Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 26, 2021 8:24:31 GMT -4
Shorak accepts the bundle of tiny bolts. "Thank you, very much." He says to Huru. Looking down at the dwarf in the boat below, Shorak calls "Thanks and what kind of wallop?" He asks. The Kundarak dwarf just gives a mock but friendly salute, and says nothing else. Huru bids everyone a farewell, and drops down to the boat. The boat starts across toward the Asperii. "Ready?" Brack says to Kurra, and it's clear he is referring to the Dragonfly going full sail. "Aye, captain." Melethos points at the map. "We should stay south of Tharkgun Dhak and avoid the ogres, then proceed up the north arm of the Hydra. That area seems best whether we decided to go north around the Fangs or straight west through them." "What north arm?" Brack asks, unsure of Melethos's meaning. Kal nods. "Alright. I think Melethos has the right idea. Captain, you know these waters...where is the best place to set us down?" The shifter grunts. "There's no one clear 'best,' Kal. And it may be worth thinking about where your friends and, uhh, rivals will also land." He walks over and looks at Sem's map, where the red-glowing illusionary line still lingers. You see these two spots?" He taps a long-nailed finger near the source of two tributaries are (the blue circles in the map below). Those are the farthest places I can take you. Two great waterfalls, ringed by cliffs. If you're going west, that's your way up. Highlands toward the mountains. There are stairs carved into the cliffs to go up on foot—" "The Ferdspan!" Sem says with some excitement. "Or 'Stairs of the Journey.' The Wet Stairs. The Precipitous Climb." He grins. "It has a lot of names." "Aye, made by giants," Brack goes on. "Fairly safe. But no ship can mount those falls—not even Lyrandar ships. The only way to avoid those stairs is to go ashore here." Brack taps the river near Tharkgun Dhak. "It's a smoother hike west from there, but if you want to avoid that old ruin and its ogres... well, that's the only way. If you go ashore anywhere else, you've got dense jungle to push through just to clear the tributaries." The shifter starts up the sterncastle stairs to claim the wheel. "You've got a few days to decide. Let's get started, aye?" Now the Asperii's sails go taught, and you can see an intensity in the glow of the galleon's elemental tower. Mischief suddenly swoops overhead, squawking. "Farewell, farewell!" the bird croaks. Attachments:
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Brian
Melethos (tiefling)
Melethos
Posts: 5,085
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Post by Brian on Apr 26, 2021 11:29:43 GMT -4
Melethos points at the map. "We should stay south of Tharkgun Dhak and avoid the ogres, then proceed up the north arm of the Hydra. That area seems best whether we decided to go north around the Fangs or straight west through them." "What north arm?" Brack asks, unsure of Melethos's meaning. Melethos tries hard not to roll his eyes and points to the map. "The upper tributary, I suppose is the more correct name. That is what I meant." After the meeting breaks up, with no real resolution yet, Melethos takes up his position at the bow, maintaining his watch for enemies.
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 26, 2021 11:39:28 GMT -4
Histra calls Belarin over. "If you will speak with the dead," she says, indicating the body. "Do so before nightfall." She loosens the cloth around the head so that it can be pulled down to better communicate.
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Darren
Kalarian d'Deneith (human)
Kalarian
Posts: 7,310
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Post by Darren on Apr 26, 2021 12:08:54 GMT -4
"What north arm?" Brack asks, unsure of Melethos's meaning. Melethos tries hard not to roll his eyes and points to the map. "The upper tributary, I suppose is the more correct name. That is what I meant." After the meeting breaks up, with no real resolution yet, Melethos takes up his position at the bow, maintaining his watch for enemies. Kal walks over to stand by Melethos. He waves Sem over to join them. "What do you think? I feel like the waterfall is our best route."
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
Posts: 5,691
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Post by Ken on Apr 26, 2021 14:10:59 GMT -4
Histra calls Belarin over. "If you will speak with the dead," she says, indicating the body. "Do so before nightfall." She loosens the cloth around the head so that it can be pulled down to better communicate. "Let me check with the others on what this idiot said while we was alive," says Belarin. Over the next few minutes, he talks to Melethos, Kal, and Streko, gathering the details of their discussion with the captive. When finished, he says ( and perhaps just to Melethos and Kal, since they're currently together), "All right, so summing up... Ulad was calm, confident, intelligent, arrogant, and dismissive of anything involving the dragonmarked Houses. And he possessed abilities that 'traditional' magic couldn't counter. Did you offer to trade him for Thul? Because that would have seemed like an upgrade." He considers for a few moments. "I'm going to talk to him now. Feel free to sit in if you'd like." The warlock walks back over to Histra and the corpse, and he sits down in a cross-legged position on the deck. He pulls back the cloth, revealing Ulam's face. He takes his pact dagger and touches the point of it to his forehead - drawing the tiniest bead of blood - and then against Ulam's mouth. Those who have previously seen Belarin communicate with the dead realize that this is a new part of the warlock's invocation. "With my blade and as I bled," he says, "let's find out what's been left unsaid. Hello, Ulam." _______________________________ Belarin invokes Whispers of the Grave.
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 26, 2021 14:46:52 GMT -4
Melethos tries hard not to roll his eyes and points to the map. "The upper tributary, I suppose is the more correct name. That is what I meant." After the meeting breaks up, with no real resolution yet, Melethos takes up his position at the bow, maintaining his watch for enemies. Kal walks over to stand by Melethos. He waves Sem over to join them. "What do you think? I feel like the waterfall is our best route." "I think that's probably best. There may be even more than one path on the stairs. Which is good news, if we expect to be following the route taken by the Twelve's expedition or any other's. We'll have to be wary of traps laid by our enemies. Hopefully not all of them." The warlock walks back over to Histra and the corpse, and he sits down in a cross-legged position on the deck. He pulls back the cloth, revealing Ulam's face. He takes his pact dagger and touches the point of it to his forehead - drawing the tiniest bead of blood - and then against Ulam's mouth. Those who have previously seen Belarin communicate with the dead realize that this is a new part of the warlock's invocation. "With my blade and as I bled," he says, "let's find out what's been left unsaid. Hello, Ulam." _______________________________ Belarin invokes Whispers of the Grave.The dead man's face is disturbingly calm. Pale, hairless, but young and somehow still handsome. But still very, very dead. The cloth drawn back from the head is just enough to show Belarin that the man wears no shirt; moreover, a thick, round wound at the base of the throat appears to have been the mortal wound. Like a very thick spear was plunged in. But the dead man's keepers must have done a basic clean-up job as there is not a lot of gore surrounding the great wound now. The eyelids slide open as Belarin's invocation begins, and Histra stirs at this. "Good," she murmurs. Then the mouth opens; no breath escapes yet. The corpse is poised to speak.
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Darren
Kalarian d'Deneith (human)
Kalarian
Posts: 7,310
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Post by Darren on Apr 26, 2021 15:45:20 GMT -4
Kal watches Belarin begin his incantation and motions Melethos and Sem. "I'm going to go see what happens," he says, walking over to stand near the warlock and watch.
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Post by Dave B. on Apr 26, 2021 20:35:10 GMT -4
Shorak goes over to Kurra, if she is still on deck. If not he will seek her out below. "Sorry to trouble you more, but..." Here he holds out the two gold bolts. "Could you add these to the multitude of items you are identifying for us?" He smiles apologetically. He adds the other bolts to his supply.
Shorak shivers slightly at Belarin's announcement that he is going to speak with the dead man. "Have fun. I'm going back up to the crow's nest to keep watch. I can't shake the feeling that we haven't seen the last of that serpent." Shorak climbs back up to his post to do just what he said. He gives a wave goodbye to the watcher in the crow's nest of the Asperii, before they get too far away and then goes back to his watch.
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
Posts: 5,691
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Post by Ken on Apr 26, 2021 20:40:30 GMT -4
Seeing Kal approach, Belarin says to his friend, "I'm going to use what you told me to our advantage - I hope."
Again directing his attention to the corpse, he commands, "Ulam, what did you expect to happen to your spirit upon your death?"
_______________
Question 1 of 5.
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Joe
Streko Tavven (halfling)
Streko
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Post by Joe on Apr 26, 2021 20:44:35 GMT -4
Streko approaches Belarin. "His name was Ulad, not Ulam. You might get better results if he knows he is being spoken to." Streko smiles. "I will listen in and either confirm or deny the truth of what he has said. Lady Histra, would a zone of truth work as well here as it did there in keeping lies from escaping him? If so, I can accommodate that if you wish." ___________________________________________________
Streko will cast Zone of Truth if Histra believes it will help, otherwise, he stands and listens with great curiosity.
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 27, 2021 7:17:49 GMT -4
Histra hushes Streko. "Your magic may compel the living, even the unliving, but not the dead," she whispers. Again directing his attention to the corpse, he commands, "Ulam, what did you expect to happen to your spirit upon your death?" Question 1 of 5.A voice issues from the body; the vocal cords must have been pulped by the mortal wound, that no air is drawn in or expelled; the voice those gathered near hear sounds bodiless. The lips still move. "I believe I will merge with the Great Darkness and not be consumed by it, as all who resist it must." Meanwhile, you feel the wind catching the now-raised sales of the Dragonfly. The voyage continues.
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
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Post by Ken on Apr 27, 2021 9:23:59 GMT -4
Belarin nods at Streko, then he says to the corpse, "Ulad, the amazing fog that surrounds your ship - what is the process of its creation?"
_____________________________
Question #2.
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 27, 2021 10:22:09 GMT -4
"It is the will of the il-altas that the actions of their servants be veiled when passing among the unenlightened. Their will makes it so."
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
Posts: 5,691
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Post by Ken on Apr 27, 2021 11:46:44 GMT -4
Belarin raises his eyebrow at this, and shares a look with Histra and Kalarian. He says to the corpse, "Wha abilities have the ... il-altas given to their servants?"
_________________
Question #3.
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Dave W.
Adamant (Warforged)
Adamant
Posts: 4,643
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Post by Dave W. on Apr 27, 2021 14:08:36 GMT -4
Adamant stands beside Calirataia and tries to distract her from the questioning and thoughts of what will come later. "So I have been thinking about…" he touches the scar on his chest plate, "this. And your thoughts and the thoughts of others have been mingling with my own. I think I have come to a decision." "Now, of course, I will always bear Cyre with me, but I no longer feel the need to display that so forcefully. Front and center as it were. But if I am to have a device etched on me, I would still like for it to reference me… but maybe the brighter parts of me if you will." "So what do I like? Well, the sun rising in the morning of course. It is my favorite time of day and, well," he scratches his bald head, like a servant about to offer an opinion beyond his station, "I would be pleased if people were reminded that no matter how dark the past has been, brighter times are coming if you stand fast." "So something like this." On one of the sheets of paper Kura had given him, he scribes a stylized sun peeking over the horizon with 4 rays of light. "I'm a poor artist, forgive me." "But I don't think that's enough. So then I brought out the happiest memory I can recall. During Streko's magnificent feast there was the moment where you made ivy grow on me. You remember? The joy of it was intoxicating." "So, and now I will doubly apologize," he scribbles several vines under the sun, supporting it, and continuing up the sides as if embracing it. A few flowers appear under his pen. Showing the page to the dryad, "Please tell me if it is too much. If you look past the artist's quality I feel it offers Hope and Life."
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 27, 2021 14:09:38 GMT -4
Histra opens her mouth to interject softly, but the dead man speaks. "The powers of the il-altas are limitless," the corpse says.
"Avoid asking vague or open-ended questions of the dead," Histra says quietly.
Yet the dead lips part again and say, "And Ulad will punish those who defy her with such powers."
Sem looks at the others standing around, and whispers, "Her?"
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Brian
Melethos (tiefling)
Melethos
Posts: 5,085
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Post by Brian on Apr 27, 2021 14:22:57 GMT -4
Melethos approaches where Belarin questions the dead Ulad. He hears mention of darkness and il-altas and power. But it is Belarin's third question that catches Melethos's attention.
"Ulad will?" he says softly, then looks at Histra. "Do the dead often speak as if they live?"
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 27, 2021 14:32:27 GMT -4
"Yes," Histra answers Melethos quietly. "Just as the dead can only answer with what they knew in life. That is normal. But it is not common for the animus, the animated spirit, to speak in the third person."
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 27, 2021 16:22:30 GMT -4
Shorak goes over to Kurra, if she is still on deck. If not he will seek her out below. "Sorry to trouble you more, but..." Here he holds out the two gold bolts. "Could you add these to the multitude of items you are identifying for us?" He smiles apologetically. He adds the other bolts to his supply. Kurra just accepts the two golden bolts, tucks them into one of her manifold pockets, and says, "You'll surely need to remind me at some point. My to-do list needs its own Bag of Holding." She gives him a good-natured, but hard, clap on his arm, and walks off. When he's back in the crow's nest, Shorak renews his sentry duty. "So I have been thinking about…" he touches the scar on his chest plate, "this. And your thoughts and the thoughts of others have been mingling with my own. I think I have come to a decision." . . . Please tell me if it is too much. If you look past the artist's quality I feel it offers Hope and Life." Calirataia turns to look at Adamant's sketches. First she smiles at him and his work, then he sees her eyes watering. "I do not like being reminded you will be leaving this ship soon." It strikes him that the dryad never wipes away her tears. He has seen this many times with humans, half-elves, and halflings, who are easily embarrassed by expressions of strong emotion, and are quick to hide it. Calirataia shows no such shame, as two tears trace down her brown cheeks. But she also masters herself, allowing the air to dry her face. "I am pleased I have made such an impression on you, Adamant. I would be happy to assist with the design, if it is something Kurra will do. I would not alter your idea, though. It is yours. It is pure." Attachments:
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
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Post by Ken on Apr 27, 2021 18:57:35 GMT -4
Belarin follows up on Histra's comment to Melethos. "In a way," he says softly, "he doesn't know he's dead. He has no consciousness, just memories of life."
He says to Ulad, "Her enemies are strong - stronger than you. With what weapons could you and your crew possibly destroy them?"
___________
Question #4.
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Joe
Streko Tavven (halfling)
Streko
Posts: 3,518
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Post by Joe on Apr 27, 2021 20:25:35 GMT -4
Streko tugs on Belarin's arm and whispers into his ear, "I would like to know what their plans are for us and how they would try to defeat us when they return. Please ask him this."
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Post by Dave B. on Apr 27, 2021 20:41:00 GMT -4
As the sails billow out and the Dragonfly picks up speed, Shorak takes a moment to enjoy the increasing wind. He raises his face to the moving air, letting his silver-white hair to billow behind him, a satisfied smile on his face. "This is what I like most about water travel." He sighs to himself. "But, I miss the feel of the land under my feet. Soon, I will be walking on land agian. I hope I don't tire of it and start missing sea travel. That would be ironic." He chuckles to himself.
He indulges in his joy of the wind for only a few seconds and then goes back to his duties. Continuing to scan the waters around them and the shorelines of the river. Occassionally, he raises the spyglass to the mountain range as they now are moving much faster towards the 'Fangs'.
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
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Post by Ken on Apr 27, 2021 23:40:33 GMT -4
Belarin whispers back, "That's what I just did, Good Streko." He winks.
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 28, 2021 8:47:02 GMT -4
He says to Ulad, "Her enemies are strong - stronger than you. With what weapons could you and your crew possibly destroy them?" ___________ Question #4."Opposition to the il-altas is an illusion," the corpse answers. "The Path of Inspiration is the only path to avoid destruction or subjugation." Histra sits back, disappointment on her face. "The dead will not make comprehensive lists," she murmurs.
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Brian
Melethos (tiefling)
Melethos
Posts: 5,085
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Post by Brian on Apr 28, 2021 9:19:07 GMT -4
"Yes," Histra answers Melethos quietly. "Just as the dead can only answer with what they knew in life. That is normal. But it is not common for the animus, the animated spirit, to speak in the third person." Melethos pauses. "Is it possible, then, the person Belarin addresses is not Ulad?"
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Ken
Belarin Malizia
Belarin
Posts: 5,691
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Post by Ken on Apr 28, 2021 9:47:25 GMT -4
"I understand why you didn't get very far," says Belarin as he turns to face Kal, Streko, and Melethos. "He's a fanatic with a penchant for philosophy - a terrible combination! As for his name... wasn't he in Streko's truth area? I think it's more that he and his group tend to believe their identities are part of some larger consciousness. Hard to shake the sort of belief, especially when you're dead."
He considers his next question for a few moments. "All right," he says to the others, "let's go for something more tangible."
The warlock addresses the corpse, "At what location will the land part of your expedition begin?"
____________________
Last question.
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Brian
Melethos (tiefling)
Melethos
Posts: 5,085
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Post by Brian on Apr 28, 2021 10:30:11 GMT -4
"I understand why you didn't get very far," says Belarin as he turns to face Kal, Streko, and Melethos. "He's a fanatic with a penchant for philosophy - a terrible combination! As for his name... wasn't he in Streko's truth area? I think it's more that he and his group tend to believe their identities are part of some larger consciousness. Hard to shake the sort of belief, especially when you're dead." "Streko's truth zone was evident," Melethos says. "We were speaking to Ulad. But who's to say that body is Ulad's." He gestures to the dead man. "I had the impression we might have been speaking to someone occupying the body, and that entity's name was Ulad."
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Dave W.
Adamant (Warforged)
Adamant
Posts: 4,643
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Post by Dave W. on Apr 28, 2021 10:50:53 GMT -4
Calirataia turns to look at Adamant's sketches. First she smiles at him and his work, then he sees her eyes watering. "I do not like being reminded you will be leaving this ship soon." "Oh, my love," he gently touches her cheek but is careful not to take the tear away. "It is not something I look forward to. But I would not trade a moment with you to avoid it. Many people do not get so much? And how remarkable that in all the world of lives and paths that ours would meet at all?" "I may want for more, but I will savor what I have." He greedily accepts her offer to help with the design. "Oh, yes, a significant part of all of this belongs to you."
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff on Apr 28, 2021 12:44:21 GMT -4
The warlock addresses the corpse, "At what location will the land part of your expedition begin?" Last question."Ulad has not yet declared whether she or any of us will venture on land. If she does, we will obey." The corpse falls silent as Belarin's invocation fades.
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Brian
Melethos (tiefling)
Melethos
Posts: 5,085
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Post by Brian on Apr 28, 2021 13:41:31 GMT -4
"Ulad has not yet declared whether she or any of us will venture on land. If she does, we will obey." The corpse falls silent as Belarin's invocation fades. Melethos raises one eyebrow. "Fascinating. Either he and his companions all call themselves Ulad, or Streko was addressing something more powerful than we had thought."
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