Ba: (ooc: the flight granted by my elixirs is a 10 foot flying speed for 10 minutes.) The original plan was to use it to get across the moat/chasm that surrounded the fort. When it gets close to running out I will warn Cha!jil and we can set down somewhere to continue on foot.
As you follow the rivers upstream through the Aldani Basin, the Heart of Ubtao occasionally peaks into view between the leaves of the jungle's canopy. As yoindraw near, you spot an elf woman looking down at them from the staircase. After a few moments, she hails them in Elvish, asking their names, why they’ve come,
<fyi: I'm running this in 0ms for the other 2 players. The PCs don't knowit, but you'll all be back together soon. Likely, Cha!jil and Koselig would presume them dead, but maybe hold out hope against hope.>
They've gad to walk through the whole aldani basin, with an uneasy feeling of being watched the whole time. Might have PoP'd before this. Either way is fine, but that eerie feeling might have deterred a long rest, which otherwise the pair might have taken. Decuse amongst yourselves, but I'm not going back and having something happen if they did rest.>
At this distance, it's hard to discern her expression, but she's a bit puzzled as she tries to decipher the gnomish. Seeing Cha!jil, however, she calls down in Dwarvish "Greetings, traveller's! I am Valindra and who might you be?"
(Pending response..) "Well met. And what brings you through the basin? Searching for something? Someone? Somewhen?"
At this distance, it's hard to discern her expression, but she's a bit puzzled as she tries to decipher the gnomish. Seeing Cha!jil, however, she calls down in Dwarvish "Greetings, traveller's! I am Valindra and who might you be?"
(Pending response..) "Well met. And what brings you through the basin? Searching for something? Someone? Somewhen?"
" I am Cha!jil, of The People. Valindra? Who are your people?"
" We were recently in the coloniser midden-heap but it was destroyed by the God-Beast Etali. We have lost some companions during the ruckus, have you seen anyone from up here?"
"My that sounds awful! Lucky you made it out of there in one piece. I did see a spot of weather roll in. Somwthing about it's speed and veracity felt unnatural, but I am.a stranger to these parts. A god-beast! I wonder if it has anything to do with this death curse that's been plaguing the peninsula. That's why I am here, you see. searching for answers. This death curse has already had serious effects on tje local population and it threatens to effect trade, which is why I was able ro secure fu ding for my research. I have led a small party here, and I found this earth mote a suitable base of operations. You seem like decent folk and it sounds like you've been through a lot. Would you like to come up and chat? I am an independent researcher, and I am always eager to learn from the locals, in particular. They can often tell if some subtle thing is out of place that a naive eye just can't."
Cha!jil looked to her passenger for their thoughts then back up at the foreign elf, " Your unlikely to find many locals will be happy with your choice of bases.....this is sacred ground for many of them."
"Well, that is unfortunate. I've seen no signs of any divine intervention in the weeks I've been here. While I a appreciate the candor, this site is too strategically valuable to give up, and if we can't resolve the death curse crisis, the situation will be very grim, indeed."
"I invite you to come up and we csn discuss it. Our small expedition can use all the help we csn get." Valindra offers, casting a spell.feom.a scroll.she produces, which causes a pair of linked teleportation portals to appear, one beside you and another a few feet from her.
BA: Koselig will look from Cha!jil to the elven woman and back again with a blank look on his face, "It's looks like she speaks dwarven." until Cha!jil shares what she is saying with him. Seeing the teleportation circle open up Koselig will follow Cha!jil in joining the elven woman.
(OOC: The other two of us on on a separate thread until we figure out how to regroup)
As you pass through the arcane gate, you emerge atop the massive chunk of earth and rock torn from the earth drifts over the swampy forest, about two hundred feet above the ground. A petrified tree towers above the stone, with its stone roots protruding from the bottom. Between the shape of the rock and the branching of the tree’s limbs, it creates the impression of a gigantic stone heart hanging in the sky. The impression is only made more gruesome by the red liquid dripping from the roots.
You stabd beside a cave mouth in the side of the slowly rotating “heart,” standing upon a staircase winding from the cave up to the flattened top where the petrified tree stands. The staircase definitely isn’t natural; it was carved with tools into the rock.
"Please, won't you come in?" Valindra asks, gesturing to the cave entrance. The floor of this entrance slopes up slightly toward the inside of the heart, so water streams out through it continually. The cave mouth appears natural, unlike the steps outside it.
The cave is musty and dimly lit by daylight filtering down through the hollow, petrified tree trunk 20 feet above. A pool of dirty rainwater occupies the central 20 feet of the floor, between natural pillars formed by the roots of the petrified tree. Three tall bookcases stand against the wall to the right of the cave entrance. A desk and several wooden crates stand against the left-hand wall. Opposite the entrance are two open doorways into smaller chambers and, between them, a large iron cage.
BA: Koselig asks Cha!jil to ask, "You have a nice collection of books. Did you design this place yourself or just end up living here? What is that cage used for?" "Sorry if this sounds rude, just asking a bunch of questions but gnomes are very curious by nature."
Watching the exchange patiently, without interrupting, Valindra smiles and when prompted replies, in Dwarvish, "I was never much for interior design, but, yes, I did bring these things up here and establish this space as a base for our expedition. Bit the priests kf Ubtao carved this space. The mote, itself, resembles the cities of.ancient Netheril in some ways, but there is no sign of the kinds of magic they used. It is not likely of Netherese origin, but I srill haven't determined just how it remains aloft. While it is an intriguing mystery, the seriousness of this death curse consumes my attention, leaving little time for the curiosity of an errant mind."
The elven woman asks Kos directly (in Common) "You speak Common? I also speak common."
For the past several days, the talk of the streets and taverns has all been about the so-called death curse: a wasting disease afflicting everyone who’s ever been raised from the dead. Victims grow thinner and weaker each day, slowly but steadily sliding toward the death they once denied. When they finally succumb, they can’t be raised — and neither can anyone else, regardless of whether they’ve ever received that miracle in the past. Temples and scholars of divine magic are at a loss to explain a curse that has affected the entire region, and possibly the entire world.
BA: Kos answers, "Why yes, I do speak common. How long have you been studying the Death Curse? Are you close to a cure or a least even a treatment of some kind?" Kos begins to wander about looking at shelves and running his hand along the rows and rows of books, idly glancing at the titles, colors, and sizes of the books. He taps on the stone walls with his foot by administering a few light kicks. Finally he ends his self tour over by the cage and checks to see if the cell door is locked or not. "What's this used for?" Kos quite loudly and ostentatiously asks about the big cage in the room.
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Ba: (ooc: the flight granted by my elixirs is a 10 foot flying speed for 10 minutes.) The original plan was to use it to get across the moat/chasm that surrounded the fort. When it gets close to running out I will warn Cha!jil and we can set down somewhere to continue on foot.
As you follow the rivers upstream through the Aldani Basin, the Heart of Ubtao occasionally peaks into view between the leaves of the jungle's canopy. As yoindraw near, you spot an elf woman looking down at them from the staircase. After a few moments, she hails them in Elvish, asking their names, why they’ve come,
<fyi: I'm running this in 0ms for the other 2 players. The PCs don't knowit, but you'll all be back together soon. Likely, Cha!jil and Koselig would presume them dead, but maybe hold out hope against hope.>
So, that elf lady, then..?
BA:
Koselig will answer the elf woman in gnomish and say, "Do you speak Gnomish?"
He will then use his Pearl of Power to regain a 3rd level spell slot.
They've gad to walk through the whole aldani basin, with an uneasy feeling of being watched the whole time. Might have PoP'd before this. Either way is fine, but that eerie feeling might have deterred a long rest, which otherwise the pair might have taken. Decuse amongst yourselves, but I'm not going back and having something happen if they did rest.>
...
At this distance, it's hard to discern her expression, but she's a bit puzzled as she tries to decipher the gnomish. Seeing Cha!jil, however, she calls down in Dwarvish "Greetings, traveller's! I am Valindra and who might you be?"
(Pending response..) "Well met. And what brings you through the basin? Searching for something? Someone? Somewhen?"
" I am Cha!jil, of The People. Valindra? Who are your people?"
" We were recently in the coloniser midden-heap but it was destroyed by the God-Beast Etali. We have lost some companions during the ruckus, have you seen anyone from up here?"
"My that sounds awful! Lucky you made it out of there in one piece. I did see a spot of weather roll in. Somwthing about it's speed and veracity felt unnatural, but I am.a stranger to these parts. A god-beast! I wonder if it has anything to do with this death curse that's been plaguing the peninsula. That's why I am here, you see. searching for answers. This death curse has already had serious effects on tje local population and it threatens to effect trade, which is why I was able ro secure fu ding for my research. I have led a small party here, and I found this earth mote a suitable base of operations. You seem like decent folk and it sounds like you've been through a lot. Would you like to come up and chat? I am an independent researcher, and I am always eager to learn from the locals, in particular. They can often tell if some subtle thing is out of place that a naive eye just can't."
Cha!jil looked to her passenger for their thoughts then back up at the foreign elf, " Your unlikely to find many locals will be happy with your choice of bases.....this is sacred ground for many of them."
"Well, that is unfortunate. I've seen no signs of any divine intervention in the weeks I've been here. While I a appreciate the candor, this site is too strategically valuable to give up, and if we can't resolve the death curse crisis, the situation will be very grim, indeed."
"I invite you to come up and we csn discuss it. Our small expedition can use all the help we csn get." Valindra offers, casting a spell.feom.a scroll.she produces, which causes a pair of linked teleportation portals to appear, one beside you and another a few feet from her.
BA: Koselig will look from Cha!jil to the elven woman and back again with a blank look on his face, "It's looks like she speaks dwarven." until Cha!jil shares what she is saying with him. Seeing the teleportation circle open up Koselig will follow Cha!jil in joining the elven woman.
(OOC: The other two of us on on a separate thread until we figure out how to regroup)
Cha!jil translated for Koselig then entered the portal wondering how she was getting mixed up with all this weird stuff....
As you pass through the arcane gate, you emerge atop the massive chunk of earth and rock torn from the earth drifts over the swampy forest, about two hundred feet above the ground. A petrified tree towers above the stone, with its stone roots protruding from the bottom. Between the shape of the rock and the branching of the tree’s limbs, it creates the impression of a gigantic stone heart hanging in the sky. The impression is only made more gruesome by the red liquid dripping from the roots.
You stabd beside a cave mouth in the side of the slowly rotating “heart,” standing upon a staircase winding from the cave up to the flattened top where the petrified tree stands. The staircase definitely isn’t natural; it was carved with tools into the rock.
"Welcome to my home away from home."
"Please, won't you come in?" Valindra asks, gesturing to the cave entrance. The floor of this entrance slopes up slightly toward the inside of the heart, so water streams out through it continually. The cave mouth appears natural, unlike the steps outside it.
The cave is musty and dimly lit by daylight filtering down through the hollow, petrified tree trunk 20 feet above. A pool of dirty rainwater occupies the central 20 feet of the floor, between natural pillars formed by the roots of the petrified tree. Three tall bookcases stand against the wall to the right of the cave entrance. A desk and several wooden crates stand against the left-hand wall. Opposite the entrance are two open doorways into smaller chambers and, between them, a large iron cage.
<bump>
BA: Koselig asks Cha!jil to ask, "You have a nice collection of books. Did you design this place yourself or just end up living here? What is that cage used for?" "Sorry if this sounds rude, just asking a bunch of questions but gnomes are very curious by nature."
Watching the exchange patiently, without interrupting, Valindra smiles and when prompted replies, in Dwarvish, "I was never much for interior design, but, yes, I did bring these things up here and establish this space as a base for our expedition. Bit the priests kf Ubtao carved this space. The mote, itself, resembles the cities of.ancient Netheril in some ways, but there is no sign of the kinds of magic they used. It is not likely of Netherese origin, but I srill haven't determined just how it remains aloft. While it is an intriguing mystery, the seriousness of this death curse consumes my attention, leaving little time for the curiosity of an errant mind."
The elven woman asks Kos directly (in Common) "You speak Common? I also speak common."
Background your characters would know
For the past several days, the talk of the streets and taverns has all been about the so-called death curse: a wasting disease afflicting everyone who’s ever been raised from the dead. Victims grow thinner and weaker each day, slowly but steadily sliding toward the death they once denied. When they finally succumb, they can’t be raised — and neither can anyone else, regardless of whether they’ve ever received that miracle in the past. Temples and scholars of divine magic are at a loss to explain a curse that has affected the entire region, and possibly the entire world.
This is so far localized to Chult
BA: Kos answers, "Why yes, I do speak common. How long have you been studying the Death Curse? Are you close to a cure or a least even a treatment of some kind?" Kos begins to wander about looking at shelves and running his hand along the rows and rows of books, idly glancing at the titles, colors, and sizes of the books. He taps on the stone walls with his foot by administering a few light kicks. Finally he ends his self tour over by the cage and checks to see if the cell door is locked or not. "What's this used for?" Kos quite loudly and ostentatiously asks about the big cage in the room.