Yes, bring Seerath here. I'd most like to meet her...but let us be discreet, a deranged android on the streets might not be...seemly. I'll have Keryo arrange an escort of guardsmen. Meet them at the Southern Gates at midnight. I will have Bricius met us here.
"If need be, we could either put her in a hooded outfit, or in a bag over my shoulder. It's not like we have to carry a precious vase or such."
<Spike lifts his head questioningly>
Seventeen gives Guaire a curious look and remarks, "I'm sure we'll manage one way or another. Lets go fetch her."
Assuming there is nothing else to be discussed, she turns to leave.
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Thank you Lady Altona, we will see you then."
Jarreck leaves with the others, heading back towards the ship but then he stops. "Hey why don't we rent a cart? It would help us get the other stuff back to market and provide a way to transport Seerath to LAdy Altona. By the way Seven, do you have to get her all wet to put her to sleep again? That can't be going far to endear her to us."
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As midnight approaches Jarreck is walking the mule back to town with the cart behind. A subdued Seerath secured in the back. Whistling a jaunty tune learned long ago in the taverns of Riddleport what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Ariving at the southern gatehouse, he calls out "Hello in the guardhouse....
The swarthy Kellid Keryol shushes Jarreck and motions for everyone to move forward. A half dozen guardsmen file in and surround the group as they make their way towards the Palace of Lady Altouna.
Two servants are waiting at the Palace gates and the party is swiftly ushered into the Palace proper and then into a large room featuring a retraint chair. Seerath is beside herself with terror, she would be wailing about the Dominion taking her mind if she weren't gagged.
We should begin now. No use further injuring the poor soul. the ruler of Hajoth Hakados calls out. A Priest in rust red robes and carrying a clockwork mace strides across the room and begins casting the spell that will free Seerath from the grip of her psychosis.
As the last notes of the spell fade, Seerath looks groggy, as if awakening from a dream. She says Who. Who are you? looking directly into Seven's eyes.
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Equally curious, Seventeen peers at Seerath and after a moment replies in a monotone, "This unit has designation Seventeen, it has had previous designations but those are lost as tears in the rain. Is your designation Seerath?"
I. I think so. Yes. I feel. Like I've just awakened. From a dream. Seerath looks around and then notices she is restrained. Altouna motions to Keryol and he quickly frees the android, but keeps his eyes firmly on her to avoid any harm coming to his mistress.
You. Call yourself Seventeen? Seerath stands but doesn't move.
The Priest Bricius begins casting another spell.
Seventeen replies, "The name was given to me, by a human who shielded me from the Technic League. They hunt the likes of us, they are not welcome here and you will be safe in the house of Brigh." She pauses for a moment, considering if she should elaborate about her past. In the end there were more pressing concerns.
Without inflection Seventeen asks, "Seerath you said things while you were dreaming. Things of some concern. Things about the Dominion of the Black. Do you remember anything any of this?"
Seerath, her faced hideous scarred by a defect in the manufacturing process, nods Some. I remember. What was programmed. And some of what came before.
The Priest Bricius finishes his spell and speaks quietly with Lady Altouna. He then nods respectfully to the assembled heroes and leaves.
Guaire keeps an open stance, instead of discussing with arms crossed or in the side.
"Could you tell us what happened?
Your 'sister' here is trustworthy."
We. Were attacked. The Dominion. Gained control of the ship briefly. I remember a crash. Then nothing. Then I awoke again on the Aurora. I. I don't know how much time has passed.
Seventeen considers this news and states, "Then they are old, powerful and have been here for quite some time. We must approach with caution, and preferably with better equipment. Some of which we can purchase here, although that won't be enough. Perhaps an intermediate target is best, an excursion to tower of the archmage Furkas Xoud. You might remember him Seerath, he left a servitor being in the Aurora."
I. No. I do not remember. Anyone named Furkas Xoud. the deformed android replies.
If she had been human Seventeen would have shrugged, it was of no consequence. It was almost certain Seerath had gone insane long before Xoud visited. Still there was one final question that needed to be asked, "Have you seen me before? Before I was me."
Seerath looks at Seven intently for some moments.
I. I dreamed of you. You came. You spoke with. You spoke with. Me. I don't remember. Aaah. Everything is so blurry.
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"No offense intended to either of you; but it appears Seerath, you need more time to put your thoughts together in a more coherent manner. Completely understandable under the circumstances. What say we give you a couple of days to recover, there are things we can take care of here within town. Lady Altona, I hope I am not overstepping my bounds here, I believe would have someplace here for you to rest and recuperate. Seven and yourself can get together and reminisce then. Perhaps even, helping each other to learn of their past."
Jarreck is polite to Seerath and deferential to Lady Altona, as he speaks to the parties involved....
Lady Altouna of course, agrees with Jarreck. More than once the heroes have aided Hajoth Hakados, being hospitable is the least the city can manage in return.
Seventeen pauses for a moment before saying, "Perhaps you are right Jarreck. There is no rush, there are various errands to attend to." Turning to Seerath, Seventeen says, "I shall be in town for a while, should you wish to talk."
Guaire had been quiet for most of the conversation.
"Jarreck, did you have anything in mind to check up on, errands speaking. Seven could use all the time for talking she needs, Seerath might be more open when it's just her and her 'sister'."
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"Being it's a little after midnight I'm sure there a bar nearby, perhaps we can pass the time, and tommorow we'll visit the traders to ofload the items we have for things we need. Speaking of things we need, did anyone think to ask OMO if he needed anything from town, he was buriedd head first in his Hellion project, I should give him a hand, that is, if he need it anymore."
while in town Jarreck will get the adamantine dagger blessed with a +1 enhancement before returning to the Dusk-light.
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At the Dusk Light, Jarreck spends time assisting Omo with his upgrades, occasionally reminding him that he needed to stop and eat, Mr Hellion wasn't going anywhere. As evening was setting in on the 4th day he ask the others.
"Where to next? Xoud's Choking Tower? Seems like it would be our next logical step in learning about the Technic League and this Dominion you guys keep talking about. Can't say that he'll know anything about the Dominion, still a bit lost on them myself, but they did say he was once Technic League.
Oh yeah Mort,....While Guiare and I were making our rounds in town, there was a Varisian trader that mentioned over drinks, quite a few of them I might add, that spoke of a lost ring he had. Would let him talk to anybody. Had belonged to his grandfather, a shape-shifter himself if I understood correctly. After that many ales, his accent was truly horrendous; but his Grandma, a witch, had fashioned it and even when the moon was full, they still understood each other. Passing it down, his father a trader by birthright, found it allowed him to talk to anyone. You sure could use that when you shift."
@Jarreck Yes Skillslots and skillchips.
@Omo have you updated Hellion's stats on the sheet?
Eh right. Just post the changes in the discussion thread and I'll get them. He gets another hardpoint at 6HD right? We were doing every 2?
Seventeen replies to Jarreck, "Raiding Xoud's tower is a logical option. We need to be better armed and armored if we are to face either the Dominion or delve into the Silver Mount. It is logical Xoud will have collected many technological artifacts including ones the Technic League didn't want him to have. Still it may not be our only option. We could ask Lady Altona's advice."
Mort listens intently at Jarreck's words about the ring.
"Seems like a fine thing to have indeed. And that man was in town? You think he would sell that ring to me if we offered him enough?"
"I agree with asking the Lady Altouna's advice, but haven't you asked her about Furkas Xoud already? Regarding Furkas Xoud and his technological gadgets, maybe we need something to disrupt them? Say a wand or gadget ourselves to destroy or make them useless from a distance?"
With Hellion upgraded and the party well rested from its time in Hajoth Hakados, they decide a trip to the home of the wizard Furkas Xoud is in order. Three days of travel later the party arrives with the Dusklight at the Smoking Tower.
This towering stone structure rises high above the tops of the
surrounding trees. The towers walls are made of metal and stone
and stained black with greasy soot, and its roof is a metal cone
crowded by a forest of pipes and chimneys belching smoke into
the sky. The tower's few windows are narrow and slatted with
thick metal grills, and its only door is a metal rectangle with
rounded corners, twelve feet high and nine feet wide. The door
bears no knob or handle-only a two-inch-wide hole in the center,
the edges of which are cracked and bent as if a tremendous force
wrenched something free. A large number of immense humanoid
footprints mar the ground surrounding the tower.
Mort looks inquisitively at the hole in the door and then looks up at the windows.
"I can take a look inside, depending on the assumption that a small rodent or bird doesn't attract attention that much. If I go through the hole however, I need someone to lift me up first."
@Everyone Since I'm in Mexico with only my netbook I'm not able to get a map up. I'll be back home Friday and I'll get a map made and posted then.
Seventeen approved of Mort's plan, saying, "Careful Mort, a wizard's tower may be warded yet your plan is logical."
Noting the many deep footprints, Seventeen points out the obvious, "Clearly this tower has mundane guardians as well. We would be wise to avoid them unless we seek a fight on our terms. As far as entry goes the door seems the obvious choice, perhaps too obvious. It's likely impractical to fly up to a window and remove the slats, although entry that way is less likely to be expected."
"On the other hand, the door might even be the least guarded.
Intruders who would be looking for a sneaky entrance, the guards could be posted at more obscure entrances."
.......
"Oh hey, a window.
Ah....they were waiting for us..."
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Jarreck studies the footprint on the ground a moment to see if he knows what they might belong to, then turns his attention to the walls seeing if he might be able to scale the walls to the window above.
"Mort, if you go ahead take care of yourself, will be you against any traps in there until we can join you." Granted Mort in a smaller form would likely be safer than Jarreck should he get inside above.
Jarreck knows the footprints belong to something big...large sized.
"Isn't this a lovely place?" Omo mutters sarcastically. He then drinks an infusion of heightened awareness and then drinks and spits an extended potion of heroism back into the bottle.
"People who bind intelligent creatures to eternal slavery aren't very pleasant people. We should all be careful. Please, Mr. Hellion, stay close to me."
"Keep some ink and paper ready, that way I can communicate with you easier if need be."
Mort suddenly becomes smaller, even smaller than before and sprouts tiny brown feathers, his pale colour shifting to a more light brown tint and darker dots appearing on his chest.
After the transformation a little thrush sits on the ground and looks up at you all with a questioning look, then flies upward to see what's what at the windows.
Omo inspects the door and finds that The Choking Tower's front door is missing its wheel. An examination of the door's central hole confirms that it once housed some sort of opening mechanism, but that it's been broken off the door's front. Omo figures he could possibly repair the door so that it could be opened (Disable Device) or perhaps a spell such as Make Whole might work.
There are two windows that Mort sees as he flies up higher. The first
A wide balcony overlooks a spacious atrium here, its low iron
railing wrought with geometric symbols. A window high on the
west wall is protected by narrow metal slats. Three doors stand
in the east wall, but only the central door remains intact, with
a short message written above it. The northern door has a hole
burrowed through it, while the southern one has been completely
smashed apart.
The second higher window
This large chamber appears to be a combination of bedroom and
study. A large window to the northwest, fitted with sturdy metal
slats, lets in light and air, while elaborate tapestries depicting
gloomy landscapes and gothic architecture adorn the walls. A
large bed sits in the room, its fine coverings frayed and dusty.
A small desk against the southwest wall is bare, while doors
provide several exits-although no handle adorns the door to
the northwest. Instead of a handle or knob, it bears a small plate
of coppery metal.
Seventeen having examined the remains of the door with Omo listens (or perhaps reads) Mort's story with interest. In a scholarly tone, she surmises, "It would appear the tower has been sacked by persons unknown. There may still be items of interest in the wreckage but surely we shall have to fight the victors for the best of the spoils. The simplest way to gain entrance is undoubtably the front door if it can be fixed. Jarreck can that be done?"