[[ OOC: OK, advancing the narrative... If Spira wants to continue the conversation with Mekkunod when she reconnects, of course we'll continue it - we can retro-play it. It shouldn't affect what happens now. ]]

After the rest, nine individuals come to meet the characters. They aren't people the party has seen before - but since the Lords from Below can shapeshift, that shouldn't be surprising. This time, it's a blond, ruddy halfling who seems to speak for everyone: "Well... We've decided to stick to our end of the bargain. It seems to us that you're determined to do the same. We hope you won't change your mind - for everyone's sake."

"You know I'm tied to both sides, Mekkunod..." Mival smiles reassuringly, recognizing the Ambassador even in his new features. "I, for one, will do my best to conceal your presence - and at least to ensure everyone lives together peacefully."

"Yes, Blossom, I know." Mekkunod looks at him in an... indefinable way. "You're one of us, and yet... unusual. It's as if the person who gave birth to you has imbued you with more of their nature than is usually the case with us. But perhaps that's precisely why I believe I can trust you" and he holds out an elegant, semi-transparent cloak to our heroes.

What should be Thetis' Cloak is being offered, ready to be taken... It seems all our heroes have to do is pick it up and return it to the Nereid receptionist, who should be just a corridor away...

Roxana nods to the halfling, apparently Mekkunod, as he describes his willingness to keep to their agreement. "I certainly agree to keep our end as well. This is Thetis' Cloak?"

As she asks, she studies the reaction primarily to see if there is anything dishonest about his actions. (Insight: 21)

"Of course! Go and give it to her," the Ambassador replies. "She'll surely feel it's hers."

"I've only seen the cloak once," Mival murmurs, "but it looks authentic to me."

Meanwhile, the cloak leaves Mekkunod's hand by itself, as if moved by an invisible hand, and begins to float before Anita. When anyone looks at her, she winks and just comments: "It's so light, there's no need for any of us to touch it... Shall we proceed with the delivery now?"

"Excellent Anita," Roxana says. "Let's go meet with Thetis."

The group retraces the corridor that had led them to the heart of the Lords from Below's lair, reaching the room where the Nereid receptionist usually carries out her work.

Indeed, the exuberant young girl scantily clad in shells is there, passing the time by creating small, magical waves shaped like boats, which chase each other across the shallow waters of the flooded floor.

Seeing the cloak billowing, she widens her eyes in surprise, letting out an involuntary, stifled moan. The next moment, a sort of tentacle made of water emerges from beneath the cloak, grabs it, and brings it in a flash to the Nereid, who quickly puts it on.

"Now I feel like myself again!" she sighs, as if appreciating some delicious sensation that only she can feel. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she then launches into frantic acrobatics around the party (raising splashes that soak everyone's clothes).

Finally arriving in front of Mival, she gives a mischievous smile: "It's only right that you get what you deserve now!" and steps forward as if to kiss him.

The hero doppelganger seems frightened at first—but then relaxes and connects his lips with the little creature's.

"So, now I'm free!" Thetis beams. "I can't thank you enough! If I ever find you again, above or below the waves, I'll do anything to repay you!" and, after waving her hand, she seems ready to dive into the (albeit shallow) waters at any moment...

"If any of us wish to ask or say anything to her" Mival comments "I have the strong impression it's now or never..."

"Just take care of yourself and enjoy your freedom Thetis," Roxana says. "No need to repay us. Before you go though, do you even know where you're going?" 

Tethis smiles: "I'll follow the water! Maybe I'll reach the sea or the ocean, with its boundless spaces..." her eyes turn dreamy. "Or a mysterious underground spring forgotten by all! Or perhaps a pleasant pond where deer come to drink! Or a swamp, with all those funny insects to play with..." she shrugs. "Water flows everywhere."

And the next moment, she dives into the shallow water and... disappears from sight with a final playful giggle, as if her body had instantly dissolved into the liquid.

"I still can't believe what we've accomplished together!" Mival looks at everyone in admiration. "We've freed Thetis and even made a deal with the Lords from Below, for their sake and for the sake of the people of Rassalantar! Is this what you heroes do all the time?" From his amazed and delighted expression, it's clear the young doppelganger is increasingly convinced that the life of an adventurer might be his true calling.

"And now?" he seems eager to get going again. "Shall we finish exploring the lower level? It shouldn't be long now!"

"Yes, I suppose water does flow everywhere," Roxana agrees.  She doesn't even finish her comment before Tethis is gone. "Well, that was certainly quick."  To Mival she says, "You did very well. I hope this truce with the Lords of Below will last."  When he suggests resuming explorations, she nods. "Yes. Let's continue exploring below." 

Determined to resume their exploration, our heroes will probably first have to return to Eldath's hrine to renew the blessing that allows them to breathe underwater...

Geados watches them impassively as they approach. Anita, however, raises a doubt: "We must have conducted an extensive cleanup operation down there... Would it be worth paying Geados for transportation again? Maybe we could just swim to the shrine... It's not far and there shouldn't be many monsters left lurking. What do you think, guys?"

"I suppose we know we're going to get wet no matter what we do," Roxana says. "If nobody else has objections, sure, let's just try it!"  She would look around at the others to try to get consensus.  

[[ OOC: I take control of Rash for a while while Mister_Whisker finishes handling some real-life matters—he'll take over again when he can return. ]]

Rash also embraces Roxana and Anita's vision, and the party is quickly convinced—and indeed, the swim goes off without a hitch. After a brief prayer at Eldath's Shrine, the characters are all "water friends" again and therefore perfectly able to breathe in this vital and welcoming element.

Once they've descended the spiral staircase back to the Permanent Teleportation Circle room, the choices seem essentially reduced to two: the northernmost exit, which seems to soon lead into a room, or the central one, which, at least initially, continues west.

The southernmost exit leads to the area the characters have already fully explored (leaving aside only the closed room where creatures the party preferred to avoid were lurking).

Roxana looks at Gaer, "You have any bright ideas?"  She then looks at the two choices, "Seems possible path 2 could lead us some of the same places as the one we followed yesterday. But maybe try that first, exhaust path 2, then come back this way and try the other one." If nobody objects she will lead the way. 

"Sounds like a good plan to me" Gaer smiles, staying at his beloved's side. Ready for anything, he scans the room carefully, ready to face any danger. And perhaps there's some threat to be expected, because, as the corridor is about to lead into a room, a desperate cry seems to come from that room...

Upon reaching the threshold, our heroes notice that the room measures 20' by 20' and features an elegant black marble-paved floor. Two elaborate sarcophagi of the same material rise in the center, decorated with bas-reliefs: a monstrous theme in one case, a vegetal theme in the
other. Marble benches and candelabras surround the sarcophagi.

Wandering around the room, floating a few feet above the floor, is the translucent figure of a tall, very thin young woman (which makes her height stand out even more), with long, straight hair carefully combed and elegant clothes, and facial features vaguely Mulan-like. The translucent woman is clearly desperate, her features twisted by despair and crying, and translucent tears flow copiously from her eyes—dissolving not far away only to be replaced, forever, by tears shed again.

Lost in her own pain, the occupant of the room has not already noticed the characters; but it certainly will soon, unless they hurry and sneak back.

(most certainly would like to retropost the negotiations with Thetis that a most unfortunately timed 'green death-feeling' bout of the flu so untimely interrupted ... 8*p ... ; will also respond to current situation either tonight or tomorrow, unless you'd prefer we do the two scenes consecutively)

As Spira watches Thetis' exuberant delight overflow like the highest neap tide on Midsummer Night off the Sword Coast, she hopes that she has chosen the right tactic in giving back her cloak before securing a promise that she will not attack the Lords from Below in revenge for her captivity.  But the young nereid's joy is, to the world-wise priestess of Angharradh, also a confirmation that her instincts were correct.  Her entire life, as she reflects now, from a certain point of view could be regarded as a constant assertion against all the forces that would argue to the contrary that compulsion by force or by holding 'heart-dear' things or people hostage never is the right solution; and that such a course of conduct is never  rewarded by the multiverse, in the end, with anything but pain and sorrow not only for the victim but for the one who chooses to embark on such a destructive course.  She takes a deep breath, knowing that even in spite of her deep certainty the proof is never full-paid until the other course of reasoned give-and-take is tried.

  "Thetis.  To get your cloak back, I had to make a promise to the Lords from Below.  But it is a promise consistent with what I truly believe.  And it isn't a promise that will hurt you in any way.  Essentially, I had to promise them I'd preach at you a while."

"You have every reason to be angry with the Lords from Below, and every reason to want revenge upon them.  But Thetis.  Please.  When I say what I have to say to you next, please look us in the eye.  Not only me, but Dawnborn.  And my brother Gaer.  And one or two more of us here who haven't been spared a few reasons to want vengeance.  In the end, it always turns bitter in the mouth.  And then it sours in the stomach, and then it begins to eat you out inside, when you start realizing that no matter what you do it will never be enough.  Some things can never be recovered, and all the darts and arrows and slingstones you fling into the wind trying to hit that ever-receding target wind up being blown back and hitting you in the face."

===***===

Persuasion 21

[[OOC: No problem playing in the past and present simultaneously!]]

Before Thetis departs:

Dawnborn nods gravely at Spira's words, remembering well the tiefling she once was, before someone showed her a more rewarding path than the constant pursuit of revenge in bitterness. Before she was reborn in the dawn. She's about to intervene and reinforce with words, sharing her own experience, what the Sergean of Arvandor has just stated, but Lathander's faithful sees a light in the Nereid's eyes that makes her realize the other's words have already been absorbed.

"Thank you for telling me" Thetis smiles. "Actually, I was thinking of raising the water level, rendering those low walls they've built useless and soaking all their belongings. Then maybe look for Bytwoeff and at least give him a goodbye kiss..." she smiles mischievously "But your words got me thinking. Life is too fun a game to spoil with revenge. You're right, I'll leave... without saying goodbye!"

Seeing the translucent woman in despair and crying, Roxana is moved to try and see if she can help her. She steps ahead of the rest of the group, speaking in a quiet voice. "Hello? Can we help you? Perhaps you would share your tale so that we might lessen your sorrow." 

In the presence of the ghost woman:

At Roxana's words, the ghostly woman whirls around, her eyes, still veiled with ectoplasmic tears, lighting up with hope, as she runs toward the party, shouting: "My Precious! My Precious! Is that you?"

The woman's face quickly fixes on each of the party members, one after the other, but she evidently hasn't located who she was looking for, because she turns back to the gentle red-headed adventuress, approaching her until she almost invades her body: "Help me? Of course! You are here to help! Tell me where he is! If you want to give me peace, then tell me where my precious is! Bring me news of him, of my precious Rajmund... He's not dead, is he? He's not really dead... What happened to him?"

"Rajmund," Roxana repeats the name after the ghostly woman's question. "I have heard the name before."  She thinks a moment then asks, "Are you then Rephis?  We met another... being that was asking after the two of you."  She turns to Gaer, speaking to him in an almost whisper. "That was the names, right? That the statue-like construction uttered when we passed him by?" 

In the presence of the ghost woman:

Gaer, though seemingly uncomfortable, approaches his beloved (and consequently the ghost-woman), still keeping his hand 'casually' close to Sixefsag's hilt, and tries to remember: "Well done, Roxana! Now that you mention it, it's true! It was a statue-like construct, holding two large shields, one in each hand... And it actually mentioned the two names of Rajmund and Rephis!"

"Yes, indeed, I am Lady Rephis Nathundam, of the noble house Nathundam of Waterdeep" Rephis seems to take on an air of haughty superiority. "I thought you'd already recognized me. My husband and only love, Lord Rajmund Rassalantar, is the founder of this Keep. But..." her tears interrupt her narrative again. "What a tragedy! And I couldn't do anything about it! They tricked me! And maybe my Rajmund is dead... And not even that useless construct you spoke of could help us! I realized who you met — that construct was our personal bodyguard. Rajmund even gave him a funny nickname... He did that to everyone! Rajmund, my precious... But I don't remember which one — and it doesn't even matter. That rusty head probably didn't even realize what happened."

Roxana nods to Gaer, glad she had been correct about the names.  She continues speaking with Rephis. "Of course, Lady Rephis. I unfortunately must tell you that much of these halls have been flooded. We have explored some but have not seen sign of your husband."  She glances quickly at Gaer, in case her memory had failed her. But she continues. "It sounds you have a tale to tell though. What has you so worried? Who tricked you?"