Romalic and Hanaka approach Tyek and offer a different location and show a Viking longhouse that would rival even Valhalla with great tables of food, drink and merriment. "I am sure our dear cousin wouldn't mind if we were to take you to my realm, perhaps a better setting. Come my large friend, you look like someone who needs real food, real drink, real women, and men who tell stories of battles and great deeds. What say you?"
Flute smiles and nods that it would be ok to go with her cousins.
Khessa is the first to follow Flute through the opening she opened and immediately takes an interest in the wildlife of the beautiful meadow, examining plants and flowers and taking the opportunity to look at many animals up close and cuddle them, since they are not afraid. The powerful fighter-mage laughs delightedly and seems almost back to the carefree girl she was before cruel events forced her to a drastic change in life.
When Flute, arriving at the great building, asks for an opinion, the blonde arcane warrior smiles at her: "When the Nefarious Duo thing is sorted out and you come to visit me at home to meet my family (you're already invited, you know that, right?) you will find a much less grandiose arrangement..." she thinks of Iondra and Sarvin, her somewhat wild children "...and certainly messier, but I'm sure that my family will find you right away as adorable as I did and that we will still be able to make you feel good among us!"
The tall adventuress tries various drinks - while being careful not to overdo it with alcohol - and especially every cabbage-based dish she can find, expressing her appreciation with almost ecstatic moans: "Not even my mother, Eshta Finegarden, could cook cabbage like this!"
Seeing the young gods, Khessa remembers the issue of the different aging speed between humans and elves... a topic that touches her closely, being that she is human while her husband, Jasper, is an elf. She tries to talk a little with the gods present to see if she can find a way to age at the rate of an elf, rather than that of a human, so that she can live without problems with her husband for the entire potentially very long existence of his.
The blonde arcane warrior however tries above all to entertain Flute, partly by talking and partly by playing with her, trying to get an idea of how much of a child she really is and how much of a goddess she really is. She is interested in knowing her character, history and personality, as if Flute were actually an ordinary child - although of course, since Flute is also a goddess, there will be aspects of her nature that the human's gifted mortal mind may not fully understand. She is so taken that when the dances begin she has already taken off her boots and dances barefoot, ending up getting her feet dirty with grass as typically Flute's appear!
In moments of rest from the more frenetic activities, the tall adventuress tries to talk a little about magic with Nedra (enthusiastically inviting also her beloved mentor, master Akkron), considered her focus, and avidly notes in the spellbook every fragment of knowledge on the subject that she manages to wrest from the divine interlocutor.
Romalic and Hanaka approach Tyek and offer a different location and show a Viking longhouse that would rival even Valhalla with great tables of food, drink and merriment. "I am sure our dear cousin wouldn't mind if we were to take you to my realm, perhaps a better setting. Come my large friend, you look like someone who needs real food, real drink, real women, and men who tell stories of battles and great deeds. What say you?"
Flute smiles and nods that it would be ok to go with her cousins.
Tyekanik happily accepts the offer. As long as he can rejoin his friends when the party is over, he goes with Romalic and Hanka.
You have no sense of time, either in Flute's party or what Tyek experiences with Romalic and Hanaka. What you can recall is the feasting, the dancing, the tales of yore and of wonder. You also take into an uncanny account that you are with the Younger Gods of this land, yet they don't act like divinity. Eventually the party concludes, and you find a place to rest. You recall nothing but a feeling of warm memories, of faraway loves, or a fond memory rekindled.
The following morning you awake to the sound of Flute's playing of her flute. Your armor is repaired and shining as if new, your weapons all have been cleaned, sharpened to a razor's edge, and fully charged with energies. All of your spells have been returned, and all of your arcane energy has been returned.
Your mounts are out in the glade grazing, also looking refreshed.
Tyek can't recall ever waking to a minor hangover that he has, but he does recall it was one heck of a party.
When Flute sees you are all stirring, she stops playing and comes over to great you and motions to the table laden with whatever your heart desires for a morning breakfast. "I hope you enjoyed yourselves with my dear cousins, they can be a lot of fun when they don't have to be so serious. After you take your repast, I am to take you to where you want to go and remain with you for a short while. Mostly to make sure those two don't interfere for awhile, and help get you around quicker."
Vrox is delighted with Flute's realm. He introduces himself to the animals, sniffs all of the flowers he can, and delights at the bees buzzing around. He does not partake of the food until he Flute agrees that he can play music in exchange for his meal. Vrox samples everything he can at the feast, laughs twice as much as usual, and seems delighted at everything. When the music and dancing starts, Vrox plays his flute, dancing and leaping about as he does. At one point, he even feels bold enough to ask Mara to dance with him!
Vrox also talks to Nedra at the feast. After all, in addition to his role as the Warden of Bees and emissary of the Summer Court, Vrox was initiated as a cleric (Arcana domain). He probably does not know of Nedra but is interested in meeting this "young god" of magic. If she allows it, he asks Nedra about attunement to magical items. He's trying to determine whether there's a way for him to attune to the Vorpal Sword they found without having to break his attunement to his Ring of Spell Storing.
In the morning, feeling rested, Vrox says, "The feast last night was sublime, and I haven't slept that well since I was last home. We welcome your continued assistance, and we will do all we can to put a stop to the Nefarious Duo." He bows low to Flute.
Vrox references their original plan (before the emergency in Veldos) asks the others, "So, where do we 'want to go'? If we're taking the Short Way, I guess we could skip right past the Elves, Dwarves, and the Council of Wizards, and go straight to the trolls."
It isn't often that one might see an ancient lich at a loss for words... but suddenly finding himself in the presence of three gods is enough to strike Lord Akkron speechless. Flute is one thing; on an intellectual level, he knows well that she is a goddess, but what he sees when interacting with her is a friendly young girl. Suddenly being face-to-face with the divine radiance of two presumably good-aligned gods (plus Flute, but he was already fairly used to her) was enough to shock him into silence.
The lich is the last one to enter Flute's realm, not entirely sure if someone like him is really welcome in such a place.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Clarac spends the party singing and dancing and making merry. At some point, she give a toast to her companions and hosts about the victory they had achieved against Nefarious Duo and the work still to be done. As nice as it is to let loose, Clarac still feels some guilt about it. How can she relax when someone, somewhere is in need of assistance? Clarac accepts that a god's invitation is reason enough to take one night off.
When the morning comes, Clarac advocates for visiting the various factions on the way to the trolls. "The corrupted duke did so much damage in Veldos. I worry about similarly insidious figures elsewhere. With Flute's assistance, we would not lose much time making these stops."
OOC:
Using Inspiring Leader to give each PC at Flute's party 26 temporary hit points
Vrox is delighted with Flute's realm. He introduces himself to the animals, sniffs all of the flowers he can, and delights at the bees buzzing around. He does not partake of the food until he Flute agrees that he can play music in exchange for his meal. Vrox samples everything he can at the feast, laughs twice as much as usual, and seems delighted at everything. When the music and dancing starts, Vrox plays his flute, dancing and leaping about as he does. At one point, he even feels bold enough to ask Mara to dance with him!
Vrox also talks to Nedra at the feast. After all, in addition to his role as the Warden of Bees and emissary of the Summer Court, Vrox was initiated as a cleric (Arcana domain). He probably does not know of Nedra but is interested in meeting this "young god" of magic. If she allows it, he asks Nedra about attunement to magical items. He's trying to determine whether there's a way for him to attune to the Vorpal Sword they found without having to break his attunement to his Ring of Spell Storing.
In the morning, feeling rested, Vrox says, "The feast last night was sublime, and I haven't slept that well since I was last home. We welcome your continued assistance, and we will do all we can to put a stop to the Nefarious Duo." He bows low to Flute.
Vrox references their original plan (before the emergency in Veldos) asks the others, "So, where do we 'want to go'? If we're taking the Short Way, I guess we could skip right past the Elves, Dwarves, and the Council of Wizards, and go straight to the trolls."
Nedra, happy to find a kindred spirit, attunes the blade to you, and offers a blessing that it may smite those who would see harm to nature.
It isn't often that one might see an ancient lich at a loss for words... but suddenly finding himself in the presence of three gods is enough to strike Lord Akkron speechless. Flute is one thing; on an intellectual level, he knows well that she is a goddess, but what he sees when interacting with her is a friendly young girl. Suddenly being face-to-face with the divine radiance of two presumably good-aligned gods (plus Flute, but he was already fairly used to her) was enough to shock him into silence.
The lich is the last one to enter Flute's realm, not entirely sure if someone like him is really welcome in such a place.
Setras who prides himself as an intellectual, welcomed you as "another refined soul" and you did find it difficult to not like him for he seemed to thirst for conversation. ""It's hard to have a good conversation with my cousins, they have other pursuits." You spent most of your time in some deep, high-level conversations with him, though he did admit he appeared to be flighty amongst his cousins, they are more action orientated, then thinkers.
When the morning comes, Clarac advocates for visiting the various factions on the way to the trolls. "The corrupted duke did so much damage in Veldos. I worry about similarly insidious figures elsewhere. With Flute's assistance, we would not lose much time making these stops."
Vrox concedes this point. Since he only joined the party a week ago, he's willing to accompany them wherever the group chooses to go.
Vrox says that he has had some dealings with the Elves of Eldamar since there are ancient ties between the elves of Eosia and the eladrin of the Feywild. He admits that he'll be less helpful with the dwarves. Vrox has fought beside dwarves in the past, but he has never been to Gurn Borim and doesn't know much about the politics or the customs of the dwarves there. "And I assume that Lord Akkron or Khessa would help introduce us to the Council of Wizards?", he says, looking inquiringly at them. While Vrox has made a study of arcane magic in the Feywild, he has never really interacted with wizards on this plane.
OOC: Using Inspiring Leader to give each PC at Flute's party 26 temporary hit points
[[OOC: Thanks! Vrox is duly inspired by Clarac's words!]]
[[ OOC: @DM: While Khessa didn't receive any useful clues, I suppose, regarding the 'way to age at the rate of an elf, rather than that of a human'? (One of the things she asked in Post 2512 - I'm just asking to be sure; no problem if no one has actually been able to give her any useful advice. She's still far from being a decrepit old lady 😉).
@Clarac: Khessa is also glad to feel so inspired, thank you! 😉 ]]
[[ OOC: @DM: While Khessa didn't receive any useful clues, I suppose, regarding the 'way to age at the rate of an elf, rather than that of a human'? (One of the things she asked in Post 2512 - I'm just asking to be sure; no problem if no one has actually been able to give her any useful advice. She's still far from being a decrepit old lady 😉).
@Clarac: Khessa is also glad to feel so inspired, thank you! 😉 ]]
The age very slowly here, refer to Tolkien's description of Elves in LoR. They are considered one of the first of the ancient races, next to the Dwarves. Both speak of a time when they left Eoasia and headed across the sea. Elves here are considered masters of the arcane and of knowledge, other than being killed in combat for they are not immortal, they can live for thousands of years. It is reputed that some of Eoasia's leading scholars and historians, are Elven of Half elven.
The age very slowly here, refer to Tolkien's description of Elves in LoR. They are considered one of the first of the ancient races, next to the Dwarves. Both speak of a time when they left Eoasia and headed across the sea. Elves here are considered masters of the arcane and of knowledge, other than being killed in combat for they are not immortal, they can live for thousands of years. It is reputed that some of Eoasia's leading scholars and historians, are Elven of Half elven.
Ready to go on with the next leg of our journey, then!
Flute waits until everyone has finished with breakfast, before asking "So where shall we head off to?"
[[OOC: Unless someone else wants to propose a different plan or heading straight for the trolls, Clarac was arguing to stick with the original plan, with Flute's assistance in travel. Vrox is OK with that plan.]]
When the morning comes, Clarac advocates for visiting the various factions on the way to the trolls. "The corrupted duke did so much damage in Veldos. I worry about similarly insidious figures elsewhere. With Flute's assistance, we would not lose much time making these stops."
Vrox concedes this point. Since he only joined the party a week ago, he's willing to accompany them wherever the group chooses to go.
Vrox simply points out: "If Flute will accompany us and can take us directly to our destinations, then we are not bound by the geography of the road -- passing first Eldamar, then Larium, and then north to Gurn Borim -- before finally crossing to Emsat in Thalasia. We could visit the other factions in any order, starting with the highest priority one or perhaps with the one that will be quickest to resolve." Vrox doesn't know what Sparkhawk or the others know about these factions. Are any of them more likely to fall under the influence of the Nefarious Duo? Do we expect any of them to be a quick stop just to confirm their support? And do we need material support from any of the factions before we go to another?
If we don't have a reason to change, then we could go with the original order, starting with the elves in Eldamar:
Elves / Eldamar
Council of Wizards / Larium
Dwarves / Gurn Borim in Arafal
Cenae <-- Was that just to take a ship over to Thalasia?
Wagrum / Emsat in Thalasia
Unless something thinks that we need to visit the wizards or dwarves first.
Flute smiles, "I like visiting the Elves, they have such nice manners." Once everyone is ready, she motions for you to mount up and form, she climbs up on the neck of Faran in front of Sparhawk and leads the way. She begins to play her flute, and as you pass through the meadow, it appears a mist surrounds you. When you come out, you are in a glade surrounded by tall and ancient trees, the sun shining warmly. Nestled in amongst the great trees, are buildings that are arranged in layers with connecting walkways and stairs. Flute points, and says "Welcome to Eldamar, home of the Asuryani Elves."
Flute taps her foot on the neck of Faran and lead you towards the city in the trees. As you approach, a group of riders meet you before the city. They appear similar to High Elves in height and stature, wearing armor, swords and their longbows over their shoulders. The leader holds up his hand, and Flute smiles at him. "Hello Prince Yriel, I am glad to see you received my message." The Elf bowed low in his saddle.
"Mistress Aphrael, it is always a pleasure to hear from you, how can we be of service?" Flute looks over her shoulder at you all. "See, so well mannered," before turning back to the prince. "We have needs to speak to your father concerning a great danger threatening our homes, for which he does have intimate knowledge. We seek his counsel on this matter, and perhaps we can speak to others who may assist our quest in this."
The prince nods his head gravely. "We heard rumors that there is danger about, a darkness looming once more. I believe my father would like to also speak with you upon this, so he may know more." With that, he turns and leads you all into the city. As you enter into the city, nestled in and amongst the giant trees, you gaze in wonderment on the architecture and fine lines of the buildings. You also can't help noticing that each of the houses and buildings can be used in a defense nature, blockhouses to fire down upon enemies.
You dismount and climb stairs up to a great hall, and after the prince leads you through the corridors, you enter a great audience chamber. Inside, there are already a few of the Elves, and one who stands out based on his height, apparent age, yet simple crown. "Father, Mistress Aphrael and her company are here to speak with you."
As he turns, the prince introduces his father, "May I present Lord Eldrad Ulthran, King of the Asuryani. These good people seek counsel with you based on the rumors we have heard from the other kingdoms."
The King turns and bows deeply to Aphrael, then nods to you all, motioning to take seats around a great table where the other Elves and the prince find seats. Once all are seated, he asks "How may I be of service?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eldrad!" Khessa steps forward, shaking hands with the ruler - probably in a major breach of etiquette, but filled with genuine enthusiasm at the prospect of someone who can offer wise counsel to counter the Nefarious Duo.
"The threat our dear friend Aphrael speaks of," the blonde arcane warrior quickly gets to the point "comes from the evil deities Azash and Sai 'lanthresh (perhaps better known as Slaanesh). They are preparing the Zemochs for war, mobilizing demons, and seeking additional allies in their bloody enterprise. For example, we know that they are trying to convince the Trolls to ally themselves with them. And, at the same time, they are trying to subtly sow corruption within Eosia".
The tall adventuress briefly summarizes everything the party has already discovered (and fought). She then concludes: "The Immrama is their ultimate goal - the end of the world. Probably to create a bloody chaos in which they can then dominate unchallenged. We are opposing them with all our strength - and, as I have just narrated, we have achieved several successes. But any advice on how we can be even more effective in fighting this terrible threat would be valuable to us".
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eldrad!" Khessa steps forward, shaking hands with the ruler - probably in a major breach of etiquette, but filled with genuine enthusiasm at the prospect of someone who can offer wise counsel to counter the Nefarious Duo.
Vrox shakes his head at the hasty human. He has never met Lord Ulthran, but he is familiar with some of the protocols of the elves in Eosia. He bows slightly to the King of the Asuryani, as he touches his forehead with his hand. Then he lowers his hand and holds both forearms in front of him, palms up, as he stands. He says a long greeting in elvish. You assume that Vrox is reciting a formal greeting. Otherwise, he's a very gifted poet because the he delivers the entire greeting -- a couple of minutes long -- in a regular meter and rhythm.
Vrox is simply trying to ensure that their discussions or negotiations start with the elves in the best possible humor. The Asuryani are not so fickle as the Eladrin in the Feywild, but they can still be difficult allies. Their long lives (and long memories) give them a unique perspective among the mortal races. After the conclusion of his formal greeting and any response from the elves, he says in Elvish:
"I beg your pardon. Few of my companions speak the language of the Asuryani, and we ask that..."
finally switching back to Common to conclude: "...all of our discussions are conducted in the Common tongue."
Romalic and Hanaka approach Tyek and offer a different location and show a Viking longhouse that would rival even Valhalla with great tables of food, drink and merriment. "I am sure our dear cousin wouldn't mind if we were to take you to my realm, perhaps a better setting. Come my large friend, you look like someone who needs real food, real drink, real women, and men who tell stories of battles and great deeds. What say you?"
Flute smiles and nods that it would be ok to go with her cousins.
Khessa is the first to follow Flute through the opening she opened and immediately takes an interest in the wildlife of the beautiful meadow, examining plants and flowers and taking the opportunity to look at many animals up close and cuddle them, since they are not afraid. The powerful fighter-mage laughs delightedly and seems almost back to the carefree girl she was before cruel events forced her to a drastic change in life.
When Flute, arriving at the great building, asks for an opinion, the blonde arcane warrior smiles at her: "When the Nefarious Duo thing is sorted out and you come to visit me at home to meet my family (you're already invited, you know that, right?) you will find a much less grandiose arrangement..." she thinks of Iondra and Sarvin, her
somewhatwild children "...and certainly messier, but I'm sure that my family will find you right away as adorable as I did and that we will still be able to make you feel good among us!"The tall adventuress tries various drinks - while being careful not to overdo it with alcohol - and especially every cabbage-based dish she can find, expressing her appreciation with almost ecstatic moans: "Not even my mother, Eshta Finegarden, could cook cabbage like this!"
Seeing the young gods, Khessa remembers the issue of the different aging speed between humans and elves... a topic that touches her closely, being that she is human while her husband, Jasper, is an elf. She tries to talk a little with the gods present to see if she can find a way to age at the rate of an elf, rather than that of a human, so that she can live without problems with her husband for the entire potentially very long existence of his.
The blonde arcane warrior however tries above all to entertain Flute, partly by talking and partly by playing with her, trying to get an idea of how much of a child she really is and how much of a goddess she really is. She is interested in knowing her character, history and personality, as if Flute were actually an ordinary child - although of course, since Flute is also a goddess, there will be aspects of her nature that the human's gifted mortal mind may not fully understand. She is so taken that when the dances begin she has already taken off her boots and dances barefoot, ending up getting her feet dirty with grass as typically Flute's appear!
In moments of rest from the more frenetic activities, the tall adventuress tries to talk a little about magic with Nedra (enthusiastically inviting also her beloved mentor, master Akkron), considered her focus, and avidly notes in the spellbook every fragment of knowledge on the subject that she manages to wrest from the divine interlocutor.
Tyekanik happily accepts the offer. As long as he can rejoin his friends when the party is over, he goes with Romalic and Hanka.
You have no sense of time, either in Flute's party or what Tyek experiences with Romalic and Hanaka. What you can recall is the feasting, the dancing, the tales of yore and of wonder. You also take into an uncanny account that you are with the Younger Gods of this land, yet they don't act like divinity. Eventually the party concludes, and you find a place to rest. You recall nothing but a feeling of warm memories, of faraway loves, or a fond memory rekindled.
The following morning you awake to the sound of Flute's playing of her flute. Your armor is repaired and shining as if new, your weapons all have been cleaned, sharpened to a razor's edge, and fully charged with energies. All of your spells have been returned, and all of your arcane energy has been returned.
Your mounts are out in the glade grazing, also looking refreshed.
Tyek can't recall ever waking to a minor hangover that he has, but he does recall it was one heck of a party.
When Flute sees you are all stirring, she stops playing and comes over to great you and motions to the table laden with whatever your heart desires for a morning breakfast. "I hope you enjoyed yourselves with my dear cousins, they can be a lot of fun when they don't have to be so serious. After you take your repast, I am to take you to where you want to go and remain with you for a short while. Mostly to make sure those two don't interfere for awhile, and help get you around quicker."
Khessa, waking up in a great mood, gorges on cabbage, prepares herself in a moment for the next
possibletroubles, then smiles at Flute and she makes colored soap bubbles come out of her mouth... that when they pop emit words!And so, bubble after bubble the blonde arcane warrior declares: "Ready" "when" "you" "are," "my" "child!" "Let's" "go" "and" "kick" "the" "Nefarious" "Duo's" "asses" "some" "more!"
Vrox is delighted with Flute's realm. He introduces himself to the animals, sniffs all of the flowers he can, and delights at the bees buzzing around. He does not partake of the food until he Flute agrees that he can play music in exchange for his meal. Vrox samples everything he can at the feast, laughs twice as much as usual, and seems delighted at everything. When the music and dancing starts, Vrox plays his flute, dancing and leaping about as he does. At one point, he even feels bold enough to ask Mara to dance with him!
Vrox also talks to Nedra at the feast. After all, in addition to his role as the Warden of Bees and emissary of the Summer Court, Vrox was initiated as a cleric (Arcana domain). He probably does not know of Nedra but is interested in meeting this "young god" of magic. If she allows it, he asks Nedra about attunement to magical items. He's trying to determine whether there's a way for him to attune to the Vorpal Sword they found without having to break his attunement to his Ring of Spell Storing.
In the morning, feeling rested, Vrox says, "The feast last night was sublime, and I haven't slept that well since I was last home. We welcome your continued assistance, and we will do all we can to put a stop to the Nefarious Duo." He bows low to Flute.
Vrox references their original plan (before the emergency in Veldos) asks the others, "So, where do we 'want to go'? If we're taking the Short Way, I guess we could skip right past the Elves, Dwarves, and the Council of Wizards, and go straight to the trolls."
It isn't often that one might see an ancient lich at a loss for words... but suddenly finding himself in the presence of three gods is enough to strike Lord Akkron speechless. Flute is one thing; on an intellectual level, he knows well that she is a goddess, but what he sees when interacting with her is a friendly young girl. Suddenly being face-to-face with the divine radiance of two presumably good-aligned gods (plus Flute, but he was already fairly used to her) was enough to shock him into silence.
The lich is the last one to enter Flute's realm, not entirely sure if someone like him is really welcome in such a place.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
Clarac spends the party singing and dancing and making merry. At some point, she give a toast to her companions and hosts about the victory they had achieved against Nefarious Duo and the work still to be done. As nice as it is to let loose, Clarac still feels some guilt about it. How can she relax when someone, somewhere is in need of assistance? Clarac accepts that a god's invitation is reason enough to take one night off.
When the morning comes, Clarac advocates for visiting the various factions on the way to the trolls. "The corrupted duke did so much damage in Veldos. I worry about similarly insidious figures elsewhere. With Flute's assistance, we would not lose much time making these stops."
OOC:
Using Inspiring Leader to give each PC at Flute's party 26 temporary hit points
Nedra, happy to find a kindred spirit, attunes the blade to you, and offers a blessing that it may smite those who would see harm to nature.
Setras who prides himself as an intellectual, welcomed you as "another refined soul" and you did find it difficult to not like him for he seemed to thirst for conversation. ""It's hard to have a good conversation with my cousins, they have other pursuits." You spent most of your time in some deep, high-level conversations with him, though he did admit he appeared to be flighty amongst his cousins, they are more action orientated, then thinkers.
Vrox concedes this point. Since he only joined the party a week ago, he's willing to accompany them wherever the group chooses to go.
Vrox says that he has had some dealings with the Elves of Eldamar since there are ancient ties between the elves of Eosia and the eladrin of the Feywild. He admits that he'll be less helpful with the dwarves. Vrox has fought beside dwarves in the past, but he has never been to Gurn Borim and doesn't know much about the politics or the customs of the dwarves there. "And I assume that Lord Akkron or Khessa would help introduce us to the Council of Wizards?", he says, looking inquiringly at them. While Vrox has made a study of arcane magic in the Feywild, he has never really interacted with wizards on this plane.
[[OOC: Thanks! Vrox is duly inspired by Clarac's words!]]
[[ OOC: @DM: While Khessa didn't receive any useful clues, I suppose, regarding the 'way to age at the rate of an elf, rather than that of a human'? (One of the things she asked in Post 2512 - I'm just asking to be sure; no problem if no one has actually been able to give her any useful advice. She's still far from being a decrepit old lady 😉).
@Clarac: Khessa is also glad to feel so inspired, thank you! 😉 ]]
The age very slowly here, refer to Tolkien's description of Elves in LoR. They are considered one of the first of the ancient races, next to the Dwarves. Both speak of a time when they left Eoasia and headed across the sea. Elves here are considered masters of the arcane and of knowledge, other than being killed in combat for they are not immortal, they can live for thousands of years. It is reputed that some of Eoasia's leading scholars and historians, are Elven of Half elven.
Ready to go on with the next leg of our journey, then!
Flute waits until everyone has finished with breakfast, before asking "So where shall we head off to?"
[[OOC: Unless someone else wants to propose a different plan or heading straight for the trolls, Clarac was arguing to stick with the original plan, with Flute's assistance in travel. Vrox is OK with that plan.]]
Vrox simply points out: "If Flute will accompany us and can take us directly to our destinations, then we are not bound by the geography of the road -- passing first Eldamar, then Larium, and then north to Gurn Borim -- before finally crossing to Emsat in Thalasia. We could visit the other factions in any order, starting with the highest priority one or perhaps with the one that will be quickest to resolve." Vrox doesn't know what Sparkhawk or the others know about these factions. Are any of them more likely to fall under the influence of the Nefarious Duo? Do we expect any of them to be a quick stop just to confirm their support? And do we need material support from any of the factions before we go to another?
If we don't have a reason to change, then we could go with the original order, starting with the elves in Eldamar:
Unless something thinks that we need to visit the wizards or dwarves first.
I'm fine with the order above.
Let's go and see how the elves are faring!
Flute smiles, "I like visiting the Elves, they have such nice manners." Once everyone is ready, she motions for you to mount up and form, she climbs up on the neck of Faran in front of Sparhawk and leads the way. She begins to play her flute, and as you pass through the meadow, it appears a mist surrounds you. When you come out, you are in a glade surrounded by tall and ancient trees, the sun shining warmly. Nestled in amongst the great trees, are buildings that are arranged in layers with connecting walkways and stairs. Flute points, and says "Welcome to Eldamar, home of the Asuryani Elves."
Flute taps her foot on the neck of Faran and lead you towards the city in the trees. As you approach, a group of riders meet you before the city. They appear similar to High Elves in height and stature, wearing armor, swords and their longbows over their shoulders. The leader holds up his hand, and Flute smiles at him. "Hello Prince Yriel, I am glad to see you received my message." The Elf bowed low in his saddle.
"Mistress Aphrael, it is always a pleasure to hear from you, how can we be of service?" Flute looks over her shoulder at you all. "See, so well mannered," before turning back to the prince. "We have needs to speak to your father concerning a great danger threatening our homes, for which he does have intimate knowledge. We seek his counsel on this matter, and perhaps we can speak to others who may assist our quest in this."
The prince nods his head gravely. "We heard rumors that there is danger about, a darkness looming once more. I believe my father would like to also speak with you upon this, so he may know more." With that, he turns and leads you all into the city. As you enter into the city, nestled in and amongst the giant trees, you gaze in wonderment on the architecture and fine lines of the buildings. You also can't help noticing that each of the houses and buildings can be used in a defense nature, blockhouses to fire down upon enemies.
You dismount and climb stairs up to a great hall, and after the prince leads you through the corridors, you enter a great audience chamber. Inside, there are already a few of the Elves, and one who stands out based on his height, apparent age, yet simple crown. "Father, Mistress Aphrael and her company are here to speak with you."
As he turns, the prince introduces his father, "May I present Lord Eldrad Ulthran, King of the Asuryani. These good people seek counsel with you based on the rumors we have heard from the other kingdoms."
The King turns and bows deeply to Aphrael, then nods to you all, motioning to take seats around a great table where the other Elves and the prince find seats. Once all are seated, he asks "How may I be of service?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eldrad!" Khessa steps forward, shaking hands with the ruler - probably in a major breach of etiquette, but filled with genuine enthusiasm at the prospect of someone who can offer wise counsel to counter the Nefarious Duo.
"The threat our dear friend Aphrael speaks of," the blonde arcane warrior quickly gets to the point "comes from the evil deities Azash and Sai 'lanthresh (perhaps better known as Slaanesh). They are preparing the Zemochs for war, mobilizing demons, and seeking additional allies in their bloody enterprise. For example, we know that they are trying to convince the Trolls to ally themselves with them. And, at the same time, they are trying to subtly sow corruption within Eosia".
The tall adventuress briefly summarizes everything the party has already discovered (and fought). She then concludes: "The Immrama is their ultimate goal - the end of the world. Probably to create a bloody chaos in which they can then dominate unchallenged. We are opposing them with all our strength - and, as I have just narrated, we have achieved several successes. But any advice on how we can be even more effective in fighting this terrible threat would be valuable to us".
Vrox shakes his head at the hasty human. He has never met Lord Ulthran, but he is familiar with some of the protocols of the elves in Eosia. He bows slightly to the King of the Asuryani, as he touches his forehead with his hand. Then he lowers his hand and holds both forearms in front of him, palms up, as he stands. He says a long greeting in elvish. You assume that Vrox is reciting a formal greeting. Otherwise, he's a very gifted poet because the he delivers the entire greeting -- a couple of minutes long -- in a regular meter and rhythm.
Persuasion (or Performance?): 14
Vrox is simply trying to ensure that their discussions or negotiations start with the elves in the best possible humor. The Asuryani are not so fickle as the Eladrin in the Feywild, but they can still be difficult allies. Their long lives (and long memories) give them a unique perspective among the mortal races. After the conclusion of his formal greeting and any response from the elves, he says in Elvish:
"I beg your pardon. Few of my companions speak the language of the Asuryani, and we ask that..."
finally switching back to Common to conclude: "...all of our discussions are conducted in the Common tongue."