The mortal realms seem pallid to your eyes, accustomed as you have become to the light and intensity of the Shadow Fey Courts. Stepping through the portal takes you directly to the University grounds, landing you in the middle of a meticulously manicured lawn - not unlike the dueling grounds you have just left.
Serene stone buildings of many different periods surround you and the place is clearly still functional. Your arrival causes little or no comment in an arcane academia, bar an impatient voice bellowing from the edges.
"Get off the lawn! How many times to you have to be told that portals must be opened in the designated areas?"
Tutavak/Kia/Whiteclaw
Level 12
Divination
Key Skill: Religion or Insight
10 minutes to cast/10 minutes duration
Component cost 400gp
Market price: 1000gp
You gain Darkvision and you can see all invisible creatures and objects within a few squares of you that are within your line of sight up to the limits determined by the check. You are immune to powers and effects with the illusion keyword. You also gain a +5 power bonus to Insight and Perception checks.
Religion or Insight results table.
9 or less - no effect
10-19 - within 3 squares
20-29 - within 5 squares
30-39 - within 10 squares
40+ - within 20 squares.
Arianwyn ignores the voice and announces to the party, "Samagal first I think."
Away from the foliage and unnatural saturation, Tutavak is only slightlly more at ease among clustered stone buildings and trimmed lawns. He does not ready a weapon, but it is clearly an effort of will.
Kia thinks fondly of comfortable hotels and baths and meals with no strings attached. It feels good to find somewhere where she only feels a little out of place.
"Yes, I think Pierrot may be able to help us."
"If there is time, we might want to see if Hroaldir has anything to add. I know he lives a long way away, but I'm just saying... After all he got us into this mess in the first place."
Arianwyn points out, "If we are returning to Pharoe, then we will have to see him anyway. It makes no difference."
"We might also try to pick up sufficient compoonents so that we cn cast our new ritual. You never know when we might need it"
The splutters of outrage continue as the companions and their warhorses move off the cherished lawn and towards Pirot Samagal's tower. As before, the door is barred and adorned with a note in crabbed handwriting in capital letters.
"DO NOT DISTURB."
Staff and students alike give it a wide bearth.
Arianwyn knocks.
An door bangs inside and a highly irritated voice bellows from behind the front door,
"If it's a delivery, leave it under the rock to the right."
The warlock replies, "This delivery will not sit under a rock. We are the Company of the Rune-Stones and we would speak with Pirot Samagal."
"You again? Hrmph. The meddlers return at last."
Clanking and grinding suggests that Pirot has grown no more amenable, and the door creaks open at last.
"Get inside then."
Pirot Samagal is older than you remember him. Still upright, still fit, still irascible, but noticeably greyer in the hair and with added lines on his face.
"Tea. Syonian, you liked I think. Who's the drow and what did you do with the tiefling and the tetchy wizard?" He pauses and looks long and hard at Tutavak before bowing slightly in the warrior's direction.
"Pirot Death Speaker presents his greetings to the Son of the People. Don't know if we've met, but it's an honour to welcome you."
"Well remembered. How long has it been?" the eladrin asks, masking his surprise.
At an appropriate time, Chary introduces herself to the irascible old man. "Please forgive our intrusion, although the tea is quite appreciated...and tasty! It is clear that you know these fine folk that have chosen to let me tag along. My name is Charitan, but most call me Chary." She is clearly laying on the charm with abandon. "What is it you do here...the sign, the wide berth students give your tower? You clearly cultivate a solitude within the center of the University complex, so its must be of grave importance, or at least moderate danger?"
Finally, she looks to her traveling companions as she asks him a final question, "Why have we come and disturbed you, so clearly an important man...what do you have to offer on the subject of Formorians and skinless creatures of the deep?"
Arianwyn chuckles.
Pirot provides tea and shovels papers unceremoniously off his chair in order to sit down.
"You left here 12 years ago to visit the People. Life at the university doesn't change very much, so you'll find a few idiots you'll remember. Weltmann's still around. Ibrox has retired. Marovic had a breakdown not long after you left."
He looks at Chary and smiles slightly. "You're a charmer, aren't you? My story - very simple. There was a pettyfogging disagreement over my teaching methods a long time ago. The University want me out of these rooms, but I won't go. Best defended place in Namarth, this University. I've been a meddler in my time, like you."
Picking up a pair of glasses, he looks at the group. "Fomorians? What do you want to know about them? Very strange bunch."
He pauses and looks long and hard at Tutavak before bowing slightly in the warrior's direction.
"Pirot Death Speaker presents his greetings to the Son of the People. Don't know if we've met, but it's an honour to welcome you."
Tutavak returns the bow in appropriate measure. "Tutavak, first daughter and third son to the Great Pan of the People, presents his greetings to Pirot Death Speaker. The honor is shared."
@Tutavak
Pirot bows lower.
"Tutavak, my house is blessed by your presence and the presence of your clan and the People through you. Rare even among the Kargzant are the Children of Tunal."
The formality drops from his voice as he gestures to the rest of the group.
"And what, may I ask, are you doing associating with these malcontents and meddlers? The Kargzant must have changed greatly if you're planning to overturn the Fomorians."
The hint of a smile crosses Tutavak's features at malcontents and meddlers.
"You know that the Children of Tunal embody change, Death Speaker. I have seen and learned much while traveling in this company. Arianwyn, Kia Rubarka, and Whiteclaw, and two others who remained in the lands of the People, became of the Sun Riders. They -- even as two are fey -- proved themselves Chosen of the Sun Stallion. It was my honor to be elected by my clan to ride with them.
"We have traveled to the Courts of the Shadow Fey, where even as a child of the People I was named Lord of Light, as you can see. There Charitan joined our company.
"The world is changing, Pirot of the Bone Riders, and it will touch even the Kargzant. And the Fomorians."
Arianwyn rolls his eyes and butts in, "I see that Kyleth has not returned in some manner to take over the world in our absence."
Arianwyn rolls his eyes and butts in, "I see that Kyleth has not returned in some manner to take over the world in our absence."
"You are malcontents - you upset people. A very good thing to do in my opinion."
Pirot pours himself more tea.
"As to my ex-student Kyleth - well, she has not returned here. You dealt her plans a savage blow, whatever they are. Tell me, what you discovered and why the fomorians? Skinless creatures covers a multitude of beings, most of them unpleasant."
"The nuckalavee." Arianwyn says simply, "It would seem it has arisen. We were granted a vision by the Moonlit King that showed it and the fomorians in league, threatening the Rune Stones."
Pirot looks grim.
"That's bad. It sounds as if the fomorians are using the stones to summon it. Of course, they typically destroy each other before alliances can be formed, but we can't count on that. Still, you can turn their paranoia to your advantage perhaps. Very well. How can I help you?"
"Any information pertaining to the Stones and the nuckalavee that you or your colleagues have." Arianwyn replies, finishing his tea.
"The Nuckelavee is almost unknown, but there will be stories, no doubt. The Stones - well, I've been studying them. Jarovit's creations are decidedly curious. You already know they provide a map to the location of the Wards of Balance and the Kargzant will have told you of the importance of those. The Moonlit King's orb is a ward you say?"
He rises. "It will take a little time to find out anything about the Nuckelavee, and the new information about the ward needs thinking about. I need to kick a few people. Discreetly, probably. Anyone want to help an old man?"
He looks beguilingly at the party.
"That orb is a fey item and there's no telling if what it shows has happened already, is in the process of happening or may only happen if certain conditions are met. Tiresomely tricky, these artifacts."
"I believe we can assist in that regard. My colleagues with little regard for the written word can 'kick' quite hard." he indicates Whiteclaw and Tutavak.
"I, of course, will engage in research, as the most experienced in these areas." he adds.
"Clearly you and Tutavak have travelled this far together without killing each other. I will admit to being impressed."
"Quite." Arianwyn says airily before examining the nearest bookshelf for relevant volumes.
Such out-of-date resources!
Tutavak gives a tight smile at Pirot's comment, then begins to scan the shelves.
Chary is certainly better when interacting with people rather than books. She decides that turning on the detective work outside would be her best way to help.
Once she has decent information to procede with, she tracks down that person and tries to speak calmly with them.
And if that fails (which it seems it may) she will try scaring the information out of him/her.
Arianwyn scans the books and finds a battered volume of fairytales.
Tutavak, boggled by the written word, does less well.
Chary exercises her outstanding charm and gains an interview with Magister Weltmann. Impervious to sweetalk, he responds better to her threats of drow mind warping.
"Don't butter me up woman, just tell me what you want."
The Runemaster hunts with unaccustomed speed through his stocks of arcane lore.
Arianwyn looks around and sees Chary has gone. He sighs. Continuing to scan the fairytale book for any further information, he gets some more tea.
After encouraging the Magistrate to spill everything he knows about Fomorians, orbs, rune stones, and skinless beasts, Chary remembers belatedly that old Pirot said to do her kicking "discreetly", and thinks aloud "Oh well, I hope that didn't set off too many alarm bells." She heads back to the tower, looking for someone else to badger about the orb or rune stones, while also looking for Kia along the way. If she sees anyone the Magistrate mentioned, she will happily discuss thier knowledge with them. After that, she will make her way back to the tower to share what she learned with Pirot, Arianwyn, and the rest of the crew.
Information accumulates apace as Arianwyn scours the book, spurred on by tea and Chary finds a helpful shaman who she charms into submission.
Kia settles down to see what she can discover after listening carefully to what has been going on.
More at home than she's felt for a long time, Kia nestles in among the books and starts to draw up a timeline.
Whiteclaw stands aloof, her eyes watchful, in case anything bad is attracted to the buzz of research.
Arianwyn mutters to himself, "You need to read them, not just look at the pictures..."
The warlock thinks back to his studies in Astrazalian.
Books are alien to Tutavak (who after all, has seldom seen them before), and his nerves are not helped by Arianwyn and Kia's apparent ease.
Chary, impetuous as always, rushes out the door to find someone else to badger some more information out of.
Kia ignores Arianwyn's last remark and tries to consolidate what has been learnt.
Luckily for Kia, Chary decides to return to Magister Weltmann for further information. Realising that the best way to stop her nagging him is to provide all the information he has, she returns triumphantly to Pirot's library with a pile of documents, scribbled notes and an irascible message to Pirot requesting that he do his own research in the future.
Pirot shuffles papers, and scowls.
"The problem is that although you know what will happen if the stones are reunited, it appears that in order to function properly, they must BE reunited. Without them you have no hope whatever of finding the remaining wards. Very well. What I think is happening is this:
The formorians are doubtless gathering the stones, but that's not straightforward."
Whiteclaw sighs. "It never is. Just tell us what we need to do."
"Go to Pharoe, find all the stones, bring them together and fight the Nuckalavee. There's no doubt in my mind that the fomorians will be up to the same thing. Their aims will be slightly different of course, but they'll want the stones reunited just as much as you, in order to release the Nuckalavee. Not a good idea. Fortunately, they're disorganised lunatics."
"Fortunately, they're disorganised lunatics."
"Most of our opponents fall into this category." Arianwyn adds, "So, where must we begin with the stones? I assume travel to picturesque, yet hazardous locations is required."