Raeli had spent well over an hour pondering what information to seek when it came her turn for the ring's power, poring over the questions inked in her journal in light of the new information from Raderol. Yet she still hesitates when Ulvak surprises her with first use of the ring. "I must admit, Ulvak, that despite my frequent work with The Twelve, the full potential of what I can ask for is not completely known to me. I trust your expertise to guide me here. I have it in mind to learn information about a specific event -- some of which may be secret to all but a handful of living people. Is this within the bounds of the spell?"
Vaelins does not sleep calmly. He thrashes and rolls and occasionally emits a stifled yell. You cannot tell whether they are cries of emotion or of pain.
When he wakes from this fitful sleep, Vaelins takes a moment to calm himself and focus inwards. This calming effect brings him back to being his usual paranoid twitchy self. As soon as he is done with this exercise , he makes a beeline for Raderol's Gem and begins concentrating on it, a look of mixed anger and hope on his face.
The Gem begins to glow a soft blue as you hold it.
When Quayne is awakened by Raeli, he notices he has a strange craving for blueberries. He bids her goodnight, and watches until dawn, reading, wandering the campsite, collecting possible components and murmuring quietly to Gartha.
As the others awaken with the dawn, he settles down and studies his spells.
In response to Ulvak's plans Quayne agrees.
"We should return those items to Vedykar and let the barracks know. There are families they will have to notify. We should also chat to Raderol and see if he can tell us who he is working for and why he stole the ring. Though the ring is powerful, and a limited wish could even let you commune with the gods, Raeli, I suspect there is more to this than mere theft. Unless Raeli or Vaelins can tell us something."
Having given the gem over to Vaelins with some trepidation, Raeli offers up what she learned regarding Raderol's employers. "He probably doesn't know much beyond what his boss told him to do, but he seems willing to answer questions, so we might as well ask, I suppose. He works for the Darkblade Mercenary Company, the head of which is the pit fiend Olarin Menes. If you haven't heard of them, they're motto is ‘In Nixum Aku’ -- To Facilitate Evil."
"How very unpleasant," remarks Quayne as he packs up the camp. "I find it disturbing that such a powerful creature runs a mercenary company, though I figure it does so merely for the perks. Hopefully the true talents of it lie wasted, but sadly I suspect there are greater things at work. Perhaps Silven can shed more light on the shadows when we return to the Twelve with his ring."
He shoulders his backpack and turns towards Vedykar.
Kiralinsee wanders off at some point in the night after Raeli goes to sleep. She returns unnoticed in the midst of the groups conversation.
Hmmm... I'm not too sure about all of this. The Darkblades are brutally efficient. If it was their desire to have the ring, why were you all able to take it so easily? I don't doubt that Raderol works for the Darkblades, he certainly fits the bill, but did he actually say stealing the ring was a mission from them? Maybe Raderol has desires of his own? "
Raeli thinks back to what was said last night. "You are familiar with the Darkblades, Kiralinsee? It wouldn't surprise her -- the girl knows all sorts of things she shouldn't know, and certainly much more than the rest of the group combined. "No, I can't say that he explicitly said one way or the other if the ring was a mission from them. I get the impression that he serves them completely, no side jobs allowed, but I could be mistaken. Either way, I'm sure a third party wanted the ring, and we don't know who that is yet." Her eyes are cast down toward the ground, realizing she should have asked that questions last night.
"Well, since Raderol appears to be travelling with us, we shall have plenty of time to ask more questions of him. I do ask you all to be careful though, until I have taken that gem to a laboratory and studied it properly. If he is in there now, he may be able to get out later. It may not be likely, but until we know what conditions must be met for such an unhappy event to occur it will be best to remember that our bodies are merely receptacles. It would be a tragedy if one of ours was misappropriated."
Ulvak is quiet for a few moments, pondering Raeli's question. "Hmm, it should be possible to pull that off, yes. I was actually considering wishing for something similar, though in my case, I am looking for something that was stolen, so it might not work the same way."
Listening to the conversation about the Darkblades, Olarin Menes and Raderol, he responds "I am unimpressed with this pit fiend. I have lived through far worse during the War of the Mark and indeed for a major portion of my life. I am not saying we should not be worried about him, but I do think he is a direct threat currently. These Darkblades might be a problem, but we have allies we can call upon for help. In fact that might be something we look into doing sooner rather than later. Perhaps I shall have a chat with The Thunder Jinn, he scares me none at all, but maybe I can scare him" He laughs at this thought, a very chilling sound like that of the proverbial monster in the dark.
Quayne looks quizzically at Ulvak.
"The War of the Mark? From millennia ago? How old are you?"
Raeli fails to suppress a quiet chuckle at Quayne's scholarly description of bodies as receptacles, her eyes widening a bit in surprise that he should view them this way. Yet she glances toward Vaelins, staring so intently at the gem, and she shivers at the remembrance of touching Raderol's mind -- the Thunder Jinn does not scare her, but she is disturbed by what he represents.
Then Quayne draws attention to Ulvak's mention of living through the War of the Mark, and Raeli's mind spins at the claim. "Truly! I have met many an old elf, even some who had grandchildren before the Last War began, but I have never heard of one who lived for so long!"
As you finish your morning ritual and prepare to travel you notice a group of a dozen armored men riding swiftly down the road toward you on the back of warhorses.
Karmel's angry snort is the first thing to alert Raeli to the imminent arrival of company. Laying conversation aside for now, she leaps into the saddle she had just finished cinching on, standing on top of it to get a better look down the road.
Quayne Perception:
Gartha Perception:
"More bodies like yesterday, only these aren't ripe yet."
Quayne rolls his eyes. "You will be silent, little one. The last thing we need will be your help to explain these events."
Quayne takes few steps back, unsure who should do the talking.
Ulvak nods at Quayne's inquiry "Yes, that very war. I guess you could say i'm well over a thousand years old, but I spent that vast majority of that time in a sort of suspended animation. I'm really only hundred and twenty years old."
"Vedic Regulars are approaching, allow me to handle speaking with them" He stands up a bit straighter, brushing himself off, and utters a minor spell to clean his clothes.[ooc]Casting Prestidigitation
The riders pull sharply on their reins to stop suddenly before you. Their leader removes his helm as he gazes upon you revealing the scarred and weather-beaten features of a veteran soldier.
“My name is Cronius Flass, Iron Captain of the Vedic Regulars.” He introduces himself. “My master’s divinations have revealed we have lost one of our companies to foul play. You bear their identification papers, can you tell me what happened to them?”
Though the captain seems at ease the soldiers behind him rest their hands on their weapons.
Ulvak steps forward "I am Ulvak Thirkuira d'Phiarlan, scion of the House of Shadows and my companions and I have just the last day defeated a villain most foul who had slaughtered a company of Vedic Regulars who I am guessing pursued him or otherwise encountered him. We do bear their identification papers and are currently on our way to deliver them to your superiors so that their families may be notified."
The Captain gives a barely perceptible nod and the soldiers relax.
“Return the Regulars effects to my men, it is our duty from here on.” The Captain instructs you. “Tell me, who is this villain who slew an entire company?”
"Raderol the Thunder Jinn, who is apparently a member of the fiendishly backed mercenary company known as the Darkblades. While we have no problem turning over the effects to you and your men, I believe we would feel remiss if we did not escort you, just in case the Darkblades seek to release their friend. Of course that's just my opinion and perhaps my friends disagree."
"Raderol." The Captain spits. "I've wanted to collect his head for some time." Cronius tilts his head. "What do you mean release him? You captured him?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
The Captain raises an eyebrow. "An explanation?" He beckons.
"After we killed his physical body, his spirit became trapped inside of a gem, which is currently in possession of one of my companions who is communing with the Thunder Jinn in an attempt to gain more information."
Kiralinsee appears to have been deeply considering something for the last few minutes. She shakes her head and sighs.
DC-15 for Raeli(standing next to her)
DC-20 for Quayne and Vaelins(off to the back)
DC-25 for Ulvak(talking):
Perception:
Quayne watches as Gartha dives upon a hapless worm.
"After we killed his physical body, his spirit became trapped inside of a gem, which is currently in possession of one of my companions who is communing with the Thunder Jinn in an attempt to gain more information."
"Ah, I see." The Captain says, though the look on his face reveals he doesn't have the arcane training to recognize how that works. "There is a price on Raderol's head, if you turn his remains in to the authorities in Korth you will be rewarded. I want to thank you personally for slaying the Jinn, he was a terrible menace to the public, we will all rest easier knowing he is dead."
It appears as if we are heading back to Korth.
Quayne systematically unpacks his Handy Haversack, setting aside the papers and equipment from the fallen Vedic regulars, and their Captain.
We are sorry we did not arrive soon enough to aid them. But they did allow us to catch Raderol after weeks of pursuit.
Raeli stays to the background, letting the eminently better suited scion of House Phiarlan explain events to the Captain. She begins readjusting the gear on Karmel, happy he won't have to serve as a packhorse on the long road ahead. Overhearing Kiralinsee's musings, a quiet chuckle sounds low in her chest. She looks at the girl, shrugging and raising an eyebrow, clearly agreeing with the assessment.
Vaelins is clearly uncomfortable being near a person of legal authority. I am sorry for the loss of your men, Captain, but we have killed the man responsible, and are now on a most urgent mission for the Twelve.
Ulvak nods his agreement at Quayne's comments "Yes, as soon as we escort you and your men back to your base, we will be heading to Korth"
The Captain accepts your consolations with a curt nod as his men pack away the fallen soldiers equipment.
"We are a military outfit, son." He says to Ulvak. "No need for an escort, besides we are mounted, you would only slow us down." With that he turns and begins riding away.
After the captain leaves, Kiralinsee walks up to Ulvak.
"Well it's prolly for the best. Really they would be in more danger with you all than without. After all it's the gem and the ring that might be dangerous, not a bunch of dead guys' stuff."
Kiralinsee pauses a moment than continues
"But as far as all that goes, I'm still a bit confused. Raderol obviously wasn't working for the Darkblades on this job for multiple reasons. First and most importantly he failed. Second, he was alone, but not for the sake of stealth. The drake couldn't have been a member because she wouldn't have run away so easily and the job was very messy. With proper resources and planning it should have been almost impossible to track him down. Third, Raderol knew we were onto him and didn't call for backup, but instead weaved back and forth as if he were trying to lose us."
Brief pause to gather herself
"So what was he up to? What was so important that he was willing to go outside the organization? And why didn't he use the ring once he got it?"
She turns and starts to walk away. Then suddenly turns back and adds "Oh and you should prolly try asking nicely, threats are meaningless to guys like him"
Quayne looks around at Raeli, Ulvak and Vaelins in stunned silence, then clears his throat.
"I was never that smart when I was eight. Brightness be, even at fifteen I only thought I was that smart."
"So what have you been discussing with our prisoner?"
Raeli chews on Kiralinsee's observations, put off that she hadn't considered that perspective. Unlike Quayne though, she had already accepted that the little girl is much smarter than she is, and much more than she appeared. If she were as smart as Quayne, however, it might have taken her longer to realize that.
"She's got a good point, doesn't she? I fear I hadn't thought to ask that question, intent as I was on tracking him. He should have been harder to catch. Fortunately his arrogance makes him cooperative, when it comes to sharing information. Did you get a chance to ask him about the ring, Vaelins?" She doesn't know what else the man would have been discussing with Raderol, but her knowledge of Vaelins is slim to none, as is the likelihood that she is the only one in this merry band with secrets.
Which brings her back to her turn with the ring, and how far she can trust Ulvak. He is a pawn of The Twelve, and she will do well to remember just how clever he is if she hopes to keep anything from him.
Ulvak ponders Kira's observations, then says "The ring is a powerful artifact, able to greatly increase the spell casting prowess of any who wield it. Plus, there is the wishing power. While it is currently available to use, how do we know he hasn't already used it days before we caught up to him?? Perhaps, like myself and Rae, he seeks something that the power of the ring can help him obtain, mayhaps something he either doesn't want the Darkblades to know he desires, or something he feels that they can not help him get."
"I do not believe that Raderol wants the ring for himself. I am of the opinion that he works for another, and I doubt the Darkblades would approve of independent contractors within their midst. If he fears anything, it shall be the Darkblades and mayhaps his current employer."
"So we still need to ask him for whom he was working, why that individual (or group thereof) desire the ring and why he didn't use it. I suspect his employer would have been upset at the prospect of having to wait a week to use the ring. Or it has other powers of which we possess no knowledge. Behold, another question to pose."
"And as to his failure to elude us, he may well have succeeded had it not been for the amazing abilities of Miss Raeli. But instead of underestimating the sublime skills of Miss Raeli, he could have made it impossible for us to follow him and it befalls us to question why he did not."
"Shall I ask these questions, or does someone else wish to put these forward to our fickle detainee?"
"It is true that his arrogance is his weakness. It may have simply been a matter of underestimating us. As for me, I have had my fill of touching Raderol's mind, for now." Raeli gestures toward the stone held by Vaelins, "Go right ahead. While you sort that out, perhaps Ulvak and I can work out my boon from the ring. Please do not take offense, but I'd prefer to ask my question without an audience -- some secrets are best kept as such, and not all I learn will be mine to share." So saying, she waits for Ulvak to follow her into the woods, away from Raderol and prying ears, before explaining further.
Ulvak takes his cue and follows Rae into the woods.
Raeli goes perhaps a few steps further than necessary into the welcoming dark of the forest. When she turns to Ulvak, there is something beneath the determination on her face, but whether it was fear or anxiety or shame, it did not linger long. "The...event...I wish you to inquire about is one close to your heart, I have learned. Yet you will wonder why it holds such great import for me. I must ask, though it is against your nature, that you quell your curiosity. All I may answer is this: what I seek to know is on behalf of someone I loved and lost. Someone whose secrets I must protect. Can you give me your oath that what we speak of here today, you shall not tell to another without my permission? If not, I shall ask a different boon of the ring, and I will not hold it against you."
Ulvak is quiet for several moments, as both "voices" of his bloodline hold power in high regard and his family's penchant for using secrets as weapons. Finally though, his desire to do the right thing and his friendship towards Rae wins out "Of course I swear Raeli. Though to be safe, try to word your wish in such a way that only you will gain the information you seek."
"I can hear what they're saying."
"Well I do not possess your senses and am unable, as was the intent of Miss Raeli.
"Shall I tell you?"
"What?! NO!! Look, could you fly off in the opposite direction and see how the Vedic guards are going? Follow them for, say... fifteen minutes and report back to me."
"But then I can't hear what they're saying."
"So my orders possess two desired outcomes. Now, go."
Gartha takes to the sky, mumbling something quietly.
"My human ears are not that deficient. Mind your language."
The raven wheels once then flies off into the distance.
The shifter breathes deeply, then out spills the reckless request. "I wish to know the secret history of the Shadow Schism, the true cause of the Paelion murders."