Necromancer's Delusion-Homebrew

"Yes, it's true.  Despite Mucor's cruel and undeserved childhood, he and I are part of the Lightbringers.  Mucor doesn't like to brag but he is the strongest of us.  Facing death on multiple occasions only to persevere.  He lead the assault on Daegon and was the one who directly changed the course of the battle.  If it weren't for him I don't know if any of us would be alive." she says placing her hand on his back in support.  

Mucor would listen to his mother and then look to Aryn as she spoke. deep down he still didn't believe he was the strongest but would smile at her kind words. When he turned back to Lilyana and saw the tears in her eyes, he would look down towards the floor. He would clear his throat while continuing to avoid his mothers gaze. "Yes, I am in good hands now. I have Aryn to look out for me and the other Lightbringers... well they are the closest thing I've ever had to a family." Mucor would take her hand and give it a slight squeeze as he looks up towards the ceiling. "well... I remember my mother crying... and I remember my father taking me out into the dead of night... I remember the cold air against my wet nose as we sped through the darkness in silence. I remember being placed by a tree as snow started to fall around me. I remember him walking away and never looking back" Tears would form in the elfs eyes as his voice cracks just a little. He would squeeze his mothers hand a little tighter while still looking up at the ceiling "Sometimes I wonder how long I cried out into the darkness... how long I laid there in the cold. I am glad I don't remember those things." Mucor would whisper aloud, just barely loud enough to be heard by the two women . He would then force a small laugh as he lets go of his mothers hand. "I know I said I looked quite a bit different back then. I actually haven't looked this way for very long... I permanently changed my appearance so that others would accept me... so that I would feel like I belonged and not frighten so many people. Would you like so see how I used to look?." He would ask before taking his hand and placing it on one of the his many rings. Aryn would recognize it as his ring that he had created for himself when he was still a minotaur. In an instant, the masculine elf would quickly change and transform as the effects of the alter self spell took effect. His limbs would grow larger and hair would cover every inch of his body that was not covered by his fancy new clothes. His horns would reach up towards the ceiling, nearly hitting any light fixtures nearby. After his rapid transformation, the minotaur would stand in the room... still wearing his new fancy clothes.. looking nervously towards his mother. His eyes finally meeting hers once again. 

(OOC: I imagine Mucor looks like the beast from beauty and the beast a bit lol.)

"We are the Lightbringers. We have come to seek knowledge of what happened here.  Neltharion is trying to return to the material plane to destroy once again.  We need to know if there is anything here that can aid us in stopping his return.  I saw a vision from Nadeir Elvath of the destruction of this city.  I felt the heat of Neltharion's breath as if it were against my own skin but it was only a glimpse.  A fragment of a moment in time.  We come to help and hope we can somehow aid in removing the curse from this place, but we need your help to know where to start.  We need the full history of what took place here." he says circling around to the whole group of ghosts trying not to piss himself.

Persuasion:   27   if adv or disadv  :  31

Gaelin would make sure Valeera is in her human form.

(How Gaelin feels)

 

(if the ghosts are not speaking common when they ask their questions, Jinara will spend 1 sp to subtle cast Tongues on Gaelin and say "Say it one more time." If they are speaking common, see below.)

"My colleague speaks the truth. It is not our intention to disrupt your city, and we know not of your desires for aid, but we do offer our hand in any way we can in exchange for history and insight about Neltharion and his reasonings for the events that occurred here. Was there something/someone here that he was searching for?" Jinara says as support to Gaelin's statement. (hopefully this will allow for the advantage roll lol)

Lilyana Con:  10   Anias perception:   8

Gaelin & Jinara- (I thought Gaelin cast it when he remembered he had it prepared. Either way all good.)
The ghosts listen as Gaelin speaks in their own language. His words visibly striking a chord as some of the angrier and grotesque faces shift to curious or questioning. The ghost leader looks at Gaelin and then the group closely pondering then replies, “Neltharion’s desolation of Phoax was a tragedy a genocidal act by a tyrant. First, he made a mockery of me before setting the city ablaze. Hundreds of thousands perished… turned to ash in an instant. Those who were unfortunate enough to be trapped in the rubble starved to death over days or even weeks. No one came to our aid. No one dared to challenge Neltharion by attempting to save those lost within his trophy of victory, to purify the curse he created on this once great city. Dwelling within this ruin is a remnant of Neltharion. A plague of desolation that spreads its poison across the surrounding area. If you truly wish to aid us, destroy the foul crystal that lies in my chamber. Dispel it’s foul magic that binds us to this place and then will you have our aid.”

Aryn & Mucor- Lilyana lets out a small hoarse shriek at the sight of minotaur Mucor. She raises her hand to her brow mutters the name “Vesryn” and faints, collapsing on the couch. Anias is already too far away in another part of the house to hear the cry and for the moment you are left in silence with an unconscious Lilyana Loramenor.

Mucor would quickly transform back into his normal self Before moving to Lilyana's side. He would look to Aryn and then back to the unconscious woman before gently shaking her as he tries to wake her up.

Mucor- Make a medicine check!

medicine 13

Aryn & Mucor- You softly tap the cheeks of you mother and raise her chin and within a few second she rouses.  She breathes in deeply and and sharply as her eyes open and she blinks rapidly as your face fills her vision.  Tears begin to stream from her eyes and she looks around the room frightened.  "Vesryn.  My boy... I'm so sorry.  Your father he said you had passed during the birth.  My boy...." she mutters through tears and snot becoming more and more inconsolable at the revelation of your healthy existence.  She reaches up from her position and pulls you on top of her in a tight embrace.  You feel her warm tears against your cheek and feel the soft suede of her clothing.

A DC 15 insight would reveal that she is indeed surprised of you being alive and believed you dead.

Mucor would mutter under his breath in minotaur, asking for guidance as he tries to determine if he can believe his mother. 14 plus 1

Mucor holds his elven mother as tears begin to fill his eyes. "How?... Why!?... I was alone for so long... Why did my father throw me away? Why was I born a minotaur? Why didn't anyone love me?" He asks in rapid fire succession as tears stream down his face. He snorts repeatedly inbetween questions as he struggles not to completely break down. 

(This is so good!) Jinara waits anxiously for Gaelin to translate

(Gaelin would keep telepathic bond up whenever he knew it would be close to ending.  Also, just noticed my gif didn't work correctly.  Reminds me of LoTR when they go to get the army of the dead.)

Gaelin will translate and pass along the message telepathically to the group and add, "They want us to destroy some kind of crystal in the king's chamber."  He'd turn back to the ghost king and say, "We will aid you to the best of our abilities.  Neltharion's corruption has lingered here long enough.  Where is your chamber and what is this crystal you speak of? How large is it, does it exude a dangerous aura around it."

(Get your mom back @Mucor!  Kill your dead beat dad)

Insight:  20

Aryn & Mucor- “I don’t… I don’t know Vesryn… Mucor… I fainted after giving birth and only woke after everyone but the midwife had left. The midwife refused to answer any of my questions and said that I needed to focus on recovering. She said my body had been through a great amount of trauma and needed to rest. I remember Folduin coming in after a few hours with tears in his eyes saying you were stillborn. We wept together on the floor for over an hour. I wanted to see my baby boy, stillborn or not but Folduin and the midwives refused. Now I know why, because they feared that even the sight of a minotaur child would not have been enough to sway my love away from you, my child. They said it would be too much for my soul to bear. It took nearly 2 days for me to eat. My daughters, your sisters, came in to see me and I couldn’t bear to leave them motherless so I vowed to live… for them.”

She releases her embrace and stands you up tears still streaming down her cheeks but a gentle smile now grows across her face as she stands to her feet. “Let me take a look at you.” She says holding your face between her hands and with all the tenderness a mother could have studies every feature of your face. “Handsome… brave and compassionate.” She says turning your face and pulling you closer to examine your eyes. “I don’t know why you were born the way you were. I don’t know why they wouldn’t let me love you then… but trust me, from now until my days are over, I will love you with every breathe I have left in me.” She exclaims and embraces you once more. Anias enters the room on this strange scene and says, "Madame, all the arrangements have been made." and bows.  Lilyana turns and for the first time seems to glare and says coldly, "Tell Folduin to make sure he is present at dinner.  I will not tolerate his absence for such esteemed guests."  Anias bows and exits the room quickly.

Gaelin & Jinara- the king listens to Gaelin’s response and half smiles and sneers. “The crystal is about the size of a melon. Appearing as a dark ruby. It pulses and flashes with magic and seems to growl anytime someone is near it. None of us have ventured close enough to face whatever danger it presents, too far aware of the power Neltharion had at the time of its creation. My chamber is a few hundred feet above us. Take the stairway to the north that is cut into the rock. It will be the safest route. Once you reach the top of the stairs there will be three hallways that lead to different chambers. My chamber is down the hall to the right. May the gods bless your efforts… you will need it. ”

Jinara will tell Gaelin telepathically "Ask what are the risks of being in this city at night in case we need to stay. Additionally, ask if they have any knowledge of the magic the crystal exudes beyond binding them here"

(Assuming Gaelin does so,)

The ghost king listens and frowns as he replies, "Before you created an opening this keep was sealed off from the cursed beasts outside.  Now, I fear they are free to desecrate this place with their rotting corpses and mindless savagery.  While you will be safe from us, I can not guarantee you shelter from them. I do not know what magic the crystal has. We are not arcanists.  Nadeir was the last magic user remaining of us and even he was unsure of what powers this crystal possessed.  There is only so much one can do in death.  We do not have the ability to study, test and research with the physical realm as the living."

(Gaelin would def pass along the question.)

"Our apologies for that.  I will see what we can do to create a barrier in the interim while we prepare." Gaelin replies to the ghost then says telepathically to the group, "Does anyone have something to block off the tunnel?  He said those weird undead things may come in here over night but that the ghosts wouldn't bother us.  Should we try to block it off with some wood then go check out the crystal or do the crystal first?"  In the back of Gaelin's mind he was wanting to contact Aryn to check in on her but also to see how soon they'd be back.  He figured their help as well as Torq's would make their chance of success even greater.

"I can take care of that. I need 10 minutes to cast it, but I can keep them out." Jinara says 

(I can cast Forbiddance )

(Cut to Torq sippin pina coladas with the scantily clad twins. hahahaha )

Mucor would stand and allow his mother to examine him. His eyes were the only thing that had been left unchanged from his time as a minotaur. "I... I have sisters? They weren't born looking like me?" Mucor says confused as he looks from his mother to Aryn. "I have sisters.. Can you believe it?" He would ask with a smile as he looks towards Aryn. When his mother mentions making sure that his father is at the dinner he can feel anger start to build like a fire burning up the back of his neck. He tries to take a few deep breaths and focus on the good but he cannot completely quench the flames. 

(OOC: So she is an elf and my dad is a half-elf correct? Can I tell at all how old she is? )