Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

With the sharp look from the fiery genasi, the noble drow takes an awkward step back. "Well, not much I'm afraid, but I met with a drow archmage that claims Lolth and another drow archmage is somehow behind the abyssal incursion. I believe we might have an potential if not altogether trustworthy ally in the archmage I met. Also, I believe we can use the stonespeaker crystal we were rewarded with back in Gracklstugh to find the answers we seek in Gravenhollow. Khessa has used up it's power so we will have to continue tomorrow I'm afraid." Traydark explains, then staying quiet to let the conversation proceed.

Katryl can't help but roll her eyes. "Of course she used up all the charges! I certainly hope it regenerates by tomorrow so we can use it some more?" She pauses a moment. "Or did Khessa learn something from her inquiries?" 

Lulu puts an encouraging hand on Traydark's shoulder as he steps back. It's with an absent nod that she absorbs the information he shares, glad to hear they might have another ally in this fight. Turning back to Katryl, braid bouncing against her cheek, she gives the genasi a reassuring smile.

"We did learn something here, love. That the future is no' set in stone," she quirks a brow up at the giantess and winks, "No pun intended, Keeper," then crosses her arms across her chest in a clank of metal armor.

"But there'll surely be more answers in the Past. 'Learn from the past, prepare for the future,' they say. If we ken exactly how the Demon Lords came here, we might just figure out how to... send them... back..?" Her brow furrows as she tries to think the puzzle through--certainly not her forte. "Y'ken... Us Feyfolk? We can be summoned to other planes. And banished back to the Wilds. I've no' a mind for complicated equations like you lot, but... I reckon is'no' so different for these Demon Lords?" 

"I believe she mentioned having had a vision of Menzoberranzan, although I am not sure how she knew that it was Menzoberranzan she saw. I think it all started there though, and perhaps it is there we will hopefully end this." The noble drow says grimly, giving some thought to his kin. "We should be patient though, I would expect our research in Gravenhollow will take some time, particularly with the limited ose of the stonespeaker crystal." 

Traydark gives the gentle Firbolg a small smile as she puts her hand on his shoulder and shares her encouraging words. "I agree, we should start with finding out more about what was the cause of all this and seek a way to reverse the event. Tomorrow we start with searching the past, together."  

"Well, while we wait for the others to come back, I suppose we should do something useful." Horkas says. "Let's check in with the troops and see if they're settled in and comfortable!"

"Oh, good idea, I'm with you!" Khessa accompanies the Angel in gnome form.

"You know, I'm comfortable with you..." the blonde arcane warrior admits "You'll return to the heavens when all this is over, though, I guess... Or do you think you'll still have assignments that will keep you here, in the dimension of the mortals?"

The accompanying troops are well situated and resting comfortably as they desire.

You may all take a long rest when ready.

Katryl listens to Lulu's comments, generally nodding.  "Well, I hope you are right that we got something out of this.  I suppose we should head back and get a meal. Suppose at some point we'll have to find Khessa and Horkas if they haven't got back as well."  She looks to the giant, not sure what to say, but joins with Lulu in saying farewell to him. As they start to walk back to find their lodgings and food, she comments to the firbolg. "I think what he said about there being hope, but it being dark and bittersweet makes sense. Like you said Lunaria, perhaps just one candle can keep back the darkness." She seems kind of quiet after that, deep in reflection. 

Once the group is back together, Horkas eagerly retells of his encounter with Elminster! (posts #4252 and 4254) He is intrigued by the stories of others, and wonders if his bit if information fits in with theirs about how this demon incursion started.

Likewise sharing what they’ve learned, little though it may be, Lulu listens as the greater minds try to put things together. When everyone retires to their rooms for rest, the cleric returns to her own with the lizards and doffs her armor in her usual methodical—almost ritual—way. 

Then heads out again, with a more personal quest… and *request* in mind. 

((Lulu will head back out into the great halls of the library, looking for the book requested of her.)) 

As the team reconvenes, the noble drow would will forth a delicious banquet of drow cousine which he enjoys as he recounts his own few findings and the meeting with the archmage Vizeran DeVir. As the artificer mentions meeting Elminster the drow's purple eyes goes briefly wide. The human archmage was known even in Menzoberranzan and was admittely quite accomplished...for a human. The small tidbits of information they had collected pointed towards Gromph Baenre somehow being responsible for what had happened. Gromph was of course a legendary powerful archmage of the most powerful house in the city of spiders but it still seemed hard to fathom that he would have managed to draw forth the Demon Lords of the Abyss to the Underdark, even with the help of the most hated Lolth. Deep in contemplation he later withdraws to his luxurious private quarters to rest for the next day's investigations.

Khessa is interested in the meeting that the Angel in drow form had with Vizeran... she would certainly be pleased to be able to add him to the list of allies - given the power of the enemies, any help is precious. However, she is well aware that Vizeran, unlike Traydark, is a drow, not a celestial... so he will certainly have his own (probably evil) schemes to carry out and it remains to be seen how useful he will actually be against the Demon Lords... he could rather be inclined to exploit the party for his own purposes.

The blonde arcane warrior is also partially reassured by the vague answers that have come from the Future... because in effect this means that the outcome of the clash (as unbalanced as it is at the moment) is not yet decided. 'Or maybe this just means that the creature who is imagining us, who is playing with us, has not yet decided whether to make us live or die? Whether we will win or lose? And how could we influence such a creature? We cannot offer anything to a creature like this, since it itself decides what we can and cannot do... or even worse, what we actually do or don't! What a horrible situation... But I won't give up. I'll get to the bottom of it. And if you, who decide what I do, are thinking differently... know that then it is not me you are imagining, but someone else. I am Khessa Cabbagefield, and I am as free as the blowing wind. Even if I'm just a figment of your mind... either you are imagining me like this, or the one you're imagining isn't me!'

The tall adventurer then shares what she has discovered about the Stonespeaker Crystall's powers - and that Menzoberranzan also appears to be involved - which is another clue to this Gromph's possible involvement.

"Probably, tomorrow, when I can use the crystal again, it will be worth looking into what Gromph did to allow the Demon Lords to come to the dimension of Mortals" Khessa proposes to the party. "As you surely already know, this is a 'library' of facts, rather than books... so we must focus primarily on finding facts. After examining the facts that allowed the Demon Lords to invade the Underdark, perhaps it will be easier to look for facts, in the present or in the future, that can undo what has been done. Do you think so too, celestials?"

Quote from MissAbyss >>

Likewise sharing what they’ve learned, little though it may be, Lulu listens as the greater minds try to put things together. When everyone retires to their rooms for rest, the cleric returns to her own with the lizards and doffs her armor in her usual methodical—almost ritual—way. 

Then heads out again, with a more personal quest… and *request* in mind. 

((Lulu will head back out into the great halls of the library, looking for the book requested of her.)) 

 (Make a wisdom and an investigation check)

((With help from Enhance Ability, WIS check: Natural 20+4 24
Investigation: 12-1+3(Guidance) 14)) 

Quote from MissAbyss >>

((With help from Enhance Ability, WIS check: Natural 20+4 24
Investigation: 12-1+3(Guidance) 14)) 

 (Those are both concentration, so if you do enhance ability first, guidance will cancel it out and then drop after rolling. This is how I am going forward, but if you need to review it just let me know.)

Lulu begins walking off, feeling divinely guided perhaps, walking down toward the histories as well, following the elaborately twisting pathways deeper and deeper into the library, walking past a multitude of rooms filled with pillars and crystals. There is perhaps a moment of questioning as none of the rooms are actually filled with books in the traditional sense, but as Lulu follows her instinct until a gentle breeze suddenly wafts by and floats into a corner of a room. There, amid gem like spires is one shaped like the horn of a unicorn, delicately etched all over in writing.

(Yes! That was exactly my intention, thank you! Figured she wouldn't need the guidance until after she'd already willed herself where she needed to go!)

The firbolg's velvety ears perk forward at sight of the horn-shaped spire, her tail curving high in the air. Her silver symbol of the Mistress a cool reassurance where it lays beneath her plain white tunic, Lulu approaches the object with light-footed reverence, as though approaching an altar, and kneels down to visually inspect the object and its etchings. 

Lulu:

@DM:

Lulu:

 The cleric spends some time wandering the halls, book clutched to her chest, before she eventually retires to her reptile room for the night.