Tyrandro sees his judgement about Kaer Maga confirmed again.
"Who, what king, and where was all of that?" Tyrandro inquires on Ayako's question.
Before we met you we had to locate a person who had information we needed. Said person was held by a self-styled 'Begger king' in old Korsova. A priestess named Laori Valus aided us and it seems she wishes to meet again.
"So you mean, we're going back to Korvosa again?" Tyrandro asks, whil elooking through the stuff on display, where thes sell all that stuff from the encounter with the Gray Maidens and the Red Mantis. Thinking about Sebstian being Black Jack he wonders "On a completely unrelated subject... With the Grey Maidens, the Red Mantis and Black Jack, does our group need a color themed name?"
"Color themed names. Let's see what we can come up with. The Green Goblins? The Lavender Liberators? The Fuchsia Freedom Fighters?"
Can we try to get her to come here? If that doesn't work we can meet her in Old Korvosa."
Well we are already in Kaer Maga so there is no sense going back to Korsova, so we can tell her to find us here at this fine establishment. Ayako will tell Laori there location in Kaer Maga if she wants to meet there.
In Kaer Maga, at (this location) Meet us here? Where are you? Meet elsewhere if too far away?
"With an alliteration, I'm impressed. But half of these are flowers, not colors. How about Red Rabble-Rousers? I know Red is taken by the Mantis, but I'm not going for rouge"
As Ayako answers the spell Tyrandro turns to her "You mean we have to wait for her here for three weeks until they made their way here?"
We have no idea where they are so someone is waiting
"Can't you ask? Maybe I should get a job with the Duskwardens for the time. They seem to be among the few civilized people here in Kaer Maga." Tyrandro replies.
I asked in my reply
"I mean how long it will take? Maybe they can magically jump here, just as we do." Tyrandro replies. He is just frustrated that they are stuck even longer in this abomination of a city.
Laori sends another sending. "You suck at this spell too. Now I need to use another spell just to answer you. We will see you at your inn tonight."
"Stay in the inn Tyrando. That should keep the riffraff away from you. I'm going to go see what there is to see. This is a very interesting city." Iolana will head out to explore while waiting for Laori to arrive.
Iolana doesn't encounter anything too eventful going back out into the streets. The most exciting thing she sees is two teams of palanquin-bearers yelling at each other in an intersection.
That night, you wait in the inn for Laori’s arrival. Out of the corner of your eye, the shadows in the corner coalesce and form into three figures. Laori, in her skintight spiked chainmail steps out first and greets you with a huge smile and a cheer. Next, is an older male in blood red robes and a perpetual scowl on his face. Finally, appears a nearly nude female outsider wearing little more than spiked chains wrapped around her body to cover choice bits.
Good pic of Laori, Sial, and Asyra (who wasn't formally introduced)
The man speaks in an even, cultured voice, his accent betraying his Chelish upbringing. “Greetings, friends. Thank you for the invitation. My name is Shadowcount Sail and we represent the Brotherhood of Bones from the nation of Nidal, to the south. First off, I want to thank you for bringing to justice a wanted criminal in our kingdom, Lady Andaisin, the foul priestess of Urgathoa. We’ve contacted you today based on Laori’s “enthusiastic” recommendation and have a proposition for you. We know that you seek the weapon Serithtial in the ruins of Scarwall to combat the Queen Ileosa.”
“In return for Laori’s and my advice and support while exploring Scarwall, we hope you will agree to allow the church of Zon-Kuthon to claim the Crown of Fangs once all is said and done. Our ultimate goal is to capture the Crown of Fangs, track down and procure the other relics of Kazavon, bring them together, and keep them safe, ensuring they’re never used to resurrect the ancient champion of Zon-Kuthon. Certainly, getting the fangs away from Ileosa is a goal both you and I can agree on. And by extension, the recovery of Serithtial, the only weapon capable of overcoming Kazavon’s influence, should be a shared goal.”
“The problem is that the undead of Scarwall no longer belong to Zon-Kuthon. Those haunting Kazavon’s ancient seat of power are free-willed undead that have abandoned their old allegiances, whether to Kazavon or Mandraivus, and are equally dangerous to Brotherhood operatives and you alike. Furthermore, no true worshiper of Zon-Kuthon can safely wield or even transport Serithtial. Likewise, there are denizens of Scarwall that remain accepting of worshipers of the Midnight Lord, yet actively oppose good-aligned folk. Clearly, the greatest chance of successfully exploring Scarwall and recovering Serithtial would arise from an alliance between you and the Brotherhood of Bones.”
“Our goal is not entirely altruistic, of course. If we manage to recover the Fangs of Kazavon and present them to the Brotherhood command in distant Nidal, we will be rewarded with glory and fame. Laori and I have spent the last several months operating on our own, feeding promising but ultimately false reports to our leaders every few weeks in order to maintain their support and funding. If our organization were to learn what we knew, all chance for glory would be lost to us as the Brotherhood moved en masse to recover the fangs. Yet on our own, we have no hope of recovering Serithtial and defeating Ileosa. In order for our plan to succeed, we must learn to work together, not matter how grating, as well as with you.”
Ayako wiles away her time at the inn sipping tea and enjoying a brief respite before the inevitable horror of Scarwall Castle. The 'horrors' of the city did not surprise her, since every city had it's slimy underbelly.
When Laori and Sail appeared, she nodded in greetings to both of them.Welcome, let us relax and we can discuss more. Ayako listens closely to Sail's speech. I am a bit curious that keeping Kazavon dead as possible is a goal. Having such a strong champion of the Midnight Lord would be quite the boon to Nidal.
Tyrandro struggles hard not to accompany Iolana in this dangerous city. But he convinces himself, that she is able to take care of herself.
As Laori and the other two arrive and introduce themself Tyrandro starts laughing out loud with a snide look at Ayako. "It's good to see you again, Laori."
Turning to Ayako he adds "Your memory is no better than mine. I was with you when we met Laori."
On that proposal he turns serious again. Laori was a big help back then. He comments to his companions "I wonder what the Shoanti will say if we bring these nice people with us. Is that weapon thing on holy ground of them or something?"
I rather doubt Scarwall is a holy site to them. More like someplace they want to keep people away from.
Iolana arrives back at the inn before their guests arrive, Noting exciting at all happened just a bunch of people yelling at eat other."
She gives Laori a big smile, "I'd give you a hug, but I don't feel like being impailed today."
In response to Tyrando, "I doubt that Scarwall is a holy place to the Shaoanti. You have no intention of using the Fangs when they are removed from the Queen? You want to protect them? I was kind of planning on trying to destroy the Fangs. I hadn't gotten far enough to see if that's even feasible."
I am a bit curious that keeping Kazavon dead as possible is a goal. Having such a strong champion of the Midnight Lord would be quite the boon to Nidal.
"Even in the church of Zon-Kuthon, Kazavon is regarded as an unstable zealot whose death did more to help the church’s position than his life. Kazavon’s flair for the overly dramatic made him an easy villain to hate and giving the church’s enemies a despicable monster to rally against is not a wise move for continued prosperity. The Brotherhood has no intentions of seeing Kazavon brought back as a result—they merely covet his remains."
"I wonder what the Shoanti will say if we bring these nice people with us. Is that weapon thing on holy ground of them or something?"
"Scarwall is not a Shoanti site. It was Kazavon's castle in life. Now it is home to only undead. The weapon Serithtial was the blade the hero Mandraivus used to slay Kazavon. Serithtial was lost when Mandraivus was killed by orcs who invaded the castle not long after his victory."
"You have no intention of using the Fangs when they are removed from the Queen? You want to protect them? I was kind of planning on trying to destroy the Fangs. I hadn't gotten far enough to see if that's even feasible."
"The Crown of Fangs cannot be destroyed. Let me tell you more about the history of Kazavon and maybe you'll understand."
"More than 800 years ago, as the nation of Ustalav was recovering from the rule of the Whispering Tyrant, orc invasions from the neighboring Hold of Belkzen became a constant threat. For generations, the county of Tamrivena held strong against Belkzen. When command of Tamrivena fell to Count Andachi, it quickly became apparent that he had not inherited his predecessors’ gifts of strategy or eloquence. Mile by mile, the orcs pressed into Ustalav through Tamrivena, and Count Andachi grew desperate. His pleas to the government of Ustalav for reinforcements were mired in bureaucracy. Even his prayers to Desna seemed to fall upon deaf ears. With a desperation born of fear, he fell back upon his ancestors’ onetime patron—Zon-Kuthon, god of pain and darkness. In short order, the count’s prayers were answered in the form of a powerful and gifted mercenary named Kazavon."
"This charismatic general took control of Tamrivena’s army and whipped it into shape with his brutal discipline and knowledge of battle tactics. When the army marched into Belkzen, the orcs fell in waves, and by the spring of 4043 ar, the orcs had been driven into the Kodar Mountains, leaving much of central Belkzen abandoned."
"His task complete, Kazavon did not return to Ustalav. Instead, he set his forces to the construction of Castle Scarwall, from which he could remain vigilant over the surrounding lowlands. In a short time, Kazavon’s true goals became horrifically clear. Diplomats from southern Lastwall traveled to Scarwall, but their overtures of peace were met with violence as General Kazavon flayed the diplomats alive, then had their skins stretched over frames; he painted these skins with his new coat of arms: a fanged skull. The skinless dead were then animated and sent back south into Lastwall beneath these grisly banners with a demand to fall under Kazavon’s heel or be butchered."
"Aghast at this turn of events, Count Andachi at last found his courage. He raised a new army from the remnants of his people and marched west to face his former general. In a bold offensive, he laid siege to Castle Scarwall. Yet, with the next dawn, he met defeat before Kazavon’s forces. Andachi was captured, publicly tortured and degraded, and ultimately executed."
"For well over a decade, Kazavon ruled a nation of slaves, victims, and horror. Tales spread throughout the neighboring regions of fields of people impaled for the general’s amusement, of mass executions, of Shoanti hunted like wild animals and then forced to slay their own lovers and children in carnivals of terror. Whispers of cannibal feasts and vampiric orgies trickled out of Castle Scarwall. More than once, the forces of virtuous nations marched on Scarwall, yet no army could face Kazavon’s strength."
"However, where armies failed, a secret cabal of heroes from the Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye would not. Led by a paladin named Mandraivus, this group discovered that one among Kazavon’s minions was willing to betray the warlord: his chamberlain, Kleestad. The chamberlain gave Mandraivus the information he needed to strike at Scarwall when its defenses were lowest. The battle raged, and in the end Kazavon fled to the Star Tower."
"It was during this fight that Mandraivus’s group discovered the warlord’s great secret—Kazavon was no mere man, but rather an insane great blue wyrm who preferred living as a human rather than a dragon. During the battle, Kazavon was forced back into his draconic identity as Mandraivus struck a lethal blow with his magical sword, Serithtial."
"Yet Kazavon’s corpse did not lie quiet. It seethed with dark energy, beginning to knit back together once again. The cabal used fire and acid and holy light, but in the end, seven skeletal fragments proved impossible to destroy. Mandraivus ordered his remaining followers to each take one of these relics and scatter them to the corners of the world. Mandraivus remained behind at Scarwall with a few loyal retainers to watch over the castle itself and prevent it from being reclaimed by the minions of Zon-Kuthon."
"The victory proved short-lived. The orcs regained their strength and attacked Castle Scarwall soon after Mandraivus’s cabal scattered. The defenders were overwhelmed, and as Mandraivus was slain, the curse of Scarwall took hold. The slaughter of first Kazavon’s armies and then Mandraivus and his soldiers had suffused the fortress with negative energy, and an instant after they seized the castle, the orc invaders found themselves facing a host of vengeful spirits and slavering undead."
"There are seven artifact relics of dreaded wyrm Kazavon. The Crown of Fangs is but one. All of the relics of Kazavon are powerful, intelligent artifacts that bear sentient fragments of Kazavon’s foul spirit. Each piece subtlety encourages its bearer toward evil acts, inspiring its owner’s darkest desires and most selfish dreams. The other relics are called, The Armor of Skulls, The Bound Blade, The Howling Horn, The Shredskin, The Staff of the Slain, and the Throne of Nalt. The only one we need to concern ourselves with for now is the Crown of Fangs, however."
"The Shoanti you know are descendants of one of Mandraivus’s order who brought the Crown of Fangs to what is now Korvosa and were tasked to guard the artifact from falling into the wrong hands. Unfortunately when the Shoanti were driven from the pyramid holding the Crown and Castle Korvosa was built on top of it, it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon it again."
"And another evil a#&@+%# who denies the world to properly die and stay dead." Tyrandro comments.
Quite the busy lad he was. I suspect his ambition would return in full force if revived and cause Nidal quite the situation.
Ayako ponders some tea leaves, realizes she has no foresight and down the cup. Putting down the Queen and stopping Kazavon's ambitions seem to be compatible goals. I am agreeable to letting you have the fangs after the battle with the Queen is done.
"Excellent!" says Sial. "Castle Scarwall looms at the eastern tip of the Kodar Mountains in the northern part of the Hold of Belkzen. Once an active volcanic range, the volcanoes here have long since gone dormant. Nonetheless, the volcanic activity left behind some truly remarkable terrain features, and Kazavon chose to build his new home among one of these. The castle sits atop a small island in a crater lake—the caldera of a dormant volcano at an elevation of 1,500 feet over the surrounding terrain. We will meet you there and then together we can take on the castle's defenses."
Iolana listens to the history lesson with great interest. "So it's Nidal who gave the blue wyrm a chance to cause this. So many people who fall under those with much power." she is careful not to verbally agree to giving the crown over to Sial.
"I don't want to have that thing for sure. It can't be destroyed you say? What do you plan to do to make sure none else gets a hold of it, once you're it's guardian - or all of the bony parts?" Tyrandro wonders.
Hopefully sealed away in solid steel and buried in rock
Sebastian has mixed feelings about seeing Laori again. She had an undeniable appeal, but why did she have to cover it in chains and spikes?
He stays quiet, stroking his chin in furious thought as he listens to Sial's story. "You mean to tell us that the Queen is all but possessed by the spirit of a blue wyrm, who was in life a champion of your dark god?" The news is disturbing, but it actually explains a lot about what's been going on in Korvosa. He shudders to think of Sabina being under Kazavon's thumb, though the memory of what the rescued Gray Maidens had to say about her filled him with pride.
He shakes his head slowly. "Despite your promises, I don't like it. Not one bit. I cannot see how the world is any safer with all of Kazavon's relics brought together in Nidal than if they remain scattered. I'd sooner entrust them to the church of Shelyn."
However, it's clear that they will need the Brotherhood of Bones to aid them if they seek to recover Serithial. Korvosa's only chance at redemption lies in this tainted bargain. As difficult as it will be to recover the Crown of Fangs, they all likely wouldn't live to see the day the relics were finally brought together. Still, Sebastian doesn't like the thought of contributing to a day such as that.
"But Korvosa is served by it. May our fair city never know what we do in her service."
Sial responds, "I understand your concerns so let me give you some assurances. One, how the Brotherhood of Bones secures the artifacts is a secret but I can assure you that they are well secured. If we told how we protect them so easily, that security would be compromised. Two, we do not have all of the seven artifacts. Three, we know there was a fallacy in Mandraivus' plan to scatter the artifacts. It turns out, Kazavon does not need all seven artifacts to be combined. He can be resurrected from just one. Although the more that are combined, the stronger he will be. Our goal of removing all the artifacts from the hands of others will ensure that Kazavon is never resurrected either willingly or unwittingly. And four, for now, let us agree to just separating the Crown of Fangs from Queen Ileosa. Once that goal is accomplished, we can re-discuss the ultimate possession of the Crown. But we felt being forthright with our desires was best. Whatever you may think of us, we want to show that we can be trustworthy."
"Now, if you have no further questions, we will take our leave. We'll meet you again at the castle but you'll have to make your own way there."
I have no further questions. Iolana here can get us close as possible to the castle, although it will still be a while before we reach it.
"We had some horses somewhere." Tyrandro comments.
Fluffy burps and gnaws on a leg bone
"I need to find a butcher though and reward Fluffy for all his patience. Before he starts gnawing on bystanders." Tyrandro comments.
"Come along, we're buying half a cow or something like that." he calls Fluffy and adds to the Zon Kuthon group "See you later then at the castle." and to his companions "I'll be back soon."
"We'll meet you at the castle. It will take a few days. I haven't traveled there before."
We should all probably get extra things that can defend against the undead and death magic. Restoration potions and scrolls for example
"I'm happy to contribute to that plan Ayako. I don't want to become a resident of the castle."
You gather your gear and your horses and you head out east. The journey takes about ten days although. The first half of the journey is up through the Cinderlands and from there you the foothills of the Kodar Mountains to the northern part of the Hold of Belkzen.
Once an active volcanic range, the volcanoes here have long since gone dormant. Nonetheless, the volcanic activity left behind some truly remarkable terrain features, and Kazavon chose to build his new home among one of these. The castle sits atop a small island in a crater lake—the caldera of a dormant volcano at an elevation of 1,500 feet over the surrounding terrain. These barren hills are desolate, with little more than isolated scrub trees and lichens growing here and there. Wyverns, chimeras, and other flying predators sometimes nest in the crags along these ragged hills, but as the party approaches Scarwall, even these mighty beasts become scarce, as if the very air around the ruined castle were poisoned. The orc tribes of Belkzen rarely set foot in these hills. Canny travelers can escape pursuing orc brigands by retreating to this ridge, although they must then contend with the denizens of Scarwall, so their respite may be brief.
As you near the end of your journey, Zellara urges you to summon her to perform another harrowing. While camping one night, you all sit down and she reads the cards for you.
She starts with Ayako. She places down the role card, The Lost. "The Lost is the card of emptiness and loss of identity. The bodak shown is forever mad, lost in a world of lunatics, insane asylums, and mass killers. For those under its influence, the world makes no sense. It evokes times where all is babble, as when meeting someone who speaks only in another tongue."
"I see the tormented soul of Kleestad, who betrayed Kazavon to Mandraivus. His evil greed caused him to lose more than just his identity; his very humanity and soul have been forfeit."
She places down three cards for Ayako's past. The Snakebite, The Owl, and The Bigsky. "The Snakebite in the opposing alignment. The Snakebite Card is a vile, poisoned weapon. Poison takes many forms—not all of them physical. The poison on the assassin’s blade represents the death of ideas and freedom, as well as the ability to turn friends against each other or poison the minds of the virtuous. Misaligned, this card can mean a mental leap, a new friendship, or a discovery."
"The Snakebite represents the Red Mantis assassins and their exotic poisons. You dealt them a heavy blow at the Longacre Building. They may be down, but they aren’t out."
Zellara places down three more cards for Ayako's present. The Forge, The Vision, and The Unicorn. She reads The Forge card, a partial match. "The Forge evokes strength through great diversity. The blacksmith represents those who can survive the mephits’ trial by fire, but The Forge’s fire is so strong it burns many to cinders instead. This card often represents a dangerous event that needs many sources of strength to overcome."
"The Forge symbolizes the Maiden’s Nursery below the Longacre Building, where new recruits were trained and forged into Gray Maidens. You take what you saw and learned down there to temper your own determination to see this quest through."
The last three cards are placed down for the future. The Inquisitor, The Teamster, and the Theater. Zellara reads the Teamster, another partial match. "The Teamster is a driving external force that keeps the subject going, no matter what. This force can be physical or mental, as a person who exhorts others to continue on when they have no more strength to give. The force can be for good or ill but cannot be ignored. The half-orc depicted is leading a life of constant toil, but for his own betterment."
"The trials ahead of you that you will face will threaten your very soul and sanity. You’ll need to dig deep to find your own driving force to continue on."
Iolana is up next. Her Role Card is The Mute Hag. "The Mute Hag might be silent, but the eye she holds lets her see into the hearts of men. This hag invokes blood pacts and poisonous secrets, the kind that turn brother against brother and son against father. It is a card that performers loathe, as it leaves them stumbling over their words and songs. Misaligned, it indicates unshakable loyalty and lucidity of speech."
"I see the night hag Malathrothe. Just as the Mute Hag forges pacts, this fiend has forged her own tenuous treaty with the chained spirit of Scarwall."
Zellara then begins the matrix with the three cards for Iolana's past. The Rakshasa, The Vision, and The Joke. "The Joke is misaligned. The Joke shows a terror that must be overcome—but not by physical means. This monster can only be defeated by trickery or artifice. This card can represent the value of humor in finding the way past a difficult person or task."
"You go now to overthrow one tyrant, yet you’ve already overtook one in your past. Pilts Swastel, the living embodiment of a sham taken several steps too far was stopped by your hands. However, misaligned, can indicate the new joke will be on you. You must remain vigilant."
For the present, Zellara puts down The Twin, The Foreign Trader, and The Paladin. The Foreign Trader is a True match. "The Foreign Trader is the card of spies and peddlers alike. Any who trade in information are subject to this card’s influence. A bargain made under this card’s auspice always concludes true, but the ramifications of the pact might be shocking for those who do not understand its implications."
"Laori Vaus can be a bridge between faiths, as surely as The Foreign Trader bridges two cultures, and a pact with her may be informative."
The last three cards are for Iolana's future. The Uprising, The Lost, and The Eclipse. Zellara reads both The Lost and The Eclipse, both partial matches. "The Lost is the card of emptiness and loss of identity. The Eclipse represents self-doubt and loss of purpose. Unfortunately, I see a very uncertain future for your mental wellbeing when you face what may lie in Scarwall."
Sebastian is third. The Role Card is The Carnival. "The Carnival is the card of illusions and false dreams. This card can heighten the power of the arcane, but depending on such whimsical forces can be risky. For others, this card depicts imprudent plans or unrealistic ambitions."
"The mad dance of The Carnival and its cacophonous but delightful music symbolize the peril and grace of the danse macabre in Scarwall. Unfortunately, by the time you even realize you are in danger, it may be too late."
She then starts with the three cards for Sebastian's past. The Desert, The Cyclone, and The Cricket. "The Desert is a partial match. It is an environment so bleak that none can survive it without aid. For those who find that aid, the journey across the wastes can lead to great things. Misaligned, it implies the subject cannot rely on the help of others and will assuredly be lost. The sphinx on this card can refer to a mystic or doctor bringing salvation in times of plague or illness."
"You recently overcame the trials of the Cinderlands and befriended the Shoanti people. These are no small tasks and the strength and bravery you’ve gained will remain with you."
Zellara lays three more cards down next to the first three, representing Sebastian's present. The Trumpet, The Publican, and The Wanderer. The Wanderer is a partial match. "The Wanderer is a collector. This centaur appreciates that which others regard as junk or trash. The Wanderer appears to those clever enough to find the true worth in something others ignore or treat as worthless. Misaligned, The Wanderer signifies a loss of values, or the inability to see what is truly valuable in a person or situation."
"The weapon you seek, Serithtial, is a powerful sword that was used to sunder the bones of the dragon Kazavon. While your comrades may eschew the use of a blade, someone will need to wield Serithial and it may wind up being you."
The last three cards are laid down for the future. The Uprising, The Queen Mother, and The Demon's Lantern. The reads The Demon's Lantern, a True match. "The Demon’s Lantern is the card of traps and tricks, sleight of hand and sleight of mind. These will-o’-wisps and the man who sought their light represent an impossible or intractable situation."
"The Demon’s Lantern evokes the many difficult situations that await you, particularly unnecessary confrontations with those who should be allies. Even without my fortunetelling, I can see there will be further conflict between you and the Brotherhood of Bones due to you opposing moralities."
Finally, Zellara reads Tyrandro. His Role Card is The Eclipse. "The Eclipse represents self-doubt and loss of purpose. This card afflicts those with faith in the divine, as their talents can wane under this stress. It can also indicate a loss of way along a path. If misaligned, it can augur an unheralded ability coming to the fore or a concealed location revealed."
"The Eclipse symbolizes the dark triumph of mind over body seen within the endless existence of the demilich Zev Ravenka."
For Tyrandro's past, Zellara places down The The Carnival, The Queen Mother, and The Owl. She reads The Queen Mother, a True match. "The Queen Mother is knowledge personified. The formian knows all but does not reveal anything to anyone who does not show her proper worship. She is fond of the powerless and the underclasses, for they serve her when the more powerful refuse. She represents the need to become part of a society, or to bow before those who know more than you."
"The Queen’s true form has been revealed. And now that you know, you also know what you must do."
For Tyrandro's present, she places The Brass Dwarf, The Avalanche, and The Paladin. The Brass Dwarf is a partial match. "The Brass Dwarf shows an azer who represents invulnerability to a current danger. Although others might fall, he remains hale and strong. The Brass Dwarf can also mean a failure or dark fate for one, which in turn might save all others around him from a greater danger."
"Your arrows and your ability to take down most threats from a distance may give you the sense that nothing can stop you. Just be mindful that not all threats you will face in Scarwall will be physical ones."
At last, the last three cards are for Tyrandro's future. The Juggler, The Theater, and The Idiot. She reads the Juggler, a True match. "The Juggler represents fate, the gods, or those who play with the lives and destinies of others. If this titanic Juggler can keep up his rhythm, he will achieve his goals."
"Your quest may very well determine the fate of all the lives in Korvosa. If you can get all the pieces to fall into place, you may yet be able to save them from whatever cruel designs Queen Ileosa has for them."
Ayako listens to Zellara's fortunes quietly, her hands braiding her hair so it will not get in the way when combat starts.
Thank you for your guidance, Zellara. You have been a good mentor.
Tyrandro comes back from his shopping trip with Fluffy who got a wide grin on his face and full saddle bags. "I found something in a shop which advertised with esoteric stuff about ghosts. I found something to improve my arrows for fighting ghosts."
At night at the campfire Tyrandro applies the stuff to his arrows.
"Looks like no one even wants to hang dead over a fence here." Tyrandro comments.
Scarwall is an imposing collection of towers and fortifications. Clouds of dark carrion birds ride the winds above its heights, yet none dare perch atop them. A single span connects the castle to a small peninsula on the lake’s southern edge, where a crumbling barbican still stands.
Guarding the only land approach to Castle Scarwall is a defensive gatehouse that stands at the tip of a small peninsula. This barbican consists of a crumbling curtain wall flanking the remains of two gatehouse towers, the western one of which has collapsed. The other tower, though battered, still stands and supports a ramshackle lean-to built against it.
So do we want to fly over the lake and enter through the front door or look for any other possible entrances?
Iolana listens carefully to the reading that is done. "My mind is at stake? That's not something that I want to contemplate. I'll do my best to keep it whole."
"I suggest we look around. Walking up to the front door seems too simple and an invitation for a trap. I'd rather sneak up if we can."
Quite, perhaps there is a convienant servant's entrance with the discarded stubs of tobacco stick
"Where are our Zon-Kuthon friends?" Tyrandro asks.
Fluffy is grossed out by the smell of death that wafts over from the place.
From a distance you get a closer look at the castle.
Castle Scarwall looks every bit as foreboding as the legends say. Dark walls rise from darker bedrock to steep rooflines set with gargoyles and minarets. Battlements look down from towers and defensive walls, and many foul-feathered carrion birds soar above them. Mists rising off of the black tarn obscure the lower portions of the rocky island, giving the whole place an ethereal appearance. Surprisingly, even though the structure is many centuries old, its walls and roofs remain intact with no visible breaches or obvious signs of damage. A ghostly glow lights some of the windows and arrow slits, and now and then, faint flickerings betray the motion of creatures within.
Also nearby, now that you are looking, so spot a 30 ft. tall bone tower topped with a giant skull. When you get closer, the Brotherhood of Bones comes out to greet you. Laori cheerfully rushes up while Sial hangs back with a scowl on his face. "You made it!" Laori shouts. "It's about time. We've been waiting over a week and there is so little to do out here. Hardly anything worth killing and get can only talk to your collection of skulls so many times before they start repeating themselves. But now that you're here, we can finally see what's in the castle. So how are we going to do it? We'll take your lead. Also, we've decided that it would be best if only one of accompanied you...we don't exactly get along. Sial tells me he'd rather slice off his ears that spend another minute listening to me. And I don't think he is kidding. Anyway, either Sial (with his kyton companion) or I will join you at a time. The other will hang back. But of course, you can always switch if you'd like too. I know you're going to pick me though. I shouldn't even need to ask, right?"
Ayako pats Laori's back as she is glomped. Good to see you as well. Shadowcount Sial, greetings. Ayako looks at the castle.
We are currently thinking about scouting the perimeter before trying the bridge. I've had to run through far to many dangerous places to believe it unguarded. If we can find a breach in the walls or a secondary entrance that might be a better way to enter.
Iolana smiles brightly at Laori, Tyrando may want to cut off his ears as well if we take her with us. She pats her carefully on the arm in greeting careful not to get caught on a spike.
She gives Sial a slight bow in greeting as well.
Looking over the place of the dead. "It certainly doesn't look empty does it."
"Who wants to go on an invisible flying trip to scope out the castle walls for breaches?"