Joren sleeps lightly, like a soldier on a multi-day march. Fearing a surprise attack at all times. Entering enemy territory now, no mistaking...
He wakes up early and spends some time taking care of his damaged chain mail before donning it, then sharpening his greatsword and handaxes. The routine of such regular habit helping to calm his otherwise restless mind.
Down in the common room, he is confused for several seconds at the half-orc's entry, half-expecting it to be the preamble for an attack, before he realizes who it is from the mannerisms. When it is his turn, he clasps forearms with the prodigal Vilus and nods gruffly but with genuine relief.
"Was thinking there might not be any coming back for you, given the way we last saw you go. Very glad to see you are living and free. Yes we have been making impressions, though in our defense, we were not starting it. This entire town seems bored, spoiling for a fight. Starting brawls on the smallest pretext. Not that some of us were hesitating to oblige them. The free drinks are for Samir and me helping them clean up afterwards."
He looks around the tavern. "Perhaps we can be continuing a more detailed conversation more privately?"
Samir wakes in the morning, nursing a faint headache from the eye strain of staying up so late reading. Slightly slow on the uptake, he joins the others at breakfast, only to stare blearily at the stranger joining them. It seems a long moment before his brain manages to kick in, starved of caffeine, and his eyes widen in surprise.
Once Vilus is released from the suffocatingly tight embrace of Ashley, he accepts Joren's greeting with a strong shake and a smile, "it'll take more than being bitten in half by a god to kill me lad, and yes a private room would be more suitable, I need somewhere inconspicuous to change as this will wear off shortly" he gestures to his half orc form, "I'm sure you've all got a lot to share, and a story to tell, seeing as you took the long road here. Perhaps they'll do room service if you're all regarded so well here?"
Joren relates what he recalls of what has happened to the party since Vilus' unexpected departure. With as little fanfare as usual.
"After the... thing was taking you and Andra, we were throwing the three other cultists into the underground lake. Killing two with the other one swimming across and fleeing. After giving chase, I caught up and pulled her away just before an adult giant gloazworrm was going to decapitate her with a sharp appendage through the hole back to that vast, hellish volcanic gloazworm cavern you remember. I was thinking she was choosing death by gloazworm, but she was seeming surprised by it. So the cultists may not be knowing about the gloazworms yet. Not the rank and file, anyway."
"Miter was arriving soon and returning to the surface with Marshal Lanya, we were confirming that the cultists successfully stoleTensmith's mining rigs. Also confirming that like many now revealed to be cultists, Andra was a sailor who voyaged west, returning a changed man. Meanwhile, uncontrolled magic was blossoming throughout the town, likely due to the... detonation of the strange device in Andra's office (which we never told them about). Tasked we were with dealing with many of the chaotic results, fires, cave-ins, flooding, polymorphing. Tensmith citizens unwittingly casting spells in a surge of wild magic. In one place, a curio shop owner had a flooding barrel which was a teleportation device to a shipwreck on an island beach, perhaps in the western ocean. Some clue to the westbound ships that are never returning to Cambria, or to the invading fleet coming."
"Thankfully, Mayor Berg is now opening Tensmith back up. They are knowing now about Marigold being a cultist leader like Andra. And Tensmith citizens were providing us a provisioned horse-drawn cart for our help with all the mayhem and danger resulting from the wild magic chaos. The council was tasking us with delivering a message to council-member Jean-Lou here in Talmouth, who usually stands in opposition to Marigold. As well as granting us a letter of rights to five hundred gold and a request to Samir to send any scholars to Tensmith who might understand the gloazworms."
"Journeying here, we were witnessing ship traffic resuming again on the river between Tensmith and Talmouth. Arriving here, the guards and citizens all seem bored and itching for a fight. The brawl that was breaking out here at the Imperial Arms. We were quelling the first one but giving in to the second one. Well, all except Samir who was putting an end to it. Watching us the entire time was Stenwick, another sailor returned from the west and another cultist spy as Malachi and Ashley discovered. He is reporting to Marigold but was also noticing how Malachi has been marked by Razmus. Mal and Ash were pretending to be cultist agents, I think? In any case, we let Stenwick go and report back." (Joren still looks uncertain about this decision).
"I am sure I am forgetting somethings. Perhaps others can be filling in those other details. But you, what in the name of the Mists of the Veil has been happening with you?" Joren leans back against a wall to hear Vilus' story.
Once in the room Vilus doffs his disguise and the group would see the Goliath that they know well. He pulls up a loose trouser leg to reveal a dirty looking peg leg hastily strapped to the stump left over from his incident. He adjusts the strap and scratches an itch, and as he turns his head the tops of new shadowy winged tattoos can be seen poking out of his cloak at the top of his back.
"Well first off I wouldn't worry about Marigold for too long, I've been in the city proper here for less than two days, but in that time I've been able to warn the head of my organisation and there will be a detail sent out within the next day or so, the good council member will likely befall an unfortunate accident."
Vilus forces a smile though it is an uncomfortable one, "since I was taken I've spent most of my time in chains, the thing you said about wild magic in tensmith may be connected here because they were using their Godtongue runes to draw magic out of me and collect it in a raw liquid form. Though once I began my escape I did test its application on a human cultist, it's safe to say that raw magic is not something that is applied to the skin...
It's odd that they don't know about the gloazeworms, i though that may have been part of their plan but through them interrogating me I did manage to get some info out of them, their plan entails reducing this entire continent 'To Ash' they talked of cleansing fires and that they would be saved, all really common cult things I'm sure but there's a link here, every person who has gone out to sea and made it back, came back changed, marigold is one of those sailors, and I think most anyone who works on the docks may be under some kind of influence too, though that's just st a guess, they're all sailors right?
Anyway, I've been given a cell of spies who will work under my direction, we meet them tonight, I'm sure we have something for them to do. Also there's a gnome in the city who I escaped with, he was there longer than me, he might know something if we can pin him down.
I'm glad you all made it out of tensmith, and that tensmith is opening up now, seems you all did well without me."
Malachi joins the others downstairs after a night of restless sleep, tossing and turning while thinking of being tracked across the city. He looks up in apprehension as the half-orc approaches the table, already fearing the cultists seeing through their ruse. The apprehension quickly turns to confusion as Ashley jumps up with a hug then a slow realization creeps across his face. “Welcome back, I thought we had lost you.”
He listens as the others share their stories upstairs in the room, breaking in rarely. “The heart of flame, that’s what they seek below the country. They wanted to mining rigs to tunnel past the gloazworms, so some of them at least know about them” A they talk about the sailors he adds “They address themselves as ‘the one called’. We met with the one called Stenwick last night and he asked if we had a new face. What if they are not the sailors themselves, but someone or something pretending to be them? A doppelganger of some type? Is that even possible?”
As Vilus discusses Marigold he breaks in “Can you trust your organization? What if the cultists have infiltrated them as well? Can we trust anyone?” He rubs his forehead again “I think that they can sense me in some way through the mark. Stenwick knew I was marked, even though it was disguised and told us that he could find me anywhere in the city. Samir is going to disrupt the markings, maybe break the connection.”
"breaking the connection as soon as possible would be preferable, we will need to be able to move around unnoticed.
As for my organisation, I've brought up possible moles and only been in the presence of the very very few that I know I can trust. Apparently the guy who met us at the inn near the shield pass, he never made it back. He was the right hand of my father who we cannot trust, his absence either means that there is a cover up, or that the cultists intercepted, if the latter is true then it's a sign that they fear us, but we shouldn't underestimate them. An attempt on marigold will be made, this much I know, but if it is successful or not depends on their preparedness and how serious they took my warnings. One thing I will say though is that we shouldn't underestimate the cult, time will tell wither Marigold ceases to be a problem"
Samir sits back, listening to Joren and Vilus recounting the past events, considering and analyzing both tales. As with most things, the truth of matters most likely lay somewhere in the conjunction of the details, rather than solely on one side or the other. Fittingly, it was something from each that triggered a thought.
"Have any of you ever heard of the concept of a hive mind, or collective? It is posited that certain beings have the ability to link numerous minds together in some fashion. Others believe that there are entire species of creature that naturally exist in this state, bearing a psychic connection amidst all of the members. Those involved in such a webwork of mentality would have little or no ability to think for themselves, or possess any sort of true sense of self. In theory, this sort of connected existence could exist in varying degrees of intensity, from true collective thought where in all minds are constantly connected, with the physical bodies merely acting like a myriad array of limbs rather than people; to a state where the concept of individualism is highly repressed but it is not a constant, unified consciousness."
As he spoke, Samir had taken his glasses into his hands, absently cleaning the lenses on the tail of his shirt. His eyes, seeming small when uncovered by his spectacles, looked into the empty air as if focusing on a point far removed from the room where they all congregated.
"This... enemy... It seems frightfully powerful, akin to the Blue Lady and her contemporaries. Such a being could, in theory, subjugate the minds of numerous mortal beings, I think, connecting them and forcefully inducting them into a sort of collective hive mind. This would explain the seeming lack of individuality among the cultists." He paused, tilting his head for a moment. "Or perhaps some kind of parasitic infestation subsuming the mind and bodies of the victims."
"I think the parasite theory has some bearing, especially as the sailors come back changed, and this parasite can be transmitted" vilus turns to Malachi and asks "what did the blue lady call it? Your 'passenger', right? Tainting your magic..." Vilus muses deep in thought "parasites that form a cult interested in using people's magic against them, they collect and experiment and control, to bring about an annihilation.
The blue lady, the Ebb and Flow, The Apogee, Rasmus, the Watcher... We are in deep with shit that we barely understand, I think we should focus more on what we can do right now, more than why any of this is happening to start with" letting out a big sigh, vilus sinks into his seat with his hands on his head.
Malachi glares over at Vilus with a guarded look “How do you know what the Blue Lady said to me? It is none of your concern at any rate, Razmus has not infested my mind, only marked me. I feel no sense of his presence and he has no control over me, but they can tell when I am near, or when I try to reach into their minds.”
He looks over at Samir “As for what we can do now, the sooner we can try to break that connection the better, before they come back here looking for us. We have the letter of introduction to Councillor Jean-Lou, we can warn them just in case your move against Marigold doesn’t work. And we still have the bank note to cash.” He pats his pocket with a small grin.
"ah yes! This was something I wanted to breach with all of you before I was taken, but the time never seemed right. I know because I was there Mal, with you, with her and that thing... Whether I liked it or not I was there, and I was with Ashley too, and Samir and Joren and Marion...
I won't share with anyone what I saw in each of your visions, or in Joren's case what happened to protect you, and yes Joren that was real, and I've never seen such a show of power..." Vilus tails off trying to gauge the groups reaction
"Yes - when the device, the Hydaelim (?), in Andra's office was exploding. All of you were blacking out briefly, yet somehow I did not. Though I only summoned my one, echoes were unfolding in their myriads to protect me. Being statistically impossible - far out of reach for even the most powerful echo knight, which I am not. They kept me conscious, all of them. And one of them - one of the echoes - was different. Grander somehow."
"The Flow, Ebb and Apogee. Being tripartite sources of magic? Marion's Blue Lady is The Flow (blue), and Razmus the Apogee (yellow). That is why Jon Shep's medallion is glowing blue for Marion and Ashley, and yellow for Razmus' cultists. But for me, it is glowing red. Supposing my 'magic' is different - in truth, I am never thinking of it as magic. Remembering the hunter in Tensmith who was selling me his gear. Blessing me in gratefulness he said 'may the Lord of the Red Hunt be with you, truly'. This Red Hunter - I think he was the one grander echo in my vision, though I do not know him."
Joren screws his face up, trying to find the words. "Are these are the sources of magic? Blue for the Blue Lady for many of you: the Flow. Was the Blue Lady finding you in your vision after the explosion?" He looks at Marion and Ashley. "Red for the Lord of the Red Hunt, the Ebb. Perhaps being the taller echo who gathered all of the echoes to protect me. Leaving only Yellow for the Apogee. Razmus, who seems to wish to drain and corrupt the others."
"I can't remember what colour it showed for me, but the cultists were interested in a certain kind, in collecting it, the liquid magic basin I was speaking of... Somehow my magic was tainting their supply, like it was the wrong kind.
I have a theory, The blue lady, she spoke in several visions about not having enough power to manifest in this place, that's why she could only show herself to you all through vision. Perhaps her power lies in people, the more that have access to the blue magic, the more power she gains, that's why they were interested in drawing it out. I wonder if the wild magics unleashed in tensmith were yellow or blue? It would make sense to saturate people with yellow magic to give Rasmus more power to manifest, no?" Vilus ponders.
"One thing I do know is that the blue lady chose to share power with the majority of our group, if this is a fight amongst the gods of creation, we have been chosen, given the means to stand up against this Rasmus incursion... I think it's going to be down to us"
Ashley listens to her friends try and make sense of all the things that have happened. It takes her a bit to join into the conversation, too elated that Vilus is actually alright and that they were all back together again. She felt stronger now that the group that faced the start of all this at Opportunity's Knock can continue with whatever they are going to face in Talmouth. And it didn't sound little, not by any means.
She then looks at Mal, "No, they are not doppelgangers, when they say they have a new face, they mean it. When Stenwick said that, I recalled facing Andra back below, before you were taken Vilus. Samir hit him with a crossbow bolt, and his face... well it like shifted a second and under was a different face marked with Godtongue runes." She turns to Vilus, "They didn't do that to you, did they? I mean, you look the same, but I know you can do some crazy shit with that face of yours."
She considers Vilus's words when he said he was part of their visions, "What do you think that means? How do you think that was even possible?"
Then getting a bit more serious, "Alright, we have a meeting this evening, what are our objectives? What do we want to accomplish here other than stopping everything turning to Ash?"
Samir watches each of his friends in turn, considering their words and the implications behind them. The ideas represented a somewhat logical, and potentially perilous understanding of the world and the more esoteric facets of existence. They may not be entirely on point, perhaps, but the scholarly half-orc had a feeling that there was some thread of truth to the discussion.
Letting the others continue, Samir slips his journal from his ever-present satchel, along with a few choices pieces of his tinker's kit and a small vial of alcohol collected from one of last night's drinks. He looks up at Malachi, the collection of items gathered in his hands and nods towards the corner where they can work without being in the others' way.
"I think I am prepared, Mal, if you are ready to give it a shot."
She then looks at Mal, "No, they are not doppelgangers, when they say they have a new face, they mean it. When Stenwick said that, I recalled facing Andra back below, before you were taken Vilus. Samir hit him with a crossbow bolt, and his face... well it like shifted a second and under was a different face marked with Godtongue runes." She turns to Vilus, "They didn't do that to you, did they? I mean, you look the same, but I know you can do some crazy shit with that face of yours."
She considers Vilus's words when he said he was part of their visions, "What do you think that means? How do you think that was even possible?"
"they never marked me, not that I know of anyway" Vilus answers in response to Ashley, "and I'm pretty sure its the Watcher, when I've had visions from it, they've been observing everything from on high, it helped me see the ships, it saw me in the caves, it lets me look to a certain degree into some people's heads, I don't see why it wouldn't observe the visions and meetings you had, and the added shock of the hydaelim thingy blowing up might have just super powered the observance... Like I said it's not like I had a choice, and those meeting as far as I'm concerned are personal to each of you, it's not my prerogative to meddle, unless of course, any of you wish to speak to me directly about them."
As the group ready themselves to help Samir see what he can do about Malachi's mark, Vilus has an idea, "hang on I think I might be able to help in some way" he leans in close and, if Mal lets him, brushes Malachi's hair to one side to get a closer look at the symbol, "I think I might be able to read this if I just..." Vilus opens his book to reveal several scratchy drawings of some other god tongue runes, his eyes glow faintly purple and a third faint glow appears on his brow between his eyes (casting Comprehend languages and cross referencing other runes)
Malachi nods to Samir “I am ready. I want this mark off of me.” He moves to an out of the way corner and prepares for the procedure as Vilus tries to decipher the rune. He accepts Joren’s help and places the strap of his satchel in his mouth, biting down in anticipation of the pain.
Seeing as the others were opting to render their assistance, Samir simply nods and settles himself into place to make his attempt. Satchel by his side, tools in hand, and with Marion standing nearby with the container of powerful alcohol and a few other small tools, the artificer breathes deeply, adjusts his glasses, and leans in close to his friend's face.
Working in flesh is something wholly different from the arts of clockwork and steel that typically held Samir's attention. Those were sturdy, strong materials, and while they certainly had their share of quirks and inherent frailties, it was entirely different from skin and bone and blood. However, he was not without some manner of education in the matter, and the planning seemed sound. His lips moved silently as he talked himself through the process, the fine point of a pick sliding over the shape of the mark, its tip already dipped in the cleansing touch of the fiery alcohol. He did his best to keep the motion smooth and light, but the tool was honed to a razor's edge and served to etch papercut-thin lines in the other man's skin.
"Catch your breath, Mal. This will hurt."
Reaching one hand into his bag, Samir retrieves a rough cloth. As it is unfolded, it is apparent that there is already a coating of some kind of thick ointment spread across it's surface. With a quiet word, he holds it out to Marion to pour a measure of the alcohol across its surface as well. This done, Samir reaches up and begins wiping the cloth across Malachi's mark. The bite of the alcohol in the wounds mixes with the crisp feel of the artificer's healing salve as it is worked into the skin and tissue of the cult's marking.
Over and over again the mixture is pressed down and wiped across the marking, and twice more the tiny blade was slid across unwilling flesh as the wounds knitted back together. Samir would stop regularly, examining the results with a critical eye, measuring the degradation or lack thereof from the cult's marking before settling back into the routine of salve, alcohol, and the blade.
Finally, Samir let the items fall to his lap, leaning away from Malachi. A bead of sweat rolled down one temple as he removed his glasses, blinking. He drug his free hand across his dampened hairline and looked blurrily towards the others.
"It's done, I think. There isn't anything else that I can think of to do, but hopefully that should be enough to remove the cult's little symbol. It may scar, however. Flesh and bone are not my normal mediums..."
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Joren sleeps lightly, like a soldier on a multi-day march. Fearing a surprise attack at all times. Entering enemy territory now, no mistaking...
He wakes up early and spends some time taking care of his damaged chain mail before donning it, then sharpening his greatsword and handaxes. The routine of such regular habit helping to calm his otherwise restless mind.
Down in the common room, he is confused for several seconds at the half-orc's entry, half-expecting it to be the preamble for an attack, before he realizes who it is from the mannerisms. When it is his turn, he clasps forearms with the prodigal Vilus and nods gruffly but with genuine relief.
"Was thinking there might not be any coming back for you, given the way we last saw you go. Very glad to see you are living and free. Yes we have been making impressions, though in our defense, we were not starting it. This entire town seems bored, spoiling for a fight. Starting brawls on the smallest pretext. Not that some of us were hesitating to oblige them. The free drinks are for Samir and me helping them clean up afterwards."
He looks around the tavern. "Perhaps we can be continuing a more detailed conversation more privately?"
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Samir wakes in the morning, nursing a faint headache from the eye strain of staying up so late reading. Slightly slow on the uptake, he joins the others at breakfast, only to stare blearily at the stranger joining them. It seems a long moment before his brain manages to kick in, starved of caffeine, and his eyes widen in surprise.
"Oh my.... this is... unexpected."
Once Vilus is released from the suffocatingly tight embrace of Ashley, he accepts Joren's greeting with a strong shake and a smile, "it'll take more than being bitten in half by a god to kill me lad, and yes a private room would be more suitable, I need somewhere inconspicuous to change as this will wear off shortly" he gestures to his half orc form, "I'm sure you've all got a lot to share, and a story to tell, seeing as you took the long road here. Perhaps they'll do room service if you're all regarded so well here?"
In short order, drinks and food are arranged for their room, and they find themselves with their much-desired privacy.
Joren relates what he recalls of what has happened to the party since Vilus' unexpected departure. With as little fanfare as usual.
"After the... thing was taking you and Andra, we were throwing the three other cultists into the underground lake. Killing two with the other one swimming across and fleeing. After giving chase, I caught up and pulled her away just before an adult giant gloazworrm was going to decapitate her with a sharp appendage through the hole back to that vast, hellish volcanic gloazworm cavern you remember. I was thinking she was choosing death by gloazworm, but she was seeming surprised by it. So the cultists may not be knowing about the gloazworms yet. Not the rank and file, anyway."
"Miter was arriving soon and returning to the surface with Marshal Lanya, we were confirming that the cultists successfully stoleTensmith's mining rigs. Also confirming that like many now revealed to be cultists, Andra was a sailor who voyaged west, returning a changed man. Meanwhile, uncontrolled magic was blossoming throughout the town, likely due to the... detonation of the strange device in Andra's office (which we never told them about). Tasked we were with dealing with many of the chaotic results, fires, cave-ins, flooding, polymorphing. Tensmith citizens unwittingly casting spells in a surge of wild magic. In one place, a curio shop owner had a flooding barrel which was a teleportation device to a shipwreck on an island beach, perhaps in the western ocean. Some clue to the westbound ships that are never returning to Cambria, or to the invading fleet coming."
"Thankfully, Mayor Berg is now opening Tensmith back up. They are knowing now about Marigold being a cultist leader like Andra. And Tensmith citizens were providing us a provisioned horse-drawn cart for our help with all the mayhem and danger resulting from the wild magic chaos. The council was tasking us with delivering a message to council-member Jean-Lou here in Talmouth, who usually stands in opposition to Marigold. As well as granting us a letter of rights to five hundred gold and a request to Samir to send any scholars to Tensmith who might understand the gloazworms."
"Journeying here, we were witnessing ship traffic resuming again on the river between Tensmith and Talmouth. Arriving here, the guards and citizens all seem bored and itching for a fight. The brawl that was breaking out here at the Imperial Arms. We were quelling the first one but giving in to the second one. Well, all except Samir who was putting an end to it. Watching us the entire time was Stenwick, another sailor returned from the west and another cultist spy as Malachi and Ashley discovered. He is reporting to Marigold but was also noticing how Malachi has been marked by Razmus. Mal and Ash were pretending to be cultist agents, I think? In any case, we let Stenwick go and report back." (Joren still looks uncertain about this decision).
"I am sure I am forgetting somethings. Perhaps others can be filling in those other details. But you, what in the name of the Mists of the Veil has been happening with you?" Joren leans back against a wall to hear Vilus' story.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Once in the room Vilus doffs his disguise and the group would see the Goliath that they know well. He pulls up a loose trouser leg to reveal a dirty looking peg leg hastily strapped to the stump left over from his incident. He adjusts the strap and scratches an itch, and as he turns his head the tops of new shadowy winged tattoos can be seen poking out of his cloak at the top of his back.
"Well first off I wouldn't worry about Marigold for too long, I've been in the city proper here for less than two days, but in that time I've been able to warn the head of my organisation and there will be a detail sent out within the next day or so, the good council member will likely befall an unfortunate accident."
Vilus forces a smile though it is an uncomfortable one, "since I was taken I've spent most of my time in chains, the thing you said about wild magic in tensmith may be connected here because they were using their Godtongue runes to draw magic out of me and collect it in a raw liquid form. Though once I began my escape I did test its application on a human cultist, it's safe to say that raw magic is not something that is applied to the skin...
It's odd that they don't know about the gloazeworms, i though that may have been part of their plan but through them interrogating me I did manage to get some info out of them, their plan entails reducing this entire continent 'To Ash' they talked of cleansing fires and that they would be saved, all really common cult things I'm sure but there's a link here, every person who has gone out to sea and made it back, came back changed, marigold is one of those sailors, and I think most anyone who works on the docks may be under some kind of influence too, though that's just st a guess, they're all sailors right?
Anyway, I've been given a cell of spies who will work under my direction, we meet them tonight, I'm sure we have something for them to do. Also there's a gnome in the city who I escaped with, he was there longer than me, he might know something if we can pin him down.
I'm glad you all made it out of tensmith, and that tensmith is opening up now, seems you all did well without me."
Malachi joins the others downstairs after a night of restless sleep, tossing and turning while thinking of being tracked across the city. He looks up in apprehension as the half-orc approaches the table, already fearing the cultists seeing through their ruse. The apprehension quickly turns to confusion as Ashley jumps up with a hug then a slow realization creeps across his face. “Welcome back, I thought we had lost you.”
He listens as the others share their stories upstairs in the room, breaking in rarely. “The heart of flame, that’s what they seek below the country. They wanted to mining rigs to tunnel past the gloazworms, so some of them at least know about them” A they talk about the sailors he adds “They address themselves as ‘the one called’. We met with the one called Stenwick last night and he asked if we had a new face. What if they are not the sailors themselves, but someone or something pretending to be them? A doppelganger of some type? Is that even possible?”
As Vilus discusses Marigold he breaks in “Can you trust your organization? What if the cultists have infiltrated them as well? Can we trust anyone?” He rubs his forehead again “I think that they can sense me in some way through the mark. Stenwick knew I was marked, even though it was disguised and told us that he could find me anywhere in the city. Samir is going to disrupt the markings, maybe break the connection.”
"breaking the connection as soon as possible would be preferable, we will need to be able to move around unnoticed.
As for my organisation, I've brought up possible moles and only been in the presence of the very very few that I know I can trust. Apparently the guy who met us at the inn near the shield pass, he never made it back. He was the right hand of my father who we cannot trust, his absence either means that there is a cover up, or that the cultists intercepted, if the latter is true then it's a sign that they fear us, but we shouldn't underestimate them. An attempt on marigold will be made, this much I know, but if it is successful or not depends on their preparedness and how serious they took my warnings. One thing I will say though is that we shouldn't underestimate the cult, time will tell wither Marigold ceases to be a problem"
Samir sits back, listening to Joren and Vilus recounting the past events, considering and analyzing both tales. As with most things, the truth of matters most likely lay somewhere in the conjunction of the details, rather than solely on one side or the other. Fittingly, it was something from each that triggered a thought.
"Have any of you ever heard of the concept of a hive mind, or collective? It is posited that certain beings have the ability to link numerous minds together in some fashion. Others believe that there are entire species of creature that naturally exist in this state, bearing a psychic connection amidst all of the members. Those involved in such a webwork of mentality would have little or no ability to think for themselves, or possess any sort of true sense of self. In theory, this sort of connected existence could exist in varying degrees of intensity, from true collective thought where in all minds are constantly connected, with the physical bodies merely acting like a myriad array of limbs rather than people; to a state where the concept of individualism is highly repressed but it is not a constant, unified consciousness."
As he spoke, Samir had taken his glasses into his hands, absently cleaning the lenses on the tail of his shirt. His eyes, seeming small when uncovered by his spectacles, looked into the empty air as if focusing on a point far removed from the room where they all congregated.
"This... enemy... It seems frightfully powerful, akin to the Blue Lady and her contemporaries. Such a being could, in theory, subjugate the minds of numerous mortal beings, I think, connecting them and forcefully inducting them into a sort of collective hive mind. This would explain the seeming lack of individuality among the cultists." He paused, tilting his head for a moment. "Or perhaps some kind of parasitic infestation subsuming the mind and bodies of the victims."
"I think the parasite theory has some bearing, especially as the sailors come back changed, and this parasite can be transmitted" vilus turns to Malachi and asks "what did the blue lady call it? Your 'passenger', right? Tainting your magic..." Vilus muses deep in thought "parasites that form a cult interested in using people's magic against them, they collect and experiment and control, to bring about an annihilation.
The blue lady, the Ebb and Flow, The Apogee, Rasmus, the Watcher... We are in deep with shit that we barely understand, I think we should focus more on what we can do right now, more than why any of this is happening to start with" letting out a big sigh, vilus sinks into his seat with his hands on his head.
Malachi glares over at Vilus with a guarded look “How do you know what the Blue Lady said to me? It is none of your concern at any rate, Razmus has not infested my mind, only marked me. I feel no sense of his presence and he has no control over me, but they can tell when I am near, or when I try to reach into their minds.”
He looks over at Samir “As for what we can do now, the sooner we can try to break that connection the better, before they come back here looking for us. We have the letter of introduction to Councillor Jean-Lou, we can warn them just in case your move against Marigold doesn’t work. And we still have the bank note to cash.” He pats his pocket with a small grin.
"ah yes! This was something I wanted to breach with all of you before I was taken, but the time never seemed right. I know because I was there Mal, with you, with her and that thing... Whether I liked it or not I was there, and I was with Ashley too, and Samir and Joren and Marion...
I won't share with anyone what I saw in each of your visions, or in Joren's case what happened to protect you, and yes Joren that was real, and I've never seen such a show of power..." Vilus tails off trying to gauge the groups reaction
"Yes - when the device, the Hydaelim (?), in Andra's office was exploding. All of you were blacking out briefly, yet somehow I did not. Though I only summoned my one, echoes were unfolding in their myriads to protect me. Being statistically impossible - far out of reach for even the most powerful echo knight, which I am not. They kept me conscious, all of them. And one of them - one of the echoes - was different. Grander somehow."
"The Flow, Ebb and Apogee. Being tripartite sources of magic? Marion's Blue Lady is The Flow (blue), and Razmus the Apogee (yellow). That is why Jon Shep's medallion is glowing blue for Marion and Ashley, and yellow for Razmus' cultists. But for me, it is glowing red. Supposing my 'magic' is different - in truth, I am never thinking of it as magic. Remembering the hunter in Tensmith who was selling me his gear. Blessing me in gratefulness he said 'may the Lord of the Red Hunt be with you, truly'. This Red Hunter - I think he was the one grander echo in my vision, though I do not know him."
Joren screws his face up, trying to find the words. "Are these are the sources of magic? Blue for the Blue Lady for many of you: the Flow. Was the Blue Lady finding you in your vision after the explosion?" He looks at Marion and Ashley. "Red for the Lord of the Red Hunt, the Ebb. Perhaps being the taller echo who gathered all of the echoes to protect me. Leaving only Yellow for the Apogee. Razmus, who seems to wish to drain and corrupt the others."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"I can't remember what colour it showed for me, but the cultists were interested in a certain kind, in collecting it, the liquid magic basin I was speaking of... Somehow my magic was tainting their supply, like it was the wrong kind.
I have a theory, The blue lady, she spoke in several visions about not having enough power to manifest in this place, that's why she could only show herself to you all through vision. Perhaps her power lies in people, the more that have access to the blue magic, the more power she gains, that's why they were interested in drawing it out. I wonder if the wild magics unleashed in tensmith were yellow or blue? It would make sense to saturate people with yellow magic to give Rasmus more power to manifest, no?" Vilus ponders.
"One thing I do know is that the blue lady chose to share power with the majority of our group, if this is a fight amongst the gods of creation, we have been chosen, given the means to stand up against this Rasmus incursion... I think it's going to be down to us"
Ashley listens to her friends try and make sense of all the things that have happened. It takes her a bit to join into the conversation, too elated that Vilus is actually alright and that they were all back together again. She felt stronger now that the group that faced the start of all this at Opportunity's Knock can continue with whatever they are going to face in Talmouth. And it didn't sound little, not by any means.
She then looks at Mal, "No, they are not doppelgangers, when they say they have a new face, they mean it. When Stenwick said that, I recalled facing Andra back below, before you were taken Vilus. Samir hit him with a crossbow bolt, and his face... well it like shifted a second and under was a different face marked with Godtongue runes." She turns to Vilus, "They didn't do that to you, did they? I mean, you look the same, but I know you can do some crazy shit with that face of yours."
She considers Vilus's words when he said he was part of their visions, "What do you think that means? How do you think that was even possible?"
Then getting a bit more serious, "Alright, we have a meeting this evening, what are our objectives? What do we want to accomplish here other than stopping everything turning to Ash?"
Samir watches each of his friends in turn, considering their words and the implications behind them. The ideas represented a somewhat logical, and potentially perilous understanding of the world and the more esoteric facets of existence. They may not be entirely on point, perhaps, but the scholarly half-orc had a feeling that there was some thread of truth to the discussion.
Letting the others continue, Samir slips his journal from his ever-present satchel, along with a few choices pieces of his tinker's kit and a small vial of alcohol collected from one of last night's drinks. He looks up at Malachi, the collection of items gathered in his hands and nods towards the corner where they can work without being in the others' way.
"I think I am prepared, Mal, if you are ready to give it a shot."
If Malachi allows, Joren moves over and gently (for now) places his hands on the half-elf's shoulders. Holding him still.
(Providing Malachi help to not thrash around during Samir's process.)
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"they never marked me, not that I know of anyway" Vilus answers in response to Ashley, "and I'm pretty sure its the Watcher, when I've had visions from it, they've been observing everything from on high, it helped me see the ships, it saw me in the caves, it lets me look to a certain degree into some people's heads, I don't see why it wouldn't observe the visions and meetings you had, and the added shock of the hydaelim thingy blowing up might have just super powered the observance... Like I said it's not like I had a choice, and those meeting as far as I'm concerned are personal to each of you, it's not my prerogative to meddle, unless of course, any of you wish to speak to me directly about them."
As the group ready themselves to help Samir see what he can do about Malachi's mark, Vilus has an idea, "hang on I think I might be able to help in some way" he leans in close and, if Mal lets him, brushes Malachi's hair to one side to get a closer look at the symbol, "I think I might be able to read this if I just..." Vilus opens his book to reveal several scratchy drawings of some other god tongue runes, his eyes glow faintly purple and a third faint glow appears on his brow between his eyes (casting Comprehend languages and cross referencing other runes)
Malachi nods to Samir “I am ready. I want this mark off of me.” He moves to an out of the way corner and prepares for the procedure as Vilus tries to decipher the rune. He accepts Joren’s help and places the strap of his satchel in his mouth, biting down in anticipation of the pain.
Seeing as the others were opting to render their assistance, Samir simply nods and settles himself into place to make his attempt. Satchel by his side, tools in hand, and with Marion standing nearby with the container of powerful alcohol and a few other small tools, the artificer breathes deeply, adjusts his glasses, and leans in close to his friend's face.
Working in flesh is something wholly different from the arts of clockwork and steel that typically held Samir's attention. Those were sturdy, strong materials, and while they certainly had their share of quirks and inherent frailties, it was entirely different from skin and bone and blood. However, he was not without some manner of education in the matter, and the planning seemed sound. His lips moved silently as he talked himself through the process, the fine point of a pick sliding over the shape of the mark, its tip already dipped in the cleansing touch of the fiery alcohol. He did his best to keep the motion smooth and light, but the tool was honed to a razor's edge and served to etch papercut-thin lines in the other man's skin.
"Catch your breath, Mal. This will hurt."
Reaching one hand into his bag, Samir retrieves a rough cloth. As it is unfolded, it is apparent that there is already a coating of some kind of thick ointment spread across it's surface. With a quiet word, he holds it out to Marion to pour a measure of the alcohol across its surface as well. This done, Samir reaches up and begins wiping the cloth across Malachi's mark. The bite of the alcohol in the wounds mixes with the crisp feel of the artificer's healing salve as it is worked into the skin and tissue of the cult's marking.
Over and over again the mixture is pressed down and wiped across the marking, and twice more the tiny blade was slid across unwilling flesh as the wounds knitted back together. Samir would stop regularly, examining the results with a critical eye, measuring the degradation or lack thereof from the cult's marking before settling back into the routine of salve, alcohol, and the blade.
Finally, Samir let the items fall to his lap, leaning away from Malachi. A bead of sweat rolled down one temple as he removed his glasses, blinking. He drug his free hand across his dampened hairline and looked blurrily towards the others.
"It's done, I think. There isn't anything else that I can think of to do, but hopefully that should be enough to remove the cult's little symbol. It may scar, however. Flesh and bone are not my normal mediums..."