"Layne, Lief. I've got nothing but time here so let me know how I could help. If nothing comes to mind, I could sing or recite poems to encourage you but you may be sick of hearing my voice."
Lief hears his name, turning a page with a finger which holds it in place while he looks to the dancer. "I can't remember the last time you sought to encourage us, Dimitrio. You should do it more often, if you're so inclined."
The young man listens to the others and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the elven nation, and finds nothing to cheer. He thinks on Magnimar, and its distance from Kyonin. His mind plays at the impact of the first Plucking, and what havoc it wrought on Riddleport. Unless Allevrah's plans indicate that the second Plucking would be much greater in its devastation, Lief weighs his participation in a return trip to the Underdark.
"It might be that I work for a while, then take some rest. From there, I'll feel better about what I don't know."
Iaon smiles, ”I’m sure your help will be appreciated. Come with me.”
"Ioan, The Queen mentioned you had contact with the Crying leaf Village. Could you send word to have my shield sent over?"
He looks to Kaylayne. "Don't know how good I can be with your researching. I will help where I can, otherwise I could use a bit of rest."
”I’ll see to it your shield will be brought to you.” she adds. She nods, and leaves you to rest for now.
Not sure how he could help, Dimitrio offered nonetheless, "Layne, Lief. I've got nothing but time here so let me know how I could help."
He scoffed, "If nothing comes to mind, I could sing or recite poems to encourage you but you may be sick of hearing my voice."
She smiles, ”Your voice may be a distraction to those working on this just now, as melodic as it is, but you may certainly join Kaylayne if you wish.”
"If there's a way for me t' help, I will. Don't figure I'm much for researchin' though. Don't really have the mind for it. You got somethin' else I could help you with?" Ederin asks, shrugging.
"Don't much feel like restin' when there's things to get done. Tell me if you need somethin' from me and I'm happy to help."
Iaon nods, ”I know what you mean. The Queen is busy on many fronts, but a lot is simply waiting on the research. It may be you will have to be patient. But if I can think of something, I’ll let you know.”
She looks at Lief waits a moment and then shrugs as he continues to read. She leads Kaylayne, and any who care to join her, deeper into the palace.
A few twists and turns, and you emerge in a large chamber, scattered with high tables and few chairs. About two dozen or so earnest looking elven men and women are crowded around the tables, comparing notes and discussing meanings. Runners stand at the ready near the entrance, there to obtain anything those within may need - from books, to food, and even spell casting services.
Iaon syas, ”They’ve made copies of the originals and work from those, only checking the originals when necessary so nothing is damaged or lost in the process. The Queen has made it clear this has the highest priority, and so they’ve been working hard since receiving the documents this morning. Wait here.”
She strides in and captures the attention of a tall woman who seems to be at the center of the chaos of the room. She bends an ear to Iaon, and walks over to join you.
She bows lightly, ”Welcome, I am Elora Kelwarin and the lead researcher here. Iaon said you would like to help us discover the truth of these notes, and help to plan a course of action to thwart Allevrah. Your help is welcome. We had some difficulty early on, as some of these texts are a form of aboleth code. But we were very lucky - Hialin spent some time breaking the code, and left us a few keys.”
”Here we have copies of the entire collection, in the order we found them. We’ve identified two groups of documents, those from Hialin, and those, we think, from Allevrah - or perhaps older. There, on that table, are the copies just of the original notes which we are still translating, and on that table just from Hialin. Over here we are collecting information about the Land of Black Blood. Turns out the Queen had some notes in her personal library that have been the most helpful in that area.”
”Where would you like to start?” she inquires.
Ahh, sorry, I thought you were asking the party that question as the Queen was on her way out...
She would have answered - namely that she doesn't think stealth will be a useful option this time. And if it were, you'd need a half a dozen drow bodies to 'inhabit'. Unfortunately, though there are still occasional skirmishes near Crying Leaf, they haven't preserved any of the dead, so it may be several days or even weeks before they can collect enough bodies for you.
So she's not looking in that direction. Feel free to bring it up again though, and sorry I misunderstood! :)
Kaylayne begins a high level overview of the materials, seeing what is there and might be remunerative.
It varies, but knowing the language of the aboleths would help greatly, high linguistics to figure out the code, knowledge arcana, knowledge planes, knowledge local (underdark), knowledge geography to sort out the maps they have of the underdark.
Any and all those skills would help. Please make three total rolls for now.
Kaylayne looks over the writings and notes, trying to find her place.
Know (Geography) (don't forget headband bonus)
Know (Geography)
Know (Geography)
Know (Local)
Know (Local)
Know (Local)
Know (Planes)
Know (Planes)
Know (Planes)
hehehe, three total rolls please. You can focus on just one thing, or spread out your time on multiple things, but just three rolls total.
When Ederin hears about maps that need sorting he offers his expertise to bolster Kaylaynes.
Lief finally finds the reduction he's looking for, as the chemical blends to an opacity that will retain the essence of his magic, while turning it into a barrier for magical attacks to overcome. He's quite pleased that he's found another formula suitable for recording.
He enjoys the calm, for however long it will last.
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"Dimi, Allarnon, let me figure out the things that I don't know, then we'll go from there. I see if there is some way I can help, then see if there is a way you can help. I just don't know what to expect until I see what I don't know."
Allarnon nods. "Hehe. I probably would just get in the way. Always have been more for listening to the stories rather than reading them." He says with a sincere smile.
He turns to find a bed for the night. "See you lot in the morning."
You meet with the Queen daily to discuss progress and plans. After a few days of discussion, she outlines what you have collectively learned.
A study of the notes recovered from Thorn’s End reveals much about the process that the aboleths, and now Allevrah, use to call down meteors and asteroids to strike the world. The process requires powerful magic runes called earthfall glyphs. The larger the destruction required, the more glyphs are needed.
The creation of these glyphs is a long and time consuming process, and they must be placed at or below the point of impact. As the party learned in Zirnakaynin, Allevrah has taken many of the Azrinae forces down into the legendary Land of Black Blood. According to the notes of elven explorers this land lies directly below Kyonin, making it a perfect place to create the earthfall glyphs in secret.
A comparison of what you already know about Allevrah’s progress and the notes themselves indicates that certainly the glyphs have been completed and are in place.
Time is growing short - it’s impossible to tell how much time is left, but the time to strike against Allevrah is now.
The same notes indicate that for large events, multiple earthfall glyphs are required - one master glyph surrounded by a number of smaller focus glyphs. Each of the focus glyphs serves as a power source for the master glyph, and each focus glyph offers some sort of different protective ward to the master glyph.
Destroying the master glyph isn’t possible until all of its focus glyphs are also destroyed. Unfortunately, the types of wards Allevrah’s chosen for her focus glyphs, as well as the number of them she’s built in the Land of Black Blood, aren’t indicated in these partial notes. And although the notes mention some methods by which earthfall glyphs can be destroyed (various spell combinations seem to work, as does physical destruction - but at a much increased risk of dangerous magical backlash), until Allevrah’s specific glyphs can be studied up close, the exact methods will remain unknown.
The only option, it seems, is to send someone down into the Land of Black Blood to find the earthfall glyphs, destroy them, then find and defeat Allevrah.
The Queen says, ”We don’t wish to cause a panic, and sending a large army into the Land of Black Blood is a foolish move. The logistics alone boggle the mind, and Allevrah would doubtless learn of our mobilization with plenty of time to raise an army of her own - to bolster the forces she may already have. While We are certain that, given time, Our elves could defeat Allevrah and her drow, We are much less certain they could do so swiftly enough to stop the coming apocalypse.”
”We are however raising such an army, and doing it as quietly as We can. We are also making arrangements for a mass exodus through the Sovyrain Stone Portal, and We are preparing warnings to the other nations of the world to prepare for the event. But We hope it does not come to that.” she looks at the group.
”The Land of The Black Blood, as you know from studying the maps, is hidden in a dark forbidding corner in the deepest reaches of the Darklands, a place known as Orv. There is no direct route, and no elven wizard has seen it so We cannot teleport you there. However, We do have maps.” she pulls out several large maps, obviously fresh copies, and lays them out on the table. Kaylayne and Ederin have been pouring over these maps for days.
As the maps settle, she comments, ”These were given to Us by a loyal Pathfinder who had decided to attempt a grand mapping of the Darklands. The Pathfinder broke his oath with his organization to provide Us a secret copy of his maps, and We keep his identity secret to protect him from possible backlash as a result.”
”His maps are good and accurate - as far you have determined. Furthermore, the Pathfinder’s notes indicate that, while the Land of Black Blood isn’t ruled by any one creature, there does exist a place of note in the eastern limit of the region several miles from the entrance he used. This place is something he calls the “Shrine of Bound Earth,” a strange temple amid a grove of statues wherein a shaitan genie, a creature from the Elemental Plane of Earth, dwells.”
”The Pathfinder’s notes indicate the genie’s name is Haiten Bhaq, and that she is a sort of “caretaker” for the Land of Black Blood. For the right price, she was willing to offer much advice to the Pathfinder about the mysterious realm. We have selected just such a gemstone from Our treasury, an emerald worth 15,000 gp, for you to secure advice from Haiten Bhaq if you desire.”
She produces an emerald of unparalleled beauty and places it on the table with the maps.
”We suggest you utilize Wind Walk to close the distance between here and the genie’s home.” she produces four scrolls and sets them on the table (cast at 15th level). ”It’s a journey of some 700 miles. Kaylane and Ederin found a few shortcuts." she smiles. "We shall have a priestess cast the first spells upon you when you are ready to depart. These scrolls are for your return journey, or further travels as needed below.”
”We are sure you have questions, and We know little beyond what you yourself have seen in the research room. But We will answer what We can.”
Dimitrio piped up, "I hate to repeat myself but you are asking us to explore and investigate in an underground realm, a place where we will be effectively blind unless we find some glowing mushrooms or something."
The bard was clearly bothered, "What is your suggestion or anyone's suggestion to overcome this problem? We are probably going to be there for days and the magic I know won't last that long. Is there a way for us to obtain the capability to see in the dark?"
Dimitrio piped up, "I hate to repeat myself but you are asking us to explore and investigate in an underground realm, a place where we will be effectively blind unless we find some glowing mushrooms or something."
The bard was clearly bothered, "What is your suggestion or anyone's suggestion to overcome this problem? We are probably going to be there for days and the magic I know won't last that long. Is there a way for us to obtain the capability to see in the dark?"
The Queen nods, "It will be dark, that's true. You can obtain continual flame ioun stones to alleviate the darkness. There are spells that provide darkvision though they do not generally last long as you suggest. We think there may be some goggles that can help too. Would you like to visit with Our enchanters to have such a thing crafted for you?"
Kaylayne grabs the scrolls, hoping she won't fail to activate them when needed. She spends a lot of time planning and thinking about what she and the party might need to survive and succeed in the mission.
The Queen nods, "It will be dark, that's true. You can obtain continual flame ioun stones to alleviate the darkness. There are spells that provide darkvision though they do not generally last long as you suggest. We think there may be some goggles that can help too. Would you like to visit with Our enchanters to have such a thing crafted for you?"
Dimitrio smiled, "The ioun stones are good but they will give you away for miles. I know you said we wouldn't need to be stealthy but I also don't want to advertise our position."
He nodded, "Yes, I would like to see your enchanters. Perhaps they can provide with some sort of lenses that allows us to see in the dark. Like in pitch dark. Sort of like the dwarves."
He looked at his companions, "Do you want me to ask for more than one pair of these lenses?"
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"Though your spells to see in the dark don't last very long are there any elves in your pack that are able to make it's effects more permanent?" Allarnon suggests what he can as he has heard of strong magic.
"Do you want me to ask for more than one pair of these lenses?"
"Those goggles sound nice but I don't think that they will stay on Tark very well." He grabs the goggles and spins them around to inspect the opaque lenses.
Allarnon grows quite excited. "An actual Genie!? This world has everything. The stories must all be true...." he stares of in wonder and awe at all of the possibilities.
Lief frowns as the Queen explains that a land below Kyonin, known to elven explorers, is the perfect location to place glyphs in secret. His frown doesn't relax when she continues with the assertion that the glyphs are likely already in place.
He mentally logs his first question. Are glyphs as difficult to locate as protective runes? Without a total count of glyphs, their mission is already skewed for failure, as it only requires one focus glyph to continue the ongoing protection of the master glyph. Surely someone with knowledge of that interworking would make sure at least several of the glyphs are impossibly difficult to discover.
He mentally logs his second question. Why is called the Land of the Black Blood, exactly?
He listens patiently enough as mention of Orv arises, as well as shaitan Haiten. He wonders if the same elven explorers crossed paths with the genie, as did the Pathfinder.
When the Queen states that she is just as versed as Kaylayne and Ederin, Lief holds his questions for the bar maid and the archer, when they're alone. Any questions they can't answer, he brings up with Iaon.
He nods to Allarnon, as he considers a more permanent affect, with a spell of darkvision cast to last.
"Though your spells to see in the dark don't last very long are there any elves in your pack that are able to make it's effects more permanent?" Allarnon suggests what he can as he has heard of strong magic.
Iaon thinks a little and says, ”If I remember correctly, Permanency for Darkvision is a ‘self only’ casting. So unless you can find a way to cast Permanency on yourself, and Darkvision on yourself, it won’t work. I could get scrolls perhaps, though that would be a little more expensive, if you can cast them.” she looks at Allarnon, wondering if he can. ”Of course there’s always the risk of dispelling too but, with the Queens help, we can get a very senior caster to produce the scrollls.”
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"Sorry. I don't know much about casting spells from scrolls and the sort. Way outta my abilities." He balks that it was even suggested. "My fingers can't bend at those weird angles." He wiggles his fingers."[/b]
He hefts the goggles into the air. Goggles it is." He pats Tarkir on the head. "Sorry bud. You might have to stay here fer this one. Don't need you getting hurt down there again."
He looks up at Iaon "You think this earthen champion of the Underdark will know how many glyphs there are?"
Ederin had liked Allarnon's idea of darkvision, but when Iaon reveals that it can't be done, he shrugs and looks for other options.
"Guess I wouldn't mind upgradin' my bow if I can. Still need to figure somethin' out for invisibility too. Carini ain't always gonna be so lucky with his glitterdust." Ederin says, still considering what he needs before they can commit to a talk with this genie.
"Ain't ever met a genie before. Other than the offerin', is there a way to handle him? We got codes for this back home, but I ain't exactly up on my genie protocol. Any chance you could figure out how this Pathfinder stayed alive in the Land O' Black Blood either? I know you can't expose them, but any tips ain't gonna fall on deaf ears."
"I could use some magics as well," Kaylayne agrees. "I have some ideas of what I think might be helpful against the drow, and am making a list."
Kaylayne spends time doing some private research and compiling a list of what might be useful.
Lief lets his mind wander over the words discussed, playing at the edges of his memory, sifting through what he knows or doesn't.
"The shaitan would be able to scry all corners of her domain, wouldn't she? Would know where drow are crawling, might have witnessed the etching of the glyphs..." He speaks to no one in particular.
"Ederin, for this last push, I would have you take 40 of the 50k that would be allocated to me. 10k should be enough for a pair of those goggles Dimitrio speaks about. Make sure you fortify yourself well, alright?"
He looks up at Iaon "You think this earthen champion of the Underdark will know how many glyphs there are?"
”I don’t really know, but as Lief suggests, the genie may have scried and travelled over the lands and have much to tell you. It’s a thin lead, but it’s what the researchers were able to come up with.”
"Ain't ever met a genie before. Other than the offerin', is there a way to handle him? We got codes for this back home, but I ain't exactly up on my genie protocol. Any chance you could figure out how this Pathfinder stayed alive in the Land O' Black Blood either? I know you can't expose them, but any tips ain't gonna fall on deaf ears."
The Queen suggests, ”We do not know what formal genie protocol might be, but the Pathfinder was polite and wealthy, and that seemed to be enough. They are boastful and proud, so listening to their stories, however dull, may help as well.”
She produces a note, ”Here’s what the Pathfinder had to say about the Land of Black Blood.”
”The vast vaults of the Darklands are worlds unto themselves, places warped by magic and lost to the knowledge of the surface kingdoms. Among the greatest of these is the Land of Black Blood, a massive cavern and the heart of a lost underground civilization. Its walls gleam and ooze with black slime, a strange fluid that seems to exist in endless supply, dripping into the Darklands in a slow but steady flow.”
”The vault of the Land of Black Blood is a large and thriving region, though its corruption and peculiarities make it dificult for any major race of the Darklands to establish a permanent presence. The stories of the place never quite express the sheer strangeness of a cavern that seems to have pulsing foul blood, chittering servants, and a quasi-life of its own. While all regions of the Darklands have their dangers, the Land of Black Blood is best avoided by those who seek to retain their health and sanity.”
She sets aside the note and adds, ”The most obvious and striking feature of the Land of Black Blood is that which gives it a name: the chilling black fluid that seeps from more than a dozen sites throughout the cavern, dripping and oozing in fetid streams. This vile liquid seems to embody the distilled corruption of the earth, owing in a fluid manifestation of death and dark energies that pools in this underground world as it seeps toward some deeper, unfathomable destination. Coalescing in a lake of decay called the Caltherium, the black blood hides depths unplumbed by mortals, as all attempts to chart it even by magic have failed. If any alive know what lurks within those frigid depths none dare speak of it.”
”Freezing to the touch and innately repulsive to most forms of life, black blood has the consistency of honey or sap, but bears the color of oil over tar or liquefied organs. It holds a slight odor of spoiled eggs, but its own viciousness seems to trap that greater reek one might expect from such foulness. As it flows from the stone it moves slowly, oozing like freezing magma, grasping, freezing, and dragging along that which lies in its path. As it settles into pools, the blood quivers with unexpected vibrations, twitching in occasional spasms as if something hidden within were trying to burst free but lacks the strength.”
”Sages of the underworld hold varied theories on the black blood’s true nature. Some claim the noxious fluid to be the runoff of countless surface world graves and mausoleums, the putrescence of the dead and rotting attracted to special channels within the earth and flowing toward a single point, one that will eventually fill and gradually flood the world in a tide of death. Others claim the stuff to be the blood of Golarion itself, the internally wept tears of a world overrun by despoiling parasites. Still others claim it to be a manifestation of foul emotions, drawn from throughout the world by some magic or device hidden beneath the Caltherium that has long outlived its creators.”
”Regardless of its actual nature, the black blood is undoubtably foul and its connection to the negative energies and dark magics of the world is undeniable. Groups throughout the Darklands and beyond covet the ooze and dare daunting journeys to claim its chilling resource. For long centuries bold necromancers, mad urdefen, the lich drow of Shraen, the ghouls of Nemret-Noktoria, and others have sought to dominate the perverse resource, but ever have the dangers of the vault forced them to merely claim what they can carry before fleeing the myriad horrors of the Land of Black Blood.”
Kaylayne shudders as the tale of the Land of Black Blood unfolds. She nods as she takes in the story, still cogitating over the meaning.
"That is a harrowing tale, if true," Kaylayne mutters, lost in thought and her own internal preparation.
"I guess we will see if for ourselves soon enough."
Dimitrio groaned as he learned about the Land of Black Blood.
He brightened up at the thought of conversing with the genie, "As a spinner of tales myself, I can related to having a good audience and I am a good listener. I look forward to exchanging stories with the genie."
With the darkvision lenses settled, the bard wondered out loud, "So what other dangers are we likely to face? I mean other than a mad drow and her minions trying to kill us so she can bring the end of the surface world."
"Not that I want to touch this 'black blood' and I do realize that it is 'foul. But is it poisonous? Is it corrosive? What do we know that allows us to be better prepared to deal with it?"
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Allarnon cringes back. "Got it. Black blood is bad. Don't touch it."
He is extremely curious by Dimitrio's line of questioning. "Sounds to me like it freezing everything it touches. Right?" he asks a bit unsure. "Though if the blood truly is some sort of aspect dealing with death then it is simply part of the cycle. A cycle that shouldn't be disturbed for any reason."
If you look at the treasure sheet there are things you could sell as well. You need to decide what to sell, what to keep, etc. The elves will handle any sales/purchases easily enough.
"'The vault of the Land of Black Blood is a large...'"
Okay, so the scariest environment imaginable. Thanks. That's all you gotta say. Scariest environment imaginable.
For the rest of the waiting, Lief studies his companions for signs of doubt, fear, resignation, excitement, hope, determination...
Lief remembers to check their personal inventory for items that should not go unused.
Ederin nearly spits when Leif offers him most of his own share.
"Kid, I didn't even know what I was gonna do with my own share. Maybe you aught to keep it for yourself, yeah? No offense but..."
He stops talking as they learn more of the Land of Black Blood, his jaw slacks at the words "lich drow" and he seems to be getting a strong undead vibe from the Queen.
Already agreed, so not like it matters much. He tells himself, patting the quiver at his side and looking at the others to see how everyone is handling the information.
"Gonna have to trust each other a bit more down there too, yeah? Been lots o' bickerin' and fightin' lately, might not have that luxury in this Land O' Black Blood. Anythin' we need to hash out, we should do here, before we leave and be done with it."
"Kid, I didn't even know what I was gonna do with my own share. Maybe you aught to keep it for yourself, yeah? No offense but..."
Lief shakes his head. "My calculation on our equipment has you woefully lacking. Don't let your imagination limit you, Ederin." Lief makes it clear that he is uninterested in being bankrolled by the elves, and is even debating the purchase of the goggles, now that he has the means alchemically of changing his own vision, and the vision of others.
"What would you like to hash out?"
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"You're attitude, mostly kid." He says frankly. "I know you ain't too keen on these elves, and yeah, you're smarter an' I am, but you been closin' doors on us faster than we can open 'em and we're about to be meetin' with some Genie that we're supposed to be negotiatin' with. I want to know that you ain't gonna have a chip on your shoulder. You're a part o' this group, but you got a tendency to forge ahead like you know what's best for all o' us."
He shrugs to show he's mostly done talking. "Just want to make sure we make decisions as a group and we follow through wit' 'em, even if one o' us doesn't agree. Gonna be alone down there and we don't need to be split."
Lief lightly frowns as Ederin brings his concerns to light. "Are you keen on these elves? If you're speaking about the elves of Thorn's End, and doors closing, why are you adverse about speaking truth to power?"
"No, I ain't too keen on em either, not most of 'em anyway, but I recognize them as allies." Ederin rubs the scruff on his chin as he considers his words. "Maybe I'm better at seperatin' people from the mistakes they made, but we can't write off everyone who done somethin' we don't like in the past."
He trails off as he realizes he's lost his thought.
"The politics of it don't matter, what I'm sayin' is that we need to work as a team, and you haven't been much of a team player lately. Can we rely on you in the Land O' the Black Blood to not be rash?"
He laughs, remembering all the lectures he got as a young man, suddenly finding himself on the opposite end of the argument.
"The genie didn't send assassins against me, so I have nothing against it. I held my tongue in the presence of the queen. You think that my disgust with Arlindil will seep into a conversation with the shaitan? To be honest, Haiten Bhaq is the only thing that interested me, in traveling to the Land of Black Blood. Are you willing to die for the elven nation? I struggle to understand that."
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Allarnon laughs out loud as the fighting starts up once again. "You two are actually arguing about stopping arguing!"
"You think deep thoughts, that would make my Elders proud. Perhaps once this is over you come with me back home to speak with them." He shakes his head at the inane argument as it unfolds.
"Come Kay. I am going to pick up a few supplies and will need some help. Speak with me more on making Tarkir see in the deep dark with more than just his nose."
"Come Kay. I am going to pick up a few supplies and will need some help. Speak with me more on making Tarkir see in the deep dark with more than just his nose."
Kaylayne is quite happy to be drawn away from the 'discussion' that Lief and Ederin are having. He had bitten her tongue several times from jumping in on one side or another.
"Yes, that is a good idea, Allarnon. I've been considering ways..." Kaylayne's voice trails off as they discuss was to enlighten the vision of the bear.
Ederin rolls his eyes and throws up his hands.
"Ain't dyin' for the elves, thought you'd have figured it out by now, but I think I know what you're answer to my question is." Done arguing he turns to Allarnon and Kay and waves to catch their attention. "You two mind me taggin' along? I need to buy some more arrows and more an' a few blanches for 'em."
"Ain't dyin' for the elves, thought you'd have figured it out by now, but I think I know what you're answer to my question is."
"Can we rely on you in the Land O' the Black Blood to not be rash?"
'Can we rely on you in the Land O' the Black Blood to not be rash?' Kaylayne repeats the question in her head again and again.
Can we rely on him?
Will he work with us?
What other options do we have?
Kaylayne realizes that she doesn't have good answers to the questions above, but moreso to the questions she really has:
Will he work as part of the team? Which is the bottom line question that Kaylayne has about Lief. She sighs, unable to answer.
Instead of dwelling on whether Liefs can change colors, she smiles and tries to enjoy her time with Ederin and Allarnon.
"So...tell me again what you wish to purchase?"
"Ain't dyin' for the elves..."
I'm sure that's what Allarnon thought before they slayed Tarkir... Lief decides to inquire with Iaon, if only briefly, while the others head out to shop for their death march.
"Iaon, if you have a moment. I'd like to know more about the projected devastation, should Allevrah prove successful. From what we gathered from the Devil's Elbow, perhaps she was simply beginning with a proof of concept. For all the notes might suggest, do they have an understanding of the blast radius, given the focusing glyphs? I'd also like to know why the mass exodus hasn't already begun. I mean, why take the chance?"
"We do not know the nature or extent of the devastation. Until someone looks at the runes, it's impossible to know. Even then, there are so many variables, I suspect even the drow may not know how extensive the devastation will be. Nor, I suspect, do they care."
"The Queen is putting things into place now for an exodus, but if she were to simply announce it, there would be panic all over Golarian and everyone would scatter which may not actually help, and may kill or injure many. It could lead to a general breakdown - if it were even believed. Further the drow would know we knew - and they might move up their timetable."
"So I think she is biding for time, and making preparations to evacuate the elven people off the continent as before. Such plans take some doing to implement before public notices are made. We haven't had to leave like this for centuries... so we're out of practice."
She looks levelly at Lief, "So you must not fail."
Lief listens to Iaon, not expecting to hear much differently about the logistics of mass exodus. He bristles as he thinks about how the elves, even now, seek to cloak their activities from the neighboring nations, which sit in ignorance of such a massive threat to their existence.
"So you must not fail."
"I mean this with no malice to you, Iaon. If we can not prevent this apocalypse, our small, non-elven unit, it is you who have failed, at its heart. The intelligence provided us can not be wholly reliable, so we will judge its accuracy once we ourselves consult with the shaitan, and once we lay our own eyes upon the glyphs. I understand that your queen has enlisted other teams, which is a sound pronouncement. I will not have the guilt of Kyonin's destruction laid upon our shoulders."
Lief excuses himself, from Iaon's company, and from the palace, for awhile. He takes to the streets, and debates exactly what role he wants in this maelstrom. In each elven face he sees in his walk, he layers a human face, from Razmiran, Druma, Galt... hells, even the River Kingdoms. He sees ignorance at every turn, and the peace that must come with not knowing, and he feels a tinge of jealousy. Also, a touch of malice, not unlike the constant pulse the drow must feel towards the elves. This unwanted empathy, with the drow, not the elves, continues to vex him.
He gathers what he will from the marketplace, and returns to the palace, and returns to his temporary quarters. In their absence, Lief gives his imagination over to the various ways they might be overcome, once the killing begins. Surely the others will not hesitate to slaughter, given their zeal to help the elves, set like dogs to hunt Allevrah. Would they try and parlay with the elf-turned-drow? Would they slay first, and ignore their own questionable morality? No talk of redemption, only death to those who would bring about large scale death. He tries to amuse himself with black humor, picturing Ederin waiting until he was bled, making sure that those attacking him were really unrepentant, before letting arrows loose. The attempt fails him. There is no humor here at all, only more conflict, both within and without.
He resigns himself to the final push, if only to see first the extent of the machinations of Allevrah in her quest for armageddon. He expects the elves, or possibly Kaylayne, to be intelligent enough to have in place a means for them to teleport out of the hellish Land, should they find the task utterly futile.
Iaon nods sadly but adds nothing. She leaves to report to the Queen.
The next several days are busy ones, as spell casters and crafters of all sorts meet with the party and provide the items they require. You continue to research but uncover nothing more of substance.
The air is getting quite tense around the capital as more and more are let into the secret and plans are made for both invasion and flight.
In the end, when you are ready, an old woman joins you at the auidara gate along with the Queen, Iaon, and others. "We hope and pray that you are successful in your task. Know that you are not alone, though you are the vanguard."
"We thank you for the risks you are about to undertake on Our behalf and the behalf of the elven people." she says warmly.
She nods and, if you are ready, the old woman casts Wind Walk touching each of you in turn.
You have some 600 miles of twisting underdark tunnels ahead of you. The Queen opens the gate to darkness, and you're off!
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As the Gate of Darkness opens Allarnon gulps. "Well, seems this is it...No going back now."
He shakes slightly from nervousness and fright. It is one think planning and discussing tactics and events. It is a whole other feeling standing before it with your back against the wall.
"We will do what we can to reach this genie in time." Allarnon hands the wand to Kaylayne. "This is for Tarkir to see in the dark. He isn't taking to kind to the belt yet. I will have to work with him over the next several days before he quits shaking it off."
If none of the others have much else to say Allarnon grabs his goggles and places the opaque lenses over his eyes ad steps through the portal, leading the way.
In the days leading up to departure, Lief secures granite and diamond dust for his formulae distillations, and makes a singular request to Kaylayne, who seems to busy herself more than the others with securing inventory- a scroll of Teleportation or Word of Recall, should their mission prove severely underestimated.
...
Lief consumes a vial prior to changing into gaseous form, and follows Allarnon through.
Dimitrio tried to remain upbeat during the preparations telling jokes and reciting poems to increase morale but the fatalistic mood was palpable.
He was glad when it was all over and they were ready to go.
The Goblin seemed very far away and bard needed an ending to his epic poem and play. A play he fervently wanted to star in.
With his new magical items adjusted to his body, he cast a cure serious wound into his upgraded armor and was as ready as he was ever going to be.
"C'mon, we're off to make a happy ending to my poem..."
Before leaving, Kaylayne tries to explain the difference between the Word of Recall and the Greater Teleport scroll, explaining that neither are perfect solutions and neither might be right. In addition, she pushes to get the more expensive options so that everyone might be saved or moved, rather than leave something behind (like Tarkir).
Kaylayne will also explain that the Recall scroll will work quickest and with the least danger, but it will only bring them back to the elven kingdom...which might be the last place they would want to be if they were going to fail.
* * *
Kaylayne take the wand from Allarnon, happy to help. "I need you to tell me when you need this, hopefully *before* we run into trouble. It should last a long time though, which is good."
Kaylayne stretches, hoping to enjoy the windy flight and the quiet of the journey. She sets a series of airy hand gestures so that the team can communicate stop, start, slow, fast, danger, food, etc.
