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Old 05-05-2020, 02:08 PM   #61
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 22 (2020-05-01)

I went up to my room and rearranged my backpack. I thought we would be walking to Limban, the village near the old graveyard, and removed the things that wouldn’t be needed, so I could travel light. Then I knocked on the door to the room Lunari shared with Grogg. I informed them that they should come downstairs in half an hour, then I corrected myself, making it twenty minutes. I asked Grogg if I could borrow his magic ring, and dashed over to Yana’s workshop.

I asked the seamstress if she could attach some strips of cloth to the ring, so I could wear it over my eye. She took the ring and peered at me through it, and sighed that she could do it. Feeling that I was intruding, I left the room to let her work in peace, and leaned on the wall outside to wait while she sewed. Yana noticed me standing there, and told me I could wait inside if I wanted to. Going back inside, I started chatting about clothes and makeup again, and that lightened the mood. I thanked Yana when she was done, and slipped the thing into my pouch.

Lady Isa was organizing a procession in the outer courtyard, but she clearly hadn’t thought about a disguise. She was about my size, but lacked my curves, so I told her we would put her in my clothes when we left the island; I could ride inside Grogg’s huge sack. I thought I could stand the discomfort better than her. I fetched my backpack in my room, as well as my simple, grey dress, and returned just as the procession started making its way towards the village.

Lady Isa made a short speech in the village, and then there was cake eating, wine drinking, singing and dancing; Lunari played the violin. The villagers talked incessantly about how kind and generous the Aldera family was.

At sunset, Lady Isa and I slipped into the food cellar where Xipil and I had prayed before, with Grogg guarding the door so no one could walk in on us. We took off our clothes, and I gave Lady Isa the dress I had been wearing, and draped my cloak around her, warning her to keep the hood pulled as far down her face as possible. I put on my plain, grey dress and climbed into Grogg’s sack. Lady Isa was unused to carrying a backpack, so I was glad I had lightened it. Hopefully, her awkwardness with it wouldn’t destroy the disguise. Grogg came and picked up his sack, and we were off. Lunari lingered for a few minutes – I could hear the sounds from the violin vanish into the distance – but caught up with us while we were crossing the causeway. Grogg complained that he had never carried anything this heavy, and I gave him a sharp elbow in the back.

Lunari and Xipil talked about leaving flyers around town. I thought it was the propaganda text that Xipil had written that they wanted to distribute. As slowly as Grogg was lumbering, they caught up with us again at the wagon hall. The guards there didn’t recognize Lunari and Grogg immediately, disguised as they were, so Lunari had to give their names before we were allowed inside.

I hadn’t had time to tell Lunari exactly where we were going, so there was some confusion concerning if we could take a wagon that was large enough for four people, including a troll and a lot of luggage. A wagon that size might not be able to go along the smaller roads, but Lunari decided to risk it. I knew that the roads were wide enough, at least as far as to Limban, so I had no need to break cover from inside Grogg’s sack.

Lady Isa and Xipil had waited outside so the noblewoman wouldn’t be recognized by the guards, and we picked them up when we left. I could finally get out of the sack, and stretched as well as I could inside the compartment. The small space had two benches, and Grogg took up most of one, while Lady Isa, Xipil and I squeezed together on the other. Lunari drove.

At the city gates, I alighted from the carriage and talked to the guards. I gave them my name, and asked them to send a message to Markus that my friends and I were going to Limban at the request of Lord Lunas Aldera. The guards thought the message was vague, but I assured them that Markus would understand.

There was a small hatch that opened up behind the driver’s seat, and I opened it to tell Lunari where to go. Grogg started smoking something with a peculiar odor, driving Lady Isa and Xipil to join Lunari in the fresh air. Xipil voiced his concern to Lunari, but the elf took it calmly, saying that the stuff wouldn’t agitate Grogg, rather the opposite.

Lunari let Lady Isa try her hands at the reins, but she didn’t have the knack for it. With Grogg caught up in the smoke, and the others outside, I prayed. I needed a new name, but I didn’t want to call myself anything other than Nuur-Karif without Your blessing. You replied that as long as I remembered who I was and who You were, I could call myself anything.

Grogg had finished smoking when I opened my eyes again, and was talking about weapons, drugs and adventures with Lunari and Xipil. I couldn’t see Lady Isa’s eyes, but I imagined they were large with wonder, from her comments. I proposed a new name for myself, Twiggy, but Lunari thought it sounded silly, and suggested Petra instead. I didn’t like the tone of his voice, but Grogg put forward Godana, which he said meant “grey branch” in the troll tongue. That suited me perfectly, so I told the others that they should use that name when they addressed me from now on.

I brushed my teeth, said my evening prayer and lay down on the front bench. O Ashtar! I surrender my life to Your coils. Take me while I sleep, or grant me another day in Your service, as You will.

Lady Isa came inside and lay down alongside me, muttering annoyedly about Lunari sending her off to bed. The bench wasn’t very deep, and Lady Isa couldn’t sleep, nearly falling down on the floor several times. Her twitching kept me awake. Finally, Grogg gave up his bench, and sat down on the floor. He tried offering Lady Isa his magic needle, but she was afraid she might not wake up again if she used it. To demonstrate that it was safe, Grogg stuck the needle into his own neck, and promptly fell asleep himself. I closed my eyes to keep them from rolling.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-05-2020, 02:10 PM   #62
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 22 (2020-05-01)

11th of Rama, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

There was a lot of rummaging and stopping and starting of the wagon while we traveled, but I managed to get some sleep, at least. I woke, hearing voices in the middle of the night. It was Lunari, talking to militiamen in Limban. They recognized the Aldera wagon when Lunari told them that Lord Lunas had sent us, and opened the guest house, fetching mattresses and bedding, and hay for the troll to sleep on.

Lunari dragged a sleeping Xipil inside the house. Lady Isa stumbled over there half-asleep, and asked after a glance at the lumpy mattresses if this was how farmers slept. Lunari told her it was. He removed the needle, so Grogg could walk on his own to the guest house. I dropped off my backpack inside, but didn’t feel like sleeping just yet, so I took a walk around the small village. I could tell that the villagers were farmers and woodcutters. I saw no signs of a chapel, but I didn’t look too hard.

Returning to the guest house, I met Grogg, who asked about his ring. I pulled it out of my pouch, displaying Yana’s handiwork. He made no move to take it back, so I slipped it back into the pouch. He had just wanted to reassure himself that I hadn’t lost it.

I woke before the others, and prepared breakfast. Everyone except Xipil joined me to eat; we let him sleep. Lady Isa thought travel rations were boring. After the meal, Lunari got concerned for Xipil, and asked me to take a look at him. He woke when I removed his false beard, and Lunari asked if he had seen anything worth mentioning in his vision. Xipil claimed he had only seen the moon, and how the stars reflected their light in it. Lady Isa insisted that Xipil had been casting way too many spells last night, and had passed out from the exertion. After a meal and a wash, Xipil felt better.

Drawing attention to our mission, I explained to the others that I now possessed weapons that could make the spirits vulnerable to physical attacks for a short period, and with Yana’s ring contraption, I should be able to see the spirits with my hands free to wield my knives. Having made the spirits vulnerable, it might be possible for the others to see them, too. I also mentioned my vial of special poison that would make weapons treated with it able to affect spirits. Lady Isa disliked the idea of killing the spirits, and made me promise that this should be a last resort. Maybe we could communicate with them after I had materialized them?

Grogg called for Kraa, but got no reply. I didn’t mention that I had considered testing my new powers on the spirit raven.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:10 PM   #63
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 23 (2020-05-16)

11th of Rama, year 412 (continued)

Xipil and Lunari wanted a bit more rest, so I took Lady Isa and Grogg outside to see if we could gather some information. Speaking with Lunari’s dialect, I introduced myself to the villagers as Godana, and asked if anything out of the ordinary had happened lately; we were here on behalf of the Aldera family, who would see to handling whatever it was that needed to be handled.

We were brought before a woman who seemed like an authority figure around here. The headwoman offered soup, pastries and tea while we talked. She told us there is a forest nearby, with a graveyard in the middle. The villagers aren’t supposed to enter the forest, and a group of rangers called “the elves” even though they’re mostly humans and half-elves, live in the forest and keep others away. What rests in the crypts mustn’t be disturbed. An elderly couple on a farm near the forest claimed to have seen ghosts some days ago, and although the headwoman didn’t consider their testimony reliable, she had still sent for aid. Lumberjacks from the village have a small cabin outside the forest, but they’d been pulled back to the village, just in case. The headwoman warned us not to scare the villagers.

With Lady Isa and Grogg in tow, I talked to the lumberjacks, too. I gained permission to use their cabin, and asked if they’d seen anything unusual out there. All they could think of was a slightly increased activity among “the elves”, but they hardly thought it was worth mentioning, but I kept the conversation going, talking about inconsequential things while allowing Xipil and Lunari to sleep.

I eventually filled in Xipil and Lunari on what the rest of us had learned, and I suggested that we seek out “the elves”. According to the headwoman, they had among them a medium, and I thought she might be able to shed some more light on the situation. Lady Isa added that she thought everyone was so nice and friendly around here. She had remained wrapped up in my cloak, observing quietly from the recesses of the hood, while I talked to people. I mused on this while we walked outside. Several factors had likely contributed to the villagers’ attitude: Dropping the name of their well-liked lords, being polite and compassionate, and possessing an honest face that’s easy on the eyes, I had expected nothing less.

I borrowed a saddle and saddlebags from the headwoman. She reminded us of Rama’s decree that we shouldn’t travel with animals, but we ignored it. Lunari wanted to sleep with the needle while we traveled, and having Grogg carry him, as well as their luggage, would have us moving at a crawl. It was better to load up one of the horses with their gear and carry Lunari on the other. I rode that horse, holding Lunari in front of me.

Xipil discussed magic with Lady Isa on the way, and we reached the lumberjack cabin after an hour. Grogg retrieved the needle, waking Lunari, and I put on my knife belt and the ring contraption that Yana had made for me. With the ring in front of my eye, I should be able to spot spirits, and by Your blessing, I could materialize them.

I tied the horses to a log, and Lunari and Grogg deposited some of their cargo in the cabin. We wasted no time there, and proceeded into the dense forest. Grogg went first and made a path for the rest of us. Some meters into the woods, the undergrowth thinned and disappeared. The canopy blocked most of the sunlight from reaching the ground, so that was only natural. Xipil climbed a tall tree. Above the canopy, he could see that the forest was quite circular, and there was a small square in the middle where no trees grew.

After about a hundred meters, we found a path that went both left and right, paralleling the forest’s edge. Neither direction seemed any better or worse than the other, so we just picked one at random. Going left, we soon encountered “the elves”. Two hunters came running towards us, calling for us to stop. Two more hunters joined the first two, and they stopped ten meters away, glowering at Grogg, who stood in front of our party. Lunari stepped up and explained that the Aldera family had sent us to investigate the graveyard. The hunters seemed skeptical, and retreated to talk among themselves for a short while. They decided not to try to chase us away, and said we could follow them. Three of them led the way along the path, and the last followed behind us, presumably to keep an eye on us so we didn’t try to slip away.

After a half-hour, the path forked, and we took off to the right, towards the center of the forest. After a few more minutes, we arrived at their camp, meeting four more of their kind. In a cave under a large, fallen tree, they served dried meat and tea. Everyone except Xipil ate, and then one of the hunters came to talk.

They accepted that Aldera had sent us, and wanted us to return with a message. They currently had no medium, and therefore knew little of the state of the forest, which made them uncomfortable. If we could relay this to Aldera, they would be most thankful.

The hunters weren’t as ill-informed as they made out. A few questions and some guesswork revealed that the forty spirits that had haunted the tower in Guling had come here, to the graveyard, led by an evil one. The hunters hoped that most of the spirits had moved on, but it seemed reasonable that some still lingered around the graveyard.

Grogg asked me if we should go talk to the spirits, making the hunters believe he was their new medium until we cleared up the misunderstanding. While it was true that some in our party could see the spirits, and possibly talk to them, we had to move on once our quest here was complete.

The late medium had had an apprentice, a seven-year-old girl. She wasn’t ready to take on the duties of a medium, but she might still have some knowledge that we might need, so four of the hunters brought us to see her. We returned to the circling path, and came to a similar campsite after a while. Lady Isa asked if I thought she was supposed to take over as the medium for these people, but I assumed that her brother would want a say in the matter, and asked her not to make promises.

The cave at the new campsite was cordoned off. Six new hunters looked questioningly at us when we arrived, but one of our guides talked to them, and they opened the cave so we could enter, while they fetched the apprentice. This cave was the abode of the medium. Grogg sniffed the air and asked if someone had died here.

With a borrowed oil lamp, we went inside to check out the cave. A corpse lay on the floor, a woman in her fifties who bore clear marks of having been tortured. I knelt down to pray while the others, mainly Lunari and Xipil, searched the room. A goat and two squirrels had been sacrificed, and Lunari theorized that the medium had performed a ritual that had gone horribly wrong. Xipil tasted the blood of all four corpses, and determined that the medium had been terrified when she died, while the animals had passed peacefully. He also found tracks on the floor. The medium had run around, possibly running from or fighting someone who had stood in the middle of the room, someone who had neither entered nor left the way we came in. We suspected a ghost had materialized and tormented the woman before she died. Considering her corpse, I thought the medium looked unnaturally pale, maybe drained of blood. Lunari studied the footprints, and was convinced that the ghost must have been the elven mage we had found dead in the tower, the one who had attacked Lord Madan from afar. His death there must have been intentional.

Lady Isa found the scene disturbing, and broke down in tears. I tried comforting her, saying that we would make things right. Grogg tried to needle the medium, but it had no effect on a days-old corpse.

Whatever had been here, torturing and killing the medium, had to die. I felt it, deep in my soul, and knew that You had spoken. First, though, we had to bury the medium. Lunari asked for water and a cloth, so I could wash the body properly, and prepare it for burial. Cleaning the corpse thoroughly, I realized the full extent of the cruel treatment she had received, but I spared the others the details. Lady Isa wasn’t the only one who was upset. I tried to keep a neutral face while she helped me with the washing.

Grogg dug a grave, and when it was finished, Xipil and I carried the medium outside and laid her to rest. The hunters turned away when we emerged with the corpse. Maybe it was too painful for them to watch, or maybe their customs were like that. The apprentice had arrived, and she cried while I performed the last rites for the woman we learned had been her mother. I completed the ritual words while Grogg covered the grave with dirt, but knew that my work was not yet done, not while the killer was at large. Lunari spoke a prayer to Rama, and I glared furiously at him. A red-eyed hunter came over and took my hand in thanks. He thanked Lunari, Grogg and Xipil, too, before crying with the apprentice. He had to be her father.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:28 PM   #64
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 23 (2020-05-16)

Xipil and Lunari had talked to the apprentice while Lady Isa and I prepared the body, and Xipil filled me in on what they had learned. The apprentice had warned them that someone named Gritt was sleeping at the graveyard, and mustn’t be awakened. Xipil tried talking to the girl’s father, asking who Gritt was, but he didn’t know much.

Lady Isa went to comfort the apprentice, and promised the seven-year-old almost exactly what I had done to console her a little while ago, saying that we would make things right.

Lunari asked if anyone could show us the way to the graveyard, but nobody stepped up. The apprentice just pointed towards the center of the forest. Her father knelt in front of Lady Isa and kissed her hand. He had clearly reasoned out her identity. Lunari begged him not to tell anyone else.

Walking off, we decided on a cover name for Lady Isa: Katrine. On the wagon ride, yesterday, we had come up with names for the rest of us, in preparation of when we’d leave Aldera land, and had used them all day to get used to them, but we hadn’t thought to find another name for Lady Isa, until now. Xipil was Hisse, Lunari was Turvil, and Grogg was Mork.

I gave Xipil the ring contraption, as he was going to scout ahead, but Grogg decided he needed to fetch Lunari’s crossbow, which he had left at the lumberjack cabin. Lady Isa joined him, running down the path. Xipil climbed a tree, and I sat down to pray.

Lady Isa and Grogg returned some time later, the noblewoman gasping for air and lying down on the ground to rest. I didn’t see Xipil around, and asked Lunari about it. Xipil had gone ahead to look at the graveyard, apparently. He returned half an hour after Lady Isa and Grogg. There were nine crypts, he told us, laid out in a grid. They had all been opened recently, and Xipil had spotted a spirit floating around. Lady Isa was annoyed with herself. Her abilities to see spirits didn’t let her affect them in any way, and she desired very much to talk to some of them.

We made our way to the graveyard, Lunari and Grogg following a little distance behind, as Grogg has never been very good at being quiet. We stopped short of the wall that surrounded the graveyard, and Xipil returned the ring, which I affixed over my left eye. Xipil had led us to the rear end of the crypt. The gate through the wall was on the other side, but a part of the wall had crumbled on our side, so we could see through to the crypts.

We watched and waited, but nothing happened, so after ten minutes, Xipil, Lady Isa and I snuck closer, though not all the way to the wall. Lady Isa detected something dangerous in the middle crypt of the three at the back of the graveyard, nearest us. Lady Isa and I pulled back, hiding behind trees, then Xipil put his hand through the hole in the wall and dashed away. After a few seconds, a distorted figure appeared which I could only see through the ring. It came out through the hole in the wall, then got spooked and vanished back inside. Lady Isa thought it was one of the spirits that had haunted the tower in Guling.

Rejoining Lunari and Grogg farther away, we discussed how to attack. I have a vial of holy venom that allows weapons to affect spirits, but Lady Isa was no fighter, and only she and I were able to see ghosts, unless I gave up the ring. I would use my powers to force the ghosts to materialize, so the venom wasn’t particularly useful for me either. We decided that I would try to lure out a ghost, like Xipil had, just now, and materialize it, so Grogg could grab it and bring it away for questioning.

Xipil assisted Grogg, so he could come to the wall undetected. The hole was not far from the corner, so Grogg waited just around the corner, while I stood on the other side of the hole. Grogg loaded Lunari’s crossbow, and Xipil carried it back to the elf. I drew my two long knives and applied my regular poison to one of them. If I had to strike to kill after materializing a ghost, I hoped the venom would work like it did on living beings, but I wasn’t certain.

I put my foot through the hole, and a ghost appeared immediately. I stabbed it, focusing my will, and it materialized. I gave Grogg the code word while I took in the sight. The woman who stood before me looked to be in her thirties, and was just as beaten up as the medium had been. She looked terrified. Grogg came around the corner and bumped into her. She fell to her knees in front of me, begging for help. I told Grogg to carry her out, and she started screaming. With all her wounds, being grabbed by a troll had to hurt. I shushed her as we walked back towards the others, and muttered a short prayer.

Lady Isa was pointing frantically at the hole in the wall, and I leapt into action. Following Your will, I put my clean blade through the woman’s throat. She was on death’s door already, and any scratch would end her miserable existence. I whirled around to face the graveyard while the poor soul whispered thanks and passed on.

Grogg didn’t pick up her last word and swore at me. Unceremoniously, he hurled the corpse at me, but missed. Ignoring him, I dashed back to the hole in the wall and noticed a shimmering on the other side. Grogg stomped after me angrily. A new ghost appeared, and I stabbed to materialize it. Grogg even tried to parry barehanded, but he failed. The ghost turned into a middle-aged man wearing the leather armor of a city guard, and he looked just as tortured as the other one. Stabbing with the poisoned knife, I slipped the blade past Grogg’s parry, luckily for him. The former ghost collapsed in a way that spoke of multiple severe fractures. It was a wonder he had been able to stand upright at all.

Lunari shouted for me to stop killing the ghosts, but Xipil told him to be quiet. Grogg tried to seize my arm, but I dodged away from him. Lady Isa shouted “Stop!” and rushed forwards, just as more spirits appeared. One passed through Grogg, and I told him they were thankful that I ended their tortured existence. Grogg replied that it was all right, but we had to talk about it. Through the ring, I saw more spirits passing through Grogg, and I thought he shivered. One tried to attack me, but I dodged, and stabbed to materialize it. My attempt failed, and the ghost surged through me, causing a freezing sensation to shoot through my body. I felt I was being ripped apart. Lunari fired a bolt at the wall, the idiot.

We had to run. Grogg couldn’t see the ghosts to dodge their attacks, and I wasn’t comfortable going up against four of them, not when my friends couldn’t help. The ghosts didn’t seem interested in following, so we got away easily. While running, I got the impression that we needed to enter the dangerous crypt and find out what was hidden in a chest there. Thank you, Ashtar, for Your guidance.

While the rest of us discussed how to deal with the ghosts, Grogg sat down against a tree and put the needle in his neck. Lunari was angry that I had diverged from our original plan and killed the spirit that had materialized first. He blamed the others’ attacks on me. I tried telling him that the other ghosts had appeared before I killed the first one, and that when Lady Isa alerted me to their presence, I had struck out instinctively to neutralize the enemy within reach before she could turn intangible again. I was afraid that my power might only work for a few seconds, and if it wore off, it would be too late for Grogg to do anything, even if he was holding her.

After a prolonged and heated debate, we woke Grogg, and Xipil scouted ahead with the ring in front of his eye. The rest of us followed at a distance. Xipil spotted no spirits, and waved us forward. The two materialized spirits still lay where they had fallen, decomposing much faster than I would have thought possible.

Our new plan consisted of firing at the ghosts from a distance, so I poisoned one of Xipil’s arrows, and was ready to apply the venom to a second one. Grogg ran up to the hole and back, but no spirit appeared. We waited for two minutes, and neither Lady Isa nor Xipil spotted the tell-tale shimmers, so Grogg walked up to the wall again. He looked through the hole, and walked pensively back to us. The stone slab that had lain in front of the dangerous crypt was gone, and Grogg thought the ghosts had replaced it, covering the hole into the crypt.

Lady Isa was frightened and wanted to leave. The ghosts were certainly up to no good, and seemed to have holed up in the crypt. Lunari showed fear, too, but Xipil and I argued that we had to go in to deal with the ghosts before they succeeded in whatever endeavor they were undertaking.

Lunari had confiscated the evil elf mage’s clothes, and Lady Isa put them on, once he convinced her that she might be able to scare the ghosts. He even put on makeup to make her more severe-looking. I got the ring back from Xipil and attached it to my face.

Walking towards the crypt, we saw no spirits, but we noticed something about the eight other crypts. A sarcophagus stood in a deep hole under the floor in each of them, and all the lids had been opened, and the corpses removed. Lunari thought it was peculiar that there were no footprints inside any of those crypts. Xipil climbed down to one of the sarcophagi and meditated. I spoke a quick prayer, and You told me that something here must die, and something else must not wake, but we had to open the last sarcophagus. Xipil told me he had heard a voice telling him to come, and he didn’t think it was any of the ghosts who had said it. He also informed me that You had told him to seek out the forces of darkness.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:41 PM   #65
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 23 (2020-05-16)

Lady Isa told us that Gritt was still here, still asleep. I drew my blades again, not bothering to apply poison to them, for I assumed the remaining ghosts would be just as fragile as the first two, once I materialized them. I stretched, waiting for Grogg to open the last crypt. Lady Isa warned us not to touch anything that belonged inside. Suddenly, she and Xipil froze. Lady Isa thought that something was happening inside, and Xipil agreed.

Grogg removed the stone slab from the opening. Inside, steps descended into darkness, and Lunari rushed back to where Grogg had put his stuff, coming back with a lantern. Lunari insisted that he should get anti-spirit venom on his spear, and I obliged, even though I thought it was a waste. Xipil got a dose on his knife, too. I handed the vial with the rest of the venom to Xipil. I certainly had no need of it.

I entered first, followed by the others. Grogg had to squeeze through the narrow passage and would have blocked the light if he didn’t come last. The stairs led to a small chamber with an altar, and a spiraling staircase led further down. I spoke a quick prayer before entering the realm of the dead, and got the impression that I needed to listen to Xipil, and that something wicked waited below.

I descended towards a faint light of bluish purple. Something smelled burnt and sour, with a hint of spice. Lady Isa whispered that she felt a presence, but couldn’t see anything. Should she reduce the light? I thought it was no use; whatever made that purple light must have seen our lantern by now. A cold wind came up to meet us, and Lady Isa agreed that they had to have noticed us.

In a large chamber, the ceiling held up by nine stone pillars, a figure knelt before a large sarcophagus. Other shapes flittered about the room, only visible to Lady Isa and me. The faint, purple light came from bowls burning incense. I recognized the kneeling figure; it was the ghost of the medium. She was clearly up to no good, so I dashed over to her and put a knife in her back, materializing her. In case Lunari was right that the spirits got angry when we killed one of them, I refrained from plunging my other blade through her neck.

The medium shuffled around, facing me and crying like a baby, wailing, “I don’t want to wake him!” I looked around the room. Three other ghosts were approaching me, so I prepared to dodge. Xipil came running towards me, brandishing his poisoned knife and shouting for Lunari to follow. Lunari stepped forward, poking his spear at nothing but air.

Lady Isa stepped into the room, too, and the medium noticed her garb, flinching away with terror in her eyes. The three ghosts split up; one turned around and one stopped completely. Only one tried to attack me, but I outmaneuvered it, feinting and stabbing and materializing it into a middle-aged woman. The rapid changes of direction that were so easy in spirit form were not even possible in physical form, and the woman tripped and fell. Having seen clearly the outfits of several of these poor souls, I concluded they all had to come from the Loyalists’ land. Well, apart from the medium, whom Xipil reached just then.

Lady Isa pointed at one of the spirits, and Lunari rushed to meet it, squinting. Could he discern it in the light from the incense?

The woman on the ground moaned with pain, and the medium begged and pleaded. I dashed for the ghosts in the rear of the room while Xipil told them comfortingly that it was all over. Lady Isa and Lunari moved towards the sarcophagus, and Grogg finally squeezed himself out of the staircase and entered the room. Leaning against the columns were the corpses that had been fetched from the sarcophagi above, but I paid them no attention. I stabbed towards one of the ghosts to materialize it, but my arm twitched and the blade fell to the floor. Xipil ended the medium’s suffering and sent her to You, and Lunari skewered a ghost, who let out a blood-curdling scream.

I bent down and picked up my knife, and Xipil called out, “How many more?” A glance around the room revealed that Lady Isa was pulling at one of the corpses. One ghost was trying to escape up through the ceiling, and two others tried to get away from me. I struck one of them, turning it solid, and answered, “Two more!” I didn’t count the one that Lunari had struck; the holy venom dealt with it.

I materialized one more ghost, but the last escaped before I could strike it. Lunari and Xipil helped Lady Isa lower the corpses to the floor so they could rest more easily, but I made for the stairs. Leaving the graveyard, I spotted the ghost fleeing through the trees, and I hurried after it, and when I caught up, I sent it to You. It made no effort to resist.

I walked slowly back to the others, catching my breath. Lunari had smothered the incense, so only the lantern lit up the deep chamber. Grogg was in the process of returning the corpses to their sarcophagi. Lady Isa studied the elaborately carved sarcophagus. The materialized ghosts were decomposing, and the room stank of rot. I asked Lady Isa if we should remove the heavy lid. She asked if it was safe to do so, and Xipil mirrored her sentiment, so I knelt down to pray with Xipil.

Suddenly, I realized that I had left the realm of the dead without performing the proper rites, and anguish gripped my heart. I begged You for forgiveness for my unconscionable transgression. You remained silent, ignoring my desperate pleas, the tears streaming down my face.

Lunari’s voice intruded on my prayer. He said a powerful artifact was hidden in the sarcophagus, and that the evil mage wanted it. He was convinced the mage was coming for it, and suggested to Lady Isa, Grogg and Xipil that we waited here to ambush him when he appeared. I shut out their discussion, raising my feverish, broken voice.

Feeling that something nearby blocked my connection to You, I pulled Xipil away from the sarcophagus. Halfway up the stairs I fell to my knees again to resume my prayer, but Xipil continued upwards. Through the haze, I sensed Grogg squeezing by, carrying the corpses upstairs, and I thought Lunari stood near me, curious.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the stairs, and Xipil had returned. I asked him and Lunari how long I had been out. Lunari claimed I had been sleeping for quite a while, but Xipil told me he was joking; it had only been a minute or two. Your words rang in my head: “The prison is broken. You must bear the crown. You are dead while you bear it. Friends will help.” As if he could hear You, too, Xipil asked how he could help me. I said we had to go down to the sarcophagus.

We hadn’t studied it for long before Lady Isa and Grogg joined us, and Grogg asked if I was all right. I said I was fine, but we needed to remove the lid. I explained that I was to carry away whatever was inside the sarcophagus, and Lunari hoped that I intended to bring it to the Evening Fort.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:50 PM   #66
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 23 (2020-05-16)

Grogg pushed the lid away, and Lady Isa gasped. Inside was a corpse, clad in armor like the other corpses, but it also wore a gold circlet with a large gemstone on the front. I snatched the circlet before Grogg could, and he pushed me away. I staggered a couple of steps backwards, and put on the crown. It felt heavier on my brow than in my hands. Lunari asked what I thought I was doing, and I told him You instructed me to wear it. Lunari responded that he thought it was irresponsible and impulsive, and that he didn’t think he could trust me in the future. Lady Isa pulled Grogg away, whispering fiercely. The corpse, along with the armor, crumbled to dust.

Suddenly, Lady Isa and Grogg ran for the stairs. Lunari ran after them, and I told Xipil we had to run, too. As I approached the top of the stairs, Xipil called out a warning. Grogg was standing around the corner, ready to ambush me. I slowed down, ready to dodge if Grogg tried to hit me. He attempted a grab, but I slipped back inside. Grogg claimed there was a demon inside me, and warned Xipil against it. I felt just fine. If I was possessed, shouldn’t I be in excruciating pain, like Lord Madan had been? An unexpected thought appeared in my mind, though, a certainty that Grogg would put himself to sleep with the needle if I asked him. Maybe I was possessed, after all?

I seemed to be in control of myself, but I thought the others would feel safer if Grogg held me, so I stepped forward calmly, intending to let him grab me. When I set foot outside the crypt, he planted the needle in his neck, and slumped to the ground. How strange. I removed the needle, letting him awaken, and held it out to him. I didn’t want him to think I was resisting anything. He stood up, took the needle, and walked away, grabbing his large sack from our hiding place outside the graveyard.

Xipil and I followed, and the lizard man pointed out that Grogg was slightly heading in the wrong direction, if he wanted to return to the lumberjack cabin. Grogg stomped through the forest, turning slightly to the right, but otherwise ignoring Xipil and me.

Approaching the cabin, we could hear Lady Isa and Lunari were having a row behind it. He had clearly done something that displeased her mightily, and took off at a run when we came near. Lady Isa called after him, “Idiot! Coward! Traitor!” Looking at us, she seemed traumatized, saying that Lunari doesn’t want to help. I ran towards her to comfort her with a hug. Grogg tried to trip me, but I jumped over his foot. Lady Isa rushed for Grogg, and I tried to stop her. Magical energy appeared between us, and she screamed, running away from me. By Grogg’s side, she called to me not to take her, and I promised I wouldn’t. She conferred with Grogg and Xipil, whispering while I looked at them from afar. The pain of losing her trust was choking me.

After a while, Lady Isa turned to me and asked if I could drive the wagon, but then she retracted the question. She would rather be seen than having the crown I wore revealed, and came towards me, taking off my cloak that she had borrowed. I removed my knife belt and held it out for her, but she wouldn’t touch it, so I gave it to Xipil instead, before putting on my cloak. Lady Isa pulled up the hood to cover the circlet, warning me to remember who I am. I promised I would, for You had given me that same instruction, not long ago.

In Limban, a guard was preparing the wagon when we arrived. He looked worriedly at the horses, and told us he had to return to his post. The villagers fell to their knees when they recognized Lady Isa. She shouted that she was on a very important mission, and needed the best wagon driver in the village. Practically everyone stepped forward to help, giving Lady Isa a much-needed confidence boost. She pulled the hood down my face, and Xipil and I climbed inside the wagon. The villagers agreed on who their best driver was, and then we were off to Guling, Lady Isa and Grogg sitting up front. Xipil suggested we pray. I thought that was a good idea, and lost myself in communion.

We must have prayed for hours, for my reverie was interrupted by Lady Isa’s voice, demanding that the guards at the Guling gate fetch Markus. The guards apologized that he was unavailable, so the lady commandeered an escort instead, to take us quickly through the city, to the land bridge. Through the small hatch, I could see that it hadn’t appeared yet, but Lady Isa had the guards clear the area, presumably so no one should see the crown. Xipil proposed a visit to the chapel, once we reached the Evening Fort, and I agreed immediately.

When the causeway appeared, Lady Isa opened the wagon door with a big grin. She looked at me and asked in a loud voice, “Noble Madan, may I escort you to the fort?” I nodded. Lady Isa instructed Grogg to follow behind us, making sure nobody came after. Once we had crossed, she told the soldiers there to let the rest of the people come over. There had been a crowd in Guling, waiting to cross, but strangely, nobody waited here.

We walked up to the Evening Fort, and I told Lady Isa that Xipil and I wanted to go to the chapel. She didn’t quite follow, so I had to explain that there is a chapel dedicated to You in the cellar under the fort. She said she wanted to come with us, and Grogg added, “Me too.”

Inside the fort, the first guard to spot us dashed off towards the inner courtyard. I assumed he knew Lady Isa had been missing since last night, and ran to tell whoever was in charge at the moment that she was back.

Grogg decided that he wanted to visit Krull, but I wanted to go straight to the chapel, so we agreed to split up. Lady Isa stayed with the troll, but Xipil and I headed for the chapel. After washing thoroughly at the entrance, I realized that it would be wrong of me to enter, unless I brought the right people. I assumed You meant Xipil, Grogg and Lunari, and possibly Lady Isa, and said as much to Xipil. He was reluctant to go inside without me.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-25-2020, 10:39 AM   #67
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Interlude

Interlude: A Prayer

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, I beseech You! Bestow Your wisdom upon me, that I may serve You as You desire.

By Your command, I have joined Lunari, Grogg and Xipil in their endeavors. I have grown to enjoy their company, even if they have their peculiarities, but that is life, is it not? It is not our way to preach Your gospel to outsiders. It is by living devout lives and being good examples for our fellows that we bring new spawn to Your coils. Xipil came to the faith several weeks ago, and I am pleased with how he has embraced You.

Lunari and Grogg have not followed Xipil’s example. Putting words to my thoughts, I realize that I have acted incorrectly towards them. The two of them have insulted You on occasion, and I have felt righteous in my indignation and fury, but now I believe that was wrong of me. Their transgressions were not intentional, but rather blunders out of ignorance. Instead of upbraiding them, I should instruct them patiently in proper behavior, encouraging them to learn. To my shame, I have been so angry that I nearly sent them to You for judgment in the afterlife, even though I know that You are the one who decides who shall live and who shall die. My venomous fangs should strike only in execution of Your command. My forked tongue should speak only Your words. I have let my indignation take precedence over Yours; please forgive me!

I would like nothing more than if all the world came to revere You. I acknowledge the existence of other deities and realize that they have their places in the grand scheme of things, and thus I must coexist with their followers. Still, Lunari and Grogg don’t seem sworn to any particular deity. With Your permission, I will actively try to recruit them to Your faith. Several times, our adventures have brought us to life-and-death situations, and I think that my reluctance to share Your wisdom with outsiders has been an impediment to cooperation, leading to greater danger. Why, even today, Grogg tried to obstruct me mid-combat because he didn’t know what I had learned, and Lunari ran away from me in fear. Please, watch over him and give him courage to seek me out again, to seek You out.

I do not fear death, Your final embrace, but You have plans for me still, in the world of the living. I want to see those plans come to fruition before I join You in Your domain for eternity. Allow me to share Your instructions with Lunari and Grogg. Their unwillingness to cooperate comes from a lack of understanding. Understanding brings sympathy, and sympathy brings devotion. I will bring Lunari and Grogg to Your cause.

O Ashtar! I am Your servant, now and forever. Grant me wisdom, that I may know Your will. Grant me strength, that I may follow Your command. Grant me venom, that I may smite Your foes.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 05-28-2020, 07:24 AM   #68
bocephus
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Default Re: Campaign Log: Confessions of a Forked Tongue

Continues to be excellent. I love reading this log, please keep writing it.

I would love to see some letters from the other characters, if only to get some ideas of how they see the events. I understand we cant all be accomplished writers though :) Maybe just a short "Letter to mom" kinda of thing.

Thumbs up on all the developments! Give my regards to your GM as well.
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Old 06-06-2020, 02:49 AM   #69
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 24 (2020-05-31)

11th of Rama, year 412 (continued)

I looked longingly at Xipil as he walked towards the chapel, which was forbidden to me. He sat down before he entered the main chamber, so he could keep an eye on me while he prayed. Peculiarly, he pulled a piece of string from his pocket and tied knots in it while muttering to himself, then he stood and came up to me. “Can I see the crown?” he asked. I had completely forgot I was wearing it, but now the weight of it suddenly became noticeable. I told him he could look to his heart’s content. He used his string to measure it, and I waited patiently. He asked if we should let Pak and Groman study the crown, for they’ve shown aptitude for identifying magic items. Before I could answer, he added that it might not be wise to show it to them, seeing as they’re a bit careless. “In that case, let’s not show it to them,” I responded. Xipil claimed the crown had magic in it, unrelated to the demon Gritt.

Xipil wanted to join up with Lunari and Grogg, so I told him he could go and fetch them while I waited here. I couldn’t enter the chapel, but I didn’t want to leave it, either. Xipil was a little worried about leaving me alone with the demon, but I assured him that I was in complete control. He replied that he’d be fast, but it took some time before he returned.

Contrary to our agreement, Xipil had brought Pak, and I raised an eyebrow. Xipil told me Lunari was too cowardly to come near me. Lord Mir had arrived, and he and Lady Isa had disappeared into the nobles’ quarters. Xipil said something about auras to Pak, and the troll asked who had taught him magic. “Nobody”, Xipil claimed. Pak looked me over and said he saw nothing wrong. He walked closer, to study the crown. He confirmed it was magical, and asked if I felt all right. I said I was fine.

Pak and Xipil discussed magic for a couple of minutes, casting glances at me, then Pak pulled pebbles from his pocket, placing them on the floor around me while I stood on the bench in the middle of the antechamber. After some thought, and likely some magic, he asked me control questions, like where we first met, and what my name was. I answered adequately, and he took his pebbles and went to talk to Groman. Xipil called after him, “What shall I do with her?” “Take care of her,” was the reply. Xipil pointed out that Pak seemed worried that I should forget who I was. “Ashtar has instructed me to remember, so you don’t have to worry about that,” I guaranteed.

As Lunari was too chicken-hearted to come to me, we decided to go to him instead. On the way out, Xipil told me that Lord Mir had brought someone to tutor his sister, someone named Ebsalon. I hadn’t heard of him before.

When we emerged into the inner courtyard, Grogg and Lunari were there, but they slipped away as soon as they spotted us. Xipil and I decided not to follow, and went to eat instead. Afterwards, I started feeling tired, and wanted to go to sleep. Xipil was concerned for me, and insisted to watch over me while I slept. I didn’t think it was necessary, but I didn’t mind him staying in my bedroom either, so I allowed him to come and stay. I brushed my teeth, and we prayed together, then I lay down and closed my eyes.

O Ashtar! I surrender my life to Your coils. Take me while I sleep, or grant me another day in Your service, as You will.


12th of Rama, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

Xipil didn’t sleep last night, so I asked if he wanted me to wake over him while he slept, like he did for me, but he said it wasn’t necessary. We had breakfast, and then went in search of Lady Isa. I asked one of the guards outside the building where the nobles live if he could go inside and ask if Lady Isa would see us. He popped his head inside to relay the message, and Lady Isa showed up in no time, accompanied by Ebsalon, her new tutor.

Lady Isa clearly wanted to prevent Ebsalon from meeting me, pulling him off to somewhere as soon as she spotted me, so I sent Xipil after them to ask if she would have lunch with us later. I asked the guards if Lord Lunas was present on the island, and learned that he wasn’t.

Not waiting for Xipil to return, I headed for the chapel, passing Lunari and Grogg. Grogg was smoking something, I believe, and was completely out of it. Lunari fled as soon as he lay eyes on me. I wasn’t there for them, anyway, so I continued towards the chapel. Grogg suddenly asked Lunari why he was wearing a dress. Lunari was already gone, so I thought Grogg had to be hallucinating.

While I was washing outside the chapel, Xipil arrived, and I nodded to him, but paid him no more mind. Speaking in that unnamed language I had just gained a rudimentary understanding of, I asked for help, loudly enough that the great snake inside heard me. The serpent approached and lifted its head to study me, then ordered me to leave. It looked ready to attack if I tried to enter the chapel. I was heartbroken, and pulled back to the antechamber.

Xipil asked why Lunari had been climbing out a window, but I had no answer for him. Could Lunari be so afraid of what I carried inside me that he fled through a window?

We passed Grogg on our way out, and I asked if he was feeling all right. He sniffed some herb, and didn’t reply. Xipil cast a spell on Grogg, and explained when I asked that he was looking at his aura. We returned to our rooms, Xipil to have a bath and some sleep, while I wanted to pray.

When it was time for lunch, I went downstairs again. Grogg peeked inside the dining hall, but didn’t join me. Instead, he went back upstairs, and shortly after, a great crash reverberated through the building. The maid startled, and I dashed upstairs to see what had happened. Xipil and I converged on the door to Lunari and Grogg’s room, which the troll had kicked in. Grogg emerged from the room, carrying Lunari over his shoulder.

He went downstairs and put Lunari in a chair in the dining hall. I checked to see if he was injured, but the elf just seemed tired. Xipil and Grogg found chairs of their own, a little away from Lunari, and I resumed eating, while explaining how awesome You are.

Remi arrived with a guard, and told us how lucky we were. He did not look happy. He told us Lord Mir invited us to festivities after dinner, and exhorted us to behave ourselves, for we would be meeting important people. When Remi left, Grogg said that we were meeting Pak for dinner. He poked at Lunari, but failed to wake him. I continued preaching. Xipil interjected questions to verify that I was myself.

After the meal, Grogg went to repair the door and Xipil went to get some more sleep, leaving me to my thoughts. Grogg came down again shortly and fetched Lunari: “You have to fix the door, it broke!” Lunari went upstairs, but Grogg sat down with his sewing kit.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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Old 06-06-2020, 03:17 AM   #70
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 24 (2020-05-31)

I went to see Yana. She wanted to know if there was something wrong with my hair, since I was covering it with my hood. I pulled the cover back, revealing the crown. Yana looked at it, perturbed. I told her Lord Mir had invited me to some kind of festivities, along with Lunari, Grogg and Xipil, after dinner, and asked if any of the garments she had undertaken to make for me were ready and suitable. She didn’t think so, but suggested that she could alter one of Lady Isa’s discarded dresses. She took my measurements again. Didn’t she have them already? She must have cast some spell to help her in her work, for it tingled every time she touched me. Yana is so nice, and it’s pleasant conversing with her, so I didn’t mind. When she complimented my figure, I blushed. I wanted to respond that she was rather good-looking herself, but my throat was suddenly parched, and I had to swallow. When I had my voice back, she had moved on, chattering about fashion.

Yana told me to come back twenty minutes before I was going to see Lord Mir. I left, but watched her for a while through the window. She bustled around the shop, and then she disappeared into the basement, where her work station is located. I returned to my room and prayed.

I put on makeup before returning to Yana. She produced a breathtaking gown and had me try it on. We discussed clothes and disguises while she made the last adjustments to the dress. When I put it on again, she fine-tuned my makeup to suit the gown. I thanked her and was about to leave when I suddenly recalled that I was wearing a crown. I asked her if she had a scarf or something similar that I could use to hide it. Yana came through, of course. She wound a scarf around the crown, making it seem natural, like it wasn’t hiding anything. I gave her a hug for thanks and left.

Lunari and Grogg were sitting at one end of the long table, and places were set for four more people at the other end. Xipil and I sat down there, and I asked him what the deal was. Lunari was still afraid of me. I considered having the servants move the place-settings over to Lunari and Grogg, but refrained from it. I didn’t want to scare Lunari.

Pak and Groman apologized for being late, and Pak went over to Grogg to whisper with him, before joining Xipil and me at the other end of the table. The others were awkwardly silent, so I broke the silence with some inconsequential chatter.

Groman and Xipil discussed geography. Groman tried to pull Lunari into the conversation, but he remained stubbornly at his end of the table, talking with Grogg. Groman moved to the middle of the table and addressed us all, saying we possessed a powerful box. What were our plans for it? Lunari asked him if he had learned anything about the box, for Groman and Pak had been studying it, lately. Groman didn’t answer the question, and told us instead that we had two choices. Either we could take it to Azura, or we could try to collaborate with him and Pak. Lunari asked if Groman intended to study the box further, but Groman wanted to know first if we planned to take it to Azura. Lunari said there was a more urgent matter to discuss, first.

The topic was me, of course, and the crown and the demon. Groman wanted to study the phenomenon, but at a safe location, perhaps in a food cellar down in the village. I was fine with that, but mentioned that we had to see Lord Mir first. Groman envied us. Xipil said we could go to the village now, but I wanted to finish the meal, and then we would have to go to the inner courtyard if we were to meet Lord Mir in time. The others could go to the village if they wanted, but I didn’t want to stand up Lord Mir.

Pak and Groman walked away immediately, and I asked a maid to have their dessert brought up to their rooms. I asked Xipil if we should move over to Grogg and Lunari, causing Lunari to leave, as well. The rest of us enjoyed the dessert, and then we headed for the inner courtyard.

Xipil worried that we’d be executed for kidnapping Lady Isa. Instinctively, I asked if he had brought my knives. They were in his room, he said. That was just fine, I replied when I had time to collect my thoughts. When we came to the inner courtyard, Grogg remained outside to wait for Lunari, but Xipil and I entered.

In the lounge above the nobles’ dining hall, we found Lord Mir and one of the strange elves that had been with him earlier, and Lady Isa and her tutor. I curtsied for Lord Mir, and he introduced us to his companion, Nulius, and to Ebsalon, formally. “Come have a drink, and let us see what happens,” Lord Mir said. Xipil and I joined the others at the table, flanking Lady Isa, as it happened. Lord Mir returned to his discussion with Nulius about some ancient battle; they were debating whether tactics or luck had caused one side to prevail. Lady Isa recognized my dress, and I thanked her for not wanting it, although I expressed that I thought she would have looked good in it, at least before Yana made her alterations.

Grogg and Lunari arrived, and sat down as far away from me as possible. Nulius stood up and went over to them to talk to Lunari, but he returned soon, and conferred with Lord Mir in a low voice. Everyone fetched their own drinks, but Lord Mir asked what I preferred, and brought it to me himself. He said it was in thanks for how well I treated his brother.

Lord Mir raised his voice and stated that he believed that we had wondered his whereabouts. He explained that he had been to Ur to fetch Ebsalon. I realized that they had to have hustled, for they had made the trip very quickly. Ebsalon told us a little about himself. He had studied magic in Ur, and had been a member of the Council of the Eleven for the last seventeen years. I had heard about them; they’re supposed to oversee magicians here in Arland. Nulius also spoke of himself. His titles were foreign, so I didn’t understand them, except there was something about lions.

Lord Mir wanted us to say who we were, too. Lunari claimed to be a merchant, which might be true. Grogg just gave his name, as did I. Xipil said a few words, but not much compared to Lunari, Nulius or Ebsalon.

We raised our glasses and toasted. Lady Isa whispered a warning that my drink was a strong one. She should know, for I had asked for whatever she was having. I replied that she didn’t have to worry; I’d be fine. She took several quick sips, and I warned her to take it easy. Nulius and Lord Mir went back to their battle talk. I asked Lady Isa if she knew why we had been invited, but she didn’t know. She asked her brother, but he held up a finger, signaling her to wait. Xipil urged her to go on, and she demanded an answer. Lord Mir replied that he loved to party with people who don’t know how to behave. I didn’t know if he was serious or if he was chastising her. Lord Mir added that there would be a meeting later, and that Nulius wanted to make up his mind about us before deciding if we would be welcome there.

Nulius pulled Xipil aside for a private talk, and Lord Mir did the same with me. He asked for details from my encounter with Lord Lunas. I feigned ignorance, but not very successfully. After roasting me, Lord Mir talked to Nulius again.

Grogg told Kraa to steal Nulius’s glass, and when the spirit bird started flapping, Nulius drew his sword and positioned himself in front of Lord Mir, as if to protect him. Lord Mir laughed, and Nulius put away the blade, saying, “Mir, this will be fun. Bring them all.” Then he walked out of the room. Lord Mir grinned and raised his glass, then shook hands with us all, telling us we made a good impression on Nulius.

Sending Lady Isa and Ebsalon away, Lord Mir brought the rest of us up another flight of stairs, to a council room. Nulius was standing at the window, looking out. Lord Mir dropped into a chair and put his feet up on the table, asking us to sit. I sat down next to him, and Lunari sat on the other side of the table.

Lord Mir told us what had happened in Ur was worse than what had happened in Guling, bad as that was, with arsons and a rogue mage. He had gone to Ur to “activate the Council”. Now, he was going to the capital, to the king’s council. What did we think about that? There are Loyalist patrols all the way between Ur and Byblos, according to Lord Mir, so Lunari suggested going through the swamps.

Lord Mir was vague about his intentions. The king’s council was supposed to select a new king, but it was clear that Lord Mir had ulterior motives for going. Seemingly jumping from topic to topic, Lord Mir mentioned that the Furkan family were in the pockets of the Loyalists, and Furkan controlled the orcs. Lunari thought that it would be clever if we could make our activities appear as orc troubles. Lord Mir thought this would make the Loyalists send an army onto Aldera land. He seemed to think this would be a good thing. I figured he needed the Loyalists to make transgressions that would cause the other noble houses to turn against them.

We discussed this for a long time, about different factions. Who might ally with Aldera, and what would it take for them to do so? Lunari brought up Krull, causing Lord Mir to send Nulius outside. I think there is bad blood between him and orcs. After a while, Grogg blurted out that we took Lady Isa away from the Evening Fort. Lord Mir would like to know what happened on our excursion, and Lunari looked at me. I stared back at him, asking if he really wanted me to be the one to explain. He told the story himself, keeping mostly to the truth, while skipping over some embarrassing incidents, like when he argued with Lady Isa at the lumberjack cabin.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do. Or, you can run so far away that Status and Wealth don't apply anymore...

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue / A Doe Among Wolves
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