Post
by Xzandrate » Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:45 pm
From the writings of Moe'uhane, T'skrang Illusionist, 6th Circle, Messenger Rank 2
I was relaxing at my favorite café when a dwarven woman intercepted my waiter and brought my tea and scone on his behalf. She advised me her name was Lavrinn and was sent to offer me a job by her employer. One Mr. Spoudaios Pagameno. He was apparently aware of me and requested me specifically. I was to meet her the next day at a high end bar named the Black Root Club. I agreed, how could I not, someone sent She then enjoyed a small bite of my biscuit and was off.
I made my way to the Black Root Club the next day. I met Nez, Daldorer, Norg and a new Troll, Azurea. She was a Shadow, and it was amazing. She drew copies of her dagger that were shards of truth wrapped in shadows, they were rather effective. We made our way inside, and were eventually lead to a large prepared room where Lavrinn awaited.
She explained that Mr. Pagameno had a herbalist in his employ and she had not been heard of in a couple of weeks. She was rather important to his continued interests in Throal. Qurali Vikenn was her name, and she was located at the village of Yasinya near the edge of the Servos Jungle. We were asked to go and investigate her disappearance. She then afforded us free reign of the private room and the extensive menu. We indulged to the extent that we could, knowing that we had a mission to venture forth on.
The trip to Yasinya was pleasant, we were able to travel what were now becoming well worth paths. Through Clearcreek Crossing, down past Skyreader Isle. The number of windlings we encountered grew much greater. As we began to get within a day of the Servos we began to see sparse dotting of homesteads. The closer we came to Yasinya, the more dense the homesteads became until we eventually came to the large grouping of buildings. We met a local farmer on his way out, he greeted us and gave us some information of the settlement. Some of the children in the local school house had started to hang out the now open window as we discussed with the farmer. I caught them watching out of the corner of my eye and sent a flock of illusionary birds flying past. This brought their school mistress to the window to scold them. She eventually led the children out and had them practice the Ritual of Greeting with us. This led to a small gathering as more and more villagers came out to join into the impromptu festivities.
Everyone advised us to visit Kreska Navid, the local record keeper of land deeds. We entered the moderate familial home, the front half of the grand room had been converted into an office and Kreska sat at a desk with a pile of papers and the picture of an ork woman. Kreska advised us that Qurali would normally be gone for two to four days at a time. This time had been distinctly longer and Kreska was worried, you could see the deeper worry than that of a friend. She told us that we were not the first to come inquiring about Qurali. Apparently two elves had come looking for her about a business opportunity three weeks prior, a red headed female and her golden haired friend. Both seemed to be well equipped and capable adventurers. Daldorer, questioned what she told the elves, and if there were specific locations Qurali frequented. After realizing that he may have intimated that she may have put her friend in danger, he swore a blood oath to her swearing that no harm would come to Qurali or herself. She advises us towards Qurali's house. We give it a quick once over. Some of the others noted that the place has already been searched. Luckily for us, our competition did not have the luck of truth on their side. Norg's heavy footstep revealed the loose floorboard that hide the journal with all of the botany notes. It detailed Qurali's collections and re-affirmed her normal collection areas.
As we prepared to sleep for the night, Daldorer summoned a Hearth Spirit and negotiated it's assistant in locating the homes owner. Azurea was rather taken aback by the spirit climbing from the hearth, as she had a mini panic attack I took the opportunity to spin the image of a second one climbing from behind her. She opted to spend some time outside. The spirit complained that the owner had not been home for some time and the home was in disarray. It rushed off, obviously passing Azurea judging by the scream. We took the opportunity to tidy the home for the spirit and awaited it's return. The spirit eventually gave us information that Qurali was alive, but could not narrow down the exact location to more than one of three.
We set out the next day, the first location was the southernmost and a location that we were unaware of previously. We felt this could be the most likely if she was being held hostage, and we could move north from there. It was two days to get to the location. After camp was made on the first night, Nez and Norg sounded the alarm, just in time for me to roll over and be pounced upon by a crojen. Nez was again confused by these pygmy panthers, believing it to be his spirit guide Sagarmatha. Catching a ball of fury with outstretched arms had a predictable result, as he was knocked to the ground. A second pounced onto Daldorer and myself as he awakend, and a final out harmlessly bounced off of Norg. Daldorer was visibly injured, and tried to hold off the crojen with one hand while attempting to tear off his face with the other. I back pedalled from the one pawing at me and unleashed a phantom fireball upon the rest of it's friends. The power of the illusion knocked them all to the ground, giving us time to gain our bearings. This gave Nez time to fly up away from the vicious beasts, and Azurea demonstrated the aptness of her discipline name and got out of bed and moved to the shadows out of notice of the creatures. Norg laid into the prone cat in front of him, nearly finishing it. The crojen began to get up, the one that had been on me stepped into the trap and scratched at me again (I must thank Dvarim for the exquisite work on this chain, it is quite literally a life saver). Taking stock of the battle, Nez could see the distress Daldorer was in and dominated the cat to go and laydown by the edge of the clearing. This put it outside of the harm of the second phantom fireball, the trap the cat on me had stepped into. One of the crojen went down as the illusory flames caused it to jerk, and the other two were knocked down again. As the illusory smoke began to clear, and I smiled and the poor creature that stepped into my area of effect, a large black troll dagger split orange lick of flame and buried deep into the beasts neck as it fell over. I turned just in time to see Azurea spinning and loosing a second dagger on the cat in front of Norg. It glanced off the cat, drawing it's attention long enough for a large overhanded fist to finish it. Nez then attended to the animals that were still alive, and tried frantically to determine which one was Sagarmatha. Apparently Azurea's dagger also caused a concussion, because the cat she felled took a liking to Nez and began to follow him.
We slept and healed the rest of the night, and after a quick meal in the morning we were on our way again. The second night left us just shy of our destination, but allowed us to deal with the last of our wounds. As we approached the location marked on the map the others called a halt, there were voices, switching between Throalic and Theran. A quick bit of reattunement and the party was shrouded in in the illusions of a cloak. This allowed Nez, Azurea, and myself to creep forward and scout the situation. There appeared to be a female ork, whom we assumed was Qurali, tied in the center of a ruined temple. She was surrounded three captors, with two archers on the far side standing guard. Nez indicated that he and Azurea would make use of the cloak to move into an ambushing position on the archers, while I retrieved Norg and Daldorer. A large troll in crystal plate is difficult to make look like anything sneaky, one of the captors notcied him as we approached. As they turned to see Norg moving from the jungle all hell broke loose. Nez and Azurea stepped from the shadows and debilitated one of the archers, while Daldorer shrouded the floor of the small ruins in fog and you could see their faces grow white as then looked upon his raw visage. Their leader managed to regain enough acumen to direct his compatriots to 'get the caster' as he pointed to Daldorer, he then spat at me taunting 'who did we think we were'. My magics flowed through myself and reached out to wash against Norg and Daldorer to either side of me as I replied, 'we are legion, and you are next'. The phantom images of each of us sprung to life, but the taunt did not seem to overcome the fear he had of Daldorer. The far side of the clearing Nez jumped onto the other archer, while Azurea took advantage of the captors in the middle being distracted by us. Norg beat on the poor elven woman who stepped up to him. A fellow t'skrang was drawn to me and flailed away rather uselessly, while muttering slightly comical taunts. Unfortunately for him he was paying attention to me, and not the Shadow behind him. A pair of black daggers pierced his lungs and then melted away. He again hissed about my weakness as he slid down to the hewn stone at my feet. As I turned to take assessment of the situation, Norg had taken out the one that was on him, Daldorer finished another. Nez was fighting with the lone archer, and the rest of us turned towards their leader. He bellowed something to the archer about the empire thanking him and burst into a sprint into the jungle. The poor archer was awestruck, then looked around, dropped his bow and surrendered. Norg started towards the jungle, after the leader, as I loosed my carpet from my belt and stepped on urging it forward. I very quickly caught up to the fellow and advised him to STOP! While he came to a dead stop, realizing the desperateness of his situation, he grabbed for his knife and slit his own throat. Norg stepped into view at that point and helped bring the body back. During the commotion of returning with the body and freeing and speaking with Qurali, the archer managed to sneak off, and the red haired elf had awoken. She immediately offered surrender and started to answer our questions.
It appears that they were from a kaer towards the south of the jungle that remained loyal to Thera, these intrepid fellows had decided that they were going to gain extra glory for the empire to be traded for status when the Therans did return. She offered no resistance, so we disposed of the remaining bodies and made our way back to Yasinya. There was a joyful (though reserved) reunion between Qurali and Kreska, and a thanks from most of the village. As we had two assets that would be of interest to the authorities in Throal we set out for home. It was a long trip back, especially with the decaying body of an enemy on the carpet floating behind us. Daldorer assured us that the body could be used to compell the mans spirit. We received a few odd glances, and as we entered Throal, those increased, although it could very well have been as much because of the smell as the sight. Daldorer and I brought the assets to the authorities, who were expecting us. We then made our way back to the Black Root Club, and payment and goods were also awaiting us. It seems our benefactor also granted us a special token with our own visage emblazoned upon it. A very fine adventure, I suspect that Mr. Pagameno was incredibly please and may be in touch in the future.
