Bruendor turns to his friends and motions for them to give him some space, memories of the unfortunate trap back in the real world still fresh in his mind. Once they've cleared away from immediately in front of the doors, he pushes them open with one hand, his rapier readied in the other.
Kel remains frozen as Bruendor examines the door, certain that if she moves she'll find the only stick to step upon.
Anklebiter mutters a single Word of Power and scans the door before Bruendor pushes it open.
Once the door is open, he scans the space beyond.
Bruendor pushed the door open. When nothing exploded, or leaped out to slice him open, he leaned in to peer inside. There was a large marble staircase leading up to the second level, overlooking a marble foyer. In an arc across the foyer was arranged eight crossbowmen, each with a loaded crossbow pointed straight at the dwarf. On the staircase was a severe looking woman, who said, "By all means, come in. I'll even give you the chance to explain why you are assaulting my residence before I have you imprisoned. "
"Look, we don't need to go to all that trouble," Bruendor began, putting up his free hand, but not relinquishing ahold of his blade. "Hell, we didn't even know the estate was inhabited. I was under the impression that it was owned by one of the ghost elves here, and they don't seem to mind when we bother them. Who are you?"
"Pardon our lack of manners, great lady. It's as he says, we didn't know. We are wounded, weary, and tired, and that maybe affecting the manners of us as potential guests. I am Lefrik."
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Calla nods, keeping a wary eye on the crossbowmen.
"Please forgive our intrusion, I am Kel and these are my companions. We seek shelter and would ask this great favor of you?" As Kel soothes the moment she also looks for signs and symbols of gods that would help her understand the persuasion of this estate.
"Indeed, we have no intention of assaulting your people and holdings," Anklebiter says, his voice more precise and melodious than usual. "Only to find shelter from the hostile forces that have seized this city. We hold no malice towards you."
As you watched, the woman flickered slightly, going from a solid appearance to an illusory one and back again. "Surmounting my walls, magically concealing your approach, and entering my manor is pretty much my definition of assaulting my holdings. I appreciate that your intent may not have been to do harm to me and mine, but your methods do not lend much confidence. Convince me, and I may offer the succor you seek."
On a further examination, the men with crossbows were not nearly as solid as they first appeared.
Screw it, lay the cards on the table, Bruendor thinks. We're getting nowehere concealing our intentions.
"If you're not allied with the dark elves that take refuge here, then we have no quarrel with you," he says evenly. "Their defeat is our end goal. Perhaps you'd like your domain expanded from beyond the short wall protecting your estate? Their eviction from the Echo would create a vacuum that someone would have to fill. Why not you, miss...?"
His eyes flick between the woman and her crossbowmen, and his jaw sets. Dammit, more illusions, though I think we're dealing with just her for the moment. If there's another aboleth in here, I'm going to be pissed.
"What is your relation to the Elves that built this city, miss?" Anklebiter asks. "Were you friends? If so, then the Drow are not yours. Not yours, not ours... not anyone's. They are using this place to learn to duplicate the fall of the Starstone. If they're not stopped, they could scour Golarion's surface of life. All life."
"What they said," Lefrik answered
Calla just keeps an eye on the flickering figures, waiting to see if her companions can reach a truce.
"Demons hunt these streets, they hunt us, and they are why we sneak over walls and hide in fog. It is not your estate under assault, it is a deadly foe that has assaulted this city. See our wounds to know that this enemy is real. Please, in the name of Desna, provide us the succor we seek."
"There has been an...unsavory element intruding upon our domain these days. I had thought that it was simply another influx of elves from teh south. What are these dark elves and drow you speak of? From whence do they hail? And what is an Echo? We have seen the demons, of course, but that is certainly nothing to be disturbed about. Someone has obviously summoned them for research purposes."
"Still, your words sound honest and true, though they seem to make little sense. Convince me that you are not fugitives from the legitimate authority of Celwynvian."
Anklebiter slowly moves forward, hands raised to show he is unarmed. He clears his throat and starts to sing. Goblin voices are hardly operatic at the best of times and Anklebiter's voice warbles with the day's exertions, but the song is recognizable as the High Chant - an old way of telling history.
The first verse deals with pre-Cataclysm Golarion. It speaks of the lands of Elves and Humans. So far, the human shades should be able to recognize it.
But then Anklebiter sings of the arrogance of Azlant, and the terrible penalty inflicted on that proud nation; the Star-Stone fell from space and clove earth and sea, brought an Age of Darkness to the world.
A grim pageant unfolds as the Wizard's voice gains in strength and confidence. He sings of Elves who fled to some faraway place - and of Elves that burrowed under the earth instead. He sings of the rise of the Orcs and the corruption of the Drow. Finally, he sings of the breaking of the Dark Age, the routing of the Orc Empire with the ascension of the Dwarves and the return of the Elves who remained pure.
"All of this has happened," Anklebiter concludes, once the last echoes of his song have died away. "Centuries ago. I am sorry. You have been here, living memories of a great age, part of this echo of the pre-Cataclysm city, but the world has moved on. The corrupted Elves... the Drow... they have fostered hatred in their hearts for the kin that fled and returned. They hold hatred for all. They have summoned the demons, not for research, but as troops. Your city is their way to the power to bombard Golarion as it is now with more rocks from the Dark Tapestry. They have already test-fired on the city of Riddleport."
Anklebiter holds out his hands to the human woman.
"Lady. I am a Goblin. I am sure you know my kind to be wicked, stupid and cowardly. But I beg you to hear me. Believe me. My words are true. If you do not help us, this precious memory of the past you inhabit will be sullied for eternity as it allows the Drow to conquer, despoil and destroy the present. Please."
Lefrik looks impressed, but then worried, "I hope we're not giving too much away. For all we know this woman is a facade cast by a dark elf."
Now he's singing. Bad enough a goblin wizard but do we really need a goblin skald? At least it wasn't all rhyming couplets. I heard that's what they usually do.
"What the goblin says is true," Calla nods. "The drow are our enemy and we plan to destroy them and any allied with them."
"Enough! Please, if you are from a future era, do they truly train goblins as singing pets? This is intolerable. You are saying that this phenomena in the sky is actually the end of my world, and happened centuries ago? Unlikely. It would take millenia for the recovery to take place to allow civilization to rebuild to the point where you came from."
"Still, it does correspond to some of the auguries I have read recently. Very well, you may stay in the guest wing, but if any of these dark elves, drow, purple monkeys, whatever you call them come looking for you, or send their demons to collect you, I will not risk any of my property or people in your defense. Also, you will stay in the quarters assigned to you and will not attempt to move about the rest of the manor. Do I make myself clear?"
"Lady," Anklebiter says with brittle dignity, "I am no one's pet. I am my own person. That said, I thank you for your hospitality. Might we have quarters with two bath tubs? My Dwarven friend and I... must bathe. Separately."
"Thank you, Lady," Bruendor says, sheathing his blade slowly, now that some sort of agreement has been made. "We can ask no more, and we are indebted to your kindness."
Grateful for the chance at rest, Kel waits for the pleasantries to complete, then investigates the west wing for bathing tubs and proceeds to fill the two most suitable that she can find.
"Thank you," Lefrik says gratefully, but still troubled by something.
"Very well, Halvor will escort you."
One of the men with the crossbows stood and nodded to the woman. He asked you to follow him and led you down a hallway to a suite of rooms at the end. The suite consisted of a bathing area with 3 tubs, a bedroom with two large beds, and a common area with 2 couches and a large overstuffed chair. The decor was opulent, and it was obvious that your hostess spared little expense.
Once you were inside the rooms, Halvor placed a guard outside the doors. Upon further investigation, Bruendor found that the taps of the tubs created hot and cold water on demand. No need for servants splashing water out of buckets, or even cold baths.
Calla nods in appreciation and lowers her bow, though she remains wary, keeping the weapon in hand, if not any arrows.
When they arrive at the quarters, she looks around.
"We'll need a watch tonight," she says as soon as they're alone.
Once they are in the quarters, he agrees, "Aye. Let the spell casters restore.... I need less time and can take whatever watch assigned. Why would this human lady be here, isn't this a land of elves or am I mistaken on that? "
"The Elves were at war with Thassilon," Anklebiter says while he runs himself a bath and starts to take off his equipment and clothing. "Thassilon was not a benevolent land. Some humans must have rebelled and become welcome here. Or something. I don't know. I'm so tired..."
Minky clambers into the overstuffed chair, curls up and appears to fall asleep on the spot.
"Sleep, Anklebiter. Rest, then restore you spells. Your magic and mind have served well as always my friend. There will be time to put both to test soon, but for now, sleep."
The Goblin strips, unembarrassed, and clambers into the tub. He shuts off the water as soon as it reaches his chest and closes his eyes. "Watch us. Don't... let us... drown..."
Softly, Anklebiter starts to snore.
Unlike the goblin, Bruendor gets into the tub with his clothing still on - he was planning on resting in his armor, and that would be exceptionally uncomfortable in the buff, even for a dwarf. He also falls asleep quickly, though he sleeps fitfully - he has visions of Shalelu and the rest of the elves being tormented by their drow captors. His mind is unable to conjure tortures sadistic enough for the dark elves, but the images of screaming elves pleading for the mercy of death is enough to make him glad of second watch.
Lefrik nods, making sure to watch both his friends and the door
Kel falls into slumber quickly and her snores match the goblin's to create a song of sleep.
Lefrik takes his task at watch seriously...
The night passes uneventfully, and the rest is much appreciated, though Bruendor and Anklebiter didn't exactly relish spending the entire night in cold water. When they finally gew tired of it, their skin was so wrinkled, especially on their hands and feet, that it seemed worse than the jelly-like skin of their aboleth-caused curses.
All hope of a night's rest curing the skin condition were washed down the drain, along with the bathwater, as it was clear that their stint int eh water had done nothing to aid their condition.
A few hours'of preaparation and eating rations, and you were back on your feet, fully clothed and armored, and ready to go.
"We should talk to the shadow people," Anklebiter says after studying his book. "Try to get their help."
Unless someone stops him, the Goblin pops his head out of the suite's door and addresses a guard. "We should like to speak with your lady master, if she is free now."
Anklebiter tried to open the door, only to find it locked. When he banged on it and called out to the guards on the other side, one responded. "We will send word to her. Please be patient while we await her orders."
The wait felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, before the sound of a key in the lock rattled through the door. The door opened, and a guard bowed politely. The Madame will see you in the library.
The guards seemed to be less substantial today than they had been previously, sometimes slipping into transparency as they led you to where the lady of the house awaited you.
Lady Ekarndani sat in a large upholstered chair, her fiery ranseur leaning against a nearby rack. She looked up from her reading as you were ushered in. "Well, you had your place of refuge, and now I must insist that you leave. Let it not be said that the scions of Azlant would turn aside those in need. Good day, and I would suggest that you not darken these hallways again."
She made a gesture with one hand, and the guards made to usher you back out again.
"Azlant..." Lefrik scratches his chin quietly, then calls out after the lady, "Our gratitude to you, lady. You do your people proud."
Calla shrugs, ready to leave but waiting to see if Anklebiter will try to get any more aid.
"So the dragon?" she says, purposely loud enough for the echoplasmic folks to hear her, as she waits to see what if any reaction that provokes.
"Well, if we die, dying by a dragon isn't a bad way to go." Lefrik muses, "Fine. I vote for the dragon."
A sigh, "But even with the night's rest, I will be in need of healing before fighting it. I may not be alone in that."
"There are Elves being held prisoner at the Observatory," Anklebiter says. His words are bald, almost harsh.
"Or there were, before my weakness forced us to flee. They were to suffer some special fate. Maybe they are still alive. Maybe they are dead. Maybe it is even worse than that.
Daughter of Azlant, please. I come before you as a disreputable beggar, I know, but I entreat you to hear me. If you claim friendship with the Elves, please bestir your troops and join us. The Observatory is held by the Drow, even if you do not believe in them. It is guarded by demons, who are not here to be studied, but to spread the vile evils of the Abyss. It is being used as a lair by a green dragon.
Daughter of Azlant, we go forth to battle so we might save the Elves who have embraced us as friends if yet we may, and to save the greater world. In the name of your own friendship with the Elves, please join us. If I speak lies, then you will be on hand to stop us from doing harm. But if we speak truth, your beautiful city has been taken over by evil forces and your help is sorely needed. Bestir yourselves; show once again that the children of Azlant, the favoured of Aroden, are capable of great heroism, I beseech you."
"Friendship, goblin? With the elves? Whatever gave you that idea? Now, please, remove yourselves from my household. I have done my duty as hostess by allowing you, complete strangers and armed to the teeth, to take refuge here. Now, do your duty as guests and depart."
Anklebiter sighs, his ears wilting.
"As you wish, memory of Azlant. Ere we part, are you open to some selling of items? If not, then we shall depart in peace."