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

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The remaining Eladrin winces as he hears the blade go through Mishra's throat. He squirms a bit, and manages to maneuver the blindfold down far enough that he can see out of one eye. "Hmm...Not what I wanted for him, but the best he could have hoped for. Even if you'd let him go, he would have received much worse at the Winter Court."

He pauses, and shifts his gaze to Aramil. "As will I, if I'm caught. My conditions are very simple: I reveal what I know in exchange for full protection. I want to live free, and have my safety guaranteed by the Spring Courts. Sworn upon a lay line. If you can't provide that, I'm better off if you kill me now." He's clearly a bit shocked by the dead body next to him, but he seems sure of himself, and his voice doesn't waver.

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Pavick examines the object, and is also amazed by the strange arcane current. However, the weaves are too complicated, and he can't quite determine the powers of the object. It doesn't seem to have any religious significance, although it's very reminiscent of Vecna.

Like Lucan, Pavick feels the urge to rip out someone's eye and replace it; but unlike Lucan, Pavick can also a faint whisper, promising him power and dominance over others...

OOC: After an extended rest, or if you get somewhere you can spend more time examining it, you can attempt another Arcana check

[Mando Knight]

Aramil nods. "Those terms are acceptable to me. However, I do not yet have the power to both defend you and do what else must be done. I will need to consult with my family before giving their word in such a vow. I am afraid that bringing in guests in need of protection left and right is a habit that I do not want to give my sister cause for believing I have developed."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain is too disgusted by Zyrr's action and the non-reactions of his companions to even drag the drow off to threaten him for the moment, and instead goes to see what the others are occupied with.

"I cannot believe Aramil is OK with that. Or Shep. Or anyone," he mutters as he sits with them.

"So what is this thing?" He takes it from Pavick irritably and examines it.

Spoiler

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Arcana: (1d20+15)[25]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

"I don't know, but I think it's evil," he says.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick holds up the eye between thumb and forefinger for Eltain to look at. "Like most unknown magical baubles, power... and trouble. It seems to want me to pull out someone's eye and put it in instead. I don't think that's going to happen though. I have to wonder if someone else was using this thing to control Glydax though. Something was definitely up with him this fight, and the eye keeps promising me dominance."

He begins juggling the eye from hand to hand, possibly out of a desire not to touch the thing, but knowing Pavick more likely just because he was looking for something to do with his hands. "I think I can learn more if I take an evening to study it, and I think I've got a ritual that might help me understand it a little more, but for now, I think that ought to wait." He stands up tucking the eye into one of his robe's large pockets, intending to examine it further when he had the chance.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The Winter Fey nods. "Ok, once I get the approval from your family; I'll talk." He gives a toothy grin "Sorry, I've met too many of the faerie to simply divulge the information on good faith."

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As Eltain examines the eye, it again adjusts slightly in size to one more appropriate for his size, only to adjust back to a more gnome-sized eye as Pavick plays with it. Eltain isn't able to grasp much more than Pavick did, although from what he can see, he thinks that Pavick is on the right track.

A few moments later, the soft patter of the pack-lizard's feet announce the return of the cart. Sven hops in the back, and tosses the barrels over the side of the cart, making room for his fallen comrade. The barrels smash open, spilling bits of mushroom and crystal all over the ground.

Perception: DC 18

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In one of the barrels, you notice that their appears to have been a false bottom, and under the regular stores was a handful of thick, greenish-white roots.

The gnomes load their shrouded ally on the back, and take up positions on each side of the cart. Sven jumps up and grabs the reigns, and looks at the party. "Ah, don't want to rush you or an'thing, but I'd rather not spend another moment here that I can avoid.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

"I can understand that," Lucan says. "But we really need to search this place thoroughly." He bends down over one of the discarded barrels, pulling out the false bottom. "For example, what's this?" he asks, pointing at the roots.

Spoiler

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Perception - (1d20+14)[24]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Lucan pulls out the roots, Zyrr recognizes them as the once thought-extinct Tiemann root.

(OOC: Anyone else can realize this as well with a Nature DC of 19)

[Haberdashery]

"I believe," The Shepherd silently trudges over to Lucan's side, and peers down into the barrel, "That this is exactly what we've been looking for."

The Shepherd hadn't the faintest idea why he knew it was Tiemann root--he hadn't seen it in his lifetime. Such a root grows underground, and most certainly nowhere near his little pasture. But the smell, the pungent, almost anise-like aroma, tickled his nose. That was Tiemann root, without a doubt.

[Mando Knight]

"I understand. We'll work out the terms of the deal then, too."

Aramil turns to Eltain. It's his turn to put a hand on the troubled half-blood's shoulder. "We'll deal with him later. Until we get the antidote for my father, I at least will need to endure his presence."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain nods unhappily.

"Yes. I'll put up with him until then, for your father's sake." The air around him is still frigid, and ice crystals glitter on his armor.

[Toric]

Zyrr is rather taken aback. The paladin he can understand; his first surface comrade lectured him well on both the holy warriors' ability to laugh at death and their tendency to become infuriated at a trifle, and here he sees both in one glorious example. Aramil, however... Still a knight, but one Zyrr'delin thought to be more thick-skinned. But again, they can hate him later, and the swordmage seems to agree with him on that matter. He returns his attention to the remaining captive.

"Good deal, then. One of you certainly dodges a fate worse than death with.... death, by my mercy, and the other gets a fair chance at a long life through Summer's bounty. Poetic, in a way. In fact I might Tiemann!"

The drow can only metaphorically stand back and watch himself almost skip over to the pale roots Lucan has found, eyes almost aglow. "Tiemann! It's the devil-fey root itself! Oh they're more beautiful than I imagined! Yes, this will be more than enough for our purposes." He turns his sparkling amethyst eyes toward Aramil. "Give me a day and a quality alchemical workshop and you'll have your father's cure!"

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Fjord looks down at the fuss everyone's making over the root. "Oh, that stuff. 't was a pain to grow. Took us months to get it right, and we could only work on it under Glydax's supervision." He spits as he says the name.

If you're looking for an alchemical workshop, you can check the Fomorian's hut. He was always trying to mix stuff together; but he wasn't very good at it." The gnome gives a snort-laugh. "Put five of the cyclopses on the privy for a 6 days straight after they tried his 'healing potions.'" He gives another laugh. "That might have been the best week of my life. Til now, that is.

[Toric]

"You know how to grow it!?" Silver hair whips around and two eyes fix themselves on the freedgnome. "How? It's.. they..... lost forever...." He who has seen the deaths of families, houses, and cities is for once rendered speechless. He is sitting on a proverbial gold mine. The flabbergasted drow can only wave his arms and gasp out ".....How?"

[Mando Knight]

Aramil turns, his eyes narrow and reply stern. "No."

[Toric]

"What? But..." *sigh* The drow's stature deflates. Zyrr knows a hopeless situation when he sees one, and he's still endebted to Aramil. He turns back to the gnome. "Fine, keep it a secret. But keep it safe; one day it'll help you topple giants."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain says nothing, merely glaring at Zyrr while snowing lightly. He notes it and frowns. Feywild must be getting to him again. He hadn't done that since leaving the first time.

[DSCrankshaw]

"We should search this workshop anyway," Lucan says. "See what we can figure out about what they were doing there. Can you show us where it is?"

Lucan's in searching mode, and gives the workshop a thorough going-over when they arrive.

Spoiler

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Perception - (1d20+14)[23]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The gnomes lead to to a hut on the northwestern corner of the farm. The building seems large to you, but you imagine it would have been a bit cramped for the huge Fomorian. There's an oversized mat stuffed with dried moss you assume served as a bed of some sort, and there's also a cluttered table in the far corner with a number of herbs, compounds, and strange vials of liquid.

While searching through the room, you do find a sack of coins and other treasure hidden under the Fomorian's bed. It appears to be mostly gold and gemstones (emeralds and rubies primarily), but there's also a small mithril statue of a Fomorian with a crown on his head, as well as a breathtakingly beautiful crystal necklace. All said and done, you'd guess everything is worth about 5000gold total.

When looking at the table, there are a number of half-scribbled formulas, and some places where two different halves of two different potion brewing instructions have been mashed together (It's tough being a Fomorian; with the insanity and all). However, you do find a completed set of instructions for brewing potions to protect you from cold. Apparently, the Fomorian didn't fully trust his trade partners. There's instructions for both a simple brew, as well as a more potent brew, but the potent version seems to be a bit beyond even Zyrr's skill.

OOC: It's the fomula for a Potion of Resistance: cold (both the level 4 & lvl 14 versions. You can use this in conjunction with the "Brew Potion" ritual to create these potions at 75% cost.

Aside from that, the room is mostly bare. It does seem a bit odd that there's little evidence of the usual scheming and paranoia against his superior that one normally expects with Fomorians.

[Toric]

"Hmm.." Zyrr says as he surveys the thable and Lucan pilfers the room in general. "This will suffice. And I'll just need a few of those orange mushrooms from the farmland along with what's here. Now I could craft the antidote here so everyone can recover, but that's Aramil's decision, not mine."

He glances at the papers, frowns, and hands them back to Lucan. "But if we're staying for a while, I'll need a little chat with Eltain. We can talk while I'm making the antitoxin."

[Nai_Calus]

"What, so you can do to me what you did to Mishra?" Eltain sneers. "Very well. But I'm keeping my sword drawn. And making sure you aren't secreting anything about yourself."

[Toric]

"Good, you can guard me then." the drow replies in a low tone. "This has a few tricky parts so I can't afford to watch my own back, and I can trust you not to let anyone kill me before you can."

"Or if Aramil's concerned for his father we can walk and talk together on the way back." Zyrr smirks. "In plain sight of everybody else I assure you."

((Gonna go ahead and start the future conversation since it seems like Eltain's accepting, and since I won't be online again until late tomorrow))

Spoiler

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"I'll save us both some trouble and cut to the chase. What is wrong about what I did back there, through your eyes?"

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain looks at Zyrr in disbelief. Merciful Corellon, the drow really were beyond hope if the creature had to ask what was wrong with stabbing a helpless captive in the brain.

"It was an ugly, pointless thing to do. You could just as easily have simply punched him back into unconsciousness and we could have kept him captive and protected him until later, and possibly have eventually convinced him to change his ways." He frowns. "There is no beauty or artistry in simply murdering a helpless, bound captive merely for refusing to cooperate. It is one thing to kill honorably and skillfully in battle. It is another entirely to act like a coward. It's the difference between a small, yapping dog who knows it can't do anything but wants to pretend like it can, and a great powerful dog who does not have to act because it knows that if it needs to, it can quite easily deal with any threat. I know that drow males are repressed, but I cannot condone such a despicable, cowardly, evil act."

[Mando Knight]

"We have access to portal rituals. Create the antidote here, and we'll be back at Ryandez in a fraction of the time it took us to come here. Pavick, before creating the portal, I'd like you to send a message to my sister."

He walks over to the treasures. "If there's room on the cart, this... stuff would be quite valuable. Or at least, give us some physical proof of our escapades."

[Toric]

Zyrr sighs as he sets out the various reagents and starts a flame under a very small kettle.

"Neitar elgg xuileb thry. Never kill without cause."

He carves off a few chunks of the root and places them in a metal container along with some salt and a few of the farmed crystals. It will need to be very dry.

"My decision to kill him was a short one, but not a light one. He was completely uncooperative, and if kept alive he might find some way to tell of our success here. Rest assured, the winter plotters know I can make this, and if they knew we were coming back antidote in hand they might try something brash, something dangerous. I owe the Printempest estate and Aramil himself too much to risk that for a man that was trying to kill us not five minutes earlier and still would if he got the chance. I can understand saving somebody you have some sort of bond with but why is it wrong to kill somebody who would gladly act to end your own life?"

[Nai_Calus]

"Because that just makes you him. It sullies you and makes you just as ugly and as much of a blight as he is. Beauty comes from protecting others, even those you may not like, and from ensuring that you do not stoop to their level. Do you want to know why I haven't killed you yet, even though you committed such an ugly, despicable act in front of me that calls for me to perform my duty as a member of Corellon's clergy and remove you, an obviously evil and vile drow from the worlds? Why you live while I merely glare at you in anger rather than striking you down with my blade as my training and faith demand?" He looks Zyrr in the eye.

"Because I am not you. I don't kill helpless people simply because they annoy me and I think they might be a threat at some future point. Don't get me wrong, I'm a killer as much as you are. I was raised with a blade in my hand and taught from my earliest moments to kill when needed to protect others. But that wasn't needed there. Yes, he was trying to kill us before we subdued him. But he was subdued. No longer an immediate threat. Nothing that couldn't have been dealt with without murder. You don't understand the difference between killing because you have to and killing because you want to. You don't always have to in the end. Sometimes there is another way, a better way. I suppose I have you to thank for showing me that. Watching you do that, in front of me, in front of everyone, made me realize just what I really did believe about things." He pauses, the chill that's been lingering about him lightening to merely pleasant coolness.

"No, Zyrr, I am not you. I am not like you, and I will never allow myself to become like you. And that's a thought that, frankly, pleases me." He folds his arms and watches the drow work.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Long philosophical discussions of right and wrong bore Lucan. He decides to explore the rest of the farm, especially the cave where Glydax holed up. Maybe he can find something interesting there.

Spoiler

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OOC: Have we actually taken a short rest yet? If so, Lucan spends two healing surges. That should bring him up to 57.

And, to aid the search, a perception check:
Perception - (1d20+14)[33]

[Toric]

Zyrr lets Eltain rant without comment. He doesn't return eye contact, either too busy with shaving off the proper amount of a purple leaf onto a scale or pretending it takes more attention than it does. Once the blizzard has passed, he takes the folded arms as a cue that the half-eladrin is finished, and makes his own passive statement as he begins hollowing out a small sapling.

"You're right, you aren't me. You've lived your life in a world where kindness is approved, people can be respected simply for being generous, and trust is rewarded. I've lived in that world... for three years intermittently. Before that, I had different rules to follow. Many things you take for granted would have gotten me killed long ago. So next time spare me the insults and just tell me 'Killing helpless people is wrong.' ...If that's even what your point is, as I'm still puzzling that out since you keep threatening me while my weapons are sheathed. Quiet here, this could kill both of us."

He stuffs the Tiemann into the hollowed shoot, holds the shaved leaf over the now-boiling kettle, and holds the shoot over the leaves. The green wood around the deadly root darkens and browns as some of the toxin is seeped out of its source. Zyrr watches this slow color change very carefully and quickly pulls the tube away.

"No odor, so we're safe. Now, I am immensely enjoying this experience of being around people I can safely turn my back to. I know I'll need to follow the rules to do this, but you should understand I still don't know what all those rules are and I won't learn them all unless somebody tells me when I break them. I won't follow all these rules - I have some values of my own already and I refuse to simply replace them - but I will try to stick to the important ones."

The drow turns from his workplace with a vial in each hand: a red one in his right and a blue one in his left. "It's done. Before we leave I'd like to propose an arrangement. You put up with me and my mishaps for now and help me learn these rules, and I do my best to take them to heart in return for getting to work with people I like. And if either of us gets absolutely sick of each other we can challenge each other to a duel. At any time. Does that sound fair?"

[Nai_Calus]

"Do you think I had it easy growing up, Zyrr? That the lands of the winter fey are a place where kindness and mercy are rewarded? That anyone was overly concerned with a bastard half-breed of no known heritage, except as a target for blame and for beatings? The winter fey of Certhiel's lands are a cold, cruel people on the whole, and I did not fare very well in their lands. Recall that I am a fugitive. Everything I've learned of a better way of life I've learned in the mere year I've been in the mortal world. It is not easy. I do not always suceed, no. I was taught from birth to hate your kind." He sighs. "But if you truly mean it, if you truly wish to mend your evil ways you've known until recently, I will help you. They always told me your kind was beyond help or redemption. Let's see, then, if we can prove them wrong. If we can teach you to live a decent life, that would truly be a thing of great beauty."

[Toric]

"...Oh so you do have a past with Certhiel. A very intimate one indeed. Fascinating. Very well, then." the drow flicks his wrists, and the vials disappear. He sweeps his kit up and slings it onto his back. "Let's see... Today I've liberated gnome slaves, resuscitated a holy warrior, and I might get to end the day by saving a fey lord. I should slow down, Lucan's going to be singing songs about me if I keep this up. Let's go."

---

When they meet with the others, Zyrr hands Aramil the red and blue vials with a grin. "One of these is your father's cure. ...The other is a nice little surprise for anyone that tries to steal it away, just in case anyone's listening. Lean over here and I'll tell you which will save your father."