Aftermath of the Celestial War [4e] (Everyone)

Evilhalfling · 4th December 2008, 02:38 PM

One year after the Celestial War, involving the death Bahamut and Lolth, you gather, to discuss further complications

Elithiel the Luminous:

Spoiler:

Kanriel Starlight

Spoiler:

Morgrim:

Spoiler:

Aridha

Spoiler:

Kazin Gregari,

Spoiler:

Dunn Halfaxe

Spoiler:

The six of you are meeting in the temple of Pelor. In a room chosen by Elithiel, to discuss the investigation of the death site of the Drow Goddess.
It is inconveniently several hundred miles away and deep within the earth.

OOC: chose a color to speak in, Edit- describe and introduce yourself for those you have not met, and feel free to catchup with those you have.
Im working on a "Yes, and...." style of Dming, so make up whatever details or resources you need.

Annalist · 4th December 2008, 03:37 PM

It was a few hours past dawn. Elithiel quietly studied the assembled group that he had gathered together. There, underneath the sunlit trees of the Orangery, he stood before them ready to ask for their help.

"Welcome to the Cathedral of Light," he began. "You may be wondering why I have called you all here. As you know, within the past year a great war in the heavens was waged. And its aftereffects are still being felt to this day. In fact, ill omens pertaining to the dark Spider Queen are manifesting even now."

Elithiel nodded in recognition to the Eladrin Wizard who had also run across these signs in his studies. "From what Kanriel and I have been able to piece together, the planar fabric at the physical site of Lloth's death has been compromised. And to such a degree that a rupture is imminent. If such a breach should occur..." the Patriarch trailed off momentarily, then continued, "Well, I'm sure you could imagine the devastation that would be unleashed onto our world. The Spider Queen's domain lies within the Abyss, so this planar tear would have the greatest probability of leading there."

He fell silent, allowing the others some time to digest the dire news. But he could see it clearly on all of their faces. An open portal to the Abyss must not be allowed at any cost. The number of lives lost from an invasion of demons would be incalculable.

Shayuri · 4th December 2008, 08:07 PM

Old gods don't rest easy.

The old aphorism had been weighing on Aridha's mind of late. Even wrapped in the beauty of the Vale by moonlight, with its brook splashing merrily down the mossy rocks and into the pool named for Sehanine, who's silvery reflection now danced on its surface. If the old gods, now long dead, still stirred from time to time, how much more lively would the new ones be?

She suspected that no god died without consequence. It troubled her.

Bare feet on the soft grass made no sound, but her pointed ears pricked anyway. A visitor to the Vale's grove. Another one, that is. She was aware of Ratheros dripping to the ground behind the newcomer, as silent as a ghost. The tiger had adapted well to the woods, Aridha reflected. She prowled on branches like a leopard now, and had taken a liking to pouncing from above.

"A message, my lady," came the voice from behind. One of the Corellon elves, of course. The plainsfolk had all retreated back to the south and east. All but her.

Aridha raised her voice only a little. "Ratheros, come."

She heard the elf messenger suck in a startled breath as the white tiger's bulk breezed soundlessly past him. Ratheros had also discovered that she enjoyed sneaking up on people. She was still a kitten at heart. Until claws were bared, at least.

After a moment, the messenger said, "You are summoned. Emissaries from the dwarfs are in the great hall, and ask to speak to you. They bear the standard of General Morgrim."

Aridha finally turned her head and shoulders to glance back at the elf messenger as Ratheros padded to her side and rested her whiskered head across her legs. "The dwarflord Morgrim?" she asked, genuinely taken by surprise. "What does he want with me?"

"They said they would give their message only to you," the young elf lad said...to his credit without stammering.

Curiosity raged with pride in Aridha's heart as she turned this new wrinkle around. Morgrim was famous; a hero of the God War. But the elves and dwarfs each had their own stakes in the wars and had rarely, if ever, fought side by side. Why her? Why now? She wanted to know, but it wouldn't do to simply jump to, placing herself at his disposal.

"Tell them I will come as soon as I can spare a moment for them," Aridha instructed. Then she smirked a little. "Offer them drinks in the meantime."

The messenger nodded and strode out.

Ratheros tensed slightly as she watched him go, her natural instinct to give chase rippling through her muscles for a moment.

Aridha scratched between the tiger's ears absently, thinking about her next move. Finally she got up and went to her apartment to fetch her gear. She'd not appear before the dwarfs in anything less than full regalia. Ratheros yawned, thought about it, then got up and trotted afterwards.

----
At the Cathedral of Light...

Aridha sat under one of the trees a bit off to one side, though well within the range of Elithiel's gifted speaking voice. She was a strange looking one, for an elf. Her skin was deeply tanned and her hair bushy and tawny, almost leonine. Her eyes had the shade and clarity of fresh honey. Across her left cheek was a jagged pinwheel tattoo. She was dressed in little more than a leather jerkin and thigh-length skirt, crafted by hand from the hide of some fey beast by the looks of it. Around her shoulders was gathered a well-worn dun cloak that only came down to the backs of her knees, and the hem of which was tattered and frayed. Her boots were sturdy though with all the lacing that wrapped around her legs they looked like they'd be a pain to get on or off. At her side was an oddly made short sword with a curved blade that got thicker towards the pointed tip. It was thrust through a loop on her belt, but had no scabbard or sheathe.

At Aridha's side, sprawled lazily in the grass was a large white tiger. She absently stroked its flank as she listened, and its purr was a deep, rumbling noise. As Elithiel finished, the tiger grabbed Aridha's hand between its paws and started playfully gnawing on it. The elf's lips quirked in a little smile.

Morgrim had suggested including her in this counsel. She'd been a warrior among the elves when they'd fought at Berghost then through the underground warrens of the drow to the very gates of Eridul-Chul itself. Before the war of the heavens she'd earned a reputation as a bounty hunter in human lands and earned a number of increasingly outlandish rumors about her, as well as the nickname "the White Tiger," based on the fiction that she was a lycanthrope.

Now she spoke; her voice was a clear alto, with little if any of the 'musical' accent that many elves had.

"How have the drow reacted to this? Do we know their movements?"

EvolutionKB · 4th December 2008, 11:41 PM

In the feywild:

Morgrim stood aside his king, and it was a strange site for many at first glance. A gnome, wizened and robed sat upon a throne of twisted trees branches. Several other gnomes stood around him, clad in leathers, wielding some small blades, others held hooked hammers. Morgrim stood out from the bunch, one because he was not a gnome. He was a dwarf, and was as broad as two of the gnomes side by side. He wore sturdy chainmail, it was steel, but had bits of something else mixed in, something with a dull black color. Two heavy hammers hung from his belt, spiked on the reverse ends made them more balanced. Another handle poked above his right shoulder, seeming to be another hammer. The dark cloak around his shoulders shimmered and it seemed like the dwarf was no longer there for a fraction of a second.

"Next," the gnomish king said, waving two haggling merchants out. An eladrin stepped into the room, and Morgrim smiled through his heavy black beard. The king nodded as well, noting his bodyguard's acceptance.

"I am here to speak to Morgrim," the fey wizard said without much inflection. The king motioned the eladrin on. "A breach to the Abyss has been found, if not taken of, could be devastating to our world. I am here to pull you away from your duty for a while."

The very serious eladrin continued on in some greater detail, but in the end Morgrim was released from his duties on a temporary basis. Morgrim knew of somebody else that could help, and thus sent several messengers back to the Prime in search for a certain elf that he had employed during their fighting with the fomorians several years ago.

In the temple...

Morgrim stood, arms crossed over his broad chest. The trees were different here than in the Feywild. He'd been in the Feywild so long, that this natural world seemed wrong. "Is there a way to stop the tear from occurring in the city? Or does our destination lie in the Abyss itself?"

Annalist · 5th December 2008, 05:59 AM

The tall, blond-haired Patriarch began pacing. It was an unconscious habit that he had acquired, a holdover from his days lecturing aspiring young acolytes. With his white and gold robes swishing behind him, he turned to address the questions being asked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shayuri

"How have the drow reacted to this? Do we know their movements?"

"Unfortunately, the Drow's current actions are occluded from divination. Their goddess' death resonance has created an area impenetrable to scrying. At least to any that I'm capable of utilizing. We would need someone to go there directly to collect any intelligence."

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvolutionKB

"Is there a way to stop the tear from occurring in the city? Or does our destination lie in the Abyss itself?"

"Kanriel is better versed in intra-planar matters than I, so he should probably field this question. But I do believe there's a chance to prevent or repair a rift from either side. Or at least I pray that that's so. Traveling to the Abyss is something to be avoided if possible."

EvolutionKB · 5th December 2008, 07:08 AM

"Good, I don't wanna go there either." The dwarf sits on a stump, one carved into a small seat. "Are the drow our only expected type of resistance?"

Annalist · 5th December 2008, 02:30 PM

Elithiel stroked his chin, a look of uncertainty marring his otherwise ageless facial features. Dropping his delicate, well-manicured hand back down to his side, he replied, "To reach our destination, we will have to travel deep within the earth to the Underdark." He let that somber fact sink in before continuing. "And I believe that Aridha," he motioned to the elven girl, "has the most experience among us regarding the location. She may know best what we should expect. But it would be wise to be prepared for anything. The Underdark is home to many creatures such as the Aboleths and Illithids. However, I am quite certain that the Drow will be our main concern."

Shayuri · 5th December 2008, 03:15 PM

On hearing her name, Aridha nods and says, "The way to Eridul-Chul is not easy. The Underdark is by turns huge caverns with natural obstacles, and a rats nest maze of passages. Even without the drow, we'll be constantly set upon by monsters of the deep. By this time the fall of Lolth and Eridul-Chul will be known throughout, and I've no doubt the other major races of the Underdark will be sending armies to loot what's left."

EvolutionKB · 5th December 2008, 09:38 PM

"I've been in the feywild too long. It might be good to have several miles of stone above my head again." The dwarf places his hands on the handles of the hammers on his belt. "It'd be nice to have these beauties see some action again too."

Charwoman Gene · 6th December 2008, 10:30 PM

Kanriel, avoided speaking for a long time. He kept to himself, listening, and studying the sparks of lightning he was making jump between his fingertips.
"The drow will remain a problem as long as they exist. Even without their mother, they seek to defeat all of elven blood," he somberly noted.

"Whatever is happening will require our physical presence to understand. The instability is a true novelty and we will have to experience it firsthand."

Nac Mac Feegle · 7th December 2008, 12:43 AM

Dunn speaks up for the first time, adding, "And if the problem needs fixing, who else could be called on to do it? It seems we are not to be allowed out rest just yet."

OOC: I'm in the middle of final projects at school, so please excuse the short post >_>

EvolutionKB · 7th December 2008, 02:31 PM

The dwarf pulls lightly on his dark beard. "How are we getting there? The old-fashioned way," Morgrim stamps his boots on the ground for emphasis, "or one of you guys have a better way?"

Charwoman Gene · 8th December 2008, 11:52 PM

skill check

Kanriel drops to his knees and starts trancing out an intricate series of lines.
"Berghost... how did that go again... Oh yes... "

Evilhalfling · 10th December 2008, 04:58 PM

Kanriel draws the traveling circle and opens a gate to Berghorst. You step through into Coreleon’s temple. The portal pulses red as the tiefling general steps through, and for a moment its difficult to tell whether or not he made the transition with you.

The temple rings with music, and beautiful voices raised in song. An acolyte glides away from the pattern room. The music dies away and shortly the priestess Shelvera, a stick thin, graceful elven woman arrives.
“Aridha welcome back, Elihiel, as well.” Glancing at the unfamiliar but obviously potent group. “This is quite and assembly, what brings you to Berghorst?” She listens to the description of your quest and destination. “I can write a letter that will get you past the guards on the closest passage to the world below, is there anything else I can provide?” She summons over and begins to direct acolytes, some still wearing choir robes. “I believe the city is fifty or sixty miles from the gate here,” She looks to Aridha for confirmation. Then more generally “Do you have any special plans for the trip?”

EvolutionKB · 10th December 2008, 06:48 PM

Morgrim steps through the portal, hands on his weapons and jaw clenched. Traveling like this always made him nervous. Appearing in one piece and seeing his allies were okay as well, let the dwarf relax again. As his more educated companions explained the situation, Morgrim merely stood listening to the sounds of the temple. When the priestess poses her question, he replies. "Somebody said somethin' about walking in shadows or somethin'."

Shayuri · 11th December 2008, 06:00 AM

"Shelvera," Aridha greets the other elf with some warmth breaking through her distant demeanor. "Your aid is welcome. We should have what we need as far as provisions and gear, but what we need most is information. Have you heard anything about activity in the Underdark?"

Evilhalfling · 12th December 2008, 12:27 PM

Shelvera looks thought fully aside for a moment. “well I have heard that the drow are mostly fighting each other down there. We don’t let the drow into the city, but the I have heard that there are a lot of dead down there, and that some of them are still moving.”

The warlord and the Tiefling never emerged from the gateway, they were the last ones through, and the portal changed colors as they entered. Perhaps traveling by portals is not as safe as you had formerly believed. Some greater power has taken a hand.

Shelvra’s letter gets you through a heavily guarded post. A long stair leads deep into the earth. At the end a small clan of bugbears lay in wait for fresh meet.
They never stood a chance.
You journey extends through 50 miles of tunnels, to end at the Drow city of Eridul-Chul. And many are the dangers that you face along the way. Using Shadow walk cuts the journey down to a single day.
OOC:

Spoiler:

EvolutionKB · 13th December 2008, 04:22 AM

Morgrim, leading the party through the dark, calls a halt to the procession. Seeing a wide chasm impeding their path, he offers to take a rope to the other side, implanting the rope into the stone to make a crude bridge across.

Athletics

Charwoman Gene · 13th December 2008, 03:06 PM

Kanriel spots a crevice that is barely big enough to for everyone to squeeze through, but the tunnel on the other side shaves some time off the journey.
OOC: Perception Roll 1d20+20=37

Shayuri · 13th December 2008, 06:49 PM

While scouting ahead of the group down a long smooth, round tunnel, Aridha feels something that brings her up short; something that doesn't belong. A gentle breeze that caresses her hair and face for a moment. The earth quivers slightly, and another puff of wind follows...this one warmer and smelling faintly of brimstone.

Only then does Aridha realize how this tunnel must have been made.

"Ratheros! RUN!"

The elf and tiger alike whirl about and bolt back the way they came, even as another rumbling is felt, and the wind becomes steady, foul-smelling, and ever hotter. Far up the tunnel a reddish glow becomes visible.

The rest of the group, taking a break at one of the many places where cracks, crevices and intersections present a 'crossroads' of sorts deep in the Underdark, and waiting for Aridha as they do, hear the elf's voice echoing from out of the tunnel she'd gone exploring into...

"Everyone get back across the chasm! GET BACK ACROSS!"

There's no arguing with the tone of the command, and the group starts to cross back over the rope bridge Morgrim had risked so much to get into place. As they do, foul-smelling smoke starts to belch from the tunnel.

Abruptly Aridha and her tiger burst from the mouth of the tunnel, sprinting madly even as the stone around them starts to color red. Aridha's armor and hair are smoldering, and the soles of her boots hiss each time they touch the rock. From behind them as they dash for the rope bridge explodes a fast-coursing tongue of lava. Though it slows a bit as it spreads out across the flatter ground near where the chasm splits the cavern, it's still far too fast to outrun. Aridha makes a final desperate leap and dives straight into the rope bridge with enough force to actually snap the tie, letting her swing across the chasm and hit the far side hard. Ratheros makes the leap as well, grabbing onto the only thing he can...Aridha herself.

The two dangle there from the rope, watching lava pour over the far side of the gulf and vanish into the darkness below. Ratheros...forced to dig his claws into Aridha to keep from falling...makes an apologetic growl and licks her hair as the party hauls the two up.

Exhausted, bloodied and smoldering, Aridha rests for a moment at the top and says in her usual deadpan style, "We'll go a different way."

(and thus ends the Fail.

)