Chapter 12: Shadows in the Dark

[Ken]

Belarin's eye sockets glow with green light as he addresses the ghoul. "Yes, sport I seek, wretch," he hisses, "... and I'll satisfy myself with you if you dare touch my thralls! Answer me quickly - that bright light. Where is it coming from?"

[Jeff]

The ghoul whirls around as if looking for the mentioned light. He spies it in the sky beyond the buildings. "I dunno, master. The water? Don't go there, master, that is where the Whelmed dwell!"

[Ken]

"I go where I wish, fool," sneers Belarin. "Now leave me. If the halfling here displeases me, I shall return and give him to you as a plaything. Now go!" He waves the ghoul away dismissively.

Once the ghoul leaves, he whispers, "If that idiot was correct, could Argushem's mate be imprisoned at sea? On an island? Hmmm..."

[Brian]

Condign struggles to maintain a straight face. "The halfling displeases me, oh noble lard...um...I mean, lord. Can we please give him to that charming creature?"

As his mirth fades, the tiefling realizes his comment was his first attempt at humor since his possession by Rath ended in his near death. His hands clench at the thought of the rogue spirit. If there is an eternal punishment in the infernal realm, Condign hopes that Rath finds it.

[Jeff]

Even as you stand and talk, whatever phantom activity is occuring between the figures in the crowd intensifies. At one point, there is a flicker of shadow, and then a pale vapor begins to rise up from a point on the ground. Slowly it begins to solidify into the shape of a woman. The figures in the crowd watch with great interest as the shape sharpens. It never becomes perfectly clear, and the pale shape has no real color, has no clothes or equipment (but likewise no distinct bodily features aside from a vague feminine one). Only two pales eyes resolve a bit more, and they look more confused than anything. The overall effect is that of a changeling, but you don't think it is. Rather, it seems more like...

"That," Histra remarks, "is what the moment of death looks like, transitioning from the world of the living to the world of the dead. For some. It is not all the same."

The female spirit stands and looks at her own hazy limbs, seeming to examine one arm. Kal and Streko, on impulse, think she might be looking for a tattoo...or dragonmark. And not finding it. She looks upset, even though you can really only see her eyes.

The crowd, very intent upon watching the new spirit, continues to block the passage through the street. Going back and finding another way around will take some time.

Then a second cloud of vapor rises up from the ground. In the living world, the scene appears to be getting bloody. Here it is entirely bloodless.

[Joe]

"Can we please move on? I do not need to see death occur in this place, especially when such deaths appear, to some small extent, familiar." He glances over at Belarin. "Well played, master LichLord. You play the part well. Hopefully, this particular play ends swiftly. I wish my friend back, physically if nothing else."

[Dave B.]

Shorak takes a single step towards the crowd, peering intently at the newly dead figure. He fears that it may be Captain Morsha and his gut wrenches at the idea that this could possibly be her spirit. But, she is not the only female to roam the harbor, so he tells himself that he is just being paranoid and quickly scans the area for any path that will get them around the crowd of dead and, if the ghoul is any indication, undead.

[Jeff]

It looks to Shorak that doubling back and finding another street may be the only way to circumvent this crowd, unless you are willing to push through them.

Two more vaporous forms take shape amidst the invisible melee, around which the crowd has formed to watch. Unlike boisterous street fights in the living world, the crowd here is somber; they watch with quiet interest, gathering. But there is no jeering, no shouting, no betting.

The first spirit, her only distinction being that she was a woman once, moves toward the party. Stopping only ten feet from Kal and Shorak, who stand closest to the crowd, she mutters incoherent words. Finally she manages to speak properly, though you can discern no mouth. "I do not understand. What has happened? Where is this? Who are you? Where is my son?"

Stepping closer to Belarin, Histra says, "Part the dead. Use what influence remains to you and keep them at bay. Most of these spirits are harmless to such as as, but let us not take the chance."

[Ken]

Belarin regards Histra. "I had considered that. One of my appearance does not retrace his steps," he says haughtily. "All of you. We go forward. Stay close to me and do not interact."

He moves forward toward the crowd, the green light in his eyes now ablaze with irritation. "Out of my way, rabble!" he commands. "I have business to attend to! Play with the pathetic spirits of the newly dead, but dare not impede me or my thralls."

[Dave W.]

Adamant forces his fists to unclench at the imperious attitude of Lich-Belarin. Working from the hands up the arms through the shoulders and back and neck, he commands wood and stone to relax. He is somewhat successful; only those who know him can sense his tension.

Luckily his face-plate is incapable of showing the increasing concern he feels for his friend.

He says nothing and follows along.

---

Ken, Belarin makes a good lich... maybe too good...

[Brian]

Condign follows behind Belarin, his face locked in a grimace, as if he were a vassal sworn to protect a charge he himself could not defeat.

[Darren]

Sept 24, 2015 9:50:59 GMT -4 Ken said:

Belarin regards Histra. "I had considered that. One of my appearance does not retrace his steps," he says haughtily. "All of you. We go forward. Stay close to me and do not interact."

He moves forward toward the crowd, the green light in his eyes now ablaze with irritation. "Out of my way, rabble!" he commands. "I have business to attend to! Play with the pathetic spirits of the newly dead, but dare not impede me or my thralls."

Kal nods. "I was going to suggest the same thing," he says. He follows behind Belarin. Stooped as he is, he imagines that he fits the part of thrall very nicely. He begins to chuckle at the thought, but the laugh dissolves into a fit of coughing. Maybe that will help sell the illusion, he thinks, drawing a rasping sigh into his lungs.

[Jeff]

The ragged crowd begins to shuffle, disturbingly quietly, out of Belarin's path. Except not the newer spirits. They seem oblivious to him for the moment.

Sept 24, 2015 9:15:46 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Two more vaporous forms take shape amidst the invisible melee, around which the crowd has formed to watch. Unlike boisterous street fights in the living world, the crowd here is somber; they watch with quiet interest, gathering. But there is no jeering, no shouting, no betting.

The first spirit, her only distinction being that she was a woman once, moves toward the party. Stopping only ten feet from Kal and Shorak, who stand closest to the crowd, she mutters incoherent words. Finally she manages to speak properly, though you can discern no mouth. "I do not understand. What has happened? Where is this? Who are you? Where is my son?"

"You, my lord...d'...Deneith. Who are? Do you stand with House Orien, or...with...them?"[/quote] She sounds very agitated and now stands very close to Kal. Five feet, with one hand pointing at him.

[Darren]

Kal doesn't stop as he slowly looks at the apparition. His look is blank and vacant as though he does not recognize where he is. He opens his mouth and lets out a rasping hiss, then turns his haze back to his "master" and shuffles on.

[Joe]

Streko shuffles to keep up with Kal and hold on to Tangat both. He keeps his eyes down and away from any of the spirits. "Olladra, forgive me and understand our dilemma. We shall speak in much greater depth once we are free from this place."

[Dave B.]

Shorak nods in assent to Lich-Belarin taking the lead, but stays close to his side to whisper directions, if necessary. He does not look at the newly dead avoids looking directly at the onlookers. He does stay alert for any potential danger, as usual.

[Jeff]

Kal turns away and leaves the entreating spirit standing in confusion and distress, joining Belarin as his presence melts a path through the crowd. Some of the gathered figures, upon seeing Belarin for the first time, actually retreat with some haste. Within a couple of minutes, you are back to moving swiftly and unimpeded through the street.

There is a rumble in the clouds overhead, though there never seems to be any preceding flashes of lightning, as if the storm were eternally distant and only consisted of sound.

Soon your party reaches the docks—which appear to be long row of irregular, jagged stone quays in place of wooden piers stretching across the waterfront. There are no proper ships here, no masts or sails, and the nearly black waters of the bay are disturbingly still. There is no discernible tide and only the slightest ripples and currents. It looks more like a vast lake, which stretches out beyond your sight on a dark horizon. In Stormreach, there are many buildings here, including the (in)famous Wavecrest Tavern—but here there is no such construction.

But then you spy some sort of structures amidst the dark stony quays. Although there are no ships, you do see some kind of wooden detritus gathered among the piers. Dark shapes move across and around them. They’re too far away to make much of them. “The Whelmed,” Histra says.

Looming on two sides of this vaguely horseshoe-shaped harbor are high cliffs, however, and those do approximate Eberron’s version of the same. Condign even notices the lofty, 100-foot-high “Crow Rock” where he spoke with a tiefling woman in what now seems a very long time ago—though it was only two or three days ago. The rocky formation is very much the same here, and there is even a chunk of floating rock there, too.

The light that you’ve been following seems to be shining closer to the shore than you thought. Its point of origin is obscured by many of the rocky quays, however. You’d need to cross the waterfront to discern it.

“It has occurred to me,” Histra says to Belarin, “that the Whelmed may know of a place within or around the water where the Shadowfell may be exited. They would shun it themselves, but know of it. We might be able to bargain with them and save me the time of hunting one. What do you think?”

[Ken]

"You've done well before," says Lich-Belarin, "but that was while you were masquerading as an undead. Will that matter?"

He turns to address Shorak. "Your knowledge of Stormreach will be invaluable once we return. Memorize our steps as best you can." To Shorak, it sounds like a mix of command and encouragement.

[Jeff]

"It was not mere masquerade. It was a demonstration of who I am, of the family they know has a presence in that labyrinth. It will carry less weight out here, but my affiliation is not irrelevant." Histra stares at the distant shapes and the dark water. "But I can promise nothing."

[Darren]

"Can they leave the water?" Kal rasps. "How much danger is there if you just talk to them?"

[Jeff]

“They are not well understood by any," Histra answers Kal. "They are natives of this world, and as such pose very little threat to those already dead, or undead. The living they seek to drown and make their servants in death. But not always. One can talk one’s way out of enslavement. They need to benefit from staying their hands. If we seek information from them, we must be prepared to offer something, or someone, for it.” She looks at the group. “Something, then.”

[Brian]

"Do you know what these Whelmed cherish?" Condign asks Histra. "If we do not possess that which they would want, seeking them out would be nothing but a distraction."

[Jeff]

Histra gives Condign a mild reproaching look. "What do all tieflings covet? Or are they varied, one to the other? You will find the Whelmed are not the same. I suppose anything rare or unique would be worth considering."

[Darren]

"Let's not resort to making deals with the Whelmed, just yet," Kal says. Finding a rock, Kal sits heavily. He waves a hand at anyone who tries to help him. "I just need to rest a moment," he says. "Histra, you've done well by us, and I trust you. Keep an eye out for any portal out of here, but we need not talk to them right now. Meanwhile, Shorak, can you get us closer to wherever that light is coming from?"

[Dave B.]

Shorak looks at Belarin, smiling as if to a child. "It is what I do. I'm always memorizing my steps. It is how one best survives in Xendrick."

Shorak nods to Kal. "We'll need to continue along the waterfront to better tell if the light is even reachable by land." He motions toward the stone quays and in the general direction of the light.

[Ken]

Sept 25, 2015 16:00:13 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Let's not resort to making deals with the Whelmed, just yet," Kal says.

"Surprisingly prudent, Kalarian," says Belarin. "There have been enough poor bargains already today. Proceed, Shorak."

[Jeff]

FYI, I'm waiting for stated actions. But feel free to continue discussion.

[Darren]

Kal nods to Shorak. "Okay, by the water, then. Just be careful. We're not going IN the water. Everyone keep an eye on The Whelmed. If they look like they're approaching, call it out. Let's go..."

Kal rises to his feet to follow behind Shorak.

________________
Edited to state actions.

[Brian]

Nodding at Kal's words, Condign falls into place between Shorak and Belarin. His gold eyes dance as they take in the surroundings, alert to anything that seems to pay too much attention to the party.

[Jeff]

Just to be clear: the last stated actions are of Kal sitting down on a rock and Shorak gesturing toward the quays. So I'll wait for you guys.