[Pine]
After people had rested and healed, Pine would get himself up and move over to Effie, but keeping his distance from others, knowing how his presence would affect them. Now was certainly not the time to breed distrust in the locals.
"A moment of your time," he would murmur to her, his voice kept low in order to limit the effect of his voice.
[Effie]
Effie sat with her back against a building and facing the horizon, plucking the strings of her lute - she had switched instruments when she realized she was too out of breath to play her flute after barely escaping death just then.
She smirked as she saw the creepy cat approach, while the gentle melody helped lighten the effects of his voice even more. She knew he'd warm up to her sooner or later! Either that or he was there to ask if she had a moment to about his gods or something...
"Of course, how can I be of service?" She replied softly, not turning to face him but instead closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as if enjoying the momentary calmness.
[Pine]
Pine would linger there, seemingly hesitant to get to the point, instead he let his gaze sweep over the townsfolk nearby, then back to her.
"Away from others."
[Effie]
"Oh?" Effie asked, her eyes flying open to look up at him inquisitively. 'What could this be about?' She thought. Part of her was feeling skeptical but on the other hand, if she wanted him to trust her, she'd need to show some trust too.
She stood up putting away her lute and, taking a step to the side, she waved her hand away from the others as if to gesture for Pine to lead the way.
[Pine]
He would make a soft sound of acknowledgement, but offered no further explanation, only stepping back as she got up, and then led the way from the group, gaze falling briefly on Siax to make sure he was paying attention. Separating the group in a potentially hostile environment was best done with care, after all.
Tail swaying softly behind him, he made his way further from the main body of the townsfolk, his brows down, his gaze sweeping the area with more acute perception, gaze searching for something in particular. Only when he was sure that there were not eavesdroppers would he speak, although he kept his voice low enough anyway; a habit these days.
"You fought well," he would start by saying, although he might look as if the words were a struggle to get out. He was not naturally chatty or charismatic by nature, and attempted compliments were unpractised. But he was trying. "You had good priorities, going after the caster, when I was stopped from it."
He would pause and move down another street, looking for one thing in particular, one corpse even. The wave had swept over the buildings, damaging them with the crush of water, and even if it had swept away once more, bodies would largely be caught.
[ @DM (Charalampos "Babis") rolled a nat 20 for perception, its on D&Dbeyond ]
[DM]
In life, the tiefling priestess had cut a commanding figure, her booming voice confident in her power.
Now however, she seemed small. The great wave had swept her body up and above the tangle of plants that had rooted the villagers. When it crashed into the buildings by the dock it broke planks and shattered windows, and when the waters flowed back they left Tempests body there.
Bones clearly broken, one arm hanging unnaturally, she lay facedown in water at the middle of the destroyed warehouse.
[Pine]
Spotting the body he had been looking for, he made his way over more directly, glancing behind him to his travelling companion when he got to it, before carefully turning over the body and then propping it up against a beam.
"You said before that you could alter your appearance," he said to Effie, looking up from his task and over to her, "I would ask that you do so now, in order that we may ask the memory that her body retains, some questions."
No matter that Tempest had been an enemy to them in life, his actions were steady and calm as he shifted the corpse. He treated it with respect in death, carefully smoothing down clothing and settling the body more naturally until he had it the way that looked less mangled.
[Effie]
Effie followed the creepy cat [yes, this is a thing for Effie, at least for now haha] as he led her through the half ruined buildings and away from the group, seemingly looking for something. As he had a tendency to want to deal the dead all the time, she hoped he wasn't going to ask her to participate in any weird rites. Death could be a practical solution when speaking or sneaking wasn't an option, but she was no fan of handling the corpses afterwards. She always left that for the few clerics in her company to handle - or the authorities, whichever came to the scene first.
As he complimented her, she once again shivered hearing him speak more, allowing for the echoing voices to linger longer, like the magical dissonant whispers that she could use herself. She really had to get used to that at some point. She shook her head as if to shrug off the feeling. "Thank you! I'm glad to see our priorities were aligned there." she said, smiling towards him even though he was facing away from her leading the way. "I assumed she wasn't up to any good, and once I got closer I could sense she was summoning something big and had to try to stop it." And almost died doing so, but she'd try to see it as an chance to prove to the group that she was an ally and an asset.
When the creepy cat seemed to have found what he was searching for and headed for it more directly, Effie peered curiously from behind him, preparing for what she was about to have to do. As they reached the corpse of the devil they spoke of and he finally explained what he wanted from her, she grinned and exclaimed: "Of course!" Pretending to be someone else was one of her areas of expertise after all. "Be right back!"
She found an empty building nearby where she could prepare her disguise. She removed her cloak and gear, pulled out a nicer outfit from her backpack and quickly got dressed. She then put up her hair in an elegant bun and quickly used the cosmetics to try to slightly change the form of her face with some shades and colors.
[@DM (Charalampos "Babis") I rolled a 1d20 + DEX mod. + prof. mod. to use the Disguise Kit on dndbeyond. I got a 12 and a 21, and I'd like to use my inspiration to take the higher number xD]
[Pine]
[Pine wont recognise you when you get back, lol]
[DM]
Pine has seen magic that altered the way a person looked however no such magic had occurred here - nonetheless if he hadn't know what Effie was doing he would likely have not realised that the person who stood before him was her. Subtle changes, the way the light hit a cheekbone, the way the hair framed the face - but all put together resulted in a disguise that would fool many.
[Effie]
Once she was done with her preparations, Effie would return to Pine and the corpse - hopefully looking different enough for the latter to not recognize her. "Back! Now what are the questions?" She said, as she approached Pine eagerly. Hopefully that would be enough for him to connect the dots in case he didn't recognize her either.
[Pine]
Pine would look quietly pleased with her enthusiasm, or as much as he showed anything anyway. "Good," he said with a nod, his red eyes watching her as she made her way out of the warehouse. He tended not to be around women too much, but he supposed privacy was more of a thing in the city from where she hailed from. He was far too used to only interacting with people on the road, where such niceties were more of a danger than anything common. The town should be fairly safe, although he still listened for her, ears perked, until she came back.
His gaze watched the person that re-entered, suspicious and poised ready to respond if necessary, at least until she spoke. It was the same voice, at least for now.
"Here," he said, standing from where he had been crouched near to where he had seated the corpse against the beam of the warehouse, tucking away the small pen and ink he had been using back into his belongings. Unlike the rest of the group and townsfolk, he had avoided having his belongings saturated by water, and was quietly glad of that now he'd needed the paper. Handing over the scrap of paper, his writing was legible but simplistic in style. Despite his ability to write, something that was not universal, he had clearly never been taught in the same way as someone in the city might have.
What are the main roles of Sovendahl Erkinze with the cult of Talos?
What is the most reliable way for someone unknown, outside the cult of Talos, to contact Sovendahl Erkinze?
What is the greatest weakness that a foe could exploit in Gadrille the Reef Reaver?
What are the goals of the cult of Talos in Leilon?
What is the greatest secret you know?
Paper handed over, he moved further away, having scoped out places he could hide himself after casting. A bit of wall would suffice, between him and the corpse.
"Ready?" he would ask, standing ten feet away behind where the body was propped up.
[Effie]
Effie took the piece of paper as Pine handed it to her and examined it. 'Huh, not bad handwriting... For a creepy cat at least.' She thought as she read through the questions. Being an excellent forger, she had learned a thing or two about calligraphy and lettering, so the bar was set high when it came to complimenting others' handwriting.
When she was done familiarising herself with the questions enough to not risk stuttering or tripping over her words, she cleared her throat and calmly replied: "Ready." Her voice in a higher pitch and slightly different accent than her own.
Effie then placed herself in front of the propped up corpse of the dead tiefling and waited for him to cast the spell before asking the questions, one by one, giving the corpse time to answer in between.
She had seen this spell being cast once or twice before, and recently by the creepy cat himself. However, this was probably the closest she had ever been to an animated, talking corpse and she felt a mix of excitement and nausea.
[Pine]
Pine would wait, patient and unhurried, while she checked the questions, before nodding at her comment and making ready.
The spell itself still made him slightly uneasy in himself, as many of the more powerful powers he had at his command did, but his goals were larger than himself, and he forced such thoughts down.
His gestures and words while he cast the spell were slightly slower and more measured, now that there was more time and privacy. They flowed with a solemnity and command, until with the last word the spell was complete.
As the corpse started to come 'alive', behind it he would step to the side, hiding himself from view should it look around, leaving the questions to the half-elf. Listening as she spoke them.
[DM]
With a sickening crung the spell pushed an animating force in the corpse that was Tempest. This wasn't her but a shadow of her but it tried to emulate the imperious way she heldd herself now looking almost comical on a body both drenched and broken.
With blind eyes it looked until it saw the disguised Effie getting ready to ask the first question. Unlike the first times this spell had been cast the once been tempest interupted Effie with a raspy yet still imperious voice:
"You dare speak to me, pathetic land dweller! What gives you the right?!"
Standing a distance away you realise that the corpse would not answer an enemy - with a jolt of insight you realise that everyone that Tempest doesn't already know is her enemy for she lived and breathed the cult of Talos. You think it may be possible to salvage the situation but Effie would have to think of a way to do so and fast.
[Pine]
[omg that is so cunning. kudos to you]
[Effie]
The idea I have is that Effie would try to remember anything she could have heard or read regarding the cult and Talos and use it to try to convince the corpse that she was indeed an ally. She would also say that she was a big fan of Tempest herself, having followed her work for a while now, and then wrap up the deception with a promise to pick up where the tiefling left off if she knows enough details to do so, hence the questions. Not sure if this is a monologue she could have with the corpse before doing the questions, but she'd try.
[DM]
Perhaps with not as much detail but Pine immediately understands that she sees you as someone hostile. Your plan definitely makes sense and out of everyone in the group you know the most about the cults activities down here so you have information you can pull from. If you could post the deception result as there two and I'm not sure which is which
The living Tempest would not have been fooled. Yes, the person speaking seemed to know to say all the right things but she didn't move like one of them, didn't show the proper deference when the name of Talos was spoken.
But she was not here. Instead a shallow copy, barely able to process information was in her place. And that copy was fooled.
The corpse would consider your first question and then attempt to spit on the ground instead only managing to drool a mixture of swamp water and blood [corpses are disgusting I'm so sorry xD]
[Q1 :What are the main roles of Sovendahl Erkinze with the cult of Talos?]
That Damnable Drow is responsible for managing the sorting, transportation, and sale of stolen commodities seized from destroyed ships by the cult.
[Pine]
[omg phew!!! so hyped that worked XD]
Behind the wall hiding him from view, Pine let out a carefully silent breath of relief.
[DM]
[Q2 : What is the most reliable way for someone unknown, outside the cult of Talos, to contact Sovendahl Erkinze?]
With a clear disapproving scowl showing how Tempest regarded Sovendahl in life she continued. Find him at the Storm Gods Mouth on his barge "The Dim Melody
[Effie, you realise that the name of the ship is a coded message in thieves cant, I will send you what it means to you.]
[Q3 : What is the greatest weakness that a foe could exploit in Gadrille the Reef Reaver?]
A dismissive snort at the impudense of the question is replaced by grim thoughtfulness.
Her power is immense but.. she could be swarmed by numbers, a hoard of unbelievers grabbing her.
A smile blooms on the corpses face, the already stiff tendons pulling the skin unnaturally.
Talos is all knowing and has sent A꙰ u꙰ r꙰ o꙰ r꙰ a꙰ to slay her enemies and keep her safe!
As long as A꙰ u꙰ r꙰ o꙰ r꙰ a꙰ is with her she has no weaknesses!
[Q4 : What are the goals of the cult of Talos in Leilon?]
A look of confusion crosses the corpses face. Lei...lon? We have no business there.
[Q5 : What is the greatest secret you know?]
As you say this question the old look of suspicion crosses her face, as it seems this is a subject near and dear to her heart. Effie you sense this, so I'm happy to allow a persuasion role here]
[Effie]
[Gah, nat 1 for a total of 12 for the Persuasion]
[Pine]
[Id like to make an insight roll to see if Pine can work out why she answered that they have no business in Leilon, when that was where they were] [only a 15 ]
[DM]
Try as you might you have no idea why she would not consider their activities in the town as not counting.
The corpse starts talking My secret is not only my own but the ladies, she entrusted me with it. She.... Suddenly the corpses eyes clear and widen as it almost seems aware of what's happening. With a snap she roars to the ceiling TALOS AID ME!
Whatever she was going to say is undercut by a massive explosion knocking Effie back, her back smashing into the wooded wall. An errant part of flotsam bounced off the wall and embedded itself in Pine leg causing 22 piercing damage. The leg seemed mangled and while usable it would halve Pines speed as he would need to hobble. Lightning coursed through where Tempest's corpse lay and into Effie who was rooted to the floor by the current. 36 lighting damage coursed through her leaving her with a level of exhaustion as she collapsed into a smokey heap.
But both lived. Peering through the smoke they could see that Tempests corpse had vanished, leaving cracks on the floor and wall akin to the ones a lighting bolt would show.
[Pine]
Stumbling out from behind cover, Pine looks down at where the corpse had once sat, staring with those crimson eyes for a long moment, before turning towards Effie, offering a hand to help her up.
"That did not go according to plan."
[Pine]
[I didn't realise that a corpse could affect the world like that when under the influence of the spell. mind blown]
[Effie]
[holy thunder, ouch!]
[DM]
[It can't normally. The corpse certainly didn't cast anything but it seemed to be more aware than any before]
[Pine]
[damn cultists and their useful gods. lol)
[Happy we got some answers, not so happy we lost the corpse]
[Effie]
Effie was used to tricking the living, but the dead - not so much, this was new. That could be the reason she found herself struggling, almost doubting herself for the first time in a long while.
As the corpse seemed to have been fooled and answered the questions, one after the other, Effie let out a small yet discrete sigh in relief and her lips curled into a smirk. 'Damn I'm good!'
But that thought was replaced by 'Or not...' as the last question resulted in some hesitation followed by an apparent sense of realisation and an explosion from the corpse, knocking her back into the wall behind her, a lightning strike from seemingly nowhere hitting her and she collapsed on the floor.
As she finally managed to open her eyes and look over to the corpse, it was gone. 'What the...' she thought, her head pounding from the hit. As Pine approached, she gladly took the help to get up. Trying to stand up straight and catching her balance as she wiped her hands and arms on her ruined outfit, she replied: "Nope, it did not."
"But we did gain some interesting information at least." she continued, smiling up at Pine with a satisfied look on her face. 'That I need to reflect and act upon - fast.' she thought, considering the answers about Sovendahl and the ship.
[Pine]
As she took Pine's hand, he held on for a long moment, and first once, then a second time, healing coursed through that touch (she heals 18HP)
At the comment about the information, he would nod, stepping back. "Yes, some." His gaze returned to where the corpse had once sat, and let out a visible sigh, his tail twitching in agitation at the blank space on the warehouse floor, even as he pulled out the bit of rubble from his leg with a wince and then healed himself in the same manner.
[Effie]
[Fair, Effie would probably realize that too so she'd try to find the least damaged cultist outfits to change to before the next questioning. And change her hair to a more common hairstyle that they would have. She had used the other desguise before because it's what she'd usually work with back in the city.]
[Pine]
"I could summon the memories of the veteran leader," he would say as she was getting herself sorted, "See if we can get any more answers."
As she seemed amenable, they both wandered back towards where people were still congregating, if for no other reason than to set Idris and Siax's minds at rest considering the huge clap of thunder that had likely been heard. It gave them time, too, to see if they had any ideas on what they might want to find out. Barring anything else though, both he and Effie would head back into the town to attempt to find the corpse of the veteran who had first greeted them, the one who had managed to overpower Pine so easily. If the words of the pirate outside the walls was correct, then he was at odds with Tempest, and that might aid them in getting more answers.
"I'd like to know more about Aurora," he would say to Effie as they searched for the corpse in question, "Something along the lines of 'What do you know of A꙰ u꙰ r꙰ o꙰ r꙰ a꙰, who was brought to protect Gadrille the Reef Reaver." I suspect we will be fighting her, eventually, and I would rather know as much as we can in advance."
[Arya]
Arya would have noticed when Pine first took Effie to the side. She wouldn't follow them but she would try to listen for anything and would probably have heard the thunder? She would look both Pine and Effie over to see if she could figure out what had happened. She would wait to say anything to see if anyone of the others react.
[DM]
The two weren't attempting to be stealthy so you would have absolutely have noticed them go to the side.
The thunder and following explosion was hard by all so finding them would be quick. What Arya would see is Pine with a mostly healed wound that seemed to not be giving him much trouble anymore and Effie with scorch marks and a subtle but everpresent tremble, signs of exhaustion.
[Arya]
Arya watches them, a bit confused why Pine would do something without his group and instead with their new companion. "Having fun are we?" she calls out with a wink.
[Pine]
Pine would look over to her from where he was maintaining a gap between him and the rest of the people around.
"No."
After another moment, where it seemed he was struggling with something, he would sigh in a sort of slightly defeated way in order to go and gather Idris and Siax, if he could without drawing too close to the townsfolk, and then with Arya too, he would briefly tell them about what had gone on with the questions, and their intent to try one more before he would rest.
"All the cultists, their souls are gone. It is worrying. Perhaps it is because their god is active. I do not know."
[Effie]
Effie would follow along, while trying to find cultist any outfit that were somewhat intact that she could use for the next interrogation, and change to that as soon as they were ready to start.
As for the questions she'd propose asking about how to get to where Sovendahl is, so the group has a clear plan after making sure the town is habitable for the people to move back in.
[DM]
[Plenty of the ragged clothing the fanatics wore. They are torn on purpose to have jagged endings. There was also Tempests robe but that's gone xD]
[Arya]
While Pine described what had happened and what the tempest had told them Arya would agree that more information would be good. "I think her reaction to the question about Leilon is strange. Does anyone of you know the history of Leilon? Has it had another name before or was it something else before it became this city?"
[Pine]
Pine would nod a little, frowning. But history of cities wasn't his forté [history check: 10]
[Effie]
Effie would just shrug and say "She had probably already forgotten the name - it's not exactly a metropolis." [Rolled a nat 1... +1 for a total of 2]
[Arya]
Arya would try to remember if she knows anything from a Fey perspective
[DM]
You have no idea about the history of these mortal planes.
However, you do not think it a coincidence that the Mere of Dead men and Tel'chaseisliesen (otherwise known as the Green Devourer) share such a similar size and location. If the same logic followed for Leilon then you would know it as Ath'vanessaril, the Fading City. Last you knew it was almost entirely devoured by the spreading jungle but the Eladrin who lived there had not yet given up.
[Arya]
Arya would think it through and put together the places but she wouldn't lift her thoughts to the others instead she would say: " I don't know this place but it sounds like there is something bigger going on here, and this town might just happen to be in the way so to say."
[Effie]
Effie would ponder over the questions Pine had suggested for a moment as she looked over the group, then say: "I think we could leave out the question about how to deal with Sovehndal in favor of all the other questions. We are two very charismatic people, and the rest just as perceptive, so we can handle dealing with the person. The other topics sound more difficult to get a hold of information about in other ways than this, don't you think?"
[Pine]
Pine, having decided that everyone had had their say, looked towards Effie, and let out a breath. "Let's hope it goes better this time," he would grumble, turning towards the path that led to where he he had seen the man fall. The water would have moved the body, just like the others, but perhaps not so far as the Priestess had been. They had their questions, now they just needed to ask them.
[DM]
The corpse of the fanatic was undoubtedly in better condition that Tempest's but there was still an element of the horrific as the spell animated the body, it's limbs twisting in unnatural ways. It looked for a moment like it was trying to stand but didn't know how to coordinate properly.
1. What do you know of A꙰ u꙰ r꙰ o꙰ r꙰ a꙰, who was brought to protect Gadrille the Reef Reaver?
"A꙰ u꙰ r꙰ o꙰ r꙰ a꙰, was sent by Talos to help Gadrille see the light. She was not a believer and would have died but A꙰ u꙰ r꙰ o꙰ r꙰ a꙰, saved her. She is a creature of pure elemental fury, the very air freezes around her. Fire can hurt her but she seeks out any who wield it with a fury that is tenfold."
2. What is the common name for the location 'Storm God's Mouth' by people in this region?
The corpse would answer, it's mouth twisting as if the word was foreign to it.
"Merezzen-Cinlu"
[You do not know this name nor the language it is spoken in. You as in @Effie (Annika) and @Pine (Darren M)]
3. What are the directions from here to the Storm God's Mouth?
"A journey that can be made only by an experienced captain. You must sail to the west and avoid the cliffs, then turn north for two days travel. Past the Shard teeth you will find the Storm God's Mouth. Only the map shows the way past the teeth and only the lenses show the truth of the map. Without the one you have none."
4. What was your mission here?
The corpse remains silent. It does not know.
5. How would a stranger safely contact the Dead Hand?
The corpse remains silent. It does not know.
The corpse that was once a zealous follower of Talos slumps back down, now unmoving.
[Pine]
When it was done, Pine would come out from where he had stepped behind cover, a frown on his brow.
"Somewhat useful," he would acknowledge, although there were questions without answers. "I do not know that language though, and the directions are meaningless to me. Still, the map might be on the captain we defeated outside the city walls perhaps, and the item to read it."
With that, he would reach down and carefully lift the corpse into his arms, and start making his way through the town towards where they had come in. There were dead to bury, and that could hardly be done within the town walls most likely, especially not for enemies. Glancing to Effie nearby, he would comment, "Might want to change before someone sees you."