After Kalamin finishes relaying what he'd seen to the others, he looks down at his hands, wondering aloud. "What are we?"He glances up at the others, all of them seemed so normal. What was so special about their blood that it could tear holes into strange worlds? Summon abominations such as this?
The knight shakes the feeling off, crossing his arms. "Well at least we know where it went, to an extent. Thalorin spoke of a Site-13. I imagine that's the fortification Maghda sent this Seidrach Karvas to."
"We could find more answers there. And deliver retribution for this...Massacre."
"You said this other group, the one who assaulted this place, had attacked you before you came to Vinande?"Ilya asks after listening to the paladin explain his memory of this basement. "It seems like they've realized your importance to whatever's going on. They likely thought that killing you would be enough to stop another ritual like this."
On the subject of the monster that crawled through the rift, her opinion is simple. "I don't feel comfortable leaving something like that out in the world. Especially so close to Vinande. It needs to be dealt with. I'm in."
Leftenant eventually descends the steps to join the paladin in the stone chamber and takes in the room from his memory. He follows Glyptemis. As Kalamin relays his vision and Lyra speculates he quietly contemplates it all.
Lyra pauses, looking pale. "All they required of us was our unwitting compliance and our... blood? For the ritual to summon it? Are we... linked to it?"
He quietly agrees with the musical mistress and the noble knight. "Indeed, what does make us special that we were chosen from across the land to participate (unwillingly) with such a horrible act. One that has brought such destruction to the world."
"To ensure success in righting this wrong, which my hand has had a part in, we must act smartly and decisively. I am unsure what should happen next, though. Finish the search of the manor of course. Perhaps more clues will reveal themselves. But after that? Head to Overwatch's position to the west, look through the waterfront houses for additional signs from the group, return to Vinande with the supplies? Too many options."
"These...Interlopers maintain a fortification to the west. See that they are no more, and take one of their forms as it pleases you. Then await the Promised Day. You will be called when it is time."
As a final thought he says, "Best not to rely on any dressed as Overwatch from here on out. Not that I think we would have after our last encounter with them."
"I do not know whether we shall fare better against such an extraplanar summoned horror than these hapless soldiers did, and I wonder if now that we have an inkling what we are up against, we return the supplies to Vinande first. Yet if we are to go, I will follow."
Lyra's harmonica hangs un-played as she tries to make sense of the carnage and occult lore and memories. She taps a finger upon her lips thoughtfully.
"Or perhaps it will not slay is even if it can, just as Maghda and her red and white elves did not, even when we attacked them upon freeing ourselves. Not out of mercy, clearly." She gestures at the mind-numbing slaughter all around. "Rather, because they wish to preserve us for their purposes."
Glyptemis reels internally at the revelations being discussed by the others. How could he possibly have been any part of bringing this monstrosity into the world? This horror is so far from what he set out to do when he left his village... his mind must be blocking it out, it's all too much.
But he can't deny the truth of what surrounds him, and if the others are beginning to remember, it's probably only a matter of time before he does too. And whether he had some part in summoning this beast or not, he knows that stopping it is undeniably the thing he must do.
"I'm with you as well... I can still hardly believe what I'm seeing or hearing, but if there's something out there that can do all this, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
"Confronting otherwordly horrors such as this is what I'm supposed to do, even with the rest of the Order gone..." Kalamin shrugs, "my duty remains."
"I think you're right though. We can finish our investigation here, return the supplies to Vinande and wait for a fresh day then try and find this monstrosity. It's intelligent too, which raises the possibility of coercing it for more answers."
OoC: If you're searching the rest of the mansion, we can expedite this. If you're searching it, tell me what you're looking out for and roll 3 investigation checks. Keeping an eye out, roll a 2 perception checks. If you're doing something else...Let me know and roll an appropriate check!
Glyp is looking around for any clues or information on how this magic was performed, why they specifically were needed for it, and on the side just looking for a bit more validation that he was actually here before because his memory is so fuzzy.
Ilya searches for more signs of the Silvermane family and its members in the home: specifically home many there are, what their names are, and any hints that some of them made it out of this place alive.
Leftenant spends the remaining time in the manor looking for a few things. First, he spends some time taking in the chamber looking for any signs of the mass that might be gathered for tracking later. Next, he gathers and moves any resources Vinande could use (food/tools). Perhaps there is an out building with a hand cart to assist with the goods. Lastly, if time permits, he paces off and measures the rooms looking for any possible hidden/concealed/secret rooms or compartments. He even checks the floor for the same.
Glyptemis Off the bat, you realize this magic is something beyond your current knowledge. You know of magic that can temporarily summon creatures from other planes, and spells that can move groups between the planes. But this seems different to you. Like there was something else getting in the way of the usual spells, forcing the creators of this ritual to go to extreme lengths.
The only remnants of the magic cast here is the arcane sigil on the floor - you're reminded of the things you found among the carts you were imprisoned in: the chalices, the ceremonial daggers, the altar. Kalamin had mentioned these things here in his memory. They aren't here now, but you know where to find them. The structure and formula of the sigil on the floor isn't familiar to you, but you copy it down anyway for later study(Arcana). That should tell you what the spell cast is doing, which should let you puzzle out your role in all of it.
Throughout the rest of the manor you find no other hints of the ritual.
Ilya On the second floor of the manor there are two more bedrooms, one quite large with a study which is undoubtedly Lord Silvermane's. You find some family portraits scattered throughout the rest of the family. The Lord himself and what seem to be his three sons. Conspicuously missing from all is a Lady Silvermane. There are no hints that you might find a fifth member of the family.
Leftenant After spending some time in the ritual room, and tracing up the stairs through the rest of the house...You can definitely make out something of a track the creature might have left. A sort of residual muck that has since dried out, and small bits of flesh. You're confident that if you start back here at the manor, you could reasonably track(Survival) the thing to wherever it left.
You don't find much in the way of food or tools for Vinande throughout the rest of the manor, besides what you've already gathered. There are a few standing armor sets upstairs, full plate mail. The breastplates are decorated with a filigree that is disturbing on closer inspection, seeming like a mass of bodies all connected by one flesh. Still, they're functional and could be useful to Vinande's defenders, so you take them.
As you leave the manor and return to the cart you left in town, you take stock of what you've gathered:
A decent amount of supplies from the town itself.
More foodstuffs from the manor, as well as two sets of plate armor.
The contents of the chest found in the first room, all of which glowed with a magical aura: Link
A musty and sort of gross looking leather cloak, patched together very haphazardly.
A smaller (can fit in a hand) box made of ivory? Or perhaps human bone once more. It has inlays tracing out an intricate and flowing pattern across it. Each side seems to be different. A cursory glance reveals no obvious way of opening it.
A wickedly curved dagger with a bone hilt.
An old book written in a language that's unrecognizable to you, and a journal containing what seem to be translations.Link
A letter from one Eleanore to Lucien Silvermane. Link
A small keyring with two housekeys on it, none fit the doors in the manor. Link
The surveillance log of one Thalorin Lightbody.
With everything packed up and separated into what you plan on keeping vs what you're giving the town, you gather up the horses and begin to head back to Vinande. As you come around a bend, you stop the cart and freeze in your tracks.
Sitting in the middle of the road, upon what appears to be a chair made of bone, is the sorceress you first encountered after your escape. Maghda, the Highblood.
Her skin is pale white, like it's been drained of blood. As you come to a stop, she opens her deep red eyes and a second set opens beneath them. She sits with her hands folded in her lap, without a staff or weapon in sight.
"My, your vigor is to be applauded. Months upon months of captivity and but a day later you're out in the world. Conquering shadows. Unfolding secrets." Her voice is sweet, carrying with it an unsettling calmness. She closes both sets of eyes briefly, before opening them again with a smile. "You are everything He promised you would be. As much of a curse as it is a blessing."
"You can relax. I'm here for conversation. Enlightenment. To answer your questions, and convince you of the importance of our work, so that we might continue in earnest. I did not bring my Um'Queil with me, we are truly alone."
Stepping forward, Lyra tilts her head with a wry smile and plays a lively riff drawn from a bawdy folk tune on her dark harmonica. To break the oppressive presence of the strange, inhuman spellcaster if nothing else.
"Maggie, girlfriend. Looking resplendent as always. You really must tell me your skin-care secrets - your complexion is quite exquisite."
"I admit, you have got us pegged. Why would we not lap up any dogma espoused by one who stole our memories and kept us in thrall against our will, unwitting catalysts to a bloody ritual resulting in massacre. That just screams 'trustworthy' to me. As such, I have for you but one question."
"Do you personally believe what was written on the plaque at the foot of the grotesque statue in the Silvermane manor?"
"Desire is the measure of all things. Be unbound from moral tethers. Do as you will, to whom you will."
The Highblood's features don't so much as twitch in response to the bard's mocking. "It was necessary. We have been dealing in old magic, inextricably linked to celestial movements and timings. We were running out of time...Which we have since bought back, allowing for this conversation. And I promise you, the blood that has been shed so far brings me no joy. Know that it is but a drop compared to what will come if Sotos is not allowed to return."
Her eyes blink, one set at a time before she responds to Lyra's question. "It has been long since the true Nalkir walked this world. And your pretender gods have worked persistently to suppress the Old World. The Shade you take your power from is a master of secrets indeed." In the back of your mind you feel a bristling before the pale lady continues.
"Those of your new world that have attempted to emulate our ways are useful, but their beliefs are warped, corrupted. Silvermane's morality is contemptuous, it reeks of the dogma my beloved freed his subjects from."
Leftenant halts his horse, steadying it perhaps at the sudden unexpected presence. He waits for Lyra to initiate the conversation, stifling a snicker at her curt comments. “I could never be that witty” he thinks to himself as he dismounts. He still holds the horse in control however.
He takes in Maghda’s responses, unsure what it all means, what it REALLY means. The Ranger was a believer in the gods. He maybe wasn’t as devout as some others, but he believed in them nonetheless.
Was she saying that there was something before? And what ‘shade’ did she reference for Lyra? He was growing uncomfortable with all of it. He longed to understand, but was terrified at what he might learn. With the little pause, he meekly asks two questions (against his better judgement and military training), “Did Silvermane’s map represent the old world or another after this one falls?”
Followed quickly with, “And what makes us so special to the plan?”
The Highblood's features don't so much as twitch in response to the bard's mocking. "It was necessary. We have been dealing in old magic, inextricably linked to celestial movements and timings. We were running out of time...Which we have since bought back, allowing for this conversation. And I promise you, the blood that has been shed so far brings me no joy. Know that it is but a drop compared to what will come if Sotos is not allowed to return."
Her eyes blink, one set at a time before she responds to Lyra's question. "It has been long since the true Nalkir walked this world. And your pretender gods have worked persistently to suppress the Old World. The Shade you take your power from is a master of secrets indeed." In the back of your mind you feel a bristling before the pale lady continues.
"Those of your new world that have attempted to emulate our ways are useful, but their beliefs are warped, corrupted. Silvermane's morality is contemptuous, it reeks of the dogma my beloved freed his subjects from."
"Oh, to be sure, Maggie. You say it was necessary..." Lyra muses, repeating Maghda's words. She sounds an ironically dissonant chord on her harmonica.
"The slaughter, the necromancy, holding us in thrall for over a month against our will to perform your bloody ritual, threatening further widespread bloodshed if your dear Toto is 'not allowed' to return. All are necessary, you say. So your ends justify any means, however vile."
The bard pauses, tapping a finger to her lips. "You claim to revile your useful tool Silvermane's morality as warped, corrupt and 'contemptuous', yet you adhere to it almost to the letter nonetheless. You desireToto's return, and hold yourself unbound from all moral tethers to make it so."
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game
Lyra finishes the quick refrain of another otherworldly song, then tilts her head. "It sounds as if my companions have questions of their own. As for myself, I continue to feel strangely inclined to stick with whatever allegiance I hold to the Shade."
(In case any of the above requires a Persuasion check, Lyra's minimum roll is a non-natural 20 due to Eloquence Bards' Silver Tongue).
Glyptemis quietly slips on one of the amulets as Lyra starts talking to Maghda, tucking it into his shell. He opens his mouth to talk, but LT asks the question he wanted to know, so he closes his mouth and nods behind LT menacingly (12 intimidation, rolled at disadvantage because Glyptemis is Glyptemis)
Kalamin lean his back against the wagon, letting his glaive rest loosely against his shoulder. There were many things he would say to the flesh-witch, but it seemed that Lyra was able to sum up his thoughts with more flair anyway.
So she would have no lip from him, only questions.
"As my companion said, cut the dogma and get to your point. What great calamity will your Sotos protect us from?"
The Highblood's four eyes flick to the old soldier, and she nods. "It was how things used to be. With your help, the Nalkir would expand far beyond its previous borders, wrapping around the world like a shield."
"A mixture of things. Ancestry. Fate. In the Old World, there were many whose power would make today's strongest warriors and magi quiver in fear. Their blood runs in your veins, and you are stronger for it. That potential may yet be unrealized, but it's there. Even your pretender gods have noticed it. You have one of the moon witch's knights amongst you." Her eyes glance back to Lyra, "the Shade's plaything." Next they search for someone else amongst your party who is no longer there. "And a cleric who was chosen by a fickle 'goddess' who rarely even bothers with this world anymore."
Again, she looks to the bard. "This mess. The bloodshed caused by this invasion of Imane by strange shadow beings are the result of the failed ritual at Silvermane's manor. Some incursions were anticipated, but nothing of this scale. This is the result of those interlopers interrupting the rite."
"Ends justify the means..." For the first time, the pale woman seems annoyed by something you've said.
"I will give you this as a token of goodwill. Seidrach Karvas is the one who holds open the rift. It is through this tear that so many slip into our world. Kill him, and it closes. Just take care that you retrieve his heart, it is useful. Or dangerous, if allowed to fall into the wrong hands." She taps her fingers on her knee thoughtfully, and then adds. "I seem to recall Karvas being quite fearful of fire. Perhaps you may make use of that."
"Without you, the methods for returning Sotos are more extreme, I will admit that. But that is not the bloodshed I spoke of. What I warn you of, what I work so tirelessly to prevent, what Sotos could protect us from, is a cataclysm without rival."
An intense cold gust blows across the road, and Maghda twitches. One set of eyes briefly glancing behind you in the sky. If you were to turn around, you would see that Thalria, the Veiled Moon sits in the daytime sky above you. Of the four moons, Thalira is the most enigmatic, and elusive. Its name draws from its tendency to appear and disappear in the sky with no obvious pattern.
"Your pretenders are no gods at all. They seem that way because you have no idea what true divine power is." The wind picks up, kicking up loose snow on the ground into a flurry. The Highblood raises her voice. "They are caretakers for something that would one day be a god! They use our world as an incubator, caring not for the danger it brings! The predators it attracts!" Howling cold winds pierce your clothing now, almost threatening to blow you over entirely. You see Maghda standing now in the center of a whirling snow flurry, shouting angrily into the wind. She reaches for something around her neck - similar to the battlefield you first encountered her on - and vanishes.
At once the wind dies, and when you look into the sky again the Veiled Moon has also gone.
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After Kalamin finishes relaying what he'd seen to the others, he looks down at his hands, wondering aloud. "What are we?" He glances up at the others, all of them seemed so normal. What was so special about their blood that it could tear holes into strange worlds? Summon abominations such as this?
The knight shakes the feeling off, crossing his arms. "Well at least we know where it went, to an extent. Thalorin spoke of a Site-13. I imagine that's the fortification Maghda sent this Seidrach Karvas to."
"We could find more answers there. And deliver retribution for this...Massacre."
"You said this other group, the one who assaulted this place, had attacked you before you came to Vinande?" Ilya asks after listening to the paladin explain his memory of this basement. "It seems like they've realized your importance to whatever's going on. They likely thought that killing you would be enough to stop another ritual like this."
On the subject of the monster that crawled through the rift, her opinion is simple. "I don't feel comfortable leaving something like that out in the world. Especially so close to Vinande. It needs to be dealt with. I'm in."
Leftenant eventually descends the steps to join the paladin in the stone chamber and takes in the room from his memory. He follows Glyptemis. As Kalamin relays his vision and Lyra speculates he quietly contemplates it all.
He quietly agrees with the musical mistress and the noble knight. "Indeed, what does make us special that we were chosen from across the land to participate (unwillingly) with such a horrible act. One that has brought such destruction to the world."
"To ensure success in righting this wrong, which my hand has had a part in, we must act smartly and decisively. I am unsure what should happen next, though. Finish the search of the manor of course. Perhaps more clues will reveal themselves. But after that? Head to Overwatch's position to the west, look through the waterfront houses for additional signs from the group, return to Vinande with the supplies? Too many options."
As a final thought he says, "Best not to rely on any dressed as Overwatch from here on out. Not that I think we would have after our last encounter with them."
"I do not know whether we shall fare better against such an extraplanar summoned horror than these hapless soldiers did, and I wonder if now that we have an inkling what we are up against, we return the supplies to Vinande first. Yet if we are to go, I will follow."
Lyra's harmonica hangs un-played as she tries to make sense of the carnage and occult lore and memories. She taps a finger upon her lips thoughtfully.
"Or perhaps it will not slay is even if it can, just as Maghda and her red and white elves did not, even when we attacked them upon freeing ourselves. Not out of mercy, clearly." She gestures at the mind-numbing slaughter all around. "Rather, because they wish to preserve us for their purposes."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Glyptemis reels internally at the revelations being discussed by the others. How could he possibly have been any part of bringing this monstrosity into the world? This horror is so far from what he set out to do when he left his village... his mind must be blocking it out, it's all too much.
But he can't deny the truth of what surrounds him, and if the others are beginning to remember, it's probably only a matter of time before he does too. And whether he had some part in summoning this beast or not, he knows that stopping it is undeniably the thing he must do.
"I'm with you as well... I can still hardly believe what I'm seeing or hearing, but if there's something out there that can do all this, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
"Confronting otherwordly horrors such as this is what I'm supposed to do, even with the rest of the Order gone..." Kalamin shrugs, "my duty remains."
"I think you're right though. We can finish our investigation here, return the supplies to Vinande and wait for a fresh day then try and find this monstrosity. It's intelligent too, which raises the possibility of coercing it for more answers."
OoC: If you're searching the rest of the mansion, we can expedite this. If you're searching it, tell me what you're looking out for and roll 3 investigation checks. Keeping an eye out, roll a 2 perception checks. If you're doing something else...Let me know and roll an appropriate check!
Glyp is looking around for any clues or information on how this magic was performed, why they specifically were needed for it, and on the side just looking for a bit more validation that he was actually here before because his memory is so fuzzy.
( Investigation: 17, 22, 6 )
Ilya searches for more signs of the Silvermane family and its members in the home: specifically home many there are, what their names are, and any hints that some of them made it out of this place alive.
Investigation: 1, 20, 7
Lyra has seen enough. Finally, she brings the dark harmonica to her lips to break the silence, playing a quiet melody while she keeps watch.
Perception: 15, 25
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Leftenant spends the remaining time in the manor looking for a few things. First, he spends some time taking in the chamber looking for any signs of the mass that might be gathered for tracking later. Next, he gathers and moves any resources Vinande could use (food/tools). Perhaps there is an out building with a hand cart to assist with the goods. Lastly, if time permits, he paces off and measures the rooms looking for any possible hidden/concealed/secret rooms or compartments. He even checks the floor for the same.
Investigation: 18, 3, 11
Kalamin backs off from the search, peeking outside the windows instead whenever they're in a room with them.
Perception: 14, 15
Glyptemis
Off the bat, you realize this magic is something beyond your current knowledge. You know of magic that can temporarily summon creatures from other planes, and spells that can move groups between the planes. But this seems different to you. Like there was something else getting in the way of the usual spells, forcing the creators of this ritual to go to extreme lengths.
The only remnants of the magic cast here is the arcane sigil on the floor - you're reminded of the things you found among the carts you were imprisoned in: the chalices, the ceremonial daggers, the altar. Kalamin had mentioned these things here in his memory. They aren't here now, but you know where to find them. The structure and formula of the sigil on the floor isn't familiar to you, but you copy it down anyway for later study(Arcana). That should tell you what the spell cast is doing, which should let you puzzle out your role in all of it.
Throughout the rest of the manor you find no other hints of the ritual.
Ilya
On the second floor of the manor there are two more bedrooms, one quite large with a study which is undoubtedly Lord Silvermane's. You find some family portraits scattered throughout the rest of the family. The Lord himself and what seem to be his three sons. Conspicuously missing from all is a Lady Silvermane. There are no hints that you might find a fifth member of the family.
Leftenant
After spending some time in the ritual room, and tracing up the stairs through the rest of the house...You can definitely make out something of a track the creature might have left. A sort of residual muck that has since dried out, and small bits of flesh. You're confident that if you start back here at the manor, you could reasonably track(Survival) the thing to wherever it left.
You don't find much in the way of food or tools for Vinande throughout the rest of the manor, besides what you've already gathered. There are a few standing armor sets upstairs, full plate mail. The breastplates are decorated with a filigree that is disturbing on closer inspection, seeming like a mass of bodies all connected by one flesh. Still, they're functional and could be useful to Vinande's defenders, so you take them.
As you leave the manor and return to the cart you left in town, you take stock of what you've gathered:
With everything packed up and separated into what you plan on keeping vs what you're giving the town, you gather up the horses and begin to head back to Vinande. As you come around a bend, you stop the cart and freeze in your tracks.
Sitting in the middle of the road, upon what appears to be a chair made of bone, is the sorceress you first encountered after your escape. Maghda, the Highblood.
Her skin is pale white, like it's been drained of blood. As you come to a stop, she opens her deep red eyes and a second set opens beneath them. She sits with her hands folded in her lap, without a staff or weapon in sight.
"My, your vigor is to be applauded. Months upon months of captivity and but a day later you're out in the world. Conquering shadows. Unfolding secrets." Her voice is sweet, carrying with it an unsettling calmness. She closes both sets of eyes briefly, before opening them again with a smile. "You are everything He promised you would be. As much of a curse as it is a blessing."
"You can relax. I'm here for conversation. Enlightenment. To answer your questions, and convince you of the importance of our work, so that we might continue in earnest. I did not bring my Um'Queil with me, we are truly alone."
Stepping forward, Lyra tilts her head with a wry smile and plays a lively riff drawn from a bawdy folk tune on her dark harmonica. To break the oppressive presence of the strange, inhuman spellcaster if nothing else.
"Maggie, girlfriend. Looking resplendent as always. You really must tell me your skin-care secrets - your complexion is quite exquisite."
"I admit, you have got us pegged. Why would we not lap up any dogma espoused by one who stole our memories and kept us in thrall against our will, unwitting catalysts to a bloody ritual resulting in massacre. That just screams 'trustworthy' to me. As such, I have for you but one question."
"Do you personally believe what was written on the plaque at the foot of the grotesque statue in the Silvermane manor?"
"Desire is the measure of all things. Be unbound from moral tethers. Do as you will, to whom you will."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
The Highblood's features don't so much as twitch in response to the bard's mocking. "It was necessary. We have been dealing in old magic, inextricably linked to celestial movements and timings. We were running out of time...Which we have since bought back, allowing for this conversation. And I promise you, the blood that has been shed so far brings me no joy. Know that it is but a drop compared to what will come if Sotos is not allowed to return."
Her eyes blink, one set at a time before she responds to Lyra's question. "It has been long since the true Nalkir walked this world. And your pretender gods have worked persistently to suppress the Old World. The Shade you take your power from is a master of secrets indeed." In the back of your mind you feel a bristling before the pale lady continues.
"Those of your new world that have attempted to emulate our ways are useful, but their beliefs are warped, corrupted. Silvermane's morality is contemptuous, it reeks of the dogma my beloved freed his subjects from."
Leftenant halts his horse, steadying it perhaps at the sudden unexpected presence. He waits for Lyra to initiate the conversation, stifling a snicker at her curt comments. “I could never be that witty” he thinks to himself as he dismounts. He still holds the horse in control however.
He takes in Maghda’s responses, unsure what it all means, what it REALLY means. The Ranger was a believer in the gods. He maybe wasn’t as devout as some others, but he believed in them nonetheless.
Was she saying that there was something before? And what ‘shade’ did she reference for Lyra? He was growing uncomfortable with all of it. He longed to understand, but was terrified at what he might learn. With the little pause, he meekly asks two questions (against his better judgement and military training), “Did Silvermane’s map represent the old world or another after this one falls?”
Followed quickly with, “And what makes us so special to the plan?”
"Oh, to be sure, Maggie. You say it was necessary..." Lyra muses, repeating Maghda's words. She sounds an ironically dissonant chord on her harmonica.
"The slaughter, the necromancy, holding us in thrall for over a month against our will to perform your bloody ritual, threatening further widespread bloodshed if your dear Toto is 'not allowed' to return. All are necessary, you say. So your ends justify any means, however vile."
The bard pauses, tapping a finger to her lips. "You claim to revile your useful tool Silvermane's morality as warped, corrupt and 'contemptuous', yet you adhere to it almost to the letter nonetheless. You desire Toto's return, and hold yourself unbound from all moral tethers to make it so."
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game
Lyra finishes the quick refrain of another otherworldly song, then tilts her head. "It sounds as if my companions have questions of their own. As for myself, I continue to feel strangely inclined to stick with whatever allegiance I hold to the Shade."
(In case any of the above requires a Persuasion check, Lyra's minimum roll is a non-natural 20 due to Eloquence Bards' Silver Tongue).
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
(17 arcana from earlier)
Glyptemis quietly slips on one of the amulets as Lyra starts talking to Maghda, tucking it into his shell. He opens his mouth to talk, but LT asks the question he wanted to know, so he closes his mouth and nods behind LT menacingly (12 intimidation, rolled at disadvantage because Glyptemis is Glyptemis)
Kalamin lean his back against the wagon, letting his glaive rest loosely against his shoulder. There were many things he would say to the flesh-witch, but it seemed that Lyra was able to sum up his thoughts with more flair anyway.
So she would have no lip from him, only questions.
"As my companion said, cut the dogma and get to your point. What great calamity will your Sotos protect us from?"
The Highblood's four eyes flick to the old soldier, and she nods. "It was how things used to be. With your help, the Nalkir would expand far beyond its previous borders, wrapping around the world like a shield."
"A mixture of things. Ancestry. Fate. In the Old World, there were many whose power would make today's strongest warriors and magi quiver in fear. Their blood runs in your veins, and you are stronger for it. That potential may yet be unrealized, but it's there. Even your pretender gods have noticed it. You have one of the moon witch's knights amongst you." Her eyes glance back to Lyra, "the Shade's plaything." Next they search for someone else amongst your party who is no longer there. "And a cleric who was chosen by a fickle 'goddess' who rarely even bothers with this world anymore."
Again, she looks to the bard. "This mess. The bloodshed caused by this invasion of Imane by strange shadow beings are the result of the failed ritual at Silvermane's manor. Some incursions were anticipated, but nothing of this scale. This is the result of those interlopers interrupting the rite."
"Ends justify the means..." For the first time, the pale woman seems annoyed by something you've said.
"I will give you this as a token of goodwill. Seidrach Karvas is the one who holds open the rift. It is through this tear that so many slip into our world. Kill him, and it closes. Just take care that you retrieve his heart, it is useful. Or dangerous, if allowed to fall into the wrong hands." She taps her fingers on her knee thoughtfully, and then adds. "I seem to recall Karvas being quite fearful of fire. Perhaps you may make use of that."
"Without you, the methods for returning Sotos are more extreme, I will admit that. But that is not the bloodshed I spoke of. What I warn you of, what I work so tirelessly to prevent, what Sotos could protect us from, is a cataclysm without rival."
An intense cold gust blows across the road, and Maghda twitches. One set of eyes briefly glancing behind you in the sky. If you were to turn around, you would see that Thalria, the Veiled Moon sits in the daytime sky above you. Of the four moons, Thalira is the most enigmatic, and elusive. Its name draws from its tendency to appear and disappear in the sky with no obvious pattern.
"Your pretenders are no gods at all. They seem that way because you have no idea what true divine power is." The wind picks up, kicking up loose snow on the ground into a flurry. The Highblood raises her voice. "They are caretakers for something that would one day be a god! They use our world as an incubator, caring not for the danger it brings! The predators it attracts!" Howling cold winds pierce your clothing now, almost threatening to blow you over entirely. You see Maghda standing now in the center of a whirling snow flurry, shouting angrily into the wind. She reaches for something around her neck - similar to the battlefield you first encountered her on - and vanishes.
At once the wind dies, and when you look into the sky again the Veiled Moon has also gone.