"When my friends are done findin' out the information they need, I think we'll be headed to Kyonin, if you can do that." Ederin nods his thanks to the genie, knowing that she's been more hospitable than any creature he's seen for weeks.
"I ain't so sure what to ask really, figure that's Lief's department, but we should make sure that star ain't still fallin' for some reason, and make sure there ain't any drow out to get us now that Allevrah 'as been given a dirt bath."
Lief swishes the last of last night's wine to clear his mouth of the morning mildew. Swallowing quickly, he rubs his now-rested eyes. "So difficult to ascertain if a day's truly begun, when there is no sun to reference. I'm very much looking forward to natural daylight."
"So what's next? Where is it you wish to go?"
"I think our intention is to deliver word and body to the Queen of the Elves of the events that transpired here. Thank you for your hospitality, and for your wish. You are the only bright spot in the Land of Black Blood, Haiten. You have your purpose, I understand, but I would wish you far removed from here. This place should be lost to time."
"Well, what are your questions?"
Lief rubs the back of his neck, as Kaylayne continues to think on their recent siege of the Throne. "Your body posture suggests that you have plenty of questions of your own. I will defer to your greater desire to know things."
The young man begins his alchemical crafting, readying for the return journey.
Dimitrio's mood had soured after the hot breakfast and wine, "You mean we're not going home just yet? We're going to see the elven Queen?"
He shook his head, drank some more wine, and sighed, "Fine, fine. I guess we have to, right?"
He turned to Layne, "Questions? I don't know. Maybe just find out if there any more glyphs that could be used for this foul purpose. is there some knowledge left that could lead someone else to try doing this again? If so, we should retrieve it."
Kaylayne begins to cast the spell, to ask the Other Kaylayne to converse with those beyond herself to find answers in the void, in the aether, in the spirit world.
Kaylayne speaks to herself (her other self) in a clear, conversational tone, phrasing the questions as best she can given the limitations of speech and what has just happened.
"Seek for me the answers for this, Spirit...Seek hard and seek true," Kaylayne begins. "Tell me..."
|
Tarkir snores loudly from the corner of the chamber as the smaller bear sleeps in for once.
Hearing Kaylayne commune with herself Allarnon peeks an eye open as he silently watches her speak with spirits now.
No wonder she was able to raise the dead.
Reaching down a hand he scratches Tarkir behind the ear. "We will be going home soon bud."
"I think our intention is to deliver word and body to the Queen of the Elves of the events that transpired here. Thank you for your hospitality, and for your wish. You are the only bright spot in the Land of Black Blood, Haiten. You have your purpose, I understand, but I would wish you far removed from here. This place should be lost to time."
Haiten disagrees mildly, "There are things here worth knowing, and I would study them. When I have had my fill of the food, I will leave." she picks at a mushroom on her plate and leaves it.
2. Do glyphs remain that could be used to this purpose?
3. Is there any knowledge left that could be used for the drow to do this again?
4. Is Allevrah dead?
5. Is there things we still need to do here in the Darklands to save Kyonin?
The powerful spell is cast, and there is hesitation before the answers flow, but flow they do...
1) Yes2) No
3) Yes
4) Yes
5) Not for now
|
|
Allarnon's smile grows wider than it has been in weeks. He leaps up and grabs ahold of Dimitrio's hands and swings the man around in a wide circle as he lets out a whooping yell into the soundless cavern. "WE DID IT!" He takes a few moments dancing about and quickly moves to Lief, Ederin and then Kaylayne, though he is quickly cut of by a stern gaze of don't touch me or I will incinerate you with my staff. Allarnon was well aware of the look and bows slightly, holding his hand out as an invitation.
Allarnon's smile grows wider than it has been in weeks. He leaps up and grabs ahold of Dimitrio's hands and swings the man around in a wide circle as he lets out a whooping yell into the soundless cavern. "WE DID IT!" He takes a few moments dancing about and quickly moves to Lief, Ederin and then Kaylayne, though he is quickly cut of by a stern gaze of don't touch me or I will incinerate you with my staff. Allarnon was well aware of the look and bows slightly, holding his hand out as an invitation.
Dimitrio was shocked at first but then gave into the bear-man's victory dance. He chanted, "We're - going home. We're - going home."
Once that was over, he grabbed Layne's hands, "C'mon, Layne. You can let your hair down sort of speak. Be happy."
Slightly out of breath Dimitrio summarized, "So no more Allevrah. no more glyphs, no more threat to Kyonin and,"he paused for drama, "we can go home!"
Kaylayne smirks at Dimi's words, not believing...not willing to believe. She turns to the spirits, asking more questions before the magic fades.
"Tell me, Spirits, can I truly let my hair down? May I be happy? Is my part in this ordeal over?"
Kaylayne crosses her arms, waiting for answers.
1) Unclear
2) Yes
3) Yes
Kaylayne allows herself a small smile and leads to a bigger grin.
"Yeah, let's get the piddlespot out of here. Shaitan, thank you for your help and hospitality...but I'm ready to go. Yeah, I'm really for some sunshine."
Ederin allows himself a grin and a sigh of relief as they hear that everything is going to be alright. He sits back and whispers a silent prayer to Erastil, simultaneously grateful for the gods assistance and wondering when exactly he became so devout.
"Alright, let's get the hell out of here!" Turning to the genie, Ederin asks for his Wish to be used to teleport him and his friends to Kyonin so they can report to the queen.
"And thanks again, for giving us a safe place here in the land of black blood, knowin we could come back here, made it a little easier for me to keep goin'."
Lief takes note of the Answers, slowly becoming more interested, not in the Questions themselves, but the manner in which the Answers are obtained.
"Who are you talking to, Kaylayne?" Lief focuses on the woman-once-barmaid, with renewed interest. "You mentioned your other you. Are you asking 'yourself' questions, and 'yourself' is answering? Or is that just a name you've given some otherworldly entity?"
The young man didn't require questions answered to confirm their success, and his genuine curiosity leads him to inquire of the woman.
"How knowledgeable is this entity you consult? Does it know if a drow can become elf again? Does it know how to bring that about? Would it be able to name those hostile to the Queen who may still be out there? Does it know where this knowledge is that could lead the drow to renew their efforts? Does it know how to recreate the Glyphs through the aboleth magics? Are you communing with an aboleth? How would you be able to distinguish what's chosen to speak to you?"
Kaylayne's smile fades at Lief's questions. She first separates the good questions from bad, then ponders the implications of the good ones, then moves to ask those questions.
"Tell me, Spirits, is it possible to turn drow back into elves? To undo the hate that has wrought their minds? Can we do it en masse? Also, do we possesses the power to turn individual drow back into elves?"
After she asks those questions, she breaks her concentration to answer Lief.
"Yes or no questions only, Lief. You should know this."
"Oh? I didn't think you limited your own answers to 'yes' or 'no'. As for the questions you could pose to your entity, they were." Lief hears the woman slip away from any real commitment to answering his questions, taking what she needs, so he leaves the subject alone, not interested in ruffling the woman's feathers any further.
When the time comes, Lief is ready for their return to the Surface.
1) Unclear
2) Unclear
3) No
4) No
The Shaitan gathers the group together, advises Ederin on his wording, and grants the wish. There’s a spacial shift, and then a jarring bounce as you’re extradimensional travel is suddenly halted before your destination (the Queen's presence).
You appear at the entrance to the Queen’s castle, manor, and seat of government. You are, for a moment, blinded by the bright light of the midday sun streaming through the trees into your collective faces. Rarely has anything felt so good as the simple warmth of the sun on you.
It takes a moment for the servants and guard to notice your sudden appearance, but notice you they do as you gather yourself and acclimate to your new environment. You are escorted quickly to the Queen who clears the hall but for a handful of close advisors, and a powerful Calistrian priest. ”First, formalities aside, are you in need of assistance? How can we help you if so?” she asks urgently, real concern for your wellbeing on her face.
Lief orients himself, before following along with the escort to the Queen. As he recognizes the beginning of the debriefing, he opens his Bag of Holding, and drags Allevrah's dead corpse from it. Once the body is clear of the opening, he closes his Bag, before moving to the body, and adjusting it to something resembling decorum.
"We are all fine, I think. Some food would be welcome, perhaps on a terrace with direct sunlight? As for the body, she is recently dead, in case you seek to bring her back from Pharasma's Courtyard, and have your justice."
Kaylayne breathes deep of the fresh air, then again, ignoring all those around her. She lifts her face to the sun and just sits for a moment before re-engaging with others.
"We lived. We succeeded. We battled the dark, the drow, the demons, the dead...and we lived. What else would you want to know?" Kaylayne finally answers, looking for a patch of grass upon which to lie.
"Bring us wine. Bring us fresh food. Bring us the trappings of celebration...and cheese! Bring us cheese!"
"And some meat. How about pork? Do you have any roast pork?"
Dimitrio was giddy and started once more to think about his appearance. His straightened out his mustache and used his hands to comb back his greasy hair. He needed a bath.
He continued asking for things, "Music. Can you get someone to play music? Something lively please."
When it came time to discuss their exploits, he let his companions have their fill, "I'm actually going to write a play of the entire event. I'll play myself of course. it will be a huge hit."
"Sunlight is good, and food that aint mushrooms, and music, and a bath in some water that ain't tryin' to kill me, maybe just some time in a forest where things make sense too." Ederin smirks as he rattles off a list of all the things he can enjoy in life again.
"Pat on the back might be nice too. Far as we can tell the threats ended and we can stop worryin' about a second Earthfall. Which if I'm bein' honest is the best news I've had in a long time."
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
The Queen obliges the party in all their requests… Allevrah’s body is taken away, likely to be hidden way so as to make it harder to raise her. The hall is opened to the courtiers and food and drink is summoned by the Queen.
The celebration is inebriating, and hours string into days as the party is hailed as the heroes they are both at the palace, and throughout the city. You are lavished with gifts, and offers of all sorts, some quite unseemly in fact - but all with the relief of a recently pardoned prisoner. The death sentence has been lifted and the sun is shining!
Though there’s no sense of slowing down, some of you may be itching to finally return home. A wizard is brought, and you are teleported to a spot not too far from the city, a clearing the wizard knows well enough. He bows deeply to you and, with a gesture, teleports back home.
You walk slowly into Riddleport, burdened by your wealth and gifts. You eventually see the Gold Goblin, its statue glowing gold in the late morning sun. The doors are already open for the day and folks are streaming in and out of the gambling hall.
As you enter the building, it’s clear it’s been doing well these last months. The staff is crisp, there’s a new rug on the floor, and the chandelier positively sparkles. It takes a moment for you to be recognized in your finery, but you are, and then are quickly brought to Bartlebe who’s been running things in your absence.
He is overjoyed to see you again, and speaks rapidly of what he’s done the last three or four months while you’ve been gone. His patter falls on your ears like soothing rain. Peaceful, quiet, serene - ordinary. At the end, he opens the vault and shows you the piles of gold and platinum that he’s acquired for your return.
Welcome home.