Sea of Death Campaign Thread

Sae follows along as the small group of companions makes its way out of the cloud and returns to safer environs.  Since the battle, her eyes have constantly been drawn back to Maira every time she tries to look away.  Her mind keeps playing back the scene over and over: the statue, the battle; Maira's illusion of the majestic sea elf man ... and the searing pain in her eyes that for one moment she let slip.  Now, as she finishes her spell and settles in in the hut she summoned, Sae eases down next to her and speaks quietly in her ear.

"It was an ogre that stopped my eyes from ever seeing another dawn.  He called himself Jarl Ragnir Eyskjarssen; but the sun he robbed from me forever only needs one name in my heart.  Iarcaryn."

Maira starts a bit, and turns to Sae with a bashfully pleased smile, her cheeks turning slightly pink at the attention. At her words though, her face instantly falls, and she scoots closer, rubbing the arm closest to her with eyes brimming with sorrowful understanding. Her voice is soft with compassion when she says, "Won't you please tell me about him? I--If It helps you to talk about it that is...I will hear to anything you have to say, as long as it helps. I know how much it hurts when you are forcibly separated from someone you love. It feels like a part of you stays with them forever. There's a...hole, inside you, that will never fill, no matter how much you try to pour into it. And you do try. But it's never enough, somehow. All you can do is hope that someone else comes along and fills that hole someday. You're never sure if it will ever happen, however." Her eyes go far away and take on a wistful air for a moment. She abruptly focuses back on Sae after a few seconds though, and she stammers out, "a--at least that's how it's always felt to me. I would never presume to speak for you though. Please continue, I am so sorry." She drapes an arm over Sae's shoulders and squeezes gently, trying to offer what comfort she can. Her whole being is focused intently on whatever Sae says next...

Sayyida openly eavesdrops as she cleans and polishes her blade....

You take an hour to rest and catch your breathe.

When you're ready, you return to the caverns. Fortunately, nothing seems to be actively hunting you (yet), and the toxic cloud has dissipated. The orb now lays on the ground, the glyph's magic used up, but the orb still has a magical glow.

What do you do?

Areleo will want to grab the orb on the way out of the cave. 

Sayyida watches Areleo in case they explode entertainingly then heads to check out the passages leading onwards.

Perception- 8

As Areleo places his hands on the orb, he hears whispers in his mind... whispers of ancient secrets, dark magic... and of immortality. Areleo understands little of what the orb tells him, but it feels evil.

Wade asks "Areleo, you have a funny look on your face. Is everything alright? "

Areleo will put the orb in the bag of holding, "Areleo senses great evil from orb. Maybe arcane users look at orb later?" 

Emrys was happy to simply lay down and rest. Maira’s spell added a literal layer of tranquility and as the group catched its collective breath he was happy, or as close of it as anyone could be in that place and situation, to follow along. It was surprising to see the orb was still whole, then the halfling remembered that they didn’t actually damage it.

“I would like if Maira could look at it now and not only because of the evil you sensed.” He told Arleo. “If we identify it we can know what and how the cloud triggered. Maybe avoid it from going off if we get across something like it. Maybe find a way to safely destroy it.”

Either possibility seemed too good to be true, but a man can try. Well, technically Maira would try the magic. Maybe I should learn some utility magic. The idea left his mind as soon as he started to imagine how much work it would take. Besides, it’s too early to make plans for the future. As far as he know it was far from impossible that he wouldn’t have a future beyond that place. Even if he had, Hailstorm waited and worst of all, part of him wanted to face the captain.

Sae sighs.  "Not much time to share our stories, but its so good to have another woman along who understands.  We'll be able to talk when we all get out of here, it's probably best to rest now as much as we can to recruit our strength for that."  Her pupils widen to pools of black as she drifts into the elven trance, but she seems more at peace the whole resting time than she has since she joined the crew.

Quote from ZelocktheDragon >>

Areleo will put the orb in the bag of holding, "Areleo senses great evil from orb. Maybe arcane users look at orb later?" 

 "If you sense that, I trust your word.", Sae nods.  "Maybe this is a piece of that evil thing Hailstorm wants?  A little insurance policy he conveniently didn't mention to us, but is hoping we'll find intriguing enough to bring back anyway ... "  She trails off and activates her [ item]helm of telepathy[/item], scanning the orb more carefully now the glyph's magic is not around to mask it as Areleo lowers it into the bag...

(OOC: As far as I can tell, detect thoughts only works on creatures, whereas the orb is an object)

Looking and listening ahead, Sayyida hears... nothing. Nothing except the steady dripping water from the stalactites. And... that is not a good sign. It seems that the undead residents of this realm may have realized that you are here...

Sayyida grimaces, then marches onwards eager to be out of here....

Wade grasps his Holy Amulet and prepares himself for what comes next. He follows behind Sayyadi.

Is everyone going to go ahead and just keep moving into the darkness, then, or would anyone like to do anything else first?

I'm good to move forward. 

Sayyida reached out through the water vapour in the air reading its vibrations to warn her of dangers ahead.

Divine Sense.

On finding that her scan of the orb yields no results, Sae shrugs.  With the remaining time left her in this activation, she uses it to scan for thoughts ahead as far as the helm's power will reach.  Then she falls in line behind Sayyida, passing on anything she may have learned to the courageous pointwoman leading the way deeper into Hailstorm's darkness.

It doesn't seem that there are any undead within 60' of Sayyida (and, by extension, no thoughts within 30' of Sae besides her companions... though Sae can concentrate on detect thoughts for a whole minute, so you could still get advance warning as you move forward)

Continuing on, what is your marching order?

( Sayyida will lead. With Clerical support just behind. Squishes in the middle.  Areleo as rear guard in case some gribbles try to flank us.)