"Lulu suspects that I may be in need of assistance..." Khessa adds, finally trusting to turn around again, now that the Maze Engine is gone forever "Since we can now move at incredible speed, perhaps we could also stop by Gravenhollow first and ask the Basilisk for a new courtesy".
'We have all that Vizeran needed' the blonde arcane warrior finally realizes. It was no small feat. How many difficulties overcome. How many seemingly impossible challenges won. Not even having met yet another Demon Lord in person was enough to stop her and her friends.
With new conviction and pride, the tall adventurer re-checks the notes she took regarding the Eldritch Device... Maybe, after all, something remains of that lost knowledge... The notes, re-checked with a clearer mind, lead her to hypothesize some connections with the arcane knowledge she had previously acquired...
You can quick find the basilisk again and cajole them into performing greater restoration once per day as needed and then make your way back to Araj. There it will take 10 days for Vizeran to perform the ritual needed to craft the dark heart. In the end he offers a dark black stone shaped vaguely like a heart, ready for you to take to Menzeoberranzan and find Gromph's grimoire and place the heart ready for the final ritual. He offers to recommend allies in the city if you wish them, but comments you may or may not need them with Traydark in the party.
He also suggests his own path going into the city, one known primarily to him and his assistant, but will not stop you from going your own way. He also highly recommends you leave your small army behind, as marching into the city with such a force may not be taken well. But again, up to you.
Khessa sincerely thanks the Basilisk for his invaluable help and, while she waits for Horkas and Katryl to be healed as well, she tries to find informations in Gravenhollow about Tamiel, about the reasons why he finds himself petrified in the Underdark and, once she knows more about the matter, she also tries to discuss with the Basilisk or with the Stonespeakers of Gravenhollow if it is possible to save that poor angel and how.
Back in Araj, the blue eyed woman agrees not to be accompanied by the Gauntlet Infantry, this time, since it is essentially an infiltration mission.
On the contrary, she does not agree at all in placing the Heart in Menzoberranzan - but she certainly does not tell Vizeran. She reiterates during the journey, once they are far from Araj, that she intends to hide the Heart in Araj itself. In this way, there will be no casualities in Menzoberranzan and in addition the treacherous Vizeran will reap the fruits of what he has sown in hindering the party unnecessarily. Not to mention that, this way, even the powerful archmage Vizeran will be forced to take part in the battle with the Demon Lords (since he certainly can't think of reasoning with them, as his tower becomes the battlefield), increasing the party's chances of success.
The tall adventuress is indeed curious to be able to examine Gromph's grimoire... both for personal culture, and to, possibly, modify some passages before delivering it to Vizeran.
Khessa sincerely thanks the Basilisk for his invaluable help and, while she waits for Horkas and Katryl to be healed as well, she tries to find informations in Gravenhollow about Tamiel, about the reasons why he finds himself petrified in the Underdark and, once she knows more about the matter, she also tries to discuss with the Basilisk or with the Stonespeakers of Gravenhollow if it is possible to save that poor angel and how.
The only information anyone has on it is that they are punished by the gods and all attempts to rescue them have failed. They seem to be doomed to spend eternity trapped in place.
Khessa is visibly sorry... "To me, Tamiel seemed kind and helpful... but I suppose the god who punished him didn't choose to do so lightly. Perhaps that angel had indeed committed some grave fault. And, after all, I admit that it is possible that the Angel with me was just pretending, maybe deceiving me - although that is not the impression I had".
"Towards me," the blonde arcane warrior muses aloud "he behaved as an Angel should behave... Perhaps, if he continues to behave like this, whoever decided to condemn him may one day decide to pardon him".
The tall adventures raises a silent prayer to whatever sacred force decided to punish Tamiel... A prayer in which she points out the impression of repentance she has had regarding him... 'Could you pray with me, Dawn?' she tries to ask 'I'm not very good at these things... besides not having much faith in the gods'. After her (probably entirely useless) prayer, she doesn't know what else to do... so, although sorry about this, she focuses again on the mission of banishing the Demon Lords. And on the next stop: Menzoberranzan.
Back visiting the basilisk, Katryl is indignant that Khessa implies that she even needs any help, especially removing a madness. The more people press her about it the angrier she gets, trying to enlist others to join her in getting back at Khessa for saying such vile things. Although, she might listen to Lulu eventually, and presumably she is eventually cured of her madness. (Though can anyone really tell the difference?)
In Araj, Katryl considers the plan. "Traydark, I suppose it is mostly up to you about what path we should take. Should we make use of Vizeran's path in? Or do you have another?" She then addresses her other companions. "As for allies, we can let Traydark do his thing there. But if Vizeran can point us to other potential allies, then we should at least take the information as backup."
Lulu pays careful attention as Veldyskar restores the others. Changing tactics with regards to persuading Katryl, she had tried to frame the restoration as something she herself needed—and with which Katryl would be a great help as she studied how the spell was channeled.
Gently teasing the others about the relatively mild—thank the Goddess—effects of their Madness, she later silently prays for the means to restore them herself. Leaving them to its effects had weighed heavily on her heart. Though she would need costly components to channel it herself, the cleric feels confident in her understanding and thanks the basilisk for all its help.
"Are ye worried about the reception ye might receive? We could arrive incog-neat-o if necessary?" Lulu asks Traydark, knowing he had left under not-so-good circumstances. Of the allies Vizeran knows, she adds, "T'would be prudent to ken who we can turn to in a moment of need."
When later discussing the plan for the ritual, Lulu would express her reservations about summoning the Demon Lords to Araj, as the forces they've been amassing for some time would not be able to reach it--and surely an entire army would help assure their victory more than a single archmage? She worries as well that it would be far too easy for Vizeran to detect such an object hidden within his own home--the firbolg herself is quite easily able to see the auras of arcane objects--and the tower is warded in numerous ways.
She explains that she's been gifted the ability from her Goddess to create [spell]Hallow;Hallowed grounds[/spells], and suggests they choose a place for the ritual that she can also bless with those divine protections.
((OOC: Lulu has Scrying and Commune now (as well as Legend Lore, though we gotta go shopping for that one and for Hallow)! So we can certainly make use of those if Gnomes feels her holy symbol of pure silver is worth 1000gp! Otherwise, she'll need to find/make a focus for it. Lulu would also ask Horkas to help her make a golden reliquary worth at least 500 gp for Summon Celestial.
While visiting Gravenhollow, the noble drow was mostly curious if anyone would be able to tell the difference after the eccentric basilisk had used it's restorative magic. Hopefully they would now be able to finish what they started before the sanity of his companions quickly deteriorated once again.
Back at Araj and during Vizeran's process of creating the dark heart, Traydark would mostly stay in the adamantine tower, brooding over returning to his home and the proper placement of the dark heart.
The noble drow offers to carry the dark heart, so far seeming to perhaps be the most resistant to demonic influences. "I have no knowledge of any secret passages into Menzoberranzan so I suggest we use the one our host suggests. As for allies that too could possibly be helpful. We are there, primarily at least, to collect Gromph Baenre's Grimoires in the tower of Sorcere. I expect it will be well warded for intrusions so if there is a contact who could give us access to Tier Breche and Sorcere then that would be most helpful of course. Fighting our way in there is not well advised."The noble drow says calmly.
Horkas would be glad of ridding his bag of holding of the demon's heart, and would obsessively try to scrub the inside of it to ensure all traces of demon blood and ichor are removed! He will also spend time working with Lulu to craft a reliquary worthy of his friend and her goddess, engraving intricate runes of knowledge and power. Finally, he is agnostic about routes into the drow city!
When you are ready to leave, Vizeran insists his assistant, Grin, goes with you as a guide. He shows you an entrance to a long, long tunnel just outside Vizeran's tower, hewn right out of the bedrock almost. Are you all walking as normal, or turning into clouds?
Great, unless there are any objections to that plan, it still takes a few days to get back to Menzoberranzan, but there are not monsters or hazards along the way, finally opening up at the bottom of the Westrift, with easily several hours of cloud time left if you wish.
During the team's journey to the City of Spiders, the noble drow would follow along in wind form and brood inside the adamantine tower while resting. During one such rest he would however approach Vizeran's guide. "So, how does your master expect us to get into Sorcere? Do you have a secret way there too or do you have a contact for us that could bring us into Gromph Baenre's inner sanctum?" He asks with a polite smile.
Grin shrugs. "He doesn't tell me much unless he wants to. Didn't leave me any direction to get into Sorcere, but I know he's had meetings with the Council of Spiders for some time now. While he hasn't disclosed anything specific to me, it seems he's ingratiated himself with them and their work, so perhaps they will be willing to aid you in getting into Sorcere."
"If I knew where they met, but considering their goals include the advancement of arcane magic here, I think getting close to Sorcere should be enough to attract their attention. I've seen some of them so I can let you know when one of them is spotted."
"Don't you think it will be hard for a group like ours to get close to Sorcere? I can only assume security will be quite strong in Tier-Breche since the abyssal incursion."Traydark continues.
Horkas wasn't the brooding sort, and he missed talking with everyone while in cloud form, so at night he tried to catch up on all the conversations he had missed during the day. Katryl, Khessa, and Lulu were his usual victims, since the drow was a poor conversationalist =D
The gnome would talk about what they had seen already, or strange and unique formations or growths they had passed that day. Sometimes he talked about the foods he missed the most while they had been underground, or certain animals and their sounds. He even crafted a small bird-like contraption that hopped around the tower and sang snippets of bird-song!
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"Lulu suspects that I may be in need of assistance..." Khessa adds, finally trusting to turn around again, now that the Maze Engine is gone forever "Since we can now move at incredible speed, perhaps we could also stop by Gravenhollow first and ask the Basilisk for a new courtesy".
'We have all that Vizeran needed' the blonde arcane warrior finally realizes. It was no small feat. How many difficulties overcome. How many seemingly impossible challenges won. Not even having met yet another Demon Lord in person was enough to stop her and her friends.
With new conviction and pride, the tall adventurer re-checks the notes she took regarding the Eldritch Device... Maybe, after all, something remains of that lost knowledge... The notes, re-checked with a clearer mind, lead her to hypothesize some connections with the arcane knowledge she had previously acquired...
[[ OOC: Next Khessa's level is a Wizard level ]]
Lulu is disappointed when the decision to destroy the machine is made without her input.
She goes along with whatever the others decide to do next.
You can quick find the basilisk again and cajole them into performing greater restoration once per day as needed and then make your way back to Araj. There it will take 10 days for Vizeran to perform the ritual needed to craft the dark heart. In the end he offers a dark black stone shaped vaguely like a heart, ready for you to take to Menzeoberranzan and find Gromph's grimoire and place the heart ready for the final ritual. He offers to recommend allies in the city if you wish them, but comments you may or may not need them with Traydark in the party.
He also suggests his own path going into the city, one known primarily to him and his assistant, but will not stop you from going your own way. He also highly recommends you leave your small army behind, as marching into the city with such a force may not be taken well. But again, up to you.
Khessa sincerely thanks the Basilisk for his invaluable help and, while she waits for Horkas and Katryl to be healed as well, she tries to find informations in Gravenhollow about Tamiel, about the reasons why he finds himself petrified in the Underdark and, once she knows more about the matter, she also tries to discuss with the Basilisk or with the Stonespeakers of Gravenhollow if it is possible to save that poor angel and how.
Back in Araj, the blue eyed woman agrees not to be accompanied by the Gauntlet Infantry, this time, since it is essentially an infiltration mission.
On the contrary, she does not agree at all in placing the Heart in Menzoberranzan - but she certainly does not tell Vizeran. She reiterates during the journey, once they are far from Araj, that she intends to hide the Heart in Araj itself. In this way, there will be no casualities in Menzoberranzan and in addition the treacherous Vizeran will reap the fruits of what he has sown in hindering the party unnecessarily. Not to mention that, this way, even the powerful archmage Vizeran will be forced to take part in the battle with the Demon Lords (since he certainly can't think of reasoning with them, as his tower becomes the battlefield), increasing the party's chances of success.
The tall adventuress is indeed curious to be able to examine Gromph's grimoire... both for personal culture, and to, possibly, modify some passages before delivering it to Vizeran.
The only information anyone has on it is that they are punished by the gods and all attempts to rescue them have failed. They seem to be doomed to spend eternity trapped in place.
Khessa is visibly sorry... "To me, Tamiel seemed kind and helpful... but I suppose the god who punished him didn't choose to do so lightly. Perhaps that angel had indeed committed some grave fault. And, after all, I admit that it is possible that the Angel with me was just pretending, maybe deceiving me - although that is not the impression I had".
"Towards me," the blonde arcane warrior muses aloud "he behaved as an Angel should behave... Perhaps, if he continues to behave like this, whoever decided to condemn him may one day decide to pardon him".
The tall adventures raises a silent prayer to whatever sacred force decided to punish Tamiel... A prayer in which she points out the impression of repentance she has had regarding him... 'Could you pray with me, Dawn?' she tries to ask 'I'm not very good at these things... besides not having much faith in the gods'. After her (probably entirely useless) prayer, she doesn't know what else to do... so, although sorry about this, she focuses again on the mission of banishing the Demon Lords. And on the next stop: Menzoberranzan.
I'm afraid I'm not well versed in the prayers to the gods but you can share my light and warmth...
Back visiting the basilisk, Katryl is indignant that Khessa implies that she even needs any help, especially removing a madness. The more people press her about it the angrier she gets, trying to enlist others to join her in getting back at Khessa for saying such vile things. Although, she might listen to Lulu eventually, and presumably she is eventually cured of her madness. (Though can anyone really tell the difference?)
In Araj, Katryl considers the plan. "Traydark, I suppose it is mostly up to you about what path we should take. Should we make use of Vizeran's path in? Or do you have another?" She then addresses her other companions. "As for allies, we can let Traydark do his thing there. But if Vizeran can point us to other potential allies, then we should at least take the information as backup."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Lulu pays careful attention as Veldyskar restores the others. Changing tactics with regards to persuading Katryl, she had tried to frame the restoration as something she herself needed—and with which Katryl would be a great help as she studied how the spell was channeled.
Gently teasing the others about the relatively mild—thank the Goddess—effects of their Madness, she later silently prays for the means to restore them herself. Leaving them to its effects had weighed heavily on her heart. Though she would need costly components to channel it herself, the cleric feels confident in her understanding and thanks the basilisk for all its help.
"Are ye worried about the reception ye might receive? We could arrive incog-neat-o if necessary?" Lulu asks Traydark, knowing he had left under not-so-good circumstances. Of the allies Vizeran knows, she adds, "T'would be prudent to ken who we can turn to in a moment of need."
When later discussing the plan for the ritual, Lulu would express her reservations about summoning the Demon Lords to Araj, as the forces they've been amassing for some time would not be able to reach it--and surely an entire army would help assure their victory more than a single archmage? She worries as well that it would be far too easy for Vizeran to detect such an object hidden within his own home--the firbolg herself is quite easily able to see the auras of arcane objects--and the tower is warded in numerous ways.She explains that she's been gifted the ability from her Goddess to create [spell]Hallow;Hallowed grounds[/spells], and suggests they choose a place for the ritual that she can also bless with those divine protections.
((OOC: Lulu has Scrying and Commune now (as well as Legend Lore, though we gotta go shopping for that one and for Hallow)! So we can certainly make use of those if Gnomes feels her holy symbol of pure silver is worth 1000gp! Otherwise, she'll need to find/make a focus for it. Lulu would also ask Horkas to help her make a golden reliquary worth at least 500 gp for Summon Celestial.
While visiting Gravenhollow, the noble drow was mostly curious if anyone would be able to tell the difference after the eccentric basilisk had used it's restorative magic. Hopefully they would now be able to finish what they started before the sanity of his companions quickly deteriorated once again.
Back at Araj and during Vizeran's process of creating the dark heart, Traydark would mostly stay in the adamantine tower, brooding over returning to his home and the proper placement of the dark heart.
The noble drow offers to carry the dark heart, so far seeming to perhaps be the most resistant to demonic influences. "I have no knowledge of any secret passages into Menzoberranzan so I suggest we use the one our host suggests. As for allies that too could possibly be helpful. We are there, primarily at least, to collect Gromph Baenre's Grimoires in the tower of Sorcere. I expect it will be well warded for intrusions so if there is a contact who could give us access to Tier Breche and Sorcere then that would be most helpful of course. Fighting our way in there is not well advised." The noble drow says calmly.
Horkas would be glad of ridding his bag of holding of the demon's heart, and would obsessively try to scrub the inside of it to ensure all traces of demon blood and ichor are removed! He will also spend time working with Lulu to craft a reliquary worthy of his friend and her goddess, engraving intricate runes of knowledge and power. Finally, he is agnostic about routes into the drow city!
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
When you are ready to leave, Vizeran insists his assistant, Grin, goes with you as a guide. He shows you an entrance to a long, long tunnel just outside Vizeran's tower, hewn right out of the bedrock almost. Are you all walking as normal, or turning into clouds?
Unless we have reason not too, Khessa would suggest the cloud form, given the incredibly superior speed it allows.
Great, unless there are any objections to that plan, it still takes a few days to get back to Menzoberranzan, but there are not monsters or hazards along the way, finally opening up at the bottom of the Westrift, with easily several hours of cloud time left if you wish.
During the team's journey to the City of Spiders, the noble drow would follow along in wind form and brood inside the adamantine tower while resting. During one such rest he would however approach Vizeran's guide. "So, how does your master expect us to get into Sorcere? Do you have a secret way there too or do you have a contact for us that could bring us into Gromph Baenre's inner sanctum?" He asks with a polite smile.
Grin shrugs. "He doesn't tell me much unless he wants to. Didn't leave me any direction to get into Sorcere, but I know he's had meetings with the Council of Spiders for some time now. While he hasn't disclosed anything specific to me, it seems he's ingratiated himself with them and their work, so perhaps they will be willing to aid you in getting into Sorcere."
"I see. So are you able to bring us to this council of Spiders then?" The noble drow continues.
"If I knew where they met, but considering their goals include the advancement of arcane magic here, I think getting close to Sorcere should be enough to attract their attention. I've seen some of them so I can let you know when one of them is spotted."
"Don't you think it will be hard for a group like ours to get close to Sorcere? I can only assume security will be quite strong in Tier-Breche since the abyssal incursion." Traydark continues.
Horkas wasn't the brooding sort, and he missed talking with everyone while in cloud form, so at night he tried to catch up on all the conversations he had missed during the day. Katryl, Khessa, and Lulu were his usual victims, since the drow was a poor conversationalist =D
The gnome would talk about what they had seen already, or strange and unique formations or growths they had passed that day. Sometimes he talked about the foods he missed the most while they had been underground, or certain animals and their sounds. He even crafted a small bird-like contraption that hopped around the tower and sang snippets of bird-song!
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?