Kaylayne's eyes widen as she recognizes the different auras trapped within the staff.
"Wow. Just wow. I don't even know what to say about this...it's amazing. Parts of it are dark and fell, but I could use the parts of it that aren't so dark. It's...just...amazing..." Kaylayne passes around the staff while explaining what she can and answering questions.
* * *
Rather than healing, Kaylayne will take another hit of the and of False Life.
false Lief temp hp. (15/19 false Lief wand 1, 8/8 false Lief wand 2)
I take that to mean that for you to cast fireball from the staff, you need it on your list. Same with the other spells. Are any of them on your list? If so, you can totally use the staff for those spells. :)
As for recharging, the same is true, but only at the top as you said. So if you have Animate Dead on your list (check) and have that level spell (check) you can recharge the staff by blowing a spell of that level for that day.
In this case it's animate dead - a third or fourth level spell depending on the list. For you I think it's third, so you could charge the staff with a third level slot. In a wizards hands, it would take a fourth level slot to recharge the staff.
UMD DC 20 to use the staff. So not horrible. 50/50 chance at this level.
Ederin breathes a sigh of relief as the drow is finally taken out. Ever since we stepped into that portal we've been near death. He thinks to himself.
"How many drow do you think are left in this realm? Might be we could rest a bit, if we do, I'll have a couple healin' spells I can blow. Instead of drainin' the few potions we got left." He shrugs at Leif before taking a look at the staff that Kaylayne passed around.
"I'd imagine Nolveniss was a very self-preserving drow, so the drow we've managed to down so far, I'd think was all of them. The demons are their own thing, and hardly loyal. They'll read the cards well enough, and remain at a respectful distance, if it means they get to torment another day." Lief wanders over to Razorhorn's body, and chips a tooth and a nail from the beast, squirreling it away for the report he believes will be bolstered once they return to Crying Leaf.
"If you think the wand's too precious to use at present, or if you think the elves will benefit from your magics, Ederin, I'm all for it."
Kaylayne's eyes widen as she recognizes the different auras trapped within the staff.
"Wow. Just wow. I don't even know what to say about this...it's amazing. Parts of it are dark and fell, but I could use the parts of it that aren't so dark. It's...just...amazing..." Kaylayne passes around the staff while explaining what she can and answering questions.
Dimitrio scoffed, "Yeah, I'm sure it's very nice Layne but unless I can straddle it and it will fly me home, I'm not that interested. Not now, anyway."
The bard then added, "I've got a couple of healing potions left for emergencies. I'm just banged up and singed but OK. Anyone need them?"
The party makes their way from the tower, though they’re more carrying the elves than helping them walk. Even with a little healing, they are far from ‘healthy’. But at least they’re no longer close to death.
You make your way across half the city to the simple archway you entered. None of the locals pay you any mind, and nothing from the darker realms seems interested in attacking - though you think you saw the demon lingering not far away. He stays hidden, but close.
The trail into the forest beckons, but as you get close with the key Lief can sense the power of the gate in that simple arch. He takes out the key, and finds it wreathed in a shadowy, writhing flame though it is cool to the touch. If anything it is colder than it was. All he needs to do is activate the key, step through the arch, and it will activate…
Do you leave now and make your way home?
Dimitrio scoffed, "Yeah, I'm sure it's very nice Layne but unless I can straddle it and it will fly me home, I'm not that interested. Not now, anyway."
Kaylayne's eyes narrow at Dimitrio.
"No, you cannot ride it home..." ...but you might find it rammed up your backside anyway. Kaylayne's hands grip the staff more tightly. "...but if you die in combat, I'll make sure your body walks its way back home under its own power. How's that?" Kaylayne responds, thinking about the powerful last aspect of the staff.
Lief watches as the magics between the Key and the Gate come to fruition. He looks back on the shadowy, ancient Celwynvian, and tries to commit it to memory.
"I wonder. Do you think that this is the only Key? Nolveniss was arrogant, and selfish, and powerful. If this is his doing, I can't imagine him giving away identical Keys. This may very well be a singular magic, set to study this moment in time. He was certainly studying from his position in the Observatory." Lief turns over the Key.
"Do you think the Gate would relocate, if we carried the Key far enough away? Or is this magic tied to this location, and only this location? Eviana might be able to it in the same way the drow did, for defensive purposes. They'd need to know more about it, however the cards may fall."
|
Allarnon shuffles silently behind as he nudges Tarkir in the right direction. He doesn't dare ride him for fear of injuring him more.
"Tarkir might use a bit of your magic Ederin. He is pretty beat up from that staff." Allarnon stares at it with both fear and respect.
Who would wield such destructive power.....on purpose.
At the gate Allarnon looks on in wonder as Lief holds the shadow wreathes key before him. "It is about time we head back. I don't wish to find out what the Armageddon was like..."
Allarnon-Human Form
AC Bear: (AC 26) [+5 Armor; +1 Dex; +4 Natural; +1 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +1 Deflection PfE; -2 Rage]
AC Human: (AC 22) [+5 Armor; +2 Dex; +1 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +1 Deflection PfE; -2 Rage]
HP: 36/77
Buffs:Heroism; Barkskin; Rage 7/14; Resist Energy (Acid 10); Haste; Spider Climb)
Tarkir
AC: (AC 21) [+2 Dex; +6 Natural; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +2 Deflection PfE]
HP: 3/48
Buffs: Greater Magic Fang; Barkskin; Haste
"I don't know if he was the only one with a key, but even if he wasn't, if we can get the key back to the elves, they can scout here in larger numbers. Make the fight against the drow that much easier."
Ederin looks at Allarnon apologetically.
"I need to rest before I can heal anyone Al, but it looks like Lief found our way home. Maybe we should recover a bit before we step back through the portal, don't know exactly what we'll be steppin' in to."
Moving you along a little, hope that’s OK. Thought I might save you some resources.
As Lief steps through the arch the key flares up. Time itself warps around you and the entire region speeds up. You witness the Armageddon at an increasingly rapid pace as fire falls from the sky and obliterates Azlant far away - but also portions of Celwynvian surrounding you. The screams of the elves fill your ears, and you imagine this is some sort of sick pleasure for the drow as they left the realm behind…
In a blink, you find yourselves standing at the edge of the forest, near the again ancient city standing in the gateway. Present Day! The sun is shining warmly, and light has returned to your lives. The elven screams fade from your ears.
When you return, you see the elves have not slacked off the last days. They have been battling pockets of drow resistance - now fighting more as skirmishers than the army they once were. And of course there are all the creatures who have invaded the city under the drow, often encouraged by them. Demons especially. But also other monstrosities.
You, presumably, make your way back to camp where you are greeted most happily, and guided directly to the healing tent so Kaerishiel and the others can be tended to and rested. I assume you leave his gear with him as well. On arrival they do a special channeling just for them, and for you.
You are then escorted, with some haste, to the main tent, to provide your report as the only group who survived the raid on the drow stronghold a few days prior. You are again drawn to the map of the city and surround, and you can see pockets of drow flags here and there, but mostly there’s a solid line about a third of the way into the city, maybe a little more. The cleared zone.
Eviana greets you warmly, and looks to see who’s with you and, seeing no one, she presumes the worst and frowns. ”Were you able to make any headway? When you disappeared and we could not follow, we thought you lost for good. But no drow have emerged and we hold the building still. Do I need to reinforce our position there, or can I drain troops for other fronts?” she asks hesitantly… hopefully.
She awaits your report.
Dimitrio immediately pats himself, then pinches himself, then pinches Shorty.
He then profusely hugs Lief, "You did it kid!"
He shakes his body like dog shakes off water, raises his hands to the heavens thanking Desna, and then hugs Layne, "We're back! Back!"
He goes to Allarnon but stops short of hugging him, "Look at those colors. Or smell the scents. Whatever bear-men do."
Dimitrio looks like the village fool, grin from ear to ear. He starts telling his side of the tale, "Well, like we went to the past but it was gray and stuff. The drow were there. And the demons. And the dragon. That g~@-d&~n green dragon almost cooked us all."
He took a breath, still grinning, "But Lief found the keys and we're back. Isn't that great?"
Noting the questions etched on her face, he quickly adds, "Oh, they can fill you on the technical details but WE ARE BACK."
The young man looks back, and listens, suddenly aware of the privilege and the burden of being witness to an event of this magnitude, firsthand. He hears the cries of the elves, sees the awesome power razing the land. History like this. What Nolveniss could have done in bringing education to a higher level with the magics he wielded. That something like this is possible alone... He remains mostly quiet, forcing his mind's eye to revisit the last moments of Azlant, and Celwynvian.
When hugged, Lief returns Dimitrio's embrace out of respect. He tucks the Key away, but then quickly pulls it out again. As the magics writhe around the Gate, Lief brings the key back up, curious to see what lies beyond the archway, to see if the land is renewed in its echo. He wants to know, in order to report more fully to Eviana. He reactivates the Gate.
Once he's learned a little more, he closes the Gate again, then returns to camp with the others.
He listens patiently to Dimitrio's more colorful account of their strike into the Shadow, then enumerates a couple of salient points about the nature of the Echo, and to what purpose it was being used, other than rabbit run for retreating drow.
"Nolveniss was studying the final moments of Azlant. He watched the skies at the Observatory, and tried to learn something. I'm not sure what, but he's taken stone from the Cyphergate, and applied it here, in order to, what, to learn how to bring the skies down upon the elves, again? I don't rightly know, but I know I'll never forget the sounds of your people in their last moments in Celwynvian." Lief grows quiet.
Almost as soon as the light falls on the party and lifts its spirits, the gate is reopened, and everyone in the immediate area is plunged back into shadow...
You see the world again as it once was, but dim. The sky is rolling with cloud and magic above the party, but it's clear the armageddon has not happened yet. In fact it's several days away from the look of things. Maybe a week.
Lief tries to activate the key once more and bring everyone home, and nothing happens. They key seems spent, at least for now, as if it were charged somehow and the charges lie empty.
How to recharge the key? Ahhh, that is a good question. Knowledge Arcana please...
Oh, you get your happy dance all right, and then the world grows dark again. You're not quite back for good.
It may be possible to charge the key with power somehow, but you're not sure how that would be done. Likely some sort of ritual or a custom spell. Looking in Nolveniss' spellbook for such a spell reveals nothing useful however.
Lief looks a little put out, as soon as he realizes that he's not the best man to understand the intricacies of magic beyond actual demonstrations. He looks at Kaylayne, expecting that she knows more than he about magical weaves and restorations, but he doesn't hold his breath.
"Well, the Key is a little less powerful than I thought, not to be used willy-nilly. I might have chosen to hand it over first, and allow the more magically inclined to work over the dynamics at play here, but it's a useful snippet of information, nonetheless. We may have to wait here a bit longer." He looks up, and breathes easier, knowing the timeframe has been restablished. "And we know now that this Echo begins again as soon as the Gate is petitioned for entrance again. So there's that." Lief intentionally avoids the gazes of his companions for a little while.
Kaylayne looks at Lief and once again explodes with concern over the recklessness of the boy as the way home is denied to them. She waits for it to work again, her ire rising at Lief.
"Wouldn't you think to ask us...ask *them*..." Kaylayne points to the near-death elves, "before you closed the way back?! What the heck are you thinking!? You couldn't consider them before screwing around?"
Kaylayne walks away before she slaps Lief silly.
In the distance (300' or so), you can hear her yelling at tree, calling it 'Boy', and making all sorts of very good and real points about how poor thought out and reckless Lief's action was.
After about an hour, she returns to the party.
Ederin breathes a sigh of relief as they finally step through the portal home, and then it's all ripped away as they find themselves back in the pocket realm with a dead key.
He barely hears Lief's explanation as he stands where he is, shell shocked, his new bow falls from his hand and hits the floor.
"How long until we can use that key again? And why did it send us back?" He asks slowly, trying not to give in to the anger bubbling up inside.
Dimitrio shakes his head, his joy turns to ash in his mouth.
"What the hell? What happened?"
After listening to Lief and seeing everyone else's reaction, he tries his best to be positive. "OK, so it's only a matter of time right. A couple of hours?"
He looks at the sky, "Certainly before the sky falls right?"
He yells at Layne, "You sure we can't ride that fancy new staff of yours back home? Come here and tell me all 'bout it. I guess I have a couple of hours now."
"Wouldn't you think to ask us...ask *them*... before you closed the way back?! What the heck are you thinking!? You couldn't consider them before screwing around?"
Lief rubs the back of his neck, not bothering to look at the apoplectic. "Yeah, the thought didn't come to mind. A Gate has a Key. Who would think it necessary to charge a Key? I expected to garner further information for our debriefing with Eviana, that's what I was thinking, Kaylayne. I can't help you and your frustrations if you think I was just 'screwing around'. If you have nothing to contribute, fine. It's novel to me, too. You were in awe of the staff, I don't see why you have a similar reaction to the use of the Gate. There are learning opportunities in abundance here. You just have to put your mind to it."
"How long until we can use that key again? And why did it send us back?"
"I'd expect it wouldn't be too long. Hours maybe. Probably. As for why we didn't just see the Gate open up before us, instead of being pulled through without any say in the matter, I'd plead ignorance. Nolveniss left the Gate open, for crying out loud. Our way should have been barred when we sought to follow them through. The Key didn't ask me if I wanted to leave the Gate open, either. I don't know if the Gate requires a kind of mastery, to exert one's will over its compliance." Lief shakes his head, then begins to wait, for he has no choice.
"The elves in this realm were...are...escaping through a portal kinda like this one right? Maybe we can go ask them how these things work?"
It's all Ederin has to offer. Magic is still a relatively new subject for him and there's a lot he doesn't understand.
Lief nods in appreciation of Ederin's suggestion. "You may want to ask Kaylayne before we back track." He turns to meet the archer's eyes, warming up to the ones not currently berating him.
|
|
Allarnon smiles widely at the lush green world all around him as the elves tend to his many injuries and burns. He sniffs the crisp air around him and grins back at Dimitrio.
Before he even has a chance to explain that Nolveniss is no more the world is violently ripped away from him once again.
He looks about in confusion at the now familiar swirling gray sky. "If we were sent back again are the Dragon and Nolveniss here again also?" He asks with a worried look of confusion as time travel was not his specialty.
At mention of Kaylayne's staff Allarnon's eyes dart over to it with a glare. "I will have nothing to do with that staff of destruction."
Allarnon-Human Form
AC Bear: (AC 21) [+5 Armor; +1 Dex; +4 Natural; +1 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +1 Deflection PfE; -2 Rage]
AC Human: (AC 22) [+5 Armor; +2 Dex; +1 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +1 Deflection PfE; -2 Rage]
HP: 50/77
Buffs: Rage 7/14)
Tarkir
AC: (AC 21) [+2 Dex; +6 Natural; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +2 Deflection PfE]
HP: 17/48
Buffs: None
The party, finding yourselves in shadow once more, trudges back after a brief hiatus to the elves in the Academy of the Arts. During your walk, you see nothing of the drow, or their minions. You do encounter another Blast Shadow (the creature that was being shoved along by the demons on the streets when you first came) but you dispatch it easily.
The elven wizards there are less frantic then they were the last time you visited (they have more time), but they’re still eager to push folks along through their portal. A few of the locals are here, lined up for the next window when their portal functions.
One of the wizards, a seasoned elf by the name of Travaran Miafina, eventually comes around to you, and notices you after a little twitch. ”Ahh, visitors to our doomed city. Well met my friends, I’m Travaran Miafina, and I welcome you to use our gate if your need is great. It opens to Kyonin, the capital city of Iadara.”
”Normally of course things would be different, but you are welcome to join us if you wish under the present circumstances.” he gestures to the sky above.
Lief approaches the elf, beckoning the man to the side to see what it is he has in his possession. He quietly produces the Shadowy Key, letting the elf look it over, then squirrels it away when he's sure to have left it long enough in sight to be studied properly enough.
"Well met, Travaran. We understand a little about the magics of a Gate like your own. Might I ask some questions? How does one open and close them? With a Key, like the one you were just shown? How often can you use the Gate? Can anyone use it, given the proper magic Key? Can the Gate be used, even if one doesn't bear the Key? Does a Gate close all by itself, or must it be commanded to close? Does your Gate only have one Key? How long do Gates exist? If you destroy a Gate's Key, does the Gate also suffer the same fate? If you destroy a Gate, does the Key have the means to restore the Gate to function once more? Who bears your Gate's Key? Do Gates simply allow passage through space, or can they also facilitate travel through time as well? Can a person be trapped within a Gate with poor timing? Do Gates being opened suck the Keymasters through against their wishes? Are you the Gatekeeper?"
He yells at Layne, "You sure we can't ride that fancy new staff of yours back home? Come here and tell me all 'bout it. I guess I have a couple of hours now."
She responds with a string of oaths and invectives that she would feel bad about their effect on the innocent tree's psyche if the tree existed rather than being an empty shadow, much like Lief's common sense.
Kaylayne returns to the group and tries to smile at Dimitrio.
"I'll tell you about the staff later," Kaylayne grunts, trying not to seem too angry. "It will be useful in our next combats against the shadow and drow. This, along with my festering anger behind it, will make Lief's necklace look like a spark next to a bonfire."
"I will have nothing to do with that staff of destruction."
Kaylayne shrugs, fingering her ring.
"I hope that you will appreciate it in time. It's just a tool, nothing more. It is not inherently evil...I don't think."
Lief rubs the back of his neck, not bothering to look at the apoplectic. "Yeah, the thought didn't come to mind. A Gate has a Key. Who would think it necessary to charge a Key? I expected to garner further information for our debriefing with Eviana, that's what I was thinking, Kaylayne. I can't help you and your frustrations if you think I was just 'screwing around'. If you have nothing to contribute, fine. It's novel to me, too. You were in awe of the staff, I don't see why you have a similar reaction to the use of the Gate. There are learning opportunities in abundance here. You just have to put your mind to it."
"I think we've learned that you continue to exhibit poor reasoning and poor impulse control. I'm getting worried with having learn that again and again," Kaylayne responds more calmly than she feels inside. "But what I have a harder time understanding is how hard it is for you to say 'I'm sorry' or learn from your mistakes. It's part of growing up. I do hope one day that you'll try doing that. None of us here are your mother, so you'll have to start learning to take responsibility for your actions on your own..."
Kaylayne levels her gaze at Allarnon and Dimi...remembering Ederin's chest incident.
"...unless one of you two wants to explain to Lief what it takes to be a man and take responsibility for one's actions and the reactions to that? First, it was antagonizing Zincher...almost leading us all into a fight we didn't want nor were expecting. Then, we jumped into this realm with hardly a thought or preparation. Then, he impulsively butchered the two elves outside. And now this."
Kaylayne shakes her head as if trying to shake out her annoyance at what happened.
"Well, let's get on with things. No use crying over ruined chances to return home so that we might die in a fiery apocalypse. Let's hope the elves have answers or we can recharge the key some how."
Kaylayne follows the team to speak with the elves, trying to forgive and forget.
"Well met, Travaran. We understand a little about the magics of a Gate like your own. Might I ask some questions? How does one open and close them? With a Key, like the one you were just shown? How often can you use the Gate? Can anyone use it, given the proper magic Key? Can the Gate be used, even if one doesn't bear the Key? Does a Gate close all by itself, or must it be commanded to close? Does your Gate only have one Key? How long do Gates exist? If you destroy a Gate's Key, does the Gate also suffer the same fate? If you destroy a Gate, does the Key have the means to restore the Gate to function once more? Who bears your Gate's Key? Do Gates simply allow passage through space, or can they also facilitate travel through time as well? Can a person be trapped within a Gate with poor timing? Do Gates being opened suck the Keymasters through against their wishes? Are you the Gatekeeper?"
The elf examines the key thoughtfully and listens to the barrage of questions, "Well. Every gate is different, and not all gates have keys. Each have their own tricks and traps, methods and systems. And each must be studied individually though there are plenty of commonalities of course.” he smiles and looks again at the key.
He casts a minor spell and examines the auras of the key Lief holds. He shakes his head. ”Well, I can tell from the smoky fire that the key is magical, but my spell reveals nothing to me. It could be non-magical for as much as I can discern.”
”I could perhaps study this further, but it will have to wait a few days - and be done in Kyonin.” you hear a hiss, like steam escaping, and their gate snaps to life with a flicker behind him. He gestures to the now open gate, ”You’re welcome to join us, but I really must gather my things and be going.” He gestures, and an elf standing a short distance away starts to push a small cart toward the gate. The cart is loaded with gear and supplies.
”If you’ll excuse me. I'm going home.”
"...almost leading us all into a fight we didn't want nor were expecting."
Ederin's face turns red, red enough that it's obvious even with vision obscured by the dark realm.
"Talkin' again about recklessness yeah? Because it wasn't enough killin' in a temple and riskin' the wrath of a god , she couldn't even be bothered to trust her friends when it came down to it." His hands wave wildly as he shouts back at Kaylayne not caring who may or may not hear.
"But it's convenient to forget that the fight I might have have started lead to us murdering Zincher on a f~+*ing island because you couldn't be f+$#ing bothered to wait and see if my plan worked out. Remember who threw me to the f###in' wolves? Kaylayne the impatient bandit slaughterin' b#*+@, that's who! If she doesn't want to do it, it ain't worth doin'. If it wasn't her idea it must be a f~~&in' stupid one, right? It's no wonder you were stuck at the f~&&in' Lurch without a friend. At least Lief was concerned about someone other than himself, that's more than I could ever say about you Kaylayne. To busy worried about you're own f&*&in' hide."
Done shouting, Ederin turns back to Lief, "Come find me when it's time to go home, I don't want to see another f+~~in' person until then." then storms off, unsure of where he's going.
|
|
"...unless one of you two wants to explain to Lief what it takes to be a man and take responsibility for one's actions and the reactions to that?
Allarnon turns to Lief. "This part is true. The leader must watch over all of his cubs. Allow them to make their own mistakes, but they need to learn from them. Cause and effect as my mother would always say....." Though he is quickly cut off once again as Ederin and Lief both begin to yell at Kaylayne.
"Talkin' again about recklessness yeah? Because it wasn't enough killin' in a temple and riskin' the wrath of a god , she couldn't even be bothered to trust her friends when it came down to it." His hands wave wildly as he shouts back at Kaylayne not caring who may or may not hear.
He raises his voice in rage, causing the sky to crack with thunder once again. "ENOUGH OF THIS! We shouldn't be fighting each other. The drow are the enemy here. We need to learn to move as a tight pack of wolves and not some damn honey badgers that don't give a ...... what word did Ederin keep using? "
Allarnon sighs as Ederin storms off.
Kaylayne looks surprised as Ederin storms off, not even considering what she had said that might annoy him. She looks at Allarnon as the bear man yells, shutting up.
"I think he apologized for the chest thing. Or at least took responsibility for it," Kaylayne mutters under her breath having now spoken her mind and feeling better for it.
She sits near Allarnon, mostly shutting up.
She begins to prepare dinner for the near-dead elves, hoping that they are too out of it to see all this.
Dimitrio looks one way and then the other. His mood visibly affected after being stuck in this place again.
He puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly, the sound carrying some tinge of magic.
"Let's get over here. Everyone! Allarnon is right. We need to work together here. Let's out our heads into this and find a way home."
"Now what do we know?"
"I think we've learned that you continue to exhibit poor reasoning and poor impulse control. I'm getting worried with having learn that again and again. But what I have a harder time understanding is how hard it is for you to say 'I'm sorry' or learn from your mistakes. It's part of growing up. I do hope one day that you'll try doing that. None of us here are your mother, so you'll have to start learning to take responsibility for your actions on your own..."
Kaylayne levels her gaze at Allarnon and Dimi...remembering Ederin's chest incident.
"...unless one of you two wants to explain to Lief what it takes to be a man and take responsibility for one's actions and the reactions to that? First, it was antagonizing Zincher...almost leading us all into a fight we didn't want nor were expecting. Then, we jumped into this realm with hardly a thought or preparation. Then, he impulsively butchered the two elves outside. And now this."
"You're getting worried? Sounds like you're well past that. Learning from my mistakes? All the time, Kaylayne, all the time. We have yet to see if I made a mistake in reopening the Gate." He looks at Kaerishiel and his companions, and worries. He points to them plainly, while addressing Kaylayne directly.
"Do you think they'd be dead now, had we allowed the Gate to close, and Nolveniss his time to bolster the dragon and demons? I ask you honestly, because it's the only way you'll understand why we had little choice to move through the Gate as it closed. I trusted this group to make the right decision, and it did. You did. You could have just as easily remained behind, and made report to the elves, once they gained the building. We were lucky you didn't, as we required all the strength this group has to finish those retreating off. But we only know that now, in retrospect. You don't seem to trust intuition, when it's someone else's." Lief looks at Kaylayne, his features softening.
"Lashing out is, I suppose, a natural enough reaction to the series of events with which you've had to deal. I'm very glad you're not a magistrate. Your thoughts are very organized, even now. The way you choose to portray me, hells, I'd have to submit to the law as soon as we return to civilized lands. I think you judge too harshly, but that is my opinion, and mine alone. I would encourage you to speak for yourself. Let these men speak for themselves. They made decisions all by themselves, and I do not judge them for their actions. As I you."
"Come find me when it's time to go home, I don't want to see another f%*#in' person until then."
Lief listens to Ederin's rebuttal, and nods wordlessly, agreeing that the circumstances aren't very conducive to productive conversations.
"Now what do we know?"
Lief finds himself at a loss, as Travaran provides some information, but nothing of substance. He thanks the shadow elf, then returns to his crew.
"Looks like we wait, Dimitrio. Looks like we wait."
Lief takes time, every 10 minutes, to try and reactivate the Gate.
Minutes pass into hours, and hours bring you to supper - all without the key working. As Lief examines it with such regularity, it does seem to be growing 'more shadowy' somehow, so something is happening, just not quickly.
Meanwhile the elves continue as they did before, largely ignoring you. Many stream through the nearby building and through the gate to Kyonin. You can see the sun there, though it is dimmed through the filter of this place same as every other light source.
Night falls, and it impossibly becomes darker. By morning however (I'm assuming watches, but you are not molested) it is clear that the key is close to charging. Likely a 24 hour wait you have just an hour to go and you'll be home. Er, again.
Kaerishiel regains consciousness in the morning. Though the other two are still largely out of it they stir a little and can eat and drink with help. Kaerishiel is all questions for a time - the last thing he remembers is being dropped by that damn demon in the northern chamber, trussed up, and shipped out. Then the torture for information...
He doesn't really want to talk about it and instead presses for your story and victories. He also wonders if any of you could manage a lessor restoration or more to help him to his feet. He can manage a walk, just, and with help, but he'd like to return on his own feet if he can. He'll take back his gear and suit up, just in case.
Ederin spends a few hours wandering and venting. Something about this dark realm sets his blood boiling and the longer they stay the angrier he gets. When he does return to the group he doesn't say much to anyone, he just sits and looks over his gear they way he always does when they camp for the night. Satisfied that his bows are in good condition he perks up when Kaerishiel requests some aid.
"Actually mate, I happen to have this here that might help." He produces a potion of lesser restoration from his bag and hands it to the elf. "It's the least I could do after I used up your arrows mate, but if it helps any, I stuck more an' a few of 'em into that wizard bastard."
He goes on to discuss everything that happened since they jumped through the portal, making sure he doesn't press too much information. He doesn't detail his momentary panic when Razorhorn nearly melted his flesh off, but he happily discusses the impact of every one of his arrows to great effect.
"I got two healing spells I can use." He says to the group when he's done updating Kaerishiel, "Who wants 'em?"
"Looks like we wait, Dimitrio. Looks like we wait."
Kaylayne doesn't give more rise to her anger, trying to focus on dinner and taking care of the elves.
She remembers that they have a wand of lesser restoration on them.
"I had forgotten this," Kaylayne says apologetically as she walks over to the elves. She taps Kaerishiel once, then will hold off any more charges unless the elves are at risk of dying from their additional exposure to the shadow.
restoration - (con or dex or str)
When that is done, she plies the elves with cheese and rations, hoping to ease their minds as they wait.
In the morning, Kaylayne will attempt to recharge some of the power of the dark staff. She notes that some of her wounds have healed during the night as well.
And so Dimitrio waited with the rest of them. At first asking Lief the proverbial 'Is is charged yet?' every hour or so but then just relaxing or trying to, into an anxious waiting period.
He passed the time trying to fix his equipment, his clothes, and his hair. He smelled his armpits when he thought no one was looking. Jeez, I need a bath.
Kaerishiel accepts the potion and the wand charge - and is grateful for both. He’s still more than a bit tottery, but he can wield a bow without hurting himself, so he scrounges a few arrows (very few) just in case from Ederin and smiles weakly at the thought of having to use them.
You make your way back to the gate, Kaerishiel under his own power, but you’re helping the other two elves to walk.
Lief activates the key, and time speeds up again. It takes a slightly longer time for the effect this time, but Kaerishiel experiences the elven screams for the first time and it deeply unsettles him. He looks to his companions, the other elves, and is glad to see - from the blank expressions on their faces, that they didn’t take in what they heard.
Once again, in a blink, you find yourselves standing at the edge of the forest, near the ancient city standing in the gateway. Present Day! The sun is shining warmly, and light has returned to your lives. The elven screams fade from your ears again and the forest is quiet by comparison.
When you return, you see the elves have not slacked off the last days. They have been battling pockets of drow resistance - now fighting more as skirmishers than the army they once were. And of course there are all the creatures who have invaded the city under the drow, often encouraged by them. Demons especially. But also other monstrosities.
You, presumably, make your way back to camp where you are greeted most happily, and guided directly to the healing tent so Kaerishiel and the others can be tended to and rested. On arrival they do a special channeling just for them, and for you.
You are then escorted, with some haste, to the main tent, to provide your report as the only group who survived the raid on the drow stronghold a few days prior. You are again drawn to the map of the city and surround, and you can see pockets of drow flags here and there, but mostly there’s a solid line about a third of the way into the city, maybe a little more. The cleared zone.
Eviana greets you warmly, and looks to see who’s with you and, seeing no one, she presumes the worst and frowns. ”Were you able to make any headway? When you disappeared and we could not follow, we thought you lost for good. But no drow have emerged and we hold the building still. Do I need to reinforce our position there, or can I drain troops for other fronts?” she asks hesitantly… hopefully. She awaits your report.
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Allarnon sighs in relief as the gateway unfolds once again. Slowly aking his way back to the camp he looks around at the elves and Eviana as everything repeats itself once again.
Deja Vue? He seems a bit confused as Lief already answered these questions. Before anyone can speak he turns to Lief. "Don't show her the key this time."
:We ended up in another time, during what you call the Armageddon. We slaughtered all of the drow inside the stone jungle, along with Razorhorn."
He shudders at the thought of the dragon once again. "We came across a key that opens the gate there allowing passage back and forth, though everytime Lief pulls it out we seem to teleport back there again."
Allarnon-Human Form
AC Bear: (AC 21) [+5 Armor; +1 Dex; +4 Natural; +1 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +1 Deflection PfE; -2 Rage]
AC Human: (AC 22) [+5 Armor; +2 Dex; +1 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +1 Deflection PfE; -2 Rage]
HP: 74/77
Buffs: Rage 7/14)
Tarkir
AC: (AC 21) [+2 Dex; +6 Natural; +3 Enhance Barkskin; +2 Deflection PfE]
HP: 41/48
Buffs: None
Kaylayne says little at the outset, letting their actions speak for themselves. She adds a bit of flavor and detail, touching some of the points that others might have missed. But mostly, she is smiling. She is smiling and relieved and happy to be back amongst the elves. They had done their part.
"...so yeah, lots of dead drow. How goes it up here?"
"I'm pretty sure we killed everythin' that could be killed there, minus maybe a demon or two, but since Lief has the key, I figure they can't escape what's coming, so it doesn't matter too much."
He shrugs and waits for Lief to explain the finer details, as all he really seems to remember are flashes of combat and blood. He makes sure to stand where he can feel the sun and see it's light, unobstructed by darkness.
"My recommendation is to never open that damned door again."
Lief nods and keeps his hands clasped behind his back as the others give their report. From their various perspectives, he feels content in their part of the debriefing.
"We sieged the Academy of Arts as best we could, given the unknown internal forces. They managed to enlist the strength of a flesh golem and a vrock, alongside the various drow, both martial and mage. And the demons. Oh, and troglodytes, as well. We couldn't destroy the vrock, but were glad of its departure, nonetheless. Eventually, a trap was triggered, and we lost a number of elves from an evil shrine barring our way. That's where we witnessed Shalelu's death, as well as most of her team." He studies Eviana for signs of distress, then continues when it appears he's not offending
"We then crossed paths with a deceptive aboleth, which used some form of domination to turn the surviving elf against us from the rear, then poor Tarkir. We overcame her and it, then accessed the chamber and Nolveniss's Gate into the Echo, but not before we dealt with another last stand against our passage, with something of a 'pain taster', and his support. We found Silvana's body there too. Quite a bit of conflict within the Academy, I'll admit. Hopefully Eilwen's account rings true of all we say today." Lief pauses to remember, before continuing.
"For our observations, the Gate itself bears part of the Great Cyphergate of Riddleport, which means Nolveniss accessed great power to construct his Armageddon Echo. The realm beyond the Gate, as you may learn yourself, should you choose to access it yourself, is a capture of time from Celwynvian, roughly 10,000 years in the past, days before Earthfall, and the destruction of Azlant and the beginning of the Age of Darkness."
"We met with several elves, all echoes themselves, and were able to garner a bit of information regarding their take on the state of affairs. There was... Ilamin Silverwind... Eloquan..." Lief rummages through his backpack, looking for the book on alchemicals for a kind of proof, one way or another.
"Eloquan mentioned 'Talgoren's people', not sure exactly who that is... What else? Oh, yes! There was an 'echo' of a Gate being opened to Iadara, located in the much younger version of the Academy of Arts, for those smart enough to recognize the critical nature of the Starstone's imminent arrival. We eventually moved to the Observatory, where we finally encountered Nolveniss, but not before dealing with more drow, Razorhorn, and finding Kaerishiel and two surviving elves. Real elves." Lief looks at Kaylayne, then continues. "Our entire time in the Echo, we dealt with less-than-perfect placements in our attacks, missing almost as much as hitting, for the darkness that permeated the pocket."
"Nolveniss fell, and we gained not one, but two keys, one of which absolutely controls the Gate to the Armageddon Echo. The other, I surmise, may open the second Gate we encountered in present-day Academy of Arts. Not sure where that one goes, but I'll leave it to you and yours to sort it out." With that, Lief turns over both keys recovered from Nolveniss, to Eviana. "He also mentioned his mistress, although I'm clueless as to her name. He says she has all the information she needs, so there's need to investigate that further."
"We found out the hard way that the Shadowy Key requires recharging, but when the Gate is opened into the Echo, roughly 6 days remain before Earthfall. I'm not sure what happens if you remain longer than 6 days, if you're in possession of the Key. Oh, but we were able to meet another Shadow Elf, by the name of Travaran Miafina, after we were kept from returning the first time." Lief frets a bit, worried that he's left something relevant out of his report. Given time, if anything burbles to the fore of his memory, he'll make sure to bring it to Eviana's attention.
As the party speaks, she grows brighter and happier until she almost seems to glow. Other elves, many of them already eavesdropping, cease their pretending and crowd around. By the end of the report, the tent is full, and everyone is hanging on your stories.
After a breathless silence, someone shouts, and there are quickly cheers, handshakes, and hugs all around. It takes a little while, but eventually Eviana regains her composure, and regains control over the room. Soon enough decorum prevails and there is some quiet once again and people begin anew their various tasks. You see more smiles however then when you entered.
Eviana takes you aside, and speaks to you alone with only her immediate aids close enough to hear, ”There is much to discuss - including your reward. My people owe you much, and the finest in elven crafts-folk will be at your disposal as well as 10,000 gold, for each of you, to spend on them. Consider what you may wish, that I may have it ordered and brought from Kyonin.”
She leans in a little closer, ”You say you have two keys? One must be to the Echo, but the other must be through the black gate we found behind the dead Aboleth. We have not been able to open it, but we are guarding it just in case it opens of it’s own accord.”
”Our diviners have determined where it leads however. It empties near the drow city of Zirnakaynin itself - deep in the heart of the Darklands, below the Nar-Voth in Sekamina. If your second key does indeed work that gate, well then, we may have some options… But we will speak of that later. For now, please rest and recuperate. We can discuss these matters at supper - if you’ll please join me. Until then, I have much to do, and little time in which to get it done. Excuse me.”
She hesitates, politely waiting for any further question you may have, but if none are forthcoming, her aid walks you back to your hut. He’s grinning from tall ear to tall ear. It’s around lunchtime - you have most of the day before supper will be ready to rest and recuperate.
Dimitrio was just happy to be back and nothing that was said really registered with him.
Rest and recuperate sounded great. But there was also talk about using the keys again. To go where? It didn't matter. Not for the time being. Rest and relaxation.