Adventures in Fallcrest - IC - Part 2 [4E]

[Mando Knight]

"Is there a public list of the items and delegations anywhere? It would be a pity if I came all this way and missed an overdue reunion with some relatives if they happen to be here."

Aramil quickly jots down his list of items for the guards, showing them any parts they question, and revealing that his bag holds no tricks.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The guard shrugs "Not sure about the item, but a list of visitors to the city is available to any Eladrin. Pure Eladrin, that is," he gives a slight glance toward Eltain. The taller guard again gives a glare to the shorter. "Watch your tongue." He turns to Aramil "Just ask at the gatehouse about a block down on the left. They should have a list there."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain allows a brief offended look at the slight to cross his face, considers demanding reparation, and then reminds himself that being antagonistic isn't going to help. The air seems to cool ever so slightly in accordance with his displeasure.

[Mando Knight]

Aramil completely ignores the shorter guard, turning to the taller one. A smug smirk crept across his face as he speaks in a cheerful, totally-not-mocking-the-other-guy tone. "Thank you. It is good to see that our notoriously smug sense of superiority doesn't apply in a large city with thousands of non-Eladrin visitors, passersby, and civilians."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

You enter the city, and from all appearances it is just as magnificent on the inside as it was on the outside. Most buildings seem to be curved and have a much more organic feel than those you've seen in Fallcrest or any other city on the material plane. The majority of the buildings you can see tend to be taller than they are wide, and seeing a structure 5 or 6 stories tall is not unusual. One small detail that does throw you is the lack of windows on the lower floors (although Aramil or Eltain could point out that when every citizen has the ability to teleport, ground floor windows tend to be problematic). Nearly every building has intricate carvings and bas-reliefs on the side, giving each structure it's own unique flavor, typically a variation on nature with an emphasis on the Summer months.

While most cities have to go out of their way to insure that parks and grass and trees continue to grow within the walls, Mythrassar seems to have the opposite problem, with every bit of unused space straining to hold more plants and vegetation. Like the buildings, very few streets seem to be laid out in a straight line, most curving instead to the natural contour of the landscape. However, street signs are posted regularly, so finding your way through the city won't be as difficult as would first seem (assuming you read elvish).

Milling about the street, you see Eladrin of all shapes and sizes going about their day to day business, many of whom teleport across the street without a moments thought, making the flow of traffic hard to judge. Here and there you also spy an occasional elf or gnome, and very rarely a human or halfling. Nothing to compare to the Goliath or Drow, though, and this causes you to earn more than your fair share of stares and whispers.

As you enter into the first open square of Mythrassar, etched on the ground in a beautiful mosaic is a map of the entire city. It appears to be enchanted in someway, because if your eyes linger too long on a specific spot, a small label appears letting you know the name of that street or place of business. Before long, you can determine the location of Sempra Street that the guard recommended, as well as Titania's Ballroom. The gatehouse is just behind you to the left.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan looks around the city as if in a daze, his mouth hanging open. "Pretty," he murmurs.

There is music here. Subtle, powerful, pervading. If he can just manage to capture it. He begins tapping on his drum, very softly.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick looks around, eyes wide. The sights, sound, and feel of the city made him feel alive. It was a curious sensation. While he'd never been anywhere quite like this, he'd heard so many stories that the city seemed familiar yet unknown all at once. As he walks, he tries to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.

As the group comes to a stop, well beyond the guards, Pavick says, "Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I think we need to look into this auction. I'd bet five gold that the object we seek will be up for sale. I think it'd be best to head to that gatehouse first, and see what kind of information we, well mostly Aramil, can dig up."

[Mando Knight]

Aramil looks at home in this odd city. He practically is, though, inasmuch as a man from Dallas is at home in Houston after coming back from a tour of Europe. "Indeed. If the lists are too long, we might have to see how open they are to companions of Eladrin perusing their archives."

Not-pointing out those who teleport randomly, he speaks in a somewhat lower voice, intending his message almost exclusively for the Feywild-first-timers. "Now, those guys are the ones you'll want to look out for. Teleportation is actually less efficient than walking when you aren't being threatened and the path is mostly clear, and unless you're practiced in it you can only go a few meters that way every few minutes anyway. A lot of the time, if an Eladrin is teleporting in the streets while going about his business, it's because he wants to show off his superiority. You couldn't prove otherwise to them even if you were one of the Arch-Swords of the Court and could cross half the plane in the blink of an eye."

[Nai_Calus]

"Perhaps if I shave my beard and shade my eyes I can pass for an Eladrin," Eltain suggests. "Though I can't teleport, so that would make it harder for me to pass. I'm afraid the mixing of human and fey blood always seems to lean far, far towards the human side when it comes to the traits of the child." He looks saddened by this, as though he considers being what he is a tragedy.

[Toric]

During the entrance to the city, Zyrr has followed one simple rule: don't make eye contact. Thus far, he has admired the fancy cobblestones and gazed up at the peaks of the towering buildings and trees, but is thus far fairly oblivious as to what the horizon between looks like.

Upon hearing the latest comment from Eltain, however, Zyrr fixes an odd gaze at him and, after taking a moment first to shoo Aramil in the direction of the guardbooth and then to admire the mosaic behind the paladin, begins to circle him with arms out wide.

"Oh yes. Poor, poor mongrel Eltain, who has only the slightest drop of Eladrin blood. Watch as this pariah stands alone in the crowd, tolerated but never accepted. Surely, no creature suffers nearly as much injustice here as this one." The drow's words come out long, soft, almost cooing, while his circles around the half-blood physically illustrate the boundary he painstakingly describes.

[Nai_Calus]

"Given that you're a drow, we're in an eladrin city and that I'm a Paladin of Corellon, I'd probably be congratulated if I were to kill you right here," Eltain says, his voice low and dangerous."But I'm not that kind of person, or at least I try not to be." His jaw twitches and he turns to the drow.

"You have absolutely no idea what it's like to be what I am. Oh, sure, you've been hated. Shunned, despised, outright attacked, no doubt. But hate you can do something against. You can fight against it, push back and become stronger. Or let it feed you. But apathy... Apathy is what really eats at your soul. Nobody gave a damn about me when I was growing up. I was there. I might as well have been furniture to them. I wasn't one of them, but I wasn't not one of them either. You're right. I'm an outsider. I was found abandoned on the steps of the temple I grew up at as an infant. My parents didn't even want me. Do you know why I devote my life to Corellon? Because he's all I have, all I've ever had. I don't even know if he bothers to listen when I pray, but I don't care because it's what it keeps me going. Bringing beauty to this world. Keeping people from being alone like I am. That's what I live for. Sure, I dream sometimes that I'll find my parents and it will all turn out to have been a mistake or an accident or something, and we'll all live happily ever after like in some idiotic children's tale, or that maybe someday I'll even earn Corellon's love and he'll take my soul in as a servant to him when I die rather than leaving me to whatever happens to unclaimed souls. But I know better. All I can do is try to be useful in the world while I'm living. Maybe you should try to do the same." He turns and walks away to study the map once more, silently fuming, angry more at himself for letting the drow push his buttons than anything else.

[Haberdashery]

The Shepherd pauses a moment, a little puzzled by the sudden outburst, before stating very calmly, with perfect diction,

"If you scratch a lonely goat behind the left ear carefully, he will believe he is a canary."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Inside the guardhouse, a middle-aged Eladrin woman in robes frowns at Aramil's request, but eventually can provide him with a list of all visitors to the city. After filtering out the normal merchants and traders, Aramil is able to narrow down the list to atypical visitors that are likely here for the auction:

Individuals:
Tzunk R'ven - Deva - a private collector of artifacts
Dellarrin <no surname> - Human(?) - occupation unknown
Sharan Beaton - Halfling - Professional Adventurer, mage
Jamil Tripathi - Elf - "Security Consultant"

Representatives:
Layesh Pallath - Human -representing the "Mages of Saruun" (+1 servant, construct)
Azula Printempest - Eladrin - representing the House of Printempest - Spring Court (+1 servant, +4 guards)
Nilsa Badillo - Half-human/half-elf -High Priest of the Temple of Ioun (+4 acolytes)
Andreas Labri, Certhiel Sharma- Eladrin - representing the Winter Court (+6 servants)
Yojend Fiddleton - Gnome - representing the "Fey Independence and Liberation Endevor"

Aramil's eye is particularly drawn to the representatives from the Spring Court

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain stares at Shep while waiting for Aramil to return as if the man had grown another head, his anger completely lost and forgotten beneath a wave of utter confusion.

"I... Huh?"

[Mando Knight]

Hm... Lady Printempest... Wonder if she remembers her cousin?

Aramil makes an abridged copy of the two lists for his own reference, and turns back to the clerk. "Thank you. Is it possible that I could have a list of the auction items, as well?"

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The woman gives a sigh "Unfortunately, we don't have it. The auction itself has been very secretive."The woman leans forward "What I hear, is that someone came into town a couple days ago, met with the high council, and had messages sent out that night. And somehow, all our records about who came in and out of the city that day have been misplaced." The woman seems eager to gossip, and you're under the impression that she doesn't have many visitors. "But no one knows what they're bidding on, except for the bidders, who are there by invitation only. Imagine that! I'll bet it must be something incredible, or a powerful weapon or something."

[Mando Knight]

"Is there an application to becoming a bidder? And any rumors on the identity of this secretive auctioneer?"

[Hzurr]

OOC: Dilplomacy check, please

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The clerk stiffens, crosses her arms, and in a flat voice says I suppose you could ask one of those who already have an invitation. And if you're implying anything else, I'll have you know I'm a married woman, and I do not appreciate your tone! I suggest you leave!" She glares at Aramil.

[Mando Knight]

Aramil is surprised at the woman's sudden change of tone, looking at her quizzically. "Well, if you jump to assumptions like that, I suppose I'll have to. Good day."

He walks out, returning to his companions. "Well, there's not much to be told, though if I add the clues together, our friend has managed to assemble a menagerie of bidders, likely using the flame's influence to allow himself to get an auction together so quickly.

In order to get in, we'd need an invitation or something... and a cousin of mine is one of the Summer Court representatives, and there's a gnome from one of the separatist groups here as well... we might be able to garner some sympathy from one of them."

[Nai_Calus]

"I don't suppose you copied down the names of the auction goers? Perhaps there's someone I've heard of," Eltain says, half-afraid that there will in fact be someone.

[Mando Knight]

"Here. I took notes." Aramil hands Eltain his annotated and abbreviated copy of the list.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain's fears are confirmed by the list, and his already near-white skin turns even paler.

"Oh no... No. Hells. Why did it have to be... Damn it!" He swears quietly. "Corellon's tears. I have to go. Or we have to avoid her. Whichever. Hells, the temple is probably still looking for me, if she knows about it and sees me..." He looks about frantically.

[Mando Knight]

"The Iounian high priestess is an acquaintance of yours?"

[Nai_Calus]

"Not her. One of the delegates from the Winter Court. She's the ruler of the city the temple I grew up at is in. Let's just say I didn't leave the temple because I had a sudden itch for adventuring."

[Mando Knight]

"Ah. Right, winter fey. I suppose we'll start with my cousin. If all else fails and she finds you, we can write up a quick little pact or something that makes you obligated to aid me, since such deals are legally binding, especially if they're made in haste."

[Haberdashery]

The large mountain man gently pats the small, confused half-eladrin on the head, smiling merrily. He begins to hum to himself, a gravely little tune that is very much out of tune in such an ethereally graceful place.

[Nai_Calus]

"She wouldn't be actively looking for me, at least I hope not, but the temple would be interested in getting their hands on me. And it would never work anyway. I'm a Paladin."

[Mando Knight]

"A Paladin who, if it becomes more convenient to the service of Corellon via the recovery of one particular artifact, could decide that he retroactively owes a life-debt to a man who plucked him out of the water."

Shrugging, Aramil adds "Of course, if she's not likely to be looking for you, we can always save that backup plan for later."

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick's eyes have not left a particular spot behind Shep's left ear since his cryptic comment. He is very much considering trying to climb up on the Shepherd's back to scratch that spot, curious as to what might happen.

Finally he shakes himself out of it, as Aramil leaves the gatehouse. "Hm. Well this is an interesting turn of events. You think your cousin would be willing or able to give us some more information? I think that's what we need most at this point. Maybe we should go see her first. Then we can hatch a plan about what to do next."