Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[PupSage]

"Cute. Just remember that he's a married man Ruin, no canoodling." She'll head up the stairs and pause by the first vacant room. "Ruin and Vivian on first then, me and Irene last that way I can chat with our host a bit hopefully and Irene can have some time to make one of her odd stews like she does. Valac and Ilikan on third since they are rooming together, and Revenge on second watch then since he is rooming with Ruin. Sound good?" She will sit on the bed and start removing armor, forgoing any sense of modesty should the party choose to stay in the hall. She was too damn tired to care.  

[Mongooseh]

Valac shrugged at the suggestion he was slightly confused at Kuori's trust issues with the host.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Ruin would place his back to the wall, outside her room, to give her some measure of respect as they carried on this conversation

"Oh, so skip the foreplay, got ya..." Ruin joked, before turning to Vivian. "Vivan, you heard her we have first. So, can you keep watch up, here? I will take just outside." Leaning in close, he would add in a whisper. "I don't suspect any real danger. So, if you get tired early, wake Revenge... he likes the night."

"Irene, Are you going to make anything tonight, or set your basket and cask down? Inquiring minds, and wishful bellies, want to know."  

[Kowsauni]

Vivian would nod at Ruin. I would like to get to rest as soon as possible. "The last few days have... been an ordeal."

When asked about cooking Irene would shake her head. "Without my campfire I wasn't planning on cooking anything special tonight. However we can of course make use of my keg and my everlasting provisions." Irene would set out her wonderous food generating magic item in the hallway for everyone to use. She would then take a large portion for herself, and retire to her shared bedroom. Vivian's mouth would water a bit at the food display now in front of her before commenting "Huh, why is it almost all meat?" Nonetheless, Vivian would take a large portion for herself as well and follow after Irene.

As Ruin head back down stairs the party settles down for a long overdue rest.

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The first hour of Ruin's watch is uneventful, however with his lowlight vision he soon sees tall shapes looming in the distance down the road. He counts about ten larger then average human figures heading in the Inn's direction. Ruin hears a hoarse voice whisper from behind him. "Get inside you fool. You want them to see you? The lady would prefer her new home remain a secret. " Ruin would see behind him a creature that resembled a small male dwarf, but scrawnier with wild tuffs of white hair that stood up on end. How long he had been standing there was hard to say for Ruin had not noticed his presence. He would then continue. "They must have followed your tracks. Didn't you bother to disguise them on your way here? Gah, I'll have to try and lead them away."  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Look, first off... No, Dietrich didn't so we didn't see the need too. Second off, They could be goliaths of my friend's clan, you know the ones that lived here first ... I have a better idea. They are looking for people. So maybe if I show them, people, they will relax and be on their way." Ruin would whisper back, before explaining his plan "I go out to say, hi, try to be civil first, And, if I drop my torch you wake my party ... Let the two little ones sleep."

If the dwarf-kin wouldn't give a better idea or try to stop him, Ruin would step out of the inn and walk to the ten... taking out a sun-rod and his rod some steps away.

"Oi, friend! I wouldn't go much farther, a pair of purple worms made their home inside the inn. They are gone for now, but man does it reak."

Bluff +16  

[Kowsauni]

The grumpy grey dwarf-looking individual furrows Furrows brows at the mention of Dietrich's name. "Dietrich is an idiot. I have no idea why the lady puts up with him. Its a wonder he has managed to live as long as he has." He would then scoff at Ruin's other words. "Look, those goliaths might be your friends but they aren't ours. If I see them take one step towards our base you will find this place empty of anyone but your companions once you return."

As Ruin walks out towards the group they immediately notice him. They stop in their tracks and he can hear the sounds of weapons being drawn. Once he lights his Sunrod he sees the group is made up of of ten heavily armed goliaths, all with tribal tattoos similar to Kuori. They wield a mixture of swords, spears and bows. Though there weapons are pointed at Ruin, it seems to be more out of caution then a desire to attack. When he says his fib several of the Goliaths get confused looks on their faces but not all of them seem convinced. Eventually, one steps forwards, this man was large even for goliath standards. He was bald with a scraggly beard. Muscles rippled from where they could be seen underneath his scale amour. "Put away that sunrod before you attract every creature within a mile to this place. If purple worms had been through that building, there would be nothing left. What are you doing in our city, outlander, and why don't you want us to go to that building?"  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Truth then, though it is a little harder to believe ..." Ruin would drop his sun rod into an ash mound and sheath his own rod. Hopefully, the dwarf would still be watching, and fulfill his part of the plan, and wake Kuori and the others.

" ... A little while ago, like a week or two, I meet two goliaths one named Kuori and the second named Maukein. Kuori says, Maukein shouldn't be named, instead be known as Exile, but I am still lost on why. So, please don't tell her I called Maukein by her name." Scratching the back of his head, Ruin would smile and laugh a little.

"So, after a brief arrow-filled reunion Maukein spoke that an outerplanar entity led an army of drow and monsters. That burned a track through the Underdark to the surface, straight through your city. And that after the city burning, Maukein was captured, tortured, and experimented on by the Arians, a nation of surfacers who specialize in arcane magics. In a process to fuse her body with that of a roper."

"By a strange form of Siren syndrome, she currently hopes to lead the Arian army to capture the remaining members of the Lost light tribe. Kuori came to stop her sister ... Having my own issues with the Arian nation, I am here on team Kuori."

"That said, I need to ask you not to enter that building because ... Well, besides my team are asleep in there. I can't say why, but know that it is intrinsic to the rescue of those captured by the Mindflayers, who I believe is holding your people for the Arians."

"I can prove, Kuori is here though... She is just asleep inside."

Diplomacy 16  

[Kowsauni]

The large goliath continues to stare down at Ruin. “You don't make a lot of sense, outlander. But you do seem to have a strange amount of knowledge about our situation.” The golaith would turn to his men and say. “Watch him.” and then start striding towards the Inn. Once he got a little closer her would begin shouting. “Kuori! Kuori! Are you In there?!”

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Those sleeping inside the Inn would be aroused by someone shouting outside. To Kuori though the voice sounded strangely familiar. It sounded like one of her brothers!”  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Flames radiated from Ruin as he drew and pointed his rod at the Goliath, "Not another step." (Intimidation + Wrathful Aspect 33 )

"I wasn't lying, staying out here is for the betterment of your tribe. Call her if you wish. Do a sacred song and dance, I don't care. But, I won't let you kill your people with that step. Please, don't make the next song from Kuori's lips be a lullaby."

Wrathful Aspect
Encounter - Arcane, Fear, Fire
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +5 power bonus to Intimidate checks, and any creature that hits you with a melee attack takes 5 fire damage.

 

[PupSage]

Kuori bolted upright in her bed. Oh, just another nightmare. She swung her legs off the bed. Maybe I should get some water, I didn't drink any earlier. She stands with a yawn and takes a look out the window. There were people. She couldn't quite see them, but there were definitely people out there.
She turned to go to the hall, and seeing that Vivian was in her bed thought Must be somebody else's watch. Poking her head into the hall and seeing nobody she started to get a little concerned, grabbing armor to start putting on. Thats when she heard her name again. Gods damnit, is this one of those nightmare inside of a nightmare things. Just wake up Kuori. But she didn't wake up. She grabbed the lantern and floated it down a bit, flashing a dim light on and off again. In those brief moments she saw her brother _[insert one of the remaining]_. Summoning the lantern back up she spoke in a hushed tone. "[Name] give me ten minutes. Stay outside, it isn't safe for you to come in." She started to pull on her armor. I just want to sleep.



All are older than Kuori, but youngest to oldest: [Ergvith, Grazak, Lazadhan, Ardath] and of course Gautham, who was buried, was eldest.  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would be sleeping lightly, as he would be taking the next shift. Resting his eyes, mostly. He wouldn't be too hard to rouse. He'd try to figure out if this was a "don my armor" shouting because people were arguing, or "rush out there in just my trousers and a sword" shouting because people were charging.

Quote:

Insight +11 = 14 to determine urgency

 

[Kowsauni]

((Due to just being awoken and the years since she last saw them Kuori can't be sure which brother is speaking to her, but it sounds like one of the older ones. Maybe Ardath or Lazadhan. Irene is already at the window watching what is going on outside while Vivian slumbers. ))

As Ruin lights himself on fire he is surrounded by the 9 other goliaths with their weapons drawn. However, they hesitate to attack, no doubt form his fearsome display. The head goliath stops in his tracks and turns around to face the Tiefling. "You come into our city, outlander, try to order us around, and then threaten us with violence? You do not know your place. The only threat I see to my people right now is you.." The goliath removes the massive maul strapped to his back and grips it in his hands. "This, one is mine. I will teach him to mind his manners when he is in a stranger's home."

The Goliath turns and begins to walk back towards Ruin when he hears Kuori voice call out from the inn. His face lights up in astonishment. "Kuori! Is that really you? It's your brother Ardath! I will wait out here then!"

Ardath would give Ruin the evil eye and instruct his men. "Make sure he doesn't move an inch. I want to hear what my sister has to say about all this."

He would then turn back towards the Inn and wait for Kuori's arrival. He would set down his maul and lean on it while he waited.

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Outside Revenge would hear what sounded like a very heated exchange with weapons being drawn but with no actual fighting. However, he would also hear Kuori speak and the voice outside agree to wait ten minutes for her, enught time for him to don his armor.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Ruin would sit cross-legged, facing the other goliaths. setting a few coins on the ground, "I have 10 gold, If any of you are the gambling sort and have a deck of cards or set of dice? I feel a family reunion and storytime is coming... both of which I would rather not pay attention to."  

[PupSage]

After getting her armor on Kuori would do a walk down the hall to see who might be joining, then grabbed her morningstar and headed outside. Checking on the status of the creatures of the inn as she made her way down. Before she walked out she would say, "I won't let any of them hurt you, even if it means fighting my own kin. You all could have killed me while I slept if you had evil intentions, but you didn't, so I will fight for you if I must."

With that she walked out to meet those outside.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"For the record, I tried to get them to let you sleep, but, no~. Hammer wanted to throw an inn party. When they have that stone building full of ale casks." Ruin said as Kuori and the others came close to the group of Goliaths. "Oh, and I am the one who threatens your people. Not the Arian army, not exiles ... little 5 foot nothing, me ... versus 10 goliaths."