The Threshold IC II (D&D E6, low-op, story based)

[Woggle]

Bobin steps forward very cautiously, taking great care to follow the elf's instructions to a tee. He offers the locket while his mind is a-whirl with what he and his friends may have got themselves into. What sort of sordid ritual is underway here? Maybe this really wasn't a good idea after all.

Bobin speaks hesitantly: "Are... are you well? Do you need aid? I'm not that familiar with elves, but you do look a little pale..."

[Kaptin Keen]

He reaches out - with his left hand - to hold the locket up to his eyes, meanwhile saying, in his infinitely dry voice:

I'm perfectly fine, I was just ... finishing ... Recognition registers in his eyes, and then his gaze becomes distant. The one loose thread I never ... His voice fades, but when he finds it again, his eyes settle like a ton of steel on Bobin.

Where did you get this? His voice holds an undisguised threat of violence.

[WalkingTheShade]

"Up in Kelsen's Fist. 'Vryone was dead there," provides Jon, who actually didn't feel the jab from Jack's elbow earlier.

[Kaptin Keen]

At the mention of Kelsens Fist, Fael Thal-Amüen (as his name rightly is) seems to grow distant for a moment. He mumbles, as if reciting from a book rather than remembering: Kelsen's Fist. One name for a pitiful hole in the ground contested many decades ago by orcs and men. Associated with Kelsen, a commander, and Anton, a priest of the human faiths.

He seems to return to the present: That explains nothing. How did it get there? How did you find it?

[WalkingTheShade]

"We, huh, find it, I think, on some, eerrrrr, dead soldier?" Jon turns to his friends for help.

[iTookUrNick]

"Well, yes." says Jack, having gathered the courage to speak "We found it at the Fist while on unrelated business. From what we could gather, it had been given to the human commander that perished there during the orcish assault. A tragic love story, it appears. "
He almost stops there, but then continues: "We do not know if there are detail that might be of importance to you. May I ask what kind of information are you looking for, specifically?" He does not ask why, but is subtly implied that it would be useful to know.

[Kaptin Keen]

Yes - my daughter had a fling with some human. He manages to make it sound only barely derogatory. That's not news to me.

She was the last one, did you know? The last elf to be born on this world. And she disappeared. I expected her to eventually just ... turn up. She'd hardly have been the first to persue some random fancy for a century or two. For me, it was this city - I watched it for centuries, before my interest faded.

But she never did return.

I tried to find her - would have left long ago, if not for her. Now I'm the only one left.

His voice calls to mind dust and ash, and a dry wind across a parched desert.

If only I knew ...

[iTookUrNick]

Jack waits a few moments to see if the Elf will resume speaking. When he fails to do so he tries to steer him away from his reverie and towards some sort of conclusion. "You know, in the stories the locket a young girl gives to her lover is also the Key ti find her. I know Life is not a play but... have you looked if there's anything that could lead back to her?"

[WalkingTheShade]

"A'ight, I see where this is goin'." Jon sighs with utter weariness. "We go look fo' her. Good Gods. We will go look fo' her. For free. We do it. Promise. I got a Ma, if I get lost she be dead worried. So, a'ight, we go find her."

"What's her name?"

Jon's tone lacks any trace of his usual optimism and cheerfulness.

Spoiler: OOC

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10 to 1 her name is Fael Thal-Aniel.

[iTookUrNick]

Jack turns around horrified, his face drawn into a grotesque mask as he contemplates what he heard: for free?!?

[Kaptin Keen]

Aniel, he replies, absently. Fael Thal-Aniel dur Ch'elëum, if you want the full thing. Aniel, first of the House of Fael, daughter of the grand kingdom of Elëum.

Spoiler: In case anyone was wondering

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It's essentially of-the-house: Fael, First-of-the-name: Aniel, Daughter, from the kingdom of Elëum. House/Birthrank/Name/Origin. I imagine the elven tongue as being entirely pointlessly complicated and backwards. And I imagine them as being similarly pointlessly grammar-nazis.

[WalkingTheShade]

"Faelthalaniel, oh, yeah, right. Let's go find her. Come Toby..."

Jon turns his back to the elf, looking for the door. Then he remembers they didn't come in through a door. Then he thinks he must look stupid know. Then he thinks there's something important occuring right now, something, like, he doesn't really know. But it seems like this strange impression of having already been there, except he's never been in that place with that elf before. "Huh."

Jon turns to Bobin. "There's somethin' wrong 'ere? I mean, I get this strange feeling, I don't know..."

[iTookUrNick]

"Faelthalaniel, you said? Haven't we heard that name before? Like, recently?" asks Jack, looking at his two companions.

[WalkingTheShade]

"Yeeaaaah, you're right, I remember, like, somethin'... It's like..." Jon's face contracts. It looks painful.

[iTookUrNick]

"... someone connected to the cave we explored? I think that's when you mentioned the name." Gosh, Jack surely regrets not paying more attention.

[Woggle]

Bobin stands stone-faced as he processes what the elf-lord has told them. Coincidence? Some cosmic joke? I'm definitely missing something here...

Bobin finally speaks: "My condolences, Lord Elf. Faelthalaniel is also the name of an envoy of Commune that we met back in Silverbrook; a traveller from the portal. They definitely aren't an elf, as far as I know, though I never saw their face. I've also never heard of elves being able to speak through thought, but... I don't know much about elves, to be honest. If the name is a coincidence, it's quite a remarkable one."

Bobin adds to Jon: "We'll be able to head back to Silverbrook before setting off to find Aniel, if indeed she still lives. It's been a long time since the battles at the Fist."

Bobin turns back to the elf, and hesitantly says, "Do you think she may yet live?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Apologies about the somewhat inconsistent posting the last two weeks. I'm back to more regular posting.

[Kaptin Keen]

As the elf takes this in, you watch as his otherwise stony face slowly lights up with barely contained fury. He tries to rise, fails - then slowly, torturously gathers what strength remains in his body and gets up.

You're saying a creature in Silverbrook used my daughters name?

And that creature spoke in your minds, by telepathy? Am I hearing this right?

The questions are rhetorical.

With a motion of his hand, he summons his robes - bright red silk embroidered with golden runes. They are as splendid a thing made of cloth as you have ever seen. In them, he manages to look no less broken.

He raises his hands, and speaks in a language unknown to you (except for Jack).

Spoiler: Jack

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It's the ancient draconic tongue. The syllabels flow as elegantly and fluidly as you've ever heard. It makes you think here's someone who actually learned ... from a dragon.

The spell he's casting isn't known to you, but you're pretty sure he's summoning the power to fly.

[Woggle]

Despite their rhetorical nature, Bobin nods to the elf's questions. The elf's sudden action causes Bobin to become concerned. He stammers, "Now, let's not be hasty! What are you planning on doing?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The elf finishes casting his spell, and glides effortlessly into the air.

I will tie up one last end before I leave this place for good.

At a wave of his hand, one large window swings open, and he swoops out of the study with a whoosh.

Spoiler: Windows

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I think I forgot about those when I described the room.

There are windows - three of them, spread out around the room, acting as a sort of punctuation to the tall bookshelves that otherwise dominate. They are wide and high, unbroken panes of clear glass (impossible as far as you know) giving a sweeping view of the city of Madripore. Far as you can tell, the windows will show the dawn, midday and sunset. Roughly.

Outside each window is a balcony, btw. Just so you know.

[iTookUrNick]

"Wait! Have you considered that it's actually your daughter somehow..." tries to say Jack, but the elf sprints away without letting him finish. As the elf flies towards the horizon, Jack comments Grimly "Well, I suppose that could have gone better. I suggest we make for Silverbrook with haste. Hopefully, that will have any serious repercussions."

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon beholds the sudden conversation without much concern at first. His face turns from Bobin to the elf and back. And then, there's a sudden rush of activity. And then, the elf guy jumps out of the window. "Wait! Noooo! Don't kill yourself over this we go find 'er promi—" shouts Jon, in accelerate, before realizing the elf can fly. "Oh."

Jon scratches his head: "So d'you think he still wants us t'go find his daughter 'nyway or what?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The study is quiet, and empty. The golden items still lies on the floor, and the meaty object still lies in the urn. Around you, more wierd and arcane equipment and litterature that you've ever laid eyes on sits patiently on tables and shelves.

A cool breeze wafts from the open window. The sun shines. It's actually a very nice day in Madripore - at least seen from here, where the sun always shines, and the time is always early morning.

[Woggle]

Bobin closes his eyes and lets the breeze waft over him. He takes a deep breath, then peers about the room a little more closely. He thinks about poking around, then thinks again and decides not too. Finally he gathers himself together and addresses Jon and Jack: "I expect he's gone to do that himself, Jon. And we'd best be off, I think." Bobin pauses, looking warily at the circle and the... meaty object. He gives a slight shudder. "This place makes my skin crawl. Best be careful not to tough anything. Who knows what the old feller was up to. Nothing pleasant, I'm sure."

Bobin motions to head toward the stairs. "You coming along?"

[iTookUrNick]

Spoiler: Roll

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spot - (1d20+5)[15]

The thought of leaving without ransacking the place makes Jack feel quite uneasy. He looks around too, trying to see if there's anything laying about that he could simply swipe while leaving. He does not go near the circle.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon nods to Bobin. "Oh good, we can go home now. Oh wait."

If it weren't for Ma Gertrude, Jon would have followed Bobin. Yet, a new and unexpected curiosity has taken hold of him: he approaches the books, looking them over for now, but not daring to touch any. In specifics, he looks for any writting the elf might have been following to do whatever that ritual was.

Jon concentrates but notices no aura from any of the books. Turning to see what his friends are doing, his eyes grow large. "Hey, th'books, they have no aura, but I think a few stuff's like magic an' all 'round 'ere."

Jon stands in the middle of the room, and turning on his heels, he slowly enumerates: "Those neklaces an' rings, that dress-cloak-thing, the fire-stuff, th'mirror, that bowl an' the bottle there. Oh, an' the gold thing h's holdin' before, an' that other thing where he puts stuff... An' I think th'whole tower's magical too. That's strange."

Having said that, Jon goes to consult the books lying around, trying to make some sense out of them.

[Woggle]

For the moment, Bobin wins against his urge to rummage through the items that Jon mentions. The recent experience with attempted robbery helps him maintain his willpower, and he waits patiently on the landing. "The tower being magical doesn't surprise me; did you feel how when we first entered the inside seemed larger than the outside? I wonder how the magic works... did whoever built it have to enchant every stone, one-by-one, or is it one BIG enchanted once the whole thing was finished? Mysteries never cease... " Bobin trails off into silence, occasionally mumbling a word to himself.

[Kaptin Keen]

For the moment, Bobin wins against his urge to rummage through the items that Jon mentions. The recent experience with attempted robbery helps him maintain his willpower, and he waits patiently on the landing. "The tower being magical doesn't surprise me; did you feel how when we first entered the inside seemed larger than the outside? I wonder how the magic works... did whoever built it have to enchant every stone, one-by-one, or is it one BIG enchanted once the whole thing was finished? Mysteries never cease... " Bobin trails off into silence, occasionally mumbling a word to himself.

Spoiler: OOC

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The answer is propably in one of the books in this room :p

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon puts his finger down on one books cover: "Mortadella, wait no, Morta-eenee's Compendi-oom." Jon scratches his head. He goes back to the pages bookmarked and tries to read through.

Spoiler: OOC

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Arcana - (1d20)[3] to figure out what for is the ritual whose walkthrough is described in Mortaine's Compendium.

TWIST: It's actually a walkthrough about learning to program Excel macros in BASIC!

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC

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The walkthrough explains, quite accurately, how to achieve a state described as Immortalis Necrosis Eternum. It describes how it is required to imbibe venenum animae, which will cause corpis morte. At this point, it states, it is vital bind the animae to the phylactery, and it emphasizes that this is vital, or the entire process will fail with detrimental results.

Next, one must physically remove the still beating cor, and place it in the specially prepared urnae. A special incantation must be spoken over the cor, to keep it always vital.

Finally, it explains the loop: Cor maintains animae maintains vitae maintains cor. Thus, one may exist eternally, but obviously the loop can be broken, again with detrimental results.

How much of this makes even a shred of sense to Jon ..... I leave in your hands =)

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon slaps the book close. "Huuuurrrgghhh. It makes no sense!"

Jon leaves the Mortadella Compendioom where he found it. He then goes around the room and picks up a couple books: One titled An Approach to the Upper Dimensionnal Meta-Geography of the Happy Hunting Grounds of the Beastlands and another named Cryptozoologist's Companion. (Jon chose the first based on its last word, and the second on the the magic animal pictures inside.)

"So, huh, we go now?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Jon doesn't care about the rest of the loot, but he'd certainly wear more gear if the others convinced him to do so.

Also Heart of Stone+Elemental Summoning contraption = Combo?