Tick Tary Tanner is a controversial gnome in Faerûn. He is the Archmage of the High Forest, a chosen of Shiallia (an exarch of Mielikki), and a vocal member of the Emerald Enclave. Believing Thayan expansionism to be a dire threat, Tick rallied the Enclave and other factions to declare war on the lich ruler of Thay, Szass Tam, and his Red Wizards. This
action cost him his life. Tick was assassinated by the Red Wizards shortly thereafter. Some viewed Tick as a brave martyr to a noble cause, while others saw him as a disruptive fool.
Debate erupted within and between the factions on how to best deal with the Red Wizards. Forces converged upon Mulmaster where the Thayans
maintain great influence. After Tick’s funeral, one of his companions delivered the ashes to the Golden Oak, a shrine in Silverymoon. A day later, a Red Wizard stole the urn containing Tick’s ashes. Shiallia called upon Soleil Finchfib, one of her faithful priestesses, to follow the Red Wizard and retrieve the ashes.
It just so happened that our group of adventurers had found themselves in Silverymoon. While enjoying the sites and sounds of the place, Uriah couldn't help but tell the story of how our party had cleared the way for the dwarves of Khundrukar to return, that the Forge of Fury was now clear for the retaking. With a fair amount of embellishment the story made it's way to the ears of the Emerald Enclave leadership in the large city and our heroes were asked to join Soleil in her quest to return the ashes to the Golden Oak.
This journey led Soleil and our adventurers far from Silverymoon to Mulmaster, where the so called “Red War” rages as a result of the gnome’s actions.
Uriah is ready to write new and exciting tavern songs, seduce wenches...and not get his soul sucked out of his body by demons.
Rav is aiming to not die this time! ;)
Raiden purchased a couple potions of healing, but is mostly saving up for better armor. (Yes I know it's treasure points, just sayin'.) He is ready to roll!
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Rav, thankful for his return, smiles and looks around at his friends. He thought back to waking on the oaken altar in Meilikki's Lodge. The Enclave representative in Silverymoon called upon that favor of Her to call the paladin's soul from the Hunting Grounds.
He knew that all favor that he had garnered with them was spent in that moment.
--
Ravvek spent the next few days recovering in the gardens and city parks. The evenings with his friends in the local inn, sharing drinks and stories, were filled with laughter and song.
When Soleil approached them with the Enclave's request, Ravvek couldn't help but call upon his divine sense. He would not be fooled again. Rav had learned from the other paladins in the grove that the obstruction of the doors deaden his senses to the foul and fiendish, so he made sure that he did it face-to-face.
He meant no insult by it, and anyone that knew Ravvek's history would not be surprised, but it still made for an awkward introduction. A joke from Uriah broke the tension, though, and Ravvek bought them all drinks, the druid included.
Well, sister, where are we going?
Scramsax found himself quite at home on the Moonsea. He never cared for the Bane worshipping Mulmasterites and their stuffy Blades, but that just made it easier to steal from them. He knew hidden in the cracks between the Zhent Ghettos and the Hawks the ancient city held unique opportunities that could only be further amplified by war. The Watch was easy to buy, but he'd likely be out of coin in another hour...
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Silverymoon -
Soleil has a worried look on her face as she responds to Ravvek "Tick's ashes must be recovered so Shialia has tasked me with tracking this thief down. They will be a day ahead of us so we mustn't dilly dally.'
Using location magic from Soleil, the party travels east for a few days. Occasionally stopping to talk with other travelers on the road. Through some investigating with those travelers, the group ascertains that they are chasing a robes man in red robes. They also secure a fairly solid description of him as well. The trail leads them eventually to the ruins of an ancient tower, now crumbled and lost time.
After some searching around, the party finds an entrance to the basement of the tower and notice that it has had all of the debris and foliage cleared away from it recently. In the basement of the ruined tower, they find an arcane circle with a discarded piece of parchment off to the side. After some discussion, Sashah, Soleil and Uriah determine that it was a teleportation circle and that the scroll must have been used to activate it. Recently.
Stymied at first from no one in the party know magics that could activate the portal, Soleil beseeches her goddess for help. After some time passes with her in prayer, amazingly and small rabbit nimbly finds it's way into the basement with the other. While Scram's first thought was to make the small woodland creature a tasty meal, Soleil calls out for him to wait. The party watches at the rabbit begins to hop around the circumference of the circle. Starting out slowly but eventually picking up speed until it becomes a blur of white fur spinning around the circle. The blur shifts to a eerie blue color and raises up to roughly ten feet above the circle like a curtain. Then in an instant the magical blue barrier turns to sparkling dust particle and drifts to the ground accumulating on the intricate runes surrounding the circle. The runes flare to life the party is stunned for a moment until Soleil ushers them all into the circle while calling out praises to Shialia. Blackness... Swirling lights... Lurching in thier stomach... Blackness...
Standing on what they are sure is solid stone again, the party feels slight vibrations in the floor as though a rumble is shaking the very ground. It fades and they find themselves in a different basement of a very similarly shaped tower with stairs leading up.
Coming upstairs, the party finds themselves in another runined tower, in a large foreign city. It takes some time but Scramsax seems to recognize it as Mulmaster, but dramatically different than the last time he was here. Smoke curls up from the city in several locations, the smell of rot permeates the area, and a dark storm roils in the clouds above. The party hears the sound of panicked screams, clashes of steel on steel, and the occasional roar of some unknown creature. The city seems to be in chaos. It must be daytime, but the only reason to assume that is the dim light that drifts from the sky. The clouds blocking out most of the life giving sun. You can only imagine it would be pitch black if it were nighttime.
A large fissure runs down the cobble stone street next to the crumbled tower, tendrils of mist snaking out from it. Looking down into it, the earth wound seems to have once been open but is now closed and probably the cause of the ruined buildings in the area.
Those in the party with knowledge of magic converse once again and determine that this fissure must have been opened by and probably sealed again by magic.
Again, utilizing her location magic, Soleil calls to her goddess and says the words of a prayer to find the direction of the stolen urn. As a flash of bright red light illuminates the area from odd colored lightning streaking across the stormy sky, you see Soleil begin to shrink. Her frizzy auburn hair, festooned with leaves and golden acorns, begins to cover her entire body and become more the consistency of wool. She leans over onto all fours and her hands become cloven hooves. And then Soleil, Daughter of the High Forest is a sheep, covered in auburn frizzy wool with leaves and golden acorns tangled within it. "baaaaaaaahh" The eyes of the sheep look up at you with fear and confusion as she begins to bleat frantically.
Rav grins, Lady, tracking is my game. Once we find the quarry, we can run him or her to ground.
--
Holy, s__t! Rav steps back in surprise. After gathering his wits, he kneels before the priestess, looking up into the sky, We'll figure this out. But first we must find the man in red robes.
Looking to his friends, Do you think this is some crazy anti-god magic? Fracking Thayans. Let's get to work...
Scram was impressed with the transformation and thought about clapping but then he realized "Wait, that wasn't on purpose? How...that's gotta work like a glyph trap right, unless someone's damn close! I think we need to get the hell out of here. I'm going to take a look..."
Zayless nods to Scram, "Be safe . . . ish."
Anton looks down at the sheep that was Soleil, grimaces, and turns his attention to the scene of the city, looking for signs of life.
Moradin help us, what is going on here?! Raiden is aghast at the chaos of this war, and the transformation of Soleil. The others keeping their wits about them snaps him to reality. He looks around for any clue as to where they need to go, or what to do next.
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Well. That's baaaawful. Uriah quips as Soliel turns into an animal.
Well. I'm sure we're bound to find all manner of red robed fellas here...
"People still live here?"
Those of you looking around notice that this particular area seems to have been abandoned as it is mostly in ruin. There are the occasional dead carcass but only ones that seem to be missing legs. There is evidence of much more death here though but it seems as if most of the bodies may have gotten up and walked away.
Soleil seems to calm somewhat and begins circling and bahing from time to time. Soon though the little sheep’s darts forward moving a short distance away, only to turn to everyone and bleat at you all. She seems to be trying to get you to follow her.
As you all figure out that she is trying to get you to follow her, Anton and Zayless are shocked by some form of static electricity. The energy though was strangely dark and twisted. A studied eye might call it necrotic energy. I’ll need a CON save from the two of you please.
As the sheep Lassie's out her thoughts, Scramsax looks on, extremely puzzled by the shear oddity "You want us to follow you? Strike your little hoof once for 'yes', twice for 'no'."
[ooc]Scram finds and can pocket some baubles of value but nothing noteworthy.[/b]
The sheep takes a second almost considering Scram’s words but seems confused. She spins in a circle again, moves away, and then comes back again. Bleating again, you see her almost concentrating hard to lift her hoof and stomp it on the ground once.
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Noting the electric strikes, Raiden mentions that maybe we should get moving. He moves to follow the sheep, making sure Zayless iand Anton are okay after that bolt.
Anton seems unaffected by the necrotic energy, Zayless in the other hand...
Zayless feels drained and pulls away from Anton almost immediately.
After observing the effect, you realize that the effect is also based on proximity to another creature suffering the effects of the curse.
Zayless leans on his spear noticably tired. "Strange. The energy is that of death magics but also I feel boud to . . ." He looks around. "Something or someone else." He looks around trying to find something in sight that might mark the place and what creature it might be.
Melora's grace! Anton, Zayless, are you guys okay? Rav looks concerned.
At Soleil-sheep seeming to want us to follow, he looks at everyone, She must know something! Let's go!
I'm fine. Turning to Zayless, he says Can you make it old friend? We must follow the sheep...
Zayless looks at Anton and takes a few steps away and then closer. A puzzled look on his face. "We who were stuck seem to be still connected by the spell."
Anton gives Zayless a quizzical look. What do you mean?
You quickly follow behind the anxious sheep and the little creature leads you through the streets. You begin to see other people people. Some packing wagons with the hopes of getting out of town, others seem to be moving around the streets with other agendas. Just as you were coming out of a particular ally, you quickly withdraw back to its cover when you see a large herd of undead marching through the streets toward some forward warfront. Multiple Red Wizards walk with the battalion as well as a few armored Thayans. It is not hard to determine that it would be better to avoid than confront.
After waiting for the large force to pass, the sheep leads you what you think may be a tavern. As she does, you see swirling magic around the sheep and it transforms back into Soleil, still bent on all fours. She looks down at herself seeming surprised. ”Oh! Well that is good and strange at the same time.” She stands, fixing one of the acorns in her hair. ”The urn is inside. Let’s recover it and get back home.”
Raiden will take up the rear, hoping not to run into anything or anyone trying to interfere. At least not yet.
Ravvek nods to the group, careful to keep his distance, You think there might be a back door?
"Zis whole place very interesting!" Sashah exclaims, finally bursting out with enthusiasm. All the while, he continues taking notes.
His eyebrow twitches at Sol's rapid transformation, and though quiet for some time finally manages "So this...'tavern'...you called it? Might it be a place to acquire some merry libations...?" he inquires hopefully, and as sheepishly as she used to be.
See, there's the Red Robed guys. We *could* just ask them....
as soon as Scram says the words "tavern" and "libation" Uriah immediately becomes interested and walks over
Which way? I bet I could get us drinks for a song.
Anton waits until the others to go inside, casting a final look around the street before entering the tavern.
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To the inquiries about ale, There's no...we aren't.... Raiden sighs and shakes his head. As he enters the tavern, he cautiously looks around.
Ravvek looks at Raiden with a grin, Oh well, here we go.
Once everyone is ready, Rav opens the door.
No matter how shoddy the construction, taverns are all basically the same throughout Faerûn. People need a place to sit and converse with companions, to enjoy a moment’s respite from the chaos outside. Even in the middle of a warzone, even as strange malignant magic blankets the city, there are still people hoping to weather the storm inside the tavern. Unlike a usual tavern, they all sit far from each other—spread out and raising their voices. You see some people on the floor, unconscious or unable to move. There are quite a few empty chairs at empty tables.
You overhear various war-time gossip: barbarian hordes within the city walls, mass looting, undead roaming the streets, witches in the sewers, a singing dragon, and other nonsense.
At the far end of the tavern, all to himself, you notice a bald man. His red robe is on the ground. He’s frantically trying to rub the Thayan sigil tattoos off his body to no avail. When he sees you, he holds up his hands in surrender. The bronze urn is on the table. Huh. That was easy.