Elavor remains silent for most of the trip back, knowing what he's cost his companions even before Yelena speaks. To both of them on the way back, Elavor says "I may be forbidden from entering there again, but I CAN help you find new entrances. It's the least I can do for both of you." Their silence speaks volumes and weighs on him...
Once at the apartments, Elavor looks at Ronegan as he speaks... "I understand the disappointment, Ronegan. On the road, I usually deal with those .. situations.. alone. Consequences be damned. It's easier. But we're together for now... and I need to recognize that before I act so quickly and without thought in the future. For tonight, I'll be staying at my apartment with the cartographer's guild. I will arrive here before dawn, for the tournament. Rest well."
Elavor returns to his apartment at the guild, noticing a half drunk bottle of cheap whiskey he never finished near his bed. After staring at the bottle for a good minute, he rolls over and fitfully falls asleep. He would rouse himself just before dawn, get dressed, and return to the apartments as promised to Ronegan, waiting for them to wake.
Waking up the next day the party finds themselves facing the questions of both the church and the high king about the attacks on the road to Ospel. They are served a hearty breakfast but do not see any member of the royal family that early morning. The party is led from the royal apartments by two paladins of the faith who escort them to the great hall. Entering towering doors twelve feet overhead. The hall is just as imposing with high ceilings, higher than the door itself, the long hall ceiling is dotted with Lightbringer iconography. The great hall is filled with people of all races represented in Embera. There are the clear colors of all the houses amongst the modestly dressed courtiers the most flamboyant amongst them the party finds are members of the clergy, royal guard, and the defenders of the faith in bright whites and glaring golds. A cursory glance the party finds skeptical looks from most of the courtiers but spotting a bannerman of Firstforge. Mostly dwarves, the queen's line all but Kiran recognizes having never met them, they find reassuring nods along with firm affirmations of camaraderie! At the far end of the great hall on a raised area, the party can see the high king's throne centered with three smaller thrones flanking it that is slightly lower than the main throne. The party however is not allowed to linger but are taken from the gathered Lightbringer's court where their presence is causing a stir they are quickly whisked away to a side chamber alone away from the great hall. There they are left to wait in an oval-shaped room lined with murals of the siege of Torrenea, now renamed Ospel, the final battle against the Darkness.
OOC: I want everyone to have an opportunity to speak to one another about their game plan for the questioning sessions. You're all house Firstforge and are being questioned about the goings-on on the road to Ospel. If OOC chat please put it in PM!!
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman...You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
When Varen wakes, she looks to see if Petal is up as well.
OOC: Petal, your choice if you are there or if you would have woken up and left early. Varen won't hide either of these actions from you, and if you want to talk to her about it, we can backlog some RP either in a post or PM.
From her bed, she reaches over to her belt satchel, and retrieves a silvery amulet. Now's the time, if any, if I am to use the protections of your gift, Mother. She looks at the amulet, the small engraved symbol of a half-closed eye surrounded by fine filligree, the iris made of an emerald. Varen clasps the silver chain necklace, and tucks the amulet alongside her signet ring.
Varen freshens up and gets dressed in her travel clothes. She locks the door to the room, and takes out her alchemist's kit. She combines a mixture of honey, powdered silver, rose petals suspended in a small vial of red wine, and an adder's tongue into one of the vials, and begins heating it over a candle. She stirs the mixture with a slim iron stirring rod with a sharp point on one end for a few minutes, then takes the point and pricks her thumb with it. She lets the blood flow into the concoction, and chants while tracing out arcane runes in the air. From her bloodied thumb, a purplish energy trails in the air to trace out each rune. Then, the mixture ignites in a bright silver color. She lets it cool, then drinks it down immedietely. Her features soften, any blemishes and tiny scars fading away, and her voice sounds more alluring and confident. She keeps her hair loose around her shoulders, and it appears to have an extra shine to it.
OOC: Varen's newest mutagen is basically a Maybelline commercial.
As Varen waits with the others, she looks over the painted siege, admiring the artwork. She looks to the rest of the group, speaking quietly. "We don't know where King Onyx and Opal are, or if they have been questioned. I would suggest we keep Ronegan's solution quiet if able... if our foes have ears in the Cathedral, then letting out we solved their cipher means they will move to a new one."
Ran looks at the mural as they wait, curious about whether it might actually depict what really happened or not. He still can't quite grasp whether the Darkness is just some concept of evil or if it was an actual being of some sort. But while he examines the mural he does listen to what the others are saying and nods when he hears Varen speak.
"I always found that the surest way to get through any questioning," Ran begins, "was to just answer the question that was asked."
He moves down the mural trying to find the scene that shows the darkness being defeated.
"I saw quite a few comrades make their situation worse by trying to fill the silence with elaborate explanations."
He turns to face the rest of them.
"All we did was protect our royal family the best we could. They king was safely protected in the royal carriage and we didn't see him during the fight. Any differences we may have had before and after the encounter among ourselves, are just that. Among ourselves. We are still all Firstforge."
Petal nods in agreement. “Yes, we don’t know anything about the attackers, or who they are!” She puts her finger to her lips and winks.
“But we really need to sound like we want to help! They could know things we really need to find out!”she looks at Elavor with concern as she says that. “There’s no hiding who or what I am, but Ronnie, you always said the church was teaching about redeeming the non believers right? I think I’m gonna need to show them that I’m accepting the lightbringer. We all need to be nice, friendly and charming..... so basically everything Kiran does, do the opposite.”
"So, we are straightforward with them, tell them about being ambushed by the bandits, and the gnolls. Do we mention what you found on the bodies, the insignias and all that? Do we mention anything of dark figures... the Dark Wanderer? " Elavor asks as he, too, studies the murals...
He turns around, leaning against an unpainted section of wall, arms crossed in front of him and listening as everyone talks...
Varen looks at Petal. "Maybe... don't go with confessing sins if they don't ask first. Don't give them the rope to hang you with. If they do take you down that path, perhaps mention that you are learning the faith and excited to do so?"
To Elavor, she speaks coolly: "The bandits wore the gear of the other Houses, and rode with gnolls. Those are important facts... and might lead them to the same conclusion I had. If they ask, then we can mention the Dark Wanderer. Opal and Onyx know, and might have already told them. I wouldn't answer how we found out unless pressed, and even then, we just found a letter."
Varen pauses, holding her chin with her finger and thumb in contemplation. "If there are more letters that the other Houses found, perhaps we could get access to them. Only then would I volunteer our knowledge of the cipher."
Ronegan seems unusually distracted this morning, hardly talking at all over breakfast, and he is silent for the first part of the discussion. He seems to be thinking deeply about something else -- looking at Varen and Elavor constantly and writing on scraps of paper.
With some effort he seems to rouse himself to participate in the discussion. Staring at the floor, and clearing his throat, Ronegan says "It is my experience that they ask very few questions for which they do not already have answers. I agree with Ran. Answering simply is best. In terms of the erm...message, we uncovered, I am not certain anyone outside ourselves, the Queen, and the new King are aware of it. We should not volunteer any information."
He fiddles with the strap on the canister on his hip, not looking at anyone in the room. "My greater concern is the boy, the one convinced that Petal is a witch, may have already spoken to them. He could have provided testimony that the new King and a few of his coterie possess heretical talents." He looks at them all, finally. "Should that be the case, and they find our explanation unconvincing, I am prepared to claim responsibility for any and all magical occurrences." He sighs. "It may be the most use I can be to his Highness given the present circumstances."
"If no one talks about surprise horses, don't bring up the surprise horse. Hells, Pytr left us in Grambler. He probably isn't even in Ospel." Varen looks at Petal with concern. "Just... Be careful what you say. Keep things focused on the parts of the attack that matter."
Kiran remains silent for the trip over from the apartments to the antechamber. As they wait, he leans in a corner, arms folded tightly against himself, snorting quietly at Petal's comment about acting the opposite of how he would. As the others discuss plans on how to answer, or not answer questions, he finally speaks up, "The church does have ways of communicating at distance, Pytr wouldn't need to have been here to give his testimony to the church. They may also have methods of determining if any of us are infected by the darkness, but I'm not gifted that way, I don't really know for certain."
Petal locks eyes with Elavor, “Yes, infected. Those of us with um... special abilities. Well, where we get them from.... it’s not bad but....it’s poisoned. It infects us with the wasting disease the more we use them now. I sensed the sickness in Ronegan, the King and I but..... We’ll it seems like being healed by magic causes this illness to infect you at an even deadlier rate.”
She approaches Elavor, tears in her eyes clutching at his hands. “Ellie.... it’s got you worse than any of us. I don’t know how long you’ve got, and it’s my fault. I’m so sorry. I never knew this would happen and when you went down I just... it was an instinct....”
As they party settles into the room a half an hour passes before someone finally enters. It's a defender of the faith you all recognize. Idemiah looks over all of you with a serious expression. She doesn't speak only ushers you through the opposite set of doors away from the great hall. There you walk along an echoing corridor that dead ends into another large set of double doors carved with angels and demons.
"My advice to you..." Idemiah begins in a lowered tone before opening the doors, "trust your instincts," she says but before any of you can comment or ask for clarity she pushes open the doors into a large chamber divided into distinct areas.
A common gallery where you walk through to reach three sectioned areas ahead of the isle from the double doors. One side sits a gathering of religious looking leaders, the central area a gathering of council members from the seven kingdoms, and the third your peers all members of the various house but each is further separated from one another with warriors of the faith and high king's guard who mingling amongst the houses if tempers should flare! Idemiah directs you all to a railing in the center of the large room where you step up and enable all to see you. Gathering at this railing you are then joined by Opal, in plain robes who looks visibly shaken, and King Onyx who looks a bit more haggard than before. They both look over the party with a mix of emotions that seem to play over their faces. Fear. Doubt. Sorrow. Determination. You see all of these before eight paladins walk forward all presenting the symbol of the Lightbringer to each of you.
"May only the truth pass your lips," each defender of the faith says to you handing you the amulet as a mass zone of truth is cast over the party.
Everyone roll a CHA save but know ONLY Nat 20s will prevail here. May odds be in your favor.
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman...You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman...You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Elavor looks at Petal, eyebrows knitted together, he holds her hands in return... "What..when?... OH, it was you!! You healed me when the bandits shot me, I thought I was dying out... Oh Petal, no.. no.. you SAVED my life. Whatever this infection is that you say I have, that can't be your fault. You saved me. I don't understand magic all too well, living in Ospel for most of my life, well.... I thought this city wasn't full of magic... at any rate, You saved me. How can that be bad? How can sickness pass to me from that act?"
Elavor remains silent for most of the trip back, knowing what he's cost his companions even before Yelena speaks. To both of them on the way back, Elavor says "I may be forbidden from entering there again, but I CAN help you find new entrances. It's the least I can do for both of you." Their silence speaks volumes and weighs on him...
Once at the apartments, Elavor looks at Ronegan as he speaks... "I understand the disappointment, Ronegan. On the road, I usually deal with those .. situations.. alone. Consequences be damned. It's easier. But we're together for now... and I need to recognize that before I act so quickly and without thought in the future. For tonight, I'll be staying at my apartment with the cartographer's guild. I will arrive here before dawn, for the tournament. Rest well."
Elavor returns to his apartment at the guild, noticing a half drunk bottle of cheap whiskey he never finished near his bed. After staring at the bottle for a good minute, he rolls over and fitfully falls asleep. He would rouse himself just before dawn, get dressed, and return to the apartments as promised to Ronegan, waiting for them to wake.
Waking up the next day the party finds themselves facing the questions of both the church and the high king about the attacks on the road to Ospel. They are served a hearty breakfast but do not see any member of the royal family that early morning. The party is led from the royal apartments by two paladins of the faith who escort them to the great hall. Entering towering doors twelve feet overhead. The hall is just as imposing with high ceilings, higher than the door itself, the long hall ceiling is dotted with Lightbringer iconography. The great hall is filled with people of all races represented in Embera. There are the clear colors of all the houses amongst the modestly dressed courtiers the most flamboyant amongst them the party finds are members of the clergy, royal guard, and the defenders of the faith in bright whites and glaring golds. A cursory glance the party finds skeptical looks from most of the courtiers but spotting a bannerman of Firstforge. Mostly dwarves, the queen's line all but Kiran recognizes having never met them, they find reassuring nods along with firm affirmations of camaraderie! At the far end of the great hall on a raised area, the party can see the high king's throne centered with three smaller thrones flanking it that is slightly lower than the main throne. The party however is not allowed to linger but are taken from the gathered Lightbringer's court where their presence is causing a stir they are quickly whisked away to a side chamber alone away from the great hall. There they are left to wait in an oval-shaped room lined with murals of the siege of Torrenea, now renamed Ospel, the final battle against the Darkness.
OOC: I want everyone to have an opportunity to speak to one another about their game plan for the questioning sessions. You're all house Firstforge and are being questioned about the goings-on on the road to Ospel. If OOC chat please put it in PM!!
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman...You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
When Varen wakes, she looks to see if Petal is up as well.
OOC: Petal, your choice if you are there or if you would have woken up and left early. Varen won't hide either of these actions from you, and if you want to talk to her about it, we can backlog some RP either in a post or PM.
From her bed, she reaches over to her belt satchel, and retrieves a silvery amulet. Now's the time, if any, if I am to use the protections of your gift, Mother. She looks at the amulet, the small engraved symbol of a half-closed eye surrounded by fine filligree, the iris made of an emerald. Varen clasps the silver chain necklace, and tucks the amulet alongside her signet ring.
Varen freshens up and gets dressed in her travel clothes. She locks the door to the room, and takes out her alchemist's kit. She combines a mixture of honey, powdered silver, rose petals suspended in a small vial of red wine, and an adder's tongue into one of the vials, and begins heating it over a candle. She stirs the mixture with a slim iron stirring rod with a sharp point on one end for a few minutes, then takes the point and pricks her thumb with it. She lets the blood flow into the concoction, and chants while tracing out arcane runes in the air. From her bloodied thumb, a purplish energy trails in the air to trace out each rune. Then, the mixture ignites in a bright silver color. She lets it cool, then drinks it down immedietely. Her features soften, any blemishes and tiny scars fading away, and her voice sounds more alluring and confident. She keeps her hair loose around her shoulders, and it appears to have an extra shine to it.
OOC: Varen's newest mutagen is basically a Maybelline commercial.
As Varen waits with the others, she looks over the painted siege, admiring the artwork. She looks to the rest of the group, speaking quietly. "We don't know where King Onyx and Opal are, or if they have been questioned. I would suggest we keep Ronegan's solution quiet if able... if our foes have ears in the Cathedral, then letting out we solved their cipher means they will move to a new one."
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Ran looks at the mural as they wait, curious about whether it might actually depict what really happened or not. He still can't quite grasp whether the Darkness is just some concept of evil or if it was an actual being of some sort. But while he examines the mural he does listen to what the others are saying and nods when he hears Varen speak.
"I always found that the surest way to get through any questioning," Ran begins, "was to just answer the question that was asked."
He moves down the mural trying to find the scene that shows the darkness being defeated.
"I saw quite a few comrades make their situation worse by trying to fill the silence with elaborate explanations."
He turns to face the rest of them.
"All we did was protect our royal family the best we could. They king was safely protected in the royal carriage and we didn't see him during the fight. Any differences we may have had before and after the encounter among ourselves, are just that. Among ourselves. We are still all Firstforge."
He turns back to the mural.
Petal nods in agreement. “Yes, we don’t know anything about the attackers, or who they are!” She puts her finger to her lips and winks.
“But we really need to sound like we want to help! They could know things we really need to find out!” she looks at Elavor with concern as she says that. “There’s no hiding who or what I am, but Ronnie, you always said the church was teaching about redeeming the non believers right? I think I’m gonna need to show them that I’m accepting the lightbringer. We all need to be nice, friendly and charming..... so basically everything Kiran does, do the opposite.”
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
"So, we are straightforward with them, tell them about being ambushed by the bandits, and the gnolls. Do we mention what you found on the bodies, the insignias and all that? Do we mention anything of dark figures... the Dark Wanderer? " Elavor asks as he, too, studies the murals...
He turns around, leaning against an unpainted section of wall, arms crossed in front of him and listening as everyone talks...
Varen looks at Petal. "Maybe... don't go with confessing sins if they don't ask first. Don't give them the rope to hang you with. If they do take you down that path, perhaps mention that you are learning the faith and excited to do so?"
To Elavor, she speaks coolly: "The bandits wore the gear of the other Houses, and rode with gnolls. Those are important facts... and might lead them to the same conclusion I had. If they ask, then we can mention the Dark Wanderer. Opal and Onyx know, and might have already told them. I wouldn't answer how we found out unless pressed, and even then, we just found a letter."
Varen pauses, holding her chin with her finger and thumb in contemplation. "If there are more letters that the other Houses found, perhaps we could get access to them. Only then would I volunteer our knowledge of the cipher."
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Ronegan seems unusually distracted this morning, hardly talking at all over breakfast, and he is silent for the first part of the discussion. He seems to be thinking deeply about something else -- looking at Varen and Elavor constantly and writing on scraps of paper.
With some effort he seems to rouse himself to participate in the discussion. Staring at the floor, and clearing his throat, Ronegan says "It is my experience that they ask very few questions for which they do not already have answers. I agree with Ran. Answering simply is best. In terms of the erm...message, we uncovered, I am not certain anyone outside ourselves, the Queen, and the new King are aware of it. We should not volunteer any information."
He fiddles with the strap on the canister on his hip, not looking at anyone in the room. "My greater concern is the boy, the one convinced that Petal is a witch, may have already spoken to them. He could have provided testimony that the new King and a few of his coterie possess heretical talents." He looks at them all, finally. "Should that be the case, and they find our explanation unconvincing, I am prepared to claim responsibility for any and all magical occurrences." He sighs. "It may be the most use I can be to his Highness given the present circumstances."
”I can’t let you take the blame for my mistake!” Petal exclaims, “there has to be another way!”
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
"If no one talks about surprise horses, don't bring up the surprise horse. Hells, Pytr left us in Grambler. He probably isn't even in Ospel." Varen looks at Petal with concern. "Just... Be careful what you say. Keep things focused on the parts of the attack that matter."
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Kiran remains silent for the trip over from the apartments to the antechamber. As they wait, he leans in a corner, arms folded tightly against himself, snorting quietly at Petal's comment about acting the opposite of how he would. As the others discuss plans on how to answer, or not answer questions, he finally speaks up, "The church does have ways of communicating at distance, Pytr wouldn't need to have been here to give his testimony to the church. They may also have methods of determining if any of us are infected by the darkness, but I'm not gifted that way, I don't really know for certain."
"Infected?"
Petal locks eyes with Elavor, “Yes, infected. Those of us with um... special abilities. Well, where we get them from.... it’s not bad but....it’s poisoned. It infects us with the wasting disease the more we use them now. I sensed the sickness in Ronegan, the King and I but..... We’ll it seems like being healed by magic causes this illness to infect you at an even deadlier rate.”
She approaches Elavor, tears in her eyes clutching at his hands. “Ellie.... it’s got you worse than any of us. I don’t know how long you’ve got, and it’s my fault. I’m so sorry. I never knew this would happen and when you went down I just... it was an instinct....”
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
As they party settles into the room a half an hour passes before someone finally enters. It's a defender of the faith you all recognize. Idemiah looks over all of you with a serious expression. She doesn't speak only ushers you through the opposite set of doors away from the great hall. There you walk along an echoing corridor that dead ends into another large set of double doors carved with angels and demons.
"My advice to you..." Idemiah begins in a lowered tone before opening the doors, "trust your instincts," she says but before any of you can comment or ask for clarity she pushes open the doors into a large chamber divided into distinct areas.
A common gallery where you walk through to reach three sectioned areas ahead of the isle from the double doors. One side sits a gathering of religious looking leaders, the central area a gathering of council members from the seven kingdoms, and the third your peers all members of the various house but each is further separated from one another with warriors of the faith and high king's guard who mingling amongst the houses if tempers should flare! Idemiah directs you all to a railing in the center of the large room where you step up and enable all to see you. Gathering at this railing you are then joined by Opal, in plain robes who looks visibly shaken, and King Onyx who looks a bit more haggard than before. They both look over the party with a mix of emotions that seem to play over their faces. Fear. Doubt. Sorrow. Determination. You see all of these before eight paladins walk forward all presenting the symbol of the Lightbringer to each of you.
"May only the truth pass your lips," each defender of the faith says to you handing you the amulet as a mass zone of truth is cast over the party.
Everyone roll a CHA save but know ONLY Nat 20s will prevail here. May odds be in your favor.
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman...You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Charisma Save: 6
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
OOC: Sorry it's a charisma save. I'm dumb.
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman...You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Elavor looks at Petal, eyebrows knitted together, he holds her hands in return... "What..when?... OH, it was you!! You healed me when the bandits shot me, I thought I was dying out... Oh Petal, no.. no.. you SAVED my life. Whatever this infection is that you say I have, that can't be your fault. You saved me. I don't understand magic all too well, living in Ospel for most of my life, well.... I thought this city wasn't full of magic... at any rate, You saved me. How can that be bad? How can sickness pass to me from that act?"
Charisma Save: 20
Ronnie CHA Save: 10
Petal cha save 0
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
Ran’s Charisma Save: 20