Expedition: Fingers/Treasure of Yoldessi Plains- 30 Aug 2021

[Rusty Tincanne]

Winnie also smiles when she sees Aeora. We are glad you were able to exact your revenge. I cannot imagine how terrible that must have been for you to be trapped, alone, for so long. We are happy to have helped you, though it was terribly frightful as the tomb started caving in on us. We don't move as you do, friend. She agrees with Bandy about the lost opportunities. I know that, to you, it was a prison, but for us it was a chance to puzzle out what went wrong up here, so very long ago. And how to unravel and correct those remaining mistakes. And as Bandy said, some of what was left below would have helped support our families. It is a shame that all we could recover were a few of your glass baubles. Winnie pulls them out, offering them back to the girl. Are any areas left in tact? the items you described providing to those horrible visitors... Things like that are precious to humans still, so it would be wroth us trying to find some, if it is safe enough.

After the conversation about treasure is concluded, Winnie asks Aeora:
- where she is from/returning to
- if it is possible to visit her (and how)
- if she dealt with the gargoyles, or if the party needs to be wary of them still

If it is mechanically possible to attempt to recruit her again, Winnie would try.

Also, if Aeora is too literal to take our hints, Winnie will ask outright if she doesn't mind creating a small pile of gems for the party. If it doesn't put her out, that is... Entirely up to the "child," of course. Wouldn't want to impose, and all that.

[Marullus]

Only Markd can invite her to stay with you on your continued journey. I let Winnie request aid for a scene.

You express your dismay about the treasures lost below when the cursed tomb collapsed upon itself. Aeora just looks confused, wrinkling her petite nose. "You want to go BACK down there? No, no, no. I'll not be part of that. The chamber of the great king remains - I had no reason to go in there - but the chambers around are so full of Nystoreath's evil will that they should remain as they are... closed to those of your world."

Changing tactics, you ask if she can perhaps provide you some more precious baubles that you might take with you. That she is more willing to do; enthusiastically so. She provides you a round-cut peridot, a square-cut ruby, and a smooth, polished carnelian.

Date: 7:30pm, 03 September 2021
Light: Winnie's continual light
Effects: None
Injuries: ; Winnie (moderately injured); Elmer (moderately injured); Buttercup (superficially injured)

Recruit Aeora's aid [2d6] = 11[2d6] = 3[2d6] = 5[2d6] = 5

[Zhym]

Fingers gives Winnie a funny look. Aeora can make stuff, and she asked for more baubles? Well, hopefully they'll be valuable baubles. But nobody comes to his shop to buy gems.

"This Nystoreath jerk. That's the first time I've ever heard his name. Did he get around a lot, or just sit around here being evil?"

[onlyme]

So, does anyone actually want Markd to attempt that 20% or so chance of recruiting her, even though there are greater odds of pissing her off. He votes no, but will certainly attempt to do so if outvoted

[Alethan]

"So the chamber of the great king still remains," Bandy asks incredulously and with hope in his voice. "Maybe we can visit and pay our respects then, after you go on your way..."

OOC: no thank you. Let's just let her go.

[Zhym]

So, does anyone actually want Markd to attempt that 20% or so chance of recruiting her, even though there are greater odds of pissing her off. He votes no, but will certainly attempt to do so if outvoted

More like an 8% chance of recruiting her on the first roll (the odds of rolling a 2 or 3 on 2d6 are 1/12). So, yeah, I wouldn't try to recruit her.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Let's leave her be

Winnie begins by agreeing that the tomb was abominable and deserved to be wrecked. She then fauns over the gems. These are so beautiful. You are an artist! Thank you for these. She makes a show of counting the people present, then the gems. Aeora, each of there is beautiful and precious. Is it possible to have enoguh that each of us can have one to remember you by? That way we will not need to figure out a way to divide them between us. A brief pause.Please, dear friend?

She then adds to Bandy's comment, asking if there is a safe way for the party to get there. How did you get out?

[Marullus]

Is it possible to have enoguh that each of us can have one to remember you by?

"No. Your desires are answered in threes. No more. It is the way of the worlds."

How did you get out?

"... because I am the wind."

She confirms the way to the King's Tomb is blocked by the fallen stone.

"This Nystoreath jerk. That's the first time I've ever heard his name. Did he get around a lot, or just sit around here being evil?"

"He was of the Necromancer Kings, of which he spoke of three. It is they who destroyed the horselords and took over their three cities. They communicated with each other and sought lost secrets of the cataclysm until they fell to their own treachery or the sieges of the Dwarf King. He was the king here, as he conquered the humans who made this tomb. He spoke of a red wizard whose treachery ruined his family, but who later vexxed him and thwarted his plans. I don't know where he went, only who he brought here. He was most-gifted in working with souls. He trapped them, tortured them, summoned and bound them. Each of his gargoyles, for example, was once a foe who he bound to his services forever."

[Rusty Tincanne]

Winnie nods, understanding. In threes. Of course. That is the way of the world, and of my goddess, Beith. Thank you again.

Regarding the gargoyles and necromancers, Zhint was another. His city is West from here, laid low by dwarfs. Some of his things have been found and people are trying to destroy them. I wonder if that was the red wizard, or if the red wizard fought with the dwarfs. Maybe the mage from the dwarf tower... Hagaseth?

Aeora, how do we free the gargoyle souls? Is destroying them enough? Is there any way... Safer? You can see what they did to these poor animals.

And if we come across Nystoreath ever... I am sure you like to be notified. How might we find you again once you leave?

[onlyme]

Markd just stands in the background, knowing he might ruin their chances at making friends.

[Zhym]

Fingers starts to wonder if he should be taking notes in case there will be a test later. Then he gets an idea.

"Say, I don't suppose you'd be willing to draw us a map of where all the kingdoms were and where the necromancer kings screwed it all up, would you? This is the second tomb we've been to that was full of dead people that weren't really dead. If there are more, we should really go do something about them if we can. And maybe we should know where all the old cities were, too. Are they all full of gargoyles, or just the one here?"

He retrieves a piece of parchment and a quill from his pack, in case Aeora is willing to draw a map.

[onlyme]

Markd will help in the mapmaking if that assists them, ie taking a current map and drawing in the new information or even starting from scratch.

(He did after all win first place at his middle school cartography bee a few years back.)

[Zhym]

Fingers also tries to get a look at the baubles, as casually as he can, to assess how much he thinks they might be worth.

[Marullus]

Aeora repeats again that she was not outside of her imprisonment, and is not from your world. She is unable to help you with creating a map. She knows what Nystoraeth gloated about to her, the people he brought to impress by having gifts made, and the gossip of the servants for whom Aeora provided lavish foods for the castle's banquets.

You ask if all the cities were full of gargoyles and also mention the name Zhint. "Yes, Zhint was another of Nystoraeth's peers. They collaborated to destroy the horse lords, but such evil and selfishness leads to division once the common foe has past. They were loathe to share secrets. Nystoraeth was better with souls and had his predilection for the gargoyles. Zhint was better with bodies, if I recall, and animating them to serve his will by channeling pure evil energy into them. The third King was Belleron, who cast his entire city forward in time. That caused immense consternation among the other two, who could no longer counter his ambitions in their squabbling. The Red Wizard was Aslyn, who was not a necromancer, I don't think, and grieved but ruled no men. The others were apprentices and squabblers for power in the hierarchy of the Necromancer King's cities. There was Setaeth of the Fire, who was responsible for the final immolation of the horse lords upon the plains and which caused her to leave Aslyn the Red to serve Nystoraeth, causing the consternation there." You mention Hagaseth, but she shakes her head. "No, that name is unknown to me. Each king had smaller apprentices who vyed for power, though. Gaki the Fiendish was imprisoned by Aslyn the Red, which caused Nystoraeth to go into quite a rage - he was a spy within Belleron's city. Kudul-Haddoth was a spy for Zhint within Nystoraeth's apprentices, so he was beheaded, too. Well, there was a lot of that."

She sighs, "I look forward to forgetting all of them. It is time for me to return to my own realm." You ask if she'd like to be notified of Nystoraeth and how to reach her. "Kindly... I hope to never return to your realm."

Fingers regards the baubles thus far with an appraising eye.

100gp - a round-cut peridot
250gp - a square-cut ruby
75gp - a smooth, polished carnelian

Objects d'Art:
500gp - a pair of blown-glass balls containing whorls of indigo glass on delicate inner fronds
700gp - a blown-glass decanter with all the colors of the sunset, appearing to show the rising and setting sun when spun upon its base
500gp - a pair of blown-glass balls containing whorls of carnelian red glass on delicate inner fronds
300gp - a perfect conch shell which sounds like a blowing wind within
1100gp - a delicate statue of a girl dancing in the wind with exquisite detail, made of cut crystal inside a blown-glass ball.

Date: 7:40pm, 03 September 2021
Light: Winnie's continual light
Effects: None
Injuries: ; Winnie (moderately injured); Elmer (moderately injured); Buttercup (superficially injured)

[Zhym]

Fingers senses the conversation wrapping up. "Well, bye, then. Thanks for the trinkets and the info."

He waits until she's gone before saying anything else. "That's not a bad haul, gold-wise. The glass baubles are worth a little over 3,000 gold combined. The three gems are only worth about 425, though. She must not have been that grateful if that's all she gave us. You'd think someone trapped for centuries woulda come up with better." he sighs over-dramatically, thinking of all the loot now buried below him. "Coulda a left a little of the tomb undestroyed, too. If we have to sleep outside where gargoyles can attack us, I'm gonna be pissed." He looks at the secret entrance they just left to see if there's any room left for shelter.

"Oh, well. Done's done, I guess. We'll know better next time. So where do you guys want to go next? Wanna kill gargoyles? Or see what's at the next tomb on the map?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

It has been a pleasure to meet you and count you a friend, Aeora. I hope you find your family safe and well. The information you've given us is as valuable as these gems. She gives the girl a hug. By the power of three, so mote it be. Merry part, friend. Tarry here no longer.

Once Arora is gone, and Fingers has assessed them, she picks up one of the glass orbs. I had only picked these up as a keepsake, or in case she'd want them. I had no idea...

Winnie says she is game for anything.

[Alethan]

Bandy shrugs, "We can check out the entrance and see how much rubble is blocking it and what it would take to remove it. I've heard of some wizards who are able to create passages through rock or even disintegrate rock with a wave of their hand! Maybe it is something that can be revisited with... the right person available."
OOC: Earc doesn't have any spells like that yet, but... Passwall might work? Or Transmute Rock to Mud would at least clear the passage (and leave a bit of mud in the chambers below...). Or... he might be able to come up with his own spell since he is an earth-bound mage (idiom). So... something that we might be able to come back to. Or if we can get more potions of giant strength, then someone could conceivably clear the tunnel. Or we could hire a giant.

[Zhym]

Maybe we could hire a team of dwarven excavators.

[Marullus]

Aeora says her goodbyes and the disappears into the mist.

Fingers checks the secret door and finds it still intact, likewise, the ladder leading down into the cavern-shapef alcove below. The natural cavern survived the worst of things.

Passing through the door to the parallel racks of alcoves, you find some damage, but not total collapse. Many of the alcoves have collapsed downward onto the remains within, but there is still enough room to pick your way through the hallways. The far end, including the door to the first family chamber, is totally collapsed. Stone from above fills the area, completely obscuring the door behind large chunks of fallen rock. You'll need proper excavation to get further.

There is enough room to camp below as long as you don't mind leaving Jimmy and the horses alone above again. Otherwise you can all stay up with Jimmy under his makeshift concealments. Dusk is soon - you could otherwise make it around to the nearest city gate by then.

Date: 8:00pm, 03 September 2021
Light: Winnie's continual light
Effects: None
Injuries: ; Winnie (moderately injured); Elmer (moderately injured); Buttercup (superficially injured)

[Zhym]

Fingers glares at the stones blocking his way to the tombs. "You know what we need right now? A dwarf with a potion of giant strength. I bet he could clear this out in no time!"

"Okay, so. We either stay down here safely, leaving Jimmy and the horses alone to get attacked by gargoyles, or we rest up there and maybe get attacked by gargoyles. Or we go to the city and probably get attacked by gargoyles. I guess hiding with Jimmy is the fairest and sort of not suicidal-est. What do the rest of you think? "