Tales of Hibernia IC

[Adeen]

Anthur

The Dwarf peeks around, and unfortunately realizes that their efforts to save the monks would be futile. Damn, way too many... He turns to the group. Sir Ruith is right, there's nothing we can do but save ourselves and continue the mission. Sir Ruith, what's the best way out of here and back to town?

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perception - (d20+3)[16] Checking to see how to get out of here and how many enemies there are.
Knowledge Religion - (d20+3)[12] Do I recognize anything about the symbol on the hobgoblin's helm?

[Ipphli]

Aidan

Aidan looks over at Ruith. "You possess the power of god. Can't you do something?

[Gnorman]

Oh, not so much the power of a god right now... if my pleasant little stowaway spends any more time today possessing me, I might go mad. Well, madder.

But I think I can do something to help. I can teleport us to a safe refuge. Sound good?

[arkol]

"Mad people don't think they are going mad. They think they are getting saner...*

That being said, if there's nothign we can do to help them, might as well get out of here..."




*always wanted to say that...

[Adeen]

Anthur

Sir Ruith, if you can, I am sure we would all much appreciate it.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Tilvan nodded softly. It wasn't his duty to save these Monk's. But he would not see this happen to Cil Dara.

"Let's go."

[Gnorman]

The gnome nods.

Off we go, then.

There is a disorienting shift in your vision and the color of the world bleeds away. Images swirl and dance until you have to shut your eyes out just to prevent yourself from becoming sick. When the dizziness fades, you are in a large meeting hall made of white marble, encrusted with bas reliefs of ancient Hibernian battles and conflict. Light pours in from windows all across the hall, a soft warm glow that seems to dance and gyre around the very air. Glancing outside, you can see no sky - only the brilliant glow of light. Surprisingly, the gnome had the foresight to bring your mounts with you - mounts you'd thought lost in the slaughter at the Abbey.

Welcome, heroes, to Tir na Nog, the palace of the gods. You'll notice they've left it in a bit of disrepair. A shame, really. This shall be our refuge when we need it - in fact, once you begin to find members of the Nine, you should bring them here. Or, rather, I'll bring them here, since I don't believe any of you have the ability to do so. But nevertheless, you need only cast my name upon the winds of fate to summon my aid. Or something like that.

Well. I do believe I could use a rest. There's a banquet hall just over there, if you're looking for something to eat. Endlessly refilling mugs of ale and plates of mutton, or so I hear. There are palatial residences around the palace as well, should any of you require bathing or a bit of shuteye. When you're ready, I can easily send you back to Hibernia, there to begin your search. Now then. Enjoy yourselves.

[arkol]

"Would the palace include a library?"

[Gnorman]

Looking to brush up on your history, eh? A fair idea, my fellow gnome. Check down that door over yonder. I spend a good deal of time there myself when I come here.

[arkol]

Without adding a word the gnome goes for the indicated door.

Once inside he starts looing for a map o hibernia and information about the prophecy gods.

[Gnorman]

Corley

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You are able to determine, after poring through many tomes for many hours, the following information:

Tales around Loch Quinn speak of a swan that can turn into a fair maiden.

Druids often congregate in Coill Domhain, and they'd likely know more about Dagda's vessel.

Pirates, privateers, and corsairs often pull into port in Carrick.

The great dwarven king Alberich is buried just outside of Osterberg.

Bandits and raiders attacking Westport are often turned away by an eerily beautiful woman, whose face takes on more bestial aspects with the moon is full.

The halfling village of Baighmore would have more information about the Swamp Witch.

There are tales of a dragon in the volcanoes of Varmkilde.

[arkol]

After his reacher Corley goes to find his companions who are doing god knows what (so much for using the free time to roleplay eh guys?).

When he manages to gather them all he starts.

"Ok so that poem baldy gave us... 9 rhymes (ooc question, how do you call 4 verses together? I know the name in portuguese but not in english) 9 gods to find so presumely each is a clue to one god.

The 5th one:
Beneath the souls of knowledge lost,
In a cavern o'ergrown with moss,
There lies the mouth of wisdom's god,
His mind intact, though slightly odd.

We know this one was Ogma, he said so himself, if it wasn't obvious enough. So that one is done.

The rest....

The first one:
Beneath a lake, a mirror's plane,
Exists a maid who eases pain,
A martyr for her goddess' needs
The living swan will plant the seeds

I found some tales about Loch Quinn about a swan that turns into a fair maiden.

I think we all know where the lake is, since we were all in Teague at the start of this... mission.

We could go back there, use the chance to colect our reward and search around for rumors. Or we could go to this little town here..."


He pulls a map and points to a small town near Teague called Uisce.


"Anyway I'm pretty sure this would be about the godess Áine, or the Swan.
Her hig temple is here in Dunloe but I think the reference is quite obvious so I think we would be wasting time going there.

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Ok this is just the 1st part of the poem. The 5th one is done so that leaves 7 to examin. If someone wants to make an exposition like I did for this first one please do. Feel free to post as if you were Corley doing it. I think it's cool that everyone works on at least one section.

If you don't wanna do it, that's ok, but then you'll have to wait till I go over them all, which might take a while too...

I've added both the poem and the clues to my sheet so you can use that for easy reference:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetvie...sheetid=130863

It's in the notes section of course, after the shopping list.

EDIT: added on the sheet some speculation on which verses match each clur and/or deity. Feel free to tell me otherwise.

[arkol]

The Second set of verses:

In woods and greens of Connacht roams
The spirit world of tree and loam
Tended by their gardener
Who hides him well 'neath leaf and fir.

Seems to be about Dagda. Aidan could probably helps us better here. Probably someone you know at Coill Domhain that can point us in the right direction....

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Connacht is the big forest where Coill Domhain is right?

[Ipphli]

Aidan

Aidan nods. "Absolutely. I know the druids will help us however they can. But since it is closer, I concur with Corley: we should go to Teague and find this swan."

[arkol]

Corley continues:

The third and fourth sets have some similarities:

And on a ship that ranges wide
The trickster boy's young heir resides
He feels the wind run through his hair
And knows he's in his father's care

By cliff and deep a foreign knight
Stands by his king in guard's delight
Salt, spray, and sea do Lir command,
And this dwarf too shall have his brand.

Both have references to sea and all that. The first one seems to be about Lugh and the thesecond about Lir.
For either one Carrick sounds like a place to go. A busy port full of pirates and corsairs. There's bound to be some legend or something around that could help us.

The fifth set was, like I said, Ogma's. That one is done.

The sixth set:
The beasts and birds of this fine land
Are fed and cared for by her hand
She runs and hunts with her own pack
And haunts the gates at elvish backs.

I'm not sure but this one seems to be about Flidais the Fox. I found some tales of Westport raiders being scared away by an eerily woman. But when it happens during the full moon she's more bestial, which seems to fit with the Fox...

Onwards to the sevent set:
And in the bog where spirits keen
And wail for loss, a witch is queen
Of all the secrets of the fens
The fear and shadow are her friends.

This one was a bit harder, but the SHE reference and the swamps, led me to belive this was about Morrígan the Raven. Not much about this but a few leads point to Baighmore, an halfling village

Set eight:
'Neath snow and rock the dragon sleeps
Her daughter and her hoard she keeps
Safe from Balor's jealous ire
And honors the patroness of fire.

This one was more obvious. It's Nemain the Wolf. Also found some tales about a dragon in the volcanoes of Varmkilde. However obvious this one may be, dealing with dragons is not a good idea. I say we let this one for last...

And finally:
And while the city sighs and rests
An illness grows within its breast
In its vile and cancerous places,
The hidden one and her foul graces.

Not much about this one really. All major gods are acounte for except Balor, Nuada, The White Lady and the Trinity.

Nuada is presumely dead, Balor wouldn't not be part of the 9, since all this is to stop him. The Trinity is effectively a god, or rather a trio of them, foreign to Hibernia, So I they he..er... them... are out. So that leaves The White Lady... unless I made a mistake before.

I supose we should keep an ear out for citys pestered with diseases.. maybe some sort of plague...

[Tackyhillbillu]

Tilvan holds his tongue. Riddle's were never his forte, and he wasn't a scholar. However, he wouldn't leave himself entirely out of the discussion of where to go.

"Let us go to Teague. We can warn the city about the attack on the Abbey, at the very least."

[tonberryking]

Carlyn, back in the game (!!!)

"My Pa used to be a sailor, and a good one too," Carlyn offers after a rather long silence. She looks a little frazzled as she immediately feared for the loss that mean horse who'd come to grow on her even after all the trouble she'd gone to caring for him. "After sailing all over the world, or so he told us, maybe he'd know how those first coupla descriptions fit the portrait of one of the deities. But, um, are you boys sure that Trinity isn't involved?"

Carlyn sheepishly shuffles her bare soled feet. She only really pays token but respectful homage to Lir since her parents were once devotees. Honor thy parents and all that. Trinity's big for that. "I mean, maybe He... They could help. All I've been led to believe indicates They have the interests of the mortal realm in Their hearts, and even if Trinity's not part of the nine, maybe we could get some of Their followers to help us...

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Okay so this is a titch meta-gamer here but I'm putting 2 points into Carlyn's empty Knowledge Religion for her level up. And with those I'm gonna try a good ole shot in the dark kn. check to see if Carlyn may be able to relate Trinity to any of this: (1d20+2)[4]

[Gnorman]

Carlyn

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According to what little you know, the Trinity is a foreign religion and likely not involved with the prophecy.

After a good night's rest, Mug Ruith gathers you around a large marble table for breakfast. After you've eaten, he gives you some final instructions:

Now then. You're off to Teague, to do whatever it is you deem necessary. But take this. It is a magic pendant, but it has a specific function - when you have found a vessel and imbued it with the god's essence, it will call you back to Tir na Nog to deposit your charge. In this fashion, the vessels shall remain safe from Balor once you find them - even his power cannot breach the ethereal walls of this fortress. Now go, heroes!

He hands the pendant to Corley before beginning to chant a spell, intoning dramatically and gesturing wildly with his stubby fingers.

Another disorienting shift occurs in your perception, and you find yourselves standing about five hundred feet outside the main gates to Teague, your mounts in tow and looking no worse for the wear.

[arkol]

"Guess it's time to pay Willoughby a visit..." says the gnome spurring his mount towards the city.

[Ipphli]

Aidan

Aidan merely grunts as he follows after the gnome.

[tonberryking]

Carlyn

Carlyn, for one, is very happy about this.

"Goliath!! You're okay!!" she says, giving the horse a hug, the brute just snorting in annoyance over it. Leaping onto his saddle, the monk rides off with the others.

"What's our plan, boys?"

[Gnorman]

Back at Willoughsby's mansion, you're led back into his drawing room.

He shuffles in and bows deeply at the sight of you.

Ah, you've returned. What news from the Abbey?

[arkol]

Seeing that no one volunteers to explain the story the small gnome steps fowards not entirely sure of himself but does his best:

"Well... yes we reached the abbey. We made contact with both Mug Ruith and Oilithir who reveled to us....

the gnome stops unsure to tell a gnome he's still suspicious of the full prophecy story.


"Who entrusted us a few errands concerning the coming of Balor. There's a few individuals we mus track down for them.

(1d20+8)[14]

However, as we left the Abbey came under assault without uch we could do. For all we know it fell...

[Gnorman]

Hmmm. Somehow I don't get the feeling you're telling me the whole story here, kinsman. How about you elaborate a bit? What was revealed to you by Oilithir? Which individuals do you speak of? I'll need to know more if I'm to help you.

[arkol]

"Well...."

The gnome looks at his companions trying to see they think he should tell the whole truth or not.

[Gnorman]

You're stalling, kinsman. Let's hear the goods.

[Ipphli]

Aidan

Aidan frowned as he spoke up. "The gods have given us a quest, in hopes of stopping Balor. The less anyone knows, the less chance the enemy will discover it and try to stop us. I'm sure you understand."