Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Jibrīl heads down to the big hall to where Eabd took the weapons.
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
Continuing around the periphery of the large octagonal chamber reveals another open passageway, similar to the previous.
Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Jibrīl commands Eabd to stay back.
Cautiously, he makes his way into the new chamber.
Thwip
Taking up his position behind Jabril, Thwip proceeds down into the large room. As he travels he makes it clear to the others. “I will orter Eabdt aroond. Ifin yi tink yi haff a better orter, do tell him. I will not mindt.”
As they proceed he tells Eabd to take point.
– Better any deadfall traps land on you than one of us, Eabd. –
As they return to the counter clockwise trip around the room, Thwip speaks in Arabic: “Eabd. Take vun schtep into ze doorway on your right. Then schtop. If you art attacked, defent yourshelf.”
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
Exploring the passageway reveals another short flight of stairs leading up, similar to before. A locked metal door comes off the passageway.
Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Do we really want Eabd so close? If someone were to order him to attack us, would we have a repeat of before? Or could the effects be more…real this time?
Jibrīl moves to the locked metal door and takes out his picks again.
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
Opening the door reveals a medium-sized room, most of which is taken up by a large stone table. Gemstones are set into the edges of the table, but the top is bare apart from a polished silver disc in one corner.
Another closed metal door leads off to the right.
(Player note: This is assuming Jabril speaks his concerns aloud. If not, I’ll delete.)
Thwip
Do we really want Eabd so close? If someone were to order him to attack us, would we have a repeat of before? Or could the effects be more…real this time?
– Ach! Why didn’t I think of that? Get smarter, you Goblin fool.–
“Eabd, you art to not take any order vrom anyone otter zan us unless told ottervise. Ziz command may not be overridden except by vun off us.”
– Okay, but what would happen if Aronn decides he no longer has need of us? What if he has a hierarchy of commands built into him and someone with the appropriate authority shows up? Like a ghost? Shut up me. It could happen.–
“Eabd, bow if you can follow zis order vitout internal conflict.”
Thwip
– Hmm. Either the magic is clever enough to prevent any sort of tinkering like that, or is very limited and cannot respond to anything beyond physical requests. Before we enter this room let’s do a quick test of something. –
Thwip issues three orders in relatively quick succession.
Arabic, “Eabd, sit down.”
Anglish, “Eabd, put your left hand on top of your head when you sit down.”
Goblinese: “Eabd, show me the sum of one plus one using the fingers on your right hand.”
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
Eabd sits down, but does nothing else.
Blue Hawk
Hawk awakens from his trance feeling fully rested for the first time since entering this place. He stands up and stretches, examining the floor, which has tracks everywhere. Eabd is not standing in its alcove, making the room feel strangely empty.
Most of the tracks head back, he thinks, looking closer, but some head onward. Where are the others? He listens for the noises, and , sure enough, there is the telltale CLANK CLANK CLANK of armour hitting stone, seemingly from the “onward” direction.
The tribesman retrieves his shield, spear, and drum, and heads in the direction of the clanking. The noise leads him up a set of stairs, where he finds the others.
At the sight of Ranar’s injuries, the shaman winces, feeling a pang of shame for his selfishness. He should have taken the time to heal the mine-man before taking care of his own fatigue. There is nothing he can do about the past, but he can deal with it immediately.
“Ranar,” he says, “I am sorry for leaving you in pain. Bring to mind one who is departed and has cared for you, and I will call forth their spirit to tend your wounds.”
When Ranar indicates readiness, Hawk puts forth a drumbeat which is starting to sound familiar to the party, and he calls forth the spirits to heal the mine-man.
When Hawk opens his eyes again, Ranar’s injuries have faded, and the Khuzan warrior is moving more easily and comfortably. His duty discharged, Hawk moves forward to see what the others are up to. He glimpses the Stone Table and is assaulted by the presence of magic within the slab of stone.
“Lord Arron,” Hawk turns to the party’s patron, “Do you recognize the kind of magic at work in the table?”
Thwip
“What I ekspectit.”
Thwip speaks to the others, “B’fore we poke are nosses inta t’ room tere I want t’ make sure are batterin’ ram is safe t’ use. Lord Aronn. Ifin y’ kin tell Eabd t’ stand up after I tell him t’ ignore you tat’d be helpfil.”
Assuming that, no matter his dark and possibly nefarious secrets, Aronn wants to learn if his new pet is safe…
“Eabd, you vill igknore your next kommand und stay seated.”
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
After Eabd sits, Aronn instructs him (in Arabic) to stand. He does.
In response, Aronn raises an eyebrow, then turns to Hawk. “It does look somewhat familiar…”
Entering the room, Aronn approaches the table and touches the silver disc. As he does so, a cloud of shimmering sparks emit from the gems ringing the table, coalescing into an indistinct glow that hovers a few feet above the surface. A voice issues forth in Arabic:
“Please state the region that you wish to view”
The voice sounds very similar to what you heard as you entered the base; old and a bit creaky.
Thwip
After Eabd sits, Aronn instructs him (in Arabic) to stand. He does.
“Aaaach, shibal!”
– Anyone can use it against us. It’s okay. I have a plan for that.–
Thwip tells the newly healed Ranar, “Inny won kin turn it on us. And it kin only unnderstandt Arabic. But I…” Before Thwip can teach Ranar a few words of Arabic to remember in case Eabd needs to be stopped, the table speaks.
“Please state the region that you wish to view”
All thoughts of preparing for the worst are overwhelmed by a single thought.
– Must. Look. At. Maps.–
He enters the room to stare at the great circle.
Ranar Bolijyr
Leaning over and taking several deep breaths, now that he could do so without pain, Ranar thanked Blue Hawk profusely for the healing. He nodded at Thwip’s warning and decided to keep an eye on Eabd at all times. Now, while the magic-oriented types seemed to be busy with the table that spoke in foreign words, he decided to take the rearguard.
Sitting in the darkness of the corridor, he passed the time by singing an old song about the three bully goats who prevented a poor troll from crossing a bridge all evening, until finally the moon rose and turned the evil goats to scones, so that the troll could have his breakfast and eat it too. Something about the song didn’t seem quite right, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what…perhaps he had gotten the tonal shifts wrong.
1 Like
Blue Hawk
“You are welcome to the spirits’ healing, Ranar,” the shaman replies to the mine-man. “It is why I am here.”
Hawk looks up as Arron approaches the table, then steps quickly backwards as the forest-man causes it to activate. It resolves into a map, and Hawk remains away from it, ever-cautious after what they have already found here.
“This map is a very pretty game,” Hawk says, “but we can continue searching for what Lord Arron seeks? The sun moves fast in the sky. The centaurs will find the camp soon, if not now.”
Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Jibrīl leaves the table to the magic-wielders to examine, and moves over to the locked door.
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
As Aronn and Thwip play with the map table, Jibril begins work on the door. After a minute of fiddling, he confidently gives the lock a final twist…and curses as one if his lockpicks springs out of the lock, clattering to the floor.
Muttering to himself in Arabic, he regathers his tools and begins again.
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
As the door swings open, it reveals another small chamber.
The chamber is empty apart from a small and plain wooden chest, about a foot across, sitting on the floor in the centre of the room.
