"Serafina is out there teaching Lumithor some crystal twinkling instrument or music or something. They seemed to be enjoying the quiet time," Sam chimes in as Muir gets up to fetch her. Sam's not looking to stop Muir necessarily so much as just inform him...
Elthana smiles as she sees Sam come back to the tavern. Patting the seat next to her for him to come join her, she asks, "So what did the great Morris show you?" She feels a bit... she isn't sure. How can this man forgive her? She doesn't even forgive herself, but she tries not to dwell on it.
Sam is momentarily torn between staring Morris down about this Gewyn nonsense and sitting down next to Elthana but really it's no contest at all.
"He showed me a soldier's life," Sam says as he eases himself down next to Elthana. He looks at her and smiles a small smile and shrugs. "I think maybe seeing it somehow taught me a thing or two I'll be able to use in a scrap."
"Morris offered to show me more," Sam adds with a bit more weight in his words. "But I declined. I think sometimes we're better off not seeing some things..." And with that Sam leans just enough to the side to press against Elthana a bit. "I asked if he could help with the pendant thing but it seems there are some things beyond his powers."
"can you blame me? Stuck in here with demonic teenager and Ratosk who is far to business minded to even think about enjoying a practical joke... Ahhh well, yes Gewyn is taking his time as he's had an interesting counter offer." Morris says with a grin as he gives up on the leg pulling.
"Tell Gewyn to take his time. It's not like I'm getting more dead or that the portals are continuing to open and cause chaos or anything," Sam snarks.
"While we wait perhaps we should examine that book a bit more, Muire?" Sam suggests, turning to see if the loxodon in question had stepped out to get Serafina or not. "The way they used it to avoid hits in a fight would surely be helpful..."
Muir is quickly out and quickly back with serafina in tow. The old warrior gives a glance to Sam and Elthana and seems relieved, she also seems to have sobered up a little and she moves to take a stool by the bar and start a conversation with Morris on possible assistance to his worshippers for the coming difficulties.
"Know your enemy. Well, if the book allows one of us to see into the Shadowfell, that helps us know our enemy. As well as the benefit Sam mentioned", Vin adds regarding trying out the book.
"I don't believe the book allows the enemy to look back at you. One of the abilities does shunt you into the shadow fell for a few seconds, which might be a little dangerous and the part I warned you of, but the user can always choose to bamph to somewhere else instead, which seems to be instant", he adds regarding the capabilities of the book.
"Not to mention there are spells in there, so if one of us chooses to learn wizardly magic it will be a leg up. There were many schools of magic represented too, not just the necromantic kind".
"Could always have Hog check out the spells when we get back home," Sam says to Vin. "He may be interested in looking at them. Maybe get us a discount from him too... All of us got banged up in that last fight though. Indications are things are just going to get harder. Sure would be nice to sidestep a couple blows... I got near felled, actually. Every little bit matters."
Muir coes in onto the discussion about the book "Ah! the book....I don't have any more wherewithal to attune to it but I feel the book doing just that. I saw the shadowlands when I went outside to talk to Serafina. Zombie after zombie crashing into the gate trying to get through but can't because of Lumithor. The book seems to be attuning to me if that is a thing....Odd" Muir sits back down on the couch
“I am going to guess it will do the same to you but if you’d like to see and try it out by all means m, here you go. If you start to see zombies in a different world then you are attuning to it. This can’t be like the pendent where you forget to tell us. This is important. I’m trusting you with it.” Muir offers Sam the book
Sam reaches out but then hesitates before taking the book. "The zombies... Did you see them in here or just outside? Near the portal?" Sam asks and then takes the book gently, as if it was fragile... or hot.
"Yeah, it could be this book isn't meant for any not from the other side of the portal," Sam says thoughtfully. "Vin says it's not cursed but perhaps it's something else. If things get wonky before we can have someone more steeped in such things examine it... then we go back to your first idea and burn it." Sam leaves it on the table for now. Not afraid of touching it but not eager to hold it either. Eventually it'll get bundled into Sam's spare clothes and shoved down into the bottom of his backpack...
"I certainly sensed nothing about the properties of the book that would suggest it forces attunement, or that it can be attuned when you have already reached your capacity for attuning items", Vin says a little surprised.
"Well I'll leave it in my backpack for now, try not to do anything with it until we are away from here," Sam says of the book. "If it starts bothering me then we either start playing hot potato with it and try to avoid any unintended effects that way, or we destroy it if it becomes too much of a thing."
"So... Next steps?" he asks. "We're waiting to hear from home and need the bone returned before we can really head out of here but once we can... Where to? Serafina, I am sure, is returning home and warning her people of what we learned. I assume we head there as well? We at least need to figure out transportation to elsewhere, yes? But to where? What's next?"
"I'd like to get un-cursed, of course. Get this pendant out from the middle of my chest..." Sam continues. "That's a bit of a sidejob though. I want it done asap, of course, but it's just not the main objective is my point. Hopefully we can get it done along the way but we've bigger fish to fry. That bigger fish would be what exactly though? Warning Akiin of what we found out and try to convince him, and through him the other djinn, that they're worshipping an undead god corrupted and enthralled? I mean... how we going to do that? We expect them to just take our word or...?"
"And then what? Say they believe us and don't attack us as heretics or something..." Sam pauses and then calls over to Griff. He calls louder and louder if needed to wake up the birdman. "Griff!! How likely are they to want to burn us at the stake instead of believing us?" he looks to inquire, clarifying as needed.
"And say convinced and not burned for it, what does that get is? How does that get us closer to fixing (by whatever means necessary) the undead god and somehow finding, defeating and solving the problem of Nivara and Elthana? Do we have a plan? A flowchart? Maybe a powerpoint?"
When Sam says the name Nivara he unconsciously takes Elthana's hand in his, below the table and out of sight, and gives it a reassuring squeeze. As he does so Elthana feels a magical bond attempt to flow from Sam's hand to her own, linking them... If she allows. If she rejects it the magical bond retreats unformed, the memory of it ephemeral and fleeting like a dream upon waking.
If accepted:
A magical bond is created between Sam and Elthana as he holds her hand, a gentle energy surrounding their linked hands for a moment before sinking in and taking hold. While this bond lasts, whenever Sam is subjected to a spell or magical effect that restores hit points, Elthana also receives the benefits of the spell or effect. Each of them can benefit from only one Ring of Amity’s bond at a time. The bond ends if either you or the creature travels to a different plane of existence, if you bond with a different creature at the end of a long rest, or if you sever the bond as a bonus action. Additionally, when Elthana hits a target with an attack roll, Sam can use his reaction to invoke the ring’s rune if he is within 60 feet of Elthana. Her attack is then turned into a critical hit. Once the rune has been invoked, it can’t be invoked again until the next dawn.
Muir allows Sam to finish his rant and then raises a finger "Just a warning....the book was in my things as well and still found a way to begin the attunement process. Having it in your bag won't stop it from attuning to you. As for next steps, although I do admit I do not know what a PowerPoint is, I will have to find some sort how to for dummies on it, but as for plans, we need to tread carefully. We should first travel with Serafina to speak to the elders and Hector. Hopefully they will take kindly to our words without this Powered Pointer. From there our harder challenge of convincing the Djinn. If they refuse to see then this realm is doomed. We will need Gewyn's silver tongue for this. I can lay out as much factual evidence to them but Gewyn will need to really do the convincing. However, Sam I think you are correct that we can't really start this leg of our journey without Sergor and home doing their part. Personally he should be doing a lot more once the treasury is secured. Perhaps if he does not see the error of his ways then we tell the whole council how this is all his doing. I hate to be underhanded but he is not an honest, forthright person....he is an undead who has created this whole mess for 1000 years our time. If he can't be reasoned with well then.....perhaps we tell everyone he is a vampire who with Nivara created the mess here.....just a thought"
Elthana rests her head on Sam's shoulder when he presses against her and closes her eyes again. She breathes in his scent, and a little crease between her eyebrows appears. He doesn't smell like Sam anymore, it's an undead version of Sam and it needs to be fixed.
With her eyes closed, she answers him, "I told you, I think the book needs to be destroyed. Maybe give it to Lumithor? I know Gewyn wants it and I would be fine with that... but the fact that it is attuning on it's own accord? I don't like it."
When Sam grabs her hand, her eyes fly open. She sits still as she feels the gentle energy of the magical bond flow between them. She doesn't understand what is going on... she didn't think Sam had a lot of magic within him, but then again, she knows she has changed since being in this tavern, maybe he has too? She looks at him and smiles.
To the rest of the group, "I've reached out to Sergor to try and get a read on what is going on in Marblestead, but of course I haven't heard back because it is not something he needs." She looks directly at Muir, "We definitely have leverage." and she leaves it at that.
Griff stirs and grimaces at Sam, but listens once Sam clarifies, he frowns in thought. "Akiin will likely be listening to our claims, especially if I am there to back up your words. Though if we are completely honest with him I am not sure how he will be taking news of this broken isle... If we want a military might then our better option is going to be travelling to Shenoh. Her Isle has the most garrisons and power, but she will be even more difficult to be persuading. But first yes, back to the elders on this isle."
Sam nods to Griff. "An army sounds like a good idea but will Shenoh be convinced easier if we get Akiin on our side first? Or, I suppose, do we have transport to either once we're free to go? Than in itself could decide where we go..." Sam replies.
Sam frowns at Muir as he tells how the book started attuning even packed away. He then listens to Elthana, thinking and then sighs. "I uh... Well, hate to destroy something so useful unless we are sure... Vote on it, I guess?" Sam suggests, half waiting to see if Elthana gets upset about it. "Vin? Muir? Destroy now or wait a bit or for Gewyn or....?"
"As for home issues... I think those will mostly need to wait until we can go home, no?" Sam asks. "Except for needing the bone back, is there anything going on back home that we're actually in a position to do anything about any time soon?"
The side door opens and Morris steps though assimilating with his other self, Gewyn enters the tavern behind him shutting the door to the library and also notably in his changeling form.
Muir groans "Yes...you are right....I will go get her." Muir agitated gets up and heads out to get Serafina
"Serafina is out there teaching Lumithor some crystal twinkling instrument or music or something. They seemed to be enjoying the quiet time," Sam chimes in as Muir gets up to fetch her. Sam's not looking to stop Muir necessarily so much as just inform him...
Turning to Morris Sam frowns. "Games? Really?"
Elthana smiles as she sees Sam come back to the tavern. Patting the seat next to her for him to come join her, she asks, "So what did the great Morris show you?" She feels a bit... she isn't sure. How can this man forgive her? She doesn't even forgive herself, but she tries not to dwell on it.
Sam is momentarily torn between staring Morris down about this Gewyn nonsense and sitting down next to Elthana but really it's no contest at all.
"He showed me a soldier's life," Sam says as he eases himself down next to Elthana. He looks at her and smiles a small smile and shrugs. "I think maybe seeing it somehow taught me a thing or two I'll be able to use in a scrap."
"Morris offered to show me more," Sam adds with a bit more weight in his words. "But I declined. I think sometimes we're better off not seeing some things..." And with that Sam leans just enough to the side to press against Elthana a bit. "I asked if he could help with the pendant thing but it seems there are some things beyond his powers."
"can you blame me? Stuck in here with demonic teenager and Ratosk who is far to business minded to even think about enjoying a practical joke... Ahhh well, yes Gewyn is taking his time as he's had an interesting counter offer." Morris says with a grin as he gives up on the leg pulling.
"Tell Gewyn to take his time. It's not like I'm getting more dead or that the portals are continuing to open and cause chaos or anything," Sam snarks.
"While we wait perhaps we should examine that book a bit more, Muire?" Sam suggests, turning to see if the loxodon in question had stepped out to get Serafina or not. "The way they used it to avoid hits in a fight would surely be helpful..."
Muir is quickly out and quickly back with serafina in tow. The old warrior gives a glance to Sam and Elthana and seems relieved, she also seems to have sobered up a little and she moves to take a stool by the bar and start a conversation with Morris on possible assistance to his worshippers for the coming difficulties.
"Know your enemy. Well, if the book allows one of us to see into the Shadowfell, that helps us know our enemy. As well as the benefit Sam mentioned", Vin adds regarding trying out the book.
"I don't believe the book allows the enemy to look back at you. One of the abilities does shunt you into the shadow fell for a few seconds, which might be a little dangerous and the part I warned you of, but the user can always choose to bamph to somewhere else instead, which seems to be instant", he adds regarding the capabilities of the book.
"Not to mention there are spells in there, so if one of us chooses to learn wizardly magic it will be a leg up. There were many schools of magic represented too, not just the necromantic kind".
"Could always have Hog check out the spells when we get back home," Sam says to Vin. "He may be interested in looking at them. Maybe get us a discount from him too... All of us got banged up in that last fight though. Indications are things are just going to get harder. Sure would be nice to sidestep a couple blows... I got near felled, actually. Every little bit matters."
Muir coes in onto the discussion about the book "Ah! the book....I don't have any more wherewithal to attune to it but I feel the book doing just that. I saw the shadowlands when I went outside to talk to Serafina. Zombie after zombie crashing into the gate trying to get through but can't because of Lumithor. The book seems to be attuning to me if that is a thing....Odd" Muir sits back down on the couch
"The book is attuning... to you?" Sam asks, confused. "Umm..."
Sam looks to Elthana to see her reaction. Then to Vin. Then to Morris. "This ain't a good thing, is it?"
"Muir... Maybe you should just let me hold the book before it can do to you whatever it is trying to do..."
“I am going to guess it will do the same to you but if you’d like to see and try it out by all means m, here you go. If you start to see zombies in a different world then you are attuning to it. This can’t be like the pendent where you forget to tell us. This is important. I’m trusting you with it.” Muir offers Sam the book
Sam reaches out but then hesitates before taking the book. "The zombies... Did you see them in here or just outside? Near the portal?" Sam asks and then takes the book gently, as if it was fragile... or hot.
"Yeah, it could be this book isn't meant for any not from the other side of the portal," Sam says thoughtfully. "Vin says it's not cursed but perhaps it's something else. If things get wonky before we can have someone more steeped in such things examine it... then we go back to your first idea and burn it." Sam leaves it on the table for now. Not afraid of touching it but not eager to hold it either. Eventually it'll get bundled into Sam's spare clothes and shoved down into the bottom of his backpack...
"I certainly sensed nothing about the properties of the book that would suggest it forces attunement, or that it can be attuned when you have already reached your capacity for attuning items", Vin says a little surprised.
"Well I'll leave it in my backpack for now, try not to do anything with it until we are away from here," Sam says of the book. "If it starts bothering me then we either start playing hot potato with it and try to avoid any unintended effects that way, or we destroy it if it becomes too much of a thing."
"So... Next steps?" he asks. "We're waiting to hear from home and need the bone returned before we can really head out of here but once we can... Where to? Serafina, I am sure, is returning home and warning her people of what we learned. I assume we head there as well? We at least need to figure out transportation to elsewhere, yes? But to where? What's next?"
"I'd like to get un-cursed, of course. Get this pendant out from the middle of my chest..." Sam continues. "That's a bit of a sidejob though. I want it done asap, of course, but it's just not the main objective is my point. Hopefully we can get it done along the way but we've bigger fish to fry. That bigger fish would be what exactly though? Warning Akiin of what we found out and try to convince him, and through him the other djinn, that they're worshipping an undead god corrupted and enthralled? I mean... how we going to do that? We expect them to just take our word or...?"
"And then what? Say they believe us and don't attack us as heretics or something..." Sam pauses and then calls over to Griff. He calls louder and louder if needed to wake up the birdman. "Griff!! How likely are they to want to burn us at the stake instead of believing us?" he looks to inquire, clarifying as needed.
"And say convinced and not burned for it, what does that get is? How does that get us closer to fixing (by whatever means necessary) the undead god and somehow finding, defeating and solving the problem of Nivara and Elthana? Do we have a plan? A flowchart? Maybe a powerpoint?"
When Sam says the name Nivara he unconsciously takes Elthana's hand in his, below the table and out of sight, and gives it a reassuring squeeze. As he does so Elthana feels a magical bond attempt to flow from Sam's hand to her own, linking them... If she allows. If she rejects it the magical bond retreats unformed, the memory of it ephemeral and fleeting like a dream upon waking.
If accepted:
A magical bond is created between Sam and Elthana as he holds her hand, a gentle energy surrounding their linked hands for a moment before sinking in and taking hold. While this bond lasts, whenever Sam is subjected to a spell or magical effect that restores hit points, Elthana also receives the benefits of the spell or effect. Each of them can benefit from only one Ring of Amity’s bond at a time. The bond ends if either you or the creature travels to a different plane of existence, if you bond with a different creature at the end of a long rest, or if you sever the bond as a bonus action.
Additionally, when Elthana hits a target with an attack roll, Sam can use his reaction to invoke the ring’s rune if he is within 60 feet of Elthana. Her attack is then turned into a critical hit. Once the rune has been invoked, it can’t be invoked again until the next dawn.
Muir allows Sam to finish his rant and then raises a finger "Just a warning....the book was in my things as well and still found a way to begin the attunement process. Having it in your bag won't stop it from attuning to you. As for next steps, although I do admit I do not know what a PowerPoint is, I will have to find some sort how to for dummies on it, but as for plans, we need to tread carefully. We should first travel with Serafina to speak to the elders and Hector. Hopefully they will take kindly to our words without this Powered Pointer. From there our harder challenge of convincing the Djinn. If they refuse to see then this realm is doomed. We will need Gewyn's silver tongue for this. I can lay out as much factual evidence to them but Gewyn will need to really do the convincing. However, Sam I think you are correct that we can't really start this leg of our journey without Sergor and home doing their part. Personally he should be doing a lot more once the treasury is secured. Perhaps if he does not see the error of his ways then we tell the whole council how this is all his doing. I hate to be underhanded but he is not an honest, forthright person....he is an undead who has created this whole mess for 1000 years our time. If he can't be reasoned with well then.....perhaps we tell everyone he is a vampire who with Nivara created the mess here.....just a thought"
Elthana rests her head on Sam's shoulder when he presses against her and closes her eyes again. She breathes in his scent, and a little crease between her eyebrows appears. He doesn't smell like Sam anymore, it's an undead version of Sam and it needs to be fixed.
With her eyes closed, she answers him, "I told you, I think the book needs to be destroyed. Maybe give it to Lumithor? I know Gewyn wants it and I would be fine with that... but the fact that it is attuning on it's own accord? I don't like it."
When Sam grabs her hand, her eyes fly open. She sits still as she feels the gentle energy of the magical bond flow between them. She doesn't understand what is going on... she didn't think Sam had a lot of magic within him, but then again, she knows she has changed since being in this tavern, maybe he has too? She looks at him and smiles.
To the rest of the group, "I've reached out to Sergor to try and get a read on what is going on in Marblestead, but of course I haven't heard back because it is not something he needs." She looks directly at Muir, "We definitely have leverage." and she leaves it at that.
Griff stirs and grimaces at Sam, but listens once Sam clarifies, he frowns in thought. "Akiin will likely be listening to our claims, especially if I am there to back up your words. Though if we are completely honest with him I am not sure how he will be taking news of this broken isle... If we want a military might then our better option is going to be travelling to Shenoh. Her Isle has the most garrisons and power, but she will be even more difficult to be persuading. But first yes, back to the elders on this isle."
Sam nods to Griff. "An army sounds like a good idea but will Shenoh be convinced easier if we get Akiin on our side first? Or, I suppose, do we have transport to either once we're free to go? Than in itself could decide where we go..." Sam replies.
Sam frowns at Muir as he tells how the book started attuning even packed away. He then listens to Elthana, thinking and then sighs. "I uh... Well, hate to destroy something so useful unless we are sure... Vote on it, I guess?" Sam suggests, half waiting to see if Elthana gets upset about it. "Vin? Muir? Destroy now or wait a bit or for Gewyn or....?"
"As for home issues... I think those will mostly need to wait until we can go home, no?" Sam asks. "Except for needing the bone back, is there anything going on back home that we're actually in a position to do anything about any time soon?"
The side door opens and Morris steps though assimilating with his other self, Gewyn enters the tavern behind him shutting the door to the library and also notably in his changeling form.