Dandi turns, blushing as Laori points out what should be obvious to anyone. "Err, yes, perhaps a little more healing would be good. I'm still not feeling so well."
Briar waits for the Rat to examine the door.
Charlie smiles warmly at Dandi and fives her a peck on her forehead before pulling a nice bottle of warming wine out of his haversack to hand to her.
"Take a pull on that and you'll be right as rain.Then hand it over. I could use a little rain myself."
As the restoratives are dealt out, Barael shudders in his strength's return. "Charlie, much thanks."
Barael moves to the door and places his hands on the door, ready to be done with the large room.
Barael almost lets his hands linger, to study the pile.
"Uh, yeah. This looks promising. There's quite the stash in here, but that's not all there is. Appears to be a dragon shadow atop it as well." Barael steps back, keeping his eyes on the door.
"The dragon... do you think...? Is that its soul is still about?" Barael looks around, dreading the hag's return. He snuffles more, and moves around the room, in little circles.
Briar smiles at the news the hoard is here.
"Open the door. I would know which of my new magics this dragon has been holding for me. We've dealt with ghost and spirits before," Briar says while knocking a ghost touched arrow. "Let me see this spirit."
Briar stands in E10, ready to shoot.
"Thanks, Charlie.
"Another dragon? Are we sure we want to deal with another one of those? Perhaps resting would be the better way to go."
If Barael doesn't detect the hag's scent, he moves back to the door, and inspects it for protective locks.
"Are we pursuing this now?" Barael looks back and forth between Dandi and Briar.
He stands back, Black Tooth in hand, ready to open the door.
Barael, nervously, but with dedication, examines the door for locks and traps finding nothing.
He then opens the door (pushing a little) to reveal a small room (10x15). The floor of this chamber is heaped with battered weapons, breastplates, helms, shields, and a large number of skulls. More importantly, the center of the chamber is occupied by chests overflowing with coins of gold and silver.
There is no dragon to be seen however. Does anyone go in? Or touch the wealth within? Magic is detected.
Briar casts Detect Magic and moves to look in.
Perception
Magic, give me your secrets.
"Oh. Healing. Yeah." Barael slinks back and tries to find a wand worth burning to restore himself to full.
Presuming the party puts a little effort and time in the collection and cataloguing of the goods, the treasure here includes 12,030gp in assorted coins, gems worth 5,800gp, 3 masterwork great swords (1,050gp), a masterwork halberd (310gp), a mithral breastplate (4,200gp), an adamantine battle-ax (3,010gp), a +1 lawful outsider bane great sword (8,350gp) and a small sized suit of +3 chain mail (9,300gp).
It will take some doing to move all the valuable goods from the room. If you wish to press on, please sort out who has what for encumbrance purposes (though I know there are some extra-dimensional objects in the party, I’m not sure a great sword fits in a handy haversack).
Briar tosses the greatsword down with scorn, his anger rising.
"What is this crap, Rat!? Where is the good stuff!? Staves of power!? Wands of intrigue!? This is far too mundane," Briar rages, ever so disappointed.
Briar holds up the chain mail, a brilliant sneer on his lips.
"What is this made for, a gnome?! A stinkin' gnome. BAH!" Briar tosses the mail down.
"Let us gather what we can carry easily, leave the rest. It is probably safer here than outside in the garrison. We should go back now, to rest. We have done much good work this day, but we are spent. A night of rest will do us good."
Barael moves about the treasure room, initially looking past the glimmers, looking for the anti-glimmer. "The dragon shadow. It's not present now. That's strange. Long-Lived, what gives? Your gloves showed it clearly enough, but it's not here."
Barael moves back to look at the set of armor. "Or one of those foul-mouthed, no filter halflings. Always had to check your coin bag before you left the bar. Bet they could fit inside this easy enough. Although Dandi looked reasonable enough when she grew smaller."
"Are we considering departure here? How far are we retreating then? Kaer Maga?"
"Just rest for the night, brov. Deyanira'll check in soon enough, and likely visit on the morrow. Mayhap we might request some healing wands, and pay her in kind when she arrives...?"
Fondo begins scooping loot into his haversack, mindful to prioritize magic and gems over coins.
Briar shakes his head at Barael.
"I do not know what you saw, Rat. My magic does not fail...perhaps it was another trick of this place."
Briar helps back up what must be backed, stowed and hidden what cannot.
"Come, we retreat to the orc garrison. If they were able to hold out there, so shall we."
"Let's go. I don't see a dragon, not even a little one. Should that worry us?"
Dandi keeps an almost paranoid eye out for the dragon. She is less concerned about the gold. Where can it go, after all?
Barael moves to both unopened doors in this section of the courtyard , and opens them. "So we don't worry about needing to return to this section of the castle. Right." Barring any skeletons in closets, Barael is more than willing to leave the castle for now.
I'm not going to allow Barael to open the remaining doors. Sorry Barael, they're stuck/locked/pinned/barricaded/sealed with mighty magics for the next 12 hours.
Nothing pesters the party as they retreat for the day back to the gatehouse across the lake.
For simplicity, nothing will bother you tonight either (as I am gone, so are the wandering hoards).
Note: Deyanira has no cash with which to purchase wands and the like so if she does come visiting in the morning, it'll be empty handed. We will pick things up at dawn, just after morning obligations (prayer/memorizations/etc.) and before any scrying/sending/teleporting takes place by anyone (including Charlie/Eries).
Have a good week and a good thanksgiving everyone. Feel free to role play the rest of the day (it is only just lunch) and the night. I'll drop in once in a while and add flavor as I can. :)
Upon returning to camp and while feeling relatively safe and happy to have escaped the first foray into Scarwall, Briar will cast Heal upon himself, fixing himself from his minor maladies.
He will set both his magic mouth and explosive runes to protect the party and help warn of danger.
When he is satisfied with the defenses, Briar seeks to spend time with Laori this night, trying to forget the lack of magical artifacts that he was sure should have been in the dragon's horde.
Stupid gnomes.
In the morning, he will awake and pray, listening to the whispers in the void and seeking better answers and protections from Nethys.
Barael reverts back to human form, following a fitful night of sleep.
He approaches the front doors of the Harrow House. Both swing on their hinges, to and fro, but there is no breeze. His eyes adjust to the interior darkness, and he becomes aware of three figures.
The first one uncowls, revealing the face of the sea hag.
The second one, the hag of Scarwall.
The third remains still.
Barael begins walking towards it, against his will. The two hags start to cackle in anticipation. "Oooo. Each to her turn. The harvesting is nigh."
Barael's eyes start to water. His vision starts to swim. He sees the third begin to reach for her cowl. The hands. The hands are... familiar. The hands reach the cowl, start to pull back. To reveal the face... No. No, no, no, no, no, no.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Barael's eyes are sunken, his hair poorly kept. He does his best to prepare an early morning brew, heating the water, and steeping the grinds.
He brings Dandi a cup. "Your spell. I saw something when the creature slashed at me. And I felt... safe. Thank you."
Barael's eyes are sunken, his hair poorly kept. He does his best to prepare an early morning brew, heating the water, and steeping the grinds.
He brings Dandi a cup. "Your spell. I saw something when the creature slashed at me. And I felt... safe. Thank you."
Dandi yawns and stretches as she wakes. Her upturned face smiles as Barael brings her the warmth of morning. "Good morning..." she frowns, taking in his sleep poor features. Her braid pulls a comb from a pocket and reaches out to fix his hair as they talk.
"Good. I want you to be safe." she laughs low as she considers the likelihood of that actually being the case, "Well, as safe as can be while we continue this madness."
Her head tips as she considers the comb's work on his hair. "There. Better....but if you continue to have trouble sleeping, let me know. I'll see if I can't help. In fact, should I...?" her fingers stroke over Wraith's blue stripe as she ponders taking a spell for him for tonight, just in case.
"Well, then...uh, thanks." Barael runs his hands through his hair, allowing himself a little time to consider his next words. "As we continue... it'll be hard for any of us to consider this pilgrimmage safe. And if the dragon was any indication, well, to me at least, of what is to come, I'd ask of you a small promise." Barael bows his head a little, and finds it hard to look into Dandi's eyes at the moment.
"I'll understand if you can't, I will."
"Well, then...uh, thanks." Barael runs his hands through his hair, allowing himself a little time to consider his next words. "As we continue... it'll be hard for any of us to consider this pilgrimmage safe. And if the dragon was any indication, well, to me at least, of what is to come, I'd ask of you a small promise." Barael bows his head a little, and finds it hard to look into Dandi's eyes at the moment.
"I'll understand if you can't, I will."
Alarm flares inside her as Barael's eyes seem to look anywhere except in her eyes. "Yes?" Halfway to a promise kept already, concern deepens the blue of her eyes as she dips and ducks, trying to catch his gaze, to let her smile soothe whatever has him so out of sorts this morning. "Just say what you need, and I'll do my best."
Briar looks down, a weird look on his face.
That's much more purple than usual.
"Laori, it's not supposed to look like that, right? What did you do to it last night? Wow...it's uh..uhm...ow."
Briar walks gingerly to the bushes to painfully urinate.
I didn't think that was even possible...but...yeah...who knew that talks about soul jars and shadow dragons would be such a turn on?
Barael moves forward a little, and lowers his voice, almost as one would do in temple for absolutions.
"I've not had much luck with my Vanish. My Vanish is my luck. There are deep darker things still roaming in there... So if my luck's run out, and if I don't make it back to Korvosa, I'd want my Mum to know what happened to me." Barael bites his lip.
"To me, and my Da."
** spoiler omitted **
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
”I’ve seen what not knowing has done to Mum, and I know now that it was wrong to keep it from her, why Da left her. I thought it would keep the pain away, but the imagination is worse than the truth. Because it changes. Finds new places to stab, new ways to hurt. It grows the pain.” Barael pauses, takes a couple of deep breathes.
”My aunt took her to the countryside that night. She wasn’t going to let her lie around the apartment and risk another beating. She wouldn’t survive another one so soon, she was saying. She tried to get me to go with them, but I stayed behind.”
Barael looks into Dandi’s eyes, trying to measure how she’s receiving the story.
”My Da had a routine. He’d come home from the docks tired, and want to relax with a bottle, or three. Mum would be ready with supper. She’d try to get him to eat before he drank too much. That was her routine.”
”It didn’t take much to set him afire- a word, a noise, or even a look. He was always looking for it, so he found it when he needed to. He’d swing on her until he mostly regretted it, then he’d carry himself off to tavern. He’d drink some more, wait until she cleaned herself up, and come home to make it up to her, all apologies.” Barael grits his teeth, trying to keep his wagons on the road.
”That night was bad. Really bad. He left like he always did, but he was promising things before he did. Horrible things. I don’t think Mum really understood. She looked really bloody and swollen. So it was me did the running to get my aunt.”
”I went to the tavern next. Wasn’t hard to find him. I purchased a couple of bottles of Oldlaw, and I gave them to him. Told him Mum was really sorry, and ran me there with the money.” Barael shakes his head slightly. ”That was my first and last drink with the old man.”
”He worked himself into a stupor with those last two bottles. I followed him to the docks. It was easy enough staying out of reach when an angry thought crossed his mind. We sat there for an hour, before he finally passed out.”
Barael wipes his eyes. ”That’s when I killed him.”
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
”I’ve seen what not knowing has done to Mum, and I know now that it was wrong to keep it from her, why Da left her. I thought it would keep the pain away, but the imagination is worse than the truth. Because it changes. Finds new places to stab, new ways to hurt. It grows the pain.” Barael pauses, takes a couple of deep breathes.
She nods, soothing as she listens. imagination is worse than the truth... Her braid pets at his shoulder, and if he'd have it, her hand reaches for his, to make the telling easier.
”My aunt took her to the countryside that night. She wasn’t going to let her lie around the apartment and risk another beating. She wouldn’t survive another one so soon, she was saying. She tried to get me to go with them, but I stayed behind.”
Barael looks into Dandi’s eyes, trying to measure how she’s receiving the story.
She keeps her eyes on his as the story weaves out of him, and into herself. Family, aunts, mums, sons, these are concepts she’s only really owned in her own imagination, but his thread of a tale looks nothing like what she'd imagined. Her eyes, too large and too blue, never leave his, though her pupils pulse with fear at the telling. ...I stayed behind... her hand shakes for him, the soothing stroke of her braid stills. She has to remind herself that he's here. That he lives to be here. Her fingers tremble but she gives a squeeze and nods.
”My Da had a routine. He’d come home from the docks tired, and want to relax with a bottle, or three. Mum would be ready with supper. She’d try to get him to eat before he drank too much. That was her routine.”
”It didn’t take much to set him afire- a word, a noise, or even a look. He was always looking for it, so he found it when he needed to. He’d swing on her until he mostly regretted it, then he’d carry himself off to tavern. He’d drink some more, wait until she cleaned herself up, and come home to make it up to her, all apologies.” Barael grits his teeth, trying to keep his wagons on the road.
”That night was bad. Really bad. He left like he always did, but he was promising things before he did. Horrible things. I don’t think Mum really understood. She looked really bloody and swollen. So it was me did the running to get my aunt.”
Imagination is *so* not worse than the truth! Denial claws at her inside, trying to get out. This is not what fathers are like, not the way she imagines them to be. This... This is Lamm… and his goons…or the Spider King. This is not ever anyone that should love you! In her mind a fragment of a dream turns ugly. The benevolent smile of the green eyed elf hardens and sneers, becoming the father in Barael's tale. It is but a moment, a fragment of nothing, and unimportant to the here and now.
She focuses that much harder on the man in front of her, on his pain and his past. She listens, draws closer, as if that could protect him from his father even now. Wraith scuttles in, drawn by the scent of her fear for him, even the spider tries to reach out to ease his pain.
”I went to the tavern next. Wasn’t hard to find him. I purchased a couple of bottles of Oldlaw, and I gave them to him. Told him Mum was really sorry, and ran me there with the money.” Barael shakes his head slightly. ”That was my first and last drink with the old man.”
”He worked himself into a stupor with those last two bottles. I followed him to the docks. It was easy enough staying out of reach when an angry thought crossed his mind. We sat there for an hour, before he finally passed out.”
She holds close to him, her hands, both now, holding his own. She breathes with him, and her braid wraps around his shoulders, as if she could protect him from the memory. She clucks soothingly in the back of her throat, but her eyes narrow and her jaw sets.
Barael wipes his eyes. ”That’s when I killed him.”
“Good.”
It hangs there between them. She looks at her hands tangled with his, then back up to meet his gaze.
“Then I won’t have to when we get home.”
Sleep does not come quickly to those not on guard, nor is it without nightmares and unease. You find the battles so recently fought going over in your mind, but often with very different outcomes - outcomes in which you are the losers, encased forever in the stone walls of the fortress.
Dandilion's are particularly painful as she thinks over Barael's past and she often blends his life with hers in her sleep.
Everyone please make a DC 20 Willpower as you rest or you find you are fatigued the next day. Those of you still suffering any ability damage will not heal any overnight regardless of your success with the save. You will still heal hp damage overnight.
Barael closes his eyes, lets the moisture run its course through the wrinkles. When he opens them again, he looks to his hands. And hers. Both hands and eyes remain where they are. The cold morning air turns their breathe visible, and he takes comfort in watching it merge into one plume.
He remembers some of it. The early morning air bringing their whiskey-tinged sighs to light. His breathe was shallow, coming forth in shivery fits. It was foolish to have left home without a heavier coat on, but Barael didn't think he'd be gone so long. Turning back to his Da, he tries to make out the rate. When he can't, he leans closer, blinking his bleary eyes clear.
"Thank you, miss Dandi. I never told that to anyone. Never thought I'd hafta. I thought wrong. It is good. Good to have it out. And now I've doubled my odds that Mum will know the truth of it." Barael chuckles lightly.
The truth of it is... there is no breath. No matter how Barael moves his head, Da isn't bringing forth any smoky wisps. Barael starts to curse the whiskey. It's making it difficult to get up, to stand, to move towards the slumped figure no more than three feet from him. As time slows, he just makes out the vomit on his Da's shirt. His only thought is disgust, as he bows his head. More to clean up when they get home. It's the last thought before he hears the splash. Before the cold of the Jeggare. Before the blackness.
Will Save
Briar stretches out, still walking a bit funny after his nocturnal encounter.
"We ready to get back in there?" Briar doesn't seem too enthusiastic, but is still willing to get going.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
As the party returns to the gate house after defeating the dragon, Fondo maintains his devil-may-care affect.
"Zellara's band, we're made of fate and steel.
So many fiends have fallen 'neath our blades,
a count this dread fortress shall yet increase.
Rest easy, knowing victory awaits."
Mithral gauntlet chimes sonorously against mithral buckler, a calming, encouraging sound like prayer bells and his grandmother clanging the cauldron to summon forth the clan for dinner.
I'll not let Scarwall's drear into my heart.
This caravan must travel on, and I,
the guide and beacon through these dang'rous times.
He strings up his hammock on an immovable rod and a spike on the inner gate, and day dreams a little in the gloom.
. . . . .
Soon enough, Deyanira's whispers start him from his reverie. "Poor'inedra, where... Oh. Ah... Tis good to hear your voice. Twas a day of great challenges and great rewards. We carry the horde of a great shadowy drake. Dandi's nearly lost her mind, and most're weak from this terror or that."
He looks to the others. "We could use wands to heal and a wand to restore. Do I have that right, fellows?"
"Mayhap Saul'd lend you credit for a few hours while you fetch payment from us on the morrow. We've quite a haul."
. . . . .
That night, Fondo sleeps fitfully in his hammock.
He dreams of Yoska Barondo, stern caravan leader and Fondo's father. While Fondo spent his youth liberating goats and maidenheads from their gadjo captors, Yoska guided the caravan and rallied its bravos when danger called. Always kind, never showing fear upon his brow. "Mother, relax—you worry too much," were common words upon his lips in the face the many worries voiced by Vadoma Barondo, Fondo's nana.
It was Yoska who helped the caravan melt away like mist when attacked by a band of ogres. It was also he who parlayed with the local constabularies. Yoska knew how far to bend his marks, and how to play by their gadjo rules.
Fondo dreams of his raid that cold autumn morning. A dappled mare and its foal freed from their miserable existence on the Cheliaxian estate. Comely cousin Aishe had ventured forth with him. They'd lingered in the stables a might longer than necessary, doing what young people do with each other in stolen moments.
Coming over the hill, frost seeping from their mouths, they saw the Hell Knights riding off, Yoska Barondo trailing their horses in chains. Cousin Boldo held his badly beaten face in his hands, while Vadoma interposed herself between the departing guards and the caravan's remaining young bravos.
As he sleeps, Fondo sees Yoska's blood-soaked forehead from afar—the clan's courage dragged away in chains.
. . . . .
Fondo awakens in his hammock and feels for his buckler. Its mystic warmth is pale in comparison to Yoska's kind firmness, but good enough. Relax, Fondo. You worry too much. Your friends need your brow to be free of doubt.
Rising, he joins Barael for a cup of kahve. "Brov, you look knackered. Come now, drink up. We've a long day ahead."
Active effects Ablative barrier (30), endure elements, heroism, life bubble
HP = 99 / 99
AC 27 (17 touch, 22 flat, 21 incorporeal) (10 +5 dex +6 mithral shirt +2 ring +2 nat armor +2 buckler)
CMB = +16 (+20 disarm & reposition, +19 dirty trick, +17 steal)
CMD = 30 (34 reposition, 33 dirty trick & disarm, 31 steal)
Weapon equipped Rapier
Shield equipped Buckler
Bardic performance used 0 of 11 rounds
Inspired command used 1 of 17 rounds
Spells used 1st: 0 of 4
Challenge READY
Tactician (3/day; 6 rounds) 0 of 3 used
Wand of CLW 1
Glibness from bracers READY
Charlie's coughing and groaning is especially harsh this AM.
Dandi drags herself to her feet when the others are ready, hiding a yawn.
Barael forces a more than meager smile as he hands off a cup to Fondo. "What I wouldn't give to be back at Zellara's, getting elbowed by you in that little kitchen a hers. The smell of the incense, and the warmth of the light reflecting off the wood... even in her ghost home, there was still more life there than here." Barael rubs his eyes, and cracks his neck.
"I'll be glad to be rid of this place. At least I have my eyes back, if not all my strength. Let's see if I can even that out a bit here." Barael strains at first, frustration seeping in when the Shifting doesn't come quickly. He moves away, around a corner, and finishes the work in private.
Barael cleans up as best he can. His hands shake every so often, but he calms them by remembering softer hands paired with his.
He heads to the bridge, scans the skyline above Scarwall, and waits for the others to head back in.
I show Majenko and Briar as in need of full restorations though Laori could use one or two lesser restorations if you have it. -200gp of diamond dust please. And the save is not enchantment based so no help there either.
Deyanira responds, "I'll do my best to convince Saul to let me have the items on credit. He may not have them on hand, so give me a moment to procure them before departing. I can teleport in in an hour or two, but I'll not be later than that no matter what. Agreed?"
The wands will cost 6,000gp total. Anything else on the shopping list while Deyanira is connected via scry?
As Barael looks upon the castle, it seems to lean toward him, the very shadows lengthening rather than shortening as the sun climbs higher in the sky. He feels the waves of menace, even here, washing over him as the castle attempts to reach out and gather his soul to join so many others...
The moon will be full tomorrow.
vs DC 20
vs DC 20
Briar packs up his stuff and is ready to get in there.
He will prep himself magically when it's time to head in.
"Should Deyanira bring the wands to this dark place, I'll warrant they'll do more to give you rest than many cups of kahve dark."
Fondo gets out his cards and does a reading.
Fair Desna, grant me words to spur us on.
The key lies not in me, but in my friends...
"The rumored dread of Skarwall is but show!
For we've withstood its spectral fires with grace.
No wraith shall keep us from our goal: the blade!"
Dandi communes with Wraith, then readies to face Scarwall with the others.
Everyone please make a DC 20 Willpower as you rest or you find you are fatigued the next day.
When Nikolay finally rests for a couple hours, the horrors of the day finally catch up to him. He tosses and turns as his mind finally contemplates the horrors they have faced. He wakes in a sweat and braces himself for what remains.
Barael pads back to the group, and takes in the general shape of everyone. "Mighty gaunt-looking gaggle. We waiting for Deyanira to bring the curatives then? I can wait." Barael looks over his shoulder and nods.
Barael moves up to Nik. "So... pretty swift work you made of the shadow dragon, eh? Any name in that? Or do you have to lay the grand creature down all on your own?"
While Barael engages the Sward, he looks over at Briar, walking mildly impaired. He's walking like Fondo that one time, a night with that sadist with a sash. Barael shakes his head in disapproval, but says nothing, and turns his full attention back to Nik.
The early morning passes uneventfully as the party gets the stink of Orc out of their clothes in the cool morning air. Minutes pass into hours and the allotted time for Deyanira to come passes.
By 11am you're sure Deyanira is not coming.
Dandi chews on her lip as time stretches out like a rolling skein in front of them. Her brow furrows and she begins to pace. "Is she coming? How will we know if she's coming?"or if something bad has happened to her, because of us?
Briar taps his foot, anxious to get going.
"C'mon Varisian. She'll probably be back when we come out this afternoon with the sword. Let us press forth," Briar suggests confidently.
"If not, we'll try to find a way to contact Deyanira in the morning."
"She said there're good odds her spell'd fail. Tis a tricky business. I'll hear from her ere nightfall. You sleepy heads, gather around. Come now. Hear me."
"Let not your dreams make dark your waking hours.
This day shall see the end of Skarwall's shade.
And you shall be the bringers of new light."