Chapter 19: Endless Nights

[Darren]

"Alright," Kal says, leaning his staff against his shoulder and placing a hand on each of his friend's shoulders. "We're getting out of here. All of us." The dragonmark on Kal's arm burns so brightly that it must be burning his skin. Sweat beads on his forehead and as he channels more and more of the energies that his draconic blood has granted to him. The air around them seems to shimmer in Kal's vision, but he closes his eyes against it, concentrating harder than he ever has before. Melethos and Adamant both feel their entire beings lighten, as though with a step they could take to the air. Kal opens his eyes, but his words come through clenched teeth. "I have granted us the ability to fly," he says to the other two men. "I will teleport Calitraia to the deck. When we get there, I'll let you know, and then you follow through the mist here. If, for some reason, you cannot make it, I'll return for you."

With a final squeeze of his friends' shoulders, he lets go of them and grabs at his staff. He holds out his other hand to Calitraia. "Let's get you back," he says.

____________________
Okay, here goes.

Kal will use his last 5th level slot to cast Fly on himself, Adamant, and Melethos.

He will then use one of his 4th level slots to cast Dimension Door on himself and Calitraia and take them back onto the deck of the phantom ship (unless it's possible to Dimension Door all the way back to the Dragonfly, and then we want to do that).

[Joe]

Streko takes in a deep breath and looks at Shorak with concern. "Are you okay? Why do you suggest we do next? Do we jump into the Six know what or do we wait here and pretend our friends don't need us, if they are even still alive? Belarin! Histra! We need to discuss our next actions! It appears as if our group has fallen back to our old ways of splitting up!"

[Dave B.]

Shorak watches Kal jump into the hole and turns towards the rigging, checking every rope and grabbing any that look usable. "Look for rope is what I'm going to do." He tells Streko, "If I have to, I will tie as many together as necessary to drop down to those that have gone through that hole of green vapor." Then he gets an idea. He looks up to where they came onto this bizarre ship. "Kurra!" He calls out. "If you can hear me, we need rope, several long lengths. Maybe you can drop some down to us?" Not waiting for a reply, Shorak continues looking through the ropes on this ship, but also listens, with scant hope for ropes dropping from above.

[Jeff]

Streko calls out and moves towards Belarin and Histra, while Shorak searches the riggings for servicable rope. He's not liking the state of the rope that he does find. He can gather enough of it to make into a long stretch, but isn't confident about its strength.

Below, Kal holds out his hand toward Calirataia. She looks up at the Deneith heir. "Hello, Kalarian," she says softly. "I am sorry to have troubled all of you."

After invoking two powerful spells, Kal feels himself and Calirataia passing instantly through the Astral Plane . . . and stand again on the deck of the haunted ship. At least there is more light, lifeless though it feels, and more of his friends. Beside him, the dryad leans heavily on Kal and his staff to try to stand.

Melethos and Adamant are now looking at one another, both now possessing the power of flight. They hear something deeper in the hold, well beyond the edge of the paladin's light. Then they actually feel some kind of shift in the level of the ground, like something heavy moving around enough to make the ship itself wobble slightly.

[Dave W.]

When Kal disappears with the exhausted dryad, Adamant softly responds, "good."

He turns to the tiefling, "We stay together and keep moving, right? The fiend may be waiting in the space between here and the top, we don't engage... agreed?"

Adamant puts a hand on Melethos' shoulder, "My brother," he starts with nervousness, "have I ever mentioned I have a very solid fear of flying?"

---

Addy's ready to go, he'll stay with Mel. Brain can narrate from here. (I pass the talking stick... or whatever)

[Ken]

"KAL!" exclaims Belarin as he says Kalarian and Calirataia appears close by. He rushes over to them. "Are you all right? Where's the demon?"

[Darren]

Kal breathes heavily. He doesn't let go of Calitraia, and holds up a finger to Belarin. We're back on deck. Get up here as fast as you can. We'll keep things clear. Let me know if you need assistance.

"They're alive," he says to those around them. "I've granted them the ability to fly. I didn't see the fiend. I don't know where it is, but I'm worried. Be ready for anything. And keep me alive. If I lose my concentration, our friends will fall...."

[Brian]

Jan 12, 2021 9:25:09 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Melethos and Adamant are now looking at one another, both now possessing the power of flight. They hear something deeper in the hold, well beyond the edge of the paladin's light. Then they actually feel some kind of shift in the level of the ground, like something heavy moving around enough to make the ship itself wobble slightly.

Jan 12, 2021 10:25:46 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

He turns to the tiefling, "We stay together and keep moving, right? The fiend may be waiting in the space between here and the top, we don't engage... agreed?"

Adamant puts a hand on Melethos' shoulder, "My brother," he starts with nervousness, "have I ever mentioned I have a very solid fear of flying?"

Jan 12, 2021 11:25:12 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal breathes heavily. He doesn't let go of Calitraia, and holds up a finger to Belarin. We're back on deck. Get up here as fast as you can. We'll keep things clear. Let me know if you need assistance.

Melethos turns to look behind him. "Shit. That's what I was worried about." He turns back to face Adamant. "Kal and the dryad made it. Time to go." He smiles when the warforged discusses his fear of flying. "You have. But I think your fear of dying may be stronger. Come, follow me."

Melethos leads Adamant to the edge of the green vapor, then jumps, using his temporary flying ability to sail up (hopefully) to the ghost ship's mail deck, making sure Adamant follows.

[Ken]

"Histra says that the demon can only recover by absorbing the undead on this ship," says Belarin to Kal. "If we're able to take rest and heal ourselves, we'll have a big advantage."

[Jeff]

Histra looks at Calirataia, and takes the dryad's hand, trying to guide her back down to sit. "Stay down, rest . . . Calirataia." Histra seldom says the dryad's name, generally seeming uncomfortable with fey creatures. "The fiend is most interested in you; there is a reason you are not dead. Let us discover it."

Calirataia is compliant, and sits. She places her head between her knees, resting somewhat. But her eyes are open, and she stares into nothing.

Histra moves to be closer to Kal and Belarin. "The wraith can spy for us, and I can see what it sees." She pauses. "No, the gaunt cannot absorb what it did not create. I believe it has to kill and spawn its own undead to heal; unless it already has other allies below. What did you see down there, Kalarian? Describe it."

[Darren]

"I was only down there for a moment," Kal says, "but there are a lot of bodies down there. Or at least, skeletons. Piles of them. And I think it's an extra-planar pocket of some kind. I didn't fall. I just....moved....from up here to down there." Kal shakes his head. "If this creature feeds on the undead, that may have been its storeroom. I think we need to get back to the Dragonfly as soon as possible and close this portal between our ships." Kal looks over at Relawyn. "What's with her?"

Looking over at Shorak, Kal nods towards the fallen mages. "Those staves of theirs. Are they still there? They may be of some value to us."

[Dave W.]

Jan 12, 2021 11:36:02 GMT -4 Brian said:

Melethos leads Adamant to the edge of the green vapor, then jumps, using his temporary flying ability to sail up (hopefully) to the ghost ship's mail deck, making sure Adamant follows.

Adamant keeps pace with Melethos, always staying within a quick reach. Though he makes some grinding sounds along the way.

---

just in case it wasn't clear

[Jeff]

Kal looks around; the two water-mage staffs are lying in puddles of water, though both look withered indeed.

Elsewhere, Melethos and then Adamant rise up into the green mist, hoping it works like a shaft right back to where they'd come down.

But visibility is poor, and Melethos quickly realizes after a short distance there is a wooden ceiling so he must halt and try to go another direction; it seems to go all directions. Maybe can he find fresh air somewhere. Adamant comes up beside him. Both tiefling and warforged feel their energy under assault.

First Constitution saving throw needed for both Melethos and Adamant. Adaman't bonus can help.

Then give me a Perception or Arcana check, whichever is better for you, to try to navigate through the miasma. Both can make this roll.

[Brian]

Melethos: 1D20+10 → 13(3 + 10)#Constitution Saving Throw

Melethos: 1D20+6 → 20(14 + 6)#Intelligence (Arcana) Check

[Dave W.]

dlw32: 1D20+5 → 18(13 + 5)#CON save
dlw32: 1D20+2 → 18(16 + 2)#Perception

[Jeff]

Both Melethos and Adamant fight the life-draining power with all their might. They try to stay close to one another, affording greater protection, seeking a way through this maze of . . . whatever it is. The vapor obscures their view of the space, but it's beginning to feel like they're flying cautiously through a shipwreck that's somehow not submerged. Floors and walls present themselves, with more gaping holes in the wood. And yet both Melethos and Adamant have seen enough to understand that this isn't natural. It's magical, it's planar.

Following instincts more than anything else, they soon spot a break in the miasma and make for it. Yes, it's a hole to the top . . . hopefully! But the seconds rolling past while they navigate the fog tugs at them more.

Good rolls, gents. Both successful Con saves. And that second roll ensured you only need one more Con saving throw... Have at it! One more.

[Brian]

Melethos: 1D20+10 → 27(17 + 10)#Constitution Saving Throw

[Dave W.]

dlw32: 1D20+5 → 13(8 + 5)#CON save

[Dave B.]

Shorak stops dealing with the ropes when Kal appears with Calirataia and hears that Adamant and Melthos are flying back up.

He looks down at what's left of the staves. "They look like rotted branches to me. If they have any value, someone else may want to examine them." He looks around at everyone. "So, are we resting or should we get a head start on getting out of here?" Shorak looks back up to the point where they originally entered this...whatever this is. "I personally would rather not stay here any longer than we have to."

[Darren]

"Just wait," Kal says. "We need to make sure Adamant and Melethos get back out. I'll go back for them if I need to. But that thing may show up any moment and we need to make sure Adamant and Melethos have a clear path out."

_________________
Before I forget, Kal will recover his rope.

[Joe]

Streko sees Kal and Cal appear and his heart rejoices. He races to stand by their side. "Kalarian! Are the others okay? Can you hear them?"

He then notices how absolutely drained the dryad looks. "Is there anything I can do to help you, Calirataia?"
_______________________________________________

Streko will wait to hear from both dryad and Histra before attempting anything. He knows not to cross strong women.

[Jeff]

Calirataia briefly opens her eyes at Streko's question. She smiles faintly at him. "I would like some rest, sweet Streko," she says and then closes her eyes again. "Tell Adamant I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Melethos and Adamant continue to push through the labyrinth they've found themselves in. Instinct and desperation drive them, and though they feel their bodies wanting to stop and just take some rest, they go on . . .

Until Melethos leads them both up and out again. They emerge, still flying, from one of the great holes in the upper deck! The others are close by. Everyone looks battered but alive!

The tiefling and warforged are quick also to notice the hovering shade of the wraith, and not far from it, the woman Relwalyn, no longer appearing as a rotting corpse. She stands calmly at present, disinterested in everything.

Shorak is looking down at one of the thin remains of the wizards' staffs.

Histra, meanwhile, is all business, even though she looks more tired than anyone—except, perhaps, Calirataia. "Melethos, Adamant. Did you see the fiend? I believe it seeks rest and healing. Can we achieve the same?"

[Brian]

Melethos smiles as he breaks free of the miasma, finding himself floating above the deck of the ghost ship. He allows his body to drop, feet spread apart, one hand on the ground to keep his balance.*

He stands... and sees everyone standing, even sitting, and talking.

"What are you doing?" He's not shouting, but his voice can be heard clearly and strongly. "Get up to the Dragonfly!" He gives Kal an incredulous look, as if he'd been betrayed, then turns to Histra. "The fiend? My lady, the fiend isn't the worst foe on this ship. Something massive is following us. It's movements rocked the ship! Now, all of you, MOVE!"

______________________________________

*Marvel Superhero Landing!

[Jeff]

Histra stalks over toward Melethos. "I would be very surprised if there's a conveniently marked door out of here. This ship is like a demiplane, and that fiend, a Mabarian gaunt, is the only door." She gestures up. "The Dragonfly is not in the sky anymore."

She turns to face the rest of you. "Remember when the spirits first appeared. Like phantasms, they could not become real to us unless we engaged them. We did, so they attacked."

"By whatever means this creature took the dryad . . . but we have all come down willingly into this place." She stomps one boot on the deck. "So now we're here. It is real now. The gaunt is the maker of this realm. Destroying it is the only way out. You may pursue other means, Melethos, but you will be wasting your energy. I counsel you to save it for battle."

[Darren]

Kal holds up a hand to forestall Melethos. "We were waiting to ensure your safe arrival," he says. Kal's exhaustion is clear in his voice. "But if what Histra says is true, we may have no choice but to fortify our position here until the fiend returns." Kal looks up. "While my power holds, let us do some reconnaissance." Kal takes to the sky, first flying up towards the crow's nest down which they all descended.

_____________________
Kal's suggestion is that he, Melethos, and Adamant fly up and look around from above just to make sure they're seeing everything there is to see both above and below. Not sure if any kind of check is relevant.

[Dave W.]

Adamant lands, stumbles, falls to his knees and ends slamming both palms on the phantom deck*. “Well, that was horrifying.”

He stands up and moves over to Calirataia and Streko. “There was not much I could do, I think she will recover with rest but it may take a good deal of timie.” He gently touches the dryad and simply says “rest now. We will get back home soon.”

“Perhaps we should all do the same.”

---

* Not quite the Marvel Superhero Landing
Greater Restoration would relieve one level of exhaustion, so she would need 5 castings to be back to normal. I don’t think that makes sense just now...

[Brian]

Melethos glances up when Histra mentions the Dragonfly is gone. He shakes his head, his nostrils flaring as he draws in a breath. Then he refocuses his attention on Histra.

"Very well, my lady. I have learned to respect you and your counsel. I don't know how long we have, nor do I fully comprehend who our enemies will be, but for now we will prepare." To the others, he calls out, "Rest if you can. Recover as best as time will allow. And listen as I tell you what I know."

Melethos removes his waterskin and takes a drink. "I found the source of the green vapor. It rises from the skeleton of a great dragon. Its remains stretched from hull to hull. And before it lay a hoard of bodies. Dozens of bodies. But that's not all. Between the great skeleton and the corpses stood four large stone pillars, each one topped with a large head, like that of an ogre. It looked as if each head had been impaled by one of the pillars. As I approached, I had a increasing sense of danger, of foreboding. To me, it looked like a temple of some sort. That's why I believe the fiend intended the dryad as a sacrifice, to add her bodies to the ones I saw.

"Behind the skeleton, I saw more of the hold, but I couldn't see far enough to tell what, if anything, hid back there. But the sense of danger, of evil, coming from that temple was greater than what I'd experienced on this ship. Calitraia was intended as a sacrifice. What I fear is a sacrifice to what.

"Before Adamant and I left, something approached from behind us. We couldn't see it, but its movements rocked the ship. The decks shifted beneath our feet. I do not think the fiend--the lady called it what, a gaunt?--was large enough to do that."

He finally takes a breath. "I know not if whatever I sensed can leave that hold. I pray to the gods it can't. But we must be prepared."

"My lady Histra," he says the necromancer, "do you have any more advice?"

[Jeff]

Histra sighs. "I do not know everything about this place. But I have spoken with her." She gestures toward the figure of Relwalyn, who still looks like a living person who just happens to be standing eerily still. "And I have studied Mabar. My sense is that Long Shadows will end, and that we need to kill the gaunt before that happens. I do not think we are fully within Mabar, but we are within this being's domain. I do not know what will happen when the Endless Night is no longer coterminous with Eberron. I would rather we not be here then."

She looks around at the party. "Let us take an hour or two, and no more. And then we find it, if we can. Or it may find us first. We must be ready."

Kal ascends into the air, alone for now as Melethos and Adamant are still talking and listening, and rises well over a hundred feet in the air above the deck, aiming for the platform akin to a crow's nest. By the time he reaches that height, he has returned to the fog and can't even the ship itself any more. Only the masts and the decaying sails. There is only endless cloudlike gray here. No sign of Kurra or Sem or the hold of the Dragonfly.

It occurs to him, quite grimly, that he cannot even feel Tangat's presence in his mind. He could use the dog's cold nose and warm body right now. The planar boundary seems real enough.

---

Okay, peace out (for a day and a half).

[Darren]

Kal retrurns to the deck. "It seems our way out is barred, just as Histra said." Kal frowns. "I suppose we are here for the moment and so I will yield to Histra's counsel. Let us gather any information we can from Relawyn while we regather our strength."

_____________
Not that it will especially help him, but Kal is good with the short rest now if it helps everyone else.

[Brian]

"Very well," Melethos says. "We rest up. Everyone, keep your eyes open. Shout out if you see or hear anything."

______________________________

I'm good with a short rest attempt.