Alae goes with them to the library, excusing herself from Vesper with whom she has been spending some time both testing and playing with their magic.
She gasps a little at the mention of Palarandusk and Valamaradace. "I should greatly like to meet a gold dragon," she says with enthusiasm. "I have heard they are the mightiest of all creatures. It would be... incredible. Though for our purposes, my own wishes notwithstanding, I suspect it would indeed be easier to negotiate at a city we know exists than locate a dragon which may not, and if it does exist it may not wish to be found."
"As dangerous as it sounds to descend into the worlds below the surface, I find myself agreeing with Alae, in that it would seem to be an easier task to venture to a known location than to go on a wild dragon chase and look for creatures who may or may not even exist, nonetheless who may want or not want to be found."
"Either way, I wish you the best of fortunate and safety on your tasks ahead. You have all proved yourselves both as individuals and as a group, and I am sure that you will succeed in whatever quests you undertake when you leave here."
"Again, thank you all for your service to our people. You will not be forgotten, and your names and deeds will be live on in the tomes in our library, and no doubt, in other libraries around Faerûn, as well."
Eventually, your final evening winds down, and everyone heads upstairs for one last night of sleep at Ravenglade Keep. Rest comes easily in your comfortable bedchambers, and when you awake the next morning, you are greeted downstairs in the dining room by Lia and Vesper, who are in the process of packing bundles of foodstuffs for you to take along for your journey back through the forest.
Their last night in this place. The knowledge of it took Alae strangely. It would feel good to be on the move again, she was a creature built for wandering, and had never known an entirely stationary home. But it had felt good to be needed here. She would miss that.
Before settling down, she takes one last walk in the twilight, down to the loch again. This time she does not venture out onto it, but stays on the shore, spending time among the statues, examining them, admiring them.
Thinking on where they would go next, she wonders at this underground city Nym mentioned. It seemed like they would go there eventually, to ask for help in destroying this shard of Shar. What would being under the earth feel like? Would you sense the weight of the earth and rock above you? Or would it just feel like being indoors? Alae also knew of a dwarf city, Sundabar. She had passed it on her way south. Perhaps it might be safer to stay above ground but... it would mean going back north, and that would feel like a step in the wrong direction. So far away from the Vale, but still, the idea of going back that way made her feel a little sick. If this Gracklstugh came to nothing she would mention it, but until then she would keep it within her.
She returns to her room, and lets herself surrender to one more night in this almost too short bed.
In the morning she accepts the food bundle gratefully. "Thank you again for your hospitality, Lia. All of you. I cannot tell you what being welcome here has meant. I'm sure we all feel the same way. Sehanine bless you and your family, and bring you prosperity." She bows slowly before turning to Vesper. "It has been an honour getting to know you a little. I wish you the best of luck in discovering more about your abilities. I hope we will meet again soon."
To Kess, he replies, "I am positive. Moonpetal has served me well over the time I have wielded it, and for that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to feel it's magic in my grasp during my battles. It has helped protect me and my kinfolk. However, you are deserving of this blade, younger Tel'Quessir, and although I still have many years left, I sense that during the next chapters of our life here at Ravenglade, I will have little use for it. You, on the other hand, show the kind of promise, virtue and spirit for which the sword was made. Perhaps in time, you will even learn the true significance of this weapon that was crafted into it by the elves of Askavar in the 5th Century DR."
"As I may have told you, before my people arrived in Askavar, that city once served as a refuge for the forging of alliances and treaties between the elves, and as a retreat. After the Dark Disaster, the elves abandoned the keep. Over time, the keep was called home by many foul creatures, until we reclaimed it. The true significance, authority and symbolic value that the sword Moonpetal carries was lost to time, even before I found it; maybe someday you will discover its shrouded heritage."
=======
“I… thank you, thank you Aelar,” Kess smiles, genuinely grateful as she subconsciously places her hand on Moonpetal’s sheath. “You truly humble me with your words. I was just a barmaid and bouncer before all of this, but I can’t help but think my coming here and receiving this blade from you is something left to chance. I’ll always make sure this sword is wielded with the respect it deserves, you’ve my word. There’s so much to see and do out there, and I intend to have Moonpetal with me through it.”
==============================
To Kess, "Kess... I'm SOOOO happy that we met up with you in Yartar, I can't tell you how special it was for me to go adventuring with you. I know you've always looked after me, but you're more than that. You've always been such a good friend, probably the best friend I've ever had. You have no idea how much I look up to you, and even though I'll never be as tough as you, I'll always think of you and imagine that I can at least be a tiny bit as tough as my dear friend, Kess the Dragon Slayer. Take care and give 'em hell out there with your new sword!"
----------
Kess immediately blushes at the avalanche of praise from Vesper, looking self-consciously at her feet before pulling Vesper into a hug; the half-elven woman could see that Kess was doing her absolute best not to cry. “Don’t sell yourself short… you’re far stronger than you give yourself credit for, Vesper. Just…” She leans in and whispers, her voice breaking from a bit of emotion, doing her best not to cry. “The next time we see each other, try not to be in a dragon’s mouth, okay? We all need you.”
==============================
For the more observant members of the party… it would be obvious that something had been bothering Kessdarra for the last few days. She was polite and kind, as was her nature, but she seemed as though she were stewing over something, and refused to divulge it.
The night before the party were to leave, however, was even worse… Kess tosses fitfully in her sleep. She audibly, lowly groans in discomfort...
The dream. She was having the dream again. The battle. The desperation. The final taunts of the dragon. Kessdarra bringing Moonpetal up and stabbing deep into Duskbringer’s loins, seeking to end her for good.
Suddenly, there is a flash… and things seem to reset themselves. The desolation and ruin of Ravensglade Keep still apparent, the pockmarked stone from where the acid of Duskbringer had lashed at its ancient walls... and fog. Lots of fog. Kess wandered, realizing she was alone… until she came upon a familiar depression in the ground.
And there was no dragon’s corpse to found in it.
"I see you, Kessdarra Lorrath," A loud, grating voice hissed, echoing through the keep , letting out a derisive chuckle. "You think you have defeated me, but I am not so easily vanquished..."
Kessdarra's heart pounded in her chest as she unsheathed her weapons, standing ready, staring all about her. For a moment, she though she saw a draconic form perched along the far walls, before she lost sight of it scurrying into the gray.
"What do you want from me?" Kessdarra asked, her voice shaking.
"Oh that’s adorable… you’re trying to be brave! And what a stupid question,"The voice replied, mocking Kessdarra. "Revenge, of course… I want you to know the terror of facing me once again."
"You’re nothing but a dream… this has to be a dream!” Kess growled defiantly, doing her best to seem brave. “I won't let you harm me or anyone else! Memories can’t hurt me!”
“Oh please…! This would be entertaining if it wasn’t so pathetic.” The voice let out a grating chuckle, a sickening sound that made Kessdarra's skin crawl. Suddenly an eave from a room crumbled from weight being pressed on it, Kess spinning around with a start, a cold sweat starting to form on her brow. "I can hardly believe that when you look positively ready to soil your underclothes. You’re far from Icewind Dale and your mother, young one. You cannot imagine how much it grates me that you slew me."
There is a sudden blur of motion, and Kessdarra turns to face it, only for eyes to go wide. Before her is the black dragon Duskbringer, looking more fierce and powerful than she had even in life, her eyes glowing an unearthly green. "You cannot fight that which dwells in you, elf. And I am everywhere within you, Kessdarra. There is no safe haven that you hide from me, no trapping of mortal fort, nor fine armor to protect you from my breath and teeth. Yours is mine to toy with."
“Be quiet,” Kessdarra hisses, staring the apparition own despite herself, blades raised. “I can just fight and slay you again, like I did before!”
"Look at you trying to be a brave little Tel’quessir, Kessdarra. So courageous, so incredible," Duskbringer's voice echoed through the fog, mocking her. "So fake. We both know that you’re a shallow copy of your mother. It's not like you're a wizard like she is... like she wanted you to be. No, you had to be adventurous. Nothing but a barmaid and a little girl with dreams of adventures and finding her father… always trying to get out of the shadow of your betters. Much like how you will never be able to escape me."
“SHUT UP!” Kessdarra shouts back, before leaping for Duskbringer. The dragon laughs as the elven warrior does this, slashing with Moonpetal…
And there was a flash. Ravensglade had melted away. Kessdarra found herself standing on a narrow stone bridge over a boiling river of acid. Duskbringer appeared on the other side of the bridge, her eyes glowing green as she spread her wings menacingly.
"Shut up!” Duskbringer hissed back in a mocking tone, her voice echoing off the canyon walls. "Do you even hear yourself? No… I think I shall not. I’m going to enjoy this… Your destiny is to suffer, just like my victims did."
Kessdarra raised her sword, ready to fight, but the bridge suddenly crumbled beneath her feet. She fell into the river of acid, screaming in agony as her skin sizzled and burned. Duskbringer watched from above, laughing cruelly as Kessdarra writhed in pain.
And then that too melted away. Kessdarra suddenly found herself trapped in a dark, claustrophobic cavern. The walls were slick with moisture, and the air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh. Suddenly, she heard a low growl, and she realized that Duskbringer was in the cave with her.
"By all means, please struggle,"Duskbringer snarled with glee, her eyes glowing in the darkness. "It makes the kill more interesting."
Kessdarra spun around and raised Moonpetal to defend, but Duskbringer was too quick for her. The dragon darted around the edges of Kess’s vision, blasting her with jets of acid that burned through her armor and flesh. Kessdarra stumbled backwards from the pain, trying to fend off the dragon's attacks, but it was no use; Duskbringer was too powerful. She cried out in anguish, doing her best not to think of the acid scars along her body, even as the dragon descended on her and gathered her up in its grasp, grinning triumphantly at its victim.
“Just remember, little fake hero,” Duskbringer whispers, jaws pulled back in a horrid smile. “There’s a little bit of me inside of you now. See you soon… hahahahahahaha…!”
====================================
All Kessdarra could see was the horrible teeth of duskbringer closing in around her head before all went to black… and she finally woke up with a start in the middle of the night, her breath rasping, sweating and shaking. A dream... a terrible dream... it had to be... A nightmare. And yet it had felt so... real. So awful.
“What do you want from me…?" she whispered in Draconic, her eyes rimmed with tears, wide with fear. Eventually, Kess would drift back to sleep, crying all the while.
============================
The morning of the Dawnbringer’s departure, Kess had taken great care to organize her wears and had taken advantage of the opportunity to maintain her weapons. As she does so… she approaches Lia with a bundle in hand. If she seems distracted, she’s clearly doing her best not to acknowledge it, but the haunted look in her eyes would be telling. Some would notice, however, that Kess's hair was a bit out of sorts, and there were hints of bags under her eyes.
“Lia… I was thinking, since Moonpetal has now been passed to me, I want to pass something to you… or more specifically, to your little ones. Once they’re old enough to use it, of course. And only if they want it.”
With that, Kessdarra would carefully handle over her spare scimitar. “This blade was crafted by the dwarves of Icewind Dale, tempered to survive the extremes there. The hilt is scrimshaw, carefully etched by some of our kinfolk from knucklehead ivory. I… I hope that one day, it will aid your little ones as it aided me. I realize it pales in comparison to Moonpetal, but a well-crafted blade is something that i hope will help you all in the days to come. Thank you for letting me hunt with you. It's been... helpful.”
Their last sleep in Ravenglade Keep. Their last night. Still strange for the drow to think of time through the lens of 'day' and 'night'. After the others that needed more rest than she and the other elves had gone to their beds, Nym ventures out just outside the Keep to where the lake lay. The world felt...noisier on the surface. Which wasn't to say that it was quiet underground. There was always the shifting of the earth, echo of bats or rodents, the skittering of insects and arachnids, drops from stalactites onto stalagmites... And that was just where there wasn't any people. But here... The wind sweeps gently over the area as if to prove her point, causing small hairs on her body to raise as she closes her eyes and listens to the grass and trees rustle and creak. The waterfall a distant roar into the lake, a howl of a wolf calling into the night from miles away... Perhaps not all that louder. But so much different than what she was used to. Intoxicating in it's exoticness. Nym was dressed plainly in a pale shift as she held her longsword carefully, the flat of its blade resting in the palm of her left hand for a moment as she and it as one soaked up the moonlight cascading down on the area. Now was not yet a time for prayer, but meditation. To open her mind and heart to Eilistraee in preparation for their next journey.
And so the dance began. Her body and blade one as Nym exercised practiced and flowing movements, her bare feet sliding, twisting and prancing on the grass. Her performance as much training as it was an offering to her deity. But all dances must end, and so did hers as well, coming to stillness much as she had begun, offering up her blade in her hands up to the moonlight, now kneeling and breathing deeper than she had a half hour before. With closed eyes and open soul, Nym prayed in murmured Undercommon.
"Dark Dancer I give my thanks to you for every breath I draw above on the surface knowing it is thanks to you and your Guidance. These past few days... Truly feel heavens sent. I feel I know now a part of what you want for our people. And it makes me want to fight all the harder to achieve this for them. But I know it will come in time. I must return below. To aid my new allies and friends in their righteous deed of trying to clean Shar's evil from this world. Though I loathe to turn my back on the beauty that you've led us up to, I wish to help and protect these people. And perhaps if I can show them that not all of the Underdark is as terrifying and horrific as their surface world stories make it out to be, that will help. Let me feel your smile upon me Eilistree and give me strength to accomplish this task."
She then knelt with both knees at the edge of the lake, meditating for a while longer before finally rising and returning inside to clean up, knowing it might be a while before they next got a chance to bathe somewhere comfortable. Her trance was erratic, unable to focus on one thing alone. Perhaps from excitement or nervousness or fear. Flitting from her childhood deep in the Underdark to the journey to the Upperdark, to her training with the Priestess. Opening her eyes to the light of dawn streaming through the window, the silver haired woman silently began getting ready, feeling unusually solemn.
Perhaps it was because of her own quietness that she noticed Kess' unusual state. Nym had been so chatty with Silver and enraptured with their hosts and their way of life that she hadn't paid attention much to her first elven friend. But her normally sleek and glossy blue black hair was uncharacteristically awry. Raising a hand with twitching fingers towards the other elf's hair, the drow watches as the warrior speaks with Lia before getting pulled back into the other farewells and lowering her hand. "Thank you for opening your home to us. I am glad that you have it returned to you, even if it and your clan are not exactly as they once were."Turning to Vesper she smiles, "Stay safe and learn all you can. I'm glad to have met you Vesper. And I hope the Gods will let us meet again."
Not being able to help overhearing Kess' words to Lia, the cleric felt moved. The gifting of a weapon, especially one wielded personally, was no small thing. It was clear based on her description and its appearance that this was a finely maintained weapon. Not wanting to interrupt, Nym simply hovered nearby, waiting for the two Tel'Quessir to finish.
After Kess had finished with her conversation, Nym would attempt to speak with her quietly. "I don't pretend to know your past, but I remember how you reacted to me when we first met Kess. Unlike most of our other companions, I'm fairly certain that you've seen other drow before. And I'm unfortunately willing to bet that it wasn't a pleasant experience. Gracklstugh is a duergar settlement, not a drow one but I would be surprised if there weren't drow there. Knowing that, I wanted to check that you would still be alright with going there." The dark grey skinned woman peered at the other elf who very nearly looked like she was the negative version of yet felt closer to than any of the other Dawnbringers. She couldn't tell if the reason why the warrior seemed off kilter was simply the whirlwind of events the last week (or more for the Pie Pals), trepidation to going to the Underdark, or something else entirely.
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"You would be surprised," Kess replies to Nym in flawless Undercommon, something that might startle her drow companion before she switched back to Common. "Before I met you, Nym, I actually worked under a Drow in Luskan, serving as a barmaid. He actually wasn't so bad. He made sure that I had somewhere to sleep, and always treated me with respect... and made sure that the city's rougher crowd always treated me with respect too, though I never made it a point to pry into how that is. A bit of a womanizer at times, but he wasn't so wretched that you'd feel the urge to slap him; he actually had some class. That hat of his, though... outrageous, always; you wouldn't have a hard time picking him out of a crowd, especially if you knew what to look for.. and yet he was always so light on his feet and quick to vanish when he desired to. That being said... how do you think we should proceed? If the stories I've heard are anything to go by, those of us from the surface should step lightly when below."
((For Nym and the DM:))
Kess tries to play herself off as being fine (Deception):17
Kess had spoken to her in Undercommon before, so it didn't startle her so much as intrigue her as to why she was using it now until the reason was revealed. Eyes wide in shock and amazement upon hearing of a possibly friendly drow outside of her own clan, Nym listened with slightly open mouth and bated breath. Lilac eyes shining with hope as she chuckled absently at the elf's description of her former employer. "That's amazing. I wonder if he worships Eilistraee as well that he was able to escape the Underdark and live in the light. Either way, it's...heartening to hear something good about another drow."Committing the name to memory, she tried to focus on her friend's question. "Um, yes. Surface dwellers aren't looked upon kindly by most Underdark denizens, however Gracklstagh is a prominent trading city, so you all likely wouldn't be the only outsiders there. Or at least not the only ones they've seen within the past ten-day. They trade with surfacers and other Underdark denizens, including drow, equally. It's the getting there part that I'm more worried about. But most of you can see fairly well in the dark for top-siders, even if we won't be quiet."
Nym surveys Kess as she speaks before switching back to Undercommon as she says, "We don't seem to be in any rush though. If you need another day. But I will not let anything happen to you, any of you, while we traverse the Underdark. ...If that's what's bothering you." The last sentence said with much less surety than the former when she spoke with conviction and protectiveness.
Chrys grows quiet, weighing the options before the party as they're presented. Though she doesn't speak any of the elven tongues, she does catch enough of the common to weigh in with her two cents. "Adamantine's what I'm lookin' for, an' Gracklstagh seems like th' place ta get it, if we're talkin' an underground tradin' city. Don't matter what kind o' dwarves be livin' there, if they hearts beat true, they'll be lookin' fer the most valuable things they can coax outta the ground there. It's a better start than most, an' money paves the welcome nearly anywhere tha' traders do their business." She leans back and shrugs. "Tha'd be my vote, leastwise."
With many tearful goodbyes, hugs and emotional farewells given, you turn and pass over the newly restored mosaic on the entry way floor, and then walk through the large oaken doors one final time as you depart Ravenglade Keep. Outside the sun is shining brightly, although the morning air has a slight coolness to it. Being the 4th day of Eleint, The Fading month, summer is indeed waning, and with less than two tendays until the autumnal equinox, you can feel an ever so slight crispness to the breeze that blows through the trees.
Walking through the lush green grass as you make your way down the grassy plateau, you get your last view of the loch before passing the chapel and finally reaching the edge of the butte. After turning around for one final glance towards the keep, you see Vesper wave to you from just outside the door. Your time with her has at last come to an end, at least for now, but you know that you have left her in good hands with the Sehanine worshiping elves here. You are confident that Aelar and Lia will look after her, and also that she will help them look after Faen and Syllin in turn as they continue to grow and mature through the coming months.
Turning your eyes forward, you pass over the edge of the butte and begin the long descent on the Sky's Ascend trail that passes behind the waterfall before traversing down the immense rocky cliff and passing over the newly constructed bridges that Chrys and Lumen helped build during the previous week. Finally, after your long hike downhill, you reach the bottom of the butte and began walking alongside the stream as it runs through the wide clearing before the trail leads into the woods.
Yesterday, Aelar consulted with Nym and gave her a much more detailed map than the hastily scrawled drawing he had given her when you first met in Dauric's tree, and showed her a more direct route back to the druid's grove that should take less time than before. It was the path that he and Lia had taken there and back. Instead of following the river back to Velar, it cuts off on a hidden trail through the forest that you would not have been able to find from the other end. However, with Aelar's guidance and good navigation, he tells you that you should be able to make it back to the druid's tree in only four days at a normal rate of travel.
Walking about a half mile away from the base of the butte, you follow Aelar's directions and see the landmark that's used to find the beginning of this hidden trail. Turning left past the tall stone, you pass through a short area of overgrown before the the terrain eventually opens up up and reveals a path that leads north through the forest.
Lumen, similar to Chrys, allows the elves to speak in their own tongue. He spends a bit more time with Vesper, with brief reminiscences about their adventures and journeys together. He speaks with their hosts more, but eventually the road calls him and he cuts those conversations short and he stands near the path downward. Once the party is ready he leads the way and is happy to find the entrance to the trail. "Well, we're back at it. Let's go!"he says, contentedly humming to himself.
As they follow the stream as the base of the butte, a little red finch flitters by Alae, hopping between branches on a small shrub as they pass.
Alae laughs joyfully. "Have you come to join the Dawnbringers, little one? I am sure we would be welcome for your company, but you belong here. Be with your family. And watch over this place, help keep them safe. Farewell!"
Making their way down the narrow trail, Alae answers Lumen, "I am 'At it' for the first time, and confess I am not used to travelling in a group. Is lively conversation expected? I am not sure what to talk about."
"The conversation comes and goes, I've found," Lumen says with a grin, and setting off at a brisk pace. "We're comfortable with very long silences, and then what seems like more talk than anyone's had in months. We could talk, or not talk, forever. Sometimes I sing. What's the music like where you come from?"
"Quiet," Alae responds with a smile. "In fact there is very little of what you would call music. Some of us own flutes made from bone, or other instruments traded from the human settlements, and we also sing, though usually not with words. However, mostly we listen to the music of the world. The wind blows, the stream plays, the birds sing. There is plenty to enjoy without our input."
She pauses to listen to this part of the world, so far from what she knows, then her face falls and she turns to Lumen suddenly, stopping in the path. "Please do not think I disapprove of your music! You have a great talent. And I have heard you take inspiration from nature, which I find admirable."
Aelar's "hidden trail" cuts a fairly straightforward path through the woods, and although it's fairly faint at times, it's obvious that this trail was built for efficient travel through this section of the forest. It uses switchbacks and wide circles to avoid any steep climbs or deep drops into hollows and river beds, and most stream crossings are shallow and quite easy to navigate, using logs and even a few small bridges to ford wider or deeper sections. Even when you do have to walk through shallow creeks, the splashes of cool water feel refreshing in the late summer air beneath the canopy.
During your first day of travel, you cover quite a bit of ground, and are able to navigate the trail with little trouble. A few times, the trail seems to "end," and it takes a few minutes of bushwhacking or log hopping to find it again. During the middle of the day, you enter a tiny clearing and see a lone tree that has been decorated the tree with brightly-colored garlands and bunches of wild flowers. No other nearby trees are so decorated. You don't recognize the decor as one that matches anything you saw at Ravenglade, but it's certainly not out of the question that someone else might have placed these trimmings.
At the end of the first day, you make camp on a small mossy plateau that sits atop a low rise above one of the creek crossings and enjoy a very comfortable, and relatively warm night under the trees, listening to the owls. Just as you are bedding down in the twilight, you catch sight of a glimmering form, as white as starlight, that moves swiftly through the trees off in the distance before disappearing into the darkness. By morning, you feel rested and reinvigorated for another day of travel in this immense land of trees, but as you wake, you notice a that the small patch of flowers at the edge of your campsite are covered with a kaleidoscope of brightly colored butterflies.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Lumen tries to think if he's heard any stories about something that would exist in some kind of white starlight form. In the morning, he approaches the patch of flowers and lays himself down on his belly, looking at them for a bit.
As you try to remember any stories you may have heard about such creatures, a few different possibilities come to mind. You figure that it was probably a fey creature or some kind of celestial. Add in the butterflies, and your best guess is that it might have been a unicorn, whose lairs are often flower-covered hilltops that are alive with colorful butterflies.
Nym hums as Alae describes the music of nature and can think of a few "songs" from the Underdark. "It's been a little tense since I'd joined. Difficult to converse casually when we were running for our lives or someone elses. We had our moments though. It feels so different to not be rushed."Smiling widely and easily, the drow was quickly captivated by the scene at the edge of their camp, lying low on the ground next to Lumen and staring at the butterflies rather than the flowers. Attempting to hold out a finger and tempt one to land on her. "So much brighter than moths. Though not as fluffy."
Could Alae try to assess why this one tree might be decorated but not the others? What is special about it?
Nature?: 7
Perception?: 10
A different roll?
"They are beautiful," agrees Alae. "There are sadly few butterflies in the Vale, it is too cold for them." She sits still, and makes the most of the colourful display.
Lumen speaks up from his up-close-and-personal examination of the butterflies. “Do you think that was a unicorn last night? Heard a story once about a unicorn whose lair was full of butterflies and flowers. Though maybe that’s just a story.”He peers closer into the flowers to see if there’s anything hidden in the flowerbed.
Otherwise he is happy to move along :)
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Alae goes with them to the library, excusing herself from Vesper with whom she has been spending some time both testing and playing with their magic.
She gasps a little at the mention of Palarandusk and Valamaradace. "I should greatly like to meet a gold dragon," she says with enthusiasm. "I have heard they are the mightiest of all creatures. It would be... incredible. Though for our purposes, my own wishes notwithstanding, I suspect it would indeed be easier to negotiate at a city we know exists than locate a dragon which may not, and if it does exist it may not wish to be found."
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
Fivin responds,
"As dangerous as it sounds to descend into the worlds below the surface, I find myself agreeing with Alae, in that it would seem to be an easier task to venture to a known location than to go on a wild dragon chase and look for creatures who may or may not even exist, nonetheless who may want or not want to be found."
"Either way, I wish you the best of fortunate and safety on your tasks ahead. You have all proved yourselves both as individuals and as a group, and I am sure that you will succeed in whatever quests you undertake when you leave here."
"Again, thank you all for your service to our people. You will not be forgotten, and your names and deeds will be live on in the tomes in our library, and no doubt, in other libraries around Faerûn, as well."
Eventually, your final evening winds down, and everyone heads upstairs for one last night of sleep at Ravenglade Keep. Rest comes easily in your comfortable bedchambers, and when you awake the next morning, you are greeted downstairs in the dining room by Lia and Vesper, who are in the process of packing bundles of foodstuffs for you to take along for your journey back through the forest.
Their last night in this place. The knowledge of it took Alae strangely. It would feel good to be on the move again, she was a creature built for wandering, and had never known an entirely stationary home. But it had felt good to be needed here. She would miss that.
Before settling down, she takes one last walk in the twilight, down to the loch again. This time she does not venture out onto it, but stays on the shore, spending time among the statues, examining them, admiring them.
Thinking on where they would go next, she wonders at this underground city Nym mentioned. It seemed like they would go there eventually, to ask for help in destroying this shard of Shar. What would being under the earth feel like? Would you sense the weight of the earth and rock above you? Or would it just feel like being indoors? Alae also knew of a dwarf city, Sundabar. She had passed it on her way south. Perhaps it might be safer to stay above ground but... it would mean going back north, and that would feel like a step in the wrong direction. So far away from the Vale, but still, the idea of going back that way made her feel a little sick. If this Gracklstugh came to nothing she would mention it, but until then she would keep it within her.
She returns to her room, and lets herself surrender to one more night in this almost too short bed.
In the morning she accepts the food bundle gratefully. "Thank you again for your hospitality, Lia. All of you. I cannot tell you what being welcome here has meant. I'm sure we all feel the same way. Sehanine bless you and your family, and bring you prosperity." She bows slowly before turning to Vesper. "It has been an honour getting to know you a little. I wish you the best of luck in discovering more about your abilities. I hope we will meet again soon."
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
((A few responses to posts broken up over time))
To Kess, he replies, "I am positive. Moonpetal has served me well over the time I have wielded it, and for that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to feel it's magic in my grasp during my battles. It has helped protect me and my kinfolk. However, you are deserving of this blade, younger Tel'Quessir, and although I still have many years left, I sense that during the next chapters of our life here at Ravenglade, I will have little use for it. You, on the other hand, show the kind of promise, virtue and spirit for which the sword was made. Perhaps in time, you will even learn the true significance of this weapon that was crafted into it by the elves of Askavar in the 5th Century DR."
"As I may have told you, before my people arrived in Askavar, that city once served as a refuge for the forging of alliances and treaties between the elves, and as a retreat. After the Dark Disaster, the elves abandoned the keep. Over time, the keep was called home by many foul creatures, until we reclaimed it. The true significance, authority and symbolic value that the sword Moonpetal carries was lost to time, even before I found it; maybe someday you will discover its shrouded heritage."
=======
“I… thank you, thank you Aelar,” Kess smiles, genuinely grateful as she subconsciously places her hand on Moonpetal’s sheath. “You truly humble me with your words. I was just a barmaid and bouncer before all of this, but I can’t help but think my coming here and receiving this blade from you is something left to chance. I’ll always make sure this sword is wielded with the respect it deserves, you’ve my word. There’s so much to see and do out there, and I intend to have Moonpetal with me through it.”
==============================
To Kess, "Kess... I'm SOOOO happy that we met up with you in Yartar, I can't tell you how special it was for me to go adventuring with you. I know you've always looked after me, but you're more than that. You've always been such a good friend, probably the best friend I've ever had. You have no idea how much I look up to you, and even though I'll never be as tough as you, I'll always think of you and imagine that I can at least be a tiny bit as tough as my dear friend, Kess the Dragon Slayer. Take care and give 'em hell out there with your new sword!"
----------
Kess immediately blushes at the avalanche of praise from Vesper, looking self-consciously at her feet before pulling Vesper into a hug; the half-elven woman could see that Kess was doing her absolute best not to cry. “Don’t sell yourself short… you’re far stronger than you give yourself credit for, Vesper. Just…” She leans in and whispers, her voice breaking from a bit of emotion, doing her best not to cry. “The next time we see each other, try not to be in a dragon’s mouth, okay? We all need you.”
==============================
For the more observant members of the party… it would be obvious that something had been bothering Kessdarra for the last few days. She was polite and kind, as was her nature, but she seemed as though she were stewing over something, and refused to divulge it.
The night before the party were to leave, however, was even worse… Kess tosses fitfully in her sleep. She audibly, lowly groans in discomfort...
The dream. She was having the dream again. The battle. The desperation. The final taunts of the dragon. Kessdarra bringing Moonpetal up and stabbing deep into Duskbringer’s loins, seeking to end her for good.
Suddenly, there is a flash… and things seem to reset themselves. The desolation and ruin of Ravensglade Keep still apparent, the pockmarked stone from where the acid of Duskbringer had lashed at its ancient walls... and fog. Lots of fog. Kess wandered, realizing she was alone… until she came upon a familiar depression in the ground.
And there was no dragon’s corpse to found in it.
"I see you, Kessdarra Lorrath," A loud, grating voice hissed, echoing through the keep , letting out a derisive chuckle. "You think you have defeated me, but I am not so easily vanquished..."
Kessdarra's heart pounded in her chest as she unsheathed her weapons, standing ready, staring all about her. For a moment, she though she saw a draconic form perched along the far walls, before she lost sight of it scurrying into the gray.
"What do you want from me?" Kessdarra asked, her voice shaking.
"Oh that’s adorable… you’re trying to be brave! And what a stupid question," The voice replied, mocking Kessdarra. "Revenge, of course… I want you to know the terror of facing me once again."
"You’re nothing but a dream… this has to be a dream!” Kess growled defiantly, doing her best to seem brave. “I won't let you harm me or anyone else! Memories can’t hurt me!”
“Oh please…! This would be entertaining if it wasn’t so pathetic.” The voice let out a grating chuckle, a sickening sound that made Kessdarra's skin crawl. Suddenly an eave from a room crumbled from weight being pressed on it, Kess spinning around with a start, a cold sweat starting to form on her brow. "I can hardly believe that when you look positively ready to soil your underclothes. You’re far from Icewind Dale and your mother, young one. You cannot imagine how much it grates me that you slew me."
There is a sudden blur of motion, and Kessdarra turns to face it, only for eyes to go wide. Before her is the black dragon Duskbringer, looking more fierce and powerful than she had even in life, her eyes glowing an unearthly green. "You cannot fight that which dwells in you, elf. And I am everywhere within you, Kessdarra. There is no safe haven that you hide from me, no trapping of mortal fort, nor fine armor to protect you from my breath and teeth. Yours is mine to toy with."
“Be quiet,” Kessdarra hisses, staring the apparition own despite herself, blades raised. “I can just fight and slay you again, like I did before!”
"Look at you trying to be a brave little Tel’quessir, Kessdarra. So courageous, so incredible," Duskbringer's voice echoed through the fog, mocking her. "So fake. We both know that you’re a shallow copy of your mother. It's not like you're a wizard like she is... like she wanted you to be. No, you had to be adventurous. Nothing but a barmaid and a little girl with dreams of adventures and finding her father… always trying to get out of the shadow of your betters. Much like how you will never be able to escape me."
“SHUT UP!” Kessdarra shouts back, before leaping for Duskbringer. The dragon laughs as the elven warrior does this, slashing with Moonpetal…
And there was a flash. Ravensglade had melted away. Kessdarra found herself standing on a narrow stone bridge over a boiling river of acid. Duskbringer appeared on the other side of the bridge, her eyes glowing green as she spread her wings menacingly.
"Shut up!” Duskbringer hissed back in a mocking tone, her voice echoing off the canyon walls. "Do you even hear yourself? No… I think I shall not. I’m going to enjoy this… Your destiny is to suffer, just like my victims did."
Kessdarra raised her sword, ready to fight, but the bridge suddenly crumbled beneath her feet. She fell into the river of acid, screaming in agony as her skin sizzled and burned. Duskbringer watched from above, laughing cruelly as Kessdarra writhed in pain.
And then that too melted away. Kessdarra suddenly found herself trapped in a dark, claustrophobic cavern. The walls were slick with moisture, and the air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh. Suddenly, she heard a low growl, and she realized that Duskbringer was in the cave with her.
"By all means, please struggle," Duskbringer snarled with glee, her eyes glowing in the darkness. "It makes the kill more interesting."
Kessdarra spun around and raised Moonpetal to defend, but Duskbringer was too quick for her. The dragon darted around the edges of Kess’s vision, blasting her with jets of acid that burned through her armor and flesh. Kessdarra stumbled backwards from the pain, trying to fend off the dragon's attacks, but it was no use; Duskbringer was too powerful. She cried out in anguish, doing her best not to think of the acid scars along her body, even as the dragon descended on her and gathered her up in its grasp, grinning triumphantly at its victim.
“Just remember, little fake hero,” Duskbringer whispers, jaws pulled back in a horrid smile. “There’s a little bit of me inside of you now. See you soon… hahahahahahaha…!”
====================================
All Kessdarra could see was the horrible teeth of duskbringer closing in around her head before all went to black… and she finally woke up with a start in the middle of the night, her breath rasping, sweating and shaking. A dream... a terrible dream... it had to be... A nightmare. And yet it had felt so... real. So awful.
“What do you want from me…?" she whispered in Draconic, her eyes rimmed with tears, wide with fear. Eventually, Kess would drift back to sleep, crying all the while.
============================
The morning of the Dawnbringer’s departure, Kess had taken great care to organize her wears and had taken advantage of the opportunity to maintain her weapons. As she does so… she approaches Lia with a bundle in hand. If she seems distracted, she’s clearly doing her best not to acknowledge it, but the haunted look in her eyes would be telling. Some would notice, however, that Kess's hair was a bit out of sorts, and there were hints of bags under her eyes.
“Lia… I was thinking, since Moonpetal has now been passed to me, I want to pass something to you… or more specifically, to your little ones. Once they’re old enough to use it, of course. And only if they want it.”
With that, Kessdarra would carefully handle over her spare scimitar. “This blade was crafted by the dwarves of Icewind Dale, tempered to survive the extremes there. The hilt is scrimshaw, carefully etched by some of our kinfolk from knucklehead ivory. I… I hope that one day, it will aid your little ones as it aided me. I realize it pales in comparison to Moonpetal, but a well-crafted blade is something that i hope will help you all in the days to come. Thank you for letting me hunt with you. It's been... helpful.”
Their last sleep in Ravenglade Keep. Their last night. Still strange for the drow to think of time through the lens of 'day' and 'night'. After the others that needed more rest than she and the other elves had gone to their beds, Nym ventures out just outside the Keep to where the lake lay. The world felt...noisier on the surface. Which wasn't to say that it was quiet underground. There was always the shifting of the earth, echo of bats or rodents, the skittering of insects and arachnids, drops from stalactites onto stalagmites... And that was just where there wasn't any people. But here...
The wind sweeps gently over the area as if to prove her point, causing small hairs on her body to raise as she closes her eyes and listens to the grass and trees rustle and creak. The waterfall a distant roar into the lake, a howl of a wolf calling into the night from miles away... Perhaps not all that louder. But so much different than what she was used to. Intoxicating in it's exoticness. Nym was dressed plainly in a pale shift as she held her longsword carefully, the flat of its blade resting in the palm of her left hand for a moment as she and it as one soaked up the moonlight cascading down on the area. Now was not yet a time for prayer, but meditation. To open her mind and heart to Eilistraee in preparation for their next journey.
And so the dance began. Her body and blade one as Nym exercised practiced and flowing movements, her bare feet sliding, twisting and prancing on the grass. Her performance as much training as it was an offering to her deity. But all dances must end, and so did hers as well, coming to stillness much as she had begun, offering up her blade in her hands up to the moonlight, now kneeling and breathing deeper than she had a half hour before. With closed eyes and open soul, Nym prayed in murmured Undercommon.
"Dark Dancer I give my thanks to you for every breath I draw above on the surface knowing it is thanks to you and your Guidance. These past few days... Truly feel heavens sent. I feel I know now a part of what you want for our people. And it makes me want to fight all the harder to achieve this for them. But I know it will come in time.
I must return below. To aid my new allies and friends in their righteous deed of trying to clean Shar's evil from this world. Though I loathe to turn my back on the beauty that you've led us up to, I wish to help and protect these people. And perhaps if I can show them that not all of the Underdark is as terrifying and horrific as their surface world stories make it out to be, that will help. Let me feel your smile upon me Eilistree and give me strength to accomplish this task."
She then knelt with both knees at the edge of the lake, meditating for a while longer before finally rising and returning inside to clean up, knowing it might be a while before they next got a chance to bathe somewhere comfortable. Her trance was erratic, unable to focus on one thing alone. Perhaps from excitement or nervousness or fear. Flitting from her childhood deep in the Underdark to the journey to the Upperdark, to her training with the Priestess. Opening her eyes to the light of dawn streaming through the window, the silver haired woman silently began getting ready, feeling unusually solemn.
Perhaps it was because of her own quietness that she noticed Kess' unusual state. Nym had been so chatty with Silver and enraptured with their hosts and their way of life that she hadn't paid attention much to her first elven friend. But her normally sleek and glossy blue black hair was uncharacteristically awry. Raising a hand with twitching fingers towards the other elf's hair, the drow watches as the warrior speaks with Lia before getting pulled back into the other farewells and lowering her hand. "Thank you for opening your home to us. I am glad that you have it returned to you, even if it and your clan are not exactly as they once were." Turning to Vesper she smiles, "Stay safe and learn all you can. I'm glad to have met you Vesper. And I hope the Gods will let us meet again."
Not being able to help overhearing Kess' words to Lia, the cleric felt moved. The gifting of a weapon, especially one wielded personally, was no small thing. It was clear based on her description and its appearance that this was a finely maintained weapon. Not wanting to interrupt, Nym simply hovered nearby, waiting for the two Tel'Quessir to finish.
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
After Kess had finished with her conversation, Nym would attempt to speak with her quietly. "I don't pretend to know your past, but I remember how you reacted to me when we first met Kess. Unlike most of our other companions, I'm fairly certain that you've seen other drow before. And I'm unfortunately willing to bet that it wasn't a pleasant experience. Gracklstugh is a duergar settlement, not a drow one but I would be surprised if there weren't drow there. Knowing that, I wanted to check that you would still be alright with going there."
The dark grey skinned woman peered at the other elf who very nearly looked like she was the negative version of yet felt closer to than any of the other Dawnbringers. She couldn't tell if the reason why the warrior seemed off kilter was simply the whirlwind of events the last week (or more for the Pie Pals), trepidation to going to the Underdark, or something else entirely.
Insight: 13
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
"You would be surprised," Kess replies to Nym in flawless Undercommon, something that might startle her drow companion before she switched back to Common. "Before I met you, Nym, I actually worked under a Drow in Luskan, serving as a barmaid. He actually wasn't so bad. He made sure that I had somewhere to sleep, and always treated me with respect... and made sure that the city's rougher crowd always treated me with respect too, though I never made it a point to pry into how that is. A bit of a womanizer at times, but he wasn't so wretched that you'd feel the urge to slap him; he actually had some class. That hat of his, though... outrageous, always; you wouldn't have a hard time picking him out of a crowd, especially if you knew what to look for.. and yet he was always so light on his feet and quick to vanish when he desired to. That being said... how do you think we should proceed? If the stories I've heard are anything to go by, those of us from the surface should step lightly when below."
((For Nym and the DM:))
Kess tries to play herself off as being fine (Deception): 17
Kess had spoken to her in Undercommon before, so it didn't startle her so much as intrigue her as to why she was using it now until the reason was revealed. Eyes wide in shock and amazement upon hearing of a possibly friendly drow outside of her own clan, Nym listened with slightly open mouth and bated breath. Lilac eyes shining with hope as she chuckled absently at the elf's description of her former employer. "That's amazing. I wonder if he worships Eilistraee as well that he was able to escape the Underdark and live in the light. Either way, it's...heartening to hear something good about another drow." Committing the name to memory, she tried to focus on her friend's question. "Um, yes. Surface dwellers aren't looked upon kindly by most Underdark denizens, however Gracklstagh is a prominent trading city, so you all likely wouldn't be the only outsiders there. Or at least not the only ones they've seen within the past ten-day. They trade with surfacers and other Underdark denizens, including drow, equally. It's the getting there part that I'm more worried about. But most of you can see fairly well in the dark for top-siders, even if we won't be quiet."
Nym surveys Kess as she speaks before switching back to Undercommon as she says, "We don't seem to be in any rush though. If you need another day. But I will not let anything happen to you, any of you, while we traverse the Underdark. ...If that's what's bothering you." The last sentence said with much less surety than the former when she spoke with conviction and protectiveness.
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
Chrys grows quiet, weighing the options before the party as they're presented. Though she doesn't speak any of the elven tongues, she does catch enough of the common to weigh in with her two cents. "Adamantine's what I'm lookin' for, an' Gracklstagh seems like th' place ta get it, if we're talkin' an underground tradin' city. Don't matter what kind o' dwarves be livin' there, if they hearts beat true, they'll be lookin' fer the most valuable things they can coax outta the ground there. It's a better start than most, an' money paves the welcome nearly anywhere tha' traders do their business." She leans back and shrugs. "Tha'd be my vote, leastwise."
With many tearful goodbyes, hugs and emotional farewells given, you turn and pass over the newly restored mosaic on the entry way floor, and then walk through the large oaken doors one final time as you depart Ravenglade Keep. Outside the sun is shining brightly, although the morning air has a slight coolness to it. Being the 4th day of Eleint, The Fading month, summer is indeed waning, and with less than two tendays until the autumnal equinox, you can feel an ever so slight crispness to the breeze that blows through the trees.
Walking through the lush green grass as you make your way down the grassy plateau, you get your last view of the loch before passing the chapel and finally reaching the edge of the butte. After turning around for one final glance towards the keep, you see Vesper wave to you from just outside the door. Your time with her has at last come to an end, at least for now, but you know that you have left her in good hands with the Sehanine worshiping elves here. You are confident that Aelar and Lia will look after her, and also that she will help them look after Faen and Syllin in turn as they continue to grow and mature through the coming months.
Turning your eyes forward, you pass over the edge of the butte and begin the long descent on the Sky's Ascend trail that passes behind the waterfall before traversing down the immense rocky cliff and passing over the newly constructed bridges that Chrys and Lumen helped build during the previous week. Finally, after your long hike downhill, you reach the bottom of the butte and began walking alongside the stream as it runs through the wide clearing before the trail leads into the woods.
Yesterday, Aelar consulted with Nym and gave her a much more detailed map than the hastily scrawled drawing he had given her when you first met in Dauric's tree, and showed her a more direct route back to the druid's grove that should take less time than before. It was the path that he and Lia had taken there and back. Instead of following the river back to Velar, it cuts off on a hidden trail through the forest that you would not have been able to find from the other end. However, with Aelar's guidance and good navigation, he tells you that you should be able to make it back to the druid's tree in only four days at a normal rate of travel.
Walking about a half mile away from the base of the butte, you follow Aelar's directions and see the landmark that's used to find the beginning of this hidden trail. Turning left past the tall stone, you pass through a short area of overgrown before the the terrain eventually opens up up and reveals a path that leads north through the forest.
Lumen, similar to Chrys, allows the elves to speak in their own tongue. He spends a bit more time with Vesper, with brief reminiscences about their adventures and journeys together. He speaks with their hosts more, but eventually the road calls him and he cuts those conversations short and he stands near the path downward. Once the party is ready he leads the way and is happy to find the entrance to the trail. "Well, we're back at it. Let's go!" he says, contentedly humming to himself.
As they follow the stream as the base of the butte, a little red finch flitters by Alae, hopping between branches on a small shrub as they pass.
Alae laughs joyfully. "Have you come to join the Dawnbringers, little one? I am sure we would be welcome for your company, but you belong here. Be with your family. And watch over this place, help keep them safe. Farewell!"
Making their way down the narrow trail, Alae answers Lumen, "I am 'At it' for the first time, and confess I am not used to travelling in a group. Is lively conversation expected? I am not sure what to talk about."
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
"The conversation comes and goes, I've found," Lumen says with a grin, and setting off at a brisk pace. "We're comfortable with very long silences, and then what seems like more talk than anyone's had in months. We could talk, or not talk, forever. Sometimes I sing. What's the music like where you come from?"
"Quiet," Alae responds with a smile. "In fact there is very little of what you would call music. Some of us own flutes made from bone, or other instruments traded from the human settlements, and we also sing, though usually not with words. However, mostly we listen to the music of the world. The wind blows, the stream plays, the birds sing. There is plenty to enjoy without our input."
She pauses to listen to this part of the world, so far from what she knows, then her face falls and she turns to Lumen suddenly, stopping in the path. "Please do not think I disapprove of your music! You have a great talent. And I have heard you take inspiration from nature, which I find admirable."
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
Aelar's "hidden trail" cuts a fairly straightforward path through the woods, and although it's fairly faint at times, it's obvious that this trail was built for efficient travel through this section of the forest. It uses switchbacks and wide circles to avoid any steep climbs or deep drops into hollows and river beds, and most stream crossings are shallow and quite easy to navigate, using logs and even a few small bridges to ford wider or deeper sections. Even when you do have to walk through shallow creeks, the splashes of cool water feel refreshing in the late summer air beneath the canopy.
During your first day of travel, you cover quite a bit of ground, and are able to navigate the trail with little trouble. A few times, the trail seems to "end," and it takes a few minutes of bushwhacking or log hopping to find it again. During the middle of the day, you enter a tiny clearing and see a lone tree that has been decorated the tree with brightly-colored garlands and bunches of wild flowers. No other nearby trees are so decorated. You don't recognize the decor as one that matches anything you saw at Ravenglade, but it's certainly not out of the question that someone else might have placed these trimmings.
At the end of the first day, you make camp on a small mossy plateau that sits atop a low rise above one of the creek crossings and enjoy a very comfortable, and relatively warm night under the trees, listening to the owls. Just as you are bedding down in the twilight, you catch sight of a glimmering form, as white as starlight, that moves swiftly through the trees off in the distance before disappearing into the darkness. By morning, you feel rested and reinvigorated for another day of travel in this immense land of trees, but as you wake, you notice a that the small patch of flowers at the edge of your campsite are covered with a kaleidoscope of brightly colored butterflies.
Lumen tries to think if he's heard any stories about something that would exist in some kind of white starlight form. In the morning, he approaches the patch of flowers and lays himself down on his belly, looking at them for a bit.
History/religion/nature: 16
Lumen
As you try to remember any stories you may have heard about such creatures, a few different possibilities come to mind. You figure that it was probably a fey creature or some kind of celestial. Add in the butterflies, and your best guess is that it might have been a unicorn, whose lairs are often flower-covered hilltops that are alive with colorful butterflies.
Nym hums as Alae describes the music of nature and can think of a few "songs" from the Underdark. "It's been a little tense since I'd joined. Difficult to converse casually when we were running for our lives or someone elses. We had our moments though. It feels so different to not be rushed." Smiling widely and easily, the drow was quickly captivated by the scene at the edge of their camp, lying low on the ground next to Lumen and staring at the butterflies rather than the flowers. Attempting to hold out a finger and tempt one to land on her. "So much brighter than moths. Though not as fluffy."
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
Could Alae try to assess why this one tree might be decorated but not the others? What is special about it?
Nature?: 7
Perception?: 10
A different roll?
"They are beautiful," agrees Alae. "There are sadly few butterflies in the Vale, it is too cold for them." She sits still, and makes the most of the colourful display.
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
Lumen speaks up from his up-close-and-personal examination of the butterflies. “Do you think that was a unicorn last night? Heard a story once about a unicorn whose lair was full of butterflies and flowers. Though maybe that’s just a story.” He peers closer into the flowers to see if there’s anything hidden in the flowerbed.
Otherwise he is happy to move along :)