Fellowship of the Dice

Sparing only an upraised eyebrow for Aurelia's state of dress, Astraea draws a rope from her pack and moves to tie up the squeaker.

Theodrix hustles forward, as a former sailor he knows a few knots and sets to work trying to tie the rat man up without waking him.

Brother Bertram also comes closer. He suddenly looks stern and merciless, as he gazes at the rat man. "I do not like doing this, but if you do not talk, I need to use... more persuasive methods. So who are you and what are you doing here?"

The little wizard is hog-tied (rat-tied?) and helpless. Others might just bash his head in without a further thought. The thing is practically just an uppity vermin, just more dangerous than most. But rather than let the guy go splat, Aurelia (cough) revealed herself to catch the creature safely. And though he has been neutralized, there isn't otherwise a wound on him. Well, no additional wound. The ear-piercing scream a few seconds ago must have hurt him some.

Brother Bertram, who until now has been a rather congenial and kind gentleman, puts on a scary face. Some of you take a half step back, unsettled by the change. Is he acting? Is this the real Bertram underneath a facade? Is there a way to tell? Whatever the truth is, when 'Dagio the Great' wakes up, that is the first face he sees. And he is clearly intimidated by it, squeaking and struggling to get out of his bonds. But between Aurelia and Theodrix he hasn't got a chance.

"Let me go! Invaders! Interrupting my studies, desecrating my circles!" As angry as the thing is, it isn't actually insane. It calms down a second, although still indignant. "Why are you here? This is my home, I defended it. You have no right to be here." He grumbles to himself. "My Master would have burnt you to a crisp where you stand. But he is long gone, and I ... I am not the wizard he was." Dagio looks ashamed at the admission, his ears flattening and his fur deflating. "Magos Eros Glendower was a genius."

Bertram wisely is a student of history, but even he is not familiar with the name. Digging deep, reviewing genealogies, lists of Senators, even rumors, he vaguely remembers a crumbling tome from back in an era when this buried structure was part of the active Senate building. Centuries ago there was a Senator Glendower, who was a recluse and eccentric, who one day disappeared mysteriously. But that's about it. He didn't make much of a mark on history and was quickly forgotten.

"What do you know of Senator Glendower, apprentice?" Bertram booms, deliberately mentioning the man's political status.

"We won't hurt you if you don't try to hurt us. I promise. Now, let's try to start fresh. What's your name? I'm Aurelia. We're just kinda lost. We're not invaders or anything."

The creature super doesn't believe you, and his face tells that story clearly. He either never had experience with needing to practice conversational deception, or the skill has long atrophied. Plus most everything else down here has proved hostile, so fighting likely comes before talking here. But you've got him dead to rights, so there's little to do but talk. In his squeaky voice he says, "I am Dagio, Dagio the Great! This is my home."

He glowers at Bertram speaking the Glendower name. "More than a Senator! A genius, my Master. A Magos greater than any before him ... and any after." He sounds sad again, comparing himself to the late Eros Glendower. "Nobody appreciated him, and now he is long gone, his body long decayed to dust."

Aurelia has an idea. "You know, memory and fame ways one can achieve immortality. Your master Glendower would never be truly dead and gone if you can keep deeds circulating. Down here, you have no one to share his deeds and stories with. But where we come from...where Glendower used to be a senator, there are lots of people that could be reminded of whom your master was. You could come with us and find a bigger audience for tales about him. Help him live on that way. If you crave intellectual stimulation, we could even...share some spells. I have a spellbook. Perhaps some are spells that you don't already know."

Theodrix moves back once the rat man is tied up and sits down. He peals back his armor in a few places where he is injured. Its not too great, but there are bite marks and more in all the various exposed locations. His head swims a bit, "Damn rats probably infested with the pox." He considers his options and asks if anyone has bandages and salves he could apply to his wounds while the others deal with Daigo the Great.

The civilized cleric makes no complaint about filling the area with holy energy one last time. Seems stronger than the last, maybe because he wasn't in so much of a hurry. Regardless, the last of the acid burned skin regenerated, and the bites and scratches of the rats fill back in. Not to say there might not be some nasty disease down the road, but at least you're not literally walking open sores. Jowuon does look a bit fatigued after channeling that much, and it doesn't look likely that he has much casting left in him.

The ratling wizard listens carefully to Aurelia's reasoning, his eyes narrowing as he runs through the logic in his head. His fur settles down some, and his lips no longer keep retracting to show his teeth. He doesn't look relaxed or happy about things, but at least he doesn't appear to be looking for an opportunity to sink his teeth into you all. "That ... does have some value to it. Yes, that is a form of eternal life. Not the immortality he sought, but it might be better than being completely forgotten." It looks like he'll follow along for now, although his ingrained isolationist nature will take significant time to change. Fancy words and reason help, but it can't undo a lifetime of experiences in one go. Dame Malphene stands to the side while the conversation is going on, looking thoughtful in an introspective way for the first time since you met her back in the Gala.

While the enchantress is doing her talky-talk, and the cleric does his healing, it leaves the rest of you to look around a bit. The only other exit from the former lecture hall is to the east and is barred from this side. Just a simple block of wood, easy enough to lift and set aside when you want to get out of here. Looking around you find a number of knick-knacks hidden away in corners, under desks, wrapped within aged paper, that sort of thing. The only thing that sticks out as special is a scuffed jewelry box placed atop a desk away from everything else. While the rest of the room is dusty and filled with old trash, this small area is kept clean and dust-free. Inside the box is a golden ring. The outside looks pristine, while the inner diameter shows centuries of wear. An unknown family crest adorns the front, depicting olive branches encircling two crowns. In heraldry that would likely mean a house dedicated to ambassadorship and diplomacy.

Dagio is looking at Aurelia when the ring is found, and doesn't notice it being taken. Whether you ask him about it versus just taking it is a gamble. If he values it that highly, and you want to keep it, it might put him right back in fighting mode. If you give it back to him, well, then you don't get to keep it and whatever power it contains.