"I see that you are interested in my library," Laheo said.
"It looks like a very interesting selecton." Calardanion responds. "If we had more time I would be interested in a more in depth look."
"Now that you are all here, Elminster should be arriving shortly," Laheo said.
"We get to speak with Elminister?!" The moon elf begins moving around excitedly.
"The blessings of Corellon on you all!"
Calardanion is about to respond, but is too slow.
I wonder what other languages are spoken by this learned group?
The moon elf responds to Nym.
Calardanion replies to Kel.
Switching back to Common, the moon elf comments.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all! My name is Calardanion Hadron. I am a scholar of sorts, and a healer. I serve Deneir. The languages I know are Common, Elven, Celestial, Draconic, Sylvan, as well as the elemental languages of Terran, Auran, Ignan, and Aquan. If there are other languages we come across, I may be able to use magic to help understand them."
So far, no responses in Celestial. Normally, that wouldn't bode well for communication with me during battle, Kel thought to herself. But surely some of the more religious-looking types would have learnt Celestial?
"Unfortunately, I don't understand that language," she told Nim in Elven. Might as well take the bull by the horns since no one responded to my admittedly very indirect question. "Do any of you speak Celestial?" Kel enquired hopefully of the group as a whole.
Speaking of horns ...
"And greetings to you too, Titta Angulókë," she added to Luile.
"I do not speak celestial, but I do speak draconic." Luile responds in elven, figuring that since everyone seems to be an elf, what need is there for common at the moment.
Luile studies the others as they all introduce themselves and greet each other.
Nim replied, "अहं भवन्तं अवगच्छामि" to Kel.
She then nodded to Calardanion before saying, "An unusual but common language could be a boon, but it's best to never assume you can't be understood by the enemy."
The cleric brightens as the hearing of so many different languages and speaks in elven, draconic AND celestial, introducing himself
I am Kemian Brightwhisper, beloved of Correlon Larathian and a beginning wizard.
At least half the group can speak Celestial so far. That's a relief!
Kel stopped tapping the bottom edge of her breastplate and gave the others a brief smile.
"Glad to hear it!" she said in Elven, then cleared her throat with some embarassment before continuing. "I've recently acquired a slightly bothersome curse. During battle and similar times of stress, I can only speak and understand Celestial. As you can imagine, there are not many employers who want that quality in a guard."
Strigh sits evaluating each new revelation as it comes. celestial,elvin,draconic.....on celestial in times of stress...this should be like putting a rattlesnake in a sack of mice. Loads of fun!!! the sarcasm seeps out of Strighs thoughts to dance across his face. Reaching into his gear, he pulls out a long twig and in a bored air, begins to twist and roll the stick in between his fingers.
Laheo comes out of the doorway that is high up in the library. "Elminster will see you now," Laheo states. "Just climb the stairs and enter the door I came out of."
"Well, tall people first." Luile remarks as she takes up the rear of the group. Casting Detect Evil once everyone is ahead of her.
Curiosity got the better of her and Nim nodded to Laheo and forged ahead up the stairs, calling out "Hello?" once she got to the top and opened the door.
Grabbing her gear, Kel followed Nim up the stairs. She was eager to see who was interested in hiring her - despite her "bothersome curse".
Calardanion climbs up the stairs after Kel, curious to see what Elminster will be like in person.
Moving slowly, as if aged or decrepit, Strigh stands and then very deliberately takes the steps. one,two,three, four.........75, 75 and door he counts as they all ascend the stairway.
Opening up the door reveals a realm beyond imagination. The place was big! Enormous, with an arched road and clouds under it. The sky was blue, the arched road seemingly made of brass and gold. It lead to a central platform of still another library. In the center of the platform was a chair, with two other arched roads leading to other platforms. You could hear harp music playing. And you see cherubs, or cherubim, flying about playing little harps. Every once in a while you see a cherub armed with a red bow and little red arrows. The cherubs are naked, the clouds are partly white and partly grey.
Nim sighed inwardly, in some respects she would have been more impressed if Elmister had forgone the theatrics. Still she glanced at everything with professional interest and she wondered how it was done, perhaps an extra dimensional space she hadn't noticed entering, or perhaps the sky was illusory, or maybe the door was actually a portal and they were no longer in shadowdale.
With a start she realised she'd been staring and that this wasn't why they were there. Instead she softly asked, "Anyone seen our host?" She looked too, but was distracted by the metaphysics of the place.
Kel stopped and outright stared.
What the ... Alright, this is way beyond my usual employers. And maybe a bit tacky too. I wonder where we are and how we got here?
Startling at Nim's question, Kel began to look around a bit more methodically.
Good question. Where's our employer?
Luile looks around with interest, and detect magic and detect evil.
"Anyone else wondering what happens if you fall off?"
I bet you'd bounce real well if you hit at the right angle. Not to worry though Elminster is bound to get here, after all he needs us not necessarily the other way around. the half elf chuckles in response to the comments of others.
"Come to the library in the middle," says Elminster. "don't be afraid, you won't slip."
The cleric internally rolls his eyes at the human wizards display of inanity. He walks forward.
Dratted wizards - appearing out of nothing like that!
Kel looked down again, then straightened up and walked across the arched bridge to where the bearded wizard was waiting.
"Hello, there!" she greeted him with a brief smile.
Calardanion strides forwards to the central library, taking in details of Elminster and the book titles once he gets closer. Odd that there were cherubs around, though perhaps they were common in this place, wherever they are now.
"Greetings, Elminster!"
Luile follows the group towards the center platform, looking around with her detects, as well as noting any book titles she happens to notice from vantage point.
Elminster is sitting at a table, chatting with a unfamiliar woman.
Nim followed hot on the heels of Calardanion (although at the time she didn't yet know his name). She spotted the one who must be the Sage of Shadowdale chatting to a woman.
When there was a pause in their conversation she cleared her throat before saying, "Greetings! It appears we have all been summoned here on your behalf by Laheo who spoke of timelines and of doom. I must say my interest is piqued, could you perhaps tell us what this danger is, and how we fit in?"
"Yes, there is a change coming, and it's not too good. Because it might wipe Shadowdale off the map," Elminster answered. "The critical juncture is at the invasion of Cormanthyr by the army of darkness."
"That does indeed sound dire," Kel agreed. "But how does one even identify such a situation, let alone when and where the critical juncture is in both time and space?"
She look around at the rest of the group.
"And like Nim asked," Kel continue. "What's our part in any possible solution?"
Calardanion is also wondering the same, but the others have phrased things more eloquently than he would have, so he merely waits for Elminster to respond. He attempts to recall any relevant information about the invasion from his studies in history.
Knowledge history: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Calardanion, you're memory of that time period is too far distant for you to recall. In fact you have a faint memory.
"Someone went back in time to prevent the fall of Cormanthyr," Elminster explains. "Also, they went back in time to prevent my birth."
"Well, at least we know we succeeded in keeping you alive. Or is this a split in the timeline, multiple worlds kind of thing?" Luile asks, peering over the edge to see what's under the platforms.
Kel blinked in surprise at the old wizard. He's human ... How old is he?!? And it sounds like he's more important than just a local sage and wizard, if someone's gone to the trouble of time-travel just to get rid of him.
"So, when and where were you born - and to whom? And who went back in time to do this" she asked, trying to get some actionable details. "And does your birth have anything to do with the fall of Cormanthyr or are we talking about two different time jumps here? And what does all this have to do with the Bane Blades of Demron?"
Inwardly, she pondered further. And do we even want to put a stop to someone trying to prevent the fall of Cormanthyr? I'd far prefer a strong elven kingdom instead of the current mess. Hillsfar would likely be more friendly instead of the xenophobic wretches they are today, and Zhentil Keep might not be as powerful.
Nim was shocked by Elminster's words, "Wait what!? Someone went back in time? How is that even possible?! The leading theory when I studied at the the Incanistaeum was that time was a river that flowed one way, to divert it let alone reversing it would require shocking amounts of energy!"
Then in a quieter voice she asked, "Do you who went back?"
The elf listens in attention to what is being said while praying silently to his god to enlighten him, make known his will to his servant.
"No, I'm afraid I don't know who did it," said Elminster. "But someone did, and the reason why we are here talking about it means that you were there."
Nim looked shocked, "WE were there?!" but then she searched her feelings, the accident had thrown her so far forwards in time that everyone she knew or cared about was long dead, of course she'd have agreed to go back but Elminster's words raised many questions.
Somewhat hotly she replied, "Wait you are suggesting that OUR future selves are responsible for this danger? Wouldn't preventing the fall be a good thing? So much was lost, so many lives cut short..."
"Well, whoever it is must have some active connection to the present, bringing the past and present in sync, otherwise the past changes would have altered history before we could have a conversation about it, or even notice it."
Nim looked shocked, "WE were there?!" but then she searched her feelings, the accident had thrown her so far forwards in time that everyone she knew or cared about was long dead, of course she'd have agreed to go back but Elminster's words raised many questions.
Somewhat hotly she replied, "Wait you are suggesting that OUR future selves are responsible for this danger? Wouldn't preventing the fall be a good thing? So much was lost, so many lives cut short..."
"I know how you feel," Elminster said. "Honestly, I thought it was a bad thing too. The Army of Darkness took so many lives, that is for sure. But someone went back in time to stop the Army of Darkness. Shadowdale will never be founded, and Cormanthyr will continue on."
"Well, whoever it is must have some active connection to the present, bringing the past and present in sync, otherwise the past changes would have altered history before we could have a conversation about it, or even notice it."
"That is right. But Mystra is also the goddess of time, and she makes sure time moves smoothly," Elminster explained.
Not resisting the urge, Strigh spits off the edge as he hobbles forward to where Elminster is waiting.
Pausing only long enough to heart the other comments, Strigh paces the platform in contemplation.
"This definitely sounds confusing," Kel said. "Particularly the bit about how the situation involves your own birth too."
"Time travel is confusing," Elminster explains. "Going back in time should help you straighten things out."
"Straighten things out?!" replied Nim more than a little incredulously, "I'll ignore the how of going back, I assume you have a plan, but what are you expecting us to do exactly? Stop our future selves from preventing the fall of Myth Drannor? Speaking for myself that'll be a hard sell. Myth Drannor is, or rather was, my home... Or perhaps you just want us to stop whoever is trying to erase you from history, that's something I can get behind."
The elf speaks out, I wonder how time travel will work for one who has lived a thousand thousand years in one way or another,
"We aren't fighting our future selves. When he sends us back, we will be our future selves."
The elf ignores the comments made by the kobold.
"Straighten things out?!" replied Nim more than a little incredulously, "I'll ignore the how of going back, I assume you have a plan, but what are you expecting us to do exactly? Stop our future selves from preventing the fall of Myth Drannor? Speaking for myself that'll be a hard sell. Myth Drannor is, or rather was, my home... Or perhaps you just want us to stop whoever is trying to erase you from history, that's something I can get behind."
"Nimrodel, Time can be confusing," said Elminster. "You want to stop the fall of Myth Drannor, that I understand. When you go back in time and change the past, you will change the future as well."
"We aren't fighting our future selves. When he sends us back, we will be our future selves."
"Luile is right, Kemian," said Elminster. "You shouldn't ignore her."
Kel rubbed her brow in frustration. This is the most confusing job offer - or mission request - that I've ever heard. It's very short on useful details and background information.
"I'm with you, Nim, on wanting to prevent the fall of Myth Drannor if given the chance," she said bluntly. "Surely a strong elven state in the region would have acted as a stablising force, both politically and militarily?"
"What exactly are the specifics of what you would like us to do?" Calardanion inquires.
"And is there anything we should know before we go, or any particular preparations we should make?"
"What exactly are the specifics of what you would like us to do?" Calardanion inquires.
"And is there anything we should know before we go, or any particular preparations we should make?"
"The Army of Darkness," Elminster said. "Slow it down. It's too big for you to just stop. Someone is already trying to help it. You stop them from helping it."
Nim considered what she knew about the army of darkness.
After a moment she spoke, "Mmmm so we need to find somebody who shouldn't be there who is helping the Orc horde. I guess that's something to go on, but we can't exactly go nosing through their ranks... Although I'm sure we can find some creative ways to wreck their logistics and generally make life miserable for the wretched creatures."
Causing trouble to disrupt orcs has my attentionthe half elf says barely audible above the din of the others.
Strigh's comment had reached Elminster's ears. "Yes, I'm sure," Elminster said as he stood up and took out a book. "Here, everything we know about the elven defense."
He hands it to Nimrodel. "There are three blades of considerable power called the Baneblades of Demron. If you don't wield them, then find somebody who can. Someone who loves Cormanthyr and Myth Drannor."