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Since we're all sufficiently recovered from our battle and no one seems to overly care much that we stay in this room, I think we should find this Sarah person and demand answers. Everyone, plugs in. I'll lead you to the tower!
I stuff the cloth into my ears and boldly step forth from the room.
the pursuit team
You arrive at lord Urisatra's tower. it is hastily abandoned. the wardrobes raided, a safe hanging open. much left in disarray... and one room, out of almost a dozen, locked.
What do you do?
Ron
You arrive at the door surrounded. Uxfaris closing in on you. You can't fight this, James. You will open the door, and Help us Slay the Eidlons. If you won't do this willingly, you force my hand. he leaps forward, bringing down the scythe into an arc, right at you. what do you do?
Roshan speaks, mostly to herself, but she notices Cassandra nodding along. "Were I of the white Vance, perhaps I could scent them out... As it is, I might be able to tell you what route they took out of the castle..." Roshan watches for missing torches, cloaks, food- trying to piece together what kind of place those fleeing are expecting. Is it dark, cold, far. Making a note of what was deemed unnecessary might narrow down the destination.
Ron lets Uxfaris approach him, with his back to the door. He bats the scythe blade to the side with his left hand, screaming internally at the sudden burst of pain.
But with lightning speed he drives the Kriss twice into the cult leader's neck and face.
Larune, help me! He braces himself as his entire world erupts in flames.
Roshan
Relatively few clothes taken... you couldn't speak to provisions, but nearly every weapon was appropriated, including a number which were in specially marked cases (A dagger in a curse-case, a small crossbow in a dark-case, and a half-dozen darts in enchantment cases) They aren't running, just retreating to a more defensible location. their plot to get rid of you failed, and they've used a fallback.
what do you do?
Ron
Uxfaris collapses as your dagger plunges twice into his neck. the door shatters as fire assails it again, though your campannion is badly scorched. the two of you take off at a dead run, down a winding corridor. behind you, you hear Uxfaris, now speaking with the voice of legion. You are weak, Herald. you won't win this, even if you escape. he is definitely following you. what do you do?
Go go! To the exit!
Ron draws deep within himself and pushes his body faster and faster. If it weren't for impending doom behind him, it would almost be liberating, sprinting without armor, shield, spear or equipment.
He pulls a bag of caltrops from his pack and dumps it behind the two fugitives as they run.
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I approach the locked door.
They were in a hurry, but they left this door locked? That's fishy. Luckily I have a spell to open locked doors.
I bring my foot crashing into the door Abra-clobber-dabra!
My spell worked! Magic is real!
Belym stands to one side as Conwall "knocks", ready to leap away if it turns out to be trapped.
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Ron
Good news... you've pretty well lost them. but it takes you hours to get back to somewhere that looks traveled and maintained, a tunnel that leads to a large, well-reinforced door. Do you read dwarfish?
In the abandoned tower
The door splinters, revealing a complicated mechanism, that would have sent three blades into the stomach and face of an inexact thief.
The chamber is dark, both due to lighting, and the decor. several athames, and black candles, along with tomes, which inform you that Sarah is, in fact, a high-grade Diabolist.
The wardrobe has a wide variety of clothing, both masculine and feminine, some large enough to be concealing, others small enough to be extremely revealing.
There are, also, some much more disturbing items. a badly burnt Talwar, Hebron's book of the third Vance (What a White Vance caries), a transcript of what Conwall said at Yvette's funeral, a number of military records from the Free cities, mostly revolving around clashes with a singular slaver ship. Also a number of dwarven axe-shard, from Arika's old axe. A small number of sea creatures, collected in a small tank in the corner, A sketch of Cassandra's tattos, and a chain mail cuirass with Norwhich's emblem upon it.
what do you do?
Ron puts a hand out on the door and traces a few of the incomprehensible runes. This one looks a bit familiar. What did Belym say ...
Roshan regards the objects with reverence and admiration. You would like them, they would understand you. Passing her fingers over the book of the third Vance, Roshan is lost in thought. Tom was likely gone; Ron, lost; and she hardly had the same kind of depth of relationship and understanding with Conwall and Belym. What if this was it from now on? Wouldn't they want to pursue the safekeeping of their kind, especially with the world spiraling so precariously downward. What if they chose to part ways? Who would Roshan follow?
The touch of Cassandra's fingers against her elbow bring Roshan back to the present. She tugs one earplug free. "They- she... would only have left these here if where they were headed were less secure, and not without plans to retrieve them. They're not fleeing, they are falling back to a point of security. -I can identify these others, but what are the sea creatures doing here? Is there someone else we might ally with? By their treatment and placement, I would guess their purpose is..."
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Ron
your "friend" stands behind the door with you, still panting from the exertion. Haven't... haven't run that far since Cerneras. he says.
the inscription.... that rune is "Rhule" meaning power, or rulership (fortunately, a cognate), and this other one, Bog, is a clan name, and the word for silverworking. you would guess this is the seat of power of the Bog clan, or, translated to the human tongue, the clan Lord's Ring.
there are tunnels around the city, some of them proably would eventually get you to the surface. or the dwarves themselves could probably get you there faster, though this door looks like it hasn't opened in half a decade. what do you do?
Roshan
... most of it looks pretty augury-y, or maybe a temporal scry? Cassie says examining a setup, using a spark of magic to set the diagram of her tattoos alight, muttering friggin' perv
most of this stuff seems like Foci... except the Khanda . This thing got torched in the fight with... Einora, right Cassie still struggles not to call Her "My lady", life-saving habits die hard and all that. You'd never get anything but the moment godsfire touched it. No other moment could possibly compare, from a magical standpoint.
And one other thing. She says, examining more of the items, more cautiously Most of this stuff is pretty personal... a lock of hair from anyone but you or I would be easy enough to get, or a good portrait, a full name, and some concentration. this is more than just foci... Cassie trails off at this point, looking more than a little upset
I turn the transcript over in my hands. It wasn't written at the funeral...elves don't use paper for obvious reasons. Did someone memorize what I said and tell it to Sarah, or was she there? Or did she view it from afar? None of this makes sense.
We should burn it all.
Belym nods at Conwall. "Sounds like an excellent plan to me." Ari's axe. Someone's been watching us for a long time. This was before the golems... Is the seal there still secure?
Roshan flinches. "I do not suppose I have to explain why I might take issue with burning this particular item." She indicates the religious text. "Like the townsfolk outside, I would prefer to consider less drastic methods than simply burning it."
I raise an eyebrow at Roshan, then look at the book she's pointing at. I'm sorry, I didn't understand it's significance. We...we don't really use books. It's...it's barbaric, really.
I look over the pile of items. We should destroy all this in some way though. These items are clearly dangerous and clearly continue to be dangerous or else they wouldn't have secured them.
Ron laughs. I'd nearly forgotten about that. Next time we get caught up in a coup against a bloody tyrant, remind me to back the winning side. Listen, ye been down here for a while captive to cultists. Do ye know a way to the surface?
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In the stalker shrine
Merrick starts piling the stuff, and holds up the tomes. We want these on the fire? What do you do?
In the tunnels
They get ta' tha surface through a few marked tunnels, an' a buncha portals. we could try that, but I think m'be this tunnel is safer. less of their monsters. he says. what do you do?
Ron nods and continues to inspect the door. There must be a way to open this.
"Books are how we mere mayflies preserve wisdom across the centuries. This text, or the tome it was copied from, is not significantly younger than humans as a race, and I cannot be sure there are other copies to survive this one..." Roshan moves, subtly, to position herself between the others and the book. "Besides, if there is an active connection between our adversary and this item, would that not present its own value?" She looks to Cassandra.
"Not my department, Sir. You'd want divination. I do evocation."
I shrug I mean...we do alright without books but...if you feel strongly about these abominations, then I'll stand down.
"By mayflies, I meant humans... and I'm not sure why you would be so offended by vellum."
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Odd... I'd have expected both of them to be eager to dispose of demonic tomes. But all she says is "Do what you think is best."
Roshan takes the corner of Hebron's Book of the Third Vance by two fingers, and gives Merrick an intense look until he relinquishes it.
Ron
You spot a protective ward. a simple examination says that it will sound an alarm if it is activated. that would get anyone nearby in the city's attention. they would come execting trouble, but after an awkward conversation, you'd have allies at the very least.
in the bonfire room
the items, with the exception of the book of the third Vance Now, there is only the task of tracking down the diabolist, before she is able to reinforce herself and her position. what do you do?
Ron immediately trips the alarm and keeps a close eye on his "friend" while he waits.
After burning the weird artifacts, Conwall approaches a market stand near the tower.
I'm sorry, I can't hear you because cloth is in my ears. Did you see a large number of people leaving this tower? If so, which way did they go?
And so on until we get a lead.
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Conwall and the Elfettes
In the secondary dungeons, long since fallen into dissuse, that's where they are. The path there is found via a number of forgotten passages in the main dungeons, and a staircase that leads down. The door to their hiding place is very solid steel, almost half a foot thick... good thing you guys have a key.
beyond the door, you see a ritual circle, and a trail of disturbed dust leading deeper into the lightless depths... what do you do?
Ron
You remember something like this, a long time ago. there was some sorceror in chillhollow who was abducting people, and turning them into loyal servants, convinced they had been in his service for years, and well treated.
the trick was, he had poisoned them with Lethe's Ichor beforehand, inducing total amnesia, and allothe charm to insert the caster's memories, edited to include the subject, into the subject's head.
from a side cavern you hear breathing, and a crossbow being winched back. If Yer another one of those monsters, ye should just sod off, ye have til the count o' five to prove yerself friend or foe! a dwarf voice yells One!
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I work my way through various helpful and confused citizens before making a promise to a seedy merchant. I'm not 100% sure what I agreed to (because, as mentioned before, rags in my ears) but it's easier escorting a merchant caravan through bandit infested woods or escorting bandits through the woods to a rival merchant's caravan. Either way, it shouldn't be too difficult...
Ron immediately drops his weapon, falls to his knees, and places his hands behind his head.
I am a close friend of Belym Felstone. I was kidnapped by these monsters but I have escaped and I request aid. This man was brainwashed by the monsters, but I have freed him ... temporarily. Please immediately detain both of us. Note that I am skilled in magic, and ye should take proper precautions.
Ron waits for a response.
Roshan, feeling as though she's spotted an easily missed clue, begins to follow the trail of disturbed dust. She's long-since wrapped Hebron's text in twine and looped it over her shoulders. Cassandra stays in Roshan's wake, looking back at Conwall and Belym with concern. She, at least, is looking for a sign from the party.
Belym pauses to study the ritual site for a minute, in case Ron or Roshan had mentioned anything like it to her previously...
And then hurries to catch up with the others.
In the dungeons
As Roshan crosses the circle, The air changes, taking on a dry tone, and everyone tastes copper in their mouths.
Belym recognizes that is is a summoning circle, conjuring some spirit (not a demon, surprisingly). you can't tell what type, though, now that Roshan has activated it
what do you do?
Ron
Belym's dead. says a voice, coming into the light .
And in honesty, I've never much trusted wizards, So you'll be throwing down those weapons, and handing over your spellbooks. the female dwarf says, gesturing with her crossbow.
Roshan falters at the change in the air, and Cassandra's bent fingers move like lightning.
Roshan keeps her footing as a static field rises off the surface of the party's bodies. Grunting with the effort, the templar steadies the godslayer's aegis and draws her chakram. The static flares, and silvery pools rise from the cracks of the floor where the plasma discharges.
Ron doesn't move from his kneeling position, with his empty hands behind his head.
Do what they say friend.
He makes eye contact with the dwarf.
I have no weapons but that dagger. With his eyes he gestures towards the weapons sitting on the tunnel floor. The monsters took everything, including my spellbook. I stole a bit of supplies and yer welcome to em. As for Belym ... He describes her as best he can. She lives. Or, she did, I'm not sure now. Me and Belym and another came down to these tunnels, and we were split up in a fight with these monsters. I must get back to [Insert City Name Here] to warn them. But first I should speak with your leader. We are all in grave danger.
I draw my sword, then move in front of the spellcaster. I'm ready for trouble, but also curious what ELSE comes from a summoning circle.
Jera is older, snarkier, and more cynical than Belym, but also is (was) extremely reliable and honest.
Belym kneels, and places her good hand on the ground just outside the circle; she calls out, but leaves the thought unfocused, waiting to see what the stone here knows of the circle.
Ron
Your friend drops his staff, and throws his spellbook on the ground. No way in hells Belym survived that cave-in, or those things. Either yer a liar, or the dwarf you travel with is. Therain says. when he says "those things", Jera gives him a look of disapproval
an' me, I'm inclined to trust a dwarf more than a stranger. So tell me something that proves you knew Belym, or some other reason for me to trust you? Jera asks
what do you do?
In the Dungeons
Behind your group, chains snake along the floor, and bars rattle in their settings. Cold air is rolling in from ahead of you, but the creature itself has not appeared. What do you do?