Way of the Wicked: Knot of Thorns [IC]

[Ixe]

"To war."

Ixe raises his glass aloft, and with a maniacal grin replies, "To Chaos!" He drinks deeply of the ruby elixir, coughing slightly at the bitterness of it, possibly wishing for some fruit juice to add yet not wanting to appear like a pansy in front of their Master.

[Silver Night]

Seva

Seva raises her goblet, "War."

[Cavir]

Vosnak raises his goblet too. "To Markadian's demise."

[Hypersmith]

A raised glass, and a practiced sip. "to victory."

[Jopustopin]

Jeyne

She raises her glass as well and listens one by one to her allies before finally adding, "To Hextor, To Cardinal Thorn."

She finishes her goblet of wine, a large glass for a small girl, at the end of the toast. When it's time to depart she'll take the circlet and put it on her head before heading to her room for the night.

[Cavir]

"Has the captain been paid in full or is he expecting more upon return here? Something useful to hold over him if it comes to that."

[Kish]

"The captain does expect more payment upon returning you here. He is unlikely to try to sail away without you unless he knows he is doomed."

************************************************** ************************************************** *************

The next morning, you board the ship Thorn called the Frosthamar. Captain Kargeld Odenkirk, a tall man with a wiry beard, pale blond hair, and countless scars, seems to be the only one who speaks the form of Common spoken in Talingarde; the half-dozen grim sailors who make up his crew converse with each other in what some of you recognize as a dialect of Orcish.

"You will guard our boat all the way north, yes?" the captain says to Seva. "Then I will take you to the cursed north past hope and life."

Captain Odenkirk shows little interest in socializing, even with the most disarmingly charismatic of you, but the ship is smartly rigged and lovingly maintained.

[Cavir]

In the morning Vosnak has the servants fill a trunk with a variety of warm clothes for the group and blankets then bring it aboard ship. Vosnak eats an abundantly large hot meal, expecting it to be the last good one for a while. Grabbing all his gear and some of the books he had been reading, particularly the book on psionics and gems, he boards with the rest.

[Ixe]

(( OK, this is a bit after-the-fact, but it's been bouncing around in my head as something I "should have written". Given that the time given was rather vague, I guess I will just add it on. It's meant to be humorous and inconsequential, so I see no reason not to. ))

Ixe seems serious, rather than sarcastic. "A prudent precaution, friend. We shall administer them promptly, should the need arise. No need for apology; after all, that is why it's called training. Myself, I have a potion of healing...", he reveals a small, padded pocket on the inner lining of his robe, "in case of such emergencies."

Ilnesh does not notice Jervis going after his things, and so he does not react to it.

Ixe: "Next, this is a vial of strong alchemical acid." He shows you a white, tightly-sealed ceramic flask. "It is extremely corrosive; take precautions when handling it. It has a variety of creative uses: destroying the inside of a locking mechanism when picks fail, weakening the composition of ferrous doors and bars, so as to be able to kick them open... in the event that I am rendered unconscious, be certain that you do NOT administer this to me orally."

Spoiler: Ilnesh: Perception DC 23

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Jervis: Sleight of Hand check - (taking 20) + 3 (racial) = 23

After persistent effort, Jervis is able to lift the small vial of antitoxin out of Ilnesh's belt pouch, without being noticed...

Ixe continues where he left off. "Finally, there is this." From another pocket of his robe, he pulls forth a glass bottle, with a plain-looking metal lid. Inside it appear to be a collection of semi-precious gemstones, lengths of colored ribbon, and several small metal trinkets. You look at him puzzled. Are they spell components?

Ixe: "In the event that Jervis should abscond with any of your belongings, you can use this to barter with him to return your equipment." He quietly directs your attention to the corner of the room, where the peculiar beast squats under a table, clutching the vial of antitoxin that Ilnesh had showed you earlier.

Ixe rises from his chair and approaches his fiendish familiar. Jervis bares his teeth, flattens his ears against his skull, and clutches the antitoxin more firmly. Ixe brandishes the jar of baubles in the animal's face.
"Jervis... TRADE." After a few seconds of glaring at him distrustfully, Jervis lunges forward, snatching the jar from Ixe's hand while dropping the antitoxin in the process. Ixe picks the item up and returns it promptly to Ilnesh, with a slight bow. A faint smile plays about the edge of his otherwise serious face.

Jervis, having lost interest in your group entirely, unscrews the lid of the jar and dumps the contents onto the floor, playing with the shiny objects, chewing on the bits of ribbon and batting the trinkets to and fro. As usual, his attention span is approximately 3-5 minutes.

[Ixe]

As he packs his belongings in preparation for departure, Ixe gazes upon the half-finished batch of inks that he had labored over for nearly three months. In the end, he hadn't saved any money at all. He sighed heavily. Like so many other aspects of his life, he had worked and worked and worked at something, only to have it not really matter in the end. At least it had kept him occupied. Carefully packing it inside a width of oilcloth, he places it inside one of the drawers of the desk in the room he was using. Probably, the occupants of the mansion would never even notice, or if they did, have no interest in it. Even if someone did take it, it wouldn't matter. If Ixe does return to this mansion, he will likely have more important matters on his mind.

With the arrival of dawn, Ixe is dressed in one of the several black velvet robes he has packed for the occasion. A thick cloak is drawn over his head and gathered around his body, and he leans stiffly upon his polished black quarterstaff as he supervises the mansion's mindless slaves loading two hefty wooden chests aboard the Frosthamar. The smaller of the two seems to be the heaviest, undoubtedly containing at least one large book. The larger floor locker, much lighter, has no lock on the outside, and you notice a series of small holes have been cut along the perimeter.

Ixe savors the taste of what is likely to be his last cup of real coffee for a very long while, and he contemplates your task ahead.

(( I apologize for slacking off on the advanced vocabulary. It's late and I'm sleepy. ))

[Jopustopin]

Jeyne

The girl enjoyed the last bath she'd take for a while, relaxing in contemplation about the days events as the servants washed her, massaged her, and fed her. She lay awake longer than she wished deep in thought about how best to achieve their mission.

In the morning she stepped out of her room, in cold winter clothing, with all her gear strapped to her small frame, preparing for her journey to the north.

Meeting up with the others prior to entering the ship she changed her appearance piece by piece so that each effect occurred almost thoughtfully after the last. Her clothing turned into the normal attire for someone in the Talrean military. She grew almost an entire foot in height. Her hair turned red and grew long, nearly down to her waist and then it braided itself. The dagger on her hip grew to the length of a longsword and then the steel turned to mithral and the crossguard changed to a symbol of Pelor. Her light wooden shield on her back grew larger as well, appearing as a mithral heavy shield emblazoned with the seal of knighthood.

Spoiler: Image

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[Cavir]

Vosnak, covered in a dark, clean but inconspicuous long hooded cloak for protection from the cold winds, watched Jeyne's transformation. "Impressive. Time to find out who has sea legs. Fresh air will be a great thing." A new thing for me, too. Vosnak follows the crews' unspoken directions to their quarters. He in turn directs the servants load the trunks there then sends them back to the manor. He steps out onto the deck, gazing around at his new home while staying out of the crews' way.

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh pockets the circlet and shifts back as he leaves. It could come in useful at some point, as a backup for the others at least.
The morning of the trip, he decides it is best to appear nonthreatening, and takes the guise of a dignified older man, white receding hair, sunken eyes and a sharply trimmed beard. He overlays his leathers with a fur-lined colorful cloak, tucking away his daggers within. His pack is light, holding only his essentials. Still, he hands it off to servant and stands off to the side of the deck, hands clasped behind his back.
Seeing Vosnak emerge onboard, he approaches to let his new form be identified. "It will likely be months before we see this place again. Have everything you need?"

[Cavir]

Vosnak nods in greeting. "Need? Want? Where is the line drawn? More information about the tower would work wonders. Seems we will have to make do with what we already have. The good thing is we'll have plenty of time for planning. Have you sailed before? I have not."

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh shakes his head. "I haven't been sailing before. Never was a need for me to. Best not to let our first experience will be sullied by the morbid destination. When do you plan on trying the Cardinal's gift? Jeyne seems to have settled quickly into hers. Though I think all the military finery is overdoing it. Some sailor will probably attempt to touch it."

[Cavir]

Vosnak is relaxed. "Morbid destination? I'm not worried about meeting Sakkarot. We need him and he needs us. Play our cards right and maybe we can get supplies from the bugbear since we are helping his dream come true. We could use more allies. Even staying friendly with this crew would be useful at least until the trip is complete. A happy crew is an efficient crew, which leads to happy passengers. I hope your fun last night does not get us off on the wrong foot with them. I do not know if our colleagues will go for playing nice with them. We will all have to discuss such."

Vosnak is briefly quiet then comes back to the moment. "The gift? Plenty of time for that. It is something you do naturally so any advice as we go will be greatly appreciated. I do like the idea of being more incognito than Jeyne. Both have their advantages of course. So many things to discuss..."

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh raises an eyebrow at Vosnak's casual mention of last night. "Hmm. I doubt the crew is aware I had anything to do with the servant who came for inspections yesterday. I will have to keep more of an eye out. If you can spot that, I can't go risking it at our destination. As for the crew, I'll play nice because I get to have some fun at the end. As long as the rest don't go aggravating them or causing problems, I'm sure it will be no problem what they do. I can elaborate on smaller tricks to complete the disguises. But now, with the crew, is a good time to get the hang of keeping a consistent persona. As long as it isn't too difficult to maintain."
He curls his lip and continues.
"Though we must figure out what to do with Ixe's pet soon. We can't have the little devil breaking our disguises."

[Cavir]

"To be fair I can't claim to have seen through it. I would have assumed such since the servants wouldn't do that on their own. I had Sarin heading out to see what was going on. Ended up being the same time you prepped and went out. Though I suppose we should have some signal or two to help find each other, yes? A closed fist with the thumb between the middle and ring fingers? A pinkie scratching an eyebrow? More than one option would make it less obvious?"

[Hypersmith]

"Still, it's something to beware of, especially in the tower. So a system of communication like that is certainly advisable. A couple different meanings too - we can try the thumb between the ring and middle, rubbing the left of your mouth with your right knuckle. More to discuss with the rest. As long as it isn't too conspicuous.'

[Kish]

The first leg of the journey is placid and peaceful. You all have plenty of time to gain your sea legs and get accustomed to shipboard life. The Frosthamar may be a fine ship but it is not a ship that caters to delicate sensibilities. It has no cabins and you must sleep under the stars with the crew. There are no garderobes or chamber pots. The crew simply relieve themselves over the railing. The rations are hardtack and small beer, though Captain Kargeld does stop a couple of times to hunt deer along the wilder parts of the coasts.

It takes half a day to sail down the Varnyn River and out into the open ocean. The Frosthamar hugs the coast and from the ship you can see countless farming communities and fishing villages go by. More than a few fishermen wave at the Frosthamar. Kargeld is always sure to wave back. “Wouldn’t want ‘em to get suspicious, eh?” he says with a glower.

The Frosthamar is not swift so heavily-laden and averages about forty-eight miles a day. It takes a week for the ship to pass along the settled coast of Talingarde, passing the great city of Daveryn, the largest center of civilization along the western coast.

Spoiler: OOC

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There I'll pause for interjections; if no one has anything they want to say or do during this section of the journey by tomorrow, I'll continue. See the OOC thread for when I'll continue.

[Ixe]

Glancing back towards where Ixe was last standing, you see that the black-robed necromancer is nowhere in view. In his place stands a haggard, repulsive beggar. His face is wrinkled and weathered, and his long, stringy gray hair has remained unwashed for some time. His clothing is naught but filthy, faded rags, with patches sewn on by unskilled hands, as well as holes where more patches are wont. His posture is bent, and he leans heavily upon a non-descript wooden walking stick. He grins widely, revealing a rotten mouth with several teeth reduced to black stumps.

Old beggar: «to Jeyne» " 'Ere, yer Ladyship, kenn ye spare 'n old man ah spot o' copper, so 'e kenn feed 'is poor dog?"

From beneath his swath of rags, a mangy mongrel pokes its face out. The old man's "dog" has a coarse, greasy coat of wiry gray hair, with patches of black surrounding its eyes. The mutt's frame is gaunt, and it looks pitifully neglected. The animal sizes you up and sniffs the air expectantly, as if it were able to understand the word "FEED".

[Silver Night]

Seva

Seva mostly keeps to herself on the journey. She does practice with the circlet, taking on the appearance of a low ranking Talingarde soldier or a peasant most times.

[Ixe]

Spoiler: to Vosnak

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On one particularly black night, you happen to be sitting awake near the prow of the ship, enjoying the quietude that the Darkness brings. You find the rhythmic bobbing of the vessel comforting... crest to trough to crest again, your hair and skin lightly caressed by a damp, cool breeze. You slip from wakefulness, to trance, and back to something in between. A slight fog has begun to roll in from the east, and above, a thick layer of clouds obscures every star. The only illumination for miles around comes from a lone torch high atop the main mast, casting an unearthly glow diffused through the misty ocean air. The crewman stationed above as a look-out focuses on the sea ahead. After only a few days, the seamen seem to have grown completely disinterested in you and your Companions.

(( It occurred to me that we don't actually know what season of the year it is. Not late fall, I hope... ))

Keenly aware of your surroundings, you sense that you are being watched. One with a particularly complicated mind - one might even characterize it as "noisy" - has his gaze upon you. You look around, at first seeing nothing, but as your eyes adjust, you note that a dark shape is propped between a bench and a railing on the opposite side of the ship. Though the cowl of his cloak is draped low over his face, you recognize it at once as Ixe.

Ixe: «in a low voice» "Greetings."

He is not hiding... "brooding" might be a more accurate term. It is clear from his tone and demeanor that there is something troubling him.

[Cavir]

Vosnak had known of Ixe being there all along even though his back was to him, but was letting him have his space. Personal space wasn't something properly available on a ship like this.

He turned his head to the side so that the night air would help carry his voice enough. "G'evening Ixe. Come, join me. The water against the bow is soothing."

[Ixe]

Ixe clambers haltingly to his feet, gripping a nearby crate for balance. This seems to be one of the few occasions when his prized ebony quarterstaff is not within arm's reach. He approaches quietly, then slides down to sit next to you, drawing his thick velvet robes closely around his form.

For a minute or so, the two of you say nothing, both of you silently gazing on the undulating surface of the inky black water, breathing slowly and deeply, enjoying the fresh air for what it's worth. The slight waves that play about the surface of the coastal seas seem, at times like these, to be an inexpressibly profound metaphor for Life's own currents and eddies: one never knows when one might be carried away, unseen, by the undertow.

Finally, Ixe speaks, his voice little more than a whisper.

Ixe: "There is something that the cardinal alluded to during our last meeting that, upon further reflection, fills me with a deep foreboding. He disclosed that, if he thought that our Quest were utterly impracticable, he would have "delayed it to build his power base for more decades"... as if he had already been plotting this coup for decades... and as if he were someone for whom a couple more decades would pose little more than an inconvenience."
Here he pauses, awaiting your reaction.

[Cavir]

Vosnak slowly nods in agreement during Ixe's observations. "Yes, Thorn does plan at a grand level, both in terms of time and breadth. I don't know what he is for sure. I would guess a vampire but there are other creatures who also share long lifespans. Elves, demons, devils, dwarves, many others, all can take advantage of time. Take any of those, add illusion magic like our gifts from him, and he can hide what he truly is."

"Regardless of what he is, the time being right for him to act resulted in our lives being preserved. Taking down the royal house perfectly matches what I want. I'm fully in with making the plan work. I know it will be anything but easy but I'm not pessimistic as Jeyne has been. What is it you seek in life? Something beyond creating chaos?"

[Ixe]

"Yes, Thorn does plan at a grand level, both in terms of time and breadth. I don't know what he is for sure. I would guess a vampire..."

Ixe carefully considers this.

Ixe: "Hmm. Well, that would clarify his almost superhuman patience, his lack of emotion, and his allegiance to Hextor, as well as elucidating the nature of the slaves he commands. Now that I think on it, I cannot say that I have ever seen him about, during the day. Perhaps next time, I will --"

His words precipitously stick in his constricting throat, as he recalls the wine offered to them by the Cardinal, which he so naïvely gulped down.

"...there are other creatures who also share long lifespans ... take any of those, add illusion magic like our gifts from him, and he can hide what he truly is."

Ixe: «grinning in a sly manner» "I see. And is that what you do, Vosnak?" His manner is direct, but his tone is not accusatory.

"What is it you seek in life? Something beyond creating chaos?"

Ixe regards you curiously, tilting his head to one side. For some time, he remains silent, listening to the faint murmur of the water against the hull of the vessel as it bears you onward to the North.

Ixe: «pensively» "You know, Vosnak... I do not believe that anyone has ever inquired that of me, nor have contemplated the matter myself. As I reflect upon the concept, it occurs to me that, from my birth until this very moment, my existence has been focused not on attaining that which I desire, but rather on eluding that which I fear. Avoiding persecution, avoiding ridicule, avoiding loneliness, and above all, avoiding having to query myself such questions. Now, bound as we may be to Thorn's will, I am in point of fact at greater liberty than ever before, to chart the course of my own Destiny. I would do well, to give more consideration to just what it is that I do aspire. I am grateful for your Insight."

Your quiet conversation is abruptly interrupted by a loud, splashing fiasco that erupts behind you. Turning in that direction, you see Jervis, dripping wet, approaching you, carrying something in his mouth. It is a fish, which he has just snatched from the water with his own paws. You watch the fish convulse as Jervis eats one half of its head and tears out a mouthful of its gut. Then, peering at you with curiosity, he offers the rest to you. It seems that he has magnanimously saved you one of the eyeballs.

Ixe: "Oh... no, my Friend, we've... already eaten. But thank you."

Disappointed, Jervis scurries off to the shadows. As you listen to the sound of bone crunching and wet, scaly flesh slapping about the wooden deck, Ixe turns to you, with a started look on his face.

Ixe: «incredulously» "He is learning... the concept of giving?"

[Cavir]

"I see. And is that what you do, Vosnak?" His manner is direct, but his tone is not accusatory.

Vosnak smiled and nodded. "I was born pure human, just as I presume you are. After a life of being a librarian I was offered for a new life. A ritual changed me. It unlocked my mind to its real potential. Like an elf, I trance but don't need to sleep. I can die but not from old age. We call ourselves Elan." He gives time to let that sink in.

"I would do well, to give more consideration to just what it is that I do aspire. I am grateful for your Insight."

"I do hope it aligns with our goals."

Ixe: «incredulously» "He is learning... the concept of giving?"

"Now he needs his own disguise item."

Spoiler: OOC

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Seems like Kish can move us along now.

[Kish]

As you're passing the Watch Wall, Ilnesh sees a small patrol ship sailing toward you. Seva and then Vosnak see it as well. It looks like it will reach you in about ten minutes.

[Ixe]

"I do hope it aligns with our goals."

Ixe: «grinning wickedly» "I shall commence my new life by collecting spellbooks from wizards who were formerly loyal the King, before meeting an untimely and unpleasant demise. After all... everyone needs to have a hobby. Agreed?"