Maeve leads the Septem Mortale back down the tunnels away from the cistern, until they reach a small alcove with a ladder that comes up underneath a heavy iron manhole cover. Once Shiva has opened the way up, they find themselves in a secluded alley between two city blocks.
"Be seein' you," the halfling tells them, heading off towards the street.
Meanwhile, Shiva yet again hears the neighs of Ènbarr calling to her from further down the alley. Following the call leads the tiefling to a wrought iron gate in the side of the little lane. Through the gate, a beautiful shadowy garden can be seen. A walled oasis hidden amongst the buildings.
Waving off the halfling with a smile, Shiva surveys the dark, walled garden beyond the gate with Caio beside her. With little thought, she vaults herself up to the top of the fencing, looking out onto the rich blues and purples of the flourishing plants that surround a sizable, orante stone fountain. But as she looks down to Caio, she watches him open and step through the gate with a soft click and disappear entirely.
"Shit. Nothing's ever straight forward."
With a grunt, she drops back down to the ground and follows Caio through the gate.
Caio rolls his eyes as he watches Shiva take the most obtuse path possible while he simply clicks open the gate and steps through. He is greeted by familiar hues of black and grey; a garden painted in ink. Ghoul coos warily from his shoulder.
“Convenient.” he remarks dryly as Shiva steps in behind him.
The garden has a cruciform layout, with a gravel path running in a circle around the fountain at the centre. More gravel leads away from the fountain in four straight lines, each ending at one of the walls that mark the garden's borders. The doors to the adjacent buildings sit under a U-shaped loggia that stops on the side that Shiva and Caio just came through. Dark vines climb the stone bricks of the walls and spiral up the columns of the loggia.
The snort of a large beast can be heard from the shadows beneath the loggia and Énbarr steps into view. Her red eyes and the traces of scarlet in her flickering mane make for rare points of colour in this monochromatic subrealm.
As Énbarr emerges from the shadows, Shiva approaches confidently.
"Hello. I hope that you've been well. You remember Caio, right?"
She gestures behind her to the Shadar-Kai before continuing. "Can you point us in the direction of the faceless bastard? If you choose to accompany us, I'll stand between you and him. He won't take you again."
"For ending the prick? I have no idea, but I'm keeping myself open to possibilities. But right now, we need to ask him how to invade a demiplane that is foreign to us."
Shiva takes a step closer to the nightmare and whispers conspiratorially. "I'll let you eat who we're after once we kill him. Valentine. He's some kind of immortal evil elf, and making him vulnerable is complicated."
"Yes, we're expecting duplicity. That's a big part of why Caio came along. And as far as freeing you goes, he took back my favorite sword so we're even as far as I'm concerned."
Taking a step back, she takes in the muted world before continuing. "It's a longshot. But we figured that we'd try."
Shiva purses her lips, looking to Énbarr with tired eyes. She then turns to Caio with a shrug.
"She says talking to the Collector is hopeless if we don't have leverage or some kind of plan. That we'll be killed or added to his collection. She said the second option is worse."
“Isn’t our leverage that we have a lead on something he wants? That does imply us betraying him down the line though, and I’ve no doubt he can hold a nasty grudge. Them again, if we have control of the runestone, perhaps with its power we could end the bastard.” he tosses up an exasperated hand. “Too many variables. I think we should talk to Jonathon first, and the Collector only as a last resort.”
Turning back to Énbarr, Shiva runs a hand through the fire of her mane, only to wince as the fire lightly singes her. "Thank you. Let me know if you need anything."
Turning away, she heads for the entrance to the dark garden.
Astrid taps her foot nervously as she waits near the gate with Alaris. "How long do you think we should wait for them?" she says glancing up to the bogatyr. "I can't say that I'm very fond of seeking out this Collector for..."
The cleric's words are cut short by the sound of the gate and her concerns are eased as their two companions emerge. "Well, did you learn anything in there?"
Astrid nods, having expected as much from their venture into the shadowy realm.
"Yes, it should be a problem to reach out to him." The dwarf checks over each shoulder before adding, "Should we maybe find an inn so I can have a little bit of privacy? Did either of you see a place that looks appealing?"
Alaris shrugs. "One inn is as good as another, and none are particularly good at providing privacy."
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Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Maeve leads the Septem Mortale back down the tunnels away from the cistern, until they reach a small alcove with a ladder that comes up underneath a heavy iron manhole cover. Once Shiva has opened the way up, they find themselves in a secluded alley between two city blocks.
"Be seein' you," the halfling tells them, heading off towards the street.
Meanwhile, Shiva yet again hears the neighs of Ènbarr calling to her from further down the alley. Following the call leads the tiefling to a wrought iron gate in the side of the little lane. Through the gate, a beautiful shadowy garden can be seen. A walled oasis hidden amongst the buildings.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Waving off the halfling with a smile, Shiva surveys the dark, walled garden beyond the gate with Caio beside her. With little thought, she vaults herself up to the top of the fencing, looking out onto the rich blues and purples of the flourishing plants that surround a sizable, orante stone fountain. But as she looks down to Caio, she watches him open and step through the gate with a soft click and disappear entirely.
"Shit. Nothing's ever straight forward."
With a grunt, she drops back down to the ground and follows Caio through the gate.
Caio rolls his eyes as he watches Shiva take the most obtuse path possible while he simply clicks open the gate and steps through. He is greeted by familiar hues of black and grey; a garden painted in ink. Ghoul coos warily from his shoulder.
“Convenient.” he remarks dryly as Shiva steps in behind him.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
The garden has a cruciform layout, with a gravel path running in a circle around the fountain at the centre. More gravel leads away from the fountain in four straight lines, each ending at one of the walls that mark the garden's borders. The doors to the adjacent buildings sit under a U-shaped loggia that stops on the side that Shiva and Caio just came through. Dark vines climb the stone bricks of the walls and spiral up the columns of the loggia.
The snort of a large beast can be heard from the shadows beneath the loggia and Énbarr steps into view. Her red eyes and the traces of scarlet in her flickering mane make for rare points of colour in this monochromatic subrealm.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
As Énbarr emerges from the shadows, Shiva approaches confidently.
"Hello. I hope that you've been well. You remember Caio, right?"
She gestures behind her to the Shadar-Kai before continuing. "Can you point us in the direction of the faceless bastard? If you choose to accompany us, I'll stand between you and him. He won't take you again."
Ènbarr's eyes flare as she stares Shiva down.
WHY?
The telepathic demand is spoken with painful intensity.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Shiva nearly flinches at the anger and desperation communicated to her, but stands straight and responds out loud.
"We may require what he knows to defeat another enemy. I have no other business with him beyond that, unless you know how I could kill him myself."
Énbarr snorts again, pacing back and forth.
How? What is your plan?
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"For ending the prick? I have no idea, but I'm keeping myself open to possibilities. But right now, we need to ask him how to invade a demiplane that is foreign to us."
Shiva takes a step closer to the nightmare and whispers conspiratorially. "I'll let you eat who we're after once we kill him. Valentine. He's some kind of immortal evil elf, and making him vulnerable is complicated."
For getting information from the Collector, Énbarr scoffs imperiously. He will give nothing freely and you have surely angered him by freeing me.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"Yes, we're expecting duplicity. That's a big part of why Caio came along. And as far as freeing you goes, he took back my favorite sword so we're even as far as I'm concerned."
Taking a step back, she takes in the muted world before continuing. "It's a longshot. But we figured that we'd try."
Your feelings are irrelevant, Énbarr states bluntly. If you have no leverage and no plan, then you will be slain, or, worse, added to his collection.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Shiva purses her lips, looking to Énbarr with tired eyes. She then turns to Caio with a shrug.
"She says talking to the Collector is hopeless if we don't have leverage or some kind of plan. That we'll be killed or added to his collection. She said the second option is worse."
“Isn’t our leverage that we have a lead on something he wants? That does imply us betraying him down the line though, and I’ve no doubt he can hold a nasty grudge. Them again, if we have control of the runestone, perhaps with its power we could end the bastard.” he tosses up an exasperated hand. “Too many variables. I think we should talk to Jonathon first, and the Collector only as a last resort.”
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
"Agreed."
Turning back to Énbarr, Shiva runs a hand through the fire of her mane, only to wince as the fire lightly singes her. "Thank you. Let me know if you need anything."
Turning away, she heads for the entrance to the dark garden.
Astrid taps her foot nervously as she waits near the gate with Alaris. "How long do you think we should wait for them?" she says glancing up to the bogatyr. "I can't say that I'm very fond of seeking out this Collector for..."
The cleric's words are cut short by the sound of the gate and her concerns are eased as their two companions emerge. "Well, did you learn anything in there?"
Caio lets out a terse sigh.
”No. Are you able to contact Jonathon? He is our best bet.”
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Astrid nods, having expected as much from their venture into the shadowy realm.
"Yes, it should be a problem to reach out to him." The dwarf checks over each shoulder before adding, "Should we maybe find an inn so I can have a little bit of privacy? Did either of you see a place that looks appealing?"
Alaris shrugs. "One inn is as good as another, and none are particularly good at providing privacy."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
“The Crimson Blade then?” Caio says with a shrug, already heading in the direction of the inn they’d passed earlier. “The name at least is promising.”
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger