I can hear it too... voices, coming from the directions of the cleansing baths. We should conceal ourselves!"

Bufo scurried under a pile of crap and broken furniture. Yngwie slipped back through the secret door, shoving Eggbert back in just as he looked like he was about to come through. The elf ushered the others to follow. It wasn't long before conversation snippets could be made out in the echoing passage.

"....situation.... supplies....need to widen....losses are becoming unmanageable... Ssartan must see reason..."

It was a high, nasal voice that was most noticeable. Occasionally there was a lower toned response from whoever the voice was talking to, but it was impossible to make out. Bufo strained as hard as he could to hear more, and risked a peek out of his trashpile. What he saw almost made him gasp.

At the other end of the corridor, some fifty feet away, he could see two figures turn the corner. Both were tall (everyone is tall to a halfling), one was pale and bald, with a dark cloak draped about him, the other was... was...

The other was a snakeman. He had a long, snake tail, scaly body, and a long neck with a snake's head. The parts between the tail and the head were a bit confusing, but he definitely saw strongly muscled arms, and heavy, ornate armour, and a wickedly curved blade at it's... hip? On it's belt anyway. The two paused outside the alcove that led to the private quarters.

"I must go on and check the spawning chambers, I will see you later, Hirrastus," he heard the bald one say. The snake creature hissed out a response and entered the alcove. Bufo hid as the bald man turned and began walking in his direction. The halfling heard the door in the alcove open and close to allow the snakeman passage. The shuffling stride of the bald man got ever closer, and the little thief held his breath. Snakemen! Who would have thought? The universe was full of diverse man-beasts, it seemed. Bufo was none to keen about the concept. Would a snakeman have poisonous fangs? What do they eat? In 'Cheeses of the Dark Lands' by Hamton Butterbeane esq, Bufo had read how a Well Speckled Python had swallowed a halfling baggage handler whole one night, taken from his own tent. Would a snakeman try to swallow him whole?

Bufo gulped quietly. The bald figure had nearly reached his hiding place...
 

Asslessman

Member
Seu rapidly turned to his spell-using companions. He made a quick gesture with his index towards where the menace came from and then he closed his index and thumb in front of his lips to signify he wanted to make the man silent, maybe one of them had the means to give them this advantage...
He then pointed the finger at himself and then at the coming menace again and briefl mimed failing that, he would jump on the intruder (or were they the intruders? oh right nevermind) with his hand on his mouth to prevent any scream...
These were the kind of moments where Seu felt useless, the situation demanded other skills than his and he hated to leave the burden on other people's shoulders.

After signifying his intent, Seu will wait for the others to declare their next move.
If no one has a plan or a mean to make the man silent or if the guard comes to close and leaves them no other opportunity, he will jump on him, put is hand on his mouth and will try to knock him uncounscious or at least incapacitate him
 
Rambulge looked back at Seu with a useless sort of look on his face...he pulled his dagger out of it's sheath and gave a helpless shrug.
The spell sword knew a spell for a minor trick and was able to cast another that would conjure ghost sounds, but he had nothing to silence this threat.
 

weazil

Moderator
Bari nodded as soon as he understood. He also pursed his lips and closed his finger and thumb on them, before his face broke into a grin. He nodded, pleased he wasn't the only one who thought the snakeman looked funny.

Seu's eyes flashed. No, he mouthed patiently as his stare intensified. He tried again by placing his raised finger against his mouth and then pointing at the man approaching Bufo.

Aaah, nodded Bari, understanding. The man was very quiet indeed.

A furious look flashed across Seu's face. He looked around to see if the rest of the party were struggling with this as much as Bari.

He stabbed his finger at Bari, then held the same finger up against his lips, before jabbing the finger at the man, who was almost upon Bufo. Get it? pleaded the paladin's eyes.

"You can count on me," whispered Bari, finally understanding. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse."

Seu wrestled with the urge to use the words he must never use. What in creation was wrong with the bloody cleric? "Listen, you fool!" he hissed. "Can you silence that man?"

"Oh," whispered Bari. "Is that what you wanted? I can do that."

So, Bari will cast silence on the feller approaching Bufo.
 
Eggbert was eager to see this spell in action. "Magic that could male people stop talking... Now I could think of a few people I´d like to use that on" he thought. He silently indicated to the others his preferred solution to ensuring that the man remained silent for some time, by making hitting over the head gestures. A Ming vase or flowerpot were the traditional implements for this task, but probably something else could be used in a tight spot.

Once Bari has cast silence, I will use an illusion to make a moving picture appear on the wall to attract the mans attention away from Buffo and towards a more hit-over-the-headable position.
 

Penddraig

Member
Robin looked over at his companions to see what they were doing only to see Seu frantically waving his hands and Bari doing things with his hands that weren't the normal things Bari did with his hands. Thank the gods, Robin thought to himself.

Seeing Eggbert's subtle hints about braining the figure Robin glanced towards Seu and nodded. Reaching down, the ranger drew his long handled hunting knife and reversed his grip so the pommel was ready to be used as a makeshift cosh.

if the opportunity arises, i.e the figure has his back to Robin and is distracted, the ranger will try to knock him unconscious from where he is currently hiding in the shadows.
 

Asslessman

Member
Everyone seemed to know his part, Seu backed a little to leave place for the actors. He would drag the uncounscious man's body to their little hide-out as soon as he would hit the floor...
 
Bari mentally assessed the distance the robed figure was in relation to their own location, then in a low voice, began reciting the prayer to Jordann that would create a sphere around his target that no sound could penetrate or leave. He reached out from his hiding place and pointed at the back of the retreating figure, completing his prayer with a quiet 'booyah', then gave Eggbert a quick thumbs up. The cloaked man had the sudden, strange impression that something was wrong but didn't immediately realise what had happened. Then, he found himself faced with a most perplexing sight. The naughty pictures on a portion of the wall in front of him were... moving?

The man gasped silently, then gasped at the sound his gasp didn't make, then, rubbing at his throat furiously, approached the scene that had suddenly animated. The people in the picture were engaging in some highly suspect, complicated erotica, in positions he had only barely comprehended when they were motionless. To see them going at it in this manner was perplexing beyond belief. He craned his head to the left to get a better perspective, when THWACK! Robin struck him from behind. Well, at least, that is the sound it WOULD have made when Robin's pommel struck the back of his skull, if he hadn't been totally silenced. The cloaked figure slumped down, clutching feebly at the back of his head. Another good whack put him out completely.

Seu attempted to grab him under the arms, only to find the man had two sets. He picked the higher set of under-arms and began to drag, revealing a second surprise - the man had no legs, just a long, sinuous tail that was clad in a kind of leather... sock? Pant? Whatever. It was weird. The paladin and the ranger silently dragged him in to their secret corridor, followed by the others, and Yngwie closed it behind them.

"Well now," said the elf, and stopped, because nooone could hear him. Bari stripped the cloak from the snakeman, balled it up and chucked it down the corridor, releasing them from the radius of silence.

"Well now, how long before that prayer wears off master cleric?" Yngwie enquired.
"About 10 minutes," replied Bari.
"Well, maybe our halfling friend can use it to scout around a bit - I'll wager a cloak of silence would be a handy item for one with your skills?"

Bufo nodded slowly, contemplating the notion of being completely soundless. He ran down the corridor, scooped up the cloak, and flung it about him - it was ludicrously large. He tore it down the middle ("will the spell be divided between the two halves?") and draped his new raiment over himself. He snuck silently out of the secret door (super silently), and looked about him - coast clear! Now, which way to go... left or right?

______________________________________

Yngwie stooped over the figure of the strange, half-snakeman, it's strange visage lit eerily by Seu's flaming sword. His ears were lobeless and came to a point, much like an elf's. His teeth were pointed, and the incisors were elongated and glistening. His four arms were all properly formed, and his tail looked good and strong.

"I suggest we bind this creature, then wake him up - I have some questions I wish to ask him." Yngwie's hand strayed to the dagger at his belt, the one he'd found amongst the dead. His attractive elven features were twisted into a hard expression, his eyes were devoid of mercy...


The party has gained 200 EXP each for a great plan, flawlessly executed!
 

Asslessman

Member
Binding a man to incapacitate him was common to a paladin. Tying the hands together in the back to avoid any ill-advised move and tying the feet together to avoid any escape were classics to him. but how about a 4 arms and one tail kind of creature?
Seu first emptied the pockets of their cpative to find any weapons or item that might enable the creature to escape them. He was also hoping on finding some clues like a mission order letter or anything to help them identify him...

he then tied the 4 hands together in the back of the creature and used the end of the rope to make a knot to the creature's tail in a way any attempt to pull on the rope would only tighten the rope.

"We should bind his mouth too, he can nod to answer our questions and we don't need to ruin our cover with screams and unconsiderate actions"

Seu tried to detect evil in the creature, if it was evil as he felt it was, it would most probably feel uncomfortable with the Lady of the Lake's aura emanating from him and the menace of Flamebrand would not reassure him.There was also a slight chance it could lead him to behave properly.
 
Seu finished tying up and gagging the half-snake and rifled through his belongings, finding a pair of long knives with an antique, ornate appearance and a nice balance. His pouch had a scroll in it, and a purse with 50 coins of a strange, grey metal ("That's platinum" Yngwie observed, "Very valuable."). He had nothing else of note save for some jewelry, including an odd pendant with a design that was unrecognizable.

As the paladin focused his power on the trussed up figure, he got the distinct and clear impression that he was dealing with a character of evil intent...
 

Asslessman

Member
"worshipper of evil huh?" Seu had learnt not to let rage cloud his judgment in such occasions. It didn't prevent his soul to ache whenever he saw an evil-doer. Choosing the path of evil over the path of good had to be the most senseless and illogical thing to him. Just what level of insanity did yo have to reach to be so wrong...
Taking the items, he handed them to his companions to let them examinate them more thoroughly.
"Yngwie, when we interrogate him, he WILL try to lie his way out of here. It is what most snales do and what ALL evil doers try to. A piece of your heart is amongst these walls and the memories they hold but please do not let that mislead you."
After maintaining the creature's mouth shut with some clothe, he took the scroll and decided to examine it to find some clues about the snakemen' presence...

Now is the time to remember THAT SONG
 
"Monster" Rambulge breathed as the hideous snakeman was layed low and bound.
He fought back the urge to dash the creature's skull in right there and then, he was quite sure he could do so without remorse.
"What do you make of the scroll, noble Paladin?" he asked, wondering if it was of a magical nature.
 

Asslessman

Member
Seu felt the tension in Rambulge, his aversion to the creature was almost tangible. He could sympathise with the feeling but for now they needed it to get some information.

Looking at Rambulge, his eyes fled to Eggbert who seemed to be asking Robin why he didn't use a watermelon or something and then to Bari who was in teh middle of some contorsions in an attempt to replicate the illusions that had took place on the wall. Looking back at Rambulge :

"Well, you can read as well as I can but you know more about magic than I ever will, do you want to examinate it?
 
"Uh, well, err, yes, yes I do" Rambulge said, feeling a little self conscious that he might be seen to be big noting himself.
He took the scroll with a "thanks sir" and unfurled it...
 

Penddraig

Member
"Watermelons? Can't deal with those I'm afraid Master wizard, water melons are dangerous creatures whose very presence can shatter reality and leave whole villages flattened."

Robin took up a position near the door, the others could deal with the questioning of the creature, for some reason the very presence of the snake-like features made the ranger, used to foul and unnatural creatures, feel a little odd.
 

weazil

Moderator
"Oh? That is interesting," Bari said, nodding to Robin. "I have never seen a water melon before, but they are celebrated as part of the worship of Jordann. Once I reach the inner sanctum I get to see them! Oh man! I guess we keep ours locked up so that they don't flatten the villages and so on. No wonder we don't just show 'em to anyone."

Bari had sidled up to the snakeman, nonchantly trying to inspect, y'know... his snake bit. Four arms could be quite handy in the pursuit of love, but there was one prerequisite one couldn't do without...
 
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