Relieved that it hadn't come to blows, Anthony doesn't take anything for himself for now. He made sure he had extra for traveling, and, compared to the people here, he could stand to skip a meal or two. Definitely wasn't going to take food from people who obviously needed it more for his convenience.
They'd rested, Ming-yue had some food to keep her going, now they needed to do whatever they were going to do and get out of here.
Not the most considerate of the bunch, Kora goes ahead and has one of the vegetables, going off of Ming's recommendation to eat them right away as they will spoil.
She then asks, "So are we going to try the bell first?"
Aoufie eats his own ration as well and then stands read to check out the disturbing bell. "Let's depart everyone" Once ready he will start walking towards the building housing the bell.
Akyan feels some of the tension leave his body when Kora finally wakes up. He listens intently when she explains what she experienced in the dream. As she continues speaking, his concern returns and it shows on his face. He doesn't like the sound of what transpires in the dream, and he's also not sure what to make of Kora's tone when she speaks of it.
When the group heads over to the vegetable stand, the drow eyes the waiting pack of hungry people. He doesn't like the idea of letting them starve, and he does have some of his own rations. However, noting how many of his siblings decide to leave the wilted vegetables for the natives, he ultimately decides on taking a portion for himself. This way he can save his for emergencies.
He nods to Kora and Zathon, "Yes, Let's head closer to it. Perhaps we can scout out the area." He glances at Ming, "You've mentioned the streets tend to change frequently. Is this true of the area near the bell tower as well? Or have you never ventured near enough to give an answer?"
“…Yes,” Ming says reluctantly when Kora asks if she knew the man from the dream. She’s surprised at how easily the mistwalkers escaped the dream. Maybe it’s because they are well rested and fed right now… or maybe it’s just an outsider strength. Either way, right now she just needs to focus on food.
Once they’ve taken all they need, Ming watching the other citizens warily as they circle the stall, she will lead the group a safe distance away. Mindful of all this talk about heading to the tower, she makes an attempt to head in that general direction.
“Oh, yeah,” she says to Akyan. “All of the streets here change. There are just a few landmarks that don’t move. So the way there is different a lot, but the tower itself doesn’t change.”
She thinks back to her last attempt at getting near the tower, only to shiver at the thought of all the emotions that ran through her head every time she thought about trying to enter it. Maybe now that she has these people with her she’ll be able to push through.
“Are you willing to guide us there?” He took the fact that she seemed to be moving them in that direction, as answer enough. Ming wasn’t being very subtle about seeming like she wanted to stick with their group. Understandable under the circumstances. If he were in her place, assuming she was being honest about everything so far, he would absolutely feel the same. Why not tag along with people who might get him out of this miserable place. Even if there was no guarantee that different would be better, the people here didn’t really look like they had much to lose.
“If the streets change, what about going straight through? Either moving through or over some of these buildings.” He was more than a little concerned about being boxed in. “And this tower is heavily guarded I assume.” He looked down at his not very quiet chain mail and Zathon, Ireena, and Ismark’s armor. “Stealth might not be an option for some of us. I don’t really have magic that would help us get close quietly.” Even as he said it, he did his best to muffle his movements as a matter of course.
He also took a moment as they were heading out, to check in with Ismark and Ireena especially. She’d been both poisoned and fed on recently. “You guys holding up ok? I know this place isn’t .. great. “ He looked to the others - especially Akyan given they seemed to be on the same wavelength for making plans about what to do next - giving them a chance to shut him up before he continued with his thoughts.
((OOC: Anthony only says the following if no one stops him.))
“We have to go back to Barovia, but you two are clear.” He speaks more quietly. “If we can get that bell… how would you guys feel about taking it out of here and securing it away in another domain? Or, if we can’t, chilling out in this.. dreamland for a while and being our ears on the street until we can get back? You heard all of what we were told. Obviously we can’t promise you’ll be safe anywhere. The best we can say is that being difficult to find is probably the best way to f_ with their plans.” He made a half-hearted attempt to smile. “I’m honestly not sure we can stop any of what’s about to happen to this place. That’s all god level business and I’m not tight enough with mine to ask for those kinds of favors. Causing some chaos might be the best we can hope for.”
He left what he was saying to hang so they could think about it. He didn’t think it was the most strategic play, but he could see these two warriors having the urge to turn right back around, determined to die gloriously in a fight against tyranny. Problem was, they enemy was going to do his best to make sure Ireena didn’t die.
"Of course," Ming says to Anthony. "If you are planning on getting rid of the bell, I want to help. It's... something I've wanted to do for a while, but... well it just didn't seem like the smartest thing to try and do alone." She brushes a strand of hair out of her face, looking down quickly before continuing, "We could try that, but I'm not sure how much faster it would be. I usually just rely on my sense of direction to get me through. Though sometimes it is fun to go through the buildings, or over them--it can be a lot of work though." She gives a small smile, as if not really sure whether or not she should be talking about 'fun'. Regardless, she has to keep herself busy during her days here, otherwise she'd go insane... if she isn't already.
Her expression falter for a moment, a flash of fear washing over her before irritation, a few others, before ultimately fading to a blank stare. Clearing her throat, she tries to put on a neutral expression instead as she says, "The tower itself... well, I don't know. From what I've heard it's full of ghosts during the day, but I've never gone in myself so I don't know how dangerous they are. Honestly I think our real problem is that the tower is located next to the Palace of Bones, which is where Tsien Chiang stays during the day. Not only that, but it's in the courtyard, which is filled with poisonous gardens. We'll want to get in and out before dusk, because we really don't want to be caught in there while Tsien Chiang is climbing up."
If Anthony says his bit about Barovia and the two humans that Ming hasn't heard the names of, Ming listens curiously without trying to seem nosey. She stays quiet for a long while, focusing on leading the group towards the Tower while waiting for the rest of Anthony's party to talk if they are going to. She has so many questions she wants to ask... so many of which she doesn't even know if these people would know the answers to. Still, right now she sees this group as her only hope at fixing this place... or leaving it for good if that's what it takes to find freedom. As she thinks this, a pang of guilt his her when she realizes she hasn't gone to check on her family today, and if this talk of storming the tower goes anywhere... she might not get to see them again anytime soon.
Anthony's heart sinks as she describes what they are likely to find at the tower. He's not optimistic in the slightest. "Ok, so, just making sure I understand. Haunted by ghosts during the day, Tsien Chiang sleeps nearby. There's a poison garden to get through to get there, and we need to be out before night otherwise we have to deal with the lord of this place." The big man shakes his head. This was not going to go well. "Maybe we should send one of us to scout."
Kora listens and starts ticking things off on her fingers as well. "Okay, you obviously have heard of Tsien Chiang. How can he be here and in the Dream as well? What can you tell us about him?" She tries to focus on one thing at a time as the whole situation is quite crazy if she is honest with herself.
Kora was happy to see the girl smile, she was starting to wonder about her a bit. But then turns to Anthony, "If I need to scurry ahead and try to listen as a lizard or something I could. What animals are common around here?" She asks Ming.
Ismark and Ireena both reply that they're "Doing fine" when Anthony checks in on them. When talk about their next few steps are brought up, they both shuffle a bit uncomfortably at the suggestion of staying here. "I don't really like this place," Ireena replies. "But it seems like a better place than Barovia at the moment."
You head deeper into the city, and as you do, the buildings around you slowly transition from battered and decrepit to grand and ornate. For those that were in the dream, the buildings closer to the Palace of Bones resemble the ones you saw while dreaming, though not quite as impressive.
Eventually, you arrive at an impressive gate set into a towering stone wall. The gate is made of a solid wood painted a deep mahogany. A golden dragon mural covers much of the gate, and its eyes seem to follow you as you approach. Beyond the wall, you see a massive tower rising into the air. Unlike the rest of the city, the tower is various shades of gray: black fading into a bleached white at the tips and edges. Based on the size of the wall, you'd say that the walls enclose quite a large area.
Anthony was almost relived the brother and sister duo weren't interested in sticking around this place. He didn't like the idea of dumping them here, even if it might be easier for them in some ways.
To Kora he nods, "Maybe a good idea if you feel comfortable you can do it safely." Were there any animals around here? He hadn't really noticed, but hopefully, even if there weren't, just being smaller would help her keep hidden or peek though a handy crack. He didn't like to keep sending her off alone, but, of any of them, he was sure to give her away more than being a help. "But here, if you want, a little bit of insight." he muttered prayer to The Broken One and held up a hand in offering of a blessing, as always, not touching her without permission. "And before you go in, if there's poison, I can give you a little bit of help with that, it will only last a few minutes though, so right before you go."
((OOC: he's offering her Vigilant Blessing You give one creature you touch (including possibly yourself) advantage on the next initiative roll the creature makes. This benefit ends immediately after the roll or if you use this feature again. And to cast Resistance: touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to one saving throw of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the saving throw.))
He then asks Ming, "Do you know what we can do about the bell if we manage to get to it?"
"Oh she's not asleep," Ming says ruefully. "I don't know if she ever sleeps, but she is busy with her plans for the city." She falters slightly when he mentions sending one person as a scout, as if the idea hadn't occurred to her. Really, she'd thought about scouting it out several times, but just hadn't been able to get past the fear of the place to go by herself. She looks at Kora with wide eyes when the druid agrees to sneak in.
"Tsien Chiang... well..."She fidgets, suddenly looking uncomfortable. Her eyes go distant for a moment before saying hesitantly, "In the dream and here? I don't know. Likely she enters the dream when ringing the bell every dusk, but is here in the waking world in the daytime." Her voice grows slightly strained as she continues, "Consumed by vengeance, she wanted what her mentor would not give her. Her actions destroyed what she had. She lost everything for a second time. Took a scale from her dead mentor, and created the bell to restore what she lost. At first she was welcomed, the people loved her. Then they grew tired of her demands. Violence... so much death... Tsien Chiang survived while her family perished. She used the bell to to grant her vengeful wish. That is how the dream... that is how the dream started..." She blinks, shaking her head as if trying to rid herself of unwanted thoughts. Then she swallows and says in an undertone, "Her daughters died, but the bell brought them back. They haunt I'Cath as well, but she shuns them. They return to the Palace of Bones every dusk..." She shakes her head again, this time putting a hand to her head and biting her lip. Her eyes tighten, and a brief flash of anger creeps into her features-- though not directed at anyone present. Letting out a breath she says, "I'm not sure if they would be a problem though..."She almost says something else but stops herself, crossing her arms as if she'd said something she hadn't meant to say. Not that she was trying to hide anything, more she seemed unsure of her own words.
"Animals?" she says finally, eyes straying to the golden dragon mural on the gate. "There aren't many animals here if you can tell. ...probably because they are hunted, even the vermin." She shrugs, "But anything small that scavenges would probably blend in." She glances at Kora, "But... do you really think you should go alone?"She doesn't want to question the strength of anyone here. For all she knows, they could be leagues ahead of her in skill and strength. Still, it seems risky to go into the belly of the beast alone. Even with a disguise. As she thinks this, Anthony talks to Kora about insight and help with the poison. Ming-Yue lowers her head, biting her lip again in thought. Surely there is something she can do to help too... right?
"If...if you are willing to wait an hour..." she hesitates. An hour is a long time, and a lot of things can happen in an hour. Do they really have time for that? Why had she never thought to try summoning a familiar until now? Perhaps it felt wrong, considering it would likely be her father's old companion who would come from the other plane. "W...well. I don't know. I haven't ever tried summoning a familiar before, but I could do so now. If you think that would be helpful. I could send it with you so you won't be alone, and we'd have constant contact with you. ...or I could just send the familiar and you could stay out of danger." She averts her eyes as she says this, finding herself embarrassed that she hadn't tried this ages ago before these mistwalkers showed up. Well... sure she's only been out of the dream for a couple weeks, but that's still no excuse. She could have gained so much information if she'd just used the abilities she'd gained upon waking. Wait... how does she even know she has this ability anyways? What if she can't actually summon anything and this is just wishful thinking?
Fortunately, Anthony asks another question that pulls her out of her sudden spiraling thoughts, "Oh... um. Well, the bell is what resets the enchantment. So... I'm thinking that if we can keep it away from Tsien Chiang, then the enchantment would inevitably fade... but... don't try ringing it yourself. ...I'm not sure but." She fidgets, "I think that would just teleport you into the dream..." She shakes her head, "Just don't try to use it. Nothing good can come of such a thing. Getting the bell as far away from here as possible sounds like the best plan to me. Destroying it would be better, but I'm not sure that's possible."
She glances back in the direction they came from, then looks to Anthony and Kora as if debating on asking a question. However she stays silent, waiting for responses to everything she just said.
Akyan nods in agreement of the idea of scouting out the building, though he doesn't like the idea of leaving one person alone again. Normally he prefers to be the one to do the scouting, that's how it always went when he was working with the guild, but he can't deny that Kora's skills in this type of infiltration are far better than his own. Aside from that thought, unlike back at that cave in Barovia, he should be able to maintain a mental link with Kora.
He lets Ming and Anthony finish their conversation before he speaks up. "I believe I can get close enough to hold a link between myself and Kora. If necessary, I can scout part of the way ahead and make a second link with you Anthony, this way we will all be in communication. I don't want to repeat the cave incident again." He gives Kora a glance, if anything had happened to her there he would have blamed himself for it. Then he turns back to Ming, "Since I can keep in contact with her, I don't think waiting for your familiar is necessary. Though I don't see why you can't summon it while Kora is scouting."
So Ming had the same thought, just make things difficult for her if they could. ‘This bell is important to her, it’s not going to be lightly guarded. Unless they were lucky and she was so caught up in trying to balance reality with her dream that she wouldn’t imagine anyone could or would try to get close. Especially if she thought she was near to getting what she wanted. That was a shallow hope though.
Anthony’s brown eyes watched Ming and her obvious holding back and uncertainty, “Now is really not the time to be holding things back. We’re about to jump this wall and piss in a witch’s garden. With what you are describing, I’m not sure we can do this and get everyone out of here safely as it is. The fewer surprises the better.” He really didn’t understand the significance of all of this business about Tsien Chiang’s daughters and vengeance and a mentor… with scales or did she mean merchants scales? Did it matter? Only if there was a dragon, living or undead, lurking somewhere.
After she replies… or blows him off, he turns to the drow. “Perfect” relieved Akyan could keep them in contact. “I can yeet a couple of you over the wall if we need to.” Twitching his eyebrows up and managing to wrestle a smile onto his face. Then he suddenly froze. He would be embarrassed to admit that he’d done a few smash and grab jobs in his time. Might surprise people what kind of security you could get past with a little drug induced suicidal desperation on your side, but none of those situations had involved ghosts or magic. Charging in, grabbing the bell and running might be their best option, however stupid that sounded. But what direction did they run? “Where’s the mist border from here? If we get our hands on it - or fail completely - and have to make a mad dash, what way are we running?”
Kora smiles at Anthony and thanks him for the additional help. She listens to Ming, but doesn't have anything to add. As Akyan talks about the connection she nods, "Yes, that would be great. But wait, what about the cave? Other than leaving me out in the cold and wet, I'm not holding that against you."
"Alright, I'll head towards the tower and see what I can see. I'll keep away from pretty flowers in the garden and take note of any ghosts or anything I see. Anything else I should know? As you know, once I'm a spider, communication is really just well, through Akyan." she smirks at the drow at this. "Anthony, if you could um.. place me on top of the wall, that would be helpful."
Once that is all figured out, she nods, and shrinks down into a tiny spider. Once Anthony has her on top of the wall, she sends Akyan a message, Hear me loud and clear?and then starts heading towards the tower.
Ming nods to Akyan, sort of regretting even bringing up the possibility of summoning a familiar. Maybe she'll just wait on that.
When Anthony states that now isn't the time to hold anything back, she averts her eyes, "Sorry... I'm just not really..." She sighs, "I don't know how to explain this. I... know things I don't remember learning. I'm not sure how much of what I think I know is really accurate, or if it was ever true at all."She fiddles with her hair a bit, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. "I... have this hunch... Though again I don't know where it came from. But regardless, for some reason I think that Tsien Chiang's daughters are somehow connected to the fate of I'Cath. I just don't know how, or really anything. ...ugh this is so stupid."She flicks her hair away from her face in frustration, then takes in a shaky breath before letting it out and saying, "Just forget it. Do I know how heavily guarded the bell is? No. I've heard or... think I've heard a lot of things about the Tower, but I've never investigated myself. I don't think the ghosts inside should pose a threat, but... the bell itself is likely protected by whatever dark powers have a hold of this place. That's not to say I doubt that there are any other precautions, but... well it honestly wouldn't surprise me if there aren't. The people here aren't exactly actively trying to get to the bell... and honestly I'm not sure half of them know the significance of it. If anyone has tried to get into this place, the garden was likely enough to deter them. Tsien Chiang is the biggest threat if you ask me, but then again, so long as she isn't somehow notified of our presence, I know her schedule. We should be able to avoid her if we move quickly enough. Plus, she tends to be in a hurry when she runs up the stairs... she wants to avoid her daughters when they try to meet her in the Palace of Bones."
She looks up at the tower, then raises an eyebrow when Anthony asks about a mist border, "What is that? Mist border?"She frowns, first looking confused before her expression changes to one of concern and slight embarrassment, "Oh... I almost forgot. There is one way out of the city, it's called the Four Trees Gate. But... not many people know where it is and I am not one of them. I... haven't had enough time to look for it." Perhaps she should have lead with that information, maybe they should consider not going after the bell quite yet. "Don't you mistwalkers have a way to just... teleport wherever you want? At least... that's what it sounded like..." She trails off, realizing that she inadvertently hinted at her ignorance and or the fact that she may have overheard some of their conversations. "Do you need mist to teleport? And... can you take anyone else with you?" She almost didn't ask the last question, unsure if she has any right to ask for help considering everything else these people have already agreed to, like trying to steal the bell.
The priest let out a creatively unholy string of curses, resorting to goblin when he ran out of things to say in common, at the mention of there being only one way out of the city that, of course, they had no idea where it was.
“Sure thing.” He flashed her a smile and, assuming Kora didn’t want to draw attention, he waited until she was a spider before sticking her up on the wall. “Good luck. No risks.” He made an effort to sound stern, but, even as the ‘old man’ in the group, bossing people around didn’t come naturally.
He waited until Kora was underway to fully address all that Ming had said. With slightly less profanity. She was in a difficult position and, not to put too fine a point on it, they’d all been lucky to run into each other how and when they did. Still… He took a breath and leaned against the wall hoping the relaxed posture would make him feel some of the chill he was pretending. Fake it till you make it Brother Anthony. “I don’t have the best head for magic, but I feel pretty confident saying it’s not teleportation. I get we might have looked to you like we just appeared, but we walked here, and I got a sense we lucked out not having to fight our way though. Probably shouldn’t count on that every time. And, I really efing hope I’m wrong, but I think we do need to find the border to leave. I don’t think we can just… wish ourselves somewhere else. How many can we take with? No idea….”
He trailed off, he knew what she was getting at. Would they leave her here or take her with? He knew it was wrong to speak for the group. But he was the priest. If he couldn’t make irresponsible promises to damsels in distress, who could? And they already had one, why not add to the collection? “I won’t leave you here if you don’t want to stay and it’s possible to take you with.” There, technically only speaking for himself. Not that they weren’t on the hook now by extension. He scrubbed a hand through his hair leaving it sticking up at odd angles. Rinsing off in a koi pond or whatever was not enough. He needed a real bath.
The conversation about the mist made him think of another question, “Do you ever get traveling caravans here? Merchants or entertainers in wagons?” They hadn’t spent enough time with the Vistani to get a good sense of how or how often they did what they did, but they’d definitely implied they could travel more freely than most. It was a pretty big long shot, but maybe they could make contact with someone here who knew the way out.
Aoufie follows everyone to the bell tower and worries about Kora as a small spider, but it is also true that she would be an excellent scout that will most likely be overlooked by any aggressors. At times like this he would want to play his instrument, but he stops himself by clasping his hands together. He begins pacing back and forth waiting for Kora.
I ponder their strange journey so far and looks at his strange surroundings and wonders will he ever see the Sword Coast again. Best focus on the here and now. He stops pacing at times to look through the opulent gate for signs of trouble.
Zathon lets the group speak, absorbing the information with a neutral expression. This place has been through so much, and yet Ming is willing to face her fears to help them. It's admirable. He however doesnt have any capabilities that would be useful for scouting so thusly does not offer them.
"We have a way through the mist, to certain places."Zathon answers Ming.
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Relieved that it hadn't come to blows, Anthony doesn't take anything for himself for now. He made sure he had extra for traveling, and, compared to the people here, he could stand to skip a meal or two. Definitely wasn't going to take food from people who obviously needed it more for his convenience.
They'd rested, Ming-yue had some food to keep her going, now they needed to do whatever they were going to do and get out of here.
Not the most considerate of the bunch, Kora goes ahead and has one of the vegetables, going off of Ming's recommendation to eat them right away as they will spoil.
She then asks, "So are we going to try the bell first?"
Zathon has his own rations, he eats those.
"The bell sounds like the best place to start."
Aoufie eats his own ration as well and then stands read to check out the disturbing bell. "Let's depart everyone" Once ready he will start walking towards the building housing the bell.
Akyan feels some of the tension leave his body when Kora finally wakes up. He listens intently when she explains what she experienced in the dream. As she continues speaking, his concern returns and it shows on his face. He doesn't like the sound of what transpires in the dream, and he's also not sure what to make of Kora's tone when she speaks of it.
When the group heads over to the vegetable stand, the drow eyes the waiting pack of hungry people. He doesn't like the idea of letting them starve, and he does have some of his own rations. However, noting how many of his siblings decide to leave the wilted vegetables for the natives, he ultimately decides on taking a portion for himself. This way he can save his for emergencies.
He nods to Kora and Zathon, "Yes, Let's head closer to it. Perhaps we can scout out the area." He glances at Ming, "You've mentioned the streets tend to change frequently. Is this true of the area near the bell tower as well? Or have you never ventured near enough to give an answer?"
“…Yes,” Ming says reluctantly when Kora asks if she knew the man from the dream. She’s surprised at how easily the mistwalkers escaped the dream. Maybe it’s because they are well rested and fed right now… or maybe it’s just an outsider strength. Either way, right now she just needs to focus on food.
Once they’ve taken all they need, Ming watching the other citizens warily as they circle the stall, she will lead the group a safe distance away. Mindful of all this talk about heading to the tower, she makes an attempt to head in that general direction.
“Oh, yeah,” she says to Akyan. “All of the streets here change. There are just a few landmarks that don’t move. So the way there is different a lot, but the tower itself doesn’t change.”
She thinks back to her last attempt at getting near the tower, only to shiver at the thought of all the emotions that ran through her head every time she thought about trying to enter it. Maybe now that she has these people with her she’ll be able to push through.
“Are you willing to guide us there?” He took the fact that she seemed to be moving them in that direction, as answer enough. Ming wasn’t being very subtle about seeming like she wanted to stick with their group. Understandable under the circumstances. If he were in her place, assuming she was being honest about everything so far, he would absolutely feel the same. Why not tag along with people who might get him out of this miserable place. Even if there was no guarantee that different would be better, the people here didn’t really look like they had much to lose.
“If the streets change, what about going straight through? Either moving through or over some of these buildings.” He was more than a little concerned about being boxed in. “And this tower is heavily guarded I assume.” He looked down at his not very quiet chain mail and Zathon, Ireena, and Ismark’s armor. “Stealth might not be an option for some of us. I don’t really have magic that would help us get close quietly.” Even as he said it, he did his best to muffle his movements as a matter of course.
He also took a moment as they were heading out, to check in with Ismark and Ireena especially. She’d been both poisoned and fed on recently. “You guys holding up ok? I know this place isn’t .. great. “ He looked to the others - especially Akyan given they seemed to be on the same wavelength for making plans about what to do next - giving them a chance to shut him up before he continued with his thoughts.
((OOC: Anthony only says the following if no one stops him.))
“We have to go back to Barovia, but you two are clear.” He speaks more quietly. “If we can get that bell… how would you guys feel about taking it out of here and securing it away in another domain? Or, if we can’t, chilling out in this.. dreamland for a while and being our ears on the street until we can get back? You heard all of what we were told. Obviously we can’t promise you’ll be safe anywhere. The best we can say is that being difficult to find is probably the best way to f_ with their plans.” He made a half-hearted attempt to smile. “I’m honestly not sure we can stop any of what’s about to happen to this place. That’s all god level business and I’m not tight enough with mine to ask for those kinds of favors. Causing some chaos might be the best we can hope for.”
He left what he was saying to hang so they could think about it. He didn’t think it was the most strategic play, but he could see these two warriors having the urge to turn right back around, determined to die gloriously in a fight against tyranny. Problem was, they enemy was going to do his best to make sure Ireena didn’t die.
"Of course," Ming says to Anthony. "If you are planning on getting rid of the bell, I want to help. It's... something I've wanted to do for a while, but... well it just didn't seem like the smartest thing to try and do alone." She brushes a strand of hair out of her face, looking down quickly before continuing, "We could try that, but I'm not sure how much faster it would be. I usually just rely on my sense of direction to get me through. Though sometimes it is fun to go through the buildings, or over them--it can be a lot of work though." She gives a small smile, as if not really sure whether or not she should be talking about 'fun'. Regardless, she has to keep herself busy during her days here, otherwise she'd go insane... if she isn't already.
Her expression falter for a moment, a flash of fear washing over her before irritation, a few others, before ultimately fading to a blank stare. Clearing her throat, she tries to put on a neutral expression instead as she says, "The tower itself... well, I don't know. From what I've heard it's full of ghosts during the day, but I've never gone in myself so I don't know how dangerous they are. Honestly I think our real problem is that the tower is located next to the Palace of Bones, which is where Tsien Chiang stays during the day. Not only that, but it's in the courtyard, which is filled with poisonous gardens. We'll want to get in and out before dusk, because we really don't want to be caught in there while Tsien Chiang is climbing up."
If Anthony says his bit about Barovia and the two humans that Ming hasn't heard the names of, Ming listens curiously without trying to seem nosey. She stays quiet for a long while, focusing on leading the group towards the Tower while waiting for the rest of Anthony's party to talk if they are going to. She has so many questions she wants to ask... so many of which she doesn't even know if these people would know the answers to. Still, right now she sees this group as her only hope at fixing this place... or leaving it for good if that's what it takes to find freedom. As she thinks this, a pang of guilt his her when she realizes she hasn't gone to check on her family today, and if this talk of storming the tower goes anywhere... she might not get to see them again anytime soon.
Anthony's heart sinks as she describes what they are likely to find at the tower. He's not optimistic in the slightest. "Ok, so, just making sure I understand. Haunted by ghosts during the day, Tsien Chiang sleeps nearby. There's a poison garden to get through to get there, and we need to be out before night otherwise we have to deal with the lord of this place." The big man shakes his head. This was not going to go well. "Maybe we should send one of us to scout."
Kora listens and starts ticking things off on her fingers as well. "Okay, you obviously have heard of Tsien Chiang. How can he be here and in the Dream as well? What can you tell us about him?" She tries to focus on one thing at a time as the whole situation is quite crazy if she is honest with herself.
Kora was happy to see the girl smile, she was starting to wonder about her a bit. But then turns to Anthony, "If I need to scurry ahead and try to listen as a lizard or something I could. What animals are common around here?" She asks Ming.
Ismark and Ireena both reply that they're "Doing fine" when Anthony checks in on them. When talk about their next few steps are brought up, they both shuffle a bit uncomfortably at the suggestion of staying here. "I don't really like this place," Ireena replies. "But it seems like a better place than Barovia at the moment."
You head deeper into the city, and as you do, the buildings around you slowly transition from battered and decrepit to grand and ornate. For those that were in the dream, the buildings closer to the Palace of Bones resemble the ones you saw while dreaming, though not quite as impressive.
Eventually, you arrive at an impressive gate set into a towering stone wall. The gate is made of a solid wood painted a deep mahogany. A golden dragon mural covers much of the gate, and its eyes seem to follow you as you approach. Beyond the wall, you see a massive tower rising into the air. Unlike the rest of the city, the tower is various shades of gray: black fading into a bleached white at the tips and edges. Based on the size of the wall, you'd say that the walls enclose quite a large area.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Anthony was almost relived the brother and sister duo weren't interested in sticking around this place. He didn't like the idea of dumping them here, even if it might be easier for them in some ways.
To Kora he nods, "Maybe a good idea if you feel comfortable you can do it safely." Were there any animals around here? He hadn't really noticed, but hopefully, even if there weren't, just being smaller would help her keep hidden or peek though a handy crack. He didn't like to keep sending her off alone, but, of any of them, he was sure to give her away more than being a help. "But here, if you want, a little bit of insight." he muttered prayer to The Broken One and held up a hand in offering of a blessing, as always, not touching her without permission. "And before you go in, if there's poison, I can give you a little bit of help with that, it will only last a few minutes though, so right before you go."
((OOC: he's offering her Vigilant Blessing You give one creature you touch (including possibly yourself) advantage on the next initiative roll the creature makes. This benefit ends immediately after the roll or if you use this feature again. And to cast Resistance: touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to one saving throw of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the saving throw.))
He then asks Ming, "Do you know what we can do about the bell if we manage to get to it?"
"Oh she's not asleep," Ming says ruefully. "I don't know if she ever sleeps, but she is busy with her plans for the city." She falters slightly when he mentions sending one person as a scout, as if the idea hadn't occurred to her. Really, she'd thought about scouting it out several times, but just hadn't been able to get past the fear of the place to go by herself. She looks at Kora with wide eyes when the druid agrees to sneak in.
"Tsien Chiang... well..." She fidgets, suddenly looking uncomfortable. Her eyes go distant for a moment before saying hesitantly, "In the dream and here? I don't know. Likely she enters the dream when ringing the bell every dusk, but is here in the waking world in the daytime." Her voice grows slightly strained as she continues, "Consumed by vengeance, she wanted what her mentor would not give her. Her actions destroyed what she had. She lost everything for a second time. Took a scale from her dead mentor, and created the bell to restore what she lost. At first she was welcomed, the people loved her. Then they grew tired of her demands. Violence... so much death... Tsien Chiang survived while her family perished. She used the bell to to grant her vengeful wish. That is how the dream... that is how the dream started..." She blinks, shaking her head as if trying to rid herself of unwanted thoughts. Then she swallows and says in an undertone, "Her daughters died, but the bell brought them back. They haunt I'Cath as well, but she shuns them. They return to the Palace of Bones every dusk..." She shakes her head again, this time putting a hand to her head and biting her lip. Her eyes tighten, and a brief flash of anger creeps into her features-- though not directed at anyone present. Letting out a breath she says, "I'm not sure if they would be a problem though..." She almost says something else but stops herself, crossing her arms as if she'd said something she hadn't meant to say. Not that she was trying to hide anything, more she seemed unsure of her own words.
"Animals?" she says finally, eyes straying to the golden dragon mural on the gate. "There aren't many animals here if you can tell. ...probably because they are hunted, even the vermin." She shrugs, "But anything small that scavenges would probably blend in." She glances at Kora, "But... do you really think you should go alone?" She doesn't want to question the strength of anyone here. For all she knows, they could be leagues ahead of her in skill and strength. Still, it seems risky to go into the belly of the beast alone. Even with a disguise. As she thinks this, Anthony talks to Kora about insight and help with the poison. Ming-Yue lowers her head, biting her lip again in thought. Surely there is something she can do to help too... right?
"If...if you are willing to wait an hour..." she hesitates. An hour is a long time, and a lot of things can happen in an hour. Do they really have time for that? Why had she never thought to try summoning a familiar until now? Perhaps it felt wrong, considering it would likely be her father's old companion who would come from the other plane. "W...well. I don't know. I haven't ever tried summoning a familiar before, but I could do so now. If you think that would be helpful. I could send it with you so you won't be alone, and we'd have constant contact with you. ...or I could just send the familiar and you could stay out of danger." She averts her eyes as she says this, finding herself embarrassed that she hadn't tried this ages ago before these mistwalkers showed up. Well... sure she's only been out of the dream for a couple weeks, but that's still no excuse. She could have gained so much information if she'd just used the abilities she'd gained upon waking. Wait... how does she even know she has this ability anyways? What if she can't actually summon anything and this is just wishful thinking?
Fortunately, Anthony asks another question that pulls her out of her sudden spiraling thoughts, "Oh... um. Well, the bell is what resets the enchantment. So... I'm thinking that if we can keep it away from Tsien Chiang, then the enchantment would inevitably fade... but... don't try ringing it yourself. ...I'm not sure but." She fidgets, "I think that would just teleport you into the dream..." She shakes her head, "Just don't try to use it. Nothing good can come of such a thing. Getting the bell as far away from here as possible sounds like the best plan to me. Destroying it would be better, but I'm not sure that's possible."
She glances back in the direction they came from, then looks to Anthony and Kora as if debating on asking a question. However she stays silent, waiting for responses to everything she just said.
Akyan nods in agreement of the idea of scouting out the building, though he doesn't like the idea of leaving one person alone again. Normally he prefers to be the one to do the scouting, that's how it always went when he was working with the guild, but he can't deny that Kora's skills in this type of infiltration are far better than his own. Aside from that thought, unlike back at that cave in Barovia, he should be able to maintain a mental link with Kora.
He lets Ming and Anthony finish their conversation before he speaks up. "I believe I can get close enough to hold a link between myself and Kora. If necessary, I can scout part of the way ahead and make a second link with you Anthony, this way we will all be in communication. I don't want to repeat the cave incident again." He gives Kora a glance, if anything had happened to her there he would have blamed himself for it. Then he turns back to Ming, "Since I can keep in contact with her, I don't think waiting for your familiar is necessary. Though I don't see why you can't summon it while Kora is scouting."
So Ming had the same thought, just make things difficult for her if they could. ‘This bell is important to her, it’s not going to be lightly guarded. Unless they were lucky and she was so caught up in trying to balance reality with her dream that she wouldn’t imagine anyone could or would try to get close. Especially if she thought she was near to getting what she wanted. That was a shallow hope though.
Anthony’s brown eyes watched Ming and her obvious holding back and uncertainty, “Now is really not the time to be holding things back. We’re about to jump this wall and piss in a witch’s garden. With what you are describing, I’m not sure we can do this and get everyone out of here safely as it is. The fewer surprises the better.” He really didn’t understand the significance of all of this business about Tsien Chiang’s daughters and vengeance and a mentor… with scales or did she mean merchants scales? Did it matter? Only if there was a dragon, living or undead, lurking somewhere.
After she replies… or blows him off, he turns to the drow. “Perfect” relieved Akyan could keep them in contact. “I can yeet a couple of you over the wall if we need to.” Twitching his eyebrows up and managing to wrestle a smile onto his face. Then he suddenly froze. He would be embarrassed to admit that he’d done a few smash and grab jobs in his time. Might surprise people what kind of security you could get past with a little drug induced suicidal desperation on your side, but none of those situations had involved ghosts or magic. Charging in, grabbing the bell and running might be their best option, however stupid that sounded. But what direction did they run? “Where’s the mist border from here? If we get our hands on it - or fail completely - and have to make a mad dash, what way are we running?”
Kora smiles at Anthony and thanks him for the additional help. She listens to Ming, but doesn't have anything to add. As Akyan talks about the connection she nods, "Yes, that would be great. But wait, what about the cave? Other than leaving me out in the cold and wet, I'm not holding that against you."
"Alright, I'll head towards the tower and see what I can see. I'll keep away from pretty flowers in the garden and take note of any ghosts or anything I see. Anything else I should know? As you know, once I'm a spider, communication is really just well, through Akyan." she smirks at the drow at this. "Anthony, if you could um.. place me on top of the wall, that would be helpful."
Once that is all figured out, she nods, and shrinks down into a tiny spider. Once Anthony has her on top of the wall, she sends Akyan a message, Hear me loud and clear? and then starts heading towards the tower.
Ming nods to Akyan, sort of regretting even bringing up the possibility of summoning a familiar. Maybe she'll just wait on that.
When Anthony states that now isn't the time to hold anything back, she averts her eyes, "Sorry... I'm just not really..." She sighs, "I don't know how to explain this. I... know things I don't remember learning. I'm not sure how much of what I think I know is really accurate, or if it was ever true at all." She fiddles with her hair a bit, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. "I... have this hunch... Though again I don't know where it came from. But regardless, for some reason I think that Tsien Chiang's daughters are somehow connected to the fate of I'Cath. I just don't know how, or really anything. ...ugh this is so stupid." She flicks her hair away from her face in frustration, then takes in a shaky breath before letting it out and saying, "Just forget it. Do I know how heavily guarded the bell is? No. I've heard or... think I've heard a lot of things about the Tower, but I've never investigated myself. I don't think the ghosts inside should pose a threat, but... the bell itself is likely protected by whatever dark powers have a hold of this place. That's not to say I doubt that there are any other precautions, but... well it honestly wouldn't surprise me if there aren't. The people here aren't exactly actively trying to get to the bell... and honestly I'm not sure half of them know the significance of it. If anyone has tried to get into this place, the garden was likely enough to deter them. Tsien Chiang is the biggest threat if you ask me, but then again, so long as she isn't somehow notified of our presence, I know her schedule. We should be able to avoid her if we move quickly enough. Plus, she tends to be in a hurry when she runs up the stairs... she wants to avoid her daughters when they try to meet her in the Palace of Bones."
She looks up at the tower, then raises an eyebrow when Anthony asks about a mist border, "What is that? Mist border?" She frowns, first looking confused before her expression changes to one of concern and slight embarrassment, "Oh... I almost forgot. There is one way out of the city, it's called the Four Trees Gate. But... not many people know where it is and I am not one of them. I... haven't had enough time to look for it." Perhaps she should have lead with that information, maybe they should consider not going after the bell quite yet. "Don't you mistwalkers have a way to just... teleport wherever you want? At least... that's what it sounded like..." She trails off, realizing that she inadvertently hinted at her ignorance and or the fact that she may have overheard some of their conversations. "Do you need mist to teleport? And... can you take anyone else with you?" She almost didn't ask the last question, unsure if she has any right to ask for help considering everything else these people have already agreed to, like trying to steal the bell.
The priest let out a creatively unholy string of curses, resorting to goblin when he ran out of things to say in common, at the mention of there being only one way out of the city that, of course, they had no idea where it was.
“Sure thing.” He flashed her a smile and, assuming Kora didn’t want to draw attention, he waited until she was a spider before sticking her up on the wall. “Good luck. No risks.” He made an effort to sound stern, but, even as the ‘old man’ in the group, bossing people around didn’t come naturally.
He waited until Kora was underway to fully address all that Ming had said. With slightly less profanity. She was in a difficult position and, not to put too fine a point on it, they’d all been lucky to run into each other how and when they did. Still… He took a breath and leaned against the wall hoping the relaxed posture would make him feel some of the chill he was pretending. Fake it till you make it Brother Anthony. “I don’t have the best head for magic, but I feel pretty confident saying it’s not teleportation. I get we might have looked to you like we just appeared, but we walked here, and I got a sense we lucked out not having to fight our way though. Probably shouldn’t count on that every time. And, I really efing hope I’m wrong, but I think we do need to find the border to leave. I don’t think we can just… wish ourselves somewhere else. How many can we take with? No idea….”
He trailed off, he knew what she was getting at. Would they leave her here or take her with? He knew it was wrong to speak for the group. But he was the priest. If he couldn’t make irresponsible promises to damsels in distress, who could? And they already had one, why not add to the collection? “I won’t leave you here if you don’t want to stay and it’s possible to take you with.” There, technically only speaking for himself. Not that they weren’t on the hook now by extension. He scrubbed a hand through his hair leaving it sticking up at odd angles. Rinsing off in a koi pond or whatever was not enough. He needed a real bath.
The conversation about the mist made him think of another question, “Do you ever get traveling caravans here? Merchants or entertainers in wagons?” They hadn’t spent enough time with the Vistani to get a good sense of how or how often they did what they did, but they’d definitely implied they could travel more freely than most. It was a pretty big long shot, but maybe they could make contact with someone here who knew the way out.
Aoufie follows everyone to the bell tower and worries about Kora as a small spider, but it is also true that she would be an excellent scout that will most likely be overlooked by any aggressors. At times like this he would want to play his instrument, but he stops himself by clasping his hands together. He begins pacing back and forth waiting for Kora.
I ponder their strange journey so far and looks at his strange surroundings and wonders will he ever see the Sword Coast again. Best focus on the here and now. He stops pacing at times to look through the opulent gate for signs of trouble.
Zathon lets the group speak, absorbing the information with a neutral expression. This place has been through so much, and yet Ming is willing to face her fears to help them. It's admirable. He however doesnt have any capabilities that would be useful for scouting so thusly does not offer them.
"We have a way through the mist, to certain places." Zathon answers Ming.