Theldrin also grins as he hears of the gnomes making it home safely, but then quickly frowns as he concentrates on the mission. "The ring... " he asks slowly, "Does it protect just the bearer or those around them as well?"
Before you leave, Es Sarch holds up a hand, “It would of course be mutually beneficial to share information, and in keeping with that, I would like to tell you that I have agreed to meet with The Inheritors. I know that you have had… less than pleasant dealings with them in the past, but for my purposes, they may provide a useful tool in dealing with the Assassin’s Guild. With control of The Spike and The Bazaar, they are closer to seizing complete control of the city than I thought. I may need the muscle of The Inheritors to keep the Guild at bay.”
"Why not?" Khessa smiles. "The enemies of our enemies will be useful to us."
The blonde arcane warrior studies the ring, ritual-casts Detect Magic on it, and takes notes in her spellbook with its spiderweb-like, decorated cover. She thinks: 'Poor Es Sarch... How thin he is under his clothes... Does he eat too little? Or does he have too many worries? Or perhaps... or perhaps he's an undead disguising his appearance? No, what am I thinking... An undead wouldn't have cooperated loyally with us like he has so far... Unless... he plans to perpetrate some sensational final betrayal after we've finished being useful to him...'
Ok, so Xanrym and Syllen come back and report this news to you all before you spend the next couple of days in downtime.
(OOC: Catching up. Back on the day Xanrym and Syllen went to the temple, I'm assuming that Eamotth, Bloobbloum, and the Blueknight were speaking in Undercommon, which seems to be the common language among the Inheritors.)
Xanrym is thankful for Comprehend Languages and fills Syllen in on what they were saying back at the temple. Once they make it back to the townhouse, he relates the story to the whole Company, including the details about the mysterious figure who seemed to communicate telepathically with the Inheritors. Xanrym thinks that Syllen and he went entirely undetected, thanks to Syllen's magic. "But who knows what strange magic the that third leader of the Inheritors has?"
Xanrym is actually worried that Lord Vuglomax somehow sensed Xanrym's presence at the temple. He has to beat back the growing sense that the Inheritors could attack their townhouse in force at any moment and distracts himself by studying the book that they took from Muvaysil over the next couple of days. It crystalizes some of his own thoughts and helps him to be more deliberate with how he uses his knowledge and skill with words in his interactions. That also gives him confidence in his own abilities and in his ability to inspire others. He has a growing sense of unease the longer they stay in Pedestal, and when they receive Es Sarch's summons, he is relieved: "The sooner we finish our mission here and can leave Pedestal, the better!"
Xanrym thanks Es Sarch for all of the advice and help he has given The Company. He also praises him for helping the Svirfneblin. His initial questions are just about the spire itself:
"Do you know anything about the Necromancer's Spike? What's in there? If the entrance has been protected by this necromantic magic, then presumably no one has entered or left for many for many years. Not since the Plagueburst?"
"The 'spike' is huge: it stretches all the way to the roof of the Great Grotto. But I guess that the Drow must have tunneled and carved out rooms within it. Do you know how extensive their construction supposedly was?" Xanrym is wondering whether the space inside the spike is like a simple tower: an entrance with stairs leading up to a few rooms. Or whether it's like its own fortress: dozens of chambers spanning from the floor of the Great Grotto to several stories above it. The Company might prepare differently if their next step will this be like the Ellesarwa job (one brief assault, in-and-out) compared to their attack on the naga's lair (a multi-day exploration of an large and hostile dungeon).
"Do you know anything about the Necromancer from before the Plagueburst? Any rumors? Assuming that the Necromancer died in the Plagueburst, if they had created or summoned any undying guardians, I guess those guardians would still be there: magical constructs, undead, or even demons summoned from the lower planes. Then again, presumably Fhadheela would also have to content with any guardians and must have found a way past them."
Before you leave, Es Sarch holds up a hand, “It would of course be mutually beneficial to share information, and in keeping with that, I would like to tell you that I have agreed to meet with The Inheritors. I know that you have had… less than pleasant dealings with them in the past, but for my purposes, they may provide a useful tool in dealing with the Assassin’s Guild. With control of The Spike and The Bazaar, they are closer to seizing complete control of the city than I thought. I may need the muscle of The Inheritors to keep the Guild at bay.”
Xanrym starts by asking, "Do you recognize the name 'Vuglomax'?" If so, Xanrym asks Es Sarch to share anything he knows.
Then Xanrym cautions Es Sarch: "Be careful in allying with the Inheritors. I was able to sneak into their base at the Temple of Berei briefly, where the Inheritors had a large meeting, and Lord Vuglomax seemed to be the leader. They were talking about 'holding sway over multiple holdings in the city.' I think that they have a plan to take control of Pedestal for themselves." He also shares his concerns that the Blueknight is never seen without their helmet and that Lord Vuglomax was so heavily cloaked that they could not see his face. "Why conceal themselves at a meeting of their own followers? It makes wonder whether some fell power has infiltrated the Inheritors and is using them for its own ends." Xanrym is thinking of the townspeople of Orlane who were dominated by the naga or even of the Aboleth's horrible influence over him during their crossing of the Sullen Sea. Could the Aboleth have sent its own thralls into Pedestal to take over the Inheritors and bring the city under its sway? He shudders at the thought.
Es Sarch explains that while the drow claim to be in control of the Spike, no one has been inside for centuries, apart from Fadheela apparently. But surely there must be multiple rooms for the Necromancer’s experiments and living quarters and such.
In terms of Lord Vuglomax, neither Es Sarch nor Theldrin has heard the name before. But Es Sarch is interested in your description. “This Lord Vuglomax must be powerful indeed to have such extensive use of telepathy. As for disguising themselves, I cannot judge them for that.” He gestures at his own outfit, “And ‘holding sway over multiple holdings’ is exactly what we are going in to discuss. Of course, I plan to be very cautious. In fact, if you wanted to act as my escort, you may prove to be more help than my servers. Would you be willing to come along tonight to the meeting, delaying your foray into the Spike? I would compensate you of course, and I would understand if you said no.”
Khessa considers, her blue eyes searching those of her companions: "It would only be a small delay... and perhaps we could get a better understanding of what's going on. I suggest we assume our role as 'escorts' and accompany our friend Es Sarch."
Khessa considers, her blue eyes searching those of her companions: "It would only be a small delay... and perhaps we could get a better understanding of what's going on. I suggest we assume our role as 'escorts' and accompany our friend Es Sarch."
Xanrym says diplomatically, "Well, we should discuss it, at least. We owe Es Sarch that much."
Turning to their host, Xanrym says, "Es Sarch, you have been one of the few trustworthy and reliable contacts we've made in Pedestal, but we must consider your request carefully. I believe that the Inheritors may see this meeting as an opportunity to eliminate you, one of their biggest rivals in Pedestal, or to control you in some way. Acting as your escort would come with significant risk. But, honestly, that risk isn't my primary concern: The Company of the Grey Chain has taken on great danger before! My biggest concern is delay."
Xanrym considers for a moment and asks what he believes is the critical question, saying, "Five days ago, I said that we believed that Fhadheela was associated with Xeron, a Yuan-Ti sorcerer who was defeated by our friends. But Xeron's cult managed to steal the bones of the legendary 'Forgotten King' and escape. Prophecies suggest that the cult is trying to use those artifacts to unleash some great evil on the world. Something so horrible that the effect would be felt even here in this subterranean city. Do you have any information that would suggest that Fhadheela has already delivered the stolen relics and artifacts to someone else or that she has plans to leave Pedestal? One day of delay may be fine, but we cannot let Fhadheela get away! She's the last lead we have to recovering the Forgotten King's bones and stopping whatever evil Xeron's cult has already begun." Xanrym shares this additional information -- more details than he provided a few days ago when they first met Es Sarch -- hoping that it'll help to motivate someone like Es Sarch who trades in information.
Xanrym is inclined to escort Es Sarch, partially because he believes that Es Sarch is walking into a trap. After everything The Company has seen, Xanrym feels that the defeat of Es Sarch would probably be the worst thing for Pedestal's eventual fate. And even if he didn't care about Pedestal at all, he feels enough loyalty to Es Sarch now that he is inclined to help him.
Or perhaps Xanrym is just influenced by curiosity and a desire to unmask the Blueknight and to find out who (or what!) Lord Vuglomax is.
“If our current quest goes south I prefer to return to a city where we have allies. If this meeting is a trap we can both gain stronger ties and remove a few people that want us dead.”
Theldrin agrees with Syllen, "I get the feeling the Inheritors will be attacking us before we can finish the mission and leave Pedestal, so we may as well... perhaps catching them off guard this way."
Khessa has already told anyone interested (during the voyage to Nyr Dyv) about the drow raid that sparked her (unwanted) career as an adventurer; so she won't bore everyone with that story again... at most, she'll share anecdotes, memories of her peaceful, carefree family life before the... sudden tragedy.
But the blonde arcane warrior still listens attentively when others, those she considers "true" adventurers, tell their stories.
Coriana will tell (humorously) the tale of how she got convinced by some dwarven sailors that they knew enough engineering to bring a treasure boat and its precious cargo up a waterfall to avoid having to lay out more money on an already strained venture. The rigging collapsed, Coriana and the dwarves were in the drink, and enough cargo was lost or destroyed to result in Coriana's enormous debt to a pirate queen.
Xanrym considers for a moment and asks what he believes is the critical question, saying, "Five days ago, I said that we believed that Fhadheela was associated with Xeron, a Yuan-Ti sorcerer who was defeated by our friends. But Xeron's cult managed to steal the bones of the legendary 'Forgotten King' and escape. Prophecies suggest that the cult is trying to use those artifacts to unleash some great evil on the world. Something so horrible that the effect would be felt even here in this subterranean city.
Do you have any information that would suggest that Fhadheela has already delivered the stolen relics and artifacts to someone else or that she has plans to leave Pedestal?
(OOC: Did Es Sarch have a response to this question? Sorry, I know that I originally buried it in the middle of a post.)
Xanrym looks surprised when he finally learns how Coriana found herself in debt to a pirate queen, and he laughs out loud at Coriana's comical descriptions of the dwarves' devices and the ship's eventual fall into the waters below. To put a positive spin on the catastrophe, he says, "Well, Coriana, at least for one, glorious moment, you were the captain of a flying ship! Not many captains can make that claim!"
Even after Xanrym recovers, the image keeps popping back into his head every few minutes of the ship being hauled up beside a huge waterfall before breaking loose falling and of the looks of shock on the each of the crew members' faces as the ship started to fall. Every time he thinks of it, it starts him laughing quietly to himself again for a little while.
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Khessa feels ragged bones underneath the cloak, and not much else.
Theldrin also grins as he hears of the gnomes making it home safely, but then quickly frowns as he concentrates on the mission. "The ring... " he asks slowly, "Does it protect just the bearer or those around them as well?"
Es Sarch will tell you it protects everyone
Before you leave, Es Sarch holds up a hand, “It would of course be mutually beneficial to share information, and in keeping with that, I would like to tell you that I have agreed to meet with The Inheritors. I know that you have had… less than pleasant dealings with them in the past, but for my purposes, they may provide a useful tool in dealing with the Assassin’s Guild. With control of The Spike and The Bazaar, they are closer to seizing complete control of the city than I thought. I may need the muscle of The Inheritors to keep the Guild at bay.”
"Why not?" Khessa smiles. "The enemies of our enemies will be useful to us."
The blonde arcane warrior studies the ring, ritual-casts Detect Magic on it, and takes notes in her spellbook with its spiderweb-like, decorated cover. She thinks: 'Poor Es Sarch... How thin he is under his clothes... Does he eat too little? Or does he have too many worries? Or perhaps... or perhaps he's an undead disguising his appearance? No, what am I thinking... An undead wouldn't have cooperated loyally with us like he has so far... Unless... he plans to perpetrate some sensational final betrayal after we've finished being useful to him...'
(OOC: Catching up. Back on the day Xanrym and Syllen went to the temple, I'm assuming that Eamotth, Bloobbloum, and the Blueknight were speaking in Undercommon, which seems to be the common language among the Inheritors.)
Xanrym is thankful for Comprehend Languages and fills Syllen in on what they were saying back at the temple. Once they make it back to the townhouse, he relates the story to the whole Company, including the details about the mysterious figure who seemed to communicate telepathically with the Inheritors. Xanrym thinks that Syllen and he went entirely undetected, thanks to Syllen's magic. "But who knows what strange magic the that third leader of the Inheritors has?"
Xanrym is actually worried that Lord Vuglomax somehow sensed Xanrym's presence at the temple. He has to beat back the growing sense that the Inheritors could attack their townhouse in force at any moment and distracts himself by studying the book that they took from Muvaysil over the next couple of days. It crystalizes some of his own thoughts and helps him to be more deliberate with how he uses his knowledge and skill with words in his interactions. That also gives him confidence in his own abilities and in his ability to inspire others. He has a growing sense of unease the longer they stay in Pedestal, and when they receive Es Sarch's summons, he is relieved: "The sooner we finish our mission here and can leave Pedestal, the better!"
Xanrym finishes studying the Tome of Leadership and Influence, bumping his CHA to 20.
Xanrym thanks Es Sarch for all of the advice and help he has given The Company. He also praises him for helping the Svirfneblin. His initial questions are just about the spire itself:
"Do you know anything about the Necromancer's Spike? What's in there? If the entrance has been protected by this necromantic magic, then presumably no one has entered or left for many for many years. Not since the Plagueburst?"
"The 'spike' is huge: it stretches all the way to the roof of the Great Grotto. But I guess that the Drow must have tunneled and carved out rooms within it. Do you know how extensive their construction supposedly was?" Xanrym is wondering whether the space inside the spike is like a simple tower: an entrance with stairs leading up to a few rooms. Or whether it's like its own fortress: dozens of chambers spanning from the floor of the Great Grotto to several stories above it. The Company might prepare differently if their next step will this be like the Ellesarwa job (one brief assault, in-and-out) compared to their attack on the naga's lair (a multi-day exploration of an large and hostile dungeon).
"Do you know anything about the Necromancer from before the Plagueburst? Any rumors? Assuming that the Necromancer died in the Plagueburst, if they had created or summoned any undying guardians, I guess those guardians would still be there: magical constructs, undead, or even demons summoned from the lower planes. Then again, presumably Fhadheela would also have to content with any guardians and must have found a way past them."
Xanrym starts by asking, "Do you recognize the name 'Vuglomax'?" If so, Xanrym asks Es Sarch to share anything he knows.
Then Xanrym cautions Es Sarch: "Be careful in allying with the Inheritors. I was able to sneak into their base at the Temple of Berei briefly, where the Inheritors had a large meeting, and Lord Vuglomax seemed to be the leader. They were talking about 'holding sway over multiple holdings in the city.' I think that they have a plan to take control of Pedestal for themselves." He also shares his concerns that the Blueknight is never seen without their helmet and that Lord Vuglomax was so heavily cloaked that they could not see his face. "Why conceal themselves at a meeting of their own followers? It makes wonder whether some fell power has infiltrated the Inheritors and is using them for its own ends." Xanrym is thinking of the townspeople of Orlane who were dominated by the naga or even of the Aboleth's horrible influence over him during their crossing of the Sullen Sea. Could the Aboleth have sent its own thralls into Pedestal to take over the Inheritors and bring the city under its sway? He shudders at the thought.
Theldrin considers if he's ever come across the name "Vuglomax" in his studies.
History: 11
Es Sarch explains that while the drow claim to be in control of the Spike, no one has been inside for centuries, apart from Fadheela apparently. But surely there must be multiple rooms for the Necromancer’s experiments and living quarters and such.
In terms of Lord Vuglomax, neither Es Sarch nor Theldrin has heard the name before. But Es Sarch is interested in your description. “This Lord Vuglomax must be powerful indeed to have such extensive use of telepathy. As for disguising themselves, I cannot judge them for that.” He gestures at his own outfit, “And ‘holding sway over multiple holdings’ is exactly what we are going in to discuss. Of course, I plan to be very cautious. In fact, if you wanted to act as my escort, you may prove to be more help than my servers. Would you be willing to come along tonight to the meeting, delaying your foray into the Spike? I would compensate you of course, and I would understand if you said no.”
Khessa considers, her blue eyes searching those of her companions: "It would only be a small delay... and perhaps we could get a better understanding of what's going on. I suggest we assume our role as 'escorts' and accompany our friend Es Sarch."
Xanrym says diplomatically, "Well, we should discuss it, at least. We owe Es Sarch that much."
Turning to their host, Xanrym says, "Es Sarch, you have been one of the few trustworthy and reliable contacts we've made in Pedestal, but we must consider your request carefully. I believe that the Inheritors may see this meeting as an opportunity to eliminate you, one of their biggest rivals in Pedestal, or to control you in some way. Acting as your escort would come with significant risk. But, honestly, that risk isn't my primary concern: The Company of the Grey Chain has taken on great danger before! My biggest concern is delay."
Xanrym considers for a moment and asks what he believes is the critical question, saying, "Five days ago, I said that we believed that Fhadheela was associated with Xeron, a Yuan-Ti sorcerer who was defeated by our friends. But Xeron's cult managed to steal the bones of the legendary 'Forgotten King' and escape. Prophecies suggest that the cult is trying to use those artifacts to unleash some great evil on the world. Something so horrible that the effect would be felt even here in this subterranean city. Do you have any information that would suggest that Fhadheela has already delivered the stolen relics and artifacts to someone else or that she has plans to leave Pedestal? One day of delay may be fine, but we cannot let Fhadheela get away! She's the last lead we have to recovering the Forgotten King's bones and stopping whatever evil Xeron's cult has already begun." Xanrym shares this additional information -- more details than he provided a few days ago when they first met Es Sarch -- hoping that it'll help to motivate someone like Es Sarch who trades in information.
Xanrym is inclined to escort Es Sarch, partially because he believes that Es Sarch is walking into a trap. After everything The Company has seen, Xanrym feels that the defeat of Es Sarch would probably be the worst thing for Pedestal's eventual fate. And even if he didn't care about Pedestal at all, he feels enough loyalty to Es Sarch now that he is inclined to help him.
Or perhaps Xanrym is just influenced by curiosity and a desire to unmask the Blueknight and to find out who (or what!) Lord Vuglomax is.
Theldrin nods, seemingly willing to escort Es Sarch to the meeting.
Syllen will vote to escort Es Sarch.
“If our current quest goes south I prefer to return to a city where we have allies. If this meeting is a trap we can both gain stronger ties and remove a few people that want us dead.”
Theldrin agrees with Syllen, "I get the feeling the Inheritors will be attacking us before we can finish the mission and leave Pedestal, so we may as well... perhaps catching them off guard this way."
Es Sarch offers you a to stay in the private room with free drinks and food until the evening. Do you swap any campfire stories in this time?
Khessa has already told anyone interested (during the voyage to Nyr Dyv) about the drow raid that sparked her (unwanted) career as an adventurer; so she won't bore everyone with that story again... at most, she'll share anecdotes, memories of her peaceful, carefree family life before the... sudden tragedy.
But the blonde arcane warrior still listens attentively when others, those she considers "true" adventurers, tell their stories.
Coriana will tell (humorously) the tale of how she got convinced by some dwarven sailors that they knew enough engineering to bring a treasure boat and its precious cargo up a waterfall to avoid having to lay out more money on an already strained venture. The rigging collapsed, Coriana and the dwarves were in the drink, and enough cargo was lost or destroyed to result in Coriana's enormous debt to a pirate queen.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Theldrin listens attentively to the others, but seems to be in a quiet pensive mood as he considers the upcoming meeting and mission to the spire.
(OOC: Did Es Sarch have a response to this question? Sorry, I know that I originally buried it in the middle of a post.)
Xanrym looks surprised when he finally learns how Coriana found herself in debt to a pirate queen, and he laughs out loud at Coriana's comical descriptions of the dwarves' devices and the ship's eventual fall into the waters below. To put a positive spin on the catastrophe, he says, "Well, Coriana, at least for one, glorious moment, you were the captain of a flying ship! Not many captains can make that claim!"
Even after Xanrym recovers, the image keeps popping back into his head every few minutes of the ship being hauled up beside a huge waterfall before breaking loose falling and of the looks of shock on the each of the crew members' faces as the ship started to fall. Every time he thinks of it, it starts him laughing quietly to himself again for a little while.