Midnight RPG - Chapter 14.43
Contents
Kevin
- [This scene takes place some time after Zal'Kazzir frees the imp, in the time FOLLOWING his introduction "speach" to the group. In the time when you're looking around Vrolk's Laboratory and into the evening when you rest, the little Imp (who has said he is now "bound" to Zal'Kazzir) comes up to you to chat... Think of it as "networking" or "small talk"... hehe...]
ZAL'KAZZIR's PRIVATE talk with Nazif, your courtesan imp=
"MASTER? T'would I be impolite were I to call you by your given name? Zal'Kazzir, is it that your fellow pathwalkers call you? May I speak to you in such a familiar tone?", the small green-gray skinned imp quaries as its eyelids slowly flicker as if the very light beyond its former cage, burns its bulbous eyes... Looking to you in hopes of acceptance...
"I can only hope that you would speak to me in kind. I am Nazif by name, those I call friend know me as the king-maker and riches-finder. I am most happy to make your aquaintence. Is it true that you have the glory of destroying an eye of the dark god... a mirror into his soul?? I would be in debt to you good sir, if you were to tell the tale of this most wounderous of deads.", Nazif, sits his bottom to the wooden floors that grow unnaturally out of the obsidian gemstone of the Spire. He sits without bending his body, focusing his eyes looking into your's directly. He seems ever-so inquisitive and even aids you when he notices you picking up anything or moving anything.
What do YOU know about the Outsiders referred to as a Courtesan Imp?
Duh?... You know all this Adam. Zal'Kazzir doesn't though.
Here's what we'll do...
ROLL: Za'Kazzir (Know: Nobility +4) ROLLED: 15+4 = 19
SO... with this roll - I will BOLD FACE all the text below that Zal'Kazzir WOULD know. Keep in mind what Zal DOES NOT know. You might want to copy/paste out the things that he KNOWS for certain about Nazif's race. Obviously SOME of the information may be more or less true. I'm treating Nazif as a FULL NPC in this regard. He'll be loyal to Zal, or friendly as according to how HE is treated... "like a hireling".
While all courtesan imps are out to make themselves powerful, every one is a coward first, and a traitor second. Courtesan imps survive through stealth and trickery, lying and stealing as it suits them.
Collaborators first attracts the attention of evil powers outside the perview of Izrador and gains a courtesan imp as a hireling, if he wants one. A courtesan imp improves over time: it gains one Hit Die for every three levels the collaborator gains in any class.
COMBAT
Courtesan imps consider combat to be the same as dying. The promise of protection in combat is often enough to keep a courtesan imp loyal. When caught in a fight, a courtesan imp attempts to talk or feint its way out.
- Entreat (Ex): A courtesan imp is an expert intermediary. This ability gives the imp the benefit of a permanent tongues spell and predisposes NPCs to treat the imp with open-minded indifference rather than hostility. Courtesan imps use this ability to approach new collaborators and open peaceful dialogues with would-be enemies.
- Rumormonger (Ex): A courtesan imp has a flawless memory for details, rumors, gossip, and secrets. Plus, its tiny body and ability to vanish lets it eavesdrop with confidence. Acourtesan imp uses its Hide or Move Silently skill to make Gather Information checks, without ever engaging in questioning or social interaction of any kind. With 1d6+1 hours to eavesdrop and a successful check (DC 22), the courtesan imp can learn enough information to gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy or Bluff checks against a single person for one day.
- Spell-Dealing (Su): In the old days, courtesan imps traded in spells as part of their duties on Aryth. A courtesan imp can “carry” a spell from a book or scroll to a channeler who wants to learn it. The channeler must spend the time, money and XP necessary to learn the spell from a book as usual, but does not have to physically see or handle the book or scroll himself. This ability destroys the scroll the spell was taken from. A courtesan imp can carry only one spell at a time, which must be of a level equal to or less than the imp’s Charisma modifier. The courtesan imp does not have to be able to use or understand the spell itself. The spell comes seemingly written on the imp’s body. Typically, a courtesan imp charges 25 gp/spell level for this service.
- Vanish (Su): As a full-round action, a courtesan imp can vanish from sight. So long as the courtesan imp doesn’t attack or move more than its speed per round, it’s effectively invisible. Courtesan imps often use this ability and the spider climb spell to escape dangerous situations.
- Spells Known (5 points of spell energy/day; DC 15 +spell level): 0—mage hand, prestidigitation, virtue; 1st—jump, pass without trace; 2nd—cat’s grace, spider climb, tree shape; 3rd—meld into stone.
What do YOU know about Outsiders in general?
ROLL: Za'Kazzir (Know: Arcana +8, at a higher DC than Know: Spirits) ROLLED: 2+8 = 19
SO... with this roll - Crap roll... sorry Adam. But with that, here's what you know about Outsiders in general:
Outsiders are a special case on Aryth, having been trapped there for thousands of years with no way to get home or call others from their planes of origin. Because the elthedar had built great civilizations and were master practitioners of the arts of magic, there was a significant outsider presence on Aryth before the Sundering. That event caused some outsiders to go mad instantly, affecting them in unexplainable and never-before-seen ways. Some consider these the lucky ones. Others were merely frustrated by their inability to return home, and they endeavored to find a way to break the Veil that enveloped the world.
Outsiders Around Aryth
The demon-infested jungles of the Aruun are perhaps the most regarded place on Eredane when the subject of demons is broached—and for good reason. Its humid confines house the majority of outsiders in the world.
Elsewhere, angels, demons, and devils alike have tried to blend in as best they can. Indeed, good and evil outsiders often find common cause, and in many cases old hatreds have fallen by the wayside in light of their new circumstances. For a chance to return home, there is barely an angel on Aryth who would not work with a demon or devil, but their natures remain unchanged, and such alliances often do not last long, too strained by old prejudices and differences in philosophy that often have lethal consequences.
