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

[Hzurr]

DM Post

OOC: My understanding is that Pavick still has the eye.

To try and dismiss the scrying, you can make an arcana check.

[Nai_Calus]

"Ask me what?" Eltain raises an eyebrow.

"That thing needs to be destroyed. Immediately."

[Mando Knight]

"That's what I've been thinking."

Aramil raises his hand, pointing it towards Lucan and then Pavick, then applying arcane energy to "crush" the scrying link. Unfortunately, without prior preparations, the gesture seems fairly futile.
Arcana - (1d20+16)[18]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Aramil attempts to crush the link to Lucan, the attempt falters. He realizes that whatever the scrying link to Lucan is, it's more than just someone watching the bard. Either someone has managed to obtain a piece of Lucan (his hair, a nailclipping, a toe), or someone has managed to mark Lucan.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick curses at Aramil's proclamation. "Here it is." He reaches into his large pockets and withdraws the eye. He tosses it to the swordmage.

Pavick pushes up the sleeves of his robe and then cracks his knuckles. "Let me give this a try," he says before beginning a series of incantations and gestures meant to disconnect the link from Lucan.

Arcana - (1d20+18)[30]

[Toric]

Better prepared for what to expect, Zyrr takes the teleportation in stride. The lurching feeling in his gut, the swirling colors, the eladrin guards training spears on.... "Umm... I'm over here." Knee-jerk quip out of the way, the drow turns to see Lucan. "....Just what is it you've got in that boot of yours this time?"

[Hzurr]

DM Post

It takes a bit of effort, but the gnome is able to focus and slowly unravel the arcane weaves attached to the bard. The blue-glow slowly fades from around Lucan.

The Winter Fey looks a bit nervous at both the mention of scrying, as well as the guards with spears.

A moment later, you see two more guards, followed by Captain Isadore and Limara entering into the small hut. The latter two pause, and peer in to verify that the scrying as stopped before they enter the room. Limara quickly moves up to Aramil. "Do you have it?" She asks, her eyes wide with hope and fear.

Isadore signals to the two guards who came with him, and they move up on either side of the winter fey (but not before giving puzzeled looks that they were taking the Eladrin rather than the drow)

[Mando Knight]

"Yes. And this, which should be disenchanted and warded as soon as possible."

Aramil holds up the eye. "I think it's related to why Lucan triggered the scrying sensor."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Limara looks at the eye curiously. "What is it? Where did you get that? No matter, we'll figure that out later..." she turns to Isadore "Have it taken to the third vault." Limara gives a slight smile. "The magical suppression field should prevent any more unfortunate incidents."

"Now, let's see if your journey was a success, little brother. The rest of you...figure out what to do with him until I return" She gives a vague wave of her hand towards the Winter Eladrin.

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Limara and Aramil move through the halls towards their father's chambers rapidly, the few servants who are not trancing giving deep bows as the pair walk past. As the siblings draw near to the large tree in the middle of the compound, Limara slows, and looks at Aramil. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

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As the two Printempests leave; Eltain, Zyrr, Pavick, Lucan, and The Shepherd find themselves alone in the teleportation room with only a few guards, and the Winter Fey. One of the guards looks at Eltain. "Do you want us to take this one to the dungeons?" He asks, glancing at the Winter Eladrin. "We can take that one as well," a different guard mutters with a level look at the Drow

[Nai_Calus]

"It might be safest for him, until necessary discussions can be made. I'd feel best keeping guard over him myself, though." He frowns. "As tempting as the second offer may be given recent circumstances, we'll have to decline it for now."

[Mando Knight]

"Sure? Only inasmuch as the evidence points toward it."

[Toric]

"Actually, don't listen to him. Take me to the dungeons." Zyrr's tone is light, though he makes no sudden movements just in case it's not obvious he's "with them." "I'd like a chat with Aveeno anyway."

[Nai_Calus]

"You just want to go there to learn their defenses to sell to the highest bidder, and you'll probably kill Aveeno rather than chat." Eltain makes a 'hrmph'ing sound and frowns. "Both in dreadful taste." He sighs.

[Toric]

Zyrr merely smirks in response. "You know me far too well. Or not at all."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain sighs. "You'll forgive me if I find it a bit difficult to trust you at the moment. And this 'am I or aren't I' contrariness does not help." He rubs his forehead.

"Fine. We'll go to the dungeon. If you really want, I'll even chain you up. But I'm keeping my eye on you, Zyrr."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Limara gives a sigh. "Well, that's the best that we can hope for. It can't be any worse than our current situation." She gives a sigh as she climbs the last few steps, and you find yourselves at the entrance to Lord Printempest's

The old servant, Iain, meets you at the top of the stairs. "Ah, what an unexpected surprise. It's good to see you again Lord Aramil. What can I help you with?"

Limara brushes past Iain. "We'll fill you in later, there's something we have to try first..." she opens the door and moves in. Lord Printempest is sitting in the far corner, in a trance on a pile of pillows. As you enter, he opens an eye. "Ah, Limara, Aramil. How wonderful to see you! Have you seen your mother today? For some reason she hasn't come back to trance yet..."

Limara glances towards Aramil. "Well, no sense in delaying..." She strides across the room, tilts her father's head back, and pours the solution down his throat. The Fey Lord sputters, and looks up in shock. "Limara, how dare you! Why I-" a large yawn interrupts his yelling. "Oh, excuse me. I-" another yawn stops his speech, and you see him sway slightly.

Lord Printempest stretches out on the cushions. "If you'll excuse me for one moment, I can't seem to keep my eyes open..."

In front of you, a scene you'd never seen before plays out. An Eladrin, a Fey Lord, stretches out, and falls asleep. Snoring. Yet even as he does so, the slightly rapid, uneven breaths that had been so characteristic of Lord Printempest as of late seem to fade away. The constant crease in his forehead smooths out, and he appears to be fully at rest.

Limara looks at her brother. "Is that what was supposed to happen?"

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The two guards exchange looks as Zyrr requests to go along to the dungeon. "Eh, no sense turning away a Drow whose willing to be locked up." and the pair escort Zyrr, Eltain, and the Winter Fey across one of the fields, and into a small cave. Carved steps lead down, and before long you find yourself looking down a long corridor with thick iron doors on each side.

The entrance to each cell requires moving through two locked doors, the first needing to be closed before the second can open, in order to prevent prisoners from simply teleporting out. Eltain and the Winter Fey are placed in the first cell to the right upon entering the dungeons, whereas Zyrr is escorted about halfway down the hall, and tossed (a bit more roughly than necessary) into one of the cells. As the Drow enters into the small room, from the far corner he hears a chuckling sound. "So, they finally wisened up and threw you in here? How long til your execution?

At the far side of the room, the elf assassin Alveeno leans forward, a grin on his face.

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OOC: Anything Lucan, Pavick, or Shep need to do?

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan's still not sure exactly what happened with Eltain and Zyrr. Apparently they wanted to be tossed into the dungeon. Well, as long as they were consenting adults, who was he to judge?

"You know, I think I want to make some music," he says to the others. "I'm going to find someplace where I can play."

With that, he wanders off, looking for a music room.

[Haberdashery]

And the Shepherd found himself alone, his companions scattered like autumn leaves on a gust of icy wind. On the terrace outside he lingered and stepped onto the grass, the perfect blades breaking noiselessly beneath his sandals. The perfection of this place disturbed the Shepherd greatly—he was starting to dislike it. Others have been awed by the splendor of the Feywild, to the Shepherd, he saw naught but a dream, lacking the substance and earthiness of his home. This was a place of a strange sort of harmony, an equilibrium thrown into some sort of tumultuous balance; the Shepherd found it difficult to find the flaws in the world around him. Surrounded by so much perfection, he found his senses dulled; it all bled together into a shimmering pulp. He severely missed the flaw of the mortal realm, the ever present cracks and lines in its broken surface. Only in those cracks and breaks could there be anything truly smooth.

He seated himself on this unearthly grass, under that unearthly sky, and stared at the overly large, unearthly silver crescent of the moon. The man's face was different in this place, it did not scream into the stars in anguish, but sleep with a dreaming countenance. The Shepherd sighed at the face, his hood covering his bald head and his crook inside the cradle of his arm, leaning against his neck. The thoughts that had been plaguing him flitted back into his head again like little sharp pinions. There was a gnome who died today, a gnome who did not have to die. It had been troubling him greatly. Perhaps it was the Shepherd's conviction that had failed him; had he done his proper duty, the gnome would have lived and he would have died in his place. The beast lay dead now, and could no longer enslave others, but it still weighed heavily on the Shepherd's heart. Had he, the Shepherd, actually done his duty? Had he done anything at all, truly? The thing was dead, whatever it was, but not by his hand. He had not protected anyone, the gnome had still died. The paladin almost died, but the drow, of all people, saved him. So what, exactly, had he done? There was so much more he could have done, but didn't. So much he wanted to do, but could not. Perhaps this was what failure felt like, even in the face of what could be considered success; it was a personal failure. A personal shortcoming. He would have to do better, he would have to be better; he was not a good person yet, he had to earn it. The fame and praise heaped upon all of them when they walked back covered in blood; it was heaped for them, not for him. He road their coattails through all of it. He was just a shepherd, after all, through all his tall tales and wise sayings, that’s all he was—he tended to goats on his mountain; he did not have any real spiritual connection to the winds or the mountains or earth. It was something he made up, something he believed he knew but only through the fact he believed it. Not because he had any real proof—the mountain had never spoken to him directly, the wind never whispered in his ear. He felt a connection to his mountain, and there was a warm feeling in his chest at the nipping caress of the wind, but there were no voices. He was no sage, he was no wise man, and he was no guardian; just a simple shepherd who had stared down the mountain and dreamed of being something more than he was. For a little while, he had really begun to think he was—but no one innocent had died because of it yet. It was this folly, the Shepherd thought as he stared at the now seemingly leering moon, that had finally made him realize the consequences of such a delusion. The unpleasant consequences of pretending to be more than he was, and overstepping his boundaries.

The Shepherd did not like these thoughts of guilt and doubt, but they came to him regardless, plaguing his normally calm, serene psyche. He stared at the moon from the silent courtyard as the wind gently billowed through his cloak. Victory had meant nothing to him.

[Mando Knight]

Aramil looks just as confused as his sister. "I... don't know. Zyrr never told me the side-effects. He might not have even known them, given how excited he was to see that the stuff actually existed. We should probably let him rest. When he awakens, we'll see if he's gotten any better."

[Toric]

"It's nice to see you again, Aveeno." Zyrr says as soon as he's regained his equilibrium. "I don't expect to be here long, so don't bother playing me a sad tune on the panpipes."

The drow finds himself a relatively comfortable part of the wall to lean against.

"So I've been wondering, and now that I'm here I might as well ask. I named two people who really wanted to kill me. Who really wanted to be the ones to kill me. One of these was present the night you attacked. He still wants to be the one to gut me by the way, fair warning. But anyway, I ask you now: Assassins you are clearly not, so what possessed you two to sneak into a crowded bedroom in the middle of a guarded facility to kill one single drow? Yes yes I know Corellan all-knowing drow bad blah blah blah but really, you knew better earlier that day."

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Once Lucan walks out of the room, Pavick says quickly to Shep, "I'm not so sure he should be alone, especially after some nasty lich guy was scrying on him. Who knows what other trouble that guy could send Lucan's way. I'm gonna go keep an eye on him."

Pavick runs out behind Lucan to catch up with him. He fishes his own flute out of his pocket. "Hey, Lucan, I thought maybe you would like some company. Maybe we could try a duet or something? You've got a really good ear, you could probably show an amatuer like me a thing or two."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan glances at Pavick, startled to find him there. Then he smiles, "Sure, he says. Let's go find someplace to practice. I'm sure it'll be great."

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OOC:

Alternate phrase: "I'm sure we'll make beautiful music together."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain frowns at being separated from Zyrr, but shrugs it off and turns to the task of keeping watch on the winter eladrin.

"I'm sure Aramil's family will be reasonable about things. I think you've made the right decision. The Spring Fey seem to be less cruel on the whole than the Winter Fey are, from what I've seen," he says, smiling cheerfully. He ponders and continues. "I'm not from the Winter Court like you asked earlier, no, but I grew up in the lands of a Ghaele named Certhiel and I've seen for myself how they tend to act. Well, not that all of us are cruel. I'm half-human, but I'm obviously descended from some sort of winter eladrin, and I'm certainly not like that. Anyway, everything will be fine."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

@Aramil
Limara sighs "I hope you're right. Although if this does work, it means that he was poisoned. The ramifications of that could be..significant." She continues staring at her father for a minute before giving a slight shudder. "Ugh, sleeping is so strange. I can't see how the mortals can tolerate it."

She steps outside and closes the door softly behind her. Motioning Iain over, she turning back to Aramil. "Now, dear brother, please tell me exactly what happened, and why I have one of the Winter Fey in my household that I'm hiding from my Fiancé."

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@Zyrr

Aveeno spits at the floor at Zyrr's feet. "The extent of your deception hadn't been made clear to me. Once Agrawal learned of your plots and your plans once you weaseled your way into the good graces of the Printempests, we knew that we couldn't stand-by and let you get away with it."

The elf steps forward, the shackles around his hand clinking as he moves. "And I still stand by that oath that we made. One day, I'm going to kill you."

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@Eltain

The Winter Fey (whose name, by the way, is Jaquel), arches a white eyebrow. "Really? You grew up under Certhiel? Interesting." He leans back, thinking. "Hmm...I'm trying to remember the humans who have served in Certhiel's Court. Do you know who your father was? Or about what time he would have been in the court?"

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@Pavick & Lucan

The two musicians find a small glade a little ways away from the compound to practice their music. As they play, the natural magic of the Feywild seems to spark, and you notice the flowers and grass softly swaying in time with the music. As the music continues, you can actually feel the world around you shifting. The wind changes to carry the tune further, the trees shift slightly to improve the acoustics, small crickets begin chirping in harmony.

As the two flutes play, hours pass, and the moon crawls across the sky, and you see the faint light of dawn barely starting to be visible on the peaks of the mountains.

Behind you, a soft voice clears her throat, and turning you see Selene standing there. "I am sorry to interrupt such a beautiful duet, but I've just received a message for Master Lucan. It was given to the House Representative in Sigil, but was addressed to you at this location." She gives a slight bow, and hands a piece of folded parchment to the Half-Elf

@Lucan

Spoiler

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"I'm not sure who you are, or how you manage to keep magically stealing my profits from my vault, but if you don't stop immediately, I'll be forced to take drastic measures! Consider this a warning in accordance with the Mutual Trade Association guideline 3.2.8.0

Signed,
Adahn Chauncy
Inn of the Lady's Favor, Market Ward, Sigil

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@Shep

As Shep looks up at the moon, the sound of the flutes slowly drifts across the glade, a beautiful medley created by Lucan and the Lucky Gnome.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

"Steal? I never stole anything!" Lucan says. "This must be some misunderstanding. What do you think, Pavick?" He hands the note to the gnome.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain sighs wistfully. "I don't know anything about either of my parents, honestly. I don't even know which one of them was the human. All anyone really knows about me is that I was found abandoned on the steps of the Corellite temple one morning sixteen years ago." He smiles sadly. "When I was little I used to dream that one or both of them would come back for me one day, and I'd have a family. I guess I still do sometimes."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Jaquel stares at Eltain for a long time. "Sometimes what we think are dreams turn out to be nightmares. Be careful what you wish for." He clears his throat, and turns his gaze up to the ceiling, suddenly changing the subject.

"Ugh, any idea when I'll get to speak with Limara or whoever is in charge? I'd like to get this over with."

[Toric]

"Again I say, get in line." Zyrr scowls as he shifts to prevent a stiff back.

"And it's odd you mention your friend. I've been hearing rumors that he's been out asking people about where he'd been that day. That he seemed a little off."

The drow pushes off the wall to a proper standing position. "That's probably because he was quite deceased at the time. He died while you tried to run."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The elf's lip twitches. "I was there when he died. He would have wanted me to escape and avenge him. And I don't intend to let him down."

This seems to be the moment the elf was waiting for, as he springs across the small cell, and attempts to wrap the chain connecting his shackles around Zyrr's neck. The thick iron links close around the Drow's throat, digging into the skin and cutting off Zyrr's air supply. (11 damage)

Attack Roll:

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(1d20+12)[31] vs Ref
Damage (2d6+3)[11] - Restrained and can't call out

OOC: No real need for a map in this case. You're in a 10'x10' cell. I'm assuming you're at full HP.

Eltain can make a perception check - DC 17 - to try and hear the scuffle.

[Toric]

Zyrr - Drow Assassin
HP 49/60, AC 23, Fort 17, Ref 21, Will 21
Grabbed

Before he knows what's happening, Zyrr finds himself in an ironic situation. The honor-stuffed elf is garroting the hardened assassin! The main rational thought that crosses his mind before survival instinct takes over is: Whatever happens, Eltain's gonna be pissed.

He tries to fluidly slip out of the chains, but Aveeno's too skilled. Maybe he's done this before? This doesn't deter him, though. He thrashes again, more violently, hoping to surprise his choker with his strength. This fails. Horribly.

Spoiler

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One escape attempt down as a move action, going to do something stupid and use my standard action as a move to attempt to escape again. Acrobatics - (1d20+15)[17] vs Reflex