Chapter 20: Coming Dawn

[Jeff]

Sem looks up at Melethos. "I think you're right. Riedra is a mystical and strange place, bearing little resemblance to the human cultures of Khorvaire. It's a nationwide cult, from what I've heard. They follow this 'Path of Inspiration' like it's a state religion. I think 'Ulad,' whoever she is, was possessing this body like a ghost when we spoke to her, it, in that brig. Yet it's only this body Belarin's magic was speaking to."

"Raw material then," Histra says, pulling the sheet back over the dead man's head. "Raw materials now. I will deal wit it at nightfall." She nods at Melethos, reminding him.

Apr 28, 2021 10:50:53 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

"Would that you were a bard, Adamant." She laughs, always a musical sound. "Perhaps you already are."

---

Unless there is something immediate you wish to do, in your next post, just let me know what you will do for the remainder of the day.

[Ken]

"Melethos," says Belarin, "or Kal or Streko - did he actually say, 'I am Ulad," or words to that effect?" He then calls out, "Hey, Sem! Come over here!"

Once the gnome arrives, Belarin fills him in on the conversation. "These Rierdans, or was it the 'Inspired'? Anyway, what do you know about their spiritualism?"

[Dave W.]

Apr 28, 2021 13:51:16 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"Would that you were a bard, Adamant." She laughs, always a musical sound. "Perhaps you already are."

"I keep telling people that I am just a very simple soldier." He laughs with her.

---

Adamant will be happy to do any chores needed around the ship for the day. His only real goal for the day is to go over the designs for his new chest symbol with Kura and Cali.

Oh, and also the ring of spell storing is empty. He will put two 1st level cure wounds in there. I think that makes it full, right?

He still has create food and drink ready, but maybe with breakfast the group doesn't need it today?

[Brian]

Apr 28, 2021 14:26:18 GMT -4 Ken said:

"Melethos," says Belarin, "or Kal or Streko - did he actually say, 'I am Ulad," or words to that effect?"

"He asked me my name," Melethos says. "I told him, then asked him his. He started to answer but stopped, looked angry for a moment, then he said 'Ulad.'" He looks at Belarin. "Streko's truth spell was in effect. I think this Ulad was going to lie, to say something else, but couldn't."

[Joe]

"I had not considered possession, but now that you mention it, that makes sense. It also answers as to why he had no fear of death, as the spirit, or whatever Ulad is, would not die upon the soldier's expiration. Most fascinating. I am glad I did not attempt to dominate its will. That might have gone quite poorly for me."

[Jeff]

Sem is already present, having remarked about the Riedrans.

Apr 28, 2021 14:26:18 GMT -4 Ken said:

"These Rierdans, or was it the 'Inspired'? Anyway, what do you know about their spiritualism?"

"I'm only an expert on Xen'drik, Belarin. And people. And Khorvaire. And some of the planes. Give me some leeway to not know all." The gnome smiles. "Sarlona is not a place I have spent my time reading about." He places a finger to his chin, though, as if dredging up what he does know. "Riedra is just one nation over there, but arguably it's the most dominant. They believe that they represent the crown of civilization. The Inspired are the rules of Riedran; they're said to be 'perfect' people, flawless in appearance and exceptional in talent. Guided by . . . yeah, spirits. Extraplanar in origin, maybe. Or maybe something terrestrial, like dragons and couatls. Honestly, that's unclear. Remember, it's psionic power they use; that's not just some forgotten school of magic. I've even heard theories involving Xoriat and Dal Quor.

Sem bobs his head as he talks. "Even Sanne d'Vadalis said that they believed the Cogship had one of the Inspired aboard. Maybe that is this Ulad, and she's capable of taking control over her people? The Inspired are their religious and secular leaders."

Apr 28, 2021 15:09:58 GMT -4 Brian said:

Apr 28, 2021 14:26:18 GMT -4 Ken said:

"Melethos," says Belarin, "or Kal or Streko - did he actually say, 'I am Ulad," or words to that effect?"

"He asked me my name," Melethos says. "I told him, then asked him his. He started to answer but stopped, looked angry for a moment, then he said 'Ulad.'" He looks at Belarin. "Streko's truth spell was in effect. I think this Ulad was going to lie, to say something else, but couldn't."

The gnome says, "The inhabiting spirit might not have been the body, but it had to be present somehow. In which case Streko's compulsion forced it to speak truth if it spoke at all. So Ulad and this body are not the same. Maybe." He shrugs. "This is a real fuzzy area for me. I'd rather be decoding Giant runes."

[Brian]

"So, Ulad may not be his real name," Melethos says. "That means we'll have to name him." The tiefling ponders for a moment, then smiles. "He'll be an undead servant. Kind of clumsy. Not too verbal. He'll lumber more than walk. I suggest we name him Lurch."

Without waiting for a reply, Melethos moves back to the bow to restart his watch.

___________________________________

Maybe when Histra call for him, he can say, "You rang?"

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

[Dave B.]

Unless someone calls for him to do something else, Shorak will continue his watch in the crow's nest. With a couple of meal breaks, of course.

[Ken]

Belarin takes another look at the Watchtower through the spyglass, and then he spends time talking to Histra about necromancy.

[Joe]

Streko makes his way to Kurra and inquires into the dragon armor. "Have you had a moment to look at this yet? I am keen to see if it is something that will work for me. Also, is there anything that you have that I might be able to provide lore for? I do have a spell that can grant me information on something. I was hoping to use it on the armor, and I can also use it to assist you with anything you may wish to understand more of."

[Jeff]

Apr 28, 2021 18:57:42 GMT -4 Brian said:

"So, Ulad may not be his real name," Melethos says. "That means we'll have to name him." The tiefling ponders for a moment, then smiles. "He'll be an undead servant. Kind of clumsy. Not too verbal. He'll lumber more than walk. I suggest we name him Lurch."

Histra regards Melethos without humor. "To avoid concerns of smell, this one will be a skeleton. I have some ideas."

Apr 28, 2021 23:22:16 GMT -4 Joe said:

Streko makes his way to Kurra and inquires into the dragon armor. "Have you had a moment to look at this yet? I am keen to see if it is something that will work for me. Also, is there anything that you have that I might be able to provide lore for? I do have a spell that can grant me information on something. I was hoping to use it on the armor, and I can also use it to assist you with anything you may wish to understand more of."

"Yes, yes, it's on the list," Kurra says, still just doing ship-work. "You've all given me a cache to go through, but I will start with the armor tomorrow. My work is in identifying the properties of the hear and now. If you've got some spell that gives you history, Streko, by all means, go for it. But let me have a look first. Tomorrow, aye?"

The day stretches on. Histra leafs through one of her books with Belarin. The written arcana of necromancy is fascinating, but he finds looking at it too much gives him a headache. The diagrams and the words have a way of reminding him how mortal he is. When Histra shows him pages of anatomy and internal organs, he feels like each of these parts on his own body is susceptible to failure. It's unnerving. He realizes she's been studying this since she was a child.

The Dragonfly sails on, catching a fair amount of natural wind.

Shorak is the last to see the Asperii fade into the south, disappearing around a slight bend in the river. It moves many times the speed of the Dragonfly, almost completely ignoring the drag of the water.

Kurra asks Kal about the soarsled that now lies on the deck. "Is this something you're planning on taking with you when you leave us? I'm keen to study it, but if it requires flying magic to get it going, we'll not have much use for it. That's wizard's and sorcerer's work."

[Darren]

"I believe we'll take it with us," Kal says. "I think it may come in handy, despite the drain on resources. I can keep it afloat each day so that it's easier to transport. And if we make it back to the city, imagine the glorious sight of Melethos sailing over the streets of Sharn. Mothers will tell their children stories of the floating devil who will come to get them if they don't eat their vegetables!" Kal laughs.

_________________
Sorry, guys. Been a trying few days personally and professionally. I'll try to stay on top of everything.

[Jeff]

Calirataia soon drifts out of sight, leaving Adamant to work on his sketches. Kurra is too busy to fuss with his ideas further today.

The day moves on, and night comes. Shorak sees no threats, but things feel a bit lonelier as there are no more signs of any other ships. Now the approach of enemies seems...easier. But he doesn't see anything to alarm him.

The galley is beginning to grow sparse, but it's not empty yet. Some fish, thin strips of dried meat from the boar and even the fintail titan is all there is. Kurra announces that she'll set up the fishing net again tomorrow.

When it's fully dark, and Brack slows the ship due to visibility. but he doesn't stop, nor does he turn over the wheel to Calirataia. There are still six full moons in the sky and a heavenscape of stars to see by. The shifter seems content to remain above, eager to stay in motion.

Histra, however, waits until there are fewer people on the main deck to enact her ritual. 

[Brian]

When Histra starts preparing for her ritual, Melethos moves to stand nearby.

"I've never assisted you before," he says, watching the young woman study her spell book. "Am I expected to do anything?"

[Joe]

Streko lingers near Histra. "I, too, am interested in observing your ritual. I feel a need to be present at the transformation. Then, I'll got to sleep. So, perhaps, I can take first watch, otherwise, I will take last and get rejuvenating sleep."

[Jeff]

Histra looks annoyed at Streko's coming closer. She holds forward her bone staff and masters her own irritation. "I will with wither this flesh, then flay it, and extract the bones, and I will summon the wraith for assistance. This is not cleric's work. There is nothing for you to gain here, Streko, except for disgust for me. Please, leave me to it."

[Dave B.]

Seeing Histra starting on her next undead 'project', Shorak decides to call it a night. He climbs down from the crow's nest. "I'm heading below for a light dinner and then some sleep. If we are continuing the overnight shifts, somebody wake me when my turn comes, please." He calls out for everyone to hear and then heads below for a bite and sleep.

[Ken]

As night falls, Belarin is on the deck, casually casting minor cantrips and illusions, to the point where he even starts trading illusory "puns" with Sem. As they banter, he asks the gnome, "When we first talked about the feyspires, you mentioned the Spire of Dreams. It's rumored to be the gateway - of a sort - that first brought elves to Thelanis. Have you heard anything different?"

____________________

I figured Belarin has a minute to chat with Sem prior to Histra's arrival.

[Joe]

Streko nods. "As you wish." He heads down to the galley to look for something small to snack on prior to going to sleep.

[Brian]

Apr 29, 2021 22:16:59 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Seeing Histra starting on her next undead 'project', Shorak decides to call it a night. He climbs down from the crow's nest. "I'm heading below for a light dinner and then some sleep. If we are continuing the overnight shifts, somebody wake me when my turn comes, please." He calls out for everyone to hear and then heads below for a bite and sleep.

Melethos acknowledges Shorak with a wave. "We'll get you when your watch begins. Rest well."

[Jeff]

Apr 29, 2021 22:54:39 GMT -4 Ken said:

As night falls, Belarin is on the deck, casually casting minor cantrips and illusions, to the point where he even starts trading illusory "puns" with Sem. As they banter, he asks the gnome, "When we first talked about the feyspires, you mentioned the Spire of Dreams. It's rumored to be the gateway - of a sort - that first brought elves to Thelanis. Have you heard anything different?"

"I did?" Sem says, not expecting this. "I'm no expert on elvish things, Belarin, but sure, I know about the feyspires. One is close to home: Pylas Pyrial, the Gate of Joy. It comes and goes in the Shimmerwood Forest of my homeland; although since the Day of Mourning, I've heard some rumors that it's not moved at all..." He shrugs. "Still, I've never been there so I can't say too much about it. I had some friends who went there on holiday and— Nevermind, that doesn't matter. The Spire of Dreams, yes, I've heard the name a few times. Taer Lian Doresh. To be honest, I only know what I know because it's rooted in Xen'drik lore. And not the common variety, either.

"The story goes like this." Sem quiets his voice, as if expecting eavesdropping. "First, the feyspires are cities; great towering cities, grander than those watchtowers..." He gestures toward the east where Belarin looks now and again. "Each was built in Thelanis by the eladrin, the elves of Thelanis. They're all bound to that plane. I'm sure your voices and, ummm...mistresses?...know a lot more about them than I do, which is why it's funny that you ask me about it. Well, there are two feyspires that have fallen out of modern lore because they're lost." Belarin does remember that the few times the Spire of Dreams came up in Raeshara's presence, she became sad and would not say much about it.

"One of them supposedly would phase between Thelanis and Eberron, but always appearing somewhere in Xen'drik, though seldom in the same place." Sem pressed a finger to his chin. "Hmmm. Almost like Gerhest. I have to wonder if that hopping-around-tower pattern is a fey thing or a Xen'drik thing...  Anyway, this was loooooooooong before humans came to Khorvaire, before even the rise of the Dhakaani Empire. It was the Age of Giants. A very different time, and giants were more then feared; they were rightly feared. All the giants we've encountered—even the nicer-than-most hill giants of Rushemé—are debased versions of what giants used to be. They were in charge wherever they settled and colonized. And though not all the same, many were cruel. Like Cul'sir, their greatest emperor. Well, they say the giants figured out where that one feyspire would appear, and Cul'sir was ready for them. The feyspire appeared and the giants attacked, pillaged the city, and enslaved its people." Sem lets out a sigh. "No one can prove it, but it's been said that's how elves came to be in Eberron. As slaves. Some would become the drow..." He looks over at Shorak when the halfdrow heads down from the crow's nest. "And some would one day be the elves of Aerenel."

"Anyway, you'd think the elves, err, the eladrin, back on Thelanis would get organized and retaliate. Go forward and free their brethren from the giants. But I don't have to tell you, Belarin, that the fey are never that organized. Send an army? Many armies? Nope. I couldn't even guess as to what they did or thought about it . . . but one group of eladrin did resolve to fight the giants, to take revenge. The lords of Shae Doresh, the Spire of Dreams. But they were alone. The only ones brave or foolish enough to take on the might of Cul'sir. Well, when they tried, they failed. The giants didn't even try to raid the city; instead, they enacted a ritual to cast the feyspire out of Eberron, beyond Thelanis's reach, to planes beyond. And it's been gone ever since, all those millennia ago."

Sem quiets to let everything sink in. He studies Belarin's face. "Why, Belarin? Or were you just making small talk?" A shrewd but curious expression settles on the gnome's face.

Meanwhile, Histra begins her work. Melethos finds himself standing guard more than anything else, but occasionally the necromancer asks him to hold something. She has him remove the cloth wrapping around the body of the Cogship man. It's certainly the same man, Melethos remembers the face well enough. Eerily calm in death, and he winces only for a moment when he sees again the thick spear wound at the top of his chest. Then Histra summons forth the wraith from her staff, and instantly its presence bothers Melethos. Any living thing would be bothered like this. Not only is it cold to be near, he can feel hatred emanating from the creature. He can feel its scrutiny. 

Histra has the wraith use its touch repeatedly upon the corpse, and before Melethos's eyes, the dead but intact flesh of the human curls and darkens like paper in a fire. Congealed blood fouls up and turns ashlike; the smell becomes unpleasant quickly but it does eventually fade. But it's apparent what Histra is doing; the necrotic touch of the wraith is making the body less of a wet mess to work with. Soon bones are exposed, and she directs him to remove them as they are uncovered. She doesn't seem to care about order or arrangement yet. Her magic will do that.

Attachments:

[Brian]

Grimacing, Melethos does as Histra instructs. He gathers the bones of the dead man and heaps them in a pile. He wants to lay them in some order, but Histra has instructed him not to bother.

His mind drifts back to his meeting with "Ulad." Clearly the man's name differed, and Melethos wonders who he was and his role on the Cogship. Did he even know his life was forfeit, before the killing blow had been delivered?

Now the man was condemned—would Histra even use that word?—to be an undead servant to a women he'd never met.

Then he remembers the promise Belarin had extracted from him, and he briefly looks at the warlock, engaged in conversation with Sem. Months had passed since he and Belarin had had that particular talk. Did his friend still feel the same?

[Darren]

Kal watches Sem and Belarin talk, but does no intrude. His eyes drift to Histra and her work, and his face darkens. "I've seen my fair share of these rituals performed in the making of Karnaathi armies," he says, drawing close to Melethos. "I don't need to witness it again. I'm going below. Get me when it is my turn to watch."

__________________
Jeff, private thread, please...

[Ken]

Apr 30, 2021 8:36:30 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Sem quiets to let everything sink in. He studies Belarin's face. "Why, Belarin? Or were you just making small talk?" A shrewd but curious expression settles on the gnome's face.

"A few reasons," says Belarin. "I think the Spire has returned, Sem. I've got nothing solid to back that up with, but ... I'm pretty sure it's back, and it may be close. I've got to think about this." He starts to turn away, but quickly stops himself and adds, "Thanks."

[Jeff]

Sem nods. "Of course," but watches Belarin walk away.

A few moments later, Tangat comes awkwardly up the hatch from the galley below. Tangat has long been able to slowly get himself up and down the ladder, but it's always clunky. He looks frustrated. Right at the top of the open hatch, he starts barking at everyone but he stays put. The last you saw him he went down with Kal.

Histra looks over, annoyed, but stays calm. "Melethos, please, stay. Your friends can handle whatever it is."

In their own cabins, both Shorak and Streko (neither quite awake) start suddenly, hearing Tangat's barking.

[Brian]

Melethos frowns at Tangat. HIs frown deepens to a look of urgency, then he yells, "Belarin, find Kal. Ulad attacked him aboard the Asperii. Maybe it did something to his mind."

Then Melethos uses the telepathy ring. Kal, are you in trouble? Answer me.

[Ken]

Belarin's reverie is interrupted by Tangat's barking. "What's going on, Tangat?"

He says to those around him, "I'll go look." He quickly descends the stairs.

[Joe]

Streko awakens suddenly and finds himself deeply alarmed. Tangat is barking, and that is never a good sign, not when there isn't food around. "Kalarian," he whispers.

He climbs out of bed and makes his way toward Kal's bunk, concern etched deeply into his features.

[Dave B.]

Shorak opens his eyes and listens, his senses suddenly at full alert. Hearing the barking of what can only be Tangat, Shorak leaps to his feet. He only remembers Tangat barking ike that when there is trouble. Shorak grabs his dagger and hand crossbow, with his cache of tiny bolts and moves to the door. Shorak tries to listen for any other sounds other than the barking as he silently opens the door to peak out.

[Jeff]

Apr 30, 2021 15:21:05 GMT -4 Ken said:

He says to those around him, "I'll go look." He quickly descends the stairs.

Ladder, not stairs. I blame Brian for writing "stairs" so often.

---

Melethos gets no telepathic answer.

Brack points to Adamant. "Warforged, please stay up, keep watch. In case it's a distraction." He lifts one arm in a half shrug. He stays at the wheel but surveys the darkness all around the ship. Starg moves to be near the open hatch just as Belarin descends. Sem stays near the minotaur, a wand now in his hand defensively.

Belarin climbs hurriedly down the stairs, just in time for Streko to come stumbling out in his smallclothes. Shorak is ready with a his weaposn at the door of his cabin. Tangat fumbles his way hurriedly down by the time Belarin and the others move into the central cabin where Kal sleeps.

There, the dragonmarked heir is sitting upright but unsteadily. His eyes are open but he's blinking furiously and staring straight ahead. Skyfang, his dagger, is lying on the floorboards and the man seems to have cut some fingers on his right hand with the naked blade, but it's not a bad wound. Just messy.

He is murmuring to himself.