[Game Thread] Chapter One: The Slave Pen of Velkynvelve

[Disaster Master]

Rugadh Faoi Rugadh Faoi "Thinking of me just by what I show you sounds risky," Rugadh Faoi replied with an ironic smile on her lips. "Who knows, I may be the perfect actress and simulate sympathy." She put her hand on her heart, the irony gone. "I am sure you will listen to your heart, Nienna, and it will not lie to you about me." The dark elf was all ears when the druid compared the group with a party composed of a fox, a bull, a dear, and a wolf. "These are all animals from the Lands Above, aren't they? You will have to tell me about them in time. You've heard our guides. We have at least eight days." When Nienna hinted at what Ilvara did to her, Rugadh Faoi remained silent for a long time. Nienna saw the drow's eyes become watery, trying to fight back a tear. "You haven't deserved this," she eventually said softly in the elven language, and her voice was carrying more than words. Magic touched Nienna and at least the visible injuries that remained were healed.

OOC Healing Word (5 hp).

Stat Block   Rugadh Faoi Chinniúint CG Female dark elf bard 1 Armor Class 13 Hit Points 7/7 Speed 30 ft Str 7 Dex 17 Con 9 Int 14 Wis 14 Cha 18 Saving throws Dex +5, Cha +6 Skills Acrobatics +5, Deception +6, Insight +4, Perception +4, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5 Senses darkvision 120 ft. passive Perception 14 Languages Undercommon, Elvish, Common, Goblin Spellcasting Cantrips (DC 14, +6) minor illusion, vicious mockery 1st level (2 slots) dissonant whispers, healing word, hideous laughter, thunderwave Rapier +5 (1d8+3 piercing) Dagger +5 (1d4+3 piercing) Crossbow, hand +5 (1d6+3 piercing)

Character Sheet

[LinguaManiac]

Zar the Escapee Like their Orc, Zar kept himself silent through their ladies' bickering. The personalities of the two women sparkled – like a camp fire in a forest sere. An especially apt metaphor, given their Lady Elf was a druid. Zar munched on the berry with eager ease. Comfort swept from his mouth and down his throat into the rest of his body almost without passing through his stomach at all. Magic, and likely powerful magic. Not that Zar knew for sure. He could count numbers, change faces, and stab people. Nothing about his training prepared him for magic. Or for fighting Drow, if truth be told. Perhaps it was time for new training. Already he felt sharper, more powerful, despite the violence and poverty of his captivity. Perhaps the magic had something to do with that, settling like a salve in his stomach. Perhaps the danger and the intensity of their fighting. Zar trudged on in the middle of the group, fighting ladies still fighting. Hopefully they’d get over themselves soon. If not, they were nice to look at and two of the most useful of their group, both probably more useful than he himself was. Not that he’d make that known to his companions. The useless died. Or more often were killed by those who needed their bread. That their druid seemed to create their bread for them didn't even matter.

Stat Block   Zar Dundragon, Escapee, Level One Rogue HP: 19/19; AC: 15 Initiative: +4; Passive Perception 18, Speed 30ft Weapons: +6 to hit, 1d6+4 piercing damage, finesse, light, thrown (20ft/60ft)Makeshift Dagger, +6 to hit, 1d8+4 piercing damage, finesseRapier, +6 to hit, 1d6+4 piercing damage, range 80ft/320ft, ammunition:20Shortbow, +6 to hit, 1d6+4 piercing damage, finesse, light, thrown (20ft/60ft)Dagger. Features and Abilities: Light ArmorArmor Proficiency, Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, ShortswordsWeapon Profiency, "You have created a second Identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy." PHB 128False Identity, "At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves' tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.//At 6th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies (in skills or with thieves' tools) to gain this benefit." PHB 96 (Stealth and Perception) Expertise, +1d6 once per turn, finesse or ranged, with advantage or with another enemy w/in 5ft. Sneak Attack, "During your rogue training you learned thieves' cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and codes that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves' cant understands such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly. In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves' guild, whether loot is nearby or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run." PHB 96.Thieves' Cant,

[Trinity]

Nienna Siannodel "Well the spider can not change it's nature even if it's able to camouflage it for a time. In the end it will always act as a spider. Clever prey knows to watch for the signs of the predators nature, so they can avoid it's trap." She said in response to "what if she was acting?". "I hope it does." She said with a nod, then a grin. "If not I'd be in a lot of trouble I'd imagine." "If you wish, I'll tell you all about them." Later when she told Rugadh Faoi about the surface animals she subtly slid in a lot of morality tales as well and studied her reactions to them carefully. She also did her best to show her a different way then that of the drow, one where a being lives in harmony with it's surroundings instead of crushing it under their boot heel like the drow do. She wasn't sure if it would work or not, but it was worth the effort to try to undue a little of the lessons a lifetime of living amongst evil and cruelty run amok had done. Nienna closed her eyes and moaned softly as the magic washed over her finishing fixing what the other drow had wrought. Nienna was quite a bit more comely when her face didn't look like mashed potatoes that was for sure. "Thank you." She said softly in elven and opened her eyes. "That is much appreciated. Thank you. This...has been the worst experience of my life, even worse then when I drowned as a child falling through the ice... Much much worse, at least the drowning only took a few minutes, and there was no acid involved." She shuddered involuntarily. "I'd do it again though, to protect the hundreds of city folk that the drow would have slaughtered or worse..." She kinda trailed off in thought at that point. Unfortunately there weren't enough goodberries to go around. She would have went without herself but she had to prove they were safe. However she promised that there would be enough to go around tomorrow morning and she made good on that promise (with some left over, 7 in fact). She made sure to thank whoever went without the previous day and gave them all one in the morning.   Druid: Level: 1 HP: 9 AC: 11 Speed: 30' Passive Perception: 14 Str: 9 Dex: 12 Con: 12 Int: 13 Wis: 15 Cha: 14 Saving Throws: STR: -1 Dex: +1 Con: +1 Int: +3 Wis: +4 Cha: +2 Melee attack: +1 Ranged attack: +3 Spell attack: +4 Spell DC: 12 Languages: Druid, Common, Elven, Giant, Orcish, Sylvan Spell Save DC: 12 Ranged Spell Attack: +4 Spells: Cantrips: Produce Flame (1d8 fire 30'range), Thorn Whip (1d6 piercing, 10'pull), Mage Hand 1st Level: 2/Day Good Berry, Earth Tremor   Produce Flame: She blows gently into her open palm making a slightly swirling hand gesture causing a small spark to form in her hand which quickly grows into a palm sized ball of flames. Goodberry: She closed her eyes for a moment and whispered a soft prayer to the earth while making some passing gestures with her hands, then cupping them in front of herself. She then blew softly moving her face so she blew in a clockwise rotation into her hands. Aether coalesced forming into ten cherries in her cupped hands.

[Disaster Master]

Rugadh Faoi Rugadh Faoi Long after she had spoken to Nienna, Rugadh Faoi thought about the sun elf's remark about the spider. Was it true that a spider was not able to change its nature? What about her, Rugadh Faoi? She had been the spider all her life and, in fact, an entirely effective one — at least until she had to leave Menzoberranzan. If spiders remained spiders, she would stay a drow for the rest of her life. The dark elf narrowed her red eyes to slits. No, she thought determinedly to herself, Nienna was wrong, and I would prove it. Later, when Nienna told Rugadh Faoi about the surface animals and subtly wove tales of morality into her stories, the drow bard listened curiously. Nienna guessed, however, that Rugadh Faoi saw through her psychological test, so the drow's reactions couldn't tell her too much. What was honest and what was pretense only? At the first rest, Rugadh Faoi approached Sarith, the other drow in the party. "I'm sorry that you lost your station in Velkynvelve because of the alleged murder, Sarith. Why do you suspect the accusation being true? You know as well as I do that 'facts' like blood stains on your clothing are readily produced. Did someone try to talk you into drugs that evening?" She eyed the warrior who had been in Ilvara's service until not long ago. "There's something else, male, which I'd like to understand. You hinted at a pull you were feeling. A pull to Neverlight Grove?"

Stat Block   Rugadh Faoi Chinniúint CG Female dark elf bard 1 Armor Class 13 Hit Points 7/7 Speed 30 ft Str 7 Dex 17 Con 9 Int 14 Wis 14 Cha 18 Saving throws Dex +5, Cha +6 Skills Acrobatics +5, Deception +6, Insight +4, Perception +4, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5 Senses darkvision 120 ft. passive Perception 14 Languages Undercommon, Elvish, Common, Goblin Spellcasting Cantrips (DC 14, +6) minor illusion, vicious mockery 1st level (2 slots) dissonant whispers, healing word, hideous laughter, thunderwave Rapier +5 (1d8+3 piercing) Dagger +5 (1d4+3 piercing) Crossbow, hand +5 (1d6+3 piercing)

Character Sheet

[Jeffkevlar]

Along the way Zar watched both Jimjar and Sarith carefully as they marched. As far as he could tell they were leading them true, towards what he assumed to be the Darklake. Jimjar was friendly and occasionally funny, but very watchful. It occured to Zar that very little escaped the Deep gnome. Sarith did not seem to be dishonest to Zar, but he had a haunted look. There was something about him that made Zar think that some time in the future their guide might be a problem. Rugadh walked beside Sarith, questioning him, gusting his answers. "No one would have to try to get me to indulge in drugs, lady," he said with a chuckle. "But no. I was clearheaded that night...until my memory ends. I have reason to suspect it is true. First, my knuckles were bruised and torn when I woke, as if I had beaten someone. Also, I have been having bouts of...irrationality these last weeks. Missing bits of memory. Arguments about nothing. I have been fine sonde I woke in that cell but...yes. I believe I probably beat that Drow to death with my bare hands." Rugadh’s intuition told her that Sarith believed what he was saying. "As to the pull towards Neverlight," he looked off into the distance. "I have been on the frontier serving at Velkynvelve for three years now. Everyone who passes through who has visited Neverlight have described it as peaceful, beautiful. I am tired and not myself these days. I would sit in the grove and contemplate it if I am given the chance." Rugadh knew thought that this might be the truth but it was not the full truth. Sarith would say no more on the subject, however. After a time he spoke to her again. "You are young. And far from home. I will not ask why. It is not my business. But I have been watching you. There are things you should know about how things are out here, outside of Menzoberranzan. I’m sure all your life you have been told about our invincibility, our high culture that all admire and fear. That all races are but slaves, waiting for us to take them. Well. Outside you quickly come to realize that we are just one of many people who dwell under the ground. The others might hate us and fear our armies, but they have armies as well. And a lone Drow, or even two of us, me and you, we do not strike as much fear and awe into others as you might think. Alone, we are small and insignificant. Have a care how you treat these others. You will need them, likely, before long." With that he picked up his pace and left her walking behind him as he examined an upcoming intersection.

OOC and that is the end of chapter One. Please carry one RP in the other thread.

[Disaster Master]

Rugadh Faoi Rugadh Faoi The dark elven bard frowned when she watched Sarith leaving her walking behind to examine an upcoming intersection. He might be honest, strangely enough for someone who had been working for three years beneath Ilvara, but these bouts of irrationality he had spoken about didn't make him the most harmless companion. There was something to learn about Neverlight Grove, Rugadh Faoi thought to herself. What was the actual reason behind Sarith's longing for it? Maybe she would be given a chance to (telepathically) talk to Stool in private. Either Stool could tell her more about that place or she would find out that Stool had something to do with Sarith's strange behavior. And strange, it was indeed. At first, he called all deep gnomes garbage people. Now, he was patronizing her and told her being careful how to treat the others. Oh, how she hated it to be treated like a child! Hadn't she left the matron mother of House Chinniúint behind in Menzoberranzan? And we are not just one of many people! We are elves, and no other culture in the Underdark measures up to ours. Is it my fault if the other races do not want to understand? The way you talk you are a shame to us! Rugadh Faoi felt her blood boiling up. The longer she had been away from home, the more she was clinging to her racial proudness and to the alleged superiority of females to have at least one anchor to hold on to. At the same time, both her heart and her intellect told her that the superiority of the drow might very well not be more than a lie, but she had always been good at pushing away disturbing thoughts. Nevertheless, she understood that Sarith was right in that they both had to rely on their companions to survive all this. But she was able to treat them fairly without betraying herself, she grimly thought to herself. In addition to it, who was who cared for the missing fellow prisoners? Sarith, the rest of the party or she? Who requested that no one should call anyone else garbage people?

OOC I posted this in this (closed) thread because this post is a direct reply to the previous one here. Feel free to move it the other thread if you want.

Stat Block   Rugadh Faoi Chinniúint CG Female dark elf bard 1 Armor Class 13 Hit Points 7/7 Speed 30 ft Str 7 Dex 17 Con 9 Int 14 Wis 14 Cha 18 Saving throws Dex +5, Cha +6 Skills Acrobatics +5, Deception +6, Insight +4, Perception +4, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5 Senses darkvision 120 ft. passive Perception 14 Languages Undercommon, Elvish, Common, Goblin Spellcasting Cantrips (DC 14, +6) minor illusion, vicious mockery 1st level (2 slots) dissonant whispers, healing word, hideous laughter, thunderwave Rapier +5 (1d8+3 piercing) Dagger +5 (1d4+3 piercing) Crossbow, hand +5 (1d6+3 piercing)

Character Sheet