Chapter 9: A Primitive Sea

[Darren]

Before entering the room, Kal kneels down next to Tangat, burying a hand in the dog's soft fur. He says quietly, "Stay out here in the hallway, my friend. Warn me if anyone approaches." He smiles, then straightens up and enters Histra's room.

Once he is inside and it is clear Histra intends to start the ritual, Kal says to Belarin, "We should decide our questions in advance. What's it to be?"

______________________
And perhaps this discussion should move to the Q&A thread from here....

[Jeff]

Having listened to some of your quiet discussions, Histra says to Belarin, "The elfwoman is the only way Krez has been able to locate this ship. Finding a single moving target in a sea would be next to impossible without the use of magic. It would be difficult to imagine this rider finding us without Krez telling him where to look. In this case, I believe he came here with Krez. Krez would have assumed mistform on the airship, then came down...while the wyvern dropped down separately. No?"

[Ken]

"A couple of us had mentioned Lerrhana's role in this, unwitting or otherwise," Belarin replies softly as the others continue talking. "The timing of her suicide attempt and the attack on the ship seemed more than coincidence. Just one distraction after another." He pauses, considering the rest of what Histra said. "That all makes sense, Histra... except for the crate. How in Khyber did Krez get that in the hold? In his mist form, no less? Even if he had access to the same type of dimensional artifice that ir'Zathryn used to get us onboard the Patriot, could Krez have carried such a thing while floating as a mist? You have more knowledge of a vampire's abilities than I do."

[Dave B.]

Shorak nods at Morsha's last statement. "Yes, Stormreach is filled with those who seek to start anew. I myself was forced to do the same. A sad tale that I will share with you when you are completely well, if you care to hear it."

"Secrets seem to be one of Stormreach's biggest stock and trade. But, your crew is loyal to you. They may talk about it amongst themselves, but I doubt they would risk your ire to discuss it on land."

He smiles warmly at Morsha, holding her eyes with his. "It is a shame that something so beautiful can cause such turmoil."

[Jeff]

"That all makes sense, Histra... except for the crate. How in Khyber did Krez get that in the hold? In his mist form, no less? Even if he had access to the same type of dimensional artifice that ir'Zathryn used to get us onboard the Patriot, could Krez have carried such a thing while floating as a mist? You have more knowledge of a vampire's abilities than I do."

Histra shakes her head. "The bloodrot was undead...not a living creature. It might even have been stilled within the crate, as in stasis. Krez may have used an extradimensional space to transport it...or he may have been able to hold it and bring it with him into mistform. Some vampires are more skilled at that. It depends on the power of the one who made him."

"As for the elf..." Histra sighs. "She is drawn to death, until she realizes that and chooses to overcome it. But Krez's nearness would have heightened it. No, it was not coincidence. He cannot control her now—I have seen to that—but there is still a bond between them. He has influence."

Meanwhile, in Morsha's cabin...

Shorak:

He smiles warmly at Morsha, holding her eyes with his. "It is a shame that something so beautiful can cause such turmoil."

Morsha reddens at this, and looks down as if affirming that she's covered up. "When has it not caused turmoil? Anyway, I'd like to hear your story sometime, Shorak." She smiles. "I haven't released you from my service yet. But I'd order a man to kill another before commanding him to speak of his life. If you've left something behind...it is yours to leave behind."

Morsha stirs. "Gods, I hate this. I need to be moving again. Listen...tell the others that I will do what I can to...calm the waters. But it's more than just...thought, so I can't promise anything. If that damned vampire attacks again..."

[Dave B.]

Shorak smile grows wider when she mentions that he is still in her service.

"I doubt that Krez'll be back soon. His attack was more a message to us than anything else. A delaying tactic as well I'm sure."

Shorak looks at Morsha with concern. "Are you feeling up to it. I would hate to see you tax your strength to risk fully recovering from the poison."

He shakes his head and chuckles softly, knowing that Morsha will do whatever she needs to do. "But, if you are so determined, can I help you in any way?"

[Jeff]

"What you can do..."

Morsha considers this, then finally says, "Do you believe in prophecy, Shorak?"

"Do you think those prophecied for certain deeds are preordained to do them, or do you think choice factors in?" She doesn't sound like she's doubtful herself, but her tone doesn't tell him which one she believes.

[Dave B.]

Aug 18, 2011 11:03:52 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"What you can do..."

Morsha considers this, then finally says, "Do you believe in prophecy, Shorak?"

"Do you think those prophecied for certain deeds are preordained to do them, or do you think choice factors in?" She doesn't sound like she's doubtful herself, but her tone doesn't tell him which one she believes.

Shorak considers the question a moment. "i guess I've never actually given it much thought. I feel that we are put into prophetic situations and that destiny plays a part in our lives. But, I believe that we can still choose to take a different path if we truly want to. Free will and all that, to make change. Hopefully, for the better."

His curiosity is a little piqued by the question, "Is there a specific prophecy that brings up your query?"

[Ken]

Belarin considers Histra's comments, then he says, "Excuse me for a moment." He turns and begins conversing again with his allies, particularly Kalarian and Condign, about the questions they should ask. After a few terse exchanges between Belarin and Kal, a chuckle from Condign, a cautionary word from Streko, and a disturbing jerking motion by Adamant that may have been the warforged's attempt to mimic a shrug, Belarin smiles and faces Histra, this time addressing her in a normal voice, so that all can hear.

"All right, here's what we'd like to ask, Histra," he says. "Since we didn't see any wyverns on the Patriot and since there's no other land that we know of in the area, we'll assume that Our Friendly Corpse and his poisonous mount came from the airship. So where did the airship come from? Probably Stormreach. If Krez somehow got word out after our attack -- who knows, maybe someone from House Orien is on the Patriot, maybe he has a carrier pigeon with the stamina of a manticore -- he could have requested aerial assistance from Stormreach. In the course of seven days, it's possible. If that's the case, then more than ever, we need to know what to expect in Stormreach.

"So the first question will boldly assume that he came from Stormreach. The following questions will depend on his answer. So please ask, 'What are the names and descriptions of your main allies in Stormreach?' Let me know if that's acceptable.

"If his answer indicates that he indeed does -- excuse me, did, I keep doing that -- did have friends in Stormreach, let's continue with that. So, second question: 'What is the name and location of the place in Stormreach where you usually receive orders?' If he's a cook in a restaurant as well as an assassin, the answer could be a problem, but I think we're safe there. By the way, Streko, speaking of cooks, I dearly miss your mother's blueberry muffins. You'll have to try them, Histra. Magnificent. Where was I...?

"And question number three, if that's possible: 'What plans are you aware of regarding retrieval of the Eye of Azalar?'" He looks at ir'Zathryn with a smile. "I'm sure the Professor would be deeply interested in a response to that question."

He continues, "Now, if his response to the first question suggests that, damnation, he doesn't really know anyone in Stormreach, the next questions will be strictly about our more immediate threats. So in that fallback situation, the second question would be, 'What is the name and location of the place from which your wyvern launched its attack on our vessel?' That is, if they didn't come from Stormreach, I'd dearly love to know where in Khyber they did come from.

"And finally, again if the Stormreach theory goes nowhere, 'What are the full names and vocations of your three most powerful allies aboard the Patriot?' That was Condign's idea. He wants to give me more things to worry about.

"There. Have I proven sufficiently confusing?" he concludes with a warm smile. "Thank you, Histra."

[Darren]

Aug 18, 2011 22:54:17 GMT -4 Ken said:

"There. Have I proven sufficiently confusing?" he concludes with a warm smile. "Thank you, Histra."

Kal rolls his eyes, but his grin is friendly. "Confusing as ever, my friend. Well, let's get on with this. Time to wake the dead...."

[Brian]

Condign leans into Kal and grins. "I am confused too. But that is not saying much."

"This ritual will require silence. I think I will stay quiet for a while."


________________________

Adios, amigos. Until next week!

[Jeff]

Wasting no time, Histra nods at Belarin and finishes her incantation around the body. The smell of the necromancer's incense intensifies suddenly, eliciting a cough from Sem Darlesh.

Histra reaches down and pries open the halfling's eyes. The corpse stares up at the darkened ceiling, eyes fixed and unmoving. But the mouth suddenly opens, and she drops a bit of ash inside it. The body remains utterly still beyond this.

In a firm but quiet voice, Histra speaks the question. "What are the names and physical descriptions of your primary allies in the Xen'drik city of Stormreach?"

Then the corpse answers, in a voice stronger than the dead woman in Sharn, whom the Boromar mage made speak. Perhaps it is Histra's skill with necromancer that makes it so. The voice sounds almost alive, merely damaged by the slight decay of the lungs. "I had only two contacts in Stormreach: Tyrl Gol Garin—he is a gnome. I am told he is short, bespectacled, and cold of manner. And the White Raven—human, most likely. I do not know what he looks like. He is known for the bird he keeps."

Histra frowns. She looks at Belarin and indicates the corpse. "I don't think he has ever been to Stormreach before."

Histra considers the next question, then suddenly glares at the corpse. She curses softly.

"One moment," she says to Belarin, and falls into her incantations anew. He suspects her ritual failed after a single question, but she is renewing it to try for more, lighting new incense and speaking words of magic.

Sem looks pointedly at Streko and offers an innocent smile. "Hey, not all gnomes are bad and in league with assassins and vampires." He taps himself with his thumb.

[Darren]

"Keeping bad company does seem to be a theme, though," Kal says, throwing an innocent smile at Larest.

[Joe]

Streko glances over at Sem and shakes head. "I never said they were. They just have a practice of talking too much."

Then he coughs slightly. "Seems to come with the size of the body."

He sighs, resigned to his nature, then nods towards Histra.

"This is difficult work, even for one as skilled as Histra. Let us try to keep quiet and allow her the chance to labor uninterrupted and unencumbered by our verbosity."

He smiles at the gnome in a gesture of comraderie and returns to focusing his attention on the scene before him.

[Ken]

Aug 19, 2011 10:14:34 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Histra frowns. She looks at Belarin and indicates the corpse. "I don't think he has ever been to Stormreach before."

Histra considers the next question, then suddenly glares at the corpse. She curses softly.

Belarin nods after she speaks and says softly, "If there's anything I can do to assist, let me know," although he knows full well that this is Histra's ritual to control, succeed or fail. He turns back to his companions and mutters bitterly, "Well then, I've played myself for the jester yet again. Hopefully, we'll get more information from the remaining questions, if the ritual continues." He looks up suddenly, a measure of hope in his eyes. "Shorak. He may have heard of these two characters, especially if he's skirted some local laws over there. We'll have to ask him."

He resumes watching Histra, which he finds is an increasingly pleasurable task.

[Jeff]

Sem merely grins back at Streko.

Histra finishes her incantation and a jolt goes through the corpse. "Speak!" she commands it, and the mouth works open and closed again.

Histra then speaks Belarin's contingent second question: "What is the name and location of the place from which your wyvern launched its attack on the Merrow Down?"

The halfling's corpse doesn't hesitate to answer. "The Northern Wraith is the airship I boarded in Sharn. It was from the skies above the Thunder Sea that we dared the storm...to attack the Merrow Down and kill its captain."

Histra looks up to Belarin, to see if he wishes to amend his final question. "One more," she whispers. "The wyvern came from the airship, so it likely the Patriot is still some distance behind us. Krez can travel between the two vessels, but I do not think the other undead aboard the Patriot can."

[Ken]

"That airship has been tagging along all the way from...?" Belarin starts to say, his mouth agape, but then he reconsiders. "No, it's just as possible -- if not far more likely -- that the ship could have been summoned from Sharn than from Stormreach. We were only a couple of days out from Sharn when we encountered Krez's ship. Immaterial now, I suppose."

He looks at the others. "Well? He may not have known much at all about 'powerful allies' onboard the Patriot if he was on this damn airship the whole time. Any other suggestions for our final question? Perhaps other weaponry or potential threats on the Northern Wraith? That's likely something that he would know, and right now that's the biggest threat we face."

[Darren]

"Or we can find out if the halfling was hired by Krez in Sharn to search for the Eye. That will let us know if he came from Stormreach in the first place. If Krez mentioned looking for the Eye to this halfling, then we'll know that he's looking for it, too. This could all be coincidence that we're going in the same direction."

[Ken]

"Hmm, good thought," says Belarin. "So perhaps we'll stick with the original Question Three, 'What plans are you aware of regarding retrieval of the Eye of Azalar?' That would address nearly all of what you suggest, Kal, at least with regard to what's ahead."

[Jeff]

Histra repeats Belarin's question for the dead halfling. "What plans are you aware of regarding retrieval of the Eye of Azalar?"

The answer comes. "The Order of the Emerald Claw is seeking it, as are many. I was to take no part in its retrieval, only to strike down certain enemies and assist the Claw with research in Stormreach."

Histra lowers her gaze as the corpse lies utterly still again. "That is all the energy and expense I can offer for now. I do not think this assassin was privy to specifics regarding the Eye."

Larest smiles. "Well done, Histra. Well done indeed." He looks to your party. "I think we will find many on Xen'drik who will be rivals in finding the Eye, and most will be better funded than we. But none would do their worst with it as much as the Emerald Claw. Let it fall into the hands of the Five Nations, if you must....but not them."

Sem grins. "The Zils should get it. They'd probably never even use it. Just study it forever and bury it in the vaults of Korrenberg for all time."

[Dave W.]

Aug 20, 2011 11:15:01 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Sem grins. "The Zils should get it. They'd probably never even use it. Just study it forever and bury it in the vaults of Korrenberg for all time."

Adamant, who has been standing still as death throughout Histra's efforts, replies to Sem in a quiet, deep bass, "No one should have it. It is not safe to use, study, or bury. But given such a collection of choices, we should at least ensure the Emerald Claw do not get it."

[Jeff]

Shorak:

His curiosity is a little piqued by the question, "Is there a specific prophecy that brings up your query?"

Morsha shuts her eyes. "Any that concern me. They say that dragonmarks are all part of the Draconic Prophecy, that those 'marked are somehow stamped into the future somehow. If that's so, then...my sort of mark is a bigger part of it. I don't want to accept that, but I also feel like it's an uphill battle resisting it."

[Ken]

Belarin says, "My professional and personal compliments, Histra." He then says to Larest, "No, I don't want the Emerald Claw to have it. I've had history with them. Based on what Histra has revealed here, though, they may not have all their facts lined up. 'Assisting with research in Stormreach'? It sounds as though they might be a step behind us in terms of knowledge. However, they will have one BIG advantage: aerial reconnaissance. The Northern Wraith presumably can exchange signals with the Claw forces on the ground. And that leads me to another question..."

He looks to his friends. "I don't have the wartime experience that most of you do, so maybe one of you has insight into what the Emerald Claw might use for ground transportation. Here's my question: How do you think an armed force of Emerald Claw soldiers would travel overland, in rough terrain, during the day, while protecting a gaggle of vampires? Kal? Condign?"

[Darren]

"I don't think they would move during the day," says Kal, folding his arms and considering the question. "I think Krez will use his Emerald Claw cronies to scout ahead during the day while he is sheltered somewhere. Then he'll move ahead at night to catch up with them, then continue the process again the next day." Kal pauses, considering the logic of the plan. "At least, that's how I would do it. He certainly has enough manpower to make sure that he is well guarded and still has sufficient scouts to move in all directions. The Claw's resources are, unfortunately, quite vast." A grim shadow passes over Kal's face as he speaks of the Claw. His hatred for them is quite clear.

"Histra, you have our thanks. We will leave you to your privacy now. What do you intend for this halfling's body?"

[Dave W.]

"I have little experience with moving undead armies;" Adamant interjects, "as warforged my company would simply march... Tirelessly."

"The idea of an air-ship is interesting though. It would pass by difficult terrain at the same rate as a well-maintained road. I am certain I would make use of that."

"I am also not the undead expert," Adamant says looking directly at Histra, "but would it be possible to simply crate up the vampires and carry the crates on the air-ship? Would that suffice as protection from daylight? Or would there be some magical means of protection?"

[Jeff]

Larest nods at Belarin's words, then Kal's, his eyes taking on a fire as the discussion drifts toward Stormreach and the Eye of Azalar.

"I have a theory. Based on what you, and Histra, have recounted about your adventure aboard the Patriot. Captain Morsha herself knew of the Patriot already; she said it was a Karrnathi warship..."

"I don't believe the crew—most of them, anyway—are willing participants under Major Krez's command. They're being forced into it. When you were aboard, some crewmen were not wearing the colors of the Order, correct?

"The Emerald Claw was once a knightly order of Karrnath, just one of many, but it was disbanded by the crown...they reformed and became the outlaws you hate so much. Currently, King Kaius shows no tolerance for them in his land—and that's probably why they've spread themselves out far, beyond Karrnath, growing like a pestilence. They pursue new causes of their own, and recruit from anywhere, but they're still Karrns at heart. And fanatical to their masters."

Sem smiles up at Larest. "Still lecture a bit on the side, do you?"

A twitch of annoyance cross's the man's face as he looks down at the gnome. "My point is, the Patriot has been seized by the Emerald Claw for the purpose of transporting Krez and his vampire spawn, and I'm guessing this Northern Wraith was already a vessel of the Order's. The Patriot sets out from Sharn under Krez's power, because a sea crossing is actually safer than air travel. But then the Wraith sets out from Sharn several days later, chancing the voyage. It catches up to the Patriot, and Krez sends it after us and hitches a ride himself...now that the elf woman's made us glow like a beacon." He looks down at the dead halfling. "And I assume this wyvern rider and his pet signed aboard the Wraith in Sharn."

"It is not common knowledge," Histra adds softly, "But the Emerald Claw and the Blood of Vol are intertwined. Not all Seekers of the Blood know of their cult's ties to the Order, but all members of the Order are commanded by the rulers of the Blood of Vol. We will be contending with both. The bloodrot is proof of that."

"If the airship reaches Xen'drik," Histra goes on. "Krez will certainly make use of it to travel. He will not risk ground travel by day. No vampire with half a brain would."

[Darren]

"If the airship has gotten this far, there's no reason for us to believe that Krez went back to The Patriot, either. Chances are, he'll be waiting for us in Stormreach when we arrive. We should plan for an ambush."

[Jeff]

...

[Joe]

Aug 22, 2011 19:50:23 GMT -4 Jeff said:

...

____________________________________________________

LOL! You slay me, Jeff....figuratively, of course.

[Dave B.]

Aug 20, 2011 20:41:34 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Morsha shuts her eyes. "Any that concern me. They say that dragonmarks are all part of the Draconic Prophecy, that those 'marked are somehow stamped into the future somehow. If that's so, then...my sort of mark is a bigger part of it. I don't want to accept that, but I also feel like it's an uphill battle resisting it."

"Ah, the all encompassing prophecy. That would be a tough one to turn one's back on. Unless of course, refusing to play a part in the prophecy is what your role is." He says this half seriously, hoping to lighten her mood a bit. "But, I hope you will avail yourself of my services in any way you see fit. Whether for the here and now or for any future battles you might see fit to include me in."

He takes a moment to apply a damp cloth to Morsha's forehead. "Don't worry, it's not drinking water." When he's done, he turns back to her and asks, "Speaking of the here and now, what else can I do to help you right now?"