The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (Game Thread V)

[JadedDM]

Looking through the notes, Jerrard realizes it may be possible. If the man is removed from the pod, he may eventually change back to normal on his own. Failing that, perhaps the clerics in town could help him. On the other hand, there is no way of telling what sort of mindset he has now. He may well all ready be under the control of the madman behind all of this.

(OOC: I believe you mean Thuskar. Ulster is in one of the cages, back with Shay and Merithina.)

[Jerrard]

"It is possible this creature is still partly human. Thus I think we should free the creature, but on our guard." He gives Elvenoff a knowing smile, "I understand your feelings, yet I also know cannot sit by and see an innocent suffer."

He takes his dagger in his off hand, and carefully slices the pod, allowing the man/creature freedom. "Be on your guard, if it attacks me, do not hesitate to strike." He says as he cuts.

[JadedDM]

Slicing through the pod, a blue liquid spills out and pools on the floor. The half-podman becomes conscious and stumbles out of the pod.

He looks about wildly, a half-mad look in his eyes. When he takes in Jerrard and Elvenoff, he calms a bit, curious. "Mhr?" he asks. His lips have been sealed shut by the process, making him unable to speak. He is wearing nothing but his smallclothes, although finding clothing to fit his deformed shape would be difficult.

"Hrrrrn mhr," he says.

[Breila]

Babushka turns around to see of any more of the centipedes are visible, as they often come in a group.

If nothing is visible, she kneels by her friend. "I've never been more sorry for being poor. If I'd had the money, I would have bought all the herbs needed to help you - or myself, earlier. Now it looks as if we have to wait for the poison to clear from your body."

She thinks for a moment. "Let me try to get you back behind the stone mouth. We're probably safer there than here."

She lifts Locky up to see if she's strong enough, then will put her "into" the mouth, scramble over the lip herself and put Locky down. Once inside, she'll start to quietly tell old gnomish stories to pass the time for both of them.

[JadedDM]

Finding no other insects in the vicinity, Babushka manages to pick up the paralyzed kender and move her to a safer location. After about five minutes of telling stories, the increasingly bored Locky finds feeling returning to her body. Although a tad stiff, she finds she can move freely now.

[Jenara]

"Ugh, I'm all for interesting experiences, but that was soooooo boring!" Locky says with a look of utter distaste, the best she can do with stiff limbs anyway.

"Thank you for the story. I hadn't heard that one. Could we sit for a while? I feel a little stiff still. She sits crosslegged, allowing the blood to return to her limbs, "Please tell me more?"

(Ooc: Breila, your chance to make up a nice little story if you like)

[Elvenoff]

Elvenoff looks over at Jerrard with a puzzled look, “How do we know he is innocent? He could have befriended this group, brought them here in promise of payment and this is the payment he got instead.” Elvenoff ends his protest once Jerrard begins to cut the creature free. I don’t like this Elvenoff mutters to himself as he grips the pommel of his sword anticipating the worse.

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other when the creature rises and mumbles incoherently. "Maybe he can write since he can not speak". Elvenoff grabbing some of the parchment from the table. “Do you have ink and pen?” he asked Jerrard as he slowly handed the parchment to him. He steps back and prepares to lash out if any attack gestures come about.

[Jerrard]

"Yes, I have those, please allow me to try something first?" He asks, raising his left hand in a halting gesture.

"Ulster?" Jerrard enquires slowly, his hand is away from his weapon. "If you are Ulster please nod your head." He keeps his voice level. "We can help you, time may heal you, or the Clergy, either way we need to stop this happening."

Jerrard looks into his eyes, having seen some terrible things as an apprentice her is not fully revolted, he is looking for a spark of humanity.

[JadedDM]

There is the spark of recognition in the creature's eyes at that name, but it shakes its head. It appears frightened and confused, like a newborn babe just brought into the world. The fact that he's covered in a light film of goo and is almost naked highlights that analogy further.

[Jerrard]

"You are scared, I understand, Elvenoff do you have a spare cloak?" 'Ulster' had made no attempt to attack, and appeared semi-human, so he was going (against his better judgement) to help the man.

"Your writing idea is good, let him gain his senses, then we shall see." He says to Elvenoff.

"Then, we go north, check the room, then each one in turn, before attempting to get back."

(ooc: with the addition of 'Ulster' (if he choses to come with us) could we attempt to lift the portcullis again?)

[JadedDM]

(OOC: If he assists, yes, that would warrant the allowance of a second lift gates check.)

[Jerrard]

(ooc: ok, will wait for Elvenoff.)

[Elvenoff]

Elvenoff removes the cloak from and hands it over to Jerrard. "Yes, I think we need to find the others and let them know what we have found." He replies before moving off and taking a stance. He wanted to be alert and ready. "I wonder if whomever done this is linked with this creature. If so, I believe we will have some company to tend too."

[Breila]

"Well, I think I have another story for you.

In ancient times, far from Mount Evermore, a group of gnomes had dug into a mountain and discovered that there were many natural caves in that mountain, shaped by water and still partially flooded. This cave system was inhabited by river people, looking like humans but with webbed hands and feet, with gills in their neck and thus able to breathe underwater as well as in air.

The gnomes and river people got on well, occasionally trading gems (which the river people found in the depths) for metal items the gnomes made. This trading was done on the shore of a large blue lake that was in a cavern that had a small opening to the sunlight, filtered by the leaves of the beech trees that grew in a dense forest on the mountain.

One day, a young gnome from another group was visiting. When he came to the lake and saw the river people, he could not resist taunting them. His hosts warned him not to overdo it, but he wouldn't stop. Then one of the rivermaids got fed up with him and pulled him underwater. He lost consciousness, and when he stopped struggling, the rivermaid dumped him in some other cavern and left him for dead.

He recovered, and when he woke up, he saw he was in a kind of storeroom full of bundles. He picked a small one up, and as it was heavy, he thought it might be filled with gold. He took it with him and, being a gnome, managed to find a way to the surface. There, he opened the bundle, but instead of gold, it contained a cone of lead with a handle. Disgusted, he took the cone by the handle and threw it into the wood, as far as he could. Then he went away, never to be seen again.

The next day, the river people's chieftain and the gnome leaders met on the shore of the lake. The gnomes wanted at least the body of their vistor back and were informed the stranger had left without a trace and stolen a valuable magic item. The gnome leaders sent their people to the surface to look for the cone of lead, but could not find anything. Because of the incident, relations between the river people and the gnomes became sour, and the trust they had had in each other was shaken: The gnomes didn't quite believe their erstwhile guest was really gone, and the river people didn't believe the gnomes didn't have the magic lead cone.

A boy and girl from the human village at the foot of the mountain had stolen away from their homes for a stroll in the moonlight and more. The lead wight landed almost in front of their feet, and the boy picked it up, curiously. The girl wanted to see it, but the boy snatched it away. Suddenly, the girl gasped. Her beloved had disappeared! She screamed, and just as suddenly as he had disappeared, he appeared again, a look of concern on his face. They discovered that if the cone was held to the left of a body, the person would become invisible, if it was held on the right side, the person became visible again.

The next morning, the youths brought the strange cone to the village mage. They knew from experience that it was better not to hide magical things, some of them were incredible dangerous and even if the things were not, the mage got very angry at anyone hiding a magical item from him.

The mage looked at the cone and could tell it might belong to the river people and would be missed there. He recommended that the cone be tied to a long rope and lowered into the strange hole in the mountain in the night of the next full moon. With luck, the river people would take it back and give a reward to the finders. If this was so, he said to the young couple with a wink, he would marry them so they needn't wander the woods any more to see each other...

So at the next full moon, the boy and girl lowered the strange cone into the hole, and after a while, they felt something tugging on the rope. When it became still again, they pulled the rope up and saw that the leaden cone had been replaced by a necklace of pearls and a silver ring set with a stone. Never there were a happier and more beautiful bride and groom in the little village, and they lived to a ripe old age and had many children and grandchildern.

The mage had sent a message to both the river people and the gnomes, alerting them that something humans had found would be lowered into their realms. When the cone arrived, they were grateful to see that they had no reason to mistrust each other, and for that reason, they gave the gifts: the pearls from the river people, and the ring from the gnomes. And they agreed that the cone would stay in the river people's keep, but that the gnomes could request it every time one of them needed it."

[Jenara]

"That was a lovely story, I don't think I have heard that one.." Locky smiles, her limbs loosening as she starts to move more freely.

"I would like to hear more of your stories, perhaps you could tell me more later? Right now we should return to the others, shouldn't we? Locky shuffles her feet and stands slowly, "Thank you for sitting with me."

She stands and heads out of the cavern, starts to look up for creatures then gets distracted...

"Ooo pretty rocks..." She exclaims, grabbing Babuskhas hand.