Only a handful of years ago he had been human... but now a face, a stranger still, peers back at him. The only remnants of his past life that he still recognized were the piercing blue eyes that had been hardened ever since their unmitigated failures and the menial work that had been assigned to them. Feeling more sure of his body, Avegnum sets off for the Wanderer's Inn, a House Ghallandra establishment three levels up. So many things had taken... unexpected turns, but a slight softening of his features were the only sign that his mood had improved at the thought of meeting up with Vel Biggleton.
* * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, Vel Biggleton's eyes just opened as his nose detected the delightful scents wafting from the kitchen down one of the back halls of the Wanderer's Inn. Feeling cozy under the covers, Vel rolls over and is about to fall asleep when he leaps out of bed with a wide grin. Donning his armor and checking that his wands, gear, and bags were all in place he leaves his room and moves towards the kitchen to round up food. Seeing a number of halflings in the hall, he gives a polite "Good Morning" to each of them and smiles broadly as they respond in kind, they are his family after all. Making way for a halfling bearing a tray laden with food as she comes out of the kitchen, Vel's stomach grumbles at the sight before he slips into the already blazingly warm and busy room.
A halfling matron wearing a green dress with a white apron over top is stirring a sweet smelling porridge with one hand and as soon as Vel enters, she points to him without looking and then to a tray set aside on a high shelf. She has burnished bronze hair and her arms are thick with muscle from the countless hours she spent working in the kitchen. Speaking with motherly concern Tera Biggleton says, "About time you were up m'dear. You'd better get your belongings and eat that food out in the common room so that you can be ready for when Mr. Goodbarrel gets here. Oh, you're father's out there too."
"Thanks Mom, wish me luck," Vel replies as he snags the tray and wends his way around the busy kitchen halflings. Entering the partially filled common room, due to the early hour, he takes one of the least favorable tables, so that actual patrons could have the better ones, and begins to scarf the toast, eggs, beans, mushrooms, and bacon on his plate. Just as he's finishing his food Mosco Biggleton joins him at his table and snags the last piece of bacon with a smile. The older halfling man has brown hair and twinkling green eyes, actually very similar to his "son's", and while he wears the fine clothes of a well to do inn keeper, the lightness of his step and the faint scars on his arms and neck belies the fact that he certainly has other skills.
"Setting out again, are ye? I hope you're being careful. This adventuring you're doing is a lot more dangerous than actual merchant work."
"I know, father, but even if I did simply travel on the roads I could still be encountering monsters and bandit ilk. Besides, my companions are great! I'm sure they can protect me. I'm lucky you found Alton to look out for me when I was starting off, but I really enjoy what we're doing now. I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Very well. Just let your mother or I know if there's anything we can do to help," Mosco replies. Looking up towards the door as it opens, the pair make out a lightly armored halfling bearing a greatsword and pack on his back who is looking around the room before his eyes settle on their table. Standing up, they both walk over with Mosco shaking Alton's hands in greeting. Smiling slightly, the mercenary-guard-adventuring companion looks up and says, "I hope we're ready to go, young Biggleton."
"Of course sir - I mean Alton. I've got all my stuff right here," Vel says enthusiastically.
"Very well then, we'd better hurry so that we can get to the meeting spot on time," Alton replies. With a respectful nod towards Mosco, he leads the way out of the Wanderer's Inn, but Vel can't help but turn around just as he's walking through the door and waving good bye to his father before he's swallowed up by the outside world.
Moving swiftly through the Sharn traffic, they head to the designated meeting spot to see Lady Elaydren and their other companions.
A halfling matron wearing a green dress with a white apron over top is stirring a sweet smelling porridge with one hand and as soon as Vel enters, she points to him without looking and then to a tray set aside on a high shelf. She has burnished bronze hair and her arms are thick with muscle from the countless hours she spent working in the kitchen. Speaking with motherly concern Tera Biggleton says, "About time you were up m'dear. You'd better get your belongings and eat that food out in the common room so that you can be ready for when Mr. Goodbarrel gets here. Oh, you're father's out there too."
"Thanks Mom, wish me luck," Vel replies as he snags the tray and wends his way around the busy kitchen halflings. Entering the partially filled common room, due to the early hour, he takes one of the least favorable tables, so that actual patrons could have the better ones, and begins to scarf the toast, eggs, beans, mushrooms, and bacon on his plate. Just as he's finishing his food Mosco Biggleton joins him at his table and snags the last piece of bacon with a smile. The older halfling man has brown hair and twinkling green eyes, actually very similar to his "son's", and while he wears the fine clothes of a well to do inn keeper, the lightness of his step and the faint scars on his arms and neck belies the fact that he certainly has other skills.
"Setting out again, are ye? I hope you're being careful. This adventuring you're doing is a lot more dangerous than actual merchant work."
"I know, father, but even if I did simply travel on the roads I could still be encountering monsters and bandit ilk. Besides, my companions are great! I'm sure they can protect me. I'm lucky you found Alton to look out for me when I was starting off, but I really enjoy what we're doing now. I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Very well. Just let your mother or I know if there's anything we can do to help," Mosco replies. Looking up towards the door as it opens, the pair make out a lightly armored halfling bearing a greatsword and pack on his back who is looking around the room before his eyes settle on their table. Standing up, they both walk over with Mosco shaking Alton's hands in greeting. Smiling slightly, the mercenary-guard-adventuring companion looks up and says, "I hope we're ready to go, young Biggleton."
"Of course sir - I mean Alton. I've got all my stuff right here," Vel says enthusiastically.
"Very well then, we'd better hurry so that we can get to the meeting spot on time," Alton replies. With a respectful nod towards Mosco, he leads the way out of the Wanderer's Inn, but Vel can't help but turn around just as he's walking through the door and waving good bye to his father before he's swallowed up by the outside world.
Moving swiftly through the Sharn traffic, they head to the designated meeting spot to see Lady Elaydren and their other companions.
Winding their way through the cool morning of a Sharn winter Alton/Avegnum and Vel find their way to the Celestial Prophetic, the mulit-leveled tavern/inn/meeting hall the group has been using to meet with their primary patron, Lady Elaydren. Even this early the place is half filled with people in private meetings, families having breakfast, and adventurers and what nots drinking away their worries and their gold.
ReplyDeleteThe usual table where the meetings take place, tucked away in a slightly private section with a curtain, is available and waiting for the group to enter. As in the past the meeting will take place via a magical device to convey the images and sounds of the immediate room to and from Elaydren - commonly called a sensian mirror. On the table is a "Reserved" notice, and at the back of the room is the mirror that will conduct the meeting. On the other side of the mirror, or rather, 'reflected' in the mirror, is a small room with a small table, small chair, and a single green candle burning on the table, to indicate the meeting will soon begin.
Nodding a greeting to the proprietor of the Celestial Prophetic, Avegnum as Alton leads Vel through the meeting room to the private section behind the curtain. Vel strides past the halfling and places his bags against the nearby wall, choosing a seat on the left side of the table facing the sensian mirror. Avegnum follows suit, but takes the chair directly opposite the mirror and leans his greatsword against the table within easy reach.
ReplyDeleteVel's thoughts race with the possibilities of the new adventure they could be embarking on and he has troubling sitting still for any length of time, fidgeting and glancing about the room despite the fact that he's been here before. Seeing his antics, Avegnum shakes his head slightly with a smile and waves a server over, ordering a pot of spiced tea and three glasses. A few moments later it is set before the pair and Avegnum fills two glasses, handing one to Vel saying, "I've told you this before, but calm down. Appearances are important in any... transaction, even if you've worked with someone before. We have to show that we're sure of ourselves so that our employers are comfortable enough to give us those extra bits of information that they might not otherwise. You know, the ones that allow us to survive."
Hearing Alton's dry finishing remark, Vel takes a deep breath and tries to relax his body even though his mind keeps on turning. Taking a sip of the hot tea, he frowns in surprise at the taste.
"Alton, isn't this a Thranish style tea? Where'd you ever get a taste for this?"
Pausing in silence for a moment, Alton replies in a quiet voice, "An old friend I once knew in the War introduced it to me. I drink it sometimes when I think of him - he... died you see. Don't bother yourself about it, just enjoy it if you will." Changing the subject, Alton grimaces and looks towards the entrance of the Celestial Prophetic before muttering, "Where is that blasted elf?!"
In the sensian mirror a bugbear woman approaches the table with the candle and sits. She blows out the candle and opens a notebook and reads a page for a few seconds before she looks up. She looks at each of you and writes in the notebook before beginning to speak.
ReplyDelete"Good morning, I am one of Lady Elaydren's assistants. She is away at the moment on other business and asked that I handle this for her. I see you are missing ... uh, yes, the druid ... the druid named Kaellanna. Yes, I see she is not there, so I guess I really don't see." She chuckles a bit at her own linguistic joke then continues. "Anyway, Am I talking with Vel and Av, uh, I mean Alton? Good, good, I'll just make a note of that here. I guess I'll get on with the details. Lady Elaydren would like you to recover another family heirloom. She wants you to find a schema, in the shape of a hollow triangular pyramid made of platinum with various shapes cut out of it and some gem stones embedded in it."
"Okay, according too her notes this item is presently located in the ... uhm, oh dear, she wrote it's in the mountains in the Demon Wastes. She says that ... Wait, I think I should wait until the Druid shows up. Is she actually going to?"
Avegnum chuckles at the bugbear's witticism and smiles before saying, "Oh ho! Quite a good one, but I suspect she'll be along shortly. In the meantime I suppose we could chat for a while if you'd like. (Diplomacy:14+11=25) I would certainly like to get to know you better if I could. What's your name and what else do you like to do, apart from convey messages from our overlady? I'd surely like to make another friend If I'm to be venturing off into the dangers of the Wastes."
ReplyDeleteVel continues sipping the spiced tea and merely watches the exchange between Alton and the bugbearess. Brushing back some orange locks he gets a pensive look on his face as he wonders where Kaellanna is, worried about if she's alright.
"Sorry I'm late!" Kaellanna apologizes as she holds the curtain open for Tara. The snow leopard jumps up onto the bench across from the already seated party members and Kaellanna joins her. An elvish waiter comes in right behind her with some iced honeymint tea and some rather pungent seal whey, and whispers something amusing into Kaellanna's ear before taking his leave. She chuckles softly and turns her attention back to the group.
ReplyDelete"I just got back from Greenheart... Druid business. But my apologies, Mr. Goodbarrel, Mr. Biggleton, Ms. ___?" Kaellanna trails off and looks expectantly though the mirror at the bugbear woman.
The lady bugbear continues after Kaellanna arrives, "Yes, now, well, my name is Gerelgrag, but you, Mr. Goodbarrel, can call me 'Ger'. I am an assistant, and researcher for Lady Elaydren. She has asked that I introduce you to this mission and provide you with the relevant details. So let me see what I have here in the file ... "
ReplyDelete"Yes, so the mission is located in the Icehorn Mountains in north Demon Wastes. You will teleport in to a cave in the mountains where you will meet with a woman named ... Kyrale. She will direct you to the present location of the schema. What we know of it is that the schema is in the possession of a barbarian tribe that worships some of the local fiends. They have no idea what the schema is for - but what would you expect, I mean they are barbarians after all, and fiend worshippers."
"You will exchange a small box for the informtion provided by Kyrale. This box will be supplied by us. It is of value to Kyrale, but not much to anyone else. The deal has already been made and you are to display the item to her, but not hand it over until you have recovered the schema. Lady E asks that you please be careful with Kyrale as she is very crafty and deceptive."
"As usual the teleport device will only take you there once and back once to the exact location you left from. This mission is expected to take only a few days, five at most. Any questions? Do you think I left anything out Alton?"
Avegnum purses his lips in thought for a moment before responding, "Ger, that was a delightful presentation but I hope you don't mind if I have a few questions." Smiling broadly, Avegnum leans back in his chair, sips his tea, and then says, "Do you know if this tribe has any specific customs we might want to be aware of, such as cannibalism or live sacrifices to the fiends? Also, just so that there isn't any confusion once we arrive, what does Kyrale look like(what race)?"
ReplyDeleteVel, meanwhile, focused on different pieces of information. Still trying to grow accustomed to his merchant profession the idea of teleporting deep into the Demon Wastes to make contact with a remote tribe simply makes him think of 'New Markets'. Eyes agleam, he butts in before Gerelgrag can respond to Alton's questions, "Oh, ooh - Ah, do you think the barbarians might be interested in trading for my spices?"
Avegnum's eyes widen fractionally at his companion's slightly ridiculous question thinking 'he's so very green...' A moment later, his mind churning through possibilities, he realizes that they might just be able to trade for the schema depending on the tribe after all - at least it was an option worth keeping in mind for now.
"Oh of course not, Mr. Goodbarrel" Ger returns the smile with a broad open mouth grin of her own, exposing her smilodon-like teeth normally hidden by her fur and lips. "From what we can tell this tribe is a rather 'regular' Carrion tribe of the Wastes. So, yes they do sacrifice people to their fiends, and probably do commit atrocities of cannibalism, if you happen to have been captured by them and are one of the lucky ones."
ReplyDelete"Is that spiced tea from Thrane? It smells lovely."
"As far as what Kyrale will look like, I believe she will probably look like a human. I am uncertain of the exact details of what kind of human she may look like, but she will be the only one you meet in the cave you teleport to. Even if it isn't her if she gives you the information you need it doesn't really matter, now does it."
"Now, Vel, I believe the Carrion Tribes of the Demon Wastes are not particularly interested in spices, though I do think they might have some interest in trading for eyes. They seem to like those a lot, especially pickled."
"Any more questions? Are you inclined or disinclined toward doing this mission for Lady Elaydren?"
Not wanting to lose out on a prospective job, work is work after all, Avegnum raises his hand and says, "But of course we will perform this mission for Lady Elaydren. I just wanted to get a better understanding of the situation, I'm sure you understand. If my companions agree, what's our time frame for departure?"
ReplyDeleteVel mumbles under his breath, "..pickled eyes eh? I'm sure I could find some before we left.." Looking up just as Alton finishes talking, Vel turns to Gerelgrag, "I'm coming along too! Sorry for my impertinence, but what are we being paid for this endeavor again?"
"Well, Alton, I mean Mr. Goodbarrel, considering the delay in you team getting back to us we need you to leave as soon as possible, though I do think a period of 'drying out' may be necessary. If my nose is telling the truth someone has had a few to many for far to many days. I'd say you need to be ready to leave in a couple days. We should have the teleport device and trade item to you by tomorrow. Will the usual mail location suffice?"
ReplyDelete"Now, Vel, I was only speaking in jest, there is no chance to trade with the Carrion Tribes, unless you want to trade your flesh for some wooden and stone weapons. The Carrion Tribes have nothing to offer and they are not likely to trade for the schema. If it was felt that trade would work we would have requested a trade delegation be sent, not an extraction team - regardless of how charming they may be."
"In addition to the standard, 'you keep what you find' (aside from the afore mentioned two items) we will also pay you an additional 1500 pieces of gold for the effort."
"Are there any additional questions? Does the druid or the 'cat' have any questions?"
A crestfallen Vel pouts in sadness at finding another obstacle on his journey to become a merchant. Finishing his tea, he gets a determined look on his face and says, "Well we'd better get out there as quickly as possible then. If I can't learn about trading on this trip I might as well pick up a few more adventuring skills. I've been practicing this new blast..."
ReplyDeleteAvegnum snorts at Vel's sudden seriousness but realizes that he shares the same sentiments about their prospective journey. "Yes, the usual location will be perfect and no need to worry about that. I'll be ready to go by tomorrow as even this state of inebriation would find it hard to limit my skills. The prospect of battle always sobers my mind and besides, if I don't focus there's the risk that my comrades or I could die. That would be a shame because then I wouldn't get the chance to speak with you again my dear, Gerelgrag."(Diplomacy:7+11=18)
Waiting to see if Kaellanna has anything additional to add before the group leaves, Vel racks his mind for anything he can remember reading about 'fiends'. (K.Arcana/Planes/Religion:12/21/25)
What Vel knows about fiends:
ReplyDelete• Fiends come, primarily from Khyber.
• Many, if not most, warlocks believe they derive their powers from the fiends trapped beneath the Demon Wastes.
• Long ago, back to prehistoric times, fiends ruled the world.
• Many of the fiends were the predecessors of the modern rakshasas and night hags, though much more powerful.
• There was eventually a war between the ruling fiends and the subjugated dragons which after more than a million years of war and decimation resulted in the fiends loosing control and their most powerful members being imprisoned back in Khyber, mostly beneath the Demon Wastes, their ancestral homelands. The ancient couatls, relations of dragons, are responsible for the imprisonment of the ancient greater fiends. The cost of doing this was most of their lives.
• Some people believe the Dark Six are powerful fiends, and not ‘real’ gods. While others believe the flame of the Silver … is the remanent of the couatl’s spirit entrapping the ancient archfiends of the Demon Wastes.
• Some modern fiends and lesser followers seek to free the imprisoned ancient fiends. Others simply want to siphon power from them and keep them imprisoned.
• The Carrion Tribes of barbarians in the Demon Wastes worship the entombed archfiends as gods and draw power from them.
• Modern Night Hags are sometimes viewed as diplomats between outside influences and the fiends in and entombed beneath the Deamon Wastes. There are 9 known Night Hags living in the Demon Wastes, and even though they are considered fiends (outsiders) they are not particularly evil, and are native to Eberron. Night Hags are known to take the form of humanoids, and to haunt the dream of those who dream.
• Modern rakshasas are also known to assume the form of humanoids in order to advance their schemes. They are known to be able to read people’s thoughts and cast spells as powerful sorcerers.
"Do you have any questions, Tara?"
ReplyDelete"Mreoowr!"
"Me either. Thanks for the info, Gerelgrag. We're ready to go whenever."
With that the meeting is wrapped-up and ended and the party contracted to perform another mission for Lady Elaydren. They make their various ways off and do what they need to do to get ready for the adventure to the northern Demon Wastes. The following day they visit the magical mail station which they have used in the past to send and receive items, mostly the slightly mysterious teleport devices that Lady Elaydren has sent to them. Usually in the form of a bracelet, necklace, ring or torq, the devices have taken them all over the civilized realms of Kohrvaire and into some of the wilds around and between them. This time the device is a bracelet again, and the group picks it up and heads to their determined location for beginning this, their latest adventure …
ReplyDeleteAfter Vel left the Celestial Prohpetic he headed down to one of the Sharn markets to try and buy a jar of pickled eyes but Gerelgrag's words kept coming up in his mind. Realizing the potential futility of trading with the barbarians, Vel gives up his search and heads home for a final meal with his family.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Avegnum actually trails Vel, he was still being paid as a bodyguard by the Biggletons, and relaxes slightly when he sees the boy head back to the higher levels. Having been distanced from Kaellanna by the events of the past, Avegnum searches out a bar to perform his nightly ritual alone. Ordering a steak and kidney pie he's about to get started on his flagons of ale when he catches a reflection of himself in a small pool of brown gravy that bubbled out of his pie and into the wooden table in the Glorious Bastard Tavern, seventh lower tier. The cold, tired eyes and drawn face belie how poorly he's been feeling about... everything for the past months, but with a brief glimpse of insight he realizes that putting off drinking for now might be a good idea. Chuckling darkly, he draws some looks when he orders water and proceeds to have a quiet night.
After picking up the bracelet, the quartet heads down the street and takes a turn into a shadowed alley. Not wanting to startle passersby, they had down until they find some obstructions that block line of sight and then Avegnum says, "Vel wore the device on the last mission so I suppose that leaves one of us with the responsibility of wearing it this time. Do you want to or should I, Kaellanna?"
After hearing her response, Vel and Avegnum hold their breaths as they try to prepare themselves for the sudden, kicked in the stomach feeling that this manner of teleportation always seems to impart. Gritting his teeth, Avegnum wonders why he's even bothering it's never worked before an-
The teleport devices have always worked exactly and correctly in the past, no matter where they have gone: someone's bedroom, underwater beneath a lake, underground in a tight cave littered with stalactites and 'mites, on the edge of a cliff overlooking a lava river, even falling mid-air gliding on to a floating island hundreds of feet above the land. So it is with no small amount of surprise that when the sudden, jarring, almost ballistic force impact of the teleport ends that the group doesn't find itself in a cavern as expected.
ReplyDeleteInstead of a cool to cold cavern, dark with a fungi-earthy smell and absolute darkness except for what the group brought with them, the group finds itself in the midst of the hottest, most humid, old-growth jungle they have ever found them selves in previous this instant.
Almost instantly they are drenched in their own sweat as well as the humidity in the air and the run-off from the the ancient and massive jungle trees surrounding them. All about the undergrowth has taken over to a height of at least ten feet. Massive amounts of life flies around and crawls about the group, causing the sounds of movement that alert them to larger creatures within an arms length or two.
As side from the massive heat and humidity bearing down on them as if they were suspended over a gargantuan pot of boiling water, the group is assaulted by the extremely thin character of the air they breath. Finding themselves almost gasping for breath as they stand there and simply look around they realize that any exertion will be two or three times greater due to a lack of breathable air. Only when they teleported into air and fell to the floating island have they experienced anything similar to this, but to a much lesser extent.
Obviously bright light shines above them, but is filtered out by the canopy of leaves attached to massive trunks of trees at a minimum of one hundred feet above resulting in a dim and shadowy environment, shrouded in a humid haze and surrounded by greenery of all shades.
Looking around there is no obvious path or trail, no sign of civilization, only the droning, almost deafening sounds of life, dripping and running water, crawling and creeping tiny animals leading their lives beneath, around, and above the group.
"DREN! What the FRELL is this?!" Avegnum exclaims in surprise before gasping for air in the thin atmosphere. Unsheathing his greatsword and activating its enchantments, he peers about at the dimly lit jungle as if daring it to present a foe for his anger. (Spot:17 to see if he can see anything threatening in the immediate vicinity despite the undergrowth)"GORAM FAHRBOT TRALK! I'LL CUT OFF HER LOOMAS IF SHE"S DONE THIS TO US!!!"
ReplyDeleteLooking shaken by the the sudden turn of events and Alton's rage, Vel is also struggling to adjust to the air. Taking a cue from Alton's defensive stance he spends the next few moments activating Devil's Sight(30ft.Darkvision/24hrs) and Fell Flight(30ft.Flight W.Good Maneuverability/24hrs). As his innate powers stream from his body, his green eyes emanate a faint greyish light as tapers of shadows stream from his back like a fluttering second cape. Unsheathing his heavy black adamantine mace in his right hand, he pulls his Wand of Grease into his left as he looks worriedly around. A moment later Vel gasps as a thought hits him, "Hey, let me take a look at the bracelet. I might be able to get a clue as to what went wrong." (Uses Detect Magic and K.Arcane:14)
While Vel studies the bracelet, Avegnum turns his head slightly so that he catches Kaellanna out of the corner of his eye, breathing deeply every few words, "Well, druid, what can you... tell us about this jungle...? Do you know it...?"
Tara and Kaellanna are very uncomfortable in this heat and humidity. Tara is panting heavily and Kaellanna removes as much superfluous outerwear as possible, while remaining in full armor.
ReplyDelete"I am from the north and do not know this jungle first hand, but I may have heard of it..."
(Uses knowledge nature 21, spot to see if she can see anything useful: 30)
Avegnum also remembers to assume his Stonefoot Stance, attempting to draw strength and stability from the strange land he finds himself in.(+2STR Checks/AC vs. foes a size category larger-Ends if move more than 5ft.)
ReplyDeleteReadied Maneuvers: Moment of Perfect Mind, Ironheart Surge, Mithral Tornado, Elder Mountain Hammer
Vel's investigation of the teleport device only reveals that it is magical, of moderate power, and in the conjuration school of magic.
ReplyDeleteChirp, chirp.
Drip, drip