Corlith lets out a little sigh of relief as Teles confirms the gem is sufficient.
"If we have an hour, then I suggest we get back to our other business in Candlekeep, rather than distracting Mr Avhoste here", he states looking around at his companions. Archie might have actually been help to the artificer but the others, himself included, would just be getting in the way.
"We will continue to look into the whereabouts of Master Thell, as much as our skills, contact and time allow anyway", he says to Teles as he prepares to leave the room to head back to see Sylvira Savikas.
"I would stick around and help with the equations but it feels weird when the subject for experimentation is me... I trust you master Ahvoste, and I'll take this time to prepare for the connection to the arcane sphere if that's ok?" Archie feels an overwhelming nervousness on the subject but also is looking forward to meeting Sylvira as she has not done so yet.
Reed watches all the activity in the room pondering the magic of an eye in a gem, but besides roughly estimating how much he could get for it in some of the more unusual taverns he's visited, it's all above him.
"I suppose we could go back and see what this riddle box hides inside," Reed suggests.
Teles turns from the group to start working on his sphere and you all head out to go back to the first spire you were in.
Sylvana claps her hands in excitement as you all return. "I have been busy while you all have been away! Fisk has told me some about you and well, since you have aided in his return and are giving me that puzzle box to figure out, I have a few gifts to impart. Now, these items have been chosen by what Falaster here has told me. You won't hurt my feelings if you decide to swap or whatever." she waives her hand in a little flourish that seems to wave the worry away.
"Now... who's first? Ah yes, the one with the double identity and a teeny little problem. Well, I can't solve that, but I do have something that might help you with regaining spells and such." She hands Archie a golden rod that appears to have castle crenelations on each end with runes inscribed on them.
"Alright, next, our determined tiefling, these are a fun item. Let's say you'll double your fun?"and she chuckles a bit as she hands Corlith a pair of bracers that are a plain metal but have a glowing blue circle in the center.
"For our avian friend, let's help bring out that paladin in you."and to Roo she hands a large and beautiful deck of cards inscribed with many glyphs.
She then gives Virro a smirk and holds out a black opal pendant on a pearlescent chain, "I think our cleric here might find a use for this. Even if he is holding onto Gargauth."
Then turning around to Reed, she pulls out a garment made of black silk interwoven with faint silvery threads with a big motion that makes it billow out in front of him. "Now, you won't have to just hide behind doorways and pillars... try chandeliers on the ceiling." and she gives him a little wink.
"And last but certainly not least, a piece that will help you protect these people that have become your new family." and she hands Wilfred a shard of ice that is long and slender, roughly the size of a dagger.
"Now! Don't you have something to show me?" her eyes twinkle with excitement as she waits to hear what you think of the gifts and for the puzzlebox.
Corlith accepts the bracers and looks them over, turning them to see all the details. He looks at Sylvana a little suspiciously but remembers Fisk mentioning she might be willing to provide magic items to get her hands on the puzzle box. He finally smiles, "Why thank you, I am sure these will be very useful in the future".
"I guess it is time you saw the puzzle box. We are all intrigued to see if your suspicions are correct", he says looking towards Reed who carries the box.
"I Uhhh... Well I was going to say pleased to meet you but now I'm ecstatic! Thank you so much, I'm Archie" she holds out her empty hand for a shake but can't stop herself from looking over the intricate runes carved into the ornate rod she was just given, "this will be most useful, though.. did you, um.. did you have anything for Reya, she's helped obtain the puzzle box as much as anyone else"
Reed sweeps the cloak over his shoulders and almost immediately a giant glob of sticky webbing shoots out from where Reed's hands hold the edge of the cloak.
"What the -" Reed exclaims as one whole wall in Sylvana's office becomes covered in web.
He quickly looks inside the cloak and in the hood.
"There aren't any spiders in here, right? Right?"
He looks at the web clinging to the wall and then back to Sylvana, then he fishes around in the bag hanging from his waist. He pulls out a few arrows, and other odds and ends before finding the puzzle box. He jams everything else back in then with a look to the rest of the group he hands the item over to Sylvana.
Virro gives a crooked smile and a half bow at Sylvana, taking the amulet and admiring it for a moment. “Thank you. No one has ever gotten me a gift that is so nice….” He tilts his head appraising her, saying in a low voice almost to himself, “Gargauth??? What are you talking about…” He looks puzzled at that. But not wanting to appear rude, he takes the amulet, pulling his chain shirt and undershirt forward, puts it over his head and around his neck. Anyone nearby can see that there is another amulet on a necklace there, he shifts his body quickly and gets it straightened away, then puts his shirt and chain shirt back down. He rubs the back of his right hand, absentmindedly, then looks around the room as the others are sorting their items out. He looks on in interest when the puzzle box is produced. He can’t stand an unsolved mystery, an unopened box, and rather than pursue anything else, he waits to see what happens with the puzzle.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylvana looks surprised when Archie asks about a gift for Reya, "Well didn't I? I had one.. oh! It fell in one of my pockets, of course I have something for Reya." She pulls out a silver wand that has rings around it with a blue glass tip and hands it to the young woman, "Fisk tells me that you are very strong in melee combat, but well, that your ranged abilities are um, quite lacking." and she winks at her.
Reya looks quite surprised and a bit embarrassed as she glares at Falaster, but thanks the tiefling for the gift. Then turns to Archie and mouths, thank you.
As the web flies across the room, Sylvana giggles a bit, showing a younger side that she does not look. "Well, looks like you're getting the hang of that. And no, of course not." As Reed starts to hand over the puzzle box, Sylvana snatches it from him.
Without taking her eyes off her prize, she answers Virro, "We'll talk about that after we open this, shall we?" and she turns from the group without waiting for an answer. She turns the box over and over in her hands, her eyes very intent and a smile forming on her lips. "Jezebel, fetch me a flask of dark liquid." As the little demon does her bidding, she takes the flask once in her hands and pours a small amount into the mazelike troughs that are carved into the box's surface. She then tips the box so that the liquid flows in certain directions through the mazelike patterns. Until the box's horn inlays pop loose and it breaks apart.
She pulls from the box a stack of nine chain-linked plates, each three inches on a side, cast of a dark iron and stamped as follows:
Archie reads through the plates at speed, muttering as she does, "mmmnmmn dispensation mnnnmmn solar indicator mmnmnnm last fifty years mnmn whence it came... Huh? Well that's the contract that he signed, I feel like we met someone who told us about this, I can't remember their face though... So has the fifty years been and gone? like obviously Elturel descended, we know that already, but geez, all persons bound by oath to defend Elturel are also considered forfeit, how can Thavius trade other people's lives like that, surely he doesn't have authority on others souls?" Archie glances worried at reya once more, and then back to Sylvira "is there anything else in the box?"
Corlith watches intently as Sylvana works her magic, or whatever she does, to open the box.
He then reads along with Archie, wincing at the contents.
"It is certainly damning, Archie. And I assume the fifty years must just be up. Reya, you spoke of Zariel being a saviour of Elturel, before she rode into the gate and was defeated. That was what, one hundred years or so ago? And then fifty years later Zariel is Lord of Avernus, making deals to protect Elturel but only for a limited time. And what is this Companion, this Solar Insidiator?", he says quite confused by it all.
"it sounds like some kind of sun... 'All lands falling under companions light'... It's weird. It's scary. That kind of clause puts the device as a thing that enforced the contract, if that light got out we'd all be subject to zariel's whims." Archie muses.
"If Zariel wants my soul," Reya unsheathes her sword and grits her teeth. Pain in solid realization seen in her eyes, "she's welcome to try and take it."
Sylvana shakes her head, "No, nothing else in the box."
As Corlith asks his questions, Reya doesn't put away her sword, but nods, "Yes, about a hundred years. Haven't you seen the light that is always above the great city of Elturel? The beacon? It was, is, called the Companion." she swallows, obviously on the brink of tears or rage, whatever might come first, "Apparently instead of from the heavens which is what we were always led to believe, the Companion is from Avernus.... and now it has returned."
"And we can expect if you, as a Hellrider, were not aware of the consequences of this oath, then the others likely weren't either", he postulates. "So there are a lot of folk, both Hellriders and citizens alike, trapped in Avernus because of a deal that Thavius made. And he has allies up here who are working towards ensuring other cities share a similar fate. We cannot be certain there aren't more besides the Vanthampurs".
A stern expression crosses his face as he asks, "What can be done to put this right?".
Reed spares the plates barely a glance. Contracts and oaths weren’t something he had too much interest in. They always seemed to get in the way of what you wanted.
Instead he tries to get a handle on his cloak while at the same time discreetly snooping through the office for anything in this impressive collection that’s just lying out loose.
Something is bothering Virro, after he reads this infernal contract. He’s tapping his foot and rubbing his chin, making a clicking sound. “Hmmm.. Does anyone know… I’m not aware of many parts of the city, but… does Baldur’s Gate have any “Companion”, or beacon? Could it be brought down to Avernus like Elturel? What other cities have one of these “Companions”?” He looks from face to face, to see if anyone else is having similar thoughts.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"I assume this is why the Duke wanted to gain full control of Baldur's Gate, so she would have the authority to deal with Zariel on behalf of the city and it's residents, like Kreeg did", Corlith replies to Virro. "Perhaps she could arrange for a Companion to be placed here then".
"if I was Zariel wanting to make contracts I sure wouldn't put my faith in some high class family with visions of grandeur, surely she'd just put pressure on the actual people already in power, the people who already have the authority, right? Unless the duke was just a copycat where thavius was concerned, maybe why she had him cooped up." Archie muses
“The thing with those in power already, is they are generally quite strong willed. I guess it depends how corrupt the current leadership is. Or desperate I suppose. But the promise of power to those without likely engenders more of a liberal attitude towards amoral activity”, Corlith muses.
Corlith lets out a little sigh of relief as Teles confirms the gem is sufficient.
"If we have an hour, then I suggest we get back to our other business in Candlekeep, rather than distracting Mr Avhoste here", he states looking around at his companions. Archie might have actually been help to the artificer but the others, himself included, would just be getting in the way.
"We will continue to look into the whereabouts of Master Thell, as much as our skills, contact and time allow anyway", he says to Teles as he prepares to leave the room to head back to see Sylvira Savikas.
"I would stick around and help with the equations but it feels weird when the subject for experimentation is me... I trust you master Ahvoste, and I'll take this time to prepare for the connection to the arcane sphere if that's ok?" Archie feels an overwhelming nervousness on the subject but also is looking forward to meeting Sylvira as she has not done so yet.
Reed watches all the activity in the room pondering the magic of an eye in a gem, but besides roughly estimating how much he could get for it in some of the more unusual taverns he's visited, it's all above him.
"I suppose we could go back and see what this riddle box hides inside," Reed suggests.
Teles turns from the group to start working on his sphere and you all head out to go back to the first spire you were in.
Sylvana claps her hands in excitement as you all return. "I have been busy while you all have been away! Fisk has told me some about you and well, since you have aided in his return and are giving me that puzzle box to figure out, I have a few gifts to impart. Now, these items have been chosen by what Falaster here has told me. You won't hurt my feelings if you decide to swap or whatever." she waives her hand in a little flourish that seems to wave the worry away.
"Now... who's first? Ah yes, the one with the double identity and a teeny little problem. Well, I can't solve that, but I do have something that might help you with regaining spells and such." She hands Archie a golden rod that appears to have castle crenelations on each end with runes inscribed on them.
"Alright, next, our determined tiefling, these are a fun item. Let's say you'll double your fun?" and she chuckles a bit as she hands Corlith a pair of bracers that are a plain metal but have a glowing blue circle in the center.
"For our avian friend, let's help bring out that paladin in you." and to Roo she hands a large and beautiful deck of cards inscribed with many glyphs.
She then gives Virro a smirk and holds out a black opal pendant on a pearlescent chain, "I think our cleric here might find a use for this. Even if he is holding onto Gargauth."
Then turning around to Reed, she pulls out a garment made of black silk interwoven with faint silvery threads with a big motion that makes it billow out in front of him. "Now, you won't have to just hide behind doorways and pillars... try chandeliers on the ceiling." and she gives him a little wink.
"And last but certainly not least, a piece that will help you protect these people that have become your new family." and she hands Wilfred a shard of ice that is long and slender, roughly the size of a dagger.
"Now! Don't you have something to show me?" her eyes twinkle with excitement as she waits to hear what you think of the gifts and for the puzzlebox.
Corlith accepts the bracers and looks them over, turning them to see all the details. He looks at Sylvana a little suspiciously but remembers Fisk mentioning she might be willing to provide magic items to get her hands on the puzzle box. He finally smiles, "Why thank you, I am sure these will be very useful in the future".
"I guess it is time you saw the puzzle box. We are all intrigued to see if your suspicions are correct", he says looking towards Reed who carries the box.
"I Uhhh... Well I was going to say pleased to meet you but now I'm ecstatic! Thank you so much, I'm Archie" she holds out her empty hand for a shake but can't stop herself from looking over the intricate runes carved into the ornate rod she was just given, "this will be most useful, though.. did you, um.. did you have anything for Reya, she's helped obtain the puzzle box as much as anyone else"
Reed sweeps the cloak over his shoulders and almost immediately a giant glob of sticky webbing shoots out from where Reed's hands hold the edge of the cloak.
"What the -" Reed exclaims as one whole wall in Sylvana's office becomes covered in web.
He quickly looks inside the cloak and in the hood.
"There aren't any spiders in here, right? Right?"
He looks at the web clinging to the wall and then back to Sylvana, then he fishes around in the bag hanging from his waist. He pulls out a few arrows, and other odds and ends before finding the puzzle box. He jams everything else back in then with a look to the rest of the group he hands the item over to Sylvana.
Virro gives a crooked smile and a half bow at Sylvana, taking the amulet and admiring it for a moment. “Thank you. No one has ever gotten me a gift that is so nice….” He tilts his head appraising her, saying in a low voice almost to himself, “Gargauth??? What are you talking about…” He looks puzzled at that. But not wanting to appear rude, he takes the amulet, pulling his chain shirt and undershirt forward, puts it over his head and around his neck. Anyone nearby can see that there is another amulet on a necklace there, he shifts his body quickly and gets it straightened away, then puts his shirt and chain shirt back down. He rubs the back of his right hand, absentmindedly, then looks around the room as the others are sorting their items out. He looks on in interest when the puzzle box is produced. He can’t stand an unsolved mystery, an unopened box, and rather than pursue anything else, he waits to see what happens with the puzzle.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Corlith listens intently as Virro mentions Gargauth, wondering what will be said.
Sylvana looks surprised when Archie asks about a gift for Reya, "Well didn't I? I had one.. oh! It fell in one of my pockets, of course I have something for Reya." She pulls out a silver wand that has rings around it with a blue glass tip and hands it to the young woman, "Fisk tells me that you are very strong in melee combat, but well, that your ranged abilities are um, quite lacking." and she winks at her.
Reya looks quite surprised and a bit embarrassed as she glares at Falaster, but thanks the tiefling for the gift. Then turns to Archie and mouths, thank you.
As the web flies across the room, Sylvana giggles a bit, showing a younger side that she does not look. "Well, looks like you're getting the hang of that. And no, of course not." As Reed starts to hand over the puzzle box, Sylvana snatches it from him.
Without taking her eyes off her prize, she answers Virro, "We'll talk about that after we open this, shall we?" and she turns from the group without waiting for an answer. She turns the box over and over in her hands, her eyes very intent and a smile forming on her lips. "Jezebel, fetch me a flask of dark liquid." As the little demon does her bidding, she takes the flask once in her hands and pours a small amount into the mazelike troughs that are carved into the box's surface. She then tips the box so that the liquid flows in certain directions through the mazelike patterns. Until the box's horn inlays pop loose and it breaks apart.
She pulls from the box a stack of nine chain-linked plates, each three inches on a side, cast of a dark iron and stamped as follows:
Archie reads through the plates at speed, muttering as she does, "mmmnmmn dispensation mnnnmmn solar indicator mmnmnnm last fifty years mnmn whence it came... Huh? Well that's the contract that he signed, I feel like we met someone who told us about this, I can't remember their face though... So has the fifty years been and gone? like obviously Elturel descended, we know that already, but geez, all persons bound by oath to defend Elturel are also considered forfeit, how can Thavius trade other people's lives like that, surely he doesn't have authority on others souls?" Archie glances worried at reya once more, and then back to Sylvira "is there anything else in the box?"
Corlith watches intently as Sylvana works her magic, or whatever she does, to open the box.
He then reads along with Archie, wincing at the contents.
"It is certainly damning, Archie. And I assume the fifty years must just be up. Reya, you spoke of Zariel being a saviour of Elturel, before she rode into the gate and was defeated. That was what, one hundred years or so ago? And then fifty years later Zariel is Lord of Avernus, making deals to protect Elturel but only for a limited time. And what is this Companion, this Solar Insidiator?", he says quite confused by it all.
"it sounds like some kind of sun... 'All lands falling under companions light'... It's weird. It's scary. That kind of clause puts the device as a thing that enforced the contract, if that light got out we'd all be subject to zariel's whims." Archie muses.
"If Zariel wants my soul," Reya unsheathes her sword and grits her teeth. Pain in solid realization seen in her eyes, "she's welcome to try and take it."
Sylvana shakes her head, "No, nothing else in the box."
As Corlith asks his questions, Reya doesn't put away her sword, but nods, "Yes, about a hundred years. Haven't you seen the light that is always above the great city of Elturel? The beacon? It was, is, called the Companion." she swallows, obviously on the brink of tears or rage, whatever might come first, "Apparently instead of from the heavens which is what we were always led to believe, the Companion is from Avernus.... and now it has returned."
"Of course, the beacon", Corlith says, pondering.
"And we can expect if you, as a Hellrider, were not aware of the consequences of this oath, then the others likely weren't either", he postulates. "So there are a lot of folk, both Hellriders and citizens alike, trapped in Avernus because of a deal that Thavius made. And he has allies up here who are working towards ensuring other cities share a similar fate. We cannot be certain there aren't more besides the Vanthampurs".
A stern expression crosses his face as he asks, "What can be done to put this right?".
Reed spares the plates barely a glance. Contracts and oaths weren’t something he had too much interest in. They always seemed to get in the way of what you wanted.
Instead he tries to get a handle on his cloak while at the same time discreetly snooping through the office for anything in this impressive collection that’s just lying out loose.
Something is bothering Virro, after he reads this infernal contract. He’s tapping his foot and rubbing his chin, making a clicking sound. “Hmmm.. Does anyone know… I’m not aware of many parts of the city, but… does Baldur’s Gate have any “Companion”, or beacon? Could it be brought down to Avernus like Elturel? What other cities have one of these “Companions”?” He looks from face to face, to see if anyone else is having similar thoughts.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"I assume this is why the Duke wanted to gain full control of Baldur's Gate, so she would have the authority to deal with Zariel on behalf of the city and it's residents, like Kreeg did", Corlith replies to Virro. "Perhaps she could arrange for a Companion to be placed here then".
"if I was Zariel wanting to make contracts I sure wouldn't put my faith in some high class family with visions of grandeur, surely she'd just put pressure on the actual people already in power, the people who already have the authority, right? Unless the duke was just a copycat where thavius was concerned, maybe why she had him cooped up." Archie muses
“The thing with those in power already, is they are generally quite strong willed. I guess it depends how corrupt the current leadership is. Or desperate I suppose. But the promise of power to those without likely engenders more of a liberal attitude towards amoral activity”, Corlith muses.