Elias steps lightly back to the group, his brow furrowed in quiet puzzlement as the conversation continues. He waits for a lull, then shares what he found.
"That room to the north—it looks like a prison cell. There are chains bolted to the far wall, clearly meant to hold someone… but what’s strange is the pile of gold just sitting there on the floor."
He glances back toward the broken door, voice tinged with suspicion.
"Why would anyone store coin like that in a cell? It could be bait… or a trap… or maybe someone thought it was the safest place to keep it. Either way, it doesn’t feel right."
Elias folds his arms, his staff tucked under one elbow as he turns back to the group.
"So… do we deal with the shapeshifter first, or investigate the room with the gold? Part of me thinks it’s wiser to confront a known danger before we go poking around in a place that might be rigged to punish curiosity. But then again, maybe we should secure whatever’s in that northern room before someone—or something—else does."
"You think that might be his?" he says, glancing back toward the door. "I hadn’t even considered that… but you’re right. If it is, we’d best not go meddling. Not after he just offered to protect us."
He exhales a slow breath, nodding as he comes to the same conclusion.
"Alright then. Let’s leave it be for now. The shapeshifter it is."
Paqen nods in agreement with Zevriel. ”Coin is not my motivation. And would leave something like that unattended unless it was a trap or some protection they felt was enough to keep it secure. I vote for the shapeshifter. What do we ask though to reveal the clues we seek in her mind.”
Mival rubs his hands together, eager to make himself useful to his more experienced adventuring companions. As soon as the conversation with the shapeshifter begins, he will do his part.
Meanwhile, the Doppelganger replies to Zevriel: "No, I have not been with the Lords from Below for long... I had only joined them for a few days, when the adventurers you found me with reached me and convinced me to return to Kara, my mother. But by talking to the Lords from Below I learned the general outline of how they organized or behaved in the past".
"My mother Kara is human... that's why I'm convinced that my descent from Rassalant... from Rajmund" Mival corrects himself and starts using the hero's first name "depends on her. It's my father who is a Doppelganger like me... That's how Doppelgangers reproduce. They use their metamorphosis and mind-reading abilities to best present themselves to the chosen female... The result of their union is invariably another Doppelganger. The father Doppelganger, often, as in my case, doesn't even wait for his child to be born, if he is reasonably sure that the female will carry the pregnancy to term and raise the child. The child initially seems to belong in every way to the mother's race - then, when he comes of age, as happened to me, his Doppelganger nature manifests itself..."
"That's why I left" the young shapeshifter concludes "and I came here, looking for the Lords from Below. Kara had always been the best of mothers... Even though she was forced to raise me alone, she did everything for me. I didn't want her to find out that I wasn't what she thought... I didn't want to disappoint her. But the others" the green eyes gratefully scan the faces of the original party members "convinced me that she will accept me anyway! So, I will return to her! And now, if you want to knock on the door, I am ready to do my part!"
Paqen listens to Mival’s story and thinks back to his own past, “Family is important. I was separated from mine at a young age so I barely knew them…maybe one day I will se them again…but the Emerald Enclave the took me in and found commonalities that I shared and fostered them. I hope you can find that with the Lords from Below.”
Elias nods solemnly at Ardana’s words, clearly taking her question to heart.
"You’re right to ask that," he says. "We came here seeking truth—about Rajmund, the veil, all of it. If this shapeshifter knows anything, we can’t ignore her. But if she’s just another obstacle... then we risk getting tangled in something that doesn’t move us forward."
He glances at the southern door again, then back to the others.
"Let’s try to speak with her—but carefully. Ask what we need. Learn what we can. Then move on."
He looks to the rest of the group for agreement, his voice steady.
Elias gives Ardana a respectful nod, understanding her caution.
"Fair enough," he says softly. "We don't need to stir up something best left alone. But if anyone thinks there’s even a small chance she might know something about the veil, or what happened here..."
He trails off, then adds with quiet conviction:
"Then we owe it to Rajmund—and to the truth—to ask."
He turns his gaze to the others.
"I’ll follow your lead. If we press forward, I’ll stand ready. If we pass her by, I won’t second guess it."
Zevriel nods to Mival, looking a little relieved. “Thanks for clearing that up,” he says simply. “Makes more sense now.”
He glances at the southern door and shrugs. “Don’t really get why someone like that shapeshifter stays here alone. Maybe if we ask, she’ll just tell us—like the dragon did.” He gives a quick look at Elias. “You’re good at talking. You should go first. I’ll watch your back.”
He glances once more at the southern door, thoughtful, but then turns back to the group.
"I’ll speak with her if that’s what we decide. But I won’t push it." His eyes flick briefly to Ardana. "No clue is worth losing one of us over. So… what do the rest of you think?"
Paqen nods at Elias, ”I think it is our best lead so far. She sounds like she has been here for a while. She must have some reason that is her own.”
He turns back to the rest of the party, ”Can any of you manipulate light into a humanoid…ish form? Might have a backup plan or distraction if we need a quick escape.”
Elias furrows his brow at Paqen’s suggestion, turning the idea over in his mind.
"I can manage a little flare or flicker with Prestidigitation—a puff of smoke, a spark, a small sound... maybe enough to break focus or draw attention for a moment." He shakes his head slightly. "But nothing close to a humanoid shape. Nothing substantial. If things go wrong, we'll need something better than smoke and clever words."
He glances around the group again.
"Still... if we go in, I’ll lead the talk. Just stay close. And if she starts lying, Mival can catch it. Maybe we learn something. Maybe we don’t. But we go in together—or we leave her be together."
When Elias finally knocks on the door, a musical voice invites: "Come in!"
And indeed, the battered door is closed, but not locked. Our heroes have no difficulty in lowering the handle and opening it, thus revealing the room.
Against the east wall is a bed. Next to it, along the south wall, is a chest. In the southwest corner is a small round table and chair.
Part of the ceiling has collapsed, so this area is now in communication with the upper level and the northernmost part of the room is littered with rubble (fallen from the ceiling - and the floor of the level above).
Although the furniture appears rotten - and in some cases shows deep cracks from the breaks it has suffered since the collapse - all of the furniture somehow seems to avoid falling apart.
In the room stands a slender sea elf girl with long wavy green hair and blue eyes. "Nice to meet you" she smiles. "I am Seyntillua Vaervenor. I have long since retired here in ascetic contemplation of the waters - but I am always happy to meet the occasional visitor. Do you need anything? Oh, Blossom!" she finally sees Mival "Nice to see you again. Are these your friends? New members of the Lords from Below?"
"Oh, no Seyntillua," the Doppelganger replies. "I mean, yes, they are my friends, but no, they are not new Lords from Below. They... wanted to speak to you," he dismisses with a wave of his hand, leaving the initiative to the heroes again.
"Lady Vaervenor," Elias says, bowing slightly with practiced ease, "your hospitality is appreciated more than I can say. I am Elias Cerwyn of House Cerwyn, and it is a rare pleasure to encounter such grace and poise in the depths of these ruins. We thank you for welcoming us."
He glances around the crumbled chamber, noting the strange resilience of the furniture before returning his attention to her.
"We are exploring the keep—seeking answers, remnants of the past, and perhaps signs of corruption that yet linger in these waters. Your long contemplation here gives you a perspective few others might have. If you are willing to share it, we would listen with gratitude."
He then takes a half-step back to allow others to speak, remaining formal and watchful.
Paqen walks forward, looking at her. Wondering what her true form might look like. “Thanks you for your gracious welcome. Like the water you contemplate your beauty is consuming, and I believe your depths might even surpass that of the seas to the west. We were seeking to find the source of this water. You have been studying it. In your time here have you found its source. Or seen anything usual or that looks like came from deep in the ocean. Not of this plane even?”
The sea elf seems pleased with the polite manner in which she is approached, and, absentmindedly running a hand of tapered fingers through her wavy green hair, smiles and replies: "The source of this water is very easy to locate; if you have missed it so far, it must be only because you have not passed through the room with the breach. One room in these dungeons, in the southwestern section, has a large breach in the wall... a breach that connects it to a short tunnel that leads to an underground river. The waters that cause this flood are the waters of said river. I suspect that an enemy force chose this flood as an attack strategy some time ago - probably successfully, since this place is now in ruins."
"But as for 'corruption'..." her expression becomes completely innocent (perhaps a little too much?) "I don't know... these waters are as pure as those of the underground river from which they come... I've lived here for a long time now... In some abandoned room there may have been predators, I'll grant you that, but the term 'corruption' seems overused to me, in this context".
Zevriel stays just outside the doorway, leaning quietly against the corridor wall. The sea elf’s words sound friendly, but with so many already crowding the small room, he figures it’s best not to push in—especially since she didn’t call for everyone. He keeps himself half out of sight, happy to let the talkers do the talking.
He listens, catching most of the back and forth about rivers and breaches, but his focus drifts every so often toward the dragon’s chamber down the hall. Zev keeps a watchful eye, just in case, more comfortable with his own quiet presence than forcing another introduction. For now, he’s content to keep an ear on the conversation and an eye out for trouble.
"You are most generous with your insight, Lady Vaervenor," Elias replies smoothly, nodding as she describes the breach. "We’ve yet to locate it, but your description is most helpful."
His tone remains cordial, but his eyes sharpen slightly at her innocent deflection of the word corruption. Still, he does not press the point—instead, he shifts to other curiosities.
"If I may ask," he continues, "how did you come to reside here? It's a peculiar place for contemplation, even for one so clearly attuned to the water. Do you, perchance, know anything of the shrine to Eldath that lies nearby?" He watches her carefully.
Then, as if suddenly realizing a strange oversight, he tilts his head with mild amusement.
"Also, forgive me, but I’m curious—you’ve not so much as blinked at the fact we’re speaking underwater. That seems… notable."
His words are polite, but pointed.
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Elias steps lightly back to the group, his brow furrowed in quiet puzzlement as the conversation continues. He waits for a lull, then shares what he found.
"That room to the north—it looks like a prison cell. There are chains bolted to the far wall, clearly meant to hold someone… but what’s strange is the pile of gold just sitting there on the floor."
He glances back toward the broken door, voice tinged with suspicion.
"Why would anyone store coin like that in a cell? It could be bait… or a trap… or maybe someone thought it was the safest place to keep it. Either way, it doesn’t feel right."
Elias folds his arms, his staff tucked under one elbow as he turns back to the group.
"So… do we deal with the shapeshifter first, or investigate the room with the gold?
Part of me thinks it’s wiser to confront a known danger before we go poking around in a place that might be rigged to punish curiosity. But then again, maybe we should secure whatever’s in that northern room before someone—or something—else does."
He looks to each of them in turn.
"What do you all think?"
Zevriel listens Elias’ description of the northern cell and stares, “I will not steal from or poke through the dragon’s hoard. No.”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Elias turns to Zevriel, eyes widening slightly.
"You think that might be his?" he says, glancing back toward the door. "I hadn’t even considered that… but you’re right. If it is, we’d best not go meddling. Not after he just offered to protect us."
He exhales a slow breath, nodding as he comes to the same conclusion.
"Alright then. Let’s leave it be for now. The shapeshifter it is."
Paqen nods in agreement with Zevriel. ”Coin is not my motivation. And would leave something like that unattended unless it was a trap or some protection they felt was enough to keep it secure. I vote for the shapeshifter. What do we ask though to reveal the clues we seek in her mind.”
Mival rubs his hands together, eager to make himself useful to his more experienced adventuring companions. As soon as the conversation with the shapeshifter begins, he will do his part.
Meanwhile, the Doppelganger replies to Zevriel: "No, I have not been with the Lords from Below for long... I had only joined them for a few days, when the adventurers you found me with reached me and convinced me to return to Kara, my mother. But by talking to the Lords from Below I learned the general outline of how they organized or behaved in the past".
"My mother Kara is human... that's why I'm convinced that my descent from Rassalant... from Rajmund" Mival corrects himself and starts using the hero's first name "depends on her. It's my father who is a Doppelganger like me... That's how Doppelgangers reproduce. They use their metamorphosis and mind-reading abilities to best present themselves to the chosen female... The result of their union is invariably another Doppelganger. The father Doppelganger, often, as in my case, doesn't even wait for his child to be born, if he is reasonably sure that the female will carry the pregnancy to term and raise the child. The child initially seems to belong in every way to the mother's race - then, when he comes of age, as happened to me, his Doppelganger nature manifests itself..."
"That's why I left" the young shapeshifter concludes "and I came here, looking for the Lords from Below. Kara had always been the best of mothers... Even though she was forced to raise me alone, she did everything for me. I didn't want her to find out that I wasn't what she thought... I didn't want to disappoint her. But the others" the green eyes gratefully scan the faces of the original party members "convinced me that she will accept me anyway! So, I will return to her! And now, if you want to knock on the door, I am ready to do my part!"
Paqen listens to Mival’s story and thinks back to his own past, “Family is important. I was separated from mine at a young age so I barely knew them…maybe one day I will se them again…but the Emerald Enclave the took me in and found commonalities that I shared and fostered them. I hope you can find that with the Lords from Below.”
Ardana looks at the two doors, and she does not see promise in either one. We risk distraction and danger, will this move us closer to our goal?
Elias nods solemnly at Ardana’s words, clearly taking her question to heart.
"You’re right to ask that," he says. "We came here seeking truth—about Rajmund, the veil, all of it. If this shapeshifter knows anything, we can’t ignore her. But if she’s just another obstacle... then we risk getting tangled in something that doesn’t move us forward."
He glances at the southern door again, then back to the others.
"Let’s try to speak with her—but carefully. Ask what we need. Learn what we can. Then move on."
He looks to the rest of the group for agreement, his voice steady.
"But the moment it turns sideways... we walk."
I harken to Mival's words. What we may learn from her may just as easily lead us farther from our goal and to our doom. I will keep watch.
Elias gives Ardana a respectful nod, understanding her caution.
"Fair enough," he says softly. "We don't need to stir up something best left alone. But if anyone thinks there’s even a small chance she might know something about the veil, or what happened here..."
He trails off, then adds with quiet conviction:
"Then we owe it to Rajmund—and to the truth—to ask."
He turns his gaze to the others.
"I’ll follow your lead. If we press forward, I’ll stand ready. If we pass her by, I won’t second guess it."
Zevriel nods to Mival, looking a little relieved. “Thanks for clearing that up,” he says simply. “Makes more sense now.”
He glances at the southern door and shrugs. “Don’t really get why someone like that shapeshifter stays here alone. Maybe if we ask, she’ll just tell us—like the dragon did.” He gives a quick look at Elias. “You’re good at talking. You should go first. I’ll watch your back.”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Elias offers Zevriel a small, appreciative smile.
"Thanks, Zev. That means a lot."
He glances once more at the southern door, thoughtful, but then turns back to the group.
"I’ll speak with her if that’s what we decide. But I won’t push it." His eyes flick briefly to Ardana. "No clue is worth losing one of us over. So… what do the rest of you think?"
Paqen nods at Elias, ”I think it is our best lead so far. She sounds like she has been here for a while. She must have some reason that is her own.”
He turns back to the rest of the party, ”Can any of you manipulate light into a humanoid…ish form? Might have a backup plan or distraction if we need a quick escape.”
Elias furrows his brow at Paqen’s suggestion, turning the idea over in his mind.
"I can manage a little flare or flicker with Prestidigitation—a puff of smoke, a spark, a small sound... maybe enough to break focus or draw attention for a moment." He shakes his head slightly. "But nothing close to a humanoid shape. Nothing substantial. If things go wrong, we'll need something better than smoke and clever words."
He glances around the group again.
"Still... if we go in, I’ll lead the talk. Just stay close. And if she starts lying, Mival can catch it. Maybe we learn something. Maybe we don’t. But we go in together—or we leave her be together."
When Elias finally knocks on the door, a musical voice invites: "Come in!"
And indeed, the battered door is closed, but not locked. Our heroes have no difficulty in lowering the handle and opening it, thus revealing the room.
Against the east wall is a bed. Next to it, along the south wall, is a chest. In the southwest corner is a small round table and chair.
Part of the ceiling has collapsed, so this area is now in communication with the upper level and the northernmost part of the room is littered with rubble (fallen from the ceiling - and the floor of the level above).
Although the furniture appears rotten - and in some cases shows deep cracks from the breaks it has suffered since the collapse - all of the furniture somehow seems to avoid falling apart.
In the room stands a slender sea elf girl with long wavy green hair and blue eyes. "Nice to meet you" she smiles. "I am Seyntillua Vaervenor. I have long since retired here in ascetic contemplation of the waters - but I am always happy to meet the occasional visitor. Do you need anything? Oh, Blossom!" she finally sees Mival "Nice to see you again. Are these your friends? New members of the Lords from Below?"
"Oh, no Seyntillua," the Doppelganger replies. "I mean, yes, they are my friends, but no, they are not new Lords from Below. They... wanted to speak to you," he dismisses with a wave of his hand, leaving the initiative to the heroes again.
"Lady Vaervenor," Elias says, bowing slightly with practiced ease, "your hospitality is appreciated more than I can say. I am Elias Cerwyn of House Cerwyn, and it is a rare pleasure to encounter such grace and poise in the depths of these ruins. We thank you for welcoming us."
He glances around the crumbled chamber, noting the strange resilience of the furniture before returning his attention to her.
"We are exploring the keep—seeking answers, remnants of the past, and perhaps signs of corruption that yet linger in these waters. Your long contemplation here gives you a perspective few others might have. If you are willing to share it, we would listen with gratitude."
He then takes a half-step back to allow others to speak, remaining formal and watchful.
Paqen walks forward, looking at her. Wondering what her true form might look like. “Thanks you for your gracious welcome. Like the water you contemplate your beauty is consuming, and I believe your depths might even surpass that of the seas to the west. We were seeking to find the source of this water. You have been studying it. In your time here have you found its source. Or seen anything usual or that looks like came from deep in the ocean. Not of this plane even?”
The sea elf seems pleased with the polite manner in which she is approached, and, absentmindedly running a hand of tapered fingers through her wavy green hair, smiles and replies: "The source of this water is very easy to locate; if you have missed it so far, it must be only because you have not passed through the room with the breach. One room in these dungeons, in the southwestern section, has a large breach in the wall... a breach that connects it to a short tunnel that leads to an underground river. The waters that cause this flood are the waters of said river. I suspect that an enemy force chose this flood as an attack strategy some time ago - probably successfully, since this place is now in ruins."
"But as for 'corruption'..." her expression becomes completely innocent (perhaps a little too much?) "I don't know... these waters are as pure as those of the underground river from which they come... I've lived here for a long time now... In some abandoned room there may have been predators, I'll grant you that, but the term 'corruption' seems overused to me, in this context".
Zevriel stays just outside the doorway, leaning quietly against the corridor wall. The sea elf’s words sound friendly, but with so many already crowding the small room, he figures it’s best not to push in—especially since she didn’t call for everyone. He keeps himself half out of sight, happy to let the talkers do the talking.
He listens, catching most of the back and forth about rivers and breaches, but his focus drifts every so often toward the dragon’s chamber down the hall. Zev keeps a watchful eye, just in case, more comfortable with his own quiet presence than forcing another introduction. For now, he’s content to keep an ear on the conversation and an eye out for trouble.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
"You are most generous with your insight, Lady Vaervenor," Elias replies smoothly, nodding as she describes the breach. "We’ve yet to locate it, but your description is most helpful."
His tone remains cordial, but his eyes sharpen slightly at her innocent deflection of the word corruption. Still, he does not press the point—instead, he shifts to other curiosities.
"If I may ask," he continues, "how did you come to reside here? It's a peculiar place for contemplation, even for one so clearly attuned to the water. Do you, perchance, know anything of the shrine to Eldath that lies nearby?" He watches her carefully.
Then, as if suddenly realizing a strange oversight, he tilts his head with mild amusement.
"Also, forgive me, but I’m curious—you’ve not so much as blinked at the fact we’re speaking underwater. That seems… notable."
His words are polite, but pointed.