Chapter 14: A Cloud of Fear

[Dave B.]

"There is nothing for me to discuss." Shorak says. "This is my city and I will do what I can for Stormreach." He walks up to Kruthor. "I agree to be a part of this task." Shorak says to the HIll Giant.

[Brian]

Aug 22, 2017 22:52:39 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal listens stone-faced. "And you, Melethos? I would hear your mind on this."

Melethos frowns at Kal, and then just shakes his head. "I must not have been clear enough. While the Eye is important, is not the be all and end all of our lives. We must attend to the city before more people die. We may find two gains in this task: we may find a quicker way to the Eye, and we may also gain favor of the city--and some of the Coin Lords--by helping save it. That could be a useful bargaining chip when we are confronted by Lord Wylkes. So, I say we go." He smiles at the sorcerer. "I believe everyone has spoken. You can go with us, Kal, or remain behind. We will not chose for you. But time is wasting. We have to leave soon."

Not waiting for an answer, Melethos approaches Kruthor. "We agree to your request. We have one other task to finish first, and perhaps a bit of rest to gather our strength and make our plans for the citadel. Is that fair?"

[Jeff]

Kruthor lowers his head and smiles at both Shorak and Melethos, who have both come up to him directly to answer. "That is good to hear. I must prepare the Stone of Release, that which can return the skies above Stormreach to their prevailing conditions. This will take me a short while, but please do not venture far." He gestures to the giant-sized tent at one side of the clearing. "If you wish to rest and stay dry, take shelter here. And if you are hungry, I will ask that food be brought to you."

Looking to the rest of the group, and at Tallis and Thul, the hill giant adds, "I will not send you into danger without some assistance. I have some tokens that may aid you. But please, rest first, and we will discuss before you go. Have you chosen who will go?"

Tallis steps forward, and so does Starg.

The minotaur looks to your group. "I will remain as well. There are many places my aging eyes wish to see. The sky amid the clouds is not among them."

Tallis looks between Kruthor and Melethos and your party. "I know my team is small," he says, "And I have urgent business to attend to elsewhere, so I ask that you count my friend and brother-in-arms with you. Again I introduce Captain Thul." He beckons his companion forward. "We have both served in Karrnath's army, but we are not here on military purposes now. We serve, in our own way, King Kaius, who would not see the Eye of Azalar fall into the hands of the Order of the Emerald Claw. We would rather hew such hands as they appear." He actually turns and points at Thul's axe. "If you dislike the Claw as much as we do, you cannot ask for a better ally. Will you have him?"

Thul's posture seems to straighten ever so slightly more at this. His expression remains neutral. Not dismayed. Dispassionate. Professional.

[Brian]

"We will all of us go," Melethos tells Kruthor. "And food would be appreciated. But before we rest, do you know someone named Greshtuza? My friend here"--he gestures at Adamant--"has something for her, something that once belonged to her sister, Greshnazza. He would like to give it to her. It should not take more than a minute. Can you help us?"

[Dave W.]

"Yes, Kruthor, I will go with Melethos and Shorak and see this done" Adamant stands with his friends, "...though Air and Clouds are... distressing; they are not my natural medium."

Turning his eye-gems on Tallis, the warforged says, "And I think it wise to accept any aid we can find. The Claws are a persistent foe of ours... I believe at least for this adventure we should be allies." Adamant nods to Tallis and the Captain. He then looks to Kal, hoping he will see the advantage.

"Melethos is also correct," Adamant addresses Kruthor again, "that I have an obligation to perform for an unexpected friend. If you know where Greshtuza, brood-sister of the medusa Greshnazza can be found, I will take care of that while my friends rest."

[Jeff]

Kruthor turns away towards whatever preparations he needs to make. "The medusas' tent is not far," he says as his voice starts to fade away. The hill giant temporarily disappears around the nearby boulder as he goes to speak with his helpers. "Someone will show you..."

Tallis nods back at Adamant. "You remind me of someone...Adamant. A good friend, now gone from this world. Aegis was his name. A Brelish warforged, of all things. I swear, for the little time I knew him, he seemed to have the beating heart of a lion..." The half-elf's voice trails away as he is lost in a memory. But then he snaps out of it and he turns his quicksilver eyes back on Adamant. "In any case, I think we all want a certain traitorous major defanged, yes? Believe me, we're on the same page."

"Captain," he goes on, turning to beckon Thul forward even more. "Perhaps you should get to know our allies?" Throwing a glance to Melethos, Belarin, Kal, and Streko, he says. "Be careful. This one will talk your ear off."

Meanwhile, Adamant notices the old orc he saw earlier approaching the clearing.

[Dave W.]

Aug 23, 2017 14:11:32 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Tallis nods back at Adamant. "You remind me of someone...Adamant. A good friend, now gone from this world. Aegis was his name. A Brelish warforged, of all things. I swear, for the little time I knew him, he seemed to have the beating heart of a lion..." The half-elf's voice trails away as he is lost in a memory.

"Aegis, it is a strong name. I don't know him of course, but I'm glad you were his friend... and sorry he is now gone. I don't know about a lion's heart but I try to do credit to Dol Arrah."

But then he snaps out of it and he turns his quicksilver eyes back on Adamant. "In any case, I think we all want a certain traitorous major defanged, yes? Believe me, we're on the same page."

"Major Krez? I don't care about his teeth but he deserves to be put to an end and sent on to his Judgement."

Adamant waits as the orc approaches to see if this is his guide.

[Elvis]

Thul walks over to the others, stopping just out of arms reach. He smells of campfires and pipe smoke. The worn leather of his stormcoat still creaks as he rolls his broad shoulders.

“Tallis says we’re friends now.” He says it as if the word itself tasted like bile.

His eyes flick to the orc elder and watches him approach.

[Darren]

"This one," Kal says, patting Adamant's iron-plated shoulder, "tore out the heart of a griffon and had it installed in his chest." Kal winks at Tallis. "True story."

"Okay," Kal says when Adamant finishes sputtering. "We'll deal with this sky giant, I suppose. As for the medusa, we're sticking together. Just because the Tents seem safe, that's no reason to let our guard down. Tallis, Captain Thul, hail and well met and welcome to our party. Your assistance will be most welcome. There is something we must think about, though," Kal says, turning back to Melethos. "Adamant, Belarin, Streko, Shorak, you, me," he says, ticking them off on his fingers, "that's 6. Kruthor said he could send six...maybe 7. If Tallis and Thul join us, that is 8. I can ask Tangat to stay with Sem, I suppose, though that filthy gnome is likely to corrupt him. We will not be able to take Histra with us, either," Kal says with a glance towards Belarin. "So...can we accept that?"

[Jeff]

Aug 23, 2017 15:34:09 GMT -4 Elvis said:

“Tallis says we’re friends now.” He says it as if the word itself tasted like bile.

Tallis chuckles at his seemingly elder companion's words. "Well, sure. When in doubt, pretend a vampire has dropped into your midst. The nearby body you don't try to impale is probably your friend."

"No," Tallis says to Kal. "I won't be joining. Just Thul."

The old orc comes up to Adamant, heedless of anyone else. Both his good and milky eye fix on the warforged. "Come this way, and any who wish to join you." Like Kruthor, he speaks slowly, and it seems to be a matter of age and of unhurried speech. "The medusas are guests from Droaam; I trust you will be respectful. Do not draw weapons before them."

He leads the way out of this camp and towards another, ignoring the soft rain. He doesn't pause to wait for anyone to decide who's coming along or not.

[Dave W.]

"Very well, let us all go then. But if I may, I would like to carry and present the scimitar."

"Captain, I am sorry to cut the introductions short," Adamant says to Thul, "I suppose you could come as well. We must pay respects to the sister of a fallen friend."

"We will be respectful." Adamant reassures the old orc as he sets out to follow him.

---

I honestly don't know who has the scimitar at this point. But Adamant will request the honor.
BTW, I'm going to be out of touch tonight... busy day.

[Jeff]

Seeing the group deciding which way to go at present (with Adamant to the medusa's tent or here a Kruthor's camp), Tallis quickly engages Thul so he can decide where to go, or not go. "I should get moving. We'll meet here when you're done." He looks up into the sky, and in that moment a splinter of lightning traces across the sky, followed by the predictable BOOM. He reaches to his belt and unhooks something.

"Take this. Might come in handy as a last-ditch effort." Tallis holds out gray metal rod that's slightly flattened, and Thul knows immediately what it is. Tallis has three of these and has employed them for all sorts of purposes. An Immovable Rod, he calls it. A simple, powerful, and utilitarian magic item, the sort that Thul can appreciate. When pressed, the buttom will bind the rod to a single position in space, mid-air, indefinitely. It can hold great amounts of weight, cannot be easily dislodged except by immense force, though simply engaging the button can "unlock" it again.

"Just don't lose it, if you can help it. Return it to me later."

---

Assuming Thul takes it, the Immovable Rod has been added to this inventory.

[Brian]

"My lord Captain," Melethos says to Thul. The tiefling's face is a mask of studied neutrality, implacable as stone. "If you will follow us, we will proceed to the medusas' encampment. The rain makes for a gray walk, but perhaps we can get brighten it by getting to know one another. Friends can be such...peculiarities of circumstance, right? We might as well take advantage of this circumstance." Melethos sets off after Adamant. After a few steps, he looks over his shoulder at Thul, who is now holding an odd, metal rod. "Coming along?"

[Joe]

"And please," Streko adds, "Do stay together. I suffer from extreme separation anxiety and would be most put out if one, or more, of us were to disappear. It's more stress than my tiny heart can bare." He begins laughing, then abruptly stops laughing. "No, seriously, let us all keep close. I dislike the thought of splitting up. We always end up suffering for it."
___________________________________________

Streko will follow along with the rest of the group, keeping close to Adamant now.

[Ken]

"Captain," Belarin says as he walks up to Thul, "when it comes to the Emerald Claw, my animosity creeps up to the level of a half-starved owlbear. I'm truly glad to make your acquaintance. Call me Belarin." He offers his hand in greeting.

Whether Thul shakes his hand or not, Belarin joins the others.

[Dave B.]

"Well met, Captain Thul. Any enemy of Krez is a friend to me." Shorak says. "Yes, let's go see Greshnaza's sister. I'm looking forward to meeting her." He adds as he moves to walk beside Adamant.

Shorak gave the scimitar to Melethos.

[Elvis]

Either by coincidence or by design, as Belarin extends his hand, Thul takes that moment to unsling his rucksack and carefully stow the rod, leaving him hanging.

The sound of the halflings voice irks Thul. His jaw clenches, but otherwise shows tremendous restraint as he ignores the Jorasco heir.

Thul let's slip a resigned sigh that does not escape anyones notice after being called 'lord'. Again.

Thul falls in behind the last of the adventurers as they set out looking for something something, blah blah blah...

[Darren]

Kal watches everyone greet Thul into their group, but he is less inviting, or perhaps less trusting. He doesn't quite like the way the man scowls. The thought makes Kal scowl. He sees the man hang near the back of the group, and moves to walk next to him, pushing the sleeve of his coat up as he does so, the winding tattoo of his dragonmark standing out stark on his forearm, glistening in the rain that falls and slicks Kal's arm. The long, curved blade of Kalarian's oversized Halfling war-scythe hangs over his shoulder and the leather straps and many buckles that surround his right leg creak with every slightly halting step. "Captain Thul, was it? Kaarnathi military? Where did you serve?"


___________________________
As Jeff already pointed out, Kal is also a Kaarn and that would probably be pretty obvious to someone from there.

[Elvis]

Thul looks at the tattoo and nods to himself as if confirming a suspicion, or making mental note of something.

"You're a long way from home, Deneith."

Unlike Tallis, Thul wasn't paying attention to names.

"Is there a reason we're trudging through the rain instead of heading up into it?"

[Darren]

Aug 23, 2017 23:27:45 GMT -4 Elvis said:

Thul looks at the tattoo and nods to himself as if confirming a suspicion, or making mental note of something.

"You're a long way from home, Deneith."

Unlike Tallis, Thul wasn't paying attention to names.

"Is there a reason we're trudging through the rain instead of heading up into it?"

"As are you, Captain," Kal responds, "and you're avoiding my question." Kal smiles. "Okay, I'll go first. We're trudging through the rain because Kruthor said he wasn't ready for us, yet, and because we have some business to attend to. I don't know how long you've been in Stormreach, but we've been here for a while and gotten up to a fair bit of trouble in the process. Most recently, we freed the sphinx, Llash-Tava, from imprisonment by Coin Lord Wylkes. We killed his undead medusa in the process, too. I can assure you, that did not make him too happy. Travel with us long enough, and you're certain to find out just how unhappy that made him." Kal shrugs. "Anyway, the 'forged up there, the big one, must've popped a rivet or something when we were fighting because he swears he talked to the spirit of the medusa after we killed her....killed her again?...after she was dealt with, and she asked him to bring that sword to her sister, who just happens to be here in the Tents. Convenient, isn't it?" Again Kal smiles.

"There, I played along. Your turn. Where did you serve, Captain, and for whom did you fight?"

[Elvis]

Thul listens with the intent to piece together exactly who Tallis has saddled him with.

"I'm an advisor to King Kaius."

He keeps careful watch around him as they meander through the tent city.

"As Karrns, do we ever stop serving?"

[Jeff]

Though Thul isn't saying much, from his appearance and voice, Kal can't help but feel like he's talking to some distant uncle of his who spent more time in the field than with family. Certainly Thul looks old enough to be an uncle, and nothing about him suggests a well-to-do upbringing.

The hike only amounts to about six tents' distance, but given that some of them are house-sized, this takes a few minutes. On the way, the orc says to Adamant, who walks at the front, though anyone up by him can hear the words, too. "If you are trusting, and an ally," the orc says, trying to be helpful about dealing with the medusa, "you have nothing to fear. You may even, and probably should, look at her. She will probably not return your gaze. You see, they can see through the snakes, though not as well." He rubs at his milky eye and shrugs. "Useful trick. You'll do fine, I'm sure."

When your group gets close, you see a tent-like pavilion that could easily house a dozen people comfortably that itself looks like many in this place. Positioned in the grass directly in front of it, almost in the way, is a strangely-shaped, slender grey menhir. Curiously, some leather has been draped across the base of the stone and you can't imagine why.

Standing between the tent opening and the menhir, looking as though he's talking to it, is a lean and muscular man who you at first assume is human. He stands naked to the waist, and strange tattoos swirl across his torso and bald head. But they do not resemble the designs of a dragonmark, and there is a light green-gray cast to his skin. If he wasn't so hairless, he'd have the build of a lithe half-orc, though he lacks the tusks as well. A yellow- and red-banded snake undulates in his arms.

The man spots your approaching party, turns, and walks into the tent like a sentry heading in to report your arrival.

Then the strangely placed standing stone moves.

And you see it's not a menhir at all, but a man with stone-colored skin wearing only a leather kilt. He turns and rises to his feet. Towering twelve feet, the stone giant looks down at you and says nothing. His face looks like a rock carved in the perfect likeness of a human's, though much larger. He leans down and grasps what at first looked like a log for sitting but is, in fact, a smoothly-carved human-sized club.

The giant, twice Adamant's height, just stares at him. There's something unsettling about stone giants that is absent in the hill giants you've met. The hill giants are broad but homely somehow. The stone giants are thin and aloof. Maybe they stand too still to seem real.

[Brian]

Melethos cranes his neck to look up at the stone giant. If the sun were out, the tiefling would be standing in the giant's shadow. "Impressive," he says, then turns to Adamant. He holds out Greshnaza's scimitar. "I think this next part is yours alone."

[Darren]

Aug 24, 2017 0:11:00 GMT -4 Elvis said:

Thul listens with the intent to piece together exactly who Tallis has saddled him with.

"I'm an advisor to King Kaius."

He keeps careful watch around him as they meander through the tent city.

"As Karrns, do we ever stop serving?"

Kal stops for a step when he hears Thul's response, then hops ahead to keep pace with the man. "An adviser? Well..." Kal seems impressed. "Do you still have his ear? Is that why you are here?"

[Elvis]

"You talk a lot."

Thul stops suddenly as he see the stone giant rear upwards.

His axe remains slung over his shoulder.

"Are your blademarks capable?" He asked as he pays more attention to his surroundings.

[Darren]

Aug 24, 2017 11:24:21 GMT -4 Elvis said:

"You talk a lot."

"Oh, it's kept me alive this long," Kal says. He runs a hand across the sharrash blade, a trail of sparks dancing behind it. "Not that there aren't alternatives, when necessary."

Aug 24, 2017 11:24:21 GMT -4 Elvis said:

Thul stops suddenly as he see the stone giant rear upwards.
His axe remains slung over his shoulder.
"Are your blademarks capable?" He asked as he pays more attention to his surroundings.

"Quite," he answers, also looking up at the giant. "Still, I don't think we have anything to fear from this one. Now, if you want to have a really interesting conversation, try talking with a dragon. I highly recommend it...."

[Elvis]

Aug 24, 2017 12:40:21 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Oh, it's kept me alive this long," Kal says. He runs a hand across the sharrash blade, a trail of sparks dancing behind it. "Not that there aren't alternatives, when necessary."

"Noted."

Thul looks for a place he can wait for the others to finish their task.

If there are trees or foliage nearby (Or the nearest equivalent that takes him out of immediate notice in the clearing.). Thul lifts the hood of his stormcoat and backs into its shadowy embrace.

[Darren]

Kal shrugs as he looks at Thul's back while the other man walks away. He moves to stand next to Melethos and Belarin, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the newcomer. "That one's not much of a talker," he says to them. "Still, I found out that he's apparently got the ear of the Karrnathi king. Or, at least, he had it. So that's something. In any event, he looks like he can handle himself in a fight."

[Jeff]

Around here the trees are a bit scattered, so Thul just chooses one within easy sight of the medusa's tent. When he puts his hood up and stands up against it, he actually seems to catch a few more glances from passers by—possibly because there's a sense of commonwealth and trade and movement among the Tents, even in the rain, and someone standing alone breaks the pattern. But no one bothers him.

For now.

But Starg also lingers outside, having had no contact with Greshnaza and therefore nothing to add to this errand. The old minotaur seems, like the ogres, orcs, and giants, unbothered by the rain except when it's severe. A constant drizzle seems fine to him and he doesn't try to shield his head. He does glance from time to time at Thul, but when they meet eyes, he merely inclines his head politely.

Starg is nearly eight feet in height including his horns, and his hide of brown fur is flecked with white, especially around his head, indicative of his age. He also wears a robe-like garment of white, and his general lack of weapons suggests he's a spellcaster—which Thul has never seen before. He has fought a few minotaurs in his day, though. Late in the Last War, enemy forces were at times bolstered by Tharashk mercenaries—in competition with House Deneith's—and those often included a handful if Droaam-born minotaurs. Brutal warriors fighting with the savagery if not finesse or smart tactics. Yet this one, Starg, looks like a scholar of his kind. Even in this group, he tends to stand aloof and not fraternize as freely as the others. It's unclear what his relationship is with them. The tiefling, despite his horns and tail, seems more at ease with the humans.

---

A few thoughts:

- My assumption is that Kal's Blademarks have not been retrieved from where Kal had them wait. So they're still there. They will, of course, not be able to join Kal skyward, but he can command them to await in the Tents for a reasonable amount of time.

- It might be helpful if each of you, in your next post, provides a brief physical description of your character again (it's been a while anyway!), clothing, and armor. To help Elvis get a fresh visual on your guys.

- FYI, in case any of you have followed any of WotC's recent products like Storm King's Thunder campaign book, or Volo's Guide to Monsters, while I'm taking some cultural ideas from these books, I'm definitely not following their Realms-specific flavor. Eberron has its own take on giants.

[Elvis]

Thul studies the odd minotaur from hooded shadowed eyes.

Thul is tall and lean. His hair is hacked short with a unkempt beard. Scars criss-cross his face like lattice work.

His Karrnathi Officer issue Stormcoat is well-worn, but any rank insignia is long gone. Underneath he wears studded leather and heavy boots. He carries a rucksack and an axe slung over his shoulders, and a large military knife sheathed on his hip. His hands are a mess of acid burned scar tissue and scorch marks.

A pirate or brigand would be a likely guess.