"Aravashnial" |
"Like you said, my body couldn't keep up with my mouth. I was too slow to move and took a lashing from the Storm King himself. But what price I paid in losing my eyes has been made far worse by the loss of numerous friends, associates, and this library. Though I suppose a blind man has no need for books, he has even greater need of friends. And unlike most books, friends are irreplaceable. So I'm truly glad that at least some of mine have survived."
Deia |
Deia listens to the exchange between Aravashnial and Fenna. "We are trying to put the city and people back together as well as we can. This won't be the last loss and hopefully not the last reunion."
After letting them finish getting reacquainted, Deia asks Fenna a question. "Fenna, I agree that the library is as safe as any place can be in the city. We found a girl and her parents a few streets away that are not in nearly so secure a building. Could we bring them here to get them off the streets? We have no reason to believe they would be dangerous."
Deia |
Not sure where this fits in the sequence so I put it in a separate post.
Deia turns the leathery strip over in her hands and examines it. Once she discovers it appears to be some sort of worm, she handles it more gingerly.
Deia thinks about what she knows about demons or creatures that are made of these types of worms. Know(planes): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
That may or may not reveal anything, regardless she shows the strip to Fenna, Max, and Aravashnial, asking them a variation of the same question: "Is anything like this documented in the histories of the library? That may give us some more clues about our.... visitor."
Maximillian Akorius |
Max examines the leathery strip, feeling its texture and studying it. Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 1 = 14. But he comes up empty. "I'm afraid I've not come across such creatures in my studies of the planes," says Max.
Though perhaps Max was merely distracted. His focus is more on the surviving Riftwardens. "Fenna, what can you tell me about the Riftwardens? I lost my parents as a babe, but I have this birthmark that I know is tied to the Riftwardens. I've searched for years for information, so I can find out who my parents are. Do you know anything? Can you tell me more?"
The Unruly GM |
Fenna shakes her head.
"I'm afraid i can't answer either of your questions. I'm just a librarian, not a Riftwarden. Though I did work with them here in the library I never really learned any of their secrets. There is someone here who might be able to answer you about your parents, but you'd have to ask him, not me." she says while cocking her head in Aravashnial's direction.
"As for that," she says as she points at the leathery strip in Deia's hand, "it looks like some kind of worm, and as i said earlier that thing looked like it was made completely out of them. I really don't know anything else about it."
"Aravashnial" |
Aravashnial sighs, knowing that Fenna was referencing him.
"When my sight is restored I can try to go through our records, or at least what's left of them, to find out anything that may be written about your parents. I can't guarantee that I'll find anything though, especially not in a timely fashion. Our records have a history of being both extensive and incomplete. They may chronicle one Riftwarden's research and activities to the minutia, but another's may be nothing more than a note scrawled into the margins. It all depends on who was taking the record and what was being done at the time."
The Unruly GM |
You're unable to determine the nature of the worm, but on being told that the creature was seemingly comprised entirely of them it spurs a memory. You once heard that a theoretical path to immortality was to somehow turn your consciousness into a hive-mind of sorts, with the swarm becoming your new body. The simpler the minds it was imprinted on, the easier the ritual was said to become. So long as part of the swarm lived, the subject could supposedly never be killed because the swarm would just replenish itself.
As with so many other supposed paths to immortality, this one was said to involve grotesque and heinous rites, the likes of which would most definitely damn the soul of whoever performed them.
Kel the Guardsman |
Kel drags the bodies outside while the others talk. No reason to have the library full of corpses.
When he returns, he overhears the end of the conversation.
"Wait, so all the riftwardens are gone? Aravashniel is the only one, and he can't read the books?" Kel suddenly looks very frustrated. "Damn it." he cursed softly, sitting down against a wall.
Maximillian Akorius |
Max nods, knowing that there was little more to learn about his origins at this point. "Okay, how about we bring the family we found to the library so they're safe. Then we head to the Defender's Heart Inn. That would be a natural rallying point for the city. Aravashnial, perhaps you should stay here for now, where it's safe. But I definitely intend to look you up again!"
Deia |
Deia sighs and reveals to Max what she knows, "I was hoping you would know more, as my memory is not so good for this. It's possible that this could be part of an immortality scheme, but the results of those are often not what the user intends and have blasphemies associated with them. If you think we've seen unusual things so far, I bet they get a lot stranger and more dangerous before long."
"Aravashnial" |
Aravashnial shakes his head at Kel's assertion that all of the Riftwardens are gone.
"No, we're not all gone. There are numerous others elsewhere throughout the world, and many more throughout the various strongholds here at the Worldwound. This library was just our base of operations here in Kenabres, and it would seem that I'm the last Riftwarden left alive within the city gates. I wouldn't be surprised if more are on their way alongside any other reinforcements that may be heading here."
"However, since I'm the last one here currently, I should probably stay here like Max has suggested, if only to help in the inventory of what books remain. When you leave, I'll make sure that the doors remain secured that so we don't have any further incidents. Perhaps it would be a good idea to establish some sort of code phrase for when you return with the girl and her family?"
"Anevia Tirablade" |
"That would probably be a smart move. We wouldn't want any more bastards showing up and trying to torch the place, but we need some way of letting you know when it's really friends outside. Something simple and easy to remember, but not said often would work. Wait! I've got it! 'Horgus Gwerm is a friendly and kindhearted fellow!' It's perfect!"
Kel the Guardsman |
"Yeah, I know there are other Riftwardens out there in the world. I was just hoping there would be a few more left alive here. The whole point of me coming to this city was to get to this library and talk to your order, and now the only riftwarden left can't read."
Kel sighed. "Don't suppose you happen to be an expert on possession?"
"Aravashnial" |
"We Riftwardens concern ourselves more with the boundaries and interactions between the planes themselves, not their denizens. The way the Worldwound pierces the barrier between the material plane and the Abyss is what draws so much interest from our order, not the ongoing war. Questions about possession would be better answered by the church of Iomedae. The priests in the crusades have become quite knowledgeable in such matters out of necessity, as I'm sure you could have guessed. If the cathedral still stood, any Riftwarden here would have directed you there instead."
"Aravashnial" |
"Anyone who could read the languages that they're written in could read through our records, though they might not understand all of the different references and they aren't normally shared with outsiders. But it's hard to say which of the records that were kept here actually survived the library's destruction. Once we know what survived, and which ones I'll need to request new copies of, it's just going to be a matter of searching through years of records and trying to find a couple specific names. Obviously, I can't really do any of that in my current state."
Deia |
Deia chimes in. "Yes, let's get Klarah and her family back here before setting off again. It seems that the Church of Iomedae should be on or short list of destinations. They would have the best chance of having a priest capable of casting cures powerful enough to restore Aravashnial's eyesight. "
The Unruly GM |
The party, having saved the librarians and exchanged thanks and information, sets back out to return to Klarah's and collect her and her parents. The return journey is as wet and otherwise uneventful as it was on the way there. When you return to Klarah's she helps you fashion some makeshift stretchers from bedsheets, and you're able to take her parents to the library. Again, the trip is uneventful.
When you reach the library again, Horgus seems displeased at the code phrase that Anevia chose, but he keeps his mouth shut. In all, the trip to Klarah's and back has taken you close to an hour. The rain has started to let up a bit, but the skies remain overcast.
I'd say it's around 9-10am, depending on when you guys would have left Klarah's the first time.
"Aravashnial" |
As the librarians set about tending to Klarah's parents, Aravashnial comes over to speak with Max.
"We started taking an inventory of what texts survived in here, and we came across this." he says as he hands Max a small, half burnt, leather bound book. "It was someone's traveling spellbook, apparently. I don't know how it would have managed to end up here, but if I had to guess it was probably someone who was studying before the attack broke out. I can't verify it for myself, but Fenna told me it looked like it had some spells that would be of use to just about any crusader."
At sale, the spellbook would be worth 700gp.
"So, now that Klarah and her family are safe, and I've found where I am needed most at this point in time, where will you all be heading next?"
"Horgus Gwerm" |
"No, we're going to my home next!" Horgus says forcefully. "I've been wearing these clothes for three days now, and I really must check on my vaults. Besides, we're practically there already. It's just across that massive trench outside."
Rex Kayn |
After helping escort Klarah and her family back to the library, Rex helps them settle in.
"I think we have Klarah and her family safely stowed away, I'm ready to head out to the temple when everybody else is."
Kel the Guardsman |
"Any ideas on how to get across that trench? We're probably going to have to go around it, which is going to take a while and leave us pretty exposed while moving unless we swing around wide and stay under the cover of buildings."
Deia |
Deia does what she can to get Klarah and her parents to the library.
Once they are there, she tries to make everybody as comfortable as possible. She offers to the librarian, "If anybody needs healing, I will do what I can before we leave." She uses her healing hex as necessary on NPC's.
It would be my preference to keep the spellbook and learn from it as much as possible but I'll leave it to Max to reveal the contents.
When the subject of where to go next comes up, Deia adds her opinion. "I have to agree with Horgus on this one. We should go to the closest or easiest destinations first, before trying to go too far across the city. Much like we use the, umm... scale to cross the chasm in the caverns we could probably cross the trench in the same way."
Daily Casting
Healing Hex: Kel, Klarah's parents,
Maximillian Akorius |
"Thank you, Aravashnial. These look like powerful magics indeed." Max shares his findings with the others.
"If Horgus's home is the closest to here, we should go there next."
The Unruly GM |
Ok, so here's the updated Kenabres map. Yellow symbols are places of interest for NPCs, such as Blackwing Library, while orange ones are the cultist hideouts mentioned in the letter you found. The red symbol is where you emerged from underground, and the green symbol is Defender's Heart.It's also been linked to in the campaign info tab, but without the added symbols.
"Anevia Tirablade" |
"There's no telling how far that trench stretches into the city, and my guess is that we're going to need to cross it at some point. We could end up walking the entire length of the city for nothing in that case. Aside from some cowardly soldiers and the bastards we found here, this part of the city has been quiet. I say we shouldn't look this small gift horse in the mouth, and should take the most direct path. Everywhere we're currently headed is in the Gate District anyway."
The Unruly GM |
The party leaves the library, the librarians once again closing and locking the doors behind you. You make your way to the debris field that borders the trench, moving carefully over the shattered remains of homes and businesses as well as the mounds of displaced dirt that were thrown by whatever carved such a massive path through the earth. As you reach the edge, you can see that the trench forms an irregular semicircle. It's as if the gods themselves brushed the soil aside, like a child dragging their hands through wet sand on the beach, and left nothing but the furrow which you now peer into. Spread throughout the trench you can make out ruptured sewer tunnels, those that were caught in the destructive path, that have been filled in as whatever did this moved past. In places, the edges of the trench have fallen inward and brought with them ruined buildings and the bodies of the dead.
The walls of the trench form a steep drop at the top where you stand before turning to a more gradual curve that leads to the center of the trench after about 10 or 15 feet. The opposite side appears to be much the same. The heavy rainfall has turned the walls slick with fresh mud, and the bottom has likely become a sticky, miring bog. In all, the depth of the entire trench is only about 30 feet from top to center. Just deep enough to shatter foundations and ruin all infrastructure in its path.
Kel the Guardsman |
"Looking at it tactically, going around is probably our best bet. It will take longer, but I really don't want to be caught in a mud filled hole if enemies spot us from above, or dangling in the air by the magic of that scale. Both situations make us arrow bait."
Deia |
"No doubt, if we are caught in the process of going up or down the walls of the trench we are in a bad spot. I still think it's worth it, though. We don't know how far the trench goes in either direction so trying to minimize the time we are exposed seems wisest to me, " says Deia.
Kel the Guardsman |
"So what do you think we should do then? Toss a grapple across, load me up with as many people as I can carry and then just pull myself across?"
This is insane.
"Anevia Tirablade" |
"We could just drop down and walk instead of you being a living ferry. You're already doing most of the grunt work for us, so there's no need to make it harder for you than it has to be." Anevia says as she looks over the edge.
The Unruly GM |
I marked the locations of the two gates to New Kenabres on the map in blue. Please remember, though, that you do not know anything about the level of destruction elsewhere. So all of your knowledge is based on the city before it was attacked. As far as you know, none of the trenches or chasms on the map, except the one that runs beside Blackwing Library, are there.
Rex Kayn |
"Well since the trench runs farther than we have line of sight for, not sure if there is a quick way around. We could go all the way across the city to the other gate, but that is not very direct. And it certainly won't be any safer in the long run."
Kel the Guardsman |
"If the gates are still intact, they're the only way to move from district to district. They'll probably be guarded, or at least watched by something."