Thanks Mahiro Satsu for reading the story. I hope you've become a fan. We're coming to a pause in the campaign as I try to figure out what to do with the Heroes as they pursue the legacy of their sires....
To 4 Tarsakh, Year of Rogue Dragons: One Near Fatal Minute
Khirin al D'hib made his way through the busy tavern, shaking the wet from his cloak. It seemed to rain every three days or so. Khirin sighed and then spied his quarry. He approached an elven bard that he had heard was in town. He sought information to help his companions and to persuade them not to make a daring...or foolish...rescue of Mourn, the Mad. Erindol Starharp saw the merchant coming towards him. He could tell that the man did not want to hear him perform but sought information. The elf stood up.
"Make your questions quick," demanded the elf
Khirin narrowed his eyes and scowled slightly, but answered, "It seems that all the elves I have come across lately have forgotten their manners."
The Tethyran merchant bowed, "I will not forget mine. Sir Starharp, I seek information on several items."
Khirin described the blade that Mourn had clutched so dearly.
"Where did you see this blade? Such an item does not exist. Merchant you waste my time."
However, Khirin saw through the elf's feigned ignorance. He became more bold. Faun had mentioned a group of purist elves called the Elderth Veluthra or the Victorious Blade of the People.
"Is this blade connected to the Elderth Veluthra?"
The bard answered, clearly upset, "Our business is concluded. He began to walk away. Khirin followed him towards the door repeating the questions and describing again what the heroes had seen during the scry. The bard whirled around a rapier quickly at Khirin's throat. The merchant rogue felt the trickle of blood.
"You delve into things that are best left alone, human. The
Starym Moonblade, the
Bladeshee is not to be trifled with."
Khirin held his arms up and tried to remain unthreatening. The elf turned and left the tavern.
**
At some point during the eight day 'grace' period, Khirin related the encounter to Benito. There were too many questions left unanswered, like
What was a Bladshee? that none could even guess at. Faun kept pestering Benito about her task to seek after Harular, to which the cleric of Tyr would answer,
"We will go after your half-dragon bandit after we get Mourn."
As the days went by the tone was more exclamatory, until Bentio had to ask the rest of the group, notably Ivan, to distract her with martial arts practice.
The eight days came and went. Benito had the plan ready and Khirin having found no reason to stop Benito (other than his insistance that it was a bad plan) agreed reluctantly to go along.
The heroes would
teleport into the cavern that they had viewed a tenday ago, after
scrying to see if Mourn and his wailing attendant were present. Those of good morality would have a
mask alignment spell placed upon them to prevent any wards that affected good folk from working on them. They would then grab Mourn and 'port out of there. Benito had back ups ready, like
plane shift and
word of recall memorized just in case the original spells cast by Prespur the Translocator did not work. The whole mission was planned to only take eighteen ticks. The plan was to abort if it looked like it would take longer. Once Mourn was back they were to put him in dungeon cell in Lord Bron's castle that had been
hallowed with the
protection from evil component facing inward and a
dimensional anchor attached to the
hallowed area.
It seemed full-proof and well thought out, in any case, and there had been much
communing with the representatives of Tyr to solidify the plan.
**
The party consisting of Prespur, Benito, Khirin, Fauh, Ivan, Sergei, Grim, and Souliess gathered around the mirror in a large room set aside temporarily for this mission. Towards the end of Benito's ritual to
scry, the mage and merchant cleric cast preparative spells on the party.
Mourn came into view and before he had a chance to detect their presence, Benito shouted, "Prespur, now!"
The heroes disappeared from Castle Irieabor and reappeared many miles to the north in a cavern somewhere in the Sunset Hills. The telelportation daze wore off in a few seconds with strangely only the mage suffering any ill effects.
Benito acted quickly and cast his mighty spell of stunning. With a single word he incapacitated Mourn. He then moved to stand between him and the elven woman that stood at his side. Sergei taking a cue from Benito, took a step foward and slashed at the elven warrior-woman. His blade passed right through her and a shower of sparks issued from the floor of the cavern. Grim, not trusting Benito's attack of power, stabbed the helpless Mourn, just to make sure. Benito groaned.
Then the elven woman wailed. Faun dropped. Other elven warriors were closing to attack the intruders as the elven woman who had just wailed shouted out orders of 'capture for sacrifice' in archaic, hard-to-understand elven. Ivan, ignoring the attacks of a ring of elven fighters, grabbed Faun and slung her over his shoulder. Khiran recovered Mourn around which the heroes had formed a protective circle. Prespur, now cleared of the haze in his mind, saw that their target had been acquired. He cast his second
teleport of the day and the heroes vanished. Only twelve ticks had elasped.
To their suprise as they recovered from the translocation, they discovered that they had brought back not one, but two guests. The elven warrior woman lashed out at her adversaries with a blade that seemed to ignore armor. A brisk fight in the close quarters of the cell insued.
Sergei and Ivan, dropping Faun, went toe-to-toe with what the mute warrior from Wa had signed was a spectre. Khirin was examining Faun and Mourn while Grim, Benito, and Souliess tried to manuver to combat the elven woman and hopefully dispatch her before she wailed again. Souliess only found resistance and at one point in his mental attack against her, felt a backlash of psionic power. Grim's swords found no purchase and they passed through her incorporeal body. Sergei met flesh with his katana and Ivan caused the spectre to grimace at least once. Then Benito called on the power of Tyr and a beam of
searing light tore into the elven ghost, right between the eyes. The spectre disappeared.
Mourn shuddered and dropped the
moonblade. One of the heroes dragged their rescued companion from the cell. Khirin did the same for Faun.
Already Ivan's men were running down the stairs, their booted feet echoing in unison (Prespur had
dimension door'ed a few seconds prior to get the troops). Benito slammed the cell shut and quickly finished the wards to close the
hallow. The blade glowed seemingly with anger and the cleric turned away. It seemed to beckon him. He looked to where Khirin crouched over Faun. He met the cleric of Waukeen's eyes. Khirin shook his head. Faun was dead.