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"Keep the kalashtar out of it. They'll just add unneeded storytelling complexity. For what it's worth, I think the formula sorta works. However, it would probably be good if you would let Lightbringer and Rodergo have a bit of editorial input on their dialogue, so that they can put in some suitably uplifting passages."
"Also, when did Mr. Verdigris' crate arrive? Just curious."
"Keep the kalashtar out of it. They'll just add unneeded storytelling complexity. For what it's worth, I think the formula sorta works. However, it would probably be good if you would let Lightbringer and Rodergo have a bit of editorial input on their dialogue, so that they can put in some suitably uplifting passages."
"Well, if you insist."
"Also, when did Mr. Verdigris' crate arrive? Just curious."
"Just this morning actually."
Lightbringer inwardly sighs, but decides not to get into a debate with the gnome on the matter of verbal and written contracts right now.
“Yes,” he agrees with Rodergo. “It would be very dangerous for all concerned if the kalashtar were mentioned at this point. The story is not yet done – to reveal early would very likely lead to a bad end for your heroes and their allies, including their friends in the publishing industry.”
The skycoach sweeps over the Dagger River before nudging down and landing in Dura. The party emerge to polite and reserved looks from the passing kalashtar of Overlook. The meeting hall is just across the street, and the low-key guardians outside immediately recognise the group and let them in. At a plain table in the slightly down-at-heel premises the kalashtar occupy, they sit waiting for Selkatari and Havakhad. When they arrive they get straight to business.
"You came quickly - excellent," Selkatari begins. "Time is at a premium. We were finally able to obtain from Norn some details of what the quori Fourgri was after, though they are sketchy. We know that it was interested in the special warforged that Norn was working with on the Day of Mourning. We now know it wanted to know where they had been manufactured. Norn is perhaps the only person still alive who knows where that is. Even the warforged themselves, such as Faith, do not know the location of the facility as they were removed very soon after their creation and not allowed to see the route to the training camp.
"Clearly this is a key objective. Norn was able to provide us with directions to the place, which now lies in the Mourning Land. We would like you to get there and thwart whatever plan the Dreaming Dark may have."
Lightbringer looks to Janosz. “In truth I know little of the Mournland,” he says, “beyond rumours. I do know that warforged can survive there, as that false messiah, the Lord of Blades encamps in the region. If research proves that the place is inherently hostile to human life, I will not ask the rest of you to come, though our strengths in working together have been proved, and I hope that you will.”
Lightbringer then turns to Selkatari and Havakhad. “Hello again my friends,” he says, then holds up his hand. “If you know the way to this place, do not tell us just now. Our small friend here,” he gestures to the gnome, “should not learn of it, for his own safety, lest our enemies in the Dreaming Dark try to rip the knowledge directly from his mind.”
Gil has been looking into the distance of memory and snaps back to the present with Lightbringer's statement. "No, I have postponed my 'homecoming' too long, anyway. Much as I dread to see for myself what's become of that beautiful land, it's something I must do. And I would prefer to do it with friends."
She adds, "I have considered traveling there before, so I have asked around to see what others could tell me of the conditions. I know that humans can survive the Mournland, but there are threats there that one will not find anywhere else."
Ezreal looks at the Kalashtar incredulously, before beginning to consider the possibilities. He rubs his temples with one hand while as he thinks before saying "This... This is going to take some planning. From what I understand food and drinkable water are nonexistent in the Mournland. Arcane power is unpredictable at best- the same spells active during conflicts on the Day of Mourning took on a life of their own and stalk anything living. The only things left alive were warped horribly by the power of the event..." Ezreal turns to look at Rodergo, "And from what I hear it is not possible to heal a living body in the Mournland. I will need to do some research on that. As an extradimensional space we may be able to use the tent to circumvent some of these problems periodically."
Selkatari gives Banquat a very hard look. Looking somewhat disgruntled, he says, "Well, I guess I had better go and check on the driver," and he leaves.
Havakhad continues, "The Dark have a start of several weeks, and they are often well-resourced. I would work on the theory that if they haven't already reached the facility due to the intervening dangers, they are actively trying. While you clearly must make appropriate preparations to maximise your chances of success, we would urge you to set off as quickly as practical.
"We have little intelligence as to what you might find there, though Norn has been able to provide a rough plan of the areas of the facility with which he was familiar. You should in the first instance seek out the office of a Director Kaase, as he was in charge of the operation that Norn was working on. Norn has marked it on the map."
Rolund keeps quiet during the proceedings but his face is troubled.
No! Not now, damnit! I need this mark gone!
But he resigns to the journey after hearing the nature of the mission. “Karrnath will have to be informed of our mission. Some of us are not free agents to make such decisions. You will have to be very persuasive to Naval Command, otherwise our orders will be to remain here.”
"The food and water situation shouldn't be a huge problem as we can stash significant quantities of both inside the tent. However, will the tent itself work normally inside the Mists, if, as you say, magic is unpredictable in the Mournlands? Some field testing seems prudent - and necessary."
"We can get to the Mournland border quickly by using Marrius' ship again. It really is too bad that all hose people were present when we docked - otherwise, we could just have snuck out without telling anyone. It'll be hard to convince the Karrnathi Navy that we didn't really retutn to Sharn..."
“Marrius did not seem pleased with the reception on our approach, and did not fare as well as he hoped from our recent expedition,” notes Lightbringer thoughtfully. “He may not be inclined to ferry us anywhere again so soon. I do not know if the Lightning Rail takes us anywhere near the Mournland border, or to the right part of it, but perhaps we need to consider that as an option. As for food and drink, do any know how divine magic functions in that land? The Flamebearer may be able to provide the bounty of the Silver Flame to sustain you all.”
Rolund and Gil were going to check in with their superiors.
Gil used to know some Cyran folks -- it's possible that she might find a familiar face among the refugees that might be able to share some first-hand information about the Mournland. Or she might be able to get some information out of some adventurers familiar with the area, if such exist.
Other than that, checking out the crate seems like the sensible place to start.
The group take their leave of the kalashtar and head back to the skycoach. There they find Banquat helping himself to the hospitality, a glass of sparkling wine clasped in his small pudgy hand. He instructs the driver to head to the Inquisitive offices in Middle Menthis while trying to pump the party for information on their latest mission to the Mournland.
On the way he also adds, "I've arranged for you guys to open a new restaurant in Skyway - it's called the Cloud Citadel, serves tiny portions for high prices, that sort of place. I, ah, know you guys aren't really into that sort of thing - probably prefer to forage for your own food or something - but if you are on a new mission the appearance fee might come in handy. They are looking to pay 150 platinum just so you show up. You can get there, cut the ribbon, make a little conversation and be out of there in half an hour. Beats killing ogres for the money, right? And could be good for networking too - lots of important people are slated to show up, might be an investment in the long term?"
The skycoach lands in Menthis. From the skycoach stand it is a short walk through the bustle to the tower where the Sharn Inqusitive occupies several floors. A few passers-by appear to recognise the group as they walk, but no one bothers them.
The party enter through large doors into an atrium, floored with marble. A couple of security men stand watch but they smile and nod at Banquat as he ushers his charges through and into corridors lined with front pages from the illustrious past of the newssheet, set out in glass-fronted frames. From here they enter the newsroom. The air is thick with fumes from the various pungent weeds being smoked, and a few of the journalists hunched over their desks, men and women with representatives of most races, have half-empty bottles of spirits and shot glasses beside them as they work. A few acknowledge Banquat and gaze at the party with jaundiced, seen-it-all-before looks.
At the end of the newsroom is a large office with a glass wall and a huge picture window overlooking the cityscape. Inside, behind a suitably impressive desk, a grizzled human seems to be berating an office junior. Remarkably, he seems to be yelling while retaining a half-consumed cigar in his mouth. "That's the editor, Jared Kalmar. Looks like he's not in the best of moods right now so we won't bother him. Anyway, you should meet him tonight at the restaurant. Here, this way."
Banquat leads on to some back stairs and the group ascends a couple of flights. Through a cavernous hall filled with wheezing and chattering printing presses they finally reach the Inquisitive loading bay. A large entrance from the outside to accommodate cargo skycoaches leads to a large space where they can be unloaded. A couple of workers in brown overalls stand about smoking roll-up cigarettes. One of them, presumably a foreman, wanders over.
"Awright, Banquat!" says the man, a middle-aged human with a paunch pushing against the material of his coverall, "This the lot with the mystery package?" He jerks a thumb to a crate, maybe ten feet tall and four feet wide, standing against a wall. A large arrow painted on the side with 'This way up' points towards the ceiling.
"And maybe we can get rid of his lordship too," adds the foreman. A slender figure, a half-elf dressed richly but with a certain fustiness, looks up from where he sat uncomfortably on a bale of newsprint. He adjusts his pince-nez glasses and steps over delicately.
"Ah, at last!" he says with a sigh, "My deliverers. Might I introduce myself? Avaro Cardamos, agent for the Quaria Auction House. One of our clients requested I be available for when you open the package. I assume Master ir'Kraal is with you, as the package was adressed to him? Shall we?"
The foreman picks up a crowbar and approaches the crate.
"Avaro, good to meet you; would you happen to know anything about the contents of said mystery box? And, if not, my good man, I would request that you and anybody without any formal combat training be as far away from said box as possible whilst we open it.
I fear that if you don't know what it is, well....it might just contain a.....canfull of wupass, as some of my former halforc confederates were fond of saying."
Gil, who has been wearing the guise of the bureaucrat Matilda since shortly after disembarking from the Crimson Eagle, strides over to the box's keeper and gently guides him a few steps from the box.
"Mr. Cardamos, is it? Please excuse these gentlemen for being overly cautious - it has been a trying time for us all. You say that you were to deliver this to Master ir'Kraal? Who exactly are you delivering it from? Neither Master ir'Kraal nor myself were made aware of any packages coming to his attention. May I see the paperwork for the package?"
Diplomacy