Chapter 21: The Razor's Edge

[Darren]

"Damn," Kal mutters. "It's an unfortunate loss of resources so early on," he says to Histra, "but at least we're not wandering blind into a trap."

Seeing Shorak move towards the cave entrance, Kal waits for the scout to return.

[Jeff]

Jul 7, 2021 21:07:17 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Damn," Kal mutters. "It's an unfortunate loss of resources so early on," he says to Histra, "but at least we're not wandering blind into a trap."

Histra gives only one shake of her head. "A tool has fallen. I shall pluck another when there is time."

Shorak moves thirty feet and more ahead of the party to approach the cave entrance, and he quickly spies the bones littering the ground here as well. Evidence of another monster lair. But this cave mouth is quite wide, and he can well imagine people and giants passing through here each in their own time. He can see only a few feet into the cave mouth from where he stands.

The smell is musty, not unnatural, though the mist from the waterfall lays its own, fresher scent upon the area. The bones here look older, less reddened, less recent, than he thinks the glidewings' pickings did. But he was hardly able to examine those up close.

But the earth here is especially full of tracks, and quite a few very large reptilian feet have come through here, too. Recently. One pair that bothers him the most are a few feet wide, and almost certainly came from a swordtooth titan. 

If Shorak ventures any closer and wishes to peer in and make a Perception check, he can do so with Shorak's Guidance bonus roll.

[Brian]

From his position at the rear, Melethos watches Shorak approach the mouth cave, no doubt scouting the area.

Gesturing toward the changeling, he says to Thull, "It looks like we might have a direction. And given what Histra said, whatever killed her tuath did it from a position above us. A lizard below us, a bird behind us, and some creature above us." He looks around. "The only 'safe' direction is the cave before us. Why do I get the feeling we're being herded like a bunch of cattle?"

To Kal, he sends this thought: Remember, the easiest seeming path is not always the safest. It may be damn near impossible to surprise Shorak, but it can happen. Everyone should be battle ready.

[Dave W.]

Jul 7, 2021 19:41:19 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Hearing Histra, Shorak stops 15 feet before the entrance to the cave, "Okay, that doesn't sound good. Adamant, wait here and let me take a look at the opening before we try to enter." Shorak moves quietly towards the entrance and carefully examines the floor just before the opening and the stone of the entrance to the cave.

"Do not go far or be gone long. We are packed together so stealth is unlikely to be an asset and time is pressing on."

Still he waits a few paces away from the cave.

[Dave B.]

Shorak steps back from the entrance, rummaging in his pack. "Everyone move up a bit closer. For now stay about 10 feet from the entrance. I'm going to throw a light into the cave and see what I can see from the entrance and listen closely for any sounds coming from within." Shorak pulls his everburning torch from his pack and moves to just a few feet from the cave entrance. He tosses the torch into the cave, 15 feet or so. He then peers into the cave and listens carefully.

Perception check: 1d20+1d4+5=21.

[Brian]

Jul 8, 2021 20:44:43 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Shorak steps back from the entrance, rummaging in his pack. "Everyone move up a bit closer. For now stay about 10 feet from the entrance. I'm going to throw a light into the cave and see what I can see from the entrance and listen closely for any sounds coming from within."

Melethos nods at Shorak's instructions. He gestures to Thul, knowing the skeleton will follow without prompts, and moves forward. While he moves, he keeps looking behind them, above them, and at the griffon, keeping watch for dangers.

If he proceeds unopposed or unthreatened, he will stop at the distance indicated by Shorak.

[Jeff]

Everyone moves forward, as their guide beckons.

Shorak tosses his torch in, and more bones are revealed on the ground of the cave. The remains of a dozen humanoids, maybe two dozen, and that's just what he can see. The everburning flame pushes back some of the gloom, but his eyes—no sharper than any changeling's—can go no further. Not like a gnome's or tiefling's.

But what he can see he sees well. A hint of movement out of the corner of his eye draws his attention—not inside the cave but right there at the edge, right beside him! The rock wall two feet away from him, or at least one protrusion of it, shifts as if it were a limb moving beneath a blanket. A wide, gashlike mouth has opened right there before him, and asymmetrical depressions like eyes "open" above it. The face, if that's what it is, looks rather frowny.

It speaks words that are almost musical, sounding like some kind of wind instrument but it's deep and puckered. And it's no language Shorak can imagine. The face is speaking to him, though, he's quite sure. It lasts about ten seconds total.

Adamant stands only ten feet away from Shorak—he heard the same sound but does not yet spot the face in the rock wall. Everyone as far back as Kal heard something, but not enough to recognize it as a language.

[Darren]

"Shorak? What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost..."

[Ken]

Belarin also hears the noise. "Shorak, who's there with you?" He takes a couple of steps forward, speaks a few strange syllables, and uses his arcane sight.

________________________________________

Belarin invokes his Eldritch Sight and looks at the area ahead.

[Jeff]

Belarin sees no radiations of magic within the range of his spell.

"The sound comes from the cave?" Histra asks, then: "Shall I send my servant in first?" Belarin assumes she's talking about her skeleton.

[Dave W.]

"I think someone is talking in the cave, but I can't make out the language."

[Ken]

Jul 9, 2021 10:40:07 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"The sound comes from the cave?" Histra asks, then: "Shall I send my servant in first?" Belarin assumes she's talking about her skeleton.

"Not yet," says Belarin. "If the speaker is harmless, we don't want to scare him into doing something rash."

[Dave B.]

Shorak takes a tentative step backwards and turns his head. "The rock itself seems to be alive. It spoke to me, but I did not understand the language." He calls back over his shoulder. Shorak turns back to the face he sees in the rock. "I apologize, but I do not understand the language you are speaking. Do you speak the common language?" He also asks a similar question in his native tongue, asking the stone being if it speaks or understands drow/giantish. He keeps his hands in view and takes no offensive action, remaining calm and as non-threatening as possible.

[Brian]

Hearing Shorak, Melethos says to Thul. "Keep watch on our rear. I'll be right back."

Then with a word and a gesture, he casts a spell and advances until he stands next to Shorak.

"You said the rock talked to you? Well, let's see if it will talk again."

He takes a step toward the cave mouth and waits for a reaction.

_________________________________________

Melethos casts Comprehend Languages. He'll stop two squares south of Shorak.

[Jeff]

Melethos hurries up the line, casting his spell. He barely spots the face in the rock, but when he moves right to the cave mouth past Shorak, he can see further in. He now sees all the bones on the ground even inside the cave, whose mouth is twenty feet high; no one intended to hide this entrance, and even most giants could walk through it without stooping low. Melethos even sees that the tunnel within splits in two directions after some forty feet. Left and right. Despite the gloom, he spots some kind of writing on the wall that leads left, marked white as if with chalk. But he can't read it from here or even see what language it's written in.

"I apologize, but I do not understand the language you are speaking. Do you speak the common language?"

When Shorak repeats this question in his native tongue, the rock face speaks again. Although the tone is similar, deep and resonant like a stony wind instrument, the syllables are detectable now. It is some form of Giant! Or at least some dialect. He can understand it, when he goes over it in his head to sound it out properly.

"You are travelers. Who sends you, and what watchwords did they give you to speak?"

Melethos understands this, too. His spell makes the words clearer in his head, but no faster, for the stone being talks slowly.

A second voice speaks the same question, in the same Giantish tongue, forty feet away at the other end of the cave's mouth. In fact, the rock figure on that side moves to stand out from the rock wall. It is a creature as tall as Shorak but bulkier than Adamant—like a boulder trying to resemble a bipedal shape. Rough limbs approximate arms and legs. They are perfectly camouflaged to the cliff face. You would easily have walked right past them not spotting them.

Then a third rock-figure moves ever so slightly, just enough to draw the eyes of those near it. This one stands near the rear of your party. Thul whirls around and holds his axe ready. The skeleton raises its sword but does not advance. This third rock-man repeats the same question as the first two in the Giantish tongue.

Sem grins. "Galeb durh!" he says with some wonder. "They are saying, umm, 'You travel. Who is it that sent you, and what word did they put in your mouth?' Or something like it."

---

Anyone may make a Knowledge (Arcana) check with their next post to see if they can recall anything they've heard about these begins.

Attachments:

[Brian]

"The creature said," says Melethos, "You are travelers. Who sends you, and what watchwords did they give you to speak?"

He peers at the stone creatures, trying to remember if he'd ever heard of them before.

______________________________________
Melethos: D20 + 6 #Intelligence ( arcana ) check → 17(11 + 6)

[Joe]

Streko listens in and cocks his head to the side. "Do we wish to have a conversation with these rock things? I think I can help them to understand us when we speak, just as Sem understands them as they speak. Do you wish me to attempt this? I would need to touch one of them for the understanding to occur."
________________________________________________________

If Melethos thinks this a good idea, Streko will cast Tongues on the rock creature nearest the Tiefling. Otherwise, he will remain on station.

Arcana check → 20

[Jeff]

"It's the Giant tongue," Sem whispers to Streko, but loud enough for a few others to hear. "I can speak for us, too. I can sometimes be useful."

Arcane check 17: Melethos remembers members of the Ghaash'kala telling him about these beings, these galeb duhr, for some had been spotted in the Labyrinth. He himself had never seen them, or at least, never noticed them. Formed of rock, they are elemental creatures known to be guardians. Of what, he never knew. They are said to be extremely strong and as intelligent as an average human. 

Arcane check 20: Streko knows galeb duhr are elemental beings known for their neutrality. But they make alliance with creatures who have affinity for stone. They live long and have long memories, are intelligent, but extremely slow to trust. He also knows they have the power to animate rocks, so that battling even one their number is potentially like battling three. They do not rely on sight alone to see, but can feel vibrations in the earth to discern threats.

---

Other rolls higher or lower than this might yield more info.

[Dave B.]

"Yes. That is what they said." Shorak says. "I can converse with them as they speak a giant dialect that I understand." He turns and looks back at Sem. "Sem, do you have any clue as to what the watchword might be? Shall I tell them that Larest sent us or do you have another name of someone that would be better?. Or would like to take over this particular conversation?" He turns back to the rock creature. "We are travelers. My friends and I seek to travel the 'Stairs'. One of my companions should know the watchword, if you will be patient with us?" Shorak says in giantish.

Arcana check: 1d20+2=6. Nope.

[Jeff]

Sem rapidly whips out one of his little books of notes. "I could take some stabs at it, but...no, there're no records of these guardians, nor any giants who claim ownership of the Stairs. This is probably a recent arrangement. Recent, as in the last, you know, century?" He shrugs as he rifles through his book. "They won't know who Larest is. But they wouldn't know who King Boranel is, either."

The gnome throws a glance at others. "What do you think, Belarin, Kal, Histra, Starg?"

Starg takes in a deep breath. "I would not be inclined to deceive them. Perhaps honestly, the truth that we possess no such watchword, will avail."

Histra says, "The wrong word will mean a barred entry, if not an attack. If the former, then we can try to coerce or impress them with power. If the latter, we must destroy them."

Thul mostly focuses on watching the griffon rider.

The stony creature makes no reaction to Shorak's question, but they at least appear patient.

[Ken]

"Streko," says Belarin, "let me have that spell. I think I can persuade them."

______________

Knowledge (Arcana) check: 1d20(20) + 10 = 30. OOOOOOH!

[Dave W.]

“I would also recommend the truth.”

---

Arcane roll = 5

[Jeff]

In addition to what the others know…

Belarin’s studies recall that galeb duhr, while elemental in origin, are firmly bound to the Prime Material world if they are encountered there. They're role may be compared to a treant’s guardianship of a forest—unlikely to be concerned with anything outside it. They would only ally with beings who show respect and interest for the same things they do. Galeb duhr are fond of gems, and excel at finding them, but would not be easily bribed by them unless they were very rare. Their culture is alien and private, but they speak and make alliances with other elemental beings.

If they observe watchwords for passage, it almost certainly originates from such an alliance, not for the galeb duhr's own interests. They would be caretakers of the rocks they live around, and perhaps only allow some through who have been “approved” by some trusted party. Given how long they can live (centuries), this watchword set up might just be the remnant of some old arrangement. Galeb duhr often outlive their allies.

Who these ones have allied with Belarin can’t know for sure. Stone giants are a likely candidate, since these galeb duhr speak the language of giants. But then this is Xen'drik. The Age of Giants has its fingerprints everywhere in the Shattered Land. But any being sympathetic to the well being of the land could qualify as a potential ally to the galeb duhr.

[Joe]

Streko nods, touches Belarin's arm, and speaks Olladra's name in the Halfling language. Outwardly, nothing appears to happen, but Belarin is aware now, of what the galeb duhr are saying. Further, he knows that they can understand him when he speaks.
____________________________________________________

Streko casts TONGUES spell on Belarin.

[Darren]

Kal motions for Belarin. "See what you can do," he says, "but I agree with the others. No deceptions. Either they agree to let us through, or we fight them, but I think," here he looks to Sem for acknowledgement, "that we can agree that this is likely to be the way forward?"

[Jeff]

“It has to be—” the gnome begins.

“It is,” Starg says with more certainty. “It feels correct.”

[Ken]

Belarin steps up near Shorak and begins to speak. It's unnerving to feel his tongue, lips, and throat muscles being forced into weird positions by Streko's spell, but he knows this is simply the magic doing what it must to make him speak their language.

"We are soft, fleshy beings, as you see," he says to the galeb durh. "Our lives are not as long as yours. Those who were fortunate enough to receive your watchwords probably died long ago, and it seems they did not pass on their knowledge to us. I will tell you that we are friends of the land. We were not sent by anyone, and we are driven by our desire to explore and become allies of those we meet, like you. We would like to share knowledge with you and gain safe passage up these stairs. May we?"

[Dave B.]

Shorak makes room for Belarin and waits to see how the Galeb duhr respond. He wonders if his tribe's guardianship of certain ruins might be of use in this situation. He'll offer that information if it seems that Belarin doesn't make any headway with his negotiations.

[Brian]

Melethos stands next to Belarin, waiting to translate if necessary.

[Jeff]

The galeb duhr are silent for a long moment as if pondering Belarin's words. Then the one Belarin stands closest to speaks again, and to him and Melethos the words are easily understandable. To Shorak, less so, but he can still make out the basic words. To everyone else, they sound like words wrapped in stony music. Adamant actually finds the sound pleasing. It is not so different than a warforged's singing, though it is much deeper and seems to pervade the air around you. Even to Belarin and Melethos, who understand the words clearly, hear them as couched in a kind of song.

"You have come unbidden to these stairs, then." A very long pause. "We do not deny the passage of all. Some we will not hinder, but neither will we help. We deny only those who we deem will bring harm to the land. What knowledge do you offer us?"

The galeb duhr near the rear of your party actually takes a step forward, and its rough humanoid shape is more discernible this way. It is facing Histra's skeleton, and extends one blunted limb toward the undead. "These creatures tear away the flesh of their slain and give them unnatural life," it says.