Action Thread 18

[rredmond]

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Day 19 – 1:05 p


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After what feels like an overly long, dramatic pause for commercials, the party packs up the treasure and heads out. On the way, Bruard casts CLW on Jeloon, making her feel a bit better.

Back up through the tunnels and to the charred temple, the party meets no resistance. Leaving the temple the whole quadrant seems quiet and deserted. You have no issues getting up and out and back over to the other side of that wall.

Entering back into the grove you are greeted by the warmth of the quiet and safety. Even being greeted by wolves and the big brown grizzly bear don’t strike you as a cause for anxiety. In the distance you see Melissa scratching a giant rat under its chin as she watches you approach.

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HPs: Jeloon - 19/29; Till - 36/36; Yosef - 8/10; Bruard - 16/19
WIH: Till: short sword (15' radius light); Jeloon: Longsword (20' radius light), shield; Yosef: bow and arrow; Bruard: Mace, shield; Van: +1 ogre spear, shield; Eyman: +1 Battle Axe, shield
MO: 1- Jeloon; 2- Till; 3- Bruard & Eyman; 4- Ancor, Rosin, DAMs; 54 - Yosef ; 5 - Van
Consumables: Lantern - (Bruard) continual light 60' radius; Torch, 50 minutes (Yosef), 40' radius; Torch, 60 minutes (off), 40' radius.
--------Spells: Yosef: 1-1/2, 2-0/1; Bruard: 1-5/5, 2-3/4
Helm used 1x today.
Ointment 3 normal applications left.

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[dmw71]

"Uh, what?" Jeloon wonders aloud as she spies Melissa scratching a giant rat under its chin. She nervously finds her hand fall to the hilt of her sword which remains slug to her hip.

[ToniXX]

"Uh, what?" Jeloon wonders aloud as she spies Melissa scratching a giant rat under its chin. She nervously finds her hand fall to the hilt of her sword which remains slug to her hip.

Bruard has the same reaction.

[Alethan]

Till smiles and quietly says, "Relax... she's a druid. Now that the rats are no longer under the power of the rat king," he raises the makeshift sack, "they once again become her companions."

Then, even quieter, he mutters, "I think. Wouldn't hurt to still be on your guard, of course."

He steps forward to approach Melissa, holding the bloody bundle in his left hand.

"We have your payment..." he offers, holding the bundle up in the air.

[rredmond]

Thank you for freeing my rat friends, I have heard that you didn't kill them unnecessarily. At this she stops petting the rat, and it runs off to the other side of the tree. I’m sure you have questions, but perhaps I can answer most unasked. Some of this information I know, and some I’ve found out through other means. But I’ll start where I am not sure you know, Rogahn and Zelligar successfully drove off the barbarian attack and captured two sub chiefs – sons of the great chieftain to the north. The cost to build Quasqueton was enormous and with the capture of the sub chiefs they wanted to learn of any treasure that could aid them. Zelligar used magic at this Melissa cringed with obvious disgust, and he had other ways to draw information from his prisoners. Zelligar learned that the barbarians guarded a ruined city from ages past. The barbarians believed that the city was the home of their gods and that a horde of treasure lay within. Zelligar shared the information with Rogahn and the two planned their assault.
Meanwhile, the great chieftain learned of the capture of his sons. But with his army destroyed he was powerless to attempt a rescue. Then fate delivered help in the form of Saugrem the Necromancer. The wizard was captured trying to gain access into the ruined city. Rather than execute Saugrem for his offense, the great chieftain struck a bargain. Saugrem would use his magic to rescue the chieftain’s sons and in turn would receive his freedom and access to the ruined city. Little did he know that once Zelligar was done with them…

Saugrem traveled to the forest surrounding Quasqueton but could find no way to enter the fortress. He saw me more often than not, accompanied by Rogahn, and correctly surmised that we were lovers. Saugrem waited took an opportunity to cast a charm spell on me when he found me alone. Now, the evil wizard had a spy in Quasqueton. He then discovered it was too late to save the sub chiefs. Saugrem returned to the great chief and reported the news. The chief was prepared to again execute Saugrem, but the wizard had a plan. He told the chief that Rogahn and Zelligar were planning a raid on the ruined city. Saugrem, with the aid of his charmed and unwitting spy, convinced the chief that with his help, Rogahn and Zelligar could be ambushed and vengeance applied. The chief agreed and Saugrem planned his ambush.
But Saugrem had much more than an ambush to plan. He had designs on powerful magic hidden in another city directly beneath the ruined city. After all, that is how he came to be captured by the barbarians.
Saugrem indeed devised an ambush, but he also planned the destruction of the barbarians.
Rogahn and Zelligar entered the ruined city and faced little resistance. It took Zelligar some time to discover the secret of the Great Tower and longer to scavenge the rings needed to enter. The adventurers finally entered the tower and descended into the dark shaft to the Forgotten City. As the adventurers moved through the buried city, I (as my charmed command had me do) ran without warning into a large temple. Rogahn followed me heedless of any danger. Zelligar called for restraint, but also followed his life-long friend. Soon after the adventurers and their mercenaries entered the temple, they were beset by a horde of battle-frenzied barbarians bent on vengeance. The battle was waged without mercy – one group fighting for survival, the other for revenge.
The fighting went on for hours and filled nearly every chamber of the temple. Ultimately, splintered groups sought escape. That was when Saugrem sprung his own trap. As remnants of the Quasqueton raiders and the barbarians sought refuge, swarms of undead emerged from within the temple. Saugrem commanded his undead minions to kill any surviving surface dwellers. But Saugrem had underestimated the powers of Zelligar and Rogahn.
I left the battle injury free, I don’t know how, and couldn’t get back into the tower. But my love is alive, I know it, there is a reason he doesn’t come to me. When I came to my senses, my brain was free from the charm, but not from the guilt of what I had done.
At this point she looks down as tears stream from her eyes.

It affected me… I prayed for days on end without rest or food until my body broke like my mind. But that’s when the vivid memories, visions, I’m sure you’ve been in this state Bruard, when totally given over to your god. My father was a shaman and taught me of the forest, showed me to revere nature. It was then that I knew it, Shard must be conquered, must be taken over by the very plants and trees it keeps crushed in their stone prison. The city will die, and so I will have my vengeance and my love will come back to me. But the city will die and the trees and plants will make certain of it.
But more specific to your quest, you need to find the signet rings with the great tower engraved upon them, silver or gold, in order to safely enter the tower. This is how the cultists enter the shaft and how the men were able to get into the Forgotten City.

[dmw71]

Jeloon leans forward and whispers into Tills' ear: "Ask her where to find these signet rings."

[dmw71]

Jeloon stands up straight after whispering in Till's ear. Her hand falls to rest on her belt when a thought occurs to her. She begins quietly digging through her pouch until she produces the magical red ring she's been toting.

She taps the halfling on his shoulder and, while trying to be secretive about it, exposes the ring for Till to see. She shrugs, add if suggesting maybe it could be one of the needed signet rings.

[Argennian]

Yosef is way too preoccupied with the wonderful new wand the party just won, that is tucked in his very belt line right now, to really notice the implications of the giant rat with the druidess, nor his companions' trepidations regarding any potential subterfuge from their earthly benefactor.

He exchanges glances of relief with Eyman and offers the ever faithful and fearless lad a nod and wink of the "oh yes we did!" manner. He then looks to Melissa, half-businesslike and half-expectant, when Till hands over the bloody bundle of the permanently-usurped rat king's head.

When the former lover and potential destroyer of Rogahn begins offering what she knows, Yosef falls quickly into a concentrated coma of careful consideration, his High elf emotions hinging precariously on every beautifully perfect little cliff of detail. Still alive?! he thinks to himself over and over and over...

[Alethan]

Till glances over at the ring Jeloon has been wearing and says, "Nyah, that's not a signet ring, is it, Jeloon? At least I don't think so..."

Then he turns to Melissa and says, "Melissa, it seems Zelligar would still have these rings if they needed them to get into the tower, right? Or where can we find them? And how did they get there if Zelligar used them and..." he points at the ring Jeloon wears and continues, "... do they look anything like this? Or are they more typical of a signet ring in that they have a coat of arms or some design carved into a flat surface?"

[rredmond]

That ring is more of a canaipe ring. The signet rings are traditional signets, and have a representation of the great tower etched in their tops, she says after looking at Jeloon's ring.

[Alethan]

"Oh!" Till exclaims, reaching into his coin pouch and pulling out the gold and silver signet rings they pulled off the rat king. "Like these?"

[rredmond]

Her eyes widen, yes, yes exactly those. They will gain you entry into the tower.

[Alethan]

"Well..."Till gets a confused look on his face, "just how many of these rings do we need?"

[rredmond]

There are plates at the door of the tower - silver and gold. Placing your ringed hand on the right plate (gold to gold, or silver to silver) gained you entrance and access. I don't know what would happen if you don't wear the rings, but Zelligar made it seem something very unpleasant. He had dozens of these rings to move their people through the tower... once you were down in the Lost City you could take the rings off. But to get through the tower, each person had to have a ring on. I know there are more of them around Shard, but haven't seen any since that day.

[Argennian]

Yosef just stands there smirking awkwardly in a very unelf-like way. His mind is flying high in the clouds with what he and the others just learned. He doesn't even try to assimilate it all right now. And it's a lot that Melissa revealed them! All those sweet, juicy, golden nuggets of knowledge that need to be slowly digested. Mmmm....

As Jeloon pulls out the unidentified magical ring they found at the watch tower keep, Yosef watches the way Melissa looks at it, to see if he can gauge a look of familiarity on her visage. He wonders if she might recognize some of the dead rat king's items for that matter.

When Melissa mentions the tower rings, Yosef's flighty elven eyes bounce over to Till. Once he produces the three signet rings they will need to take their quest to the next level, so to speak, he takes a deep breath, finds his smile again and nods with satisfaction.

"If there are more of these tower rings in Shard, then perhaps we could acquire them as well?" the elf opines happily. "Mistress Melissa, you wouldn't happen to have any fine elven wine and shire leaf, would you? For I feel strongly that a celebration is in order!
"Both of us have gotten something we wanted. The rat king is dead, and with him the challenges and restrictions he posed to you and Shard. Your rat friends are freed and in the process, we have gained a special knowledge in our quest that would surely have been impossible to find and realize had our paths not crossed here. For that, I thank you. I do hope we can continue to be of service to each other. I would make a toast to that, if only I had some wine or spirits!"

[rredmond]

..As Jeloon pulls out the unidentified magical ring they found at the watch tower keep, Yosef watches the way Melissa looks at it, to see if he can gauge a look of familiarity on her visage.

It appears that Melissa knows of it, or of it's type. But she doesn't spend too much time looking at it, nor does she seem to want to.

"If there are more of these tower rings in Shard, then perhaps we could acquire them as well?" the elf opines happily. "Mistress Melissa, you wouldn't happen to have any fine elven wine and shire leaf, would you? For I feel strongly that a celebration is in order! ... I would make a toast to that, if only I had some wine or spirits!"

Melissa smiles at the elf, "There are definitely more of the rings about in Shard. Likely with the leaders of certain zones, or with creatures that don't know their importance. I just haven't seen any in these many years... though I don't interact much with the residents of other zones. As for refreshment I have drink that is less intoxication but, I think, just as bursting of flavor as the wine of your kin. But I have no herbs that are burned outside of the nature shrine behind my tree.

[ToniXX]

Bruard will cast spells before we rest.

CLW on Yosef:
Cure light wounds: [1d8] = 1
meh...

CLW on Jeloon:
Cure light wounds: [1d8] = 5

[Argennian]

..As Jeloon pulls out the unidentified magical ring they found at the watch tower keep, Yosef watches the way Melissa looks at it, to see if he can gauge a look of familiarity on her visage.

It appears that Melissa knows of it, or of it's type. But she doesn't spend too much time looking at it, nor does she seem to want to.

Yosef notes this fact discreetly, but he makes no reaction and saves it for later.

"If there are more of these tower rings in Shard, then perhaps we could acquire them as well?" the elf opines happily. "Mistress Melissa, you wouldn't happen to have any fine elven wine and shire leaf, would you? For I feel strongly that a celebration is in order! ... I would make a toast to that, if only I had some wine or spirits!"

Melissa smiles at the elf, "There are definitely more of the rings about in Shard. Likely with the leaders of certain zones, or with creatures that don't know their importance. I just haven't seen any in these many years... though I don't interact much with the residents of other zones. As for refreshment I have drink that is less intoxication but, I think, just as bursting of flavor as the wine of your kin. But I have no herbs that are burned outside of the nature shrine behind my tree.

Yosef bows deeply and offers a very elf-like flourish of his hands. "A toast with your drink will certainly suffice then, mistress!"

Once served some of Melissa's drink, the elf will propose a toast to everyone's health and to the future, which is looking more bright and opportune than it has in some time. "Tell us more of these other leaders that reside here in Shard, mistress..."

[Argennian]

Bruard will cast spells before we rest.

CLW on Yosef:
Cure light wounds: [1d8] = 1
meh...

CLW on Jeloon:
Cure light wounds: [1d8] = 5

"I thank you and mighty Shinare for your benevolence, friend Bruard!" Yosef says, stretching out and offering his clerical companion an all good now nod and a wink.


OOC: adding 1hp to character sheet, now 9/10hps!

[Alethan]

Till listens carefully to Melissa's story, offering the occasional nod of understanding or frown of concern as she relates the history of the city to the party.

When it is clear her telling of the tale has finished, and the few minor questions have been answered, he sits back and takes a sip of wine while pondering their options.

"Melissa," he begins, "I think I speak for us all when I say we would help you with this quest - to clear the city of evil and help free Rogahn from his prison within the tower. While I have no doubt nature will eventually claim this place," he waves a hand in the air, indicating the whole of the city, "she often has a frame of time that is beyond our meager lives. We would help you to... hasten the pace."

"But," he once again makes eye contact with her, "we will need your help. We need a place of sanctuary, where we can rest and recuperate when wounded. And any information you can give us on the other inhabitants of the city would be most helpful. Even the slightest bit of information, on seemingly trivial things," he nods in the direction of Jeloon's ring, "may come in handy at some point."

"Would you give us your aid of shelter and information? Together, we can set balance back to the scales."