Adventures in Sigil - IC - Part II [4E]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Aramil's searching of the news is more difficult than he imagined. The news from the feywild is rarely reliable, and a number of the accounts he reads seem to be directly contradictory. One bit of news that does seem reliable is that Oran, lord of the Green Fey, has yet to recover from whatever illness plagued him. It seems that his daughter Selephra, the Bramble Queen, is speaking on his behalf now rather than his other daughter Verenestra (also called the Oak Princess).

OOC: I've actually got a list of all the Fey Courts/Lords that I can provide to you, but I want to read the Heroes of the Feywild book and see if I want to change anything. I should be picking up a copy today.

------------------

Everyone else manages to get back to the Inn without incident. There's no reply to Pavick's letter yet, although it's still a bit early to expect a reply from Karl Stoneshine.

OOC: Are Eltain/Aramil going to send any messages, or are y'all just going to meet everyone directly at the Court of Stars?

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain packs his meager belongings and goes down to the common room.

"Lucan, you'd said you wanted to go with me when I went to the Winter lands to meet up with Toveliss and check on Limara? Well, I plan to leave as soon as Aramil gets back and I can have a talk with him. You know this city better than I do, I need you to find us a tout to guide us to a suitable portal to take us to the Feywild, as close to Certhiel's realm as possible." He pauses and looks Lucan up and down.

"...And dress warmly. It doesn't bother me as much since I'm from there, but unsurprisingly, it's really cold there."

He sits to wait for Aramil's return.

[Mando Knight]

Before he leaves the library, Aramil checks for a map of gate locations, to see if there's any place that would get him close to home without needing to shop for the egg of a millennium falcon or planetary alignment or something.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan goes hunting for a portal, and some warm clothes.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Aramil's searching finds several portals to the Feywild, but it looks like the one that lead directly to the Printempest estate was a one-way. There are several that lead to Senaliesse directly, and one that leads to Mythrassar (where you could easily find a teleportation circle and get back to the family estates that way.

Lucan has little difficulty finding warm clothing, both of the traditional variety, and of the magical variety. Most of the clothing that seems to be enchanted to keep users warm tends to be for females, though (there seems to be a large market for women who want to wear revealing clothing and armor at all times without any of the logical side effects. Odd...). As far as Portals go, there are a few who lead directly to the lands of the Winter Court, but none commonly known that go near the Fortress of Frozen tears. There is one available that leads to Yukancor, only a few days travel from Certhiel's palace.

Alternately, you could take the spell-jammer to one of the costal cities of the Feywild, and see if you can find any teleportation circles there that will let you journey to wherever your final destination is.

[Mando Knight]

Most of the clothing that seems to be enchanted to keep users warm tends to be for females, though (there seems to be a large market for women who want to wear revealing clothing and armor at all times without any of the logical side effects. Odd...).

(And not much of a market for anything else as far as women's clothing goes. Somehow.)

Aramil returns to the inn, and upon seeing the others, he walks up to them and asks "So, did you have fun devil-watching?"

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain's presence is as usual a tangible thing, his wintry nature turning his mood into a gust of cold air.

"They spotted me and tried to set up an ambush. We declined to oblige them and returned." He stands and grabs Aramil's wrist in an icy grasp.

"We need to talk."

[Mando Knight]

"Ah, yes. You have some grievances you wish to address."

Aramil calls for a drink and sits. "I guess we're running a little overdue on it."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain arches an eyebrow.

"I have grievances? More things I'm bothered by. Rather, I've been wondering what yours are, since you've been so pointedly ignoring me almost since we got here. I suppose I am disappointed that, fool's errand or no, you didn't want to try to protect the others. I can understand not wanting anything further to do with devils, though I highly doubt you were as profoundly affected by it as I've been. I've lost my powers. I can't protect them worth a damn right now. I still try. So I suppose I want to know what in the hells has gotten into you to make you ignore your friends and not want to help them."

[Mando Knight]

Aramil looks at Eltain quizzically. "Ignoring you? I haven't been..."

He pauses for a moment. "...Hm. I suppose I have."

He sighs before continuing. "I didn't mean any malice by it. As for what you believe was abandonment, I was merely trying to make my point clearer while also making an admittedly dangerous gamble. How do you think you would have responded to the threat of ambush if I came along? I think that if I was as determined to hound the devils as you were, I would have rushed headlong into it, sword blazing. By not accompanying you, I had hoped to deter any idea of pointless engagements. If it had come to worse, I would hope that someone would have sent word, and I would have made my best time to help."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain snorts.

"Oh, so I'm hotheaded and you don't trust me to not do anything 'stupid', then, is that it? Just because I'm younger than you doesn't make me an idiot, Aramil. Age doesn't make you smarter, or Lucan wouldn't be as perpetually out to lunch. Is that why you were ignoring me? Because I'm not smart or Eladrin enough for you? Well maybe I'm upset because we let the bastards have their way. Maybe I'm upset because everyone but me was all for working for bloody sodding devils. And of course in the end who actually has problems because of it? Me, of course, the one person who objected. I can't do anything, Aramil, short of what I managed to pick up at the arcane school they sent us to because we were expected to learn about magic. Because I went along with that madness. But no, obviously if I have you at my side in case things go south, I'm going to just rush stupidly into something I know better about. I am a child, yes, but that doesn't make me stupid." He half-snarls in miserable, desparing semirage.

"We saw them do it, but what if we hadn't? What if we'd walked into it unaware? I wouldn't have been able to do anything but throw myself in front of them to die to try to buy them time with my worthless, useless life. And maybe it wouldn't have been enough even then." He shudders. "I've been trying to conceal it but it's useless. I'm useless. That's why I've been asking for your help. Not that it matters now, we're leaving as soon as Lucan comes back, but... Damn it, Aramil. I thought we were friends. You were like the brother I never had. But then you ignore me and refuse to help and try to shrug it off like it's nothing when it's not." He's crying now, snow falling about him into a miserable heap.

[Mando Knight]

"No, I'm saying that I can be hotheaded and in trying to avoid that I came off as rather cold. I'm the one who was too stupid and brash to properly delineate terms for the contract, but you're the one who's hung up over it."

Aramil sighs. "Look, I don't know what I could say to make you feel better about this whole ordeal. I just think that if something's going on that makes all the devils pull out of Sigil, if we're going to stop what we might have started, our best shot is to get the strongest allies we can, which means we need to go to the Court of Stars rather than chasing goons that probably don't know anything."

He waves his hand as if to brush that topic aside. "As for you thinking you're not a paladin anymore, I think it could very well be a self-sustaining loop. I might not know much about divine magic, but I know it relies on faith, so I think that maybe you can't access it because you believe you aren't worthy of accessing it. I can show you how to implement arcane magic into swordplay, but I can't restore your sense of self-worth. That's something that you'll need to find within yourself."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain nods distantly, brushing snow from his clothing.

"I suppose so..." He sighs and stares at the table. "This whole mess just makes me sick. I know we need allies, but ugh. I can't stand devils. There's no beauty in them at all. At least the winter fey there's hope of redeeming, but devils... All you can do is just stab them to death, and even that's hopeless since there are always more." He frowns, rubbing the tears from his eyes before sitting up straight and giving Aramil his best imperious stare.

"And I'm the only one allowed to be cold around here," he says, the faint ghost of a smile playing about the corners of his mouth. "I don't see you snowing." He forms a ball from some of the snow that's fallen about him and playfully tosses it at Aramil, grinning.

"And I know more about arcane magic than you might think. I actually did formally study it for a bit, until the temple made me stop. We were expected to undergo at least a year of training at the local magic academy, I went for three before they dragged me back." He frowns a bit again. "I'm horribly rusty, though, and of course I only had time to get down the basics. I don't suppose you want to spar a bit until Lucan gets back? I could use a bit of practice."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan buys some mundane warm clothes for himself, and an enchanted little dress for Lena.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Lucan successfully buys clothes for his familiar. The shopkeeper gives him an odd look.

While Aramil and Eltain talk, Zyrr is able to have a fairly quiet evening in the Inn common room. In Lucan's absence, a new musician was hired on at the inn; and although it would have amazed you to have considered it a few days before, apparently half-orcs are not entirely inept at playing the tuba. It's actually a rather enjoyable sound...

There is an odd moment when another group of male Drow enter the inn. As they look around, searching for a table, they spot Zyrr. One of them whispers something to the rest, and they eye Zyrr with scorn as they move to take a table on the far side of the room.

Late in the evening, however, Pavick finally gets a response from Karl Stoneshine.

My honored confrère Roslow,
How delightful to hear from you. From what I've gathered you seem to be filled with the wanderlust that so often plagues the younger members of our race, so it filled me with great pleasure to find you had received my note. My schedule is dreadfully busy at the moment, so I would find myself hard-pressed to make time to complete our acquaintance at this current juncture. My current timetable has me arriving at Senaliesse a few days before the official opening ceremonies and pomp of the Court commences, so if you wish to rendezvous with me at that point, I'll be certain my agenda has a slot alloted for you. In the interim, I do implore you to make the best of your contacts in the Spring and Winter Courts on behalf of our people. As I'm assured you are aware, the Winter Court carries much more clout than the Spring, but I understand if the prospect of interacting with such formidable fey could be daunting to the less experienced.

Sincerely,

Karl Stoneshine
Head-Mage, Illusory Studies
Sreenivasa Academy of Magic

[Toric]

Zyrr is smiling and merrily tapping his foot to the rhythmic oompahpahs of the half-orc bard, when in come some of his kindred. He pulls the rim of his hat down and watches them from beneath it, foot still playing the part of the metronome. Seeing that they have no obvious motives more sinister than diving into their cups and glaring, he grabs his tankard and makes his way across the floor, hopping and dancing to the baritone beat and flipping a coin to the musician's corner at the halfway point. When he reaches his brothers' table Zyrr grabs a chair and twists it to face away from the table, sitting down onto it and resting his arms onto the chair's back.

"It seems my reputation precedes me. If I'd have known my presence was bringing in regular drow patrons I'd have asked Lucan for a boarding discount." He runs his fingers across the feather in his hat, then extends his hand. "I trust from the looks on your faces you know exactly who I am. And if you were going to try to kill me we wouldn't all be sitting here. So what can I do for you?"

[Mando Knight]

Aramil smirks. "Very well, but don't expect me to go easy on you."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Around the common room, a few of the patrons glance towards the stairway leading to the second floor curiously, as the sounds of battle and the tell-tale "bamf!" noise of air filling into the space after a creature teleports begin echoing down from above. Interspersed with blasts of cold air and warm spring breezes, the entire inn seems highly distracted by the goings-on upstairs, until one of the bouncers closes the door.

Downstairs, the drow look a bit uncomfortable as Zyrr sits down at the table. The drow sitting on the far-side of the table, a bit tall for a male, scowls. "We have nothing to say to you, you piece of rothe dung. You're a traitor to your people, and the priestesses are going to make you scream for mercy before they sacrifice you." He points back towards the table that Zyrr was sitting at before joining them. "Why don't you just go back to what you were doing, and maybe we'll forget to tell any of the females that we saw you."

----------

Lucan, entering the Inn and listening to Lina prattle on about her new clothes and "not wanting those winter fey to think I'm some sort of fairy slu-" has a unique view of the bar from where he enters. More importantly, from where he's standing, he can see one of the drow that Zyrr is sitting with slowly drawing a knife from a boot sheath.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick folded the note over and tucked it away in his pocket. He was doing his best to ignore Karl Stoneshine's... personality, but he was already thinking this court of stars could be a very long event. "Okay, so no advanced meeting, but he wants me to try to get in good with the winter court. Ugh... That could be a problem." He says aloud, to no one in particular. "Maybe Eltain won't mind if I come along when he and Lucan go there."

He sits back in his chair to listen to the music while waiting for Lucan to return from his shopping trip or for Eltain and Aramil to finish their conversation. At the same time, he notices Zyrr approach the table of drow. His "could be trouble" sensor is screaming loudly, so he is sure to keep an eye on what is going on there too.

[Toric]

Zyrr spreads his arms in mock surprise at the insults and threats. "Well I didn't think I'd stirred up that much trouble. Come now, can't we just forget about the world outside our mead, drink up, and enjoy some Sorlian polka?" He gestures his tankard to the fellow playing his heart out on the cumbersome instrument, then takes in the unchanged glares. "No? Well, none can say I never tried to make friends." He rises from the chair and drags it behind him, away from the table of hostile drow. As he leaves, he keeps his eye on the tuba player, with the big, conical bell perched atop his shoulder. very bronze, very polished, very reflective.

Spoiler

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[roll=Perception]1d20+6 to watch the drow in the tuba's reflection.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Spoiler

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OOC: Zyrr's perception - (1d20+6)[23]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan unlimbers his bow and walks up behind the table with the drow. He sees that Zyrr is leaving, but he's ready, just in case.

Spoiler

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Minor
Draw bow

Move
Walk up to behind drow

Standard
If any of the drow move to attack Zyrr, use Karmic Wound
Attack v AC - (1d20+20)[26]
Damage - (2d10+11)[13]
On hit, if the drow hits with an attack before the end of my next turn, he takes an additional (1d10+4)[9] damage.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain grins.

"I'd be offended if you did." He closes his eyes for a moment and concentrates on what he'd learned years ago from Master Ephram Theryn, his favorite teacher at the academy he'd gone to, who had taught him the basics of how to meld arcane magic and swordplay. He reaches for his own inner power, calls it to his hand and springs forward through the void, slashing at Aramil.

"Bring it, old man."

Spoiler

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For ****s and giggles, let's see if Eltain can actually hit Aramil:

(1d20+21)[39]

Ephram Theryn was my first 4E character. He was a Shielding Swordmage, and the source of my love for teleport-y magic users who stab things with their minds.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Lucan draws his bow and steps up behind the Drow, on of the dark elves glances back. Cursing, he starts to stand, and you see the rest of the Drow begin reaching for hidden daggers and wands, but they suddenly freeze in their tracks as the two huge half-ogre bouncers step up behind Lucan, and stare at the Drow, arms crossed, biceps bulging. In a deep voice, one of the half-ogres growls "Mister Thoene, are these punks bothering you?"

OOC: I suddenly remembered mid post that Lucan is standing in a Inn that he owns. With people that are employed to prevent fights...

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

"These gentlemen were just leaving," Lucan says calmly. "Show them out, will you?"

Spoiler

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OOC: Let's see if my large friends can help convince the drow to be reasonable.
Intimidate - (1d20+17)[31]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The Bouncers nod "Whatever you want, Mr. Thoene," and moments later the Drow find themselves in a heap outside the door in the rainy streets of Sigil.

The rest of the night is rather uneventful, with the exception of an incredible flute-tuba duet by Lucan and the Half-orc.

OOC: What are people's plans between now and the time you all head for the Feywild?

[Mando Knight]

Eltain's strike slips through Aramil's mythal barrier, forcing him to redirect the blow with his own blade. Not a complete parry, but enough to move the hit towards a more favorable location. "Good. But we already both know your skill at swordplay alone."

Breaking out of the blade bind by teleporting behind Eltain, Aramil reposts with his own twin slashes, the first terribly wide almost as a feint, but the second, more precise stroke leaves residual thunder about Eltain, forbidding escape.

Spoiler

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(1d20+21)[24]
(1d20+21)[31]
(Do you wish to resolve this in a play-by-play, or skip to the end? I can go either way.)

[Hzurr]

OOC: I'm assuming we'll handwave the battle. 1-on-1 PC fights aren't really practical in 4e, and this would basically be "who does the forum roller like more at thus point in time" since terrain/tactics don't really matter in the current situation. Feel free to narrate and be creative in your description, but skip to the end.

[Nai_Calus]

Aramil is hit by a blast of ice crystals as Eltain suddenly vanishes to appear across the room, before channeling a bolt of arcane energy at the swordmage. It goes wide, partly due to Aramil's superb reflexes and partly due to Eltain's own surprise that he can still pull that off. The battle continues in much of the same vein, the two fey trading blows and teleporting around the room, until finally Aramil lands a decisive blow and Eltain yields.

"Ow... Well, I guess I'm better than I thought at this, but I definitely still need practice." He grins. "You're good. Master Theryn would have loved you."

Spoiler

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Feel free to elaborate more of your side of the battle, Mando, especially how you take Eltain down.

[Mando Knight]

During the engagement, Aramil is always mindful of the flow of battle. After a few exchanges, Eltain disengages, and Aramil reaches out with his open left hand, whipping tendrils of lightning around Eltain and pulling him back into the swordmage's reach, where he finishes the duel with a sound thwack to his counterpart's left side.

When Eltain yields, Aramil nods and sheathes his sword. "I have to be, to make sure none of us die on our often-reckless adventures. You remembered your lessons well, to keep up as long as you did without relying on your armor and shield. Do keep in mind that your left side in particular is more open to attack without them, however."