.
Outside of the Tower of Sidisi -
Whether dejected, elated, terrified, or somewhere in-between the six of you begin the short trek to the dead village of Sidstalav. Saban does not relish the prospect of once more battling the undead. Bunched together out of lack of other directions to head to the city or fate, each of your reverie's is disturbed by the approach of Councilor Ilnerik Sivanshin.
He whispers among you conspiratorially, "Seek out the Inn labeled, Iomedae's Respite within the village. WE will speak further there..." That stated, he races into the village quite fast, whether by magic or some other means it would be difficult to keep up with him.
Zelic eyes the Councilor with curiosity as he speaks suspiciously to group, then looks to Kisara. He offers her his thoughts in a quiet, private sidebar.
"You may not sit in the chair any longer, dear sister, but while we are hear, we still represent the Family. No sense in ruffling feathers we've needn't ruffle. I think we ought to hear him out before we begin our trek home...despite how little I'd like to be anywhere called 'Iomedae's Respite...'. What say you, my sister?"
Kisara keeps her lips pressed together thinly, her delicate fangs causing two small rivelts of someone else's blood to run from her tongue. The sheer audacity of them to not send her, after she offered to go and all.
"Brother, even though that twisted name rightfully worries you so, I do agree that we should hear him out. If only briefly. Come, let us join the others on this hideous trek to this ugly little village. Best we all get to know another, now that the Council has tossed us aside. And to think we travelled all this way for this... "
Kisara snapped her fingers and Angelito stepped up behind her, bowing his head slightly, before following her toward the other group.
Saban's face expresses sincere confusion. "I'm not sure why he would choose to meet at an inn named after a narcissistic goddess with a stick up her @$$." He shrugs and turns to his associates. "But I'll follow your lead."
Kisara laughs softly and turns to look at Saban, raising an eyebrow appreciatively. "My my now that was funny. You are a delight, Mister Wright. It will be a pleasure to have you on the road!" The words 'pleasure' and 'have you', though not truly said in a seductive manner, still carry the hint of something impure.
|
Sir Didymus rides up on the exotic saddle his hair blowing in the breeze on the flying wolf as it lands after avoiding the hoards of undead and the wolf growls as Sir Didymus the noble heroic halfing eyes the rest of the group and says I suppose I could use a drink, eh Ambrosia?he scratches the large black wolfs fur.
Outside of the Tower of Sidisi
The Orcs grunt in agreement to travel with the group. They eye the flying wolf with halfling rider with disdain even after the man makes his allegiance to Grym clear to everyone.
Helt chuckles, "He'll not find much in the way of drink in this Tavern..." Quite possibly the largest set of words the imposing figure has ever been heard stringing together.
Regardless, while some of the undead clearly yearn for the warmth of the Mortals in their midst, the presence of Family members keeps the restless and hungry dead at bay.
Sidstalav -
Eventually, the group finds the Inn that Councilor Ilnerik spoke of. One of the two front doors is off of its hinges making for ease of entrance. Once inside the Vampires and their allies can see the sad state of affairs that has been left behind.
Zombies who once worked here go through the motions of their no doubt former mundane lives. Waiting tables, sweeping floors, tending the bar. The zombies appear harmless enough. There is certainly plenty of seating and a set of stairs leads up to what you all assume to be the rooms.
As you are standing there deciding what to do, an incorporeal undead rises up from beneath the floor, "Welcome to Iomedae's Respite..." It states in a hollow voice that only the disembodied dead can achieve, "Despite our appearance, we are still a full service Inn, what will be your pleasures Masters of the Night?"
At Kisara's words to Saban, Lener growls quietly, as a territorial animal instinct fires inside him. The arrival of the halfing, however, distracts him. "Oh, what now? Are we that sorry-looking that we'll pick up stray beasts filled with fleas and disease? Not to mention the wolf!"
At the tavern, he slouches on a chair. "Deer steak, bloody raw. Cured boar sausages, aged sheep cheese and roasted potatoes. A bottle of vodka, or any other strong, flavorless liquor."
"Bait and switch, Mister Slade. One would think that I was speaking about the wolf, then I turned the tables and the halfling was my target. You'd better get used to sarcasm while I'm around."
Zelic arches an eyebrow and the entirety of the affair, the particular waitstaff, and the much-relaxed Vampires themselves. Sighing, he allows himself to relax a bit, though he's still on edge, and more curious than anything. He places a simple order for himself, following Lener's example in ordering an uncooked piece of meat and a fine bottle of red wine.
"Anything for you or the Servant, my sister?" he asks, turning back to Kisara and Angelito. "It appears we may be waiting for the Councilor for a moment or two..."
Helt walks inside quickly surveying the room looking for other exits. Once satisfied he will sit down(with his back to the wall if possible) watching who comes into the place.
Helt holds on ordering anything and gives a slight grunt of approval at Grym.
Sidstalav -
As the Vampires settle in to await their meal, the Councilor arrives and takes a seat at their table. "I trust that once the provisions arrive you shall be delighted at the fare. I created this place as a respite from the rest of this dreadful shell of a city.
The first visit shall of course be on the House. Excuse me a moment".
He stands up and begins moving around the room muttering to himself. After several minutes he nods seemingly satisfied, "There, now we have no worries about being disturbed. No doubt those few of you present who sat on the Council chairs realized that they endow one with clairaudience and what I have to say is for your ears only.
That means whether you agree to my proposal or disagree you are not to speak of it, are we agreed?"
"I'll agree to your terms, though I've got even less of a clue what you want than when I got here." Saban replies with a slightly accusatory tone.
"Now why the Hells would I speak again to those pompous, pretentious guys, if not forced? I won't say a thing. The way things are going for me in the last years, I'll likely not speak to a single soul for a decade."
"A simple 'yes' would have done, Wardwaver. No need to insult those with more power than you. Consider that a free lesson," Zelic says, quietly, almost whispering, as if to draw contrast with the others.
"Jair will hear you out, Councilor, though we answer to a higher power than you, as you well know."
"I shall here you out. "
In a caricatural baby voice, Lener answers Zelic. "A fwee leffon? Fank you, teecher. You awe fo wise and genewous."
"There's power in defiance, Jair, power taken from those who would have me grovel. I bow to no one, I have no Master but myself, I weave my own life. Consider that a free lesson."
Sidstalav -
Kisara nods and says nothing further.
Ilnerik Sivanshin begins, "Then it is fortunate for you Lener that my business is with all of you and not with the Council, at least not as it pertains to this matter.
While Drakina has her sources among Thieves' Guilds and other Darklands denizens, I have access to the greatest information network on Golarion, the Pathfinder Society.
Through them I am able to contact beings the likes of which none else on the Council could dream of speaking with. Thus, I have it on good information that the Elves of Kyonin have sent agents to the Drow Darklands city of Zirnakaynin to achieve the same goal the Eternal Council set, to obtain the weapon for themselves!
Furthermore, these agents will be disguised as Drow.
Indeed, the spell which protects these agents from the spells of the Drow has come into my possession. What if I were to offer you all the chance to steal this weapon right out from under the noses of the Council's pets by utilizing the spells and contacts I have just informed you of?"
"You already have access to this disguising magic? Count me in. I won't waste an opportunity like this." Saban leans back in his chair and chuckles softly. "I suppose we have a competition on our hands, friends."
Zelic watches the other's initial reactions before chiming in,
"...And then what, Councilor? Let's say we do this for you, going against the wishes of the council, and what was, quite honestly, a very capable group. Let's say we retrieve this 'thing'. To what end do you ask us to conspire?"
"Oh, a play for power. How unexpected."
Lener downs a glass of vodka as if it were water before speaking again. "And yet, I have the feeling that giving such a toy to those idiots is likely to end worse than badly. There was that slimy bastard with his idiotic plan to keep people alive by using magic, that psychotic child... I wouldn't give them a weapon that powerful. So yeah, always wanted to visit the underground anyway."
Helt looks at everyone quickly, giving a slight nod.
"So then we move with haste if we are to retrieve it first. "
Sidstalav -
Your food arrives as Ilnerik considers Jair's question, "We bury it. Where I do not know but we bury it. I happen to like the world just as it is and I see no reason to change it now. To much risk for not nearly enough reward. There are some in that chamber who would cause wanton destruction for it's own sake. I am not among their ilk. East, rest. Tomorrow, we will journey to see the Wizard who will complete your transformation and then we can discuss how best to get you near the drow city".
Zelic waits for the Councilor's reply to sink in fully, then, after seeing no one else stepping forward, he carefully --as ever-- throws his hat in the ring.
"Delayed action? Councilor, I'm impressed. That's a wise move. I, for one, am certainly allied 'against' large, ill-researched plans and rash decisions. And I'll echo Lener's concerns about some of the more unstable members the council has assembled. You can count me in."
'I hope I've not just damned myself,' he thinks, well aware of the gravity of the situation he's just signed up to be a part of.
Saban raises an eyebrow in Jair's direction. "Are we to simply ignore the power of this weapon? Surely there's something more useful we can do with it. I agree that we should tread carefully, but what benefit do we gain from maintaining the status quo?"
"Context is important, mortal: you might consider 'staying alive' a benefit. The 'status quo' as you say, can tip as easily in the direction of your fortune as it can in the opposite. Rushing decisions, however, begs mistakes. Here, I urge you all to play the long game, and simply consider equally each consequence of the courses of our actions."
Saban hesitates as anger flushes across his face. Quickly regaining his composure, the Dhampir replies. "I - Yes. I've much to learn, yet. I'll play along. After all, you lot have have been around for much longer than I."
"Or we can decide once we secure it." drawls Lener. "We don't know what it is, we don't know what it does, we don't know if we could control it. For now let's focus on keeping it out of the psychos' reach."
Sidstalav -
Daylight comes and goes. The mist shrouded lands of Sidstalav keep the Daywalker inside. Odd sounds and the sight from his window to the street below cautions against exploring this dead village.
The next night the six gather together in the common room of the Respite when Ilnerik arrives, "I trust you are all well fed and rested from last night. The servants of the Council have yet to disembark. It seems that they have chosen to enter through a little known pathway to the Darklands through the city of Ardis.
That leaves your group two other pathways. The first is Deepgate in the Hold of Belkzen I have no doubt that Vahnwynne Malkistra will be happy to see two of his wayward Childer and give you wide berth to enter that passage. However, once you pass through you will need to move through the Darklands to arrive at the Drow city of Zirnakaynin.
If we assume the Council's team is as capable as they believe they are, then your arrival will coincide with theirs.
The second more dangerous option is to enter through an Elfgate in Celwynvian. This would require you to acquire an item called the Shadow Key from an Elf. A much more dangerous mission but one which will bring you practically to the doorstep of the city, which will give you a significant time advantage".
The Dhampir ponders a moment. "By my reckoning, we should be able to get our hands on this key one way or another." He motions to Zelic. "We've got some stealthy types and plenty of bruisers. I vote for the Elfgate, but what do you lot think?"
"I am in agreement. The Elfgate plays to our strengths, and I'd rather end some elven fools than any of our brethren."
"Yes, quick is best. With a bit of luck, those others will stop on the way, indulging in mindless slaughter for the fun of it, and we'll be through before they know it."
Sidstalav -
Ilnerik nods, "Very well, I shall call upon aid to bring us to the Forest magically as we will need it. Once there, I will utilize the services of my contact to provide you with the transformation necessary to become Drow. You will of course need to feed discretely to ensure none truly know, what you are.
You will need to use guile to blend with the Drow society for it is unknown which Drow House has obtained control of this devastating weapon. As Kisara is the only Female, she will be the lead. Do you wish also for your cohorts to accompany you and be transformed in the same way you all will be?"
"it seems we are agreed to go the quicker route. Tell us more about what this key would look like and how to use it. "
Sidstalav -
Ilnerik responds, "The shadow key is a deep purple gemstone. The gemstone is an unusual variant of garnet harvested from the Shadow Plane, and feels strangely cool to the touch. It serves as a key for the opening of various portals.
An elven woman named Kaerishiel Neirenar a Captain of the Shin’Rakorath mercenary group is in possession of the key. You must take precaution when approaching and encountering her of course as she and her mercenary band are formidable foes.
Have you further questions before we begin?"
"Nerienar's Shin'Rakorath, hrm? Who exactly composes this group? For what should we...'prepare'?"
Lener slumps on the chair, waiting for Ilnerik to answer the others.
Sidstalav -
Ilnerik continues, "Shin'Rakorath is a mercenary band. Kaerishiel Neirenar is the leader of that band. She is the target. Her band is but one of many patrols of the city.
At any given time, three to six bands of a dozen elves patrol Celwynvian’s borders, with numerous other watch stations hidden in the surrounding woods. These defenders are thoroughly trained and the majority have significant combat experience—the most skilled defenders being fighters or rangers, while a small number possess some arcane ability. A handful of druids and local magic-users supplement the defenders’ ranks.
My contact will be able to bypass these defenders and get you all close to the center of the city and near Kaerishiel. Thus, you will be able to avoid most, if not all, of the defenses of Celwynvian.
You may slay Kaerishiel or leave her alive. As you will have your Drow disguises by then it shall not matter whether she lives or dies. The Shadow Key is your true target.
I will of course, provide you with a map of the city as well as the location where the corrupted portal allowing you to develop a strategy for how you can arrive at the portal after you obtain the key".
"We'll make our decision when we get there, but in my experience, letting people live leaves too many loose ends." Saban muses as he processes Ilnerik's information. "So we need to get in, grab this Shadow Key, and get out. You've already got a way to get in, but will we have to fight our way out?."
"We can fly out. I can carry you."
Saban raises an eyebrow, turning to Lener. "You can fly? Anyone else have some incredible magic talent that might prove useful?"