You feel like your inside is turned outside, then returned to its original place...and that for several times...at last you hit the ground hard and for a second you feel like fishes thrown out of the water, now gasping for air...
You're back in the ruined Celwynvian, next to the scorched and now overgrown skeleton of the observatory. The serenity of the place that was only moments ago in the eye of an inferno startles you for a moment...
Winter looks for the Wizard he came through with, completely intent on running the man through immediately.
Kabal groaned and clutched at his stomach. He was sure he had been gutted coming through the Gate...aint like no gate I've been through afore. That's for damn sure...Blood and bloody ashes let's not do that again. You alright boy?
The Brevian rose and got a good look around...probably hordes of drow around the corner just waiting on us...
Sebastian rubs his aching brow, "Too have traveled so far...with but one step."
As his vision starts to clear, he spies Winter about to run the Drow through, He tries to clear his thoughts while catching his breath,"Wait...He knows so much of what goes on here...it would be a shame to lose that....Run him through if he tries something...but he likely won't talk....if he refuses, let's have Kabal beat some answers out of him and RazorHorn can shred what's left."
Bree groans, quietly before rolling over on her stomach and dragging herself to hide behind the nearest large object. A tear leaks out of her eye as her body is shaken with a cough.
The drow lies only about 10m away from you. He must have hit the rests of a white pillar and broken his back. A small line of blood runs out of the corner of his mouth and he coughs spasmodical.
Winter pulses healing through his friends as they take the drow and his spell component pouch.
Heal & removes fatigue. (Lay hands as a channel)
"Wary as you search him for weapons, as he'll have poisons too"
Bearing the transition better this time Caterine rushes to the drow and seeks to restrain it before it can call more ill upon them.
Kabal strode over and snatched up the broken drow.
This guy don't look he'll be moving around anytime soon. Hah! Do you feel helpless bub?
Kabal ruthlessly bound the dark elf's hands and feet and stripped him of everything except his small clothes.
You don't even deserve those but I'll spare you that small embarrassment. Get it? Small? Hahaha! Now start talking. Why was that trap set for us?
Bree mumbles her thanks to Winter before dragging herself to her feet again, swaying a little. It takes her but a moment, though, to gather her wits before her eyes are scanning her surroundings.
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Coughing, Sable brings the back of his hand from his mouth, wiping the flecks of blood from his lips. "That was certainly a flight I'd not like to repeat. Have any of the others, past or present, made it through alive? Pluck every feather from the raptor, to be sure, but surely my midnight cousins have far more contingencies planned than just a recycling apocalypse."
Sable glances around, and looks to see if Korax made it through the shadow gate as well.
"Oh what a wonderful tale Sebastian will make of this all."
Corax has safely made the transition to present-day Golarion - however he loobs a bit scruffy...
The dark elf groans queitly as Kabal pulls him to his feet and binds him. With his back broken, he won't be running anywhere...actually, you don't expect him to survive the next minutes.
Still he manages a smile and says
Feeling strong now? It is always surprising how lucky humans are...I should have taken that into account when I made my plans, heh. This trap was set for you, because you are friends of the Shin Rakorath and you have been a sting in our flesh twice already...
When searching the drows belongings you find his spell book, components, magic items (bracers, cloak, sack, headband, ring, staff).
"My friends will have questions, and I would seek that you answer them, in exchange I offer you a quick and dignified exit to meet with Pharasma. I am friends with Erastil, and you have been disturbing his gardens."
Bracers - Spellcraft
Cloak - Spellcraft
Headband - Spellcraft
Ring - Spellcraft
Sack - Spellcraft
Staff - Spellcraft
Lucky? Hah! Thats rich. Might be true but we aint all humans. What we are though bub; is better than you and you'll have eternity to think about that.
Kabal held the drow with one hand and waited for the questioning to begin...or the nod to go on and finish him...
"Where are you keeping the captives? The slaves, where are they damn it?!"
Sebastian awaits Bree's answer before asking, "It was a clever trap, but how did you work such powerful magics. Was this more to do with activating Thassilonian Runes, like in Riddleport. How are you accomplishing this? Quickly, your credit for such an feat is slipping away...and your name." Sebastian hopes a flaw of vanity will coax a dying effort to have his enemy's work understood before he dies.
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Kabal could have kicked himself for forgetting that the main reason they came here was to find out about Bree's brother. So he figured he'd just take it out on the helpless dark elf.
If I were you drow; I'd tell the lady where these slaves are or I'll have my priest friend patch you up just enough that I can break you again. If that don't work then we'll keep on doing it over and over and over. Savvy?
Winter trusts his fellows skill in negotiating and influencing the Drow. He only chimes in from the sideline "I'd get involved, but such dynamics are beyond my skills and experience. It is not for me to question the customs and traditions of such folk, but I can only say I'd be strongly considering telling my friends what they need to know...I cannot force them to any action, only appeal, to their good nature" Winter looks to Kabal with a rather doubtful expression.
Caterine stands idle and apart for now, listening and watching the drow.
Items first :)
Bracers of armor +4
Cloak of resistance +2
Headband of intellect +2
Ring of protection +1
Sack - handy haversack
Staff - Staff of dark flame
(Made from bleached bones that have been fused together, the head of this staff burns with an unholy fire. This staff can be used as a +1 flaming quarterstaff, but it also has the following spells (ray of enfeeblement for 1 charge, scorching ray for 1 charge, false life for 1 charge, fireball for 2 charges, animate dead for 3 charges).
The drow seems surprised for a moment but then he laughs even louder and is only interrupted by his own coughing
So you only came here and destroyed my work because you were looking for a wothless human slave???
"Well, I suppose you aren't interested in what I have to say, and are set on doing things the...'Riddleport way' then. I can see when my ministrations and kindness are not wanted, and to that end, I bid you good day and farewell then as I take my mercies to a more appreciative and less blood thirsty crowd." Winter gives the Drow one more moment to reconsider what is probably going to be a rather horrible death.
Winter reveals the nature of the items to his fellows, whilst he awaits the Drows final plea... which if not forthcoming immediately will see Winter go elsewhere for a bit of quiet contemplation.
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Sable nods to Winter. "It is far past the time for your squawking, cousin." Sable waits until Winter is out of view, kneeling beside the drow, and attempting to wrench his answers with interrogation.
Placing his hand upon the brow of the dark elf, "Where are the captives held?"
"About that work...ah, I mean, slaves first. Slaves, then your work."
Bree punches the Drow in the mouth when he speaks of "a worthless human slave."
Winter notes a plea for clemency is not forthcoming, and departs, leaving the Drow to the fate he chose.
The drow coughs again as Bree punches him, but suddenly there is a hint of malevolence in his eyes as he stares at Sable
Your magic is only a breeze compared to the storm I could easily unleash...but still you and your friends were able to overcome me...I know who is to blame, and because I'm going to die anyway, I don't want him to get away with his failure. The shadow gate does not only connect the echo of Celwynvian and the actual Celwynvian, it also functions as a teleport gate to Zirnakaynin, my home town and the place where the human slaves are kept...
Now Eviana suddenly chimes in
A gate to a drow city, we have to tell the Shin Rakorath?!
THe drow coughs again and snorts
Yeah, you should do that...I wouldn't mind if the place and especially my dear brother would pay for their failing at protecting me...
Oh and lvl up!
Kabal was more than willing to let Bree put the pain to the drow...plus its working...just listen to that tongue wag now...
Brother huh? Want us to give him a personal message before we cut him in half?
Caterine raises an eyebrow as the drow seems to sell out it's kin for no gain clearly skeptical...
Sense Motive:
...but still listening.
Bree likewise doesn't trust how easily the Drow is telling all. She suspects it might be a trap. "There are no captives held here, in Celwynvian?" The clues all seemed to lead here, to Celwynvian.
Winter simply wanders about, trying to see what the current state of play is on this side of reality, and where the party might be able to rest and recover before facing off the next wave of foes.
Slaves? You're still talking about slaves? It's unbelivable that your race has achieved anything with so much thoughts about solidarity and fraternity clouding your minds, hah. Slaves were here, but as soon as you entered the forest and the trap was set up, we brought them back to Zirnakaynin...and no, no personal message, I will meet him in the Abyss anyway, heh.
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Mercus this time didn't want to stay and see the drow getting executed, so he joined Winter
Ey, Winter...uh...what is going to happen now? Will we just tell the Shin Rakorath what we found out?
"I suppose so, but first we have more to resolve. I am not sure this is over here just yet, that can't be the only drow resistance"
Caterine remains with the others, watching and listening.
Then it looks like we're headed to your Zinakynen or whatever the hell you call it.
Kabal looked to the others to see if there were any more questions before he snapped the drow's neck. He had planned on showing Mercus how to do it quick...and slow too...sometimes you want 'em to feel it crack...damn boy aint ready for the ugly stuff I reckon...
Bree stands there in silence, slowly clenching and unclenching her fists and her jaw. She offers Kabal a quick jerk of her head to indicate she has nothing further to say.
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Sebastian leans in close to make sure he can hear any response from the fading Drow, "The Shadow Door. How do we get it to send us to get revenge on your brother?"
Winter seems rather relaxed, and absentmindedly examines the siezed items. "Any of these items of great interest to you? Of course they would net a hefty sum of coin, but I wonder if these are tools we can use to defeat our enemies. I don't like the staff, but my personal tastes and preferences are not the law and the path to righteousness must always be guided by free will, so I will not argue against the claiming of it"
Bracers of armor +4 (16000gp)
Cloak of resistance +2 (4000gp)
Headband of intellect +2 (2000gp)
Ring of protection +1 (1000gp)
Sack - handy haversack (2000gp)
Staff - Staff of dark flame (47000gp)
(Made from bleached bones that have been fused together, the head of this staff burns with an unholy fire. This staff can be used as a +1 flaming quarterstaff, but it also has the following spells (ray of enfeeblement for 1 charge, scorching ray for 1 charge, false life for 1 charge, fireball for 2 charges, animate dead for 3 charges).
"Once again, we find one large item that doesn't sit well in the division of spoils... I am not sure how to best deal with such an issue, but such an item might have to be viewed not as a treasure for one but rather as a party asset. It's ability to launch balls of fire to scourge away our enemies is of grand significance... perhaps we consider it worth keeping for the party, carried by Sable, and only disposed of when our job is done?"
The drow manages a last whisper before he fades into oblivion
Amongst my spell components you find a black key...the Shadow Key...put it into the gate and turn it leftwards...then you'll come to...to...
Mercus takes a look at the items and is about to utter his disappointment as Eviana says
We will also give you some of the treasures we found in Celwynvian during the last decades...I know it's not much, but we have no other way to say thank you...at last we can now begin to resettle the home of our forefathers...
Meanwhile... Winter and Sable continue their conversation...
"I'd see us use the tools at our disposal to displace the great evil"
Tools are just tools and are useless if not used. Better used for us than against us. Sable can have the creepy stick.
Kabal was in a slightly foul mood since the wizard had died of his wounds...haven't killed one gods damned drow yet!...this is a bunch of stinking malarkey...
Winter looks at Kabal, the expression rather curious.. it is as if he feels the exact same way.
Caterine nods along "Aye, best to see the staff put to use rather than not." before picking up the drow's cloak and feeling the fineness of the fabric "I'll take this if there's no other speakers for it."
Have at it.
The brawny man turned towards Evianna.
What sort of treasure?
The group would probably need no end of resources if they were actually going to go through the Shadow Gate and potentially assault a whole city of drow. The resolved look on Bree's face told Kabal all he needed to know.
So through the Shadow Gate next. Down into the dark. We'll need plenty of light or another way too see. I damn sure don't want to be fumbling around down there blind.
When the Drow stops talking, Bree pokes at him with the tip of her dagger. "Hey. To what? You come to what??"