"Damn it Trose what are you up to? Get ready for trouble people."
Trose shakes his head and raises his hand. "Calm down, guys, I think they are here to help. They helped me - I was toast back in the Forgehold without these guys.
"I was just on the way out when I must hav triggered some dispelling trap by the gate, and I was visible and earth-bound in one go. I had a warforged army coming down on me when, well, they spoke in my mind and offered to get me out. I didn't have much choice and they just teleported in, and teleported me out.
"I still don't know what they want, except that Norn has something to do with it. I figured we all needed to hear what they have to say."
Selkatari nods. "Yes, we have followed your progress. I understand from Master d'Tharashk that you also have Karile d'Cannith and her assistant, as well as Norn. They present us with a troubling dilemma, to say the least. But please come with us, so we can discuss these matters in more comfort." She holds out her empty hand.
I'll agree.
(they can pwn us right now anyway....)
"Yes. Let's get to the bottom of this business."
I'm gonna go back later's; heal self and others who need it...
Janosz looks around as he steps out of the tent. "So, we're back in the kalashtar enclave in Overlook again. It's been a while, hasn't it?" He shakes his head. "At some point, we probably would have come here anyway. Give them the possessed ones. If anyone knows how to deal with them, it'll be the kalashtar."
Runzyl grudgingly thrusts the secretary forward as he exits the tent, an obvious look of displeasure on his face.
"I hope for your sake that the kalashtar can remove whatever demon holds your mind, woman. Else I will gut you when they fail."
Lightbringer slowly takes in the situation.
“We thank you for your help,” he says at last. “Norn is under our protection … but we are unable to revive him. We would thank you for your help.”
He holds up his arms, where the unconscious and trussed Karile rests. “This one we suspect to be possessed by some force or entity from the realm of dreams,” he says, and nods to where Runzyl holds the secretary. “And as my companion says, perhaps that one too. We will give them into your custody for now, but take care; you will know that Karile is an heir of House Cannith, and may not be evil of herself.”
He looks around at his companions, seeking assent. “We will come with you,” he says, seeing that the others either agree or realise that they have little choice.
Rod heals Janosz with the wand to max.
He heals bool 10 hp; 17 hp with the wand
He heals arek 9 hp; 13 hp with the wand
Anybody else? I see ez and runzyl are at max. What about trose?
(unless bool and arek don't need it...)
sounds good...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Selkatari nods gravely. “Good, we are glad you see it that way.” The other kalashtar visibly relax. The unconscious Karile and her secretary are dragged out of the tent, together with Gnarly, Norn and Ceshto’s body. Selkatari talks to the secretary briefly in a language the party don’t understand, but her response is merely to stare back in silent impudence.
With a shake of her head, she orders the two women to be taken away, while another group carry off Gnarly and Norn. Bool snarls as they move to take Ceshto, and he then hefts the corpse himself in his arms and follows after them. Arek, his face pained, watches as Bool leaves, then sighs and mumbles, “I will come with you,” to Janosz.
Selkatari, with a small escort, leads the party to another room, with a table and chairs. Inside is an elderly kalashtar, dressed in brown robes. Sitting next to him is Faith, the warforged. She certainly seems to have been in the wars, as she is missing an arm and a large section of skull plating, revealing woody fibres and metal struts linked together. However, she appears reasonable functional, greeting the party as they arrive. The old man smiles gently.
“I am Havakhad. I suppose I pass for a leader of our community here in Sharn. I greet you. Please take a seat.”
“Faith. I am glad to see you,” says Lightbringer. “I am sorry we do not rescue you; it was our intent to do so. Who damaged you?”
The paladin then returns Havakhad’s greeting. “Can you explain what is happening here?” he asks. He does not sit, though his stance is not threatening and he keeps his weapons sheathed.
Faith inclines her head towards Lightbringer. "I was captured by the Cannith woman. She seemed interested in me for some reason, and had me held in Cannith Tower and attempted, for some reason, to dissect me. At least warforged do not feel pain as others do. I don't believe she discovered what she wanted, but I was fortunate to be rescued nevertheless by Selkatari."
"Indeed," says Havakhad. "We have a mystery on our hands. Tell me, before we begin - what do you know of Dal Quor, and of quori?"
“Dal Quor is the realm of dreams,” answers Lightbringer. Ever since facing the creatures that Karile appeared to summon he has been thinking on what he knows of that place; he’s not entirely certain how he knows what he does – it is almost like old, half forgotten memories have come back to him, except at only six years old he should not have any old memories.
“The Quori are spirits who inhabit the place. Karile appeared to summon some Quori spirits in corporeal form when we battled her, though the Flamebearer tells me that that should not have been possible; Quori cannot normally exist on Eberron in their own bodies. Is that correct? They must possess or merge themselves with mortal hosts.”
know: planes r3+10=13
Rod's a tad shaken at the moment...
"Yes...those things I banished...they shouldn't be here. On eberron. It shouldn't be possible."
Janosz pats Arek on the shoulder as they walk after the other party members. "We've gotta look after Bool after this mess," he mutters in Orcish. Perhaps it's time for him to go back home, get a farm and settle down, raise some pups. We'll talk about that later, though; now, let's see what the mindbenders are up to."
Janosz sits down in the back of the room, listening intently. He knows nothing about the quori beyond the usual bedside tales about possession and madness - tales that he had, until now, mostly scoffed at. Apparently, he has a lot to learn.
"I know Karile was possessed, well....I think I know that....not much really...."
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
Havakhad smiles warmly (and mildly patronisingly). "Yes indeed, though the details are somewhat more complicated, and involve a degree of history."
"Dal Quor is indeed the plane of dreams. All dreaming minds touch upon it when they sleep. But living within it are entities, quori, native to Dal Quor, that feed upon those dreams.
"Travel between Dal Quor and the material world is virtually impossible, and has been since the Giant Age. The quori attempted to invade this world, and were repulsed by the great arcanists, divines and artificers of the Giant Empire. With the help of the dragons, they found a way to sever the connection between this plane and Dal Quor to prevent physical travel between the two. At great cost to themselves, of course - it virtually destroyed their civilisation. It is now only possible to get to Dal Quor though mental projection. And by the dreaming of an unconscious mind, of course.
"So yes, you are correct that quori should not be appearing in the Cannith Forgehold, or indeed anywhere in this world. The creatures you saw were in likely quori minds projected into short-lived ectoplasmic shells, rather than real quori. But a quori spirit was almost certainly present with you, possessing the body of Karile d'Cannith."
"Havakhad..." says Selkatari, a warning in her tone.
"Now, now, Selkatari," replies Havakhad, waving a hand in vague irritation, "They have come a long way, they have encountered the Cannith woman several times, and have proved their good intentions with their actions. We need to think less of how we can defeat the Dark by our own actions, and how we can find allies to aid us. We need to get over our own arrogance."
With Selkatari suitably chastised, Havakhad continues.
"The creatures that dwell in Dal Quor are, unfortunately, generally evil in nature. They seek to dominate the mortal world in order to control the source of their livelihoods - dreaming mortal minds - and are ruled by a conclave of powerful quori known as the Dreaming Dark.
"Because of the imperfect severance between this realm and Dal Quor they have, over the intervening millenia, been able to infiltrate this world and possess those willing to share their bodies with such a spirit. As I say, a subject must be willing to be possessed, and must share the outlook of the quori - a desire for power at any cost - or such a possession cannot take place. I am afraid it is very unlikely that Miss d'Cannith will be pleased to have been freed of her quori passenger, as she will have been a most willing host.
"The quori have also established a more permanent foothold in this world. You have doubtless heard of the Riedran Empire in Sarlona, yes? They are ruled by a group calling themselves the Inspired. Unfortunately, their inspiration comes from their quori possessors.
“Over the centuries, acting through willing human hosts, the quori have created through selective breeding a race of…. vessels, for want of a better term, whom they may inhabit on a whim and without needing to obtain agreement. These vessels are the Inspired, and through them the quori, and the Dreaming Dark, control Riedra. Through conquest and subversion over the centuries, they have created an empire of brainwashed human slaves, devoted to the Inspired. One of those slaves is Miss d’Cannith’s assistant, doubtless a highly-trained agent of the Dark but nevertheless a fanatical drone in the service of the Inspired, caring nothing for herself and willing to kill and to be killed if so ordered.
Havakhad looks saddened for a moment, and then brightens. “I imagine you are thinking that this is all well and good, but what does this have to do with the kalashtar? You see, we kalashtar are also the product of quori possession, if you like.
“About two thousand years ago, a number of quori rebelled against the evil of the Dreaming Dark and were forced to flee Dal Quor. They travelled from dream to dream, seeking sanctuary, and many were lost on the way. Finally they came across the mortal mind of a meditating monk and their leader, Taratai, was granted possession to plead their case to the monastery abbot. The abbot agreed that the fleeing quori could inhabit the minds of volunteers, and so the sixty-seven remaining quori rebels joined with the bodies of those first hosts. But to fully escape Dal Quor, and the Dreaming Dark, rather than simply possess their hosts the quori had to merge, forming a genuine synthesis between the human and quori personalities. And so the first kalashtar were created, and the traits of these pioneers were carried forward into successive generations. Not coincidentally, we don’t dream when we sleep.
“Unfortunately, the Dreaming Dark did not forget us. The kalashtar homeland is Adar, also in Sarlona, and is menaced on its borders by the Riedran Empire. The Dark would like nothing better than to finish the extermination of our kind that it started two millennia ago.”
Havakhad chuckles. “And still you are thinking, what is it with the history lessons? What do you, House Cannith and warforged have to do with quori spirits, Riedra and the events of previous millennia?” He gets to his feet. “Come with me and I will show you the final piece of the puzzle.”
He, together with Selkatari and her escort, head into a corridor and up a narrow flight of steps to a small roof garden. As they walk, Havakhad continues, breathing a little heavily from exertion as he walks up the stairs.
“As I told you, many of the quori rebels died or disappeared in their journey from Dal Quor to Adar. We are few in number, and the Dark has succeeded in snuffing out a number of kalashtar bloodlines – individuals descended from one of the original kalashtar – and so, I suppose, killing what remains of that original quori. Taratai’s lineage, for example, is now destroyed. So the existence of our quori heritage is tenuous, and something very precious to us.”
They emerge on to the roof. Delicate flowers bloom in raised beds and plain earthenware pots, washed with light from the setting sun. A kalashtar woman stands and bows respectfully at Havakhad and Selkatari from where she was sitting, watching a warforged as it tends a bed of orchids. The warforged is a heavy-duty combat model, similar to Faith and Lightbringer. Somewhat incongruously, its stubby fingers hold a garden trowel and it gently weeds around the blooms, ignoring the new arrivals.
“We found this warforged wandering nearby, seeming lost and confused. Its mind seems fractured, and we have been able to obtain very little information from it, other than it came from High Walls and knew someone called Norn. However, sometimes when we spoke to it, it replied in snatches of the language of the quori, and told us its name was Goshasanan.
“Goshasanan was an ally of the leader of the rebel quori, Taratai, a great philosopher and strategist. He was lost in the exodus from Dal Quor and never made it into a human host. Somehow, in ways we simply don’t understand, it appears fragments of Goshasanan’s personality and memories exist within the mind of this warforged. For us, to find and rescue Goshasanan would be the greatest event to befall the kalashtar since our arrival in Adar. And the Dreaming Dark will stop at nothing to prevent that. How they found out about this we may never know. Perhaps Karile stumbled across records in the Cannith archives, maybe Norn simply dreamed it and it was noticed.
“Right now, our only lead is Norn d’Cannith and, while you have bravely managed to rescue him, it would appear that he has been subject to a very brutal psychic interrogation. We can probably heal his mind, but that will be a slow process.”
Havakhad gazes thoughtfully at the warforged. Selkatari speaks to him. "We need to deal with the prisoners."
"Hmmm, yes." He turns to the party. "The possessed are willing and have to be morally debased in order for it to happen, and the human agents of the Dark would kill their own families if so requested. Ordinarily, we have to kill the agents of the Dark and their vessels. But I wonder, would you be comfortable with that?"
Janosz is quiet for a bit after the Kalshtar elder's speech. "Normally, I'd be very uncomfortable with killing prisoners. But after your explanation - and, more importantly, facing them - it seems obvious to me that they must die. Nobody can be allowed to invite that kind of unnatural menaces into our world and not pay for it. Hell, I'll kill them myself if you want me to."
"I....just don't know....I mean, we went that way with the werecreatures. We thought it sounded good at the time...."
Runzyl seems to barely grasp the vagaries of the kalashtar's explanation, but nods slowly at the end of the tale, particularly in response to the final note.
"If they have been possessed, then their spirits are already forfeit. It would be no different than smashing an empty box. There's nothing worth saving inside. Kill them."
Despite his unusual code of honor, Runzyl seems cold, even dispassionate at this statement.
"I guess,...go ahead. It doesn't feel right though. None of this does.
I hope this all achieves something real, up to now I feel like we're just pissing in the wind."
The Flamebearer's assent is all the Valenar needs. He nods to Selkatari and heads inside, drawing his weapon as he does so and calls for the prisoners.
"You gave up your lives when you forfeited your souls."
"I want my friends, Ceshto and Drim back..."
"Runzyl,.....let me give them a final absolution first...."
Rodergo'll say a little prayer over them.
"I'd do it, Runzyl....but I know you're better at this sort of thing."
“I was loathe to slay Karile outright,” says Lightbringer heavily. “I had hoped that she was not beyond redemption; that the evil within her was not of her making. But if what you speak is true,” he looks to the kalashtar leader. “then death is the only justice she deserves. Likewise her companion.”
He faces his companions, particularly looking at Rodergo. “In other circumstances I would advocate bringing her to trial, and letting the lawful authorities apply what punishment is fitting. However, I fear that her house would protect her from the meting of justice she deserves. If she did come before a judge or a jury, they may not understand that the evil that possessed her was ultimately of her own design.
“She admitted with her own tongue to being possessed, before witnesses. She further claimed that she had more mischief to make.
“If there is any chance that this possession was not of her own invitation, then executing her is not the way. If it was, then she has brought punishment upon herself, and death is all she deserves. Still, I would speak to her before we make that decision.
“We must also consider that if House Cannith connects us with the attack and Karile’s disappearance; and well they may; then our delivering of justice may be framed as murder. We have little evidence that would be acceptable to a court that our opponents were possessed.”
"Okay, we'll speak to her. Our hosts permitting."
The Flamebearer's assent is all the Valenar needs. He nods to Selkatari and heads inside, drawing his weapon as he does so and calls for the prisoners.
“I was loathe to slay Karile outright,” says Lightbringer heavily. “I had hoped that she was not beyond redemption; that the evil within her was not of her making. But if what you speak is true,” he looks to the kalashtar leader. “then death is the only justice she deserves. Likewise her companion.”
He faces his companions, particularly looking at Rodergo. “In other circumstances I would advocate bringing her to trial, and letting the lawful authorities apply what punishment is fitting. However, I fear that her house would protect her from the meting of justice she deserves. If she did come before a judge or a jury, they may not understand that the evil that possessed her was ultimately of her own design.
“She admitted with her own tongue to being possessed, before witnesses. She further claimed that she had more mischief to make.
“If there is any chance that this possession was not of her own invitation, then executing her is not the way. If it was, then she has brought punishment upon herself, and death is all she deserves. Still, I would speak to her before we make that decision.
“We must also consider that if House Cannith connects us with the attack and Karile’s disappearance; and well they may; then our delivering of justice may be framed as murder. We have little evidence that would be acceptable to a court that our opponents were possessed.”
"Very well," says Seltatiri, though she looks unhappy at the prospect.
"Do you have any questions?" asks Havakhad.
“The Flamebearer attempted to expel the spirit from Karile’s body during our battle, but we were unable to determine if the attempt was successful. Can you tell whether it still inhabits her now? If we rouse her to consciousness, can you keep Karile from using any of her mind powers while we question her?”
"Oh she probably deserves death, I'll give you all that. But more importantly- do we deserve the sentences we are about to incur for invading a Cannith enclave, destroying their (incredibly expensive) property, and now executing an heir to the House? I have to admit I was hoping she would be grateful enough after getting free of her possessor to explain things and drop some charges." Ezreal massages his temples and thinks it over, "I don't know how to arrange it, but alive Karile can be forced to witness against herself if we can get her to a magistrate capable discerning lies. But it is an extreme situation. Conscious she is a danger to anyone around her. If we manage to find a way to suppress her abilities, then the same suppression will likely block the ability of a magistrate to question her without error."
Ezreal shakes his head, "I don't know what the answer is, but executing an heir of a Dragonmarked house will make life extremely difficult at best. We will not be able to stay in Sharn once the House mobilizes."
"As far as we can tell, the spirit has left her body. In any case, after an extended battle such as yours, her power will be almost entirely expended anyway.
"But you wizard friend makes a good point. It is unlikely that you could carry off a dragonmarked heir for stealthy execution and expect House Cannith not to respond."
"The guilty must be punished," says Selkatiri stonily.
"Perhaps," replies Havakhad thoughtfully, "But not at the expense of a war with a dragonmarked house. We have a greater objective in mind than settling scores." He turns to the party.
"What do you think? And what impact might House Tharashk have on our predicament?"
“Let us speak to Karile. If her powers are spent, and the spirit cannot re-enter her at a mere whim, then we may have more options than to execute her; though she has earnt herself that punishment.”
Questions:
"Do you have any idea where this Goshasanan may be? Or do we have to wait for Norn to come to? I assume if we could find this Goshasanan, it might answer some questions. Maybe the warforged of....... Faith. The answer may lie with her, if we can figure out some way to ferret it out.
Faith and the other two warforged....there seems to be perhaps an incompleteness to them. What if they were possessed each of one third of a mind schismed somehow? Just an idle thought, maybe there's nothing to it.
Could you kalashtar folk tell something like this with your powers of mind?"
or perhaps just random ramblings. Rod's been through a lot recently...
Questions:
"Do you have any idea where this Goshasanan may be? Or do we have to wait for Norn to come to? I assume if we could find this Goshasanan, it might answer some questions.
Good thinking about the schismed mind - presumably Karile had a similar thought, why she tried to dissect Faith? But I think of the three, G was the only one who has manifested psionic powers (presumably) - Faith seems to be a cleric, and Darkheart was ... I'm not sure - a warlock?
Janosz grins at Ezreal. "All we need to do is to make sure nobody finds the bodies. With no bodies, the Canniths can't prove a thing."
Janosz grins at Ezreal. "All we need to do is to make sure nobody finds the bodies. With no bodies, the Canniths can't prove a thing."
"You are clearly unaware of divination magics and the resources House Cannith can bring to bear," replies Havakhad dryly.
"I'm not sure what my grandmother's response to all this will be," says Trose, "But she did send us into that fight. But Marrius' crew only inflicted damage to the building and Tharashk pride. They didn't kill anyone, and killing a senior member of a House would be an escalation. We should ask Grandma what the next move might be."
Questions:
"Do you have any idea where this Goshasanan may be? Or do we have to wait for Norn to come to? I assume if we could find this Goshasanan, it might answer some questions. Maybe the warforged of....... Faith. The answer may lie with her, if we can figure out some way to ferret it out.
Faith and the other two warforged....there seems to be perhaps an incompleteness to them. What if they were possessed each of one third of a mind schismed somehow? Just an idle thought, maybe there's nothing to it.
Could you kalashtar folk tell something like this with your powers of mind?"
or perhaps just random ramblings. Rod's been through a lot recently...
"We don't know if Goshasanan the quori inhabits this warforged or not, and its mind is too chaotic to provide easy answers. It is hard to see what connection Faith might have to Goshasanan either - she displays no psionic powers or affinity to the kalashtar."
"I was extensively... Examined by Karile, and she found no answers either," adds Faith.
"Quite," continues Havakhad, "At the moment, Norn is all we have."
“Let us speak to Karile. If her powers are spent, and the spirit cannot re-enter her at a mere whim, then we may have more options than to execute her; though she has earnt herself that punishment.”
"Very well," assents Selkatiri.
Leaving Havakhad in the garden, the party follow her back inside and to the basement where some small rooms are being used as cells. They find Karile in one of them, looking dishevilled and haunted, two kalashtar standing over her.
"So, Karile....how long have you been in collusion with the quori? And I would like to know WHAT the big interest in Norn and Faith are."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Karile sniffs miserably and tears well up in her eyes as her words tumble out. “I didn’t know what it would do, please believe me! It came to me in dreams, offering me power and help in advancement through the House. It said it was called Fourgri and was a researcher from Dal Quor, with an interest in artifice. It allowed me to know what people were thinking and knew things, places and discoveries, that would help my career, and things were fine for a while. All it wanted was to share my body, and get access to the Cannith archives. It seemed a fair enough exchange.
“Then we found the records about Norn and what he knew about Project Prosper, and in the transcript of the meeting he had in Sharn with the House he mentioned about an insane warforged calling itself Goshasanan, and suddenly everything changed. It wanted to get hold of Norn, and it wanted the warforged for study. I… I couldn’t stop it, it was too powerful.
“It made me hire Heris and, when he failed, use you and Marrius. It didn’t care who got hurt, it only wanted Norn and the ‘forged. It wanted to find this Goshasanan, who seems to be an enemy of its race, and destroy it. Then it made me hire Riel, my assistant – I don’t know where she came from, she just turned up one day, but she had been sent for by the things that Fourgri works for. She didn’t care about me, only about the thing inside me – Fourgri used her partly to keep me in line. I haven’t been in control for weeks.
“It cut up the other warforged, but it was disappointed and angry – apparently there was nothing different in its body between it and normal ‘forged. But I think it found out something important from Norn. It was terrible – it virtually ripped his mind apart looking for information. He was screaming but Riel just held him while it did it. I don’t know what Fourgri discovered – maybe a place or location? But I don’t know where or what it is.
“Please, I’m sorry what happened. I’d help you more if I could. I would never have let it inside me if I had known. I’m so glad it has gone. Please don’t let them kill me!” Karile breaks down into sobs.
sense motive r18+9=27