CB's Shackled City: Zenith Trajectory

[CanadienneBacon]

"Is there something I know that I'm not telling you?" Celeste eyes Nyla with no small degree of mirth. Giving a little laugh, the blonde woman nods. "Of a certainty. But with regard to Davked's request, no, I can think of no more other than what I've already provided. Davked's wife Marta, who died last year, cursed him for being a harsh unyielding father and driving their sons away; Davked will waste away to nothing unless he makes peace with his three sons. He's already laid old wounds to rest with the first two, but Zenith couldn't be found. The last Davked knew of Zenith was that ten years back when they had their falling out, the son left the Malachite Fortress in favor of marching into the Underdark with his army, that he might cleanse that vast underground of its vileness. Suspecting that Zenith may have come to an ill end in the Underdark, Davked traveled recently and paid a hefty fee to the free city of Valorre, to their Tower of Xylla, for a powerful divination. When the mage from whom the divination had been ordered returned with the tidings that Zenith still lives but is being kept prisoner in a kuo-toan shrine in the Underdark north of here. The shrine, the mage said, is called Bhal-Hamatugn. No fool, Zenith naturally suspected the divination, for his son was a mighty warrior within the ranks of dwarves and the location seemed to Davked to indicate that Zenith had made but precious little progress into the Underdark before being captured. A second divination was ordered, this time from a Temple of Stone, but it only confirmed what the first divined. And so Davked returned to Cauldron and has been petitioning ever since for his son's return." Celeste pauses and eyes Aaron. "You already have the map and the promise of 4,000 crowns or 6,000 gold pieces' worth of arms and armor from Davked's clan. Each." Celeste drums her fingers on the countertop for emphasis. "Will you take an overland trek to get to the rift north of town that leads to the Underdark?"

When Bollaron takes Celeste's hand and kisses it, Celeste smiles wanly and offers no resistance. "I earn a good living by serving as Davked's secretary. The term is, I hope, short, and my requirements clear: I am to help him lay his affairs in order ere he passes from this world to his heavenly Halls of Stone, to lay in eternal peace at the feet of Drendd." Taking her hand back from Bollaron, Celeste continues. "Davked is old, true. His wife cursed him and he lives on, longer than any dwarf has a right to, 'til he can rid himself of his curse. I do not know his exact age."

[sblock=Aaron]Aaron senses that Celeste shrouds something from public disclosure in her last statements regarding her work with Davked and the old dwarf's age.[/sblock]

 

[felonious assault]

Well Celeste, If we have the information we are going to get then you have the answer that you are going to. We do plan on trying to help Davked using the resources available to us. We will be going the path we decide to go when we decide to got that path. You will know the task is completed when we return with Davked's son..... until then I suggest you sit back, relax, and wipe the old Dwarf's drool up when he slobbers. None of the rest concerns you. If Davked will remain alive until the curse is broken then there is no real hurry anyway is there. We were actually thinking of trekking up North to see my homeland. Davked is not the only one who has estranged family...... Maybe we will handle Davked's situation after that. Now I do not mean to seem rude, but we have many preparations to take care of.

 

[Eydis]

Nyla smiles at Bollaron and says "I don't think that I could have said it better myself. Thanks Bollaron." Then she moves over to the door and holds it open for Celeste to go.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

The smile drops from Celeste's face. Nodding tightly at Bolarron, Celeste swishes out the front door, not another word spoken, and nary a glance spare for Nyla.

 

[Mellubb]

Aaron rushes to the door to make sure she actually leaves, once she is out of sight he slams the door closed. Resting up against door, panic runs over his face "She is lying about her relationship with Davked. I think she is a demon. I think Davked was roting in hell and made a pact with her to get the souls of his sons to take his place or something like that."
Breathing heavily he looks to Meenah and says "Or I could be wrong, but she is definitely lying about how they know each other. We can't help them!! Maybe we should seek to send them back to hell!! Or we could go visit some old family members of Bollarron's”

 

[Eydis]

"Well I told you that I believe the words of Eggar about Davked being dead and that he could take us to his grave. That's what I was trying to get her to admit. I thought of going behind the curtain and casting detect evil and seeing whether she was or not, but there are ways around those things,and her coming here means that she was probably prepared."

 

[Eydis]

"Also, don't you think that it's quite odd that they really want us to go down into the underdark using 'the rift' on that map. I mean she seemed pretty intent on that part to me."

 

[felonious assault]

Putting my arm around Aaron,
"I think you are a bit overwrought with this whole thing little buddy. Celeste is defiitely not what she is trying to make us believe, or at least that is not all that she is, but everyne has reaons to keep secrets. Remember we hide things from authorities here and normally use some sort of smokescreen to cloud what we are truly doing. It is unfortunate, but even the best of people can not be completely trusting and thus are not completely trustworthy. We know there is evil in the underdark and if Davked's son is down there and needs rescuing, then for his sake not Davked's we should help him. I am all for heading down to solve the kidnapping mystery and helping the son while we are there would be great. What we do with him after that would be up to him. We are not beholden to Davked for anything........That being said, it might be good to be seen leaving town."
I look around to make sure people are listening and understanding, then continue..... "I suggest we leave town in the next few days heading towards the rift. We should make a big production of getting supplies, and taking steps to be gone indefinitely. Make sure everyone knows we are leaving and maybe even where we are going, though I am unsure about that. After dark we double back and head down the shaft to the howling stairs. We will need to clog our ears to avoid the effects of the stairs. We then are not seen in town again. We spend our time in Zjardarune or the malachite hold. If we have to go outside we use the howling stairs again and only at night and always carefully. We can get a wagon and team of horses. We should bring the supplies into the shop and take them downstairs, then repack the crates with junk, dirt whatever to make them heavy so it doesn't look like they are empty when we load them on the wagon. When we get out of town a good ways we can let the horses go, scuttle the wagon and head back on foot under cover of darkness. This will allow us to work without prying eyes or ears and hopefully no more questions will be asked."

 

[Eydis]

"I think it best to remember that Davked has the money, and apparently the time, to scry upon us when he wishes. That being said, I do have money saved that we can use to get things that we need. So let me know what you need, or what supplies we all need, and I can go get it or one of you can come along."

 

[felonious assault]

"I realize that he can buy scrying, but there is only so much we can do. If we put up the illusion of doing as he wishes, then perhaps he will be content for a while giving us some time before he tries magical spying. With luck by the time he decides to check on us we will be in the underdark and he will think we are doing what he asked. As for supplies, we will need at a mimimum the following.
200 ft of rope
food for 4 for a couple of monthes (we will be holed up for a while). It should be portable and easy, dry rations, dehydarated stuff, jerky, beans etc.
Make sure we have weapons and spares,
Spell components for those of us who need them
Armor in good shape
repair supplies for armor
At least 1 drum of water,
A few lanterns and at least 10 gallons of oil.
A large tarp to cover the wagon
a couple of cook pots.
and anything else you can think of. The point is to make it look like we are not coming back for a looooong time. I know we can make it without some of this stuff because of spells etc, but we need to be convincing in our leaving....Over flow the wagon."