Chapter Six - Negotiating with Monsters

[Vardaen]

"Alright, stand back." Daerith draws his blade, no longer icy, and hacks the straps that holds the cage locked until they give and the door is opened. He refills the cup a second time, then takes it back to give to the other prisoner. "What is your name, I don't wish to call you Troglodyte. Can you tell us anything about the Black Pearls?" He lets Abigail deal with the man, giving over the cup of water if and when he comes too.

OOC

Note Daerith will never ask for that cup back after this.

[Trogdor]

Daerith cuts off the straps that hold the door to the first cage closed and the door swings open, a dead troglodyte slumping to the ground. Meanwhile, the live troglodyte responds eagerly. "My name is Irgzid Uzeye, and I am a true priest of our god Laogzed, not one of the tainted priests that attacked you just now." He stands up, somewhat stiffly, and gives Daerith a bow of his head before gratefully accepting a second cup of water.

"And yes," he adds. "I can tell you of the shadow pearls." He eagerly gulps down some more water. The troglodyte smell around him is still pretty bad. But compared to the stench of the cavern as a whole and that of the diseased troglodytes, it's comparatively tolerable. "My people act as agents between the Crimson Fleet beyond and the Lords of Dread below, travelling below the island to retrieve shadow pearls from the Lords of Dread and bringing them up here to give to the Crimson Fleet when they arrive. I can show you the way to the Lords of Dread, if you like. It is deep below the island, but the paths are easy enough, if you know the way and are careful. The Lords of Dread are evil creatures and should be stopped."

Meanwhile, Abigail checks the man's wrist for a pulse and finds that the he'is still alive, though far along in his affliction. As she cares for him through the bars of the cage, his eyes start to flicker open.

As she does so, another of the figures in the cage, this one covered in the black growth of vile rigidity, moves and some of the growth falls off, revealing that he too is a human, an Olman, to be precise, and that he too is barely alive.

"Good gods!" Irgzid exclaims when the Olman moves and groans. I thought he'd died days ago! What stamina he must have. If you'd like, I can try some healings on those poor men. My faith in Laogzed is strong, and I am certain He will grant me healing, even for humans. I'm afraid their cage was too far for me to lay hands on either of them to heal their injuries before."

GM

Enter JohnnyWierd to the game as the first mysterious prisoner! Welcome, JW!

[JohnnyWeird]

A shuddering wheeze blows out of the blackened, crust-caked body as a jerking motion leaves its hand on Abigail's own wrist. The voice that huffs out is soft, but firm, and unmistakably human.

"I am, madam, and am grateful for your attempted ministrations."

In forced, jerky motions, he pulls himself upright.

"I can vouch for this troglodyte, Captain Daerith. He and the Olman have languished here longer than I. The desire for freedom unites us as race cannot."

[Vardaen]

"Open that cage, get them out of there!" He looks at Irgzid Uzeye and trusts him, then again Daerith was never a great judge of character, always too trusting. "Please if you can aid them, do so Irgzid Uzeye." He calls for Grask to come forward, "Grask, we will need you in human form I think. Join us friend." He motions at the earth elemental to turn back human so he can cast spells and speak with the Captain.

"We will talk about these paths Irgzid Uzeye once we have dealt with the prisoners, and more. You must stop dealing with the Crimson Fleet at once, they are a plague to us and you, and without them perhaps your people can come to see the way like you have once again."

[Trogdor]

Irgzid steps out of the cage with obvious relief. Then he goes over to the two men in the cage, touching each of them through the bars. For each of them be speaks a prayer and healing energy flows into them. The disease remains, his power wasn't that great. But the symptoms of the disease seem a little less extreme.

"I have no trouble cutting ties with the Crimson Fleet," Irgzid says once the healing is complete. They are the ones who demand the Black Pearls, so they are as much responsible for what has become of my people as the Lords of Dread are."

OOC

He casts a CMW on each of them.

[JohnnyWeird]

The crust that binds the man's limbs begins to flake off under the healing light. Though still diseased, his face shows relief.

"I had given myself up, Irgzid. What fortune that I was mistaken."

[Trogdor]

"The gods provide us with many opportunities," Irgzid says to the man. "We must have the faith to withstand what is done to us until those opportunities come."

[JohnnyWeird]

The relief becomes a muted, sardonic expression.

"So you have said. Though I have more immediate agents to thank for my deliverance."

He turns to Daerith, composed despite his haggard appearance.

"You and your crew have saved my life, Captain. You have my sincerest thanks."

[AdamDaBomb11]

A large Earth Elemental starts walking toward one of the huts. It rapidly begins to shrink and the rocky exterior becomes a dark green skin. Grask places one of his large meaty hands on the arch of the doorway and looks in. He shakes his head at the death and destruction brought to all the women and children. The Half-Orc turns back to Daerith and nods, before calmly walking over. A large boulder on the end of a rope is effortless carried in one of his hands. Literally a boulder on the end of a rope. "I could probably cure him of his disease. But, I only have one of those spells prepared for the day. It would mean we would have to go without, should one of us become diseased." He strokes one chin for a moment. "I may be able to protect us all from breathing in the disease. It wouldn't work if we make contact however. And it would only last for a few hours. So we would have to move quickly." He walks up to the recently captive man and places a hand on the man's shoulder. A rush of energy flows from him and into the diseased prisoner. A second wave of energy flows into the prisoner and a magical bubble appears around his body. Grask then turns to give each member a bubble of their own.

OOC

Grask will cast Remove Disease on New Diseased Prisoner Guy ;P
Grask will the cast Life Bubble on; Grask 2 Hours, Daerith 4 hours, Abigail 4 hours, Mamoon 4 hours, Simira 4 hours, New Guy 2 hours, Troglodyte 2 hours.

[JohnnyWeird]

Grask's touch causes a spasm as the blackness sloughs off. As the bubble encapsulates him, he is revealed to be a slender young human of unremarkable appearance, save for the extreme pleasure as he stretches.

"It has never felt so good to move!"

A moment of cracked knuckles, popped joints and extended limbs passes before he sighs contentedly.

"Thank you! Now, unless I'm mistaken, my things should be..."

Dashing toward a nearby hut, he begins looking inside.

OOC

I figured having nothing to do but lose mobility to a wasting disease would give him time to figure out where his bag is. If I'm overstepping, it probably just won't be in there.