It is somewhat clear at this point that the boys in blue come from Pharaste, and the Looking Glass Palace is or was the Pharaste seat of power. What is referred to as The Loss on your maps was perhaps Inner Pharaste or Pharaste Proper. A place renowned for victory.
Pharaste was set to offer peace to Oudru before they suddenly and secretly made war upon them.
Whether everyone from Pharaste is ‘star-chosen’ is unknown, or even what the term refers to.
“Ah? I know of no sol-o-man. But we can hardly go anywhere now! Child, do fetch a broom. There is much to clean up if we are to be ready in time.”, Solomon says, eyes closed and hands busy.
You have been drawn in to his play, your part that of a young maid. Whoever Solomon thinks he is, he thinks himself old and your superior.
Just as an aside, why do you think the Pharaste turned on Oudru? No right answers, no wrong answers. It’s too far back in time to learn the exact events.
That isn’t Solomon speaking. It barely even sounds like him. The choice of words, the cadence—all wrong. With his eyes closed as they are, Solomon’s mind is obviously unconscious. What is speaking is the real question.
"Good sir." Arthur speaks up. "What can I do to help. There is much work and little time."
Arthur assumes that given his age, nothing he could attempt to say here would be treated with anything other than disdain. If Kirina was being treated as a servant, he had no way of passing off as anything else. Maybe speeding the setup along would allow Solomon to snap out of whatever is happening.
Just as an aside, why do you think the Pharaste turned on Oudru? No right answers, no wrong answers. It’s too far back in time to learn the exact events.
“Akhen, my boy, I see you have finally been dragged out of bed! You’ll give us Fringemen a bad reputation! Not matter, you’re here now. Help me set the tables.”
Not that you won’t realise this, but it is worthy of note that while Solomon’s eyes are closed it is evident that whoever is speaking through him can see you.
Alzav reaches out and searches for the mind of Solomon behind the mask of whatever has possessed him. "Solomon - wake up! We must return to the belfry. Remember the sound of the bell's toll!"
Figure that Arthur playing along or Alzav's telepathy counts as Help.
And also, Kirina would have continued to try and reach out. Surely the three of us are enough (although I got the impression Alzav may have been the trigger for the check, so can't be the Help). Either way, clutch roll!
Kirina looks desperately at Solomon's closed eyes. "We don't have time for this! Solomon, you need to wake up now! Fantasies, delusions, they have a place in life, but not now!"
It’s definitely been Kirina and Alzav doing the legwork here.
The candles and fireplace blow out. Slightly behind and above Solomon you catch sight of something that barely exists. Solomon has been possessed by a ghost!
Solomon runs his hand along the table and scatters the carefully laid utensils.
“All… this pomp.”
Solomon! Move and take one action now. Including leaving the dining room for the living quarters if you wish.
How you free Solomon from the ghost is free to interpret. But it won’t be just by talking to Solomon. Surprise me.
I'm going to be asleep for a few hours and don't want to miss this entirely so if its alright I'm going to make a little called shot. Once a few players have made attempts and if this still seems a reasonable thing to do I'd like to do what's in the spoiler. Let me know if this isn't cool. Just don't want to miss out on another scene if I can avoid it.
(for Serpents eyes only. Open only in case of emergency)
Simon pulled out Mordwyn from its sheath and held it between him and Solomon. "Do you recognize this, spirit?" he talked although unsure of what he was saying. He also pulled out the Banner of the Cerulean Rose. "there is no one left here to hold your banner, or fight, or make peace. Only we remain. It is time to rest with your people."
Simon pulled out Mordwyn from its sheath and held it between him and Solomon. "Do you recognize this, spirit?" he talked although unsure of what he was saying. He also pulled out the Banner of the Cerulean Rose, "There is no one left here to hold your banner, or fight, or make peace. Only we remain. It is time to rest with your people."
Solomon steps towards Simon.
“You are… The Order! You’re early! But… the treaty… Oh. Oh dear. What…you say the treaty will go unsigned… Still… I cannot leave my post. How could I? I am a slave.”
Solomon flinches. Still make that move and action, we’re about there.
Just as an aside, why do you think the Pharaste turned on Oudru? No right answers, no wrong answers. It’s too far back in time to learn the exact events.
A slurred voice, like honey. Then slowly the syllables catch up with each other.
“You know our ways? Ah, yes, I see your blood. It has been long since I have had means to articulate my thoughts outward. This form, such as it is, dislocates me from the arcane.”
You sense she fights to hold open this channel of communication, even as her glass face remains unmoving. Her hand lingers over a candle, the stick she uses to light them slowly burning away as you converse.
“I will explain. It will be good if a descendant of our home remembers. The Oudru claimed a distance from the wars of the Vastness, even as our borders shrank. We were led not by kings nor priests, but a council of elected; masters of building, masters of magic, masters of mathematics.”
You’re not used to such things being spoken of together. Each field is wholly separate in influence and social standing in the outside world. Her voice comes quicker.
“The Pharaste, lead by their invading devil, sent a retinue of emissaries. They spoke of a peace treaty, to make Oudru allies. If not in war, at least in trade. Yet as we prepared our halls for peace, their army descended. The battle was hard fought, and we held strong… The battle was but a ruse. Our own Blackreach Sentinels had been lured by false promises, and turned upon the council, releasing a putrid horror of annihilation within the very castle they had sworn to protect.”
The voice becomes distant.
“Oaghavanth, Master of Memories and Ubika-Ucchal, Master of Growth saw the ravages moments before the betrayal, and set about a spell to counter it. They could not. But they spread among those taken an ever-lasting hatred born from both their hearts. The curse struck upon our people would not linger here alone. It would be willed to spread, and to take, until all is as Oudru.”
“I am Jaabira. My long arms once held our people in warmth as the Master of Vitality. My magic was to heal, not by the will of some god, but through transformation. This form I take was the hastiest of efforts, nothing like my true self, to subdue the rot of curse within me.”
The burning stick reaches her fingers, but she does not flinch. She puts it aside and begins to hobble away.
“As for your offer. Live. I want you to live. Cry, for I cannot cry. Speak, for I cannot speak. Seek love, for all I love is lost.”
I thought you’d never ask.
I think accepts her version of the events: it tracks with her station and the world around. Her phrase “The Pharaste, lead by their invading devil" seems to tell us that the Pharaste were infiltrated or seduced by some dark power, and perhaps that power is to blame for the invasion.
Not sure if I can speak with a successful save, but I'll act as if I still can't
Even as the strange voice comes from Solomon and he continues his work at the table, the rest of the party notices an odd shift in behavior. Only the right hand is attending to the silverware and place settings, while the left hand is making a motion, albeit shakily, along the table. Solomon traces a small circle and the puts his finger towards the center and then drags it outside of the border of the circle. Though under some effect or control, Solomon is trying to communicate something to his allies.
Just using my turn to try and communicate. Hoping it makes enough sense because I don't want to meta. I have another idea for a more drastic measure (and hint) later.
Gruush sits silently upon a chair at the table, watching the strange scene play out with the rapt eagerness of a theatre-goer. Solomon had been taken by a mournful spirit, some former shade which still clung to this place. Gruush had heard of such things, but to actually see it...
The others try to coax the Executioner back and calm the lingering ghost, but struggle to wrest control from the unliving, unknowing entity. The Rogue, staring in fascination at the possessed man, suddenly notices his right hand start to twitch strangely against the tablecloth.
"Hrrrrm!" He announces to the others, pointing an excited finger at Solomon. "Look! Ee's still in there, somewhere!"
Would Gruush's Thieves' Cant knowledge help him guess at the message trapped Solomon is trying to send us?
Solomon drops, banging his head off the table. He probably wishes he was knocked out by that one. The bruise develops swiftly.
Solomon! You gain proficiency with the Painter’s Supplies if you do not have that already. You’ll never quite know why you can paint with practised skill.
The door behind you bursts open by a huge fireball!
You hurry to through an open door and climb down a ruined staircase, booting over skeletons as you go to make sure they’re dead.
You arrive at a hallways with many doors either side. One open doors reveal this area to be living quarters, perhaps guest rooms, who can say? They are beautiful and extravagant.
Far at the end of the hallway is an open door leading to another part of the castle.
"Thank you, everyone. It was a most unpleasant experience being puppeted like that. I don't even remember how or when it happened. My last clear memory was raising the drawbridge and then something fell from above, burning debris I think. And then something pulled me back, into this castle. After that, things went dark and the times where I could sense anything there was a fog over it all."
Solomon looks around, "I saw a little of what that spirit saw. They didn't see this place as it is now, they saw it as it was. A truly beautiful palace, with servants tending to its care and courtiers and nobles having meetings and feasts and celebrations. Whoever that was who possessed me, I don't think they even had a chance to know that they'd been betrayed, probably cut down instantly when the attack happened."
I'm guessing the servants' quarters would be somewhere else, so I probably won't be able to find the room of the spirit. It would be cool to find their painter's supplies, but I can try and find or buy some later. Give Solomon something to do with downtime.
"I'm glad you're alright Solomon." Arthur says. "When this is done and we have returned to the Bellfrey, I would appreciate if I could ask you some questions about what you saw."
As they enter the hallway, Arthur speaks up to the group, "We should move quickly. The less time we spend here, the further away from the fire we can get."
Now that Solomon is safe again, Kirina takes a moment to breathe. OK, now think, what next?
"There's no way out the way we came in. We have to find another exit, and hope it leads to the surface."
She looks to the others, particularly (but not solely) Solomon. "I've never been to a castle like this before. In stories, there would always be a secret passageway leading to rooms like these. Is that... is that actually something we should look for here?"
Evil-Eyed Gruush abruptly approaches Solomon, pulling the pack from his shoulders as he siddles up alongside him. "Yeh' dropped something during that last ruckus," he informs the Executioner, unbinding the greatsword from his pack and presenting it hilt first to the man. "Quite the quality piece. Nearly cut me' leg tripping over it...figured, ye'd want it back!"
To Kirina, he nods, eager and effusive. "Places this big tend to have all manner o' in-n-outs! Yeh' got yer false masonry, o' course...two-way paintin'...swinging bookcases...yer' classic secret switch hidden at top' the bedpost..." As he continues to ramble on, the Rogue examines the stately guest rooms, whistling at the expense of the exquisite decor and finely crafted wooden furniture...
Solomon thinks for a moment, "If there is a passage like that, it would be to evacuate the royal family in case of attack. I can't say for sure, but I would imagine it being in the throne room or the royal quarters. I am not familiar with this castle, but where I am from, the royal quarters were in a separate section of the castle away from where guests stayed."
Solomon thinks for a moment, "If there is a passage like that, it would be to evacuate the royal family in case of attack. I can't say for sure, but I would imagine it being in the throne room or the royal quarters. I am not familiar with this castle, but where I am from, the royal quarters were in a separate section of the castle away from where guests stayed."
Assuming Gruush doesn't find anything
"Very well," Kirina responds. "Then we should keep moving." She looks back at the door to the dining hall. "The fire won't wait for us..."
To be fair, seeing what the spirit saw was RP flavor but I can roll with that.
"I don't recall anything specific. What little I saw was contained to the dining room and the adjacent hallways. It was as if I was watching their memories through a foggy window."
Peaking into the wardrobe of one of the beautiful bedrooms, you discover:
4 sets of fine clothing.
A small, ordinary leather bag.
10 gold coins and some dyed cut glass gems.
5 ordinary pieces of jewellery and several accessories.
Three coin purses.
A barely used journal—one page has an unfinished close up map of a coastline.
A vial of ink and some manner of stone quill.
2 regular daggers.
—
Gruush
Kicking open another bedroom and heading in daggers first, you take in the corners, then check behind the door. Your eyes flick to the bed, and see a lump…
Stabbing first, you throw back the bedsheets. Just a single skeleton, in a sleeping pose. You spot the cobweb covered bottle on the floor next. Took the sensible way out, under the circumstances.
Something about the room seems shady. You check under the bed, and perhaps not to your surprise, you find a pressure plate. You press it down with your closed fist, exerting as much weight as you can.
A segment of the wall spins open, surprisingly quietly.
—
Solomon
You’re drawn to a barely heard sound. You peak in a bedroom to find Gruush crouched next to a bed.
You see a secret room has opened. Inside you see a stool, an easel, a few long dried out pots of paint and a single painting of a nude woman on canvas. She is… unusual. Muscular and long, dark skinned, pointed ears and light facial hair worn without a hint of embarrassment. She is reclining on the very bed you see in the adjacent room.
Alzav's eyes raise as he rummages through the clothing. "Do you think . . . do you think . . . I mean, is it me?"
Alzav will grab all the accessories and non-clothing the stuff: it's available if other people need it later. However, he'll only take the clothing he plans to wear (for bulkiness reasons), which he'll examine and don later, once he's in a building that's less on fire.
Specifically, he's grabbing the Inked Flame cloak piece (on the left) and otherwise the Merchant clothing set, wearing the bottom left piece as a shirt and leaving the top left piece behind.
Is the bag just empty?
e~ Also, these outfits are great, what is this art from?
You’re absolutely certain you just heard a large double door being pushed open by someone beyond the open door at the end of the hall, down a flight of steps. Then, something metal is tipped open and you hear coins fall.
Posts
It is somewhat clear at this point that the boys in blue come from Pharaste, and the Looking Glass Palace is or was the Pharaste seat of power. What is referred to as The Loss on your maps was perhaps Inner Pharaste or Pharaste Proper. A place renowned for victory.
Pharaste was set to offer peace to Oudru before they suddenly and secretly made war upon them.
Whether everyone from Pharaste is ‘star-chosen’ is unknown, or even what the term refers to.
“Ah? I know of no sol-o-man. But we can hardly go anywhere now! Child, do fetch a broom. There is much to clean up if we are to be ready in time.”, Solomon says, eyes closed and hands busy.
You have been drawn in to his play, your part that of a young maid. Whoever Solomon thinks he is, he thinks himself old and your superior.
Does he need to be persuaded within the fiction, or snapped out of it?
Geth roll 1d20+3 for Insight
Geth is a scholar and a gentlebot, I've always said it.
There are a multitude of methods to save Solomon.
That isn’t Solomon speaking. It barely even sounds like him. The choice of words, the cadence—all wrong. With his eyes closed as they are, Solomon’s mind is obviously unconscious. What is speaking is the real question.
Arthur assumes that given his age, nothing he could attempt to say here would be treated with anything other than disdain. If Kirina was being treated as a servant, he had no way of passing off as anything else. Maybe speeding the setup along would allow Solomon to snap out of whatever is happening.
Love, greed, power, revenge.... Hmmmm...
I'm betting a combo of love and revenge!
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
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“Akhen, my boy, I see you have finally been dragged out of bed! You’ll give us Fringemen a bad reputation! Not matter, you’re here now. Help me set the tables.”
Solomon hands you a tower of plates.
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Persuasion
To be concluded tomorrow!
Plus someone can definitely do the Help action with Solomon!
Geth roll 1d20 for DC
Figure that Arthur playing along or Alzav's telepathy counts as Help.
And also, Kirina would have continued to try and reach out. Surely the three of us are enough
Kirina looks desperately at Solomon's closed eyes. "We don't have time for this! Solomon, you need to wake up now! Fantasies, delusions, they have a place in life, but not now!"
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"Oh!"
He walked along one of the long tables pretending to examine the cutlery and plates. "Is all this pomp really necessary?"
It’s definitely been Kirina and Alzav doing the legwork here.
The candles and fireplace blow out. Slightly behind and above Solomon you catch sight of something that barely exists. Solomon has been possessed by a ghost!
Solomon runs his hand along the table and scatters the carefully laid utensils.
“All… this pomp.”
Solomon! Move and take one action now. Including leaving the dining room for the living quarters if you wish.
How you free Solomon from the ghost is free to interpret. But it won’t be just by talking to Solomon. Surprise me.
(for Serpents eyes only. Open only in case of emergency)
Yeah we’ll use that straight away.
Solomon steps towards Simon.
“You are… The Order! You’re early! But… the treaty… Oh. Oh dear. What…you say the treaty will go unsigned… Still… I cannot leave my post. How could I? I am a slave.”
Solomon flinches. Still make that move and action, we’re about there.
“Masters! Where are you?”
Alzav was touched by the glass maiden's story --
I think accepts her version of the events: it tracks with her station and the world around. Her phrase “The Pharaste, lead by their invading devil" seems to tell us that the Pharaste were infiltrated or seduced by some dark power, and perhaps that power is to blame for the invasion.
Even as the strange voice comes from Solomon and he continues his work at the table, the rest of the party notices an odd shift in behavior. Only the right hand is attending to the silverware and place settings, while the left hand is making a motion, albeit shakily, along the table. Solomon traces a small circle and the puts his finger towards the center and then drags it outside of the border of the circle. Though under some effect or control, Solomon is trying to communicate something to his allies.
Just using my turn to try and communicate. Hoping it makes enough sense because I don't want to meta. I have another idea for a more drastic measure (and hint) later.
"Your masters are gone, your duty released. Go, be free, seek your own destiny."
The others try to coax the Executioner back and calm the lingering ghost, but struggle to wrest control from the unliving, unknowing entity. The Rogue, staring in fascination at the possessed man, suddenly notices his right hand start to twitch strangely against the tablecloth.
"Hrrrrm!" He announces to the others, pointing an excited finger at Solomon. "Look! Ee's still in there, somewhere!"
Would Gruush's Thieves' Cant knowledge help him guess at the message trapped Solomon is trying to send us?
“Oh…”
No bright lights, no sudden cold wind.
Solomon drops, banging his head off the table. He probably wishes he was knocked out by that one. The bruise develops swiftly.
Solomon! You gain proficiency with the Painter’s Supplies if you do not have that already. You’ll never quite know why you can paint with practised skill.
The door behind you bursts open by a huge fireball!
You hurry to through an open door and climb down a ruined staircase, booting over skeletons as you go to make sure they’re dead.
You arrive at a hallways with many doors either side. One open doors reveal this area to be living quarters, perhaps guest rooms, who can say? They are beautiful and extravagant.
Far at the end of the hallway is an open door leading to another part of the castle.
What do you do?
Geth roll 1d20+3 for Perception
Solomon looks around, "I saw a little of what that spirit saw. They didn't see this place as it is now, they saw it as it was. A truly beautiful palace, with servants tending to its care and courtiers and nobles having meetings and feasts and celebrations. Whoever that was who possessed me, I don't think they even had a chance to know that they'd been betrayed, probably cut down instantly when the attack happened."
I'm guessing the servants' quarters would be somewhere else, so I probably won't be able to find the room of the spirit. It would be cool to find their painter's supplies, but I can try and find or buy some later. Give Solomon something to do with downtime.
As they enter the hallway, Arthur speaks up to the group, "We should move quickly. The less time we spend here, the further away from the fire we can get."
"There's no way out the way we came in. We have to find another exit, and hope it leads to the surface."
She looks to the others, particularly (but not solely) Solomon. "I've never been to a castle like this before. In stories, there would always be a secret passageway leading to rooms like these. Is that... is that actually something we should look for here?"
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
To Kirina, he nods, eager and effusive. "Places this big tend to have all manner o' in-n-outs! Yeh' got yer false masonry, o' course...two-way paintin'...swinging bookcases...yer' classic secret switch hidden at top' the bedpost..." As he continues to ramble on, the Rogue examines the stately guest rooms, whistling at the expense of the exquisite decor and finely crafted wooden furniture...
Gruush will look around to see what he can see
Geth roll 1d20+5 Investigation (Gruush)
Motion to door, motion to party, motion to door. Shrug.
Assuming Gruush doesn't find anything
"Very well," Kirina responds. "Then we should keep moving." She looks back at the door to the dining hall. "The fire won't wait for us..."
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"I don't recall anything specific. What little I saw was contained to the dining room and the adjacent hallways. It was as if I was watching their memories through a foggy window."
Peaking into the wardrobe of one of the beautiful bedrooms, you discover:
—
Gruush
Kicking open another bedroom and heading in daggers first, you take in the corners, then check behind the door. Your eyes flick to the bed, and see a lump…
Stabbing first, you throw back the bedsheets. Just a single skeleton, in a sleeping pose. You spot the cobweb covered bottle on the floor next. Took the sensible way out, under the circumstances.
Something about the room seems shady. You check under the bed, and perhaps not to your surprise, you find a pressure plate. You press it down with your closed fist, exerting as much weight as you can.
A segment of the wall spins open, surprisingly quietly.
—
Solomon
You’re drawn to a barely heard sound. You peak in a bedroom to find Gruush crouched next to a bed.
You see a secret room has opened. Inside you see a stool, an easel, a few long dried out pots of paint and a single painting of a nude woman on canvas. She is… unusual. Muscular and long, dark skinned, pointed ears and light facial hair worn without a hint of embarrassment. She is reclining on the very bed you see in the adjacent room.
You await your companions.
Make a Perception check.
Alzav will grab all the accessories and non-clothing the stuff: it's available if other people need it later. However, he'll only take the clothing he plans to wear (for bulkiness reasons), which he'll examine and don later, once he's in a building that's less on fire.
Specifically, he's grabbing the Inked Flame cloak piece (on the left) and otherwise the Merchant clothing set, wearing the bottom left piece as a shirt and leaving the top left piece behind.
Is the bag just empty?
e~ Also, these outfits are great, what is this art from?
Geth, roll 1d20+4 for Perception
Opening up the bag you find it regrettably empty.
—
Arthur
You’re absolutely certain you just heard a large double door being pushed open by someone beyond the open door at the end of the hall, down a flight of steps. Then, something metal is tipped open and you hear coins fall.