Epic Problem : Prevention

[Darimaus]

Mary gladly accepted the Trumpet Archon's aid, knowing all to well the burdens of traversing by foot. After hearing the Archon's introduction, she nodded knowingly.

"I have had some experience with your kind in my travels. Very admirable beings. Alas, my station is much less impressive. I am merely a servant of good, travelling abroad to assist those forgotten amidst the everlasting fued between good and evil. As for my area of expertise... lets just say its my job to spread courage and inspiration to those in dire need of it."

 

[Pyrex]

Stepping out of the observatory, Lochlan whispers a brief prayer and summons his mount Zephyr. After climbing aboard his back, the powerfully muscled silver griffon launches into the air, following the dragons.

 

[Shayuri]

Athear, the great silver that now circled the Observatory like a hungry falcon, saw others emerging and nodded to himself. It was good. His eyes narrowed then as he focused on the gate to the Prime. It seemed to leap forward in his vision as he took the measure of the beings still around it. Were they still too stunned from the passage of the others? Or would they need more pacifying before letting more through?

A tilt of wing, and a swing of tail, and Athear broke out of his orbit and angled down towards the gate.

 

[Jemal]

There seem to be large patches, holes where beings used to be but are no longer, in the once much-larger crowd surrounding the portal.
The Great Dragon Patriarch is outside as well, Bellowing to draw everybody's attention, and the Solar Makariel shouts in a magically enhanced voice for the remaining Celestials to help clear the road. They do so immediately, many sacrificing themselves to remove demons and vampires and slaad from the way so that the rest of you can pass unmolested and with all speed through the gate. Those few that do remain in the way, flying around, are quickly removed by the advancing dragons, who are first through the gate.

You see the Halfling standing by the gate as you close, and he appears by each of you right before you pass in, touching you on the shoulder with a blessing, and wishing you luck.

As Athearkepeskorn passes through, there is a bright flash of bright silverish light, and the rest of you note several Demons and Devils dissapear with howls. You also notice that the land, which had been tinged red a moment ago, is returning to it's normal colour now.


After entering the gate, there is a brief moment (Perhaps 30 seconds, perhaps a minute) before you appear, floating above what appears to be a large tomb. You can see a road leading to the South, apparently well travelled, though there is nobody currrently in sight. The land seems peaceful, and as you arrive, you note that the slight clouds instantly begin glowing with a silver light, and the entire realm seems to take on a holy sheen.

Mary and the two Silver Dragons both recognize this, upon closer inspection, as the Tomb of Kai, a great leader of the kingdom of Lyrevan centuries ago. That means that you must be in Lyrevan, about an hours dragonflight north of the capitol city Islo. Lyrevan is the ancient home of Silver Dragons, and as such, both of the Silvers with you feel a sense of familiarity, and instinctively know their way around the kingdom.

 

[Wrahn]

Minathiel can't help feel this place is muddled as he appears on the Prime. It feel like it lacks clarity, a blend of the darkest hell and the highest heaven, a spiritual miasma. For all of it there is a particular wonder here, possiblities that don't exist in the outer planes. He only pauses briefly as he feels the Prime, then decends placing Mary on the ground next to him.

"I hold out little hope for this working, but it is worth a try." He reaches into his pack speaking in celestial, "Crystal Ball." He produces a cloth wrapped globe from inside the bag.

"If he is expecting us, then he may not resist this. If he does, there is little chance it will suceed, but it will warn him someone is looking for him." He runs his hand over the ball without actually touching it and it begins to come cloudy as he concentrates on the scant description they were given of the bard.

OOC-
Attempts to use the crystal ball to scry on the ancient one. He should be getting the +10 to saves since all we have is a description, add to that the DC is from the item at DC17 (I think) makes this unlikely to suceed if he chooses not to fail the save.

 

[Jemal]

*OOC* One other thing I forgot to mention, whether it normally does or not, I allow Scrying to convey sound as well as picture*


IC:

Minathiel wastes no time scrying upon the Ancient bard. The Crystal Ball remains fuzzy for a few minutes, and you hear faint whispers in draconic, but can't make out the actual words, though the voice sounds female. Then, finally, the picture resolves to a very old, though spry-looking gentleman sitting on a wagon, holding the reins. He looks up at you and smiles "Sorry chaps, but I'm not quite ready for you yet. Just wanted to let you know I'm still around. I've always been partial to heroes figuring out as much for themselves as they can, so here's your clue : Seek the Weasel's Crystal.. or was it Crystal's Weasel? Meh, you'll figure it out, eh?" He smiles, then waves goodbye and the picture dissapears.

The picture was too close to the old man to attempt any form of teleportation, showing only the wagon and the man.

 

[Wrahn]

As soon as it is apparent that the bard is going to cut off communication, Minathiel sends through the telepathy that his crystal ball give, Beware, others of unknown intent slipped in ahead of us, you may be in danger.

"He had some sort of scry ward up, I could not see enough to get a teleportation destination, though he did give us a clue: Seek the Weasel's Crystal or the Crystal's Weasel, he wasn't sure or at least not forth coming. I tried to send him warning of the others who came before us, but I am not sure I sent it in time or that he recieved the message with the scry ward." Minathiel says as he re-wraps the crystal ball in cloth and puts it back in his pack.

"Another option presents itself. I have seen him now, it may be sufficient to cast discern location, assuming what I saw in the scrying was a true representation of him. However, it seemed to be against his wishes that we circumvent the normal methods of investigation and discover him using mundane methods. As we are coming to him for aid, it may be best to follow his wishes. Do any of you have any thought on this?"

OOC-

Scrying is seeing and hearing according to the players handbook.

I am not sure if scrying counts for the "having seen" requirement of Discern Location, but I am assuming it does.

Minathiel's crystal ball allows him to telepathically send message to the person he is scrying on. Whether or not his message was recieved, I am assuming is unknown.

 

[Shayuri]

With thunderous wingbeats, Athearkepeskorn lands near the celestial and Mary, thumping the spine on the tip of his tail on the ground in a strange approximation of a human thoughtfully drumming his fingers.

"Weasel's Crystal, you say?" the dragon muses brassily. "Crystal's Weasel? That doesn't sound like much to go on."

The elf perched atop his shoulders in her dragonriding saddle said offhandedly, "It doesn't sound much like a place of learning at least. Isn't that where we were told to seek him? Educating the masses?"

Athear's head perks up at that, as his long memory unearths a time in the past when he walked in human form among the men of Ysgard, shared with them their mead, their high spirited brawls, their raucous good times. The Dancing Dragon. The Hamstrung Unicorn. There was a cadence to inn names. A pattern.

"The Weasel's Crystal," Athear said quietly...as much as his thunderous voice could be said to be quiet. "Well I'll be! It's got the classic form of an inn's name. And if he wanted to educate the masses, where better than an inn?"

 

[Darimaus]

Mary pondered the two phrases, bouncing them around in her head for a few moments. Drawing a blank, she sighed and gave a shrug.

"We won't be able to discern the meaning of this puzzle unless we can put it into context. I say we find ourselves some locals to assist us. If my memory serves correctly, there should be a city about an hours dragonflight south of here. Now what was it called... hmm... Eltdrag... no... maybe Intam... or Insto... Islo. Thats what its called. Islo. It should be the capital city of the country we are in, Lyrevan I believe. This country was the ancient home to silver dragons, so I'm pretty sure we should get a decent welcome at the very least."

 

[Pyrex]

" As we are coming to him for aid, it may be best to follow his wishes. Do any of you have any thought on this?"

"He seemed to know who we were when you scryed him. If he's sending us elsewhere instead of directly inviting us to meet with him I would suspect he has good reason."

"The Weasel's Crystal," Athear said quietly...as much as his thunderous voice could be said to be quiet. "Well I'll be! It's got the classic form of an inn's name. And if he wanted to educate the masses, where better than an inn?"

If my memory serves correctly, there should be a city about an hours dragonflight south of here... Thats what its called. Islo.

"Aye, it does sound like an inn; and Islo is as good a place to start looking as any."