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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Finished - The Last Word : 9/20/15)
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<blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 3892289" data-attributes="member: 198"><p>We've handled some stuff via the forums we use for the game, so a lot of the following is from there:</p><p></p><p>* * * * * * * * * *</p><p></p><p>Nameless opens his eyes, to find himself lying at the bottom of a strange cylindrical chamber, six feet in diameter and ten feet deep, lit by a <em>continual flame</em> torch. One look at the featureless black surface that makes up the ceiling, the strange combination of an impassable barrier and not really present on the same plane, identifies the location. <em>I’m inside the </em>portable hole<em>! I wonder what happened. Last thing I remember was the death knight...oh!</em> </p><p></p><p>The alienist rises and looks down at the remnants of the wound in his chest and shoulder, slowly healing as Mordain’s modifications do their work. Then he sits down on the small stool in the corner, next to a small pile of books, a pack of cards, and a magical bottle which contains an infinite amount of air. <em>I guess they put me in here to keep me safe. I hope they get me out soon.</em></p><p></p><p>As he sits down, Nameless’ brow furrows. Something feels different. Then he realizes what it was and hurriedly looks down…</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>“You’re sure he’s dead? Like dead dead?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, Luna – I’m sure,” says Six. “I checked. And I don’t always get how your bodies work, but I’m fairly sure.”</p><p></p><p>“This is really not good,” says Gareth. “Damn it! I knew we shouldn’t have had Nameless wandering around.”</p><p></p><p>“I also knew we shouldn’t have been taunting liches,” says Six flatly. “Anyway, the question is – now what do we do?”</p><p></p><p>“Depends on what happens, doesn’t it?” says Korm. “I don’t see any portals opening up anywhere.”</p><p></p><p>“It couldn’t have opened up inside the <em>portable hole</em>, could it?” asks Gareth.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t know, but we need to get him out. This time <em>I’m</em> bringing him back!” says Luna, giving Korm a dirty look.</p><p></p><p>Six says, “All right.” He places the <em>portable hole</em> on the floor, opens it and looks in. To see a worried looking Nameless looking back up at him. There is a pause and then Six says, “You’re alive?” </p><p></p><p>“Usually. Why?”</p><p></p><p>As Nameless rises into the air and out of the hole, Six says, “You were dead. At least I’m quite sure you were dead. Really dead.”</p><p></p><p>“Damn!” says Nameless, “That explains it. When I woke up, I was quite sure I had just died. But I never saw Xoriat, nor did I have any ill effects from having returned to life. Other than that the aura in my chest is gone. What happened? Was it the death knight’s attack that killed me?”</p><p></p><p>Six quickly explains what happened. When he has done so, Nameless says, “We need to check the location where she ‘killed’ me. If the seed is planted presumably that would be the location.” He heads downstairs, along with the others, and out onto the skybridge. Six indicates the spot below where Emrena hit him with the final spell, but Nameless’ <em>arcane sight</em> shows nothing. </p><p></p><p>“Okay, I have to think about this,” says the alienist, heading back in. As they enter, Fett finally makes a cautious appearance from his room. He shrugs apologetically as he sees the Angels and says, “I heard all the shouting and fighting, and figured it was better if I didn’t get in the way. What happened?”</p><p></p><p>“We got attacked by the lich,” says Korm.</p><p></p><p>“The lich you put the ad in the paper making fun of?”</p><p></p><p>“I see a certain advantage to being human,” says Six. “I can’t roll my eyes.”</p><p></p><p>“Quiet, you!” says Luna. “It was funny!”</p><p></p><p>Gareth sighs and says, “Anyway, we have some issues that came up, Fett. We’ll catch you up on them later, if you don’t mind.” </p><p></p><p>“Sure.” Fett watches curiously as the group heads upstairs, looks at the shattered doors, and then heads over to talk to the warforged guards.</p><p></p><p>Upstairs, once they are inside one of the rooms, Gareth begins to pace the floor thoughtfully. “First things first – Nameless, Luna – can either of you contact the group of people who were trying to ‘help’ us? If so, we need to find out if they did this switch or if the portal actually opened. If they switched, then we handle it one way. And if the portal was opened, then what I’m about to say applies.”</p><p></p><p>Gareth looks around at the others, his face serious. “We need to tell certain people what has happened, but we don’t want to cause mass public hysteria. Most of the population will not be able to help, but will only get themselves hurt – and worse, probably lead to rioting, looting, and pillaging. I don’t think aberrations will start pouring in instantaneously – but I don’t think we have much time either, so we need to act fast.”</p><p></p><p>Despite the circumstances, the others exchange amused glances as the paladin keeps talking. “We need to use our contacts, starting with those in Sharn and working outwards to save time. I will go to both churches and also inform the Archierophant that I need to get an audience with Flamekeep; she is upset with me, but she will have to put that aside. The Church is the most organized group available to combat these forces. I will contact Cedric too, because we need a powerful ally with us. I will inform Lalia, who can speak with the Deneith enclave; they can help keep the population in check and safe from weaker aberrations. We also need to contact the Citadel. They specialize in information and we should ask them to get us information about the lich. She will attack again, I’m sure, and we need to take her out before she can attack us at an inopportune time. I’m not sure how many more times we can get lucky, and while we were not lucky tonight, at least we are all alive now.”</p><p></p><p>“Korm, Luna – you should notify your druidic circles. Nameless – you should notify Trillia and your mage circles, plus whatever other contacts you have. Then we need to send out messages to our contacts in other realms – Karrnath, Aundair, the Lhazaar principalties, etc. The highest ranking officials we know. If someone is not high enough, we bypass them to save time.”</p><p></p><p>“Nameless can you find a way to contact the dragons? We have no relations with them, but we did help one of their kind before. We have drunk of their blood, so maybe they can sense that in us. We will need their help if Xoriat is upon us. You also had a plan for us to get groups of weaker adventurers to work for us. We need to step this up. I am going to the newspaper, and without saying why I am making a call to all clerics and paladins. I will be putting them through extensive screenings, but we need to muster more support. These support units can help protect cities and towns, but can also go on missions that we do not have time to go on, especially if we are on other larger and more dangerous missions that only we can handle. And then…”</p><p></p><p>He falls silent as Luna collapses on the floor, laughing hysterically. “Paranoid much?! And you want us to get help from dragons because we’ve drunk the blood of one?” Anything else she might have said dissolves into laughter.</p><p></p><p>Nameless smiles, a trifle grimly, and says, “Luna is right. I don’t recommend we do anything rash or cause alarms to start ringing, or at least avoid running across Khorvaire going, ‘Xoriat is coming! Xoriat is coming!’ And not only because the vast number of people out there have never even heard of it. I am going to get some answers. There is a certain cost to what I am about to do, which is why I have not done it up until this point. But certainty of answers is what we need now.”</p><p></p><p>Gareth scowls at Luna and then turns to Nameless. “What do you have…”</p><p></p><p>There’s a knock on the door. Gareth’s scowl deepens and he walks over to open it. “Sorry,” says Fett, at the door, “But it’s a bunch of Deneith guards here to check on the trouble. You guys need to come out and explain. I tried to, but they want to speak to you. Plus, I don’t really know exactly what just went on.” He grins. “Hint, hint.”</p><p></p><p>Gareth sighs. “I think I should handle this. My ties to the Deneith enclave provide me some extra assistance when dealing with these people. Stay here.” He looks particularly at Luna and then heads downstairs. </p><p></p><p>The guards, standing on the skybridge leading to the house, consist of a dozen men wearing the insignia of the Deneith Blademark, led by a captain. Not too far away behind them are a few people, whom events outside the Gray House have attracted even at this time of night. A couple of the closest tower mansions have lights on and people watching from windows and balconies too. Gareth walks outside to meet them. “I am Gareth Byron Deneith, holy paladin of the Silver Flame. How can I be of assistance?”</p><p></p><p>The captain salutes and says, “I believe there was some kind of disturbance here, sir,” looking meaningfully at the shattered remnants of the main door to the house. “Can you tell me exactly what happened? And do you need any assistance?”</p><p></p><p>“Please come inside, captain. Out here in public is not the best place to speak.” As Gareth and the captain walk into the foyer of the Gray House, Nameless is waiting, standing to the side of the door so that he cannot be seen from outside, hat drawn low over his face. As the captain’s men enter the building, he quickly turns away and precedes Gareth and the captain into the living room. Fett, who is also waiting, follows them.</p><p></p><p>Gareth shuts the door and walks over to the bar to pour a drink. “Would you like a drink? We do not need any assistance at this point, and I believe the problem has been quelled for now. We were attacked by members of the Emerald Claw. We killed all but one of them, who managed to flee.” Pausing for a moment to let the captain absorb the news, he adds, “My sincere apologies to anyone who was disturbed.”</p><p></p><p>The captain nods at Nameless and then waves away the drink, saying, “Thank you, but I’m on duty. The Emerald Claw? That’s unfortunate. I’ve heard about the history of this house and its connection with them. Could you please give me some details about the attack, who you killed and especially the person who fled?” He looks a little apologetic. “I’ll need to write a report when I return, so any details you give me make my life easier.”</p><p></p><p>Gareth explains, “We were attacked by Emrena the Red, a lich whose boyfriend we had killed during our earlier adventures. She was followed by two clerics and a death knight. They <em>teleport</em>ed into our home while we were sleeping. Emrena was able to flee; the rest died. In a nutshell, that is what happened. Do you have any questions?”</p><p></p><p>The captain looks a little surprised. He asks a couple of simple questions and then says, “That’s all. Thank you.”</p><p></p><p>“Not a problem. Would you do me a favor and please find Lalia d’Deneith for me? I need to speak with her, and it is urgent.”</p><p></p><p>The captain smiles. “Too late. A messenger’s already been dispatched to her. The Sentinel Marshal has standing orders at the enclave to be informed instantly if you have any trouble.”</p><p></p><p>Nameless finally speaks up. “I have an additional request. Please announce that I was in fact killed by the lich. That was her aim and, hopefully, that should keep her from trying again until we are ready to deal with her. It may prove useful in other respects to have people believing that I am dead.”</p><p></p><p>The captain looks a little uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, sir,” he says, “But I can’t make a decision on that matter. I have to report the facts to the enclave, but I can take your request to my superiors. But that shouldn’t be a problem for you, since it’s not as if House Deneith will be announcing anything about the attack. You have connections in the Korranberg Chronicle, right? Maybe they could do that for you?”</p><p></p><p>“All right,” says Nameless. “That is acceptable.” </p><p></p><p>The captain excuses himself and leaves with his squad. Once they have gone, Fett says, “Suddenly I feel even better about not having left my room.” As he is speaking, the two warforged guards come up to the trio. One says, “We need to be excused from work tomorrow. We must take our slain colleagues to Smith, in the Cogs.”</p><p></p><p>“That is not a problem,” says Gareth, “Thank you for your services tonight.” </p><p></p><p>When Nameless and he head upstairs and tell the others what happened, Six says, “I shall go with them tomorrow. I need to find some things out too.”</p><p></p><p>“Just wait until I have tried to gain some information in the morning,” says Nameless.</p><p></p><p>With that decided, Six heads downstairs to speak to the other warforged, while his companions go back to bed.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>About an hour after the attack occurred, Gareth is woken by a knocking on his door. He stumbles out of bed, reflexively bringing forth the Endless Blade, but then realizes who it might be. Opening the door, he finds Lalia, accompanied by one of the warforged guards, fully armed and armored, and slightly out of breath, as if she’s been hurrying. “All right,” she says without preamble, as he opens the door. “I heard that you got attacked by that lich you idiots were taunting. Is everyone all right? Oh ... and let me in.”</p><p></p><p>Gareth quickly motions her Lalia inside, closes the door, and gives her a hug. “It's good to see you. Everyone is fine, sort of....” He goes to put on a shirt, adding, “Have a seat, please. We ran into a problem.”</p><p></p><p>Lalia steps in and hugs him back. She drops into a seat and says, “Yeah, yeah – I’m sure it’s really good to see me after hanging out with Karrn princesses and all.”</p><p></p><p>Gareth returns with a quizzical look on his face. “You’re the fourth person who mentioned the princess and me. I don't understand? I was guarding her and people are acting odd about it.”</p><p></p><p>Lalia shakes her head and says, her tone a mixture of affection and exasperation, “Do you ever look at yourself in a mirror? Whether you’re doing anything about it or not, the whole setup of ‘hunky paladin guards young, nubile princess’ has a lot of potential.”</p><p></p><p><em>Oh! Is she jealous?</em> Gareth walks over to her and putting both of his hands on her arms. “I didn’t reali…, I mean, nothing happen… I was just guarding her. I swear to you.” He looks into Lalia’s eyes, a worried look in his own.</p><p></p><p>Lalia takes Gareth's hand and gives it a squeeze. “Relax, Gareth. I trust you. Hells, you have a hard enough time making a move on <em>me</em>!” Gareth blushes, wishing he was wearing his helmet. Though the color on his face makes her grin, Lalia doesn’t take advantage of his discomfiture. Instead, she asks, “So what’s the problem? The lich that got away? And what did you mean ‘fine, sort of’?” She winces. “You’re not going to tell me something screwy happened with Nameless again, are you?”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, well – about Nameless. He died....” Pausing for a second, he adds, “We think. We’re not too sure.”</p><p></p><p>This time, all humor disappears from Lalia’s tone and manner. “You’re ... not sure ... if he died? What the hell does that mean? And what about that whole thing with the portal to Xoriat that you mentioned? Wasn’t him dying supposed to trigger it or something?”</p><p></p><p>Gareth shrugs. “We don’t know what happened. Emrena the Red killed him, or at least that’s what we thought. Six placed him in the <em>portable hole</em>, and when we went to get him out the aura of the portal was gone. Nameless also said he was sure he died. Now Nameless is going to prepare some spells to see if the portal or portals were released. Those spells are dangerous, and of themselves might kill him.” </p><p></p><p>Lalia looks first worried and then confused. “So he died and then got better? But that portal ... thingie is gone?” She stops and puts her head in her hands for a moment, before raising it again. “Sometimes – actually, often – I wonder how you guys get into all the trouble you do. Maybe I should have got House Deneith to lock you all up in a small room a long time ago!”</p><p></p><p>Gareth sighs. “We are not sure if he died, or at least not yet. But I don’t think it would have been a good idea to lock up Nameless. That would have set the portal off in a two week period.” He pauses and a thin smile appears on his face as he realizes Lalia was joking, “And Luna probably faster.” </p><p></p><p>Despite the severity of the situation, Lalia's smile widens. “Point taken.” Gareth continues, more seriously, “We can’t let everyone know what is going on. Only certain people – you are one of them, and the head of the Deneith enclave. If the general populace knew what may happen, it would cause mass hysteria. The Deneith enclave can help with weaker aberrations if any appear in the city, or other spots – but you need to know what may come out.” </p><p></p><p>Lalia rubs her nose in thought. “Yeah, I can tell Lord Sadran about it, but I’m not guaranteeing that he’ll buy it. He’ll believe me if I say that <em>you</em> believe it, but that doesn’t mean he'll think you’re right. If you can give me more proof, now or later, that’ll help.”</p><p></p><p>“If Lord Sadran would like to speak with us I can make that happen, but I do not have any proof. The only evidence earlier was available to people who were able to see the magical aura on Nameless before, and that it is gone now.” Lalia nods thoughtfully, and then asks, “True. Of course, seeing the aura would just prove that there was ... well, an aura. Not that it was actually a portal or something. Right?”</p><p></p><p>Gareth nods his head in agreement, “Yes, you are quite right. To most it would just be a very powerful aura, but that is all. Any other proof would be a maddening horror appearing and causing havoc. He just needs to be prepared. I will jot down a list of basic things that are common to most types of aberrations – both strengths and weaknesses.”</p><p></p><p>Lalia nods while he fetches a sheet of parchment. “That should help. The enclave here doesn’t get to run into aberrations on a regular basis, naturally. Maybe a special job by the Blademark cleaning out an infestation in the Cogs, but it’s very rare that we’re called in for such a task. Tasra and I are probably the two who’ve seen the most in the pursuit of our duties, and even we’ve only seen or fought a couple.”</p><p></p><p>After jotting down some information, Gareth hands over the parchment, “Here. There is not much to it. Be very careful of a creature called a chaos beast. Avoid coming into physical contact with any of these monsters, but especially that one.” His speech slows and then he says, “There’s one more thing that’s even more important. I need to find a way to keep you safe.”</p><p></p><p>The corners of Lalia’s eyes crinkle as a smile spreads across her face. “You’re sweet. Even if you won’t put out.” She chuckles, and though the laughter fades, there’s a softness in her eyes. “Don’t worry. I can look after myself, and House Deneith has more resources than you might think. And somehow it seems the danger you get yourself into is a lot worse than anything I ever have to deal with. Hells, the last time I almost got killed was when messing with Daask in the Cogs with you, remember?” She cocks her head. “You're going to end up neck deep in this situation, aren’t you? What are you – and the others – planning?”</p><p></p><p>Gareth blushes again and then his face turns to solid stone, with no trace of mirth or joy in his voice. “The Cogs and Daask is an 8 year old thug compared to what we will encounter. You have never seen, and I pray to the Silver Flame you never will, the horrors that I have seen. Listen to me, my love – these creatures are utter chaos. They cannot be reasoned with or bargained with; they feel no pity, no remorse, no fear – and they will absolutely not stop until all has been destroyed.” He sighs. “I need to keep you safe, but I do not know how to do this when I must travel to unknown parts that are extremely dangerous.” He runs his hands worriedly though his hair. “Leave this place. Come stay at my parents’ home in Karrnath. It is less populated and you will be safe there.”</p><p></p><p>Lalia listens with complete seriousness and then slowly smiles, albeit also with little humor. “You really have a strange way of trying to get me to meet the folks, you know?” She quickly lifts a hand, to indicate she’s joking, and continues, “But that’s not an option. I can’t just pick up and leave Sharn. This is my home, where I was born and raised, where my family and friends are. And I have responsibilities here. I’ve sworn oaths to serve House Deneith, to protect the people of Sharn, and beyond that to track down and bring criminals to justice wherever in Khorvaire they may go. You have your oaths to the Flame too. Would you turn your back on them just because a situation was dangerous and go off where it was safer? I think not. Neither can – or will – I.” </p><p></p><p>When Lalia mentions oaths and promises, Gareth smiles grimly. “I love you dearly, Lalia, and part of the reason is the level of commitment that you have, one that most paladins would be jealous of; but I think if there is anything that would ever cause me to break my oaths it would be you. Do not get hurt! Make me that oath, because I don’t know what I would do if you did.”</p><p></p><p>Lalia looks silently at Gareth for a few moments. Then she says, “I’ll try not to.” Then she takes a deep breath and shrugs. “On the bright side, you’re not really sure when, or even if, this is certain to happen, right? Maybe it won’t be anything like what you fear. But even if it is, I’ve got to stay here. But I really, really appreciate the thought.” </p><p></p><p>Gareth nods. “Maybe. We will know more in the morning. I’ll send you the information as soon as I can.”</p><p></p><p>“All right.” Lalia rises, her tone more casual and cheerful now, “But now I should leave, since I might be tempted to thank you for that sentiment, and,” she grins, “That’ll just lead to yelling and screaming. And you look like you could use some rest.” She steps over to Gareth, gives him a strong hug and a long, passionate kiss. Eventually disengaging, she looks down and grins so broadly that the top of her head threatens to come off. “Oh, look – you <em>can</em> teach an old dog new tricks! I knew there was an advantage to you not wearing pants.” Then she laughs, turns and heads out the door.</p><p></p><p>Gareth looks down too, turning beetroot red and instantly regretting not having put on something over his underpants. With a sigh, he goes back to bed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="shilsen, post: 3892289, member: 198"] We've handled some stuff via the forums we use for the game, so a lot of the following is from there: * * * * * * * * * * Nameless opens his eyes, to find himself lying at the bottom of a strange cylindrical chamber, six feet in diameter and ten feet deep, lit by a [i]continual flame[/i] torch. One look at the featureless black surface that makes up the ceiling, the strange combination of an impassable barrier and not really present on the same plane, identifies the location. [i]I’m inside the [/i]portable hole[i]! I wonder what happened. Last thing I remember was the death knight...oh![/i] The alienist rises and looks down at the remnants of the wound in his chest and shoulder, slowly healing as Mordain’s modifications do their work. Then he sits down on the small stool in the corner, next to a small pile of books, a pack of cards, and a magical bottle which contains an infinite amount of air. [i]I guess they put me in here to keep me safe. I hope they get me out soon.[/i] As he sits down, Nameless’ brow furrows. Something feels different. Then he realizes what it was and hurriedly looks down… * * * “You’re sure he’s dead? Like dead dead?” “Yes, Luna – I’m sure,” says Six. “I checked. And I don’t always get how your bodies work, but I’m fairly sure.” “This is really not good,” says Gareth. “Damn it! I knew we shouldn’t have had Nameless wandering around.” “I also knew we shouldn’t have been taunting liches,” says Six flatly. “Anyway, the question is – now what do we do?” “Depends on what happens, doesn’t it?” says Korm. “I don’t see any portals opening up anywhere.” “It couldn’t have opened up inside the [i]portable hole[/i], could it?” asks Gareth. “I don’t know, but we need to get him out. This time [i]I’m[/i] bringing him back!” says Luna, giving Korm a dirty look. Six says, “All right.” He places the [i]portable hole[/i] on the floor, opens it and looks in. To see a worried looking Nameless looking back up at him. There is a pause and then Six says, “You’re alive?” “Usually. Why?” As Nameless rises into the air and out of the hole, Six says, “You were dead. At least I’m quite sure you were dead. Really dead.” “Damn!” says Nameless, “That explains it. When I woke up, I was quite sure I had just died. But I never saw Xoriat, nor did I have any ill effects from having returned to life. Other than that the aura in my chest is gone. What happened? Was it the death knight’s attack that killed me?” Six quickly explains what happened. When he has done so, Nameless says, “We need to check the location where she ‘killed’ me. If the seed is planted presumably that would be the location.” He heads downstairs, along with the others, and out onto the skybridge. Six indicates the spot below where Emrena hit him with the final spell, but Nameless’ [i]arcane sight[/i] shows nothing. “Okay, I have to think about this,” says the alienist, heading back in. As they enter, Fett finally makes a cautious appearance from his room. He shrugs apologetically as he sees the Angels and says, “I heard all the shouting and fighting, and figured it was better if I didn’t get in the way. What happened?” “We got attacked by the lich,” says Korm. “The lich you put the ad in the paper making fun of?” “I see a certain advantage to being human,” says Six. “I can’t roll my eyes.” “Quiet, you!” says Luna. “It was funny!” Gareth sighs and says, “Anyway, we have some issues that came up, Fett. We’ll catch you up on them later, if you don’t mind.” “Sure.” Fett watches curiously as the group heads upstairs, looks at the shattered doors, and then heads over to talk to the warforged guards. Upstairs, once they are inside one of the rooms, Gareth begins to pace the floor thoughtfully. “First things first – Nameless, Luna – can either of you contact the group of people who were trying to ‘help’ us? If so, we need to find out if they did this switch or if the portal actually opened. If they switched, then we handle it one way. And if the portal was opened, then what I’m about to say applies.” Gareth looks around at the others, his face serious. “We need to tell certain people what has happened, but we don’t want to cause mass public hysteria. Most of the population will not be able to help, but will only get themselves hurt – and worse, probably lead to rioting, looting, and pillaging. I don’t think aberrations will start pouring in instantaneously – but I don’t think we have much time either, so we need to act fast.” Despite the circumstances, the others exchange amused glances as the paladin keeps talking. “We need to use our contacts, starting with those in Sharn and working outwards to save time. I will go to both churches and also inform the Archierophant that I need to get an audience with Flamekeep; she is upset with me, but she will have to put that aside. The Church is the most organized group available to combat these forces. I will contact Cedric too, because we need a powerful ally with us. I will inform Lalia, who can speak with the Deneith enclave; they can help keep the population in check and safe from weaker aberrations. We also need to contact the Citadel. They specialize in information and we should ask them to get us information about the lich. She will attack again, I’m sure, and we need to take her out before she can attack us at an inopportune time. I’m not sure how many more times we can get lucky, and while we were not lucky tonight, at least we are all alive now.” “Korm, Luna – you should notify your druidic circles. Nameless – you should notify Trillia and your mage circles, plus whatever other contacts you have. Then we need to send out messages to our contacts in other realms – Karrnath, Aundair, the Lhazaar principalties, etc. The highest ranking officials we know. If someone is not high enough, we bypass them to save time.” “Nameless can you find a way to contact the dragons? We have no relations with them, but we did help one of their kind before. We have drunk of their blood, so maybe they can sense that in us. We will need their help if Xoriat is upon us. You also had a plan for us to get groups of weaker adventurers to work for us. We need to step this up. I am going to the newspaper, and without saying why I am making a call to all clerics and paladins. I will be putting them through extensive screenings, but we need to muster more support. These support units can help protect cities and towns, but can also go on missions that we do not have time to go on, especially if we are on other larger and more dangerous missions that only we can handle. And then…” He falls silent as Luna collapses on the floor, laughing hysterically. “Paranoid much?! And you want us to get help from dragons because we’ve drunk the blood of one?” Anything else she might have said dissolves into laughter. Nameless smiles, a trifle grimly, and says, “Luna is right. I don’t recommend we do anything rash or cause alarms to start ringing, or at least avoid running across Khorvaire going, ‘Xoriat is coming! Xoriat is coming!’ And not only because the vast number of people out there have never even heard of it. I am going to get some answers. There is a certain cost to what I am about to do, which is why I have not done it up until this point. But certainty of answers is what we need now.” Gareth scowls at Luna and then turns to Nameless. “What do you have…” There’s a knock on the door. Gareth’s scowl deepens and he walks over to open it. “Sorry,” says Fett, at the door, “But it’s a bunch of Deneith guards here to check on the trouble. You guys need to come out and explain. I tried to, but they want to speak to you. Plus, I don’t really know exactly what just went on.” He grins. “Hint, hint.” Gareth sighs. “I think I should handle this. My ties to the Deneith enclave provide me some extra assistance when dealing with these people. Stay here.” He looks particularly at Luna and then heads downstairs. The guards, standing on the skybridge leading to the house, consist of a dozen men wearing the insignia of the Deneith Blademark, led by a captain. Not too far away behind them are a few people, whom events outside the Gray House have attracted even at this time of night. A couple of the closest tower mansions have lights on and people watching from windows and balconies too. Gareth walks outside to meet them. “I am Gareth Byron Deneith, holy paladin of the Silver Flame. How can I be of assistance?” The captain salutes and says, “I believe there was some kind of disturbance here, sir,” looking meaningfully at the shattered remnants of the main door to the house. “Can you tell me exactly what happened? And do you need any assistance?” “Please come inside, captain. Out here in public is not the best place to speak.” As Gareth and the captain walk into the foyer of the Gray House, Nameless is waiting, standing to the side of the door so that he cannot be seen from outside, hat drawn low over his face. As the captain’s men enter the building, he quickly turns away and precedes Gareth and the captain into the living room. Fett, who is also waiting, follows them. Gareth shuts the door and walks over to the bar to pour a drink. “Would you like a drink? We do not need any assistance at this point, and I believe the problem has been quelled for now. We were attacked by members of the Emerald Claw. We killed all but one of them, who managed to flee.” Pausing for a moment to let the captain absorb the news, he adds, “My sincere apologies to anyone who was disturbed.” The captain nods at Nameless and then waves away the drink, saying, “Thank you, but I’m on duty. The Emerald Claw? That’s unfortunate. I’ve heard about the history of this house and its connection with them. Could you please give me some details about the attack, who you killed and especially the person who fled?” He looks a little apologetic. “I’ll need to write a report when I return, so any details you give me make my life easier.” Gareth explains, “We were attacked by Emrena the Red, a lich whose boyfriend we had killed during our earlier adventures. She was followed by two clerics and a death knight. They [i]teleport[/i]ed into our home while we were sleeping. Emrena was able to flee; the rest died. In a nutshell, that is what happened. Do you have any questions?” The captain looks a little surprised. He asks a couple of simple questions and then says, “That’s all. Thank you.” “Not a problem. Would you do me a favor and please find Lalia d’Deneith for me? I need to speak with her, and it is urgent.” The captain smiles. “Too late. A messenger’s already been dispatched to her. The Sentinel Marshal has standing orders at the enclave to be informed instantly if you have any trouble.” Nameless finally speaks up. “I have an additional request. Please announce that I was in fact killed by the lich. That was her aim and, hopefully, that should keep her from trying again until we are ready to deal with her. It may prove useful in other respects to have people believing that I am dead.” The captain looks a little uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, sir,” he says, “But I can’t make a decision on that matter. I have to report the facts to the enclave, but I can take your request to my superiors. But that shouldn’t be a problem for you, since it’s not as if House Deneith will be announcing anything about the attack. You have connections in the Korranberg Chronicle, right? Maybe they could do that for you?” “All right,” says Nameless. “That is acceptable.” The captain excuses himself and leaves with his squad. Once they have gone, Fett says, “Suddenly I feel even better about not having left my room.” As he is speaking, the two warforged guards come up to the trio. One says, “We need to be excused from work tomorrow. We must take our slain colleagues to Smith, in the Cogs.” “That is not a problem,” says Gareth, “Thank you for your services tonight.” When Nameless and he head upstairs and tell the others what happened, Six says, “I shall go with them tomorrow. I need to find some things out too.” “Just wait until I have tried to gain some information in the morning,” says Nameless. With that decided, Six heads downstairs to speak to the other warforged, while his companions go back to bed. *** About an hour after the attack occurred, Gareth is woken by a knocking on his door. He stumbles out of bed, reflexively bringing forth the Endless Blade, but then realizes who it might be. Opening the door, he finds Lalia, accompanied by one of the warforged guards, fully armed and armored, and slightly out of breath, as if she’s been hurrying. “All right,” she says without preamble, as he opens the door. “I heard that you got attacked by that lich you idiots were taunting. Is everyone all right? Oh ... and let me in.” Gareth quickly motions her Lalia inside, closes the door, and gives her a hug. “It's good to see you. Everyone is fine, sort of....” He goes to put on a shirt, adding, “Have a seat, please. We ran into a problem.” Lalia steps in and hugs him back. She drops into a seat and says, “Yeah, yeah – I’m sure it’s really good to see me after hanging out with Karrn princesses and all.” Gareth returns with a quizzical look on his face. “You’re the fourth person who mentioned the princess and me. I don't understand? I was guarding her and people are acting odd about it.” Lalia shakes her head and says, her tone a mixture of affection and exasperation, “Do you ever look at yourself in a mirror? Whether you’re doing anything about it or not, the whole setup of ‘hunky paladin guards young, nubile princess’ has a lot of potential.” [i]Oh! Is she jealous?[/i] Gareth walks over to her and putting both of his hands on her arms. “I didn’t reali…, I mean, nothing happen… I was just guarding her. I swear to you.” He looks into Lalia’s eyes, a worried look in his own. Lalia takes Gareth's hand and gives it a squeeze. “Relax, Gareth. I trust you. Hells, you have a hard enough time making a move on [i]me[/i]!” Gareth blushes, wishing he was wearing his helmet. Though the color on his face makes her grin, Lalia doesn’t take advantage of his discomfiture. Instead, she asks, “So what’s the problem? The lich that got away? And what did you mean ‘fine, sort of’?” She winces. “You’re not going to tell me something screwy happened with Nameless again, are you?” “Yeah, well – about Nameless. He died....” Pausing for a second, he adds, “We think. We’re not too sure.” This time, all humor disappears from Lalia’s tone and manner. “You’re ... not sure ... if he died? What the hell does that mean? And what about that whole thing with the portal to Xoriat that you mentioned? Wasn’t him dying supposed to trigger it or something?” Gareth shrugs. “We don’t know what happened. Emrena the Red killed him, or at least that’s what we thought. Six placed him in the [i]portable hole[/i], and when we went to get him out the aura of the portal was gone. Nameless also said he was sure he died. Now Nameless is going to prepare some spells to see if the portal or portals were released. Those spells are dangerous, and of themselves might kill him.” Lalia looks first worried and then confused. “So he died and then got better? But that portal ... thingie is gone?” She stops and puts her head in her hands for a moment, before raising it again. “Sometimes – actually, often – I wonder how you guys get into all the trouble you do. Maybe I should have got House Deneith to lock you all up in a small room a long time ago!” Gareth sighs. “We are not sure if he died, or at least not yet. But I don’t think it would have been a good idea to lock up Nameless. That would have set the portal off in a two week period.” He pauses and a thin smile appears on his face as he realizes Lalia was joking, “And Luna probably faster.” Despite the severity of the situation, Lalia's smile widens. “Point taken.” Gareth continues, more seriously, “We can’t let everyone know what is going on. Only certain people – you are one of them, and the head of the Deneith enclave. If the general populace knew what may happen, it would cause mass hysteria. The Deneith enclave can help with weaker aberrations if any appear in the city, or other spots – but you need to know what may come out.” Lalia rubs her nose in thought. “Yeah, I can tell Lord Sadran about it, but I’m not guaranteeing that he’ll buy it. He’ll believe me if I say that [i]you[/i] believe it, but that doesn’t mean he'll think you’re right. If you can give me more proof, now or later, that’ll help.” “If Lord Sadran would like to speak with us I can make that happen, but I do not have any proof. The only evidence earlier was available to people who were able to see the magical aura on Nameless before, and that it is gone now.” Lalia nods thoughtfully, and then asks, “True. Of course, seeing the aura would just prove that there was ... well, an aura. Not that it was actually a portal or something. Right?” Gareth nods his head in agreement, “Yes, you are quite right. To most it would just be a very powerful aura, but that is all. Any other proof would be a maddening horror appearing and causing havoc. He just needs to be prepared. I will jot down a list of basic things that are common to most types of aberrations – both strengths and weaknesses.” Lalia nods while he fetches a sheet of parchment. “That should help. The enclave here doesn’t get to run into aberrations on a regular basis, naturally. Maybe a special job by the Blademark cleaning out an infestation in the Cogs, but it’s very rare that we’re called in for such a task. Tasra and I are probably the two who’ve seen the most in the pursuit of our duties, and even we’ve only seen or fought a couple.” After jotting down some information, Gareth hands over the parchment, “Here. There is not much to it. Be very careful of a creature called a chaos beast. Avoid coming into physical contact with any of these monsters, but especially that one.” His speech slows and then he says, “There’s one more thing that’s even more important. I need to find a way to keep you safe.” The corners of Lalia’s eyes crinkle as a smile spreads across her face. “You’re sweet. Even if you won’t put out.” She chuckles, and though the laughter fades, there’s a softness in her eyes. “Don’t worry. I can look after myself, and House Deneith has more resources than you might think. And somehow it seems the danger you get yourself into is a lot worse than anything I ever have to deal with. Hells, the last time I almost got killed was when messing with Daask in the Cogs with you, remember?” She cocks her head. “You're going to end up neck deep in this situation, aren’t you? What are you – and the others – planning?” Gareth blushes again and then his face turns to solid stone, with no trace of mirth or joy in his voice. “The Cogs and Daask is an 8 year old thug compared to what we will encounter. You have never seen, and I pray to the Silver Flame you never will, the horrors that I have seen. Listen to me, my love – these creatures are utter chaos. They cannot be reasoned with or bargained with; they feel no pity, no remorse, no fear – and they will absolutely not stop until all has been destroyed.” He sighs. “I need to keep you safe, but I do not know how to do this when I must travel to unknown parts that are extremely dangerous.” He runs his hands worriedly though his hair. “Leave this place. Come stay at my parents’ home in Karrnath. It is less populated and you will be safe there.” Lalia listens with complete seriousness and then slowly smiles, albeit also with little humor. “You really have a strange way of trying to get me to meet the folks, you know?” She quickly lifts a hand, to indicate she’s joking, and continues, “But that’s not an option. I can’t just pick up and leave Sharn. This is my home, where I was born and raised, where my family and friends are. And I have responsibilities here. I’ve sworn oaths to serve House Deneith, to protect the people of Sharn, and beyond that to track down and bring criminals to justice wherever in Khorvaire they may go. You have your oaths to the Flame too. Would you turn your back on them just because a situation was dangerous and go off where it was safer? I think not. Neither can – or will – I.” When Lalia mentions oaths and promises, Gareth smiles grimly. “I love you dearly, Lalia, and part of the reason is the level of commitment that you have, one that most paladins would be jealous of; but I think if there is anything that would ever cause me to break my oaths it would be you. Do not get hurt! Make me that oath, because I don’t know what I would do if you did.” Lalia looks silently at Gareth for a few moments. Then she says, “I’ll try not to.” Then she takes a deep breath and shrugs. “On the bright side, you’re not really sure when, or even if, this is certain to happen, right? Maybe it won’t be anything like what you fear. But even if it is, I’ve got to stay here. But I really, really appreciate the thought.” Gareth nods. “Maybe. We will know more in the morning. I’ll send you the information as soon as I can.” “All right.” Lalia rises, her tone more casual and cheerful now, “But now I should leave, since I might be tempted to thank you for that sentiment, and,” she grins, “That’ll just lead to yelling and screaming. And you look like you could use some rest.” She steps over to Gareth, gives him a strong hug and a long, passionate kiss. Eventually disengaging, she looks down and grins so broadly that the top of her head threatens to come off. “Oh, look – you [i]can[/i] teach an old dog new tricks! I knew there was an advantage to you not wearing pants.” Then she laughs, turns and heads out the door. Gareth looks down too, turning beetroot red and instantly regretting not having put on something over his underpants. With a sigh, he goes back to bed. [/QUOTE]
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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Finished - The Last Word : 9/20/15)
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