Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[PupSage]

"You make it seem as if your answer is so straight forward. Whether or not evil is born or a product of its environment. You also assume that the church of Bahamut would just as easily destroy the eggs rather than raise them to be good. Living things have basic needs, once those are met they are products of the social order around them. A person becomes starved or without shelter and they go about obtaining those things without regard for others. It doesn't make that person inherently evil just because they were born poor and did what they had to do to live. Your story assumes good and evil are black and white."
She looks into the hall, stepping over the doors and into the ruined building.  

[Rain Yupa]

"Of course I would bring unhatched dragon eggs to the temple of Bahamut. I don't know if you've been spending a lot of time fraternizing with..." Revenge would say, stopping to make a slight face, ""... Dragonborn..." The Tiefling would shake his head. "...but I, for one, can't distinguish draconic geneology by eggshell characteristics. I'm kind of horrified that your immediate reaction to finding dragon eggs would be to whip out a cudgel."

He'd cast casual glances this way and that as he spoke, checking for active signs of life or perhaps the signs of people surviving out here in the streets,

Quote:

Perception 19; Streetwise 27

before adding a bit more to his case. "Lets say some Humans found an abandoned infant Tiefling. Hypothetically in a basket floating down a river, like in a folk tale or something. Diabolic visage and all. What do you think the reaction of an average Human would be in that case? To see the lost or abandoned Tiefling and bring them to others of their own kind?"

Revenge would extend a hand forward, gauntleted palm upturned.

"Or assume that it's origins are demonic and it's some off-shoot Demon Tiefling and should be put to the sword before it could grow up to ruthlessly butcher others and begin summoning other demons to cause chaos in our realm?"

Revenge's hand would close in a tight fist as he spoke.

"I think you would find the former scenario the more likely outcome. I think it's humanoid nature to take the more caring option when given a choice when it comes to the young." He'd turn his head over his shoulder, looking past Valac to Ilikan and Irene. "Correct me if I'm wrong about you humans, though. Now's your time to speak up."

Revenge would look back to Ruin. "I know it's not the best example, especially since demonic Tieflings don't actually exist. It was the best I could do on short notice, using the existing party composition as a resource," he'd explain.

As they neared the sacred buildings in the North District, Revenge would try to take stock of the devastation. He tried to gauge the telltale signs of battle, and also determine if the religious sites were actively targeted by the opposition.

Quote:

Insight 16; Religion 27

"You probably want to try Dwarven if you know it, or Giant. Or possibly Deep Speech," he'd say lowly after Ruin called out in Elven.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"My story only assumes you know chromatic dragons are known to be evil by nature, but for some reason, this one isn't." Ruin would answer Kouri's statement, "It was black and white because it didn't need to be more."

"I think most people are more stupid, ignorant and cowardly. And they only become more forthcoming with their own wrathful natures when they assume they have a shield to hide behind. This includes how they treat young children. Aria proves this. Besides, it was a question posed because you said, you would train me in the ways of paladin-ism. Now sshh... we can continue this later" Ruin would respond to Revenge

"I don't know those languages."  

[Psychofish]

"That instinct did well enough by me, but I wouldn't count on it every time. When people are scared, or angry enough..." But he wouldn't say too much more, pulling out his lantern, taking his time lighting the thing and holding it out to help see before starting to call out in giant, following Kuori's lead and keeping an eye peeled for any signs of life- or tracks more recent than the chaos from the battle.

[Perception: 1d20+11= SHINY LANTERN]  

[Mongooseh]

Valac gave Revenge some serious side eye when he was speaking about demonic tieflings. Meanwhile Valac decided to participate in looking like he was looking for survivors or corpses by shifting rubble.

<14 Athletics, the fakeness of his attempt is showing.>  

[Kowsauni]

((Ok, so map will be up later))

As Ruin gets closer to the large building he definitely hears something digging around inside--actually, more than one something, and they sound large. However there is zero light inside, so it is impossible to see anything beyond the few feet from the missing doors (the light outside the building is dim). Once he calls out in the two languages, the noise he heard earlier ceases and he is only greeted by silence.

Kuori steps inside the chief's hall, a place you usually had to be invited to enter, but no one was manning the doors now. It was the seat of government for the city, where the elders from the different families would gather to discuss matters of importance. Her father had been there before, but no other member of her family had. She had heard the interior was simple yet dignified, but it was impossible to see it now without a light source.

Thankfully, Ilikan enters with with his lamp illuminating a portion of the inside. The place initially looked to be set up like a large dining hall with large tables for anyone to sit around. There were some other doors that led off to other rooms. Kuori knew they probably led to a kitchen and a cellar for there was always eating and drinking at these meetings. During these feasts, issues between families were solved by proposing some sort of competition or challenge between the aggravated parties where the victor would get their way. It was the Goliath way of solving things. Sadly, the place no longer held any of that lively attitude. The tables were all smashed and broken chairs were thrown about. The earthen floor was partly torn up with large gouges cut into it. Despite the sounds Ruin has heard earlier, not a soul could be seen among the debris.

As Revenge examines the ruins of the shrines, he can sense no divine Aura from them, yet they have not been desecrated either. The destruction seemed to be a byproduct of the battle rather than intentional. What's more, he could tell that anything of religious value had been removed from the shrines, but not by the callous hands of looters. It seems their removal had been done carefully in a way as to preserve their religious significance. He knows that such actions would have been too delicate to have been taken in the heat of battle. Still, he finds no signs of life or that anyone is currently trying to live in this district.

Valac lifts heavy pieces of rubble and puts them down in another place, a task he is particularly well suited for, but besides breaking into a sweat he finds nothing of interest.

Irene begins to poke around the surrounding rubble as well. After a little bit she stops by a large stone and calls to Valac. "Hey, I think there might something underneath here!"  

[Mongooseh]

Valac walked over to where Irene was pointing out and after gently shoving her out of the way begun pushing/lifting the stone.

<26 Athletics.>  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"It is either rats or..." with a snap of his fingers Ruin turned to the team's cleric, "Kouri, can you sing one on your religious songs? To tell any survivours it will be alright."

Quote:

PupSage

Glances over, "Sorry, old habit. A lot of Goliath religion is surprisingly musical for a people that don't tend to produce a lot of famous singers." She adjust her grip, "Plus it takes your mind off of things, lets you push that ever bit when you have given all you can give." She went a bit further, "As much as I know that we'll need his help, I would be lying if I said that a large part of me isn't doing this because I am scared and I want my big brother to tell me that its going to work out okay in the end...

 

[PupSage]

"No." She says flatly. Removing one of the many sunrods that she had bought a good while ago and striking it on the door before tossing it into the room. Hefting her weapon into her hands as the lighted rod clangs to the ground.

"I don't sing when I fight."  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would walk cautiously, everburning torch raised as he peered into assorted temple ruins from outside the doors.

"Hey, Kuori, I think I have a spot of good news for you," he'd call out after checking out the third one.

"It looks like the caretakers and clergy safely evacuated. It doesn't look like they were in a major hurry either. They didn't just grab the most valuable artifacts, they removed everything of significance. That takes time, time that isn't necessarily afforded during an assault."

Quote:

The North District is where the governing head of village chieftains resided as well as the main shrines for the Goliath pantheon of gods.

The West District is the trading center of the city. It is were most the artisans and merchants resided.

The East District is mostly residential, though it contains the barracks for Lightlost and the training area's for its militia.

The South District is more residential homes, it is where Kuori's family lived and her old home resides.

((You guys are approaching the city from the south east, though with the roads its not to hard to reach any part of the city, its simply a matter of where you want to begin your investigation.))

"If the enemy came the same direction we did... it looks like that might be through some heavily populated areas. If the clergy had time to remove everything in a calm and orderly fashion... the regular citizens probably had sufficient time to evacuate. Either due to parlay, or superb military skill, if not both. Ilikan, you'd be able to gauge that better than I. Your thoughts?" the paladin would ask the warden.

Turning to face the group again as they explored their immediate surroundings, Revenge would ask Kuori a question next. "The question is, where would all these items, and the noncombatants, be evacuated to?"  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"As you wish, but you're in a fight?" Ruin asked, as he looked around for the threat and after. finding none. "Any waay, have fun with that." The short one stated as he slowly positioned Illikan between Kouri and himself.  

[Kowsauni]

The Drinking Hall

((The gouges in the floor, broken tables, chairs, all all difficult terrain. The entire room is now brightly lit thanks to the sunrod. Outside the room is dimly lit. ))


Though sheer strength Valac begins to move the massive boulder, though it does take him some time.

Irene would begin to comment on Revenge's words. "Either that or Kuori's people were able to come back after the battle and retrieve things. Either way, that does give us h-what on earth is that!"

Valac finishes moving the boulder, revealing the corpse of a tall thin humanoid creature that had been squished beneath it. It's skin was an unnatural hue. It's body looked like that of a gangly human but its head was anything but. Though it had been caved in by the massive stone that had fallen upon it, it head looked liked like that of an octopus.  

[Rain Yupa]

((Kudos on the map, Alphabet! It's very well done))

"I'll check it out," Revenge would say to the three in the hall, turning and walking towards Valac and Irene. He didn't rush because Valac was right there, and whatever they found had properly boulder'd so it likely wasn't a threat, at least not immediately.

Lifting his everburning torch, he would illuminate the MF (which I presume stands for MuthaFuggin' Illithid until proven otherwise) to see if his initial hypothesis of the being's current state was accurate.

Quote:

Heal +8 = 23 to examine if the MuthaFuggin' Illithid needs a coup-de-grace. Aberration anatomy, m i rite?
Dungeoneering of 21 (in dice roll thread due to hindsight) in case I need that to support any knowledge of the MuthaFuggin' Illithid.

 

[Psychofish]

"No," Illikan shook his head sadly. "Armies don't move terribly quickly, or quietly- probably even down here. But the same would go for that large of an evacuation. Small groups, maybe a few together, just enough to take away important things, might be able to escape, and hide, but the more they tried to move, the more likely they'd end up..."

He stops, stepping over by the body as the rest look at it, he frowned, looking down as Revenge carefully assessed it, before interrupting that medical review to prod it firmly with his boot.

"...caught."

He turned away, letting the lantern float away from his hand to drift around the area, giving him a wider range to survey as he started less searching and more... skimming, for any sign of potential threat, as they all started looking in the same direction. He continued to speak absently to Revenge as he skimmed the area and kept guard while the rest looked over the corpse and the rest of the rubble.

[Perception: 1d20+11=30]

"Seems like we had some who got away, but I doubt most of the populace. I don't know as much about moving down here, but... I'd guess likely not more than a few dozen, at most, in any given group that was able to evade the army. A lot of the things down here have a reputation of liking to take slaves. Or snacks."  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

With 2 brutes and a Revenge to answer Irene's question and the precise lack of battle or other worrying screams; Ruin pressed on into the room, keeping his eye out for arcane tempering. Casually, he made his way around the outside of the room to door O, 33. To which he would open and check.

( Arcana;18

will remake a sight check if needed