| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
" I am Resa, it is nice to meet you Calmont, atleast to a certain degree. Why did you try to kill everyone at the meeting hall? That was not nice. It is much easier to figure things out as a group. Let us help each other, and perhaps we can maybe do something about you setting the fire."
Ardoinel doesn't say anything, but side-eyes Resa incredulously after her statement about the "niceness" of arson and attempted murder. "Seriously? 'Not nice?!'" he thinks to himself.
”I did it so that “Heroes” wouldn’t mess up with my plans. Yet here you are. I should have set an even bigger fire.”
"And those plans are?" Ardoinel asks with a raised eyebrow. "Forgive me for saying, but from what I've seen of them thus far they're rather vague and spur-of-the-moment. You set the fire and didn't wait to see that it did its work, instead rushing here. You tried to bully people who clearly didn't know what you were talking about for information they didn't have, and you were looking to use this information to venture down into a cultist-infested ruin alone. It looks very much like one of those 'I'm making this up as I go,' kinds of plans."
”Are you really going down?” Says Helba. ”I appreciate you saving my tribe, I hope you’ll have the halfling face justice for his actions.” She looks back at the rest of the Bumblebrashers for a moment before facing the party once again. ”I know you already saved our lives, but for the sake of my Bumblebrashers, there is something I need to ask of you. If you are determined to go down, could you help us reclaim our home underneath the citadel and get rid of those pesky cultists? There is a secret way in, through the hillside, west of the citadel.”
After listening to Helba's plea, Ardoinel nods.
"No wonder you lit that distress signal Warbal saw. I swore to answer the Call for Heroes, and I meant it. Of course I will work to liberate your home from the Cinderclaws."
He looks over to Cerrus after he announces his desire to recover further.
"Yes, we'll want to be back at peak form before trying to take the cult on."
Then he jerks his head back towards where they came.
"You also may want to avoid the large chamber back there that we came in through: a bugbear named Yolechta has made it her domain, building a 'fort' out of old beds and broken furniture that she makes her home in. I don't know if your tribe might have encountered her before you were driven up here, or if you, Calmont, might have explored her chamber in your initial explorations, but she doesn't like visitors."
Looking about, she then gets a sudden look of realization as the heroes were THEM. THEY were the heros here, and they not only saved the town from a flame, but they also saved hostages, or rather one hostage. But the fact remains the book seller assistant had tried to kill them, and she was really curious on that. " Why would you try to kill us though? Why not simply ask us to help? I may not be from this area... but I am sure that is not how you get people to assist. I have met many cruel people in my life, and cruel people do not generally wait for help. And bad things did happen to those people."
As news of anything cinder starts flying around, she does get a weird look on her face. Having seen the bad usage of flame often enough, she had to ask the group " Do these Cinderclaws worship a devil?"
“The salve I applied needs an hourglass, not an egg timer, ere it be refreshed,” Ellaeaanda responds to Cerrus concerning his recently treated wounds. “You will need magic or potions for a faster recovery.” But she does come back to treat Netkin’s injuries as the conversation continues around her.
To Helba she answers, “The aiudara are our destiny; the crypts our fate. We shall reclaim your home if you show us the way.” Though she doesn’t really trust the arsonist, especially when the only lesson he has learned from his failure is to set a bigger fire, she turns to Calmont and asks “Will you help us cleanse the depths of this cult? What magicks can you command against the Cinderclaws? Your acts may balance the scales that weigh your fate.”
|
"What? Can’t I dream of something more than being bossed around selling books?”
"Oh, absolutely so, absolutely so. I do suppose someone must have told you about the elf gates and offered payment for information, and er, I'd just be a bit surprised if they happened to be part of your usual clientele, if you can excuse my Galtian."
Cerrus blinks at Calmont's rudeness. "Well, I did say that it was an old source. Out-of-date information is better than nothing.
Hearing Ardoinel's agreement to take time to heal, Cerrus speaks to Ellaeaanda. "Before we explore more of the citadel grounds, I think everyone should be fully recovered, myself included. Plus, I don't think we need to hurry. The Bumblebrashers are not in immediate danger - now that we've talked down Calmont."
Then, Cerrus hobbles slightly over to Helba and emphasizes Ardoinel's message. "Like my friend here, I answered Breachill's Call for Heroes. We are tasked with ascertaining why the distress signal was lit, which we have completed. Now that we have additional information about why the signal was lit, the cultists handing you and the tribe an eviction notice as it were, we add rooting them out to our task list." Cerrus seems to have said all that with a single breath and draws in a deep breath, and his shoulders slump. "But for now, I must rest awhile after the fight."
Cerrus straightens up slightly and finds a shady patch to rest while the salve works.
With her unsettling gaze, Ellaeaanda seems to stare right through Calmont. “Can you summon elementals from planes other than fire? What other spells do you know? We must coordinate if we are to battle the Cinderclaws together.” As an offering of her own abilities in return, she ventures, “I have my bow and my sight.”
Given the desire for everyone to fully heal, the elf is in no rush and allows Calmont a seeming eternity to detail all of his abilities. To Cerrus she replies simply “Patience is a virtue.” She tends to Zeldones while waiting for the thaumaturge’s salve to set, then tends to Cerrus’s wounds again.
|
|
"Oh, you can summon elementals?" Netkin perks up. "I hadn't noticed. Say, do you use Alanastor's summoning ring, or do you prefer to rely on Hemir's glyphs technique? I think I'm partial to Ulseta's rituals myself. Though still in its experimental stages, I've heard it quite cuts on the components..." He goes on an increasingly detailed comparison of elemental summoning techniques. It's hard to know whether he could have read about it all, or if he's just making things up as he goes.
"Patience is a virtue, indeed. Thank you for your healing touch. I feel in tip top shape again."
Cerrus stands up and stretches, letting out a long sigh. "Well, I'm ready to continue our exploration of the citadel. But, it's a bit dark now. Does anyone have access to magical light?" Cerrus looks around the area. "Oh, and which way shall we go? To the north where we haven't ventured yet? Or maybe, one of the doors we didn't open back the way we came?"
Not wanting to decide for the whole group, Cerrus waits for other input.
Some of these rolls could go to Netkin - let's say 3 hours instead of 6 if he helps you out :P
While Netkin switches tack and digs deeper into Calmont’s summoning abilities, Ellaeaanda picks up where the alchemist left off. “What price for the priceless? What would you charge for information about aiudara?” she enquires into the halfling’s greedy schemes. To her companions she later asks, “Do you trust this halfling to accompany us into the depths below?”
When Cerrus announces his fitness to continue and wonders about what to do next, the elf reminds him of what the goblins shared. “Secret ways for secret gates. Helba knows a way below, through a hillside to the west.” Glancing in the vague direction of the chieftain she asks “Is the way open or shut? What traps and hazards might lie this way?”
Resa shakes her head at the information given by Calmont. She may not know anything about her ancestors, but the fact they left gates that would cause such issues mean they might be best left alone. Given her own history with cults and how they treated people, she was very much of the mind to leave these items to the past. But given Ellaeaanda seems to think something is worthwhile investigating, she would go along with the group.
" Perhaps we clear the back path, ensure we have missed nothing, and inform the goblins of their new house guest, and maybe finish looking around up here? Perhaps some clue was left that we will need. After we secure up here, we can take that hidden path, secure in the knowledge we have left nothing unturned. My old own... my old boss would say to be thorough is to be... well he thought it best to always check everything." She offers her opinion on how to proceed, given a curiosity to figure out the top completely.
She also had spent some of her time discreetly watching Ellaeaanda, trying to understand the elder elf more, given she had questions she wanted to ask, but had no idea where to start, or even if her father's reaction to her was the normal one.
Ardoinel listens to the conversation between Ellaeaanda, Calmont and Netkin, thinking on some of the specifics of what they're discussing, noting Netkin's specific referencing of arcane theory and Calmont's response.
"Clever Netkin, he's trying to get our new 'friend' to reveal the extent of his abilities. We've talked Calmont down from active hostility, but I fully expect him to turn on us the moment he's got an opening," he thinks to himself.
Unfortunately, summoning was never his area of expertise, especially as his training focused more on control of the unthinking elements and the spirit, so he can't determine whether Calmont's answers imply skill, talent or merely the appearance of either.
"Please gather close," he asks the others. "I can offer some healing to all of us."
Resa politely declines any healing, stating " There are others more harmed here than me, they deserve to be healed. I can await until later. I can not imagine I will find many traps left untouched, so we should be safe. But I will check before we proceed down them."
Resa seemed to have an aversion to the healing, given in her head the sudden talks of cults and magic never made her feel all that great in the first place. She was not saying Ardoniel was with the cult, but her face seemed a bit strained around all the magic users suddenly, as if she was being pranked.
"To all of us," Ardoinel repeats. "It either helps one of us or all, and in this instance I choose all, and that includes you, Resa."
Ellaeaanda slowly shakes her head at Ardoinel. Did he not see her spend six hours healing the others? “All are whole. I have spent the sun’s height to its death tending their wounds.”
With Calmont’s incompetence and lack of planning made clear, the elf reassesses their situation. The impulsive arsonist now seems more of a hindrance than a help against the cultists, so it might be better to babysit him in a less dangerous environment. “The crypt can wait. The goblins’ safety precedes. From Resa’s wisdom, the citadel grounds should be secured, lest other bugbears seek to expand their realm.” Ellaeaanda walks back into the auditorium. “Come. Orderly our search shall be.”
Ellaeaanda slowly shakes her head at Ardoinel. Did he not see her spend six hours healing the others? “All are whole. I have spent the sun’s height to its death tending their wounds.”
With Calmont’s incompetence and lack of planning made clear, the elf reassesses their situation. The impulsive arsonist now seems more of a hindrance than a help against the cultists, so it might be better to babysit him in a less dangerous environment. “The crypt can wait. The goblins’ safety precedes. From Resa’s wisdom, the citadel grounds should be secured, lest other bugbears seek to expand their realm.” Ellaeaanda walks back into the auditorium. “Come. Orderly our search shall be.”
Ardoinel coughs.
"I'm...sorry, my mind was elsewhere."
"Lead on, Ellaeaanda." Cerrus follows Ellaeaanda into a new room. Cerrus fans out to look for clues about this room's past purpose or useful items.
In conjunction with Cerrus, Ellaeaanda examines the room for anything noteworthy. As she does so, she casually asks Resa “Who is this old boss of yours that you keep mentioning?”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Resa had been off Searching the area to ensure they didn't miss anything, so at first the question was answered unguarded at first. " Boss? Oh, my owner. Or old one anyways... I.. I was in Cheliax when some of the cities split off. He was a nasty older dwarf. Always sneaking around, doing things that are probably not legal here, and the cults. All the cults he loaned me too..." She gets quiet afterwards, clearly embarrassed about her past, given everyone else here seemed to have been at least somewhat in control of their lives.
"Owner...you were a slave," Ardoinel says, giving a sad nod. "You gained your freedom, then?"
Ellaeaanda subtly shifts her position, ensuring that Calmont is always somewhat in the middle of the group, to mitigate any flight risk from the arsonist. But Resa’s revelation seems to startle her, and the elf responds with more indignation than they’ve ever heard from her before. “They dared enslave an elf? How does such a thing happen? Aiuvarin or not, why did your father not intervene?”
Ardoinel grimaces a bit as the conversation about Resa's past escalates. While he was as curious as Netkin and Ellaeaanda, he could tell Resa wasn't comfortable talking about it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Resa is clearly embarrassed by her past, a not uncommon emotion given that even in Cheliax they knew of the freedoms others had, just did not have personally. After a few moments of silence and looking around, Resa says simply " Because I am not a full elf. I am not even human, and in Cheliax that matters more. I am part... devil? Demon? One of them. And thus my father had no daughter, my mother just some footnote in some house somewhere maybe. But I? I? I was noone, nothing." While she seems to be calm about it, there is a sadness that the two elven members of the party may get, because they know she knows nothing of their shared language or culture, to the point she could be considered not even an elf given her lack of knowledge.
" But that isn't too important now. I can not even say if that man called my father is even alive anymore. I never knew his age, nor anything more about him after who he was."
“Fiends may live in your mother’s blood, but blood is not destiny. You were not born a slave.” Despite Resa’s embarrassment, Ellaeaanda’s tone seems casually conversational and blithely unaware, as if one were discussing the prospects for tomorrow’s weather. “Every journey has a first step. How did yours begin?” She speaks even as she inspects the next room, with a particular focus following Netkin’s observation.
Resa makes a face as her companions speak about spiders, knowing a thing or two, because she has seen a thing or two with spiders. She knew of many different cults with spiders. " Honestly, I got lucky being in a city that seperated and gave us all freedom. I went looking for him afterwards, but I had to cover my horns." She waves a hand at the scarf she still wears, almost out of habit with her rough and tumble clothing.
" And honestly I might have been. Just because my father was some famous trap finder doesn't mean my mother was anyone of note. She could have been human for all I know, though given my... well given everything else I doubt it. She could have been a demon tainted elf as well." She clearly has no idea about her mothers' past, nor how her genetics work exactly. Outside of being shorter and the horns she spoke of, she does not look that different than Ellaeaanda or any other full elf.
Ellaeaanda slowly backs away at Nekin’s warning, but counters his proposed solution. “Spinners of fate mean no harm, unless we disturb their threads.” She glances meaningfully at the webbing on the western door. “Other doors await.” As if to underline her intent, she cautiously opens the spider-free eastern door, peers through, and upon recognizing Yoletcha’s domain, silently closes it again. “Bugbears, like spiders, should be left alone.” With the swarms lurking in the corner and demanding their attention, she lets the other fiend-tinged conversation drop for the time being.
While the party discusses Resa's past, Cerrus has been deep in thought as he consults his tome. "Hmm, this excerpt mentions a morgue below but this other source never mentions one. What to make of this?"
He walks into the kitchen room behind Ellaeaanda and Netkin. "Did someone say spiders? Seems likely we'd run into at least a few spiders in an abandoned fort."
“Many ways to Yoletcha,” Ellaeaanda remarks about the other door to the bugbear’s realm. “Mayhap many doors to this room as well.” She glances at the western door that is dusted with spidery silk, then moves back into the previous room, to try opening the southwestern door in that room instead. “Another path to fate?”
Cerrus backs out of the kitchen room with Ellaeaanda. "Best to avoid that many spiders. Likely carrying a disease and hard to kill with weapons."
As the party readies around the next door, Cerrus positions himself to be the first one through the door. "When everyone is ready and we have checked for traps, Ellaeaanda, you open the door and I'll go in first. Agree?"
Ellaeaanda nods her assent and opens the door for Cerrus.
After Ellaeaanda opens the door, Cerrus enters the room and heads to his right. He scans the room for immediate threats and doesn't see any. He notices Netkin looking about the room and does the same. "Hmm, indeed. It's interesting that so much of this citadel remains as the Hellknights had it, or so I assume."
Ellaeaanda glances around the room with her alert but seemingly unfocused gaze. “Flesh that is not flesh, the straw calls,” she mysteriously directs Netkin and Cerrus to examine the filling within the dummies. For her own part, she strolls around the perimeter of the room, nodding knowingly as she passes what must be the door connecting to the room filled with spiders, and halts in front of the crumbled wall.
“Did your father teach you to open doors?” she asks Resa, casually resuming the conversation as if it had never been interrupted. She wonders at the connection between the famous trapfinding parent and the daughter who deftly bypassed a barred door to enter the citadel.
Beyond basic info about spider swarms, what are some notable abilities?
Resa makes a face as her companions speak about spiders, knowing a thing or two, because she has seen a thing or two with spiders. She knew of many different cults with spiders. " Honestly, I got lucky being in a city that seperated and gave us all freedom. I went looking for him afterwards, but I had to cover my horns." She waves a hand at the scarf she still wears, almost out of habit with her rough and tumble clothing.
" And honestly I might have been. Just because my father was some famous trap finder doesn't mean my mother was anyone of note. She could have been human for all I know, though given my... well given everything else I doubt it. She could have been a demon tainted elf as well." She clearly has no idea about her mothers' past, nor how her genetics work exactly. Outside of being shorter and the horns she spoke of, she does not look that different than Ellaeaanda or any other full elf.
"Well, at least in my eyes, your blood means nothing. Your actions do. And you've been nothing but kind and clever since we first met in Breachhill, so unless you start slaughtering random strangers for fun in the near future I doubt my opinion of you will change. And I'm glad you gained your freedom. For a dwarf to own another person is slagging shameful. That's the way of Droskar and his hryngar...worshippers."
Ardoinel practically spits out that last word, as if worship is a word too good for how the hryngar venerate The Dark Smith.
He follows the group along, grimacing a bit at the discovery of the spiders.
"Much as I understand the role spiders play in the cycle of life, that many spiders in a single place remains unnerving. At least we can avoid them."
As they investigate the training room and Ellaeeanda warns them they're not alone here either, he tenses up.
"Ready to fight if need be."
|
|
"Hmm, indeed. It's interesting that so much of this citadel remains as the Hellknights had it, or so I assume."
"Well, not exactly as the Hellknights would have it," Netkin gently argues, pulling out a couple of silver coins from the dummies' stuffing. "I doubt this would have been considered a typical storage space for coins! Oooh - there's another one here!"
"Yes, not exactly, indeed." Cerrus gathers the coins with Netkin and then splits them evenly among the group - 10sp to each party member.
Continuing the conversation with Netkin, Cerrus says "Certainly changes have happened over time. But, several rooms have only slightly changed from their original intent - this training room is a good example. After all these years, the training dummies are still here. Maybe this part of the citadel has been mostly vacant?"
Cerrus eyes the closed door to the north. "This door next, yes?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
" I.. I am unsure. I know the lessons I got for opening doors was written by letters, and I had to study what they said. Perhaps he in a way did care for me, because opening doors and shackles well... they are not that different. Perhaps if I knew places like this existed I would have left before, but what can you do when you know nothing else? The letters also came with the star knife. I use daggers better, but the star knife.. well I like it. And it does favor Desna, the best Goddess." Even as her life had been hard and strange, she still seemed a positive person.
Resa turns and answers Ardoinel with a question of her own, after giving a response to his previous question. "Which means I luckily never had to eat people like I had seen some of them do. Is that normal in dwarven culture? I haven't seen you eat anyone, but we have yet to fight people either. I can not say it was something that I found tasteful. Those nights the vegetables were the better choice." Her question really would raise a question of what exactly she did think was normal for some of the other races, given her clear inexperience with normal people. She had previously called attempted arson and murder a slight misunderstanding.
When they comes to the next door, Resa will check it for traps and anything else it may have in it.