A Stone's ThrowIndex | The City Of Towers | Game Logs | A Stone's Throw The skies around House Lyrandar's tower in Sharn start to come alive as the sun creeps over the horizon. Lightning flashes, fires blaze and the roar of wind can be heard as countless airship elementals are goaded into activity.  Sharn - View from the Lyrandar Tower  Trevallion The Trevallion, an average-sized Lyrandar sixty-footer, prepares to get underway: the elemental ring crackles with flame, the crew checks rigging and secures last-minute cargo. Near the gangplank Rilt, the half-elf captain of the airship, listens patiently to an irritated half-orc in merchant's attire. "We should've left by now. She'll have my head if I'm late." Anxiety crosses the House Tharashk finder's face as he contemplates the grave nature of the information he holds in his head, not his mistress's displeasure at his tardiness. "Not to worry Master Inquisitive Grev, we're right on time. We've only a few more passengers on which to wait." The captain gestures at five figures reshouldering packs checked by the customs agent and being lead by the ship's bosun, Rilt. And behind them a dragonborn figure huffs as he runs to catch up with the others, late to the party as usual. "In fact, I think I see them now."  Master Inquisitive Grev Wrill slaps him on the shoulder and makes for the bridge. As he saunters away, he calls over his shoulder with a wide grin, "Besides, this ship can make the Crescent run in under twelve hundred miles, even with a stop at the Great Crag." Grev shivers despite the warmth of the new day and grumbles to himself. "Yes, but will it be too late anyway?" As the passengers board, Rilt leads them with an accustomed blend of caution and accommodation. "Welcome to the 'Trevellian'. You'll not find a better airship this side of... well, anywhere to be certain. The captain, Wrill will meet you later, but for now, I'm to get you settled. We're a bit behind schedule, so you'll feel the ship leaving the dock presently," he says, as the experienced crew starts to unship the moorings and the vessel drifts away from the port. "Other than the quarters, the cargo area, and the bridge, feel free to explore the ship. You've been vouched by your patron, and I expect behavior fitting that vetting," he says with a stern look towards each of them. "For each of you," he says, pulling out six amulets. "These are safewing amulets- part of your fare. If you happen to fall overboard, grasp the amulet and invoke their power with the works 'Maok Theval'. It will see you safely to the ground." "Other than that, there is one minor change to our schedule- we will need to visit Thrask in the Great Crag on business. Rev here will see to your needs- I need to get to my crew," he says in way of farewell. "Excuse me sir," one of the passengers, an Eladrin, speaks up. "My name is Glacialis, and I for one was not made aware of any stop that we needed to make. I didn't want to miss my appointment." "You won't," Rilt says gruffly, preparing to turn to leave. "But sir, why the sudden stop?" "No worries for you," Rilt says, even shorter. "It does not affect your business." "But it indeed does," Glacialis says, not backing down in the face of Rilt's terse response. "Can you give us some note of what we are to expect?" Sighing, Rilt says, "We will stop at Thrask, and you will stay on board. We are possibly picking up an additional passenger. That is all that you need to know." "My thanks to you," Glacialis responds, his staff flaring azure as he nods his head. Rev quickly stepped forward to interject himself as Rilt stalked off to his duties. "As Rilt said- greetings," Rev stepped in smoothly. "I'll see to your needs. For now, follow me below deck, and we'll get you settled before the ship gets to full speed." The new passengers couldn't be more different. Two humans stand out in the group, a male and a female. The male has a dangerous look about him, and is dressed in black leathers, though there are no armored plates in them. The female is dressed in leathers also, though hers are of a more functional nature. The bronze-hued dragonborn that Wrill noted coming onboard looks about him with a practiced eye, taking in the ship as they make their way below decks. An elven male follows behind, warily descending the stairs with a flowing step that is characteristic of the fey. And following him was Glacialis. Though he looked to be more of the rough and tumble sort like the two humans, his staff gives away that there is something more to him than meets the eye. Bringing up the rear is a warforged, keeping a careful eye out over his charge, as the Eladrin seems to be. They are each given moderate cabins- a bit larger than the crew cabins, though definitely not full state rooms. "Dinner will be later this evening- the captain sends his regrets that he will be unable to join you because of prior engagements. If you need anything and I am not around, any crewmember will be able to locate me." Rev then left the party to settle in, as the trip truly got underway. As promised, the passengers were able to attend dinner that night, though none of the crew other than the servers were present. "My name is Glacialis," the Eladrin began, once dinner was started. "From Rilt's words, I take it that we all have the same patron. I thought that we could get to know each other if we are traveling for similar reasons." "Thatis my bodyguard, Shield," he finished, motioning to the Warforged that stood by the door. "And yourselves?" "I am Kaelung," the Dragonborn said without hesitation. "And indeed, I was summoned by a missive delivered while I was in Sharn." The wood elf's brow furrowed. "I was given a missive unexpectedly also," he said slowly, pulling out a piece of parchment. "I'm Kyuzo, by the way." "May I?" Glacialis said, motioning towards the letter. "They appear to be the same, down to the exact lettering." "And yourselves? Did you receive one also?" The woman answered. "I did... and the name is Fie. It seemed like a good deal- a trip on the outside," she said grinning. "And yours?" he asked the man. "Can I see yours, also?" "I never said I received one," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Though I don't trust this coincidence of yours," he said at last. "And you don't know who the letter is from? Seems a risky proposition to take." Glacialis looked at him a moment before continuing. "Well, if we're going to the same place, and aren't totally sure of our patron, it seems that we could do worse than to look out for each other. That's indeed why I brought my bodyguard along." And with a general consensus, a party was forged. After a couple of days, looming sight of the Great Crag began to be noticeable off the side of the ship. More and more, the party gathered on the deck, more out of boredom after days on the ship than anything else, though curiosity about the unscheduled stop did factor into the impromptu gatherings above deck. As they came closer to the city of Thrask proper, the spiraling stairs up to the prominent skydocks became more and more evident. Workers, formerly the size of ants to the unaided eye began to be seen more clearly, and the differences between this dock and the one left so seemingly long ago in Sharn. The stratified architecture of that city wasn't evident- it was more like the docks were an afterthought that the core of the commerce for the city. Rilt appeared on the deck along with a half-orc that they'd caught glimpses of over the past days. As they put into Thrask, activity on the deck increased as they secured lines and met unnamed port officials. The unnamed half-orc left the ship- the only passenger to do so. As the time wore on, tensions on the ship rose- whether from the change in schedule or the result of whatever they were waiting on, the party didn't know. But eventually, the half-orc returned, a cloaked figure following. The party stood on the deck as the pair embarked- the azure glow around Glacialis definitely making them very obvious as not a part of the crew. But the pair took no notice, and the party was not able to make out any more about them other than that the cloaked figure was either slight- or a female. They grew more curious at this fact, and it seemed as if in response to this idle curiosity, Wrill appeared to greet them. An underlying tension had left the crew, and it seemed that whatever had sparked this change in attitude had almost summoned him. As Captain of the ship on such a voyage for House Lyrandar, it would seem that he would greet paying guests, but this was the first time they had made his acquaintance. "Greetings honored passengers," he said warmly. "My apologies for not doing so earlier, but allow me to make things up to you. I would be very pleased if you would join me for dinner this evening." After securing a promise to attend from the party, he left them to their suppositions on the change. "Considering that we don't have much choice in the matter, I don't really suppose what's going on makes much of a difference," one of them noted. Dinner was held in a larger, more formal environment, as the Captain greeted his guests. Not only was the party invited, but the other two passengers as well. It seemed that the earlier speculation was correct, as the passenger that boarded turned out to be a woman. The pair seemed happy enough to keep to themselves, not even engaging the captain in idle conversation, but this made for a quite silent dinner. "I am Glacialis," the Eladrin interjected into the silence. "And these are my companions. We noticed you," he said, inclining his head towards the half-orc," in the past few days, but haven't made your acquaintance." "I am Master Inquisitive Grev," he offered tersely. "And your companion?" Glacialis inquired, undeterred. Grev didn't seem inclined to answer, but the woman interjected, "I am Ranator Detorn, Noble of the Detorn Clan." "Very nice to meet you," Glacialis replied. "What business brings you aboard the Trevellian?" "My own," the woman said, the smile never leaving her face. A short laugh came from one of his companions at her answer. "Well said," Caine said after a moment. "But that does short circuit any idle conversation," he added. "Indeed," Glacialis said, recovering from the brusque answer. "After all, sharing passage with nobility is an unaccustomed experience for us, so we were just curious what might bring one such as yourself in our company. Especially with an Inquisitive." After a moment, he ventured, "Has there been some crime that needs your skill?" "Inquisitives come and go as needed," Grev said. "And that is a constant that never changes." "Ah!" Glacialis said. "So there is some mystery afoot. Something that perhaps would be of interest to us?" Grev shook his head. "Worry yourself not, we have the situation under control." Renator laid a hand on his arm, and Grev looked over to her, a frown on his face. They began to speak in a language none of the party understood, but they were able to identify it as the tongue of Giants. "My companion thinks that you could be of help, if you were so inclined," Grev offered grudgingly. "If it is for the public good, how could we say no? What is it that you need?" As if on cue, a loud explosion erupted in the room behind Renator and Grev. Renator's chair upended, and she was sucked out in the aftermath. Grev leapt to her aid, but the only thing he was able to grab was the Swiftwing amulet that she had around her neck. The slight chain holding the amulet to her was not up to the task of holding her weight, and snapped casting her without any aid into the empty air, several hundred feet above the unforgiving ground. Master Inquisitive Grev immediately jumped out of the gaping hole in the ship, while Wrill just as quickly made his way towards the bridge, making use of handholds that were set in the wall for just such an emergency. The party was a little slower in it's response, and because of that, almost ran afoul of two other blasts that tore great chunks out of the side of the ship. But all made it to safety, more or less intact. By the time the intrepid group made it to the bridge, the commotion was over, though the damage had been done- the ship was noticeably listing to the side as it sunk from the skies to follow Grev and Ranator towards the ground, more quickly than would be desired for a safe landing. But the able crew was able to make repairs enough and manage the ship so that they were able to make a less spectacular landing. "Are you all OK?" Wrill asked the group. When all gave their affirmatives, he continued. "By Khyber, I'm not sure what that was! It didn't seem overly concerned about destroying the ship- the elementals are still bound. However, it will definitely slow things down. And the Master Inquisitive dove out of the breach in the hull you say?" "Not good," he said at last, shaking his head. "This will be a blight on my perfect record. Not to mention what House Lyrandar will say." With a calculating look he regarded the party. "Did you not offer your help to them right before this incident occurred?" he asked, rather rhetorically. "How about I employ you to find them? After all, you can't help them if you aren't with them, right? And I can reward you, when you find them. What say you?" At the mention of reward, he had half the party, and after a short discussion, he had his searchers. "We have to stop in Corvair to make repairs- it should take a few days. I have a map, and a stone that should home in on the Inquisitive if he still has the amulet. A second stone will let you know when we're done and on the way to your area. Find them, ascertain their state, and await our return." So equipped, the party started out into the wilderness. With the supplied map and homing beacon, there was little chance of the party becoming lost. Though a little out of the way, it was an easy trek to the location where Grev and Renator should be located. They had apparently found shelter in a tower, but before the party could make it there, they were beset by ravenous wolves. Their hunger made them a worse threat than the party thought they would be. Though individually, the members of the party were quite competent, as a force together, their lack of knowledge of each other's abilities and habits became quite apparent as Kaelung and Kyuzo succombed to the concerted efforts by the wolves, and were in danger of being dragged off into the forest for food. But eventually, they came together to drive the wolves off, and made their way to the tower, where they were greeted by an old woman looking over the unconscious Grev and Renator. "Come in, come in," the old woman says, beckoning to them as they reach the top room of the tower. "I am Hersia, Renator's contact in the area. I had to put her and her companion into an induced sleep to recover from their wounds- the healing sleep will have them right as rain in a couple of days. The amulet they had to slow their fall didn't work so well for two- no it didn't! But it was better than the alternative, for sure!" "Come, sit! Let me tell you of the task she had for you- in her stead, I'm to direct your efforts. It's quite obvious that they will not be able to recover the item in their condition, so all hope lies on you." "All hope for what?" Glacialis asked, even as Caine checked out the unconscious bodies. He nodded surreptitiously to Glacialis, and though you couldn't make out an difference in Shield other than a slight dimming of the green glow in his eyes, Caine knew that he was more at ease at his position at the door. "Let me tell you a tale first- of a city caught between it's more powerful neighbors. Kiris Dahn knew that at some point, it was going to be in a pitched fight for its existence. So the nobles made a deal with infernal powers, for a weapon to protect their independence. They commissioned eight slaying stones- powerful artifacts of dark power, gifted with the ability to unerringly slay one target. Though this seems a paltry defense against armies, they depended on the strategem of taking out the enemy commander. That, and secrecy as to the number of stones that they had was their defense. It worked for a while- longer than it ever should to be sure. But eventually, the darkness that was used to create the stones turned on them." "The last of the stones was used in an abortive coup. This coup led directly to the fall of Kiris Dahn, and the ruin of a city that remains in its place." She cocked a finger. "However, there remains one stone. Apparently nine were made, and one still exists in Kiris Dahn, where fell powers seek it even now. As a member of the family that commissioned the stone, Renator can destroy it without using it's evil power- this is imperative so that the stones cannot be duplicated! But first it must be found... which is were you come in!" "I will give you a map of the city and the surrounding areas. It's a bit old, so don't depend totally on the location of things- it's just a guide to find the three areas where it is possible the stone is. The library, one of the temples, and the great mansion. A ritual that you," she points to Glacialis, "should be able to cast will narrow the location, as long as you're within 100 yards of the stone. Find it, and bring it here to be destroyed!" After a good night's sleep, the party struck out towards the ruins of Kiris Dahn. It was about 10 miles north of Hersia's tower- a good trek, but one that was made in good time, placing them outside of the city before noon. Knowing the ruins were populated by various monstrous races- specifically violent hoards of goblins seeking the stone- the party chose to enter the town via the river near the farmland to the southeast. Finding a place to ford the river took little time, and the party wasted no time securing a safehouse as a rallying point if all went badly. They planned to approach the temple first, but their plans didn't survive contact with the enemy. "Looking at the map, the temple should be in this direction," Kyuzo said studying Hersia's aid as they stopped to orient. "But there's no way through from our scouting," Caine said, kneeling near the elven ranger. "I think we're going to have to take the chance of going through one of the buildings." "We haven't met any resistance yet- but there's no telling what we'll find if we start going through the buildings with no plan," Kaelung's voice rumbled disapprovingly. "But I also don't see any other options," he continued before anyone else could voice that same thought. "If you're willing," Caine said, looking towards Fie, "we can take point- try to mitigate any element of surprise we might encounter." He gestured towards Shield. "No offense, but you aren't exactly built for stealth." As usual, Shield had no response. But with the agreement of Fie, a response didn't seem to be needed. Taking their lead, Fie and Caine approached the door of the building that the party had decided on. That precaution proved to be a sound one, as a group of kobolds had taken up residence therein. The kobolds proved to be little challenge for the seasoned adventurers, and were taken down with minimal effort. After the combat, the party was able to make their way out of the building easily enough, but found themselves in an alleyway, presented with only the choice of entering another building to continue towards their target. This building was in very bad disrepair, with portions of the roof having caved in. A large statue in the building had become the nesting place for stirges, and rats had also made the wreck their home. Another quick battle ensued, and the party began to breathe easier at the relatively weak opposition that they faced. But this couldn't last, and indeed it didn't! Outside of this building was a cobblestone paved section of town, opening into a square. The party found that their path had meandered more than they thought- they were actually near to the library. With that revelation, Fie and Caine started towards the building, but were spotted immediately by two iron defenders- dog-like mechanika that raced to attack. Caine met them halfway across the courtyard, his hands and feet blurring into action like a windmill of destruction as he delivered a mighty blow to one of the iron beasts. Stepping out of the building, Glacialis' eyes glowed azure as he took in the threat, and a ray of frost leapt from his outstretched hand to find a way through the beasts broken hide to silent it's mechanical heart. "Come my precious! Follow Speelock!" the Kobold Scavenger that controlled the beasts shouted, and the remaining defender went into a nearby house with the kobold. The party flanked the house, finishing the fight in short order as they killed Speelock, and the remaining defender went dormant. Fie retreated to the shadows as Kyuzo clambered up onto the roof to get a better view of the surroundings. Initially, he saw nothing, but just as he was about to come back to street level, he shouted a warning as a huge Ankheg erupted from the earth, bearing down on the party! The ankheg burst through the wall beside Fie, but she kept to the shadows as it passed and grasped Caine in its mandibles. She then unleashed hell on it from behind, stabbing it with her daggers. The beast prepared to turn on her, but Caine was able to take the opportunity to free himself from the hulking insect, then apply pressure to the same mandible that had held him, invoking a shriek from the beast as he threatened to pull the appendage from its body. It's attention split, it didn't take notice of Shield until it was too late- and he was able to bring his hammer down with the weight of the earth, cracking the insects carapace, and ending it's threat. The combat over, Glacialis was able to divine the controls for the remaining iron defender, and charge it with guarding him. The party made it to the library without further incident, but they found after casting the ritual that the slaying stone was not there. They decided after a moment's deliberation to venture further into the library- though the stone was not there currently, it could have been moved, was the general thought. Caine and Fie again took point, and in the second room in the library were able to surprise a group of Goblins. Though they were milling about, it appeared that their purpose was to guard one that was garbed differently than the others- as a caster, not a warrior. He performed arcane experiments for some vile purpose. Storming the room with the element of surprise, the battle was one sided, though the caster did have some surprises of his own in store. Summoning an ooze to cover his escape, he almost managed to get away while his minions sacrificed themselves in bloody fashion. But he followed them to death as Kyuzo feathered his body with many arrows as he tried to climb the stairs. |
