Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

Khessa, for once, feels she has nothing to add to Traydark's words, so she simply stands, proudly, behind him. She is proud of him, as the look of her blue eyes easily reveals. And equally determined to get to the bottom of it.

The blonde arcane warrior listens with attention and a ready mind, curious to hear what refined plan could allow a handful of adventurers - who were helpless slaves until a few months before - to 'challenge the demon lords', a task that would not be simple even for the most mythical and legendary heroes of all time.

"Very well then," Vizeran says in an urgent but respectful tone. "Let us make haste to my home, the Tower of Araj to discuss the details. The walls here literally have ears, and echoes linger forever. If you wish to go now, I will guide you. However, I can also furnish you wish a map detailed enough to get you there in an efficient manner. Either way is of no matter to me, but as you are well aware, the sooner we decide this, the better."

"I believe we are ready to leave with you now Vizeran, although we have a small entourage of followers that will need collecting first." The noble Drow says, glancing over at his companions for approval. If in agreement, Traydark would make sure the efficient Black Network mercenaries will be ready to depart within minutes.

Khessa nods her head and farstrides towards the army quarters, announcing: "Yes, I would say there is no reason to postpone! I'm going to tell the others to get ready now!"

As she passes by the gentle firbolg, however, the blonde arcane warrior murmurs to her without being noticed: "Lulu... Are you able to determine if Vizeran is lying? I am obviously only too happy to have found an ally but... it seems almost too good to be true... He's a drow... I wouldn't want him to be luring us out of Gravenhollow just so that the drow could capture us!”

The tall adventuress continues anyway to recover the army (since the intention to leave was already there).

Ready to depart, Katryl listens as Traydark speaks with Vizeran.  She tries to get an idea of how sincere Vizeran is about helping repel the demons. (Insight: 27) "I would like to hear what we have to do before agreeing to our role. But I understand finding the right place to speak. I'm ready to leave now." 

Quote from Culuril >>

Ready to depart, Katryl listens as Traydark speaks with Vizeran.  She tries to get an idea of how sincere Vizeran is about helping repel the demons. (Insight: 27) "I would like to hear what we have to do before agreeing to our role. But I understand finding the right place to speak. I'm ready to leave now." 

 He doesn't give the impression of being intentionally duplicitous, the offer seems genuine. That doesn't mean he doesn't have any ulterior motives though. He appears to have a real plan, whether your party gets involved or not.

That fiery look alone is enough to reassure her, though the genasi's words are a comfort that she stores away like kindling for the hope she may need to light one day.

At Katryl's smile--a sight she will never tire of--one spreads across Lulu's face as well. "Alright, little spark," she concedes, her countenance light-hearted once more, "let's see we both get through this then. And the morning after our victory, I'll make us the best pancakes yer tastebuds have ever tasted."

With a little flick of her tail against Katryl's shoulder, she begins to walk again, adding, "And it would be my honor, Katryl Brightfury. To have whatever of yer time ye'll share with me. Errand for a Goddess or no."

As Khessa whispers to her, Lulu, who had been leaning against Horkas as the others spoke, turns a discerning eye upon the drow. 

((Insight: 17+7 24. Though I assume she'd get much the same information as Katryl!))

Quote from MissAbyss >>

 

As Khessa whispers to her, Lulu, who had been leaning against Horkas as the others spoke, turns a discerning eye upon the drow. 

((Insight: 17+7 24. Though I assume she'd get much the same information as Katryl!))

 (Yep pretty much!)

Katryl watches as others go out to the various groups traveling with them to let them know about their imminent departure. She decides to meet up with the scouts to let them know.  Once everyone is prepared she'll let the others know so everyone can head off. 

Khessa, returning with the Gauntlet infantry, notices that Lunaria seems calm... nothing suggests that she considers Vizeran a threat... she, therefore, as soon as Katryl also returns with the scouts (and Horkas with the Shield Guardian, presumably) smiles at the powerful drow wizard: "We are ready to follow you, Vizeran! Lead the way!"

'There must be something else going on anyway...' the blonde arcane warrior muses as she sets off 'Lolth plotting to send the Demon Lords to the Prime Material Plane... just to be able to rule during their absence in the Abyss!? This seems like a completely unwise plan... While she can rule over the Abyss, they can rule over the Prime Material Plane! And the Prime Material Plane is the source of the souls of her faithful... If her faithful are destroyed... or worse yet, if they realize they have been used and abandon her... it may be the end for Lolth! No, Vizeran thinks he's smart, but he must have overlooked something in the plans of that oversized vermin who thinks she's a goddess... Oh, well... anyway, if she wanted the Demo Lords here, sending them back to the Abyss will do no harm!'

Traydark too is ready to depart with his entourage of zhentarim mercenaries. He was quite aware that they couldn't expect any benevolence from the self serving Drow archmage but Vizeran DeVir was certainly the lesser evil and could possibly be dealt with once the Underdark had been freed of it's demonic corruption, although what would happen if they somehow succeded with their mission seemed so distant and unimportant. Also, he now suspected that manipulating the faerzress would be needed to send the Demon lords and their demonic minions back into the abyss.

Lulu joins Horkas as they return to the rooms to fetch Odd and Skitter. She waits patiently outside the door until the Scouts are ready, then leads them to her room to help fetch their mounts. She too is ready to leave. 

Though when they cross the threshold to do so, she stops and gazes back at the hallowed halls, twisting back and forth over a finger at something that's no longer there. Whispering something beneath her breath, her ears droop low as she finally turns to leave.

With mixed success from the library perhaps, you gather yourselves into a temporary, and perhaps tenuous alliance with Vizeran, the library offers you one final small gift, as upon leaving you find yourselves not where you came in, but along a route that heads toward the Wormwrithings. Vizeran quietly comments that his tower lies at the edge of the Wormwrithings, approximately ten days from Menzoberranzan. Other than a few scuffles with some insane trolls and not a few troglodytes (none of which bring any grievous injury to anyone) the trip is relatively easy, save for the ever looming threat of the world at stake. Eventually Vizeran stops at a small side tunnel and looks back at your group, "The few of you are welcome inside my tower, your...allies will need to stay outside. There is room around my tower for them if you wish, but the passage between here and there is far too narrow for your mounts. They will have to wait here, or elsewhere nearby."

Khessa sighs: "Different reasons, but same old song as in Mantol-Derith... our army must be separated from us. Well, no point in further fragmenting it by dividing people from mounts - let's find a well-defensible position, let's fortify it with stones or whatever we can find here... and let's make just another temporary camp for our tiny but sooo fearsome army".

"Like we did in Mantol-Derith" the blonde arcane warrior assures the army "we will do everything to return soon".

[[ OOC: @DM: Can we find, for the army's camp, a fairly defensible position without problems? If a Survival roll is needed, Khessa actively collaborates, granting Advantage to the character who rolls ]]

(Yes totally! Similar to before, the area is filled with tunnels, so holing up and closing off any possible routes in is easily done. You would feel fairly confident in the group's ability to stay safe while you're with Vizeran.)

The noble Drow nods in agreement with the blonde arcane warrior, ordering the zhentarim mercenaries to set up camp with the others, assuring them they will have their time in this mission too, leaving to them to care for his lizard mount. He then stands ready to follow Vizeran into his home.

"Good! Well done!" Khessa shakes the dust off her hands once she's finished helping the army to fortify the camp. "And now," she instructs the Gauntlet infantrymen "I trust your common sense. Stay out of trouble until we return - coming back, we will probably take care to bring you plenty of them".

"In case you disagree, Thora Nabal will be temporarily responsible for deciding your course of action" the blonde arcane warrior decides, setting her blue eyes on the blonde with braids that make her look vaguely like an overgrown child - until one sees she fighting, no less ferocious than the Demons who today infest the Underdark. "All of you, Sylrien, Olaf, Elias, Tamryn... fear not, in the future you too will be tested in positions of power!"

Before turning and leaving, the tall adventuress recommends herself: "Remember, Thora, with great power..."

"...Comes great responsibility?" the blonde with braids completes the sentence.

"No," Khessa winks at the other "comes a lot of spanking I'll give you if you disappoint me!" then she laughs, waving to the infantrymen "See you soon, b4dasses!" and she joins Traydark, also ready to follow Vizeran.

As the group had left, Katryl couldn't help but notice Lulu seeming preoccupied with something and comes over to walk alongside her. "Lunaria, is something wrong? You seem... sad to be leaving?" 

Having apparently arrived near to Vizeran's tower, Katryl does what she can to help out with arranging a safe encampment for the forces traveling with them. She also readies herself to leave and follow Vizeran once all are settled. 

Lulu shakes her head, the little braid bouncing against her cheek. "Just being a sentimental fool, love. Reminding myself that things are not people," she answers with a distant smile. "Ye ken who isn't sad to be leaving?" The right side of her mouth quirks in a crooked smile as she inclines her head at Horkas. "That one. Never seen him so frustrated," she chuckles.

 The firbolg as well helps as she can, summoning celestially conjured food and water to help keep their little army fed while they're gone. Having become quite close to her mount, the cleric presses her nose between the lizard's eyes and tells them, in the tongue of beasts, to help keep the others safe. 

Horkas hands the shield guardian's amulet over to the infantry again, ensuring they remember the command word to activate the Cure Wounds spell that he had stored in it. He also directs Skitter to stay with the army, acting as another guardian for the group.