The Selgaunt Campaign: Harpers Undercover in Sembia [no more updates]

[haiiro]

Dropping Valic at the Docks​

With Valic draped over his shoulder like a sack of unconscious potatoes, Tal exits Farry's Port and starts heading for the docks. Disguised as a nondescript human -- average height, brown eyes, brown hair, etc. -- Jaehn follows him at a respectable distance. Up above, Drake scouts ahead of them, keeping an eye out for guards along their path to the docks. At one point, a vendor Tal has just passed shouts, "Oi! What's in the sack?" -- to which Tal replies, "Your mother!" and keeps walking. Apart from that, Drake's empathic guidance allows them to reach the docks without incident.

Finding that the closer they get to the North end of the docks, the more Wheels they have to avoid, Jaehn and Tal decided not to take Valic all the way back to his barge. Instead, they find a likely alcove in a relatively empty street and dump him there. Tal reaches into the sack and cuts his bonds, and in the process jostles Valic just enough to wake him up. As the orc starts shouting incoherently from inside the sack, Tal and Jaehn head back to the nearest busy street -- not too quickly, not too slowly -- and disappear into the crowd. Before long, they are safely on their way back to Farry's Port.

Mazendria's​

Just as Tuggle is receiving Thissiken's feather token, Artemis and Cupric are arriving at Mazendria's. The shop is easily the nicest building they've seen since they arrived in Selgaunt, bar none. Four stories high and done in an exquisite greenish stone, its two massive teak doors are flanked by a pair of impassive footmen. Mirror-smooth glass is in all of the building's windows, and the stairs leading up to the entrance are of milky marble shot through with streaks of red and gold. The whole area around the shop is quiet and nearly devoid of passersby.

Ascending the stairs with Artemis, Cupric finds out that the rumors were true: it really does cost twenty gold pieces just to enter the shop. Artemis scoffs at this and walks back down the stairs, while Cupric counts out the money and presents it to one of the footmen. Bowing with a flourish, the man admits him to the inner sanctum: a long hallway, richly carpeted and dimly lit.

The only illumination comes from tiny magical light sources, all arranged to spotlight small shelves that run down the length of the hall. Set at various heights, each shelf holds a single perfect instrument. Doors of various sizes are arrayed between the shelves, and a stairway can be seen at the end of the hall. After locating the shelf that holds a lute -- or, more aptly, The Lute -- Cupric approaches it gingerly.

The moment he comes close enough to the lute to make out the details of its fine workmanship, there is a pattering of feet on the stairs. The smallest gnome the dreamborne has ever seen emerges -- barely two-and-a-half feet tall, with a subdued style to his garments and grooming that projects an image of wealth. He greets Cupric, asking if perhaps sir would like to see the lute room. When Cupric gives his assent, the little gnome tells him, "It costs ten gold pieces to see the lute room." Inwardly fuming, Cupric coughs up another ten Princes.

The gnome escorts him up two flights of stairs to the third floor, where he ushers him into another hallway -- much like the first, save for the absence of instruments -- and then stops in front of a smallish door. Unlocking this, he bows and indicates that Cupric should enter the lute room. Once again, capital letters might be called for: this chamber earns the right to be called The Lute Room.

Masterwork lutes of all shapes and sizes cover all four walls of the room from floor to ceiling, each held by brackets in such a way that it is easily accessible yet takes up as little real estate as possible. Needless to say, it doesn't take Cupric long to find The Perfect Lute. By its appearance, this lute is the sort of thing that, when the final touches had been put on by its elven master craftsman, made that craftsman set down his tools for good. As before, the moment Cupric seems certain to buy the lute, the tiny gnome opens the door and politely inquires if sir would like to buy this instrument.

When Cupric indicates that yes, sir would like to buy this instrument, the gnome inquires as to the identity of Cupric's patron. Cupric informs him that is buying the instrument for himself, and has no patron -- and the gnome's reaction is somewhere between shocked and appalled. Recovering, he asks, "May I know what you're going to use the lute for?" -- as if Cupric's first action as its owner might be to chop it up for kindling, perhaps. When he is satisfied that this is not the case, he asks whether Cupric would consent to give him an impromptu performance.

Not without some trepidation, Cupric agrees to do so. The gnome escorts him to the shop's finely appointed solarium, clambers up onto a padded bench (in an uncharacteristically undignified manner), and awaits the music. Finding that the lute is already perfectly in tune, Cupric goes into a high-class ballad, accompanying the delectably mellow tones of the lute with his voice. He delivers a marvelous performance, clearly satisfying the gnome's high standards, and earns the right to purchase his instrument.

He is escorted back downstairs, through two locked doors (which are re-locked behind them), and into a bare stone room containing a desk, two chairs and a small door. Going into the other door, the gnome produces a pillowed basket and sets it on the desk. After carefully placing the lute into the basket, he informs Cupric that there is a small commission attached to paying in cash. After making a few notes on a piece of vellum, the final price is delivered: two hundred and twenty-five gold pieces. After making sure this includes a case, Cupric forks over most of his Princes, glad that the ordeal is nearly over.

Not long after that, he has selected an excellent hard case from the case room (which, surprisingly, did not cost money to enter) and left the building. Blissfully unaware of what sort of trouble the rest of the Follies have gotten themselves into, Cupric and Artemis make their way back to Farry's Port in a leisurely fashion.

Belvemma's Row​

Relaying Thissiken's message to De'lea, Tuggle quickly ascertains the location of Belv Row -- which is actually Belvemma's Row, a small district populated by herbalists, potion-brewers and the like. They decide that De'lea will head straight there, while Tuggle will run back to Farry's Port and round up the rest of the Follies. If they have trouble linking up in the Row, they'll meet at the closest lavender shop.

Returning the inn, Tuggle finds Talishmere entertaining drunks with an account of Torm's defeat of Bane, while Vicktor is on his way to joining them. After breaking off Jaehn's mediation session upstairs, Tuggle leaves a note with the barkeep for Cupric and Artemis: "Belv Alley - South end of city...quickly! All but you two are there for our friend. - Tuggle." He tries to strike a balance between being informative and giving away too much to the barkeep, and does a fair job of it -- which is really too bad, because after the barkeep receives his tip (one copper piece), he looks highly unlikely to deliver the message to anyone.

Since Tuggle's familiar, Thss, isn't terribly well suited to the role of advance scout, Jaehn dispatches Drake to Belvemma's Row. The raven's instructions are to find Thissiken, make as much of a racket as possible, and then lead Thissiken to De'lea. As Drake picks up speed and flaps off over the rooftops, Vicktor, Jaehn, Tuggle and Tal head for the Row with all possible haste. By the time they reach it, half a candlemark (thirty minutes, to one of Gond's clockmakers) has passed since the Follies received Thissiken's missive.

Belvemma's Row turns out to be a full-sized open-air bazaar jammed into a twisting maze of narrow streets, alleyways and courtyards. Where the buildings leading up to it tend to be two or three stories tall, those in the Row look to be rarely more than a single story in height. Nearly every building sprouts an awning or two, under which vendors stand behind stalls; between open doors and curtained entryways are peddlers with their wares spread out on bolts of cloth, vying for space with those who have set up tables. The Follies are immediately assaulted by a range of strong smells -- and given the sullen and unsavory atmosphere of the Row itself, being assaulted by the vendors themselves seems fairly likely.

In fact, it has been clear for several minutes before arriving in the Row itself that they are not in a very good part of the city. Still, the Row itself makes the surrounding neighborhood look positively inviting -- and noting this, De'lea focuses her will and detects evil in the direction of the stalls. Of the dozen people she can readily see, every one of them radiates an aura of evil.

At about this time, the Follies converge on De'lea and Drake emerges from the Row, cawing loudly and herding Thissiken in their direction. He runs up to them at full tilt and barrels into Tal. Clutching one of his legs, he begins shouting: "Wehaveto getaway! He'safterme! Youhaveto helpme!"

Somewhat skeptical, the Follies nonetheless calm him down and try to find out exactly what's going on. After a few moments, a description of his pursuer emerges: a tall man, well over seven feet, dressed entirely in white. Although no one fitting this description is visible from where the Follies are standing, Thissiken seems to think that he's heading in their direction. At Jaehn's command, Drake takes off and does a quick reconnaissance flight over the Row -- reporting back almost immediately that a tall man in white is indeed on his way to pay them a visit.

A Very Brief Battle​

Per usual, the Follies scatter: Jaehn shifts his disguise into that of a one-armed, one-legged beggar; Tal starts escorting a crazed Thissiken away from the entrance to the Row; De'lea and Tuggle step into nearby alleyways to await the man in white; and Vicktor blends into the background, pretending to be interested in a coriander stall. Though no one takes the time to express it, most of the Follies share a moment of black humor: they are shy two party members, and three out of the five present are spellcasters who are all but out of spells. There is, in short, some cause for worry.

As the figure in white passes by Vicktor, the pugilist catches a strong scent of sickly-sweet honeysuckle, easily detected even over the prevailing smell of cinnamon. As Tal tries to stay somewhat in view without being too close (and uses Thissiken as bait) the figure exits the Row entirely. Seizing the moment, Jaehn hobbles out in front of him, arresting his progress. As the figure flinches back and then looms over him, Jaehn looks up at him with his ruined face and says, "Spare a copper, sir?"

The figure is shrouded in heavy white robes, and his face is almost entirely covered in folds of a gauzy material. As Jaehn jiggles his upraised palm pathetically, a small black cylinder emerges from the figures robes at around chest height. Its tip flashes brightly at Jaehn, and the illusionist finds himself feeling incredibly well disposed towards his new friend -- he has been charmed.

In a voice that is at once sonorous and grating, the figure speaks. "Take me to the gnome."

"Which gnome, sir?" croaks Jaehn.

In response, the figure describes someone who sounds an awful lot like Algaer -- and when Jaehn tells him he doesn't know where this gnome is, the figure then describes Thissiken. Pleased to be able to help his friend, Jaehn nods enthusiastically and begins hobbling in Thissiken's direction as fast as he can -- which isn't very quickly at all. After following the beggar for a few of his long paces, the figure snarls, "Go faster."

No stranger to disguises, Jaehn knows that this is a bad idea: if he goes faster, it'll be obvious that he isn't really a crippled beggar, and his disguise will be blown. As the figure kicks him to the ground, the cloud over his judgment passes completely -- and in the same instant, the white figure spots Thissiken through the crowd.

As he breaks into a run, Tuggle scampers up behind him, drawing Snakestrike and letting it hang loosely at his side. Vicktor (who was already in motion) charges past the white-robed figure at full-tilt and stops about ten feet in front of him, blocking his way. Noticing this, Tal shouts at Thissiken to keep moving -- while casting enlarge person on Vicktor.

The beast of Saerloon rapidly doubles in size, taking one corner of an awning up with him and knocking aside a startled pedestrian. Not knowing how or why this happened to him, Vicktor is baffled -- but only for a heartbeat. At that moment, the white figure stops short, rears back, and then thrusts his head in Vicktor's direction. The pugilist staggers back, feeling as though an explosion has just taken place inside his skull. His mind a blank, he is dazed and completely out of action.

The white figure's reaction is unexpected: he too staggers back a bit, looking fatigued -- as if he had just placed himself under a great strain. Not one to miss a chance, Tuggle unleashes the fury of his family's ancient heirloom, Snakestrike (a sure sign that the tiny sorcerer is out of spells). His mighty blow just manages to graze his foe, barely breaking skin -- and quite likely causing several of Tuggle's ancestors to spin in their graves.

Even down on the ground, Jaehn is a flurry of activity. Compartmentalizing his mind, he attempts to daze the white figure, while simultaneously commanding Drake to seek out the music district and round up Cupric and Artemis. Perhaps because Drake begins to argue with him (it's a big city, and he has no idea where to look, and...) the spell passes harmlessly around its target. At that same moment, De'lea bursts from concealment.

The fire of her faith at full roar, she brings her sword around in a great sweeping arc and smites the figure in white. Brushing aside the flickering force of his mage armor, her blow cuts him in two just above the elbows. There is a brief, pregnant pause -- and then he appears to explode, showering everyone within ten feet with blood as he falls apart.

Wet and startled, Tuggle and Jaehn nonetheless waste no time giving his corpse the once-over: while Jaehn pats down the bottom half, Tuggle searches the top half. As De'lea stands over them, wiping her sword clean, Tuggle's search uncovers the figure's face -- and gets a good look at his pale gray skin, elongated head, and tentacles. Although his features are otherwise mostly human, a slim and noisome tentacle protrudes from just beneath each eye, and another pair emerge from his jaw line.

Leaving the creature's hood open so others can see his true nature, Tuggle quickly directs a recent occupant at him. As he learns that the being's name is Liddis Malzevent, and that he is a bel-illeth, Jaehn recovers the slim black wand that was used to charm him. Noting that screams of panic and fear have started up -- and that the blood-soaked bystanders are beginning to come out of shock -- the pair then do their best to look innocuous. Jaehn uses his hat to disguise away the blood and fade into the background, while Tuggle commences wailing and pretending to be surprised by what has just taken place.

What follows is a few minutes of frenzied escaping, negotiating with guards, deception, stealth, and existential confusion.

After a moment of what the hell is going on around here, ogre-sized Vicktor climbs the closest building and begins clambering over the rooftops. When he reaches a gap too wide to cross, he sits down to wait and see if he'll return to normal size, the whole time wishing he had some way to wash off all the blood. Eventually he shrinks, shrugs it off, and starts walking back to the inn.

Two squads of guards -- Calderro's Blades and Alseyn's Rangers -- arrive in rapid succession. Though it would be difficult for an observer to sort out, in a short period of time they: believe Tuggle's story about De'lea rescuing them; find out about Tuggle's Follies and their performance that night; get lambasted by Tal for failing to adequately guard the city; try and detain several Follies (even going so far as to surround them in a spear circle); and wind up letting them all go, although only after Tuggle tells the Blades their names. In any case, a lot of bluffing is involved.

When all is said and done, it is the second time in the past few hours that the Follies have made their way back to Farry's Port in ones and twos -- only this time they have Thissiken in tow, riding piggyback on Talishmere.

 

[haiiro]

Thissiken's Font of Information​

Once everyone is back at Farry's Port, and stories of recent events have been exchanged, the Follies settle in to pick Thissiken's brain -- and over the next candlemark or so, they learn quite a bit.

For starters, Thissiken is no simple drakesmith -- and being a drakesmith isn't as simple as it sounds. After cautioning Tal not to jostle him the whole way back to the inn, Thissiken takes up residence on the largest bed in the room and demands pipeweed and tea. When Tal has grumpily fetched him both items, he commences puffing like a chimney.

Surrounded by a pall of smoke, Thissiken asks, "Now. What do you want to know?"

The Follies begin by asking him if he's heard of some of the people -- and things -- that they've encountered since they left his shop. He answers no to all but one: Liddis Malzevent.

"Liddis Malzevent, I don't know -- but everyone knows Tarcas Malzevent. Have you seen the cables yet?"

Thissiken proceeds to describe the cables that the Follies caught a glimpse of earlier on in the day. As he tells it, there is a very tall tower in the High City from which three thick cables extend out over the river. These cables touch down at three different spots in the Market, and Tarcas Malzevent runs the cable buildings. Special casks slide down the cables into the Low City, and are winched back up into the High City -- bearing messages and other communications, Thissiken guesses.

Selgaunters call Tarcas "the Low Prince," because although he's an important man he isn't actually a prince. He's the chief enforcer for the Argent Rook vintners guild, and by all accounts he's a nasty piece of work. Although Thissiken doesn't have all of the details, he says that Tarcas is well known for being involved in a variety of shady business.

As it turns out, Thissiken isn't such a stranger to that sort of thing himself. When he casually mentions that he wasn't always a drakesmith, the Follies press him on the issue.

He responds, "I was an...entrepreneur."

"You were a thief," says Cupric.

"More of a liberator of possessions," answers Thissiken. "My specialty was gems. I love gems. That's how I was able to start up my shop -- it isn't cheap being in the dracotechnics business."

As conversation turns to the guard factions, the princes, and their various stances on open magic use, it becomes clear that Thissiken is more cagey than he seems. He divides the factions four ways: the Skyclads, who care the most about magic use and come down very hard on it; Davisson's Legion, who generally only care if someone is around to notice them caring; the Wheels, who couldn't care less; and everyone else, with their opinions on the subject varying over time and according to context.

Thissiken also supplies the Follies with the names of all nine merchant princes, as well as brief descriptions:

• Baric of Blacksedge, a dangerous man with connections to Saerloon.
• Calderro, a straightforward prince whose guards are primarily mercenaries.
• Dizerio of Thay, Selgaunt's newest prince.
• Eeras Davisson, also called the Merchant King; his Legion patrols the High City's walls and the outlying areas.
• Gurrom Lek, rumored to be part-orc, who spends most of his time on the docks or at sea.
• Morcia Alseyn, often out of the city, leaving her Rangers in charge of protecting the surrounding area.
• Sareene Shalligh, about whom little is known (save that her guards are rarely seen outside of the High City).
• Ursmeril, the most brutal prince, whose Skyclads are feared throughout Selgaunt.

On the subject of Gurrom Lek, Thissiken tells the Follies that it is fairly widely rumored that the prince holds gladiatorial combats in the High City, but he isn't privy to more details than that. After demanding more pipeweed (to add to the cloud that is currently obscuring the entire ceiling), he also expresses his gratitude to them -- and makes sure to get in a dig about the fact that they didn't believe him when he said he thought he was in danger. He also promises to provide them with the schedule of gate guards if they need it, and hints at the fact that he can have his contacts look into any areas they have questions about. When asked for a description of some of Selgaunt's major landmarks, he instead offers to have a map drawn up for the Follies that includes those places -- and more.

By the time their lengthy conversation is over, there is barely a candlemark left to prepare for their performance. With a basic plan for the evening in place (perform; visit the Copper Cup with Thissiken; go to Pub to secure their new rooms, also with Thissiken), the Follies begin their preparations.

The Follies' Second Performance​

Over the course of the next hour, Frango visits the Follies room to let them know that he's taken three deliveries on wine for the evening, the Follies firm up their act, and the common room downstairs begins to fill up. By the time the Follies make their grand entrance and ascend the pair of stages, the house is truly packed -- and a small mob of people is already gathered outside.

Recalling the crowd's request for bawdy songs the night before, the Follies open with a popular Rook's Night ballad, and then head straight into a lewd little number. With Jaehn and his flute supporting Cupric's lute and amazing voice (earning them a nickname: the "ute" brothers), Artemis tumbling up and down the room (and not doing feats of strength), and De'lea -- without her armor -- doing alluring dances and handing out more scarves, the response is tremendous. Off to one side, Thissiken sits between Vicktor and Tal, keeping time with his pipe and apparently enjoying himself immensely.

For the next couple of songs (including a rousing rendition of "A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End"), the crowd continues to grow, as more and more people somehow manage to squeeze their way in. A small army of bartenders, including a beaming Frango, keeps the wine flowing freely -- if not necessarily cheaply.

At that point, an unexpected guest crashes the party: a silver-furred bear shoulders its way through the front door on its hind legs, parting the crowd like water. Although many of the revelers further away from the door simply don't notice, the Follies do -- and they know whose bear it is, too. Without missing a beat, Cupric employs one of his many bardic talents and fascinates the bear.

It stands rooted to the floor, completely blocking the doorway, swaying slightly and with a glazed expression on its face. After a few moments, the crowd concludes that this must be part of the act, and one man even begins dancing with the bear, taking its forepaws in his hands and doing a merry (if drunken) jig. Knowing the his song will have to end -- freeing the bear to act on its own again -- Cupric tries to catch Vicktor's eye. While Vicktor just grins back and raises his ale mug, Tal notices the bear on his own and takes action.

Acquiring a rack of lamb on a massive wooden platter from Frango, he shoulders his way to the front door. Setting down the lamb, he looks for a way past the bear -- and finds the only one available. Getting down on all fours, the cleric begins to force his way between the bear's legs. Naturally, this is precisely when Cupric's song ends, at which point the bear also drops down to all fours. As two tons of muscle and instinct begin munching on the lamb, Tal finds himself completely covered by bear. Inching his way out, he gives the platter a swift kick -- sending the lamb sliding out the open door, and the bear lumbering after it.

Having spotted two more bears outside (smaller and darker than the silver one), as well as the dwarf with the handlebar mustache and his three friends, Tal slams the door, draws his greatsword, and stands fast in the entryway. Noting that all of the Follies are still downstairs -- and all but Artemis are still on or near the stages -- Tal waits a few minutes, then steps outside. Having weaved his way through the crowd, Tuggle joins him.

The street in front of Farry's Port is full of people -- and the part of it right in front of the door is currently very full of bear. Faced with three growling bears and their handlers, Tal is impassive and Tuggle is nonchalant. Between them, they convey to the mustached dwarf that under no circumstances will his troupe be coming inside until the Follies' performance is over. With dozens of onlookers, they convince him to back down, and Tal tells the handlers he'll let them in when he's ready.

Once back inside, Tal waits a good long while (ignoring the knocking on the door), giving the Follies plenty of time to play their final songs. When they begin filing offstage -- to the sound of the whole crowd roaring their drunken approval -- Tuggle announces that the dancing bear troupe will be performing next, and Tal lets them in.

With the exhausted Follies watching from various spots in the crowd, the troupe files sullenly in -- amidst cheering and praise, though not as much as the Follies received -- and makes their way to the stages. They make no introductions, and simply begin their act. With no accompaniment, the three bears dance and gallivant around the stages, and it isn’t long before it becomes clear that no one is enjoying them as much as they used to. After continuing for a few more lackluster minutes, the troupe files back out of the inn.

As he passes Tuggle, the dwarf glares at him and says, "This isn't over."

For the time being, however, it is. After being thanked profusely by Frango, the Follies retire to their rooms and the crowd begins to disperse.

Returning to the Copper Cup​

With a brief cooling-off period under their belts, Thissiken leads the Follies to the Copper Cup by the most inconspicuous route possible: he hires a barge. Taking them down a short trail that leads down from the near end of Davisson Bridge, he secures passage on one of the many small barges that are moored there.

As the dwarven bargeman poles them down the river, they are treated to an amazing view. The forest of masts they saw earlier in the day has receded to either side, and a wide swath of river lies clear before them. To one side are the vast marble walls of the High City, and to the other are the lights and sounds of the Market. Up ahead they can just make out the Sea of Fallen Stars, a vast expanse that glitters darkly in the starlight.

The bargeman lets them off a little bit North of their destination, and from there Thissiken guides them through back streets until they arrive at the Cup. In addition to the fairly substantial number of dockworkers and city folk that would normally be in the area, there are also a large number of Gurrom's Wheels. Most of them are pacing the docks, scanning the river, or otherwise looking away from the Cup itself -- allowing the Follies to approach it unobtrusively.

Not far from the inn's front door, the corpse of one of the giants can still be seen, covered by what looks like sailcloth. A group of dockworkers is sliding long poles under the creature's body, preparing to haul it away. A nearby patch of bloody cobbles -- from which stretches a lengthy smear of blood -- is all that remains of the other giant, which must already have been taken away.

Turning their attention to the Cup itself, the Follies are greeted by an altogether different sight. The entire front wall of the inn is now covered in a colorful mural of the dockside battle -- at least, in a manner of speaking. Enthusiastically (if not skillfully) depicted are forces of Wheels and Pikemen doing battle with several giants, while winged minotaurs descend from the heavens. To their relief, the Follies don't appear in the mural at all.

Inside, the Cup is dark, crowded and noisy. After making sure that no Wheels are in evidence, the Follies split into two groups. One group ascertains that while there are a great many people getting drunk and swapping stories about the battle (all of which are wildly inaccurate), none of them is Algaer. The other group discovers that for one silver piece, the harried barman will be happy to give them a key to Algaer's room.

"Remind me never to stay at the Copper Cup," mutters Tuggle.

After learning that Algaer has a sort of standing room kept available for him, the Follies make their way down the hall in that direction. With Tal, De'lea and Vicktor posted at different points in the hallway, Artemis checks Algaer's door for traps and suspicious markings. Finding none, he opens the door and enters the room, with Thissiken and the other Follies not far behind.

Algaer's Room​

By the light spilling in from the hall, they can just make out that Algaer's room is small, neat and empty. With the aid of a dancing lights from Cupric, they see a hammock, a chair and two small tables. On the larger table are about a dozen small paintings, all propped against the wall. The hammock is unoccupied, as is the smaller table -- it's what's on the chair that draws their attention.

Propped up on the seat is a most peculiar painting. The frame is made of some sort of quartz-like crystal, perhaps thirty inches long and half that in height. A small brass plate is affixed to the lower edge, and it reads The Promise of Darkness. The canvas itself is largely black, but closer examination reveals dark blues and gray tones as well.

It shows a tunnel of some sort, which looks to be ankle-deep in water. The viewpoint is from somewhere in the vicinity of the ceiling, looking down the tunnel at an angle. In the foreground, staring up at the source of that viewpoint, is a wet, wild-eyed gnome -- and from his appearance, it's clearly Algaer. Approaching him from further down the tunnel are four dark forms, vaguely humanoid but otherwise impossible to identify. The whole work has an atmosphere of unsettling menace about it.

While Artemis and Tuggle determine that there is nothing else of real interest in the room, Jaehn and Cupric swap theories about the nature of the painting. Based on his past experience with portals -- and the fact that the painting radiates an aura of faint transmutation magic, just like an inactive portal would -- Jaehn is fairly certain that the painting functions as a gateway of some sort.

Cupric, on the other hand, has heard of a Sembian painter called Malionh, who is well known for using "Promise" in the titles of his paintings. His work is often done in a dark and brooding style, and it's possible that this painting is one of his.

After a short discussion about what to do with the painting -- take it, or leave it there -- the Follies decide to bring it with them. While it might turn out to be just a painting of Algaer, Thissiken is very agitated at the thought that his friend is somehow stuck inside it -- and as he points out, if Algaer returns they can always give it back to him.

This decided, Jaehn takes the Promise and tucks it under one arm. In the blink of an eye, he's carrying a simple wooden platter, and shortly after that the Follies are on their way to Pub.

Pub​

Pub is quite unlike any other building the Follies have seen since arriving in Selgaunt. For one thing, it's really two buildings in one: the main portion is a wide stone tower, two stories tall, and in front of that is a smallish plaster-and-timber house. The back of the house butts up against the tower, the base of which is large enough that the docks stop on one side of it and pick up again on the other. A row of narrow windows (much like arrow loops) runs around the top of the tower, and its back half clearly sticks out into the river. On the whole, it as though it was once a harbor guard tower of some sort.

Thissiken knocks on the stout front door, and after a moment it is opened by a stocky figure at least three feet wide at the shoulders. In one hand is a quarterstaff, just barely visible past the doorframe. His head is bald, and runs into his shoulders almost without interruption -- but it's his eyes that draw you in. The size of small oranges, they bulge out of his head, taking in every detail of the party arrayed before him.

Looking down, he says, "Ah, Thissiken," in a deep and unhurried voice.

Nodding, Thissiken produces a round wooden disc and passes it to him. He examines it for a moment, then intones, "You may come in." As he says this, he steps back and to one side, swinging inwards in the same manner as a heavy door.

"Safest place in Selgaunt," Thissiken reminds the Follies as he leads them to their rooms. Inside, Pub certainly looks the part: even the interior walls are a foot thick, and although it is sparsely decorated it feels warm and cozy inside. Padding softly over the straw that covers the floors, the Follies find themselves being led downstairs. Another thick door admits them into a curved hallway below the waterline, and Thissiken stops in front of the door to their first room.

As he hands over their keys, Thissiken mentions that he has reserved a room for himself upstairs, just for the next two days. Although everyone is tired, the Follies try to establish whether or not Thissiken has any plans for the next day. He hints that he may go and visit some of his contacts, to see if he can help the Follies find out what's going on.

"Are you going to leave here on your own?" asks Tal.

"I might nip out, just for a little bit..." Thissiken replies. Seeing the expressions on the Follies' faces, he adds, "...No, no, I don't think I'll be going out."

"Well, if you do, come get us first," says Cupric.

Somewhat cagily, Thissiken asks, "Can you give me another feather token?"

Of the four tokens they were originally given by Agrafion, only two remain -- one was used to contact Agrafion himself, when they first found Thissiken; the other they gave to Thissiken that morning, and it was expended when Liddis was chasing him.

"We only have two left," Cupric tells the gnome, "but we're going to give you one. We'll have to see about getting some more of them."

With a hint of a sly smile, Thissiken takes the token. As he tucks it away in his vest, he says, "I have a friend who makes these. His name is Quaal."

 

[haiiro]

That brings us back up to date. Our next session is on December 14th -- stay tuned.

 

[Broccli_Head]

not as much action as the last one, but plenty of role-playing goodness and lots of set up as well!

can't wait until the next installment...

 

[haiiro]

Between the holidays and catching a nasty virus, I haven't gotten the update ready as soon as I expected. It'll be up this week.

 

[thedangerranger]

Ah yes. The fat man cometh.
Him and the goram satanic cupid on his shoulder.
This one should be fun.
-tdr-
p.s. this _is_ about the update, not the GM.

 

[haiiro]

Mephiskaran

[size=+1]Mephiskaran[/size]

(In the Realms: 6th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, the Year of the Rested Serpent)

And Then There Were Six​

During the night, Cupric is roused from his trance by De'lea's departure from the Follies' suite. After waiting for some time for her to return, the dreamborne pads out into Pub to look for her. He finds her upstairs in one of the otherwise empty common rooms, sitting at a table -- almost motionless, as if deep in thought. Finding no obvious threats, Cupric leaves her be.

Just before dawn, De'lea comes back to the Follies' rooms -- pounding on the first door, then the second, before bursting in.

"I've been called back by my order," De'lea says to a room full of half-awake Follies. Within moments, it's become a room full of completely awake Follies.

"There are precious few paladins in our faith, and they have need of me in Ordulin," she continues.

Tal asks, "Not to say that this isn't serious, but is it something others in your faith could handle?"

"They're not sure how much of the order to trust."

Over the course of several minutes, the Follies establish that De'lea is resolute in her belief that she must return to Sune's High Sanctuary in Ordulin -- on her own.

"I don't think you should travel alone," urges Tal.

"My faith will armor me."

"And your armor," quips Tuggle.

Although unwilling to allow her companions to accompany her to Ordulin, De'lea gladly accepts their last feather token. For her to be called back in this manner means that whatever corruption has been uncovered in Sune's church must run very deep indeed, but she promises to contact the Follies sometime in the future. She leaves it up to them whether or not to inform Agrafion, but makes it clear that still considers herself a Harper.

Having already gathered up her gear, she bids each Folly farewell in turn, clasping them in lusty hugs. This done, she departs without further delay.

There is a lengthy silence in the Follies' suite.

Tuggle says, "So...who here can fight, again?"

Planning​

With the silence broken, the moment passes. Though none of them wanted to lose De'lea in this fashion, there is a mutual understanding that she is doing what she has to do.

What ensues is a lengthy discussion of the Follies' role in Selgaunt, their need for a means to communicate over great distances, Thissiken's motives and goals, and the notion of breakfast. The remaining Follies are more or less in agreement on items one, two, and four (particularly four), but number three is the sticky one.

Various suspicions are broached -- notably, Cupric's theory that Thissiken is confirming his suspicions about the fact that they're Harpers -- and options are considered, including a novel suggestion from Tuggle: the Follies could simply charm Thissiken.

This is met with nearly universal disagreement, with Vicktor somewhat in favor of the idea.

Turning to the pugilist, Tal asks, "How would you feel if we had charmed you to gather information?"

Sounding a bit uncertain, Vicktor asks, "Did you?"

This point is never completely resolved, but the Follies do agree that Thissiken is more than he seems, and that their first goal is to get the gnome to arrange a meeting with Quaal. If Thissiken wasn't stretching the truth in that area, that should also help the party address their need for other forms of communication -- in particular, more feather tokens, as they have just run out.

Breakfast​

After a time, the Follies make their way upstairs for breakfast. As before, they find Pub curiously empty -- not completely empty, just more empty than one might otherwise expect. Not to be deterred, they approach a large door with an encouraging sign: "Kitchen," and under that in neat lettering, "Knock." They do so.

A thin dwarf with stringy grey hair pokes his head out, looks around for a moment, and asks the Follies what they'd like to eat. When asked what's available, he says, "You want it, we have it. Rat testicles in bouillabaisse? We have it!"

The Follies request ham, eggs and fresh fruit all around, and are most pleased when the dwarf tells them to have a seat and wait for their meals. Even in a city like Selgaunt, it's not common to find fresh fruit readily available in an inn where you don't have to leave your weapons at the door.

One of the Follies nips upstairs to Thissiken's room to see if he's up and about, and is informed that he'll be down when he damned well feels like it. Sounding somewhat tempted by the prospect of breakfast, the grumpy drakesmith says to have the cleric bring him a plate.

The Follies oblige, sending up a plate -- just a plate, with no food on it. Thissiken doesn't seem amused, but it does the trick: a short while thereafter, he joins them at their table.

A lengthy discussion follows, during which time Thissiken seems to switch between several states: tired, frantic, furtive, dedicated, and back to tired. The gnome is very insistent about finding Algaer, but his refusal to share any real information begins to frustrate the Follies anew. Even as Thissiken agrees to set several things in motion -- drawing up a map of the city, compiling his list of which guards are on which gates, using his contacts to find out about the painting, and arranging a meeting with Quaal -- Vicktor's hands writhe as his distrust grows.

After a time, Cupric leads Thissiken back up to his room for a private discussion. At this point, suspicions have been raised that he is a mage -- and the possibility that there might be other Harpers in Selgaunt has also been brought up. During his private talk with Thissiken, Cupric finds out that Allekar -- the last Harper to pass through Selgaunt before the Follies -- spoke very highly of her associates, and by extension of the Follies themselves.

After disappearing for a short while, Thissiken tells the Follies that Quaal himself is very busy -- but that he will be happy to send his representative, Quisk. He has arranged a meeting later in the morning with Quisk, and he tells the Follies to be up on Pub's roof at that time.

With this in mind, the Follies spend about a candlemark engaged in a variety of activities. Artemis practices his dancing, with the Follies' next performance in mind. Jaehn meditates, clearing his mind of external concerns and contemplating the nature of the Weave. Cupric writes in his journal, perhaps looking back on his brief but tumultuous life to date. Tuggle socializes in one of the common rooms, while Vicktor broods nearby.

A bit later on, both Cupric and Tal take advantage of Pub's excellent messenger service. Like most good inns in Selgaunt, Pub maintains a small army of messengers, runners and boatmen. Their standard fee is five gold Princes -- a kingly sum for most, but well within the reach of the average Pub patron. Tal pens a letter to the city's temple of Torm, letting them know that he has arrived in town, intends to visit, and comes with the blessings of Father Gedrik from his home temple. Presenting this to a messenger, he discovers that there are actually five temples of Torm in Selgaunt, laid out along the pattern of an upraised gauntlet. The central temple, or thumb, is in the High City -- easily accessible to the messenger, less so to Tal himself.

Not wishing to relive his lengthy and harrowing lute-buying expedition of the day before, Cupric employs the messenger service to round up quality lute parts in his stead. Armed with a promise of five Princes a day (plus costs) and a description of Sefin's shop in the Strings, the messenger promises to return with the items that Cupric needs.

Before too long, the hour of their meeting with Quisk arrives.

Quisk​

Emerging onto the roof of Pub, the Follies find a wide, bare expanse that offers a remarkably good view of the city. While they take in the sights, Thissiken scampers over to one wall and begins circling the rooftop in a methodical fashion. Arriving at particular spot, he tells the Follies that this is where they should wait for Quisk. The Follies have time to bring up several chairs, and also to notice that there are no ravens on the roof -- in Selgaunt, a very unusual absence indeed.

Moments later, a single raven descends and touches down on the low wall, precisely where Thissiken stopped a few minutes ago. The raven cocks its head and says, "Thissiken. So, these are the friends you have told me about."

There is a collective pause among the Follies, during which time Thissiken nods and Quisk says, "Caw."

Once they've gotten over their initial surprise, the Follies discover that Quisk is both personable and businesslike. The raven establishes what it is that they want -- namely, more feather tokens -- and then informs them of a variety of other options. His master, he says, not only makes the ubiquitous bird tokens, but a wide variety of other tokens as well.

Interspersed with casual jibes -- as when Tal comments that communication is very important, and Quisk responds, "That's the brightest thing you've said so far today" -- are descriptions of several compelling items. One is a silver raven figurine that acts exactly as a feather token, but is reusable. Another is a feather token that sends its message to several people at once, and the third is a token that sends a message, then waits and returns with the response.

When the Follies mention that they'll have to look into their finances, Quisk tells them, "Quaal would like to express his sincere appreciation for saving this useless little gnome. I think we'll be able to work something out for you."

At which point the raven sneezes loudly, and abruptly turns into a small white badger. The badger says, "Bugger."

After it has been established that he's alright, Quisk asks for some pepper. Tuggle steps forward and mentions that he can produce the same effect with a small spell, which he proceeds to describe. About three words into his descriptions, Quisk interrupts: "Oh, prestidigitation[/i[. Fire away." Tuggle does so, and with another loud sneeze the badger transforms into a little brown gibbon.

This process is repeated often enough for Cupric and Jaehn to determine that it is not a spell, but something inherent in Quisk (although not inherent in the same sense as it would be for a doppelganger, or a druid). For his part, Quisk is nonchalant about it, remarking that he tries to make sure it doesn't happen while he's flying. After it becomes clear that he isn't going to turn back into a raven -- or even something with wings -- right away, Quisk requests some entertainment. Having discreetly asked Thissiken if the raven was trustworthy (to which he responded, "He's very trustworthy, unless he's the weasel"), the Follies are quite comfortable around Quaal's emissary, and a Rook's Night tale is shortly being told by their resident bard.

After a few minutes, Quisk sneezes his way back into raven form, takes the scrap of paper on which the Follies have written their communications wish list, and departs. Before leaving, he tells them to return to the rooftop just as night falls for a second meeting.

 

[haiiro]

The Temple of Azuth​

Thissiken's research earlier yielded a name: Mephiskaran, purported to be one of Selgaunt's only experts on portals. This notable resides at the temple of Azuth, which Jaehn had wanted to visit anyway -- so the Follies decide to make that their next goal. Since Thissiken is very worried that whoever destroyed Algaer's shop might destroy his shop next, they agree to stop there after visiting the temple. What they do after that will just have to depend on what Mephiskaran can tell them.

With Thissiken's knowledge of quiet streets and backways, it takes the Follies the better part of a candlemark to reach the temple of Azuth. The temple itself consists of one massive sandstone building, the rear of which butts up against the city wall. The sprawling temple appears to be about three stories tall, and numerous windows look out onto the street.

As they approach the main entrance, several of the Follies notice two things about the windows: one, that they are tinted pale blue, and two, that what's visible beyond them is not the interior of the temple. Behind each window the sandstone wall is unbroken, but painted with detailed scenes of libraries and wizards engaged in a range of activities. In actuality, there appears to be only one real opening in the whole building: its enormous and imposing front door.

What greets them when they open the door is something of a surprise: the entryway is swarming with dozens -- if not hundreds -- of tiny humanoids, each no more than a foot high.

The Legion​

Stepping inside, the Follies find themselves in a high-ceilinged hallway. Several feet over their heads, small bridges, walkways and chutes criss-cross the passage, running in and out of the walls, up to the next level, and down the length of the hall. These tiny byways are swarming with the same creatures that are even now gathering around the party, and all of them seem bent on one task or another. Some carry tomes several times their size, others clutch smoking alembics or scrolls, and they all seem quite busy.

Down at ground level, the creatures have completely surrounded the party, giving them a chance to take a bit of a closer look. The small beings are humanoid in shape, and look as though they're made of melted brown wax. As the Follies stare, one of them steps to the fore and welcomes the party to the temple in a high-pitched voice.

Jaehn introduces himself to the speaker, and relates his name and purpose, being sure to mention that his patron is Azuth. At this, every single creature in the hallway -- by this point, perhaps numbering a few hundred -- bows low.

"Welcome to the temple, all of you. We can certainly let you see Mephiskaran, he is very approachable, and we will need to know a bit more about you," says the leader. As the Follies introduce themselves, the creature seems to sense that they are out of their element. Sounding a bit surprised, he asks, "Have you not heard of us?" When the Follies all shake their heads, he continues.

"We are the Legion," he says. Then he turns to look at the assembled crowd, bobs his head, and turns back to the Follies. In unison, all of the waxy men shout, "And we are famous!"

The leader goes on to explain that they are homunculi, or homun, managing to seem thrilled to have guests and very pleased with himself all at once. While Jaehn conducts some side business with the homun -- offering them several of his more unusual spells in exchange for copies of others that he is interested in -- Cupric extemporizes a song about the Legion. They love it, and shortly the crowd in the hallway has tripled in size, and many of them are singing along with the chorus.

While this is going on, Jaehn has successfully negotiated for several spells. The homun politely inform him that there may be a balance owed, as he is asking for a bit more than he is providing. When Jaehn agrees to this, the homun borrow his spellbook to add the seven spells he has offered to their libraries -- and seven of them climb onto his shoulders. Seeming quite content, they explain that they will serve as the deposit for his spellbook until he returns to retrieve it.

Now with seven homun on board -- and a great many more in tow -- the Follies are led through the temples many halls to Mephiskaran's chamber.

Mephiskaran and Falmin​

In the doorway is an opaque sheet of what appears to be falling smoke, completely filling the sandstone arch. The homunculi indicate that they have arrived, but none of them actually approach the archway. Instead, they form a ring around it, with none of them closer than about three feet. The Follies step through, and each of them has the same experience: the moment any part of them touches the smoke, they are simply through it and inside the chamber beyond.

In approximately this order, they are greeted by intense cold, a bare and forbidding stone room, and sight of the largest man any of them have ever seen.

Mephiskaran's chamber consists of four stone walls, on which are several torches, a long trestle table (with one end pointed at the door), numerous high-backed chairs, and a sofa. The sofa is placed at the far end of the table, and seated on it is a truly enormous human -- literally several feet in diameter, with his braided hair and beard flowing over him and down to the floor. He is wearing a plain blue robe, and seated on his shoulder is a peculiar creature that looks something like a homunculi -- only with gigantic eyes vastly out of proportion to its tiny head.

Between the Follies and Mephiskaran is a sumptuous feast covering about half of the table; apparently, a multi-course meal is in progress. As their eyes travel over the food, the Follies also notice that the thing on Mephiskaran's shoulder is carrying a miniscule bow with an arrow nocked, and it bears a small quiver of arrows on its back.

"You guys must be the ones who wanted to see me. I'm Mephiskaran. Come in and have a seat."

As the Follies introduce themselves and bring up the subject of their visit, Mephiskaran grills them for background details. He seems particularly interested when Jaehn relates to him that he studied on Evermeet under Archmage Larkin, in the great city of Leuthilspar. Once the introductions are out of the way, he urges them to get down to business.

The Follies show Mephiskaran the painting, and describe some of the circumstances surrounding it. They also produce Soriyo's Crop, the wand they took from Liddis Malzevent's body -- and Mephiskaran identifies it without any hesitation. When he has heard quite a bit of their tale -- the possible connection to the painter Malionh, the appearance of the shimmering man, and so forth -- he asks to hold the painting. With some reluctance, the Follies pass it over to him.

Placing it on the table before him, Mephiskaran sends a stream of sparkling motes cascading out of his forehead and down onto the Promise of Darkness.

"Well, it's definitely a portal," he says after a moment's concentration. "How much do you know about portals?" The Follies reply that they know a little bit, but not all that much -- only Jaehn has had any significant contact with them.

Mephiskaran proceeds to give them a quick lesson in the basics: very expensive, fixed to one location, and a one-way trip unless you build a counterpart at the other end -- and Algaer's definitely in there. His best guess is that the painting shows the last thing that would have been seen through the portal as it closed. Turning his gaze back to the party, he says, "But I've never seen a portal like this before, and I've seen a lot of them in my day." His voice hungry with excitement, he adds, "Who are you guys? You've just shown me something I've never seen before, and told me about something else that I've never heard of."

Beginning to feel as though they've just put all their cards on the table without seeing what's in Mephiskaran's hand, the Follies clam up. They tell him that they want to find out how to operate the portal -- and nothing more.

Leaning its misshapen head closer to them, the creature on Mephiskaran's shoulder says, "Yes, master, but who might want to know about them?" Its voice is languorous and unpleasant, and it turns towards Mephiskaran as it finishes asking this question.

In the next few minutes, the decidedly uncomfortable Follies hash out the basics of a deal with Mephiskaran: he will open the portal for them in exchange for the information they've already given him, as well as a report of what's on the other side. After establishing that they won't sell him the painting outright, the enormous man focuses on getting them to agree to tell him what's on the other side.

With surprising dexterity, Mephiskaran reaches around into the back of his robe and produces a small leather pouch. Unwrapping it, he reveals an irregular piece of glass or crystal. Holding it up to the group, he asks, "Here, have you heard of image crystals?" When the Follies say no, he hands the crystal to the thing on his shoulder -- referring to it as Falmin -- and motions for the Follies to gather around him.

Falmin steps carefully around the food on the table and turns to face the assembly -- the six Follies and Thissiken gathered around Mephiskaran's bulk, like moons around a planet. The creature holds up the crystal and mutters something under its breath, and the glass goes completely dark, then lightens -- revealing a perfect picture of Mephiskaran and the Follies.

Taking the crystal back from Falmin, Mephiskaran says, "See? I will give you several more of these, and you can make images of what's on the other side of the portal."

His eye on the crysta, Tal casually asks, "How do you erase them?"

"Oh, you can't erase them. You can break it, though -- it's just glass."

"We'd like to have that one, then," says Tuggle.

"No, I think I'll hang onto this," replies Mephiskaran, smiling broadly. Having returned to his shoulder, Falmin draws its lips into a loathsome grin.

"We'd really like to break that one, then," says Tal. In response, Mephiskaran tucks the crystal back into his robe.

Impromptu Conference​

Indicating to Mephiskaran that they need to speak amongst themselves, the Follies head back out into the hallway. All but Tal are glad to escape the bitter cold, but Thissiken seems more interested in the food and stays behind.

Back in the hallway, the Follies make some quick decisions. They intend to acquire more feather tokens, and perhaps use them to seek guidance from the Harpers. Whether or not they consult their patrons, they plan to go through the portal. They most definitely don't want to leave the painting with Mephiskaran, and everyone -- but particularly Tuggle -- agrees that they need to get the image crystal that holds their portrait back.

During their discussion -- and while surrounded by a small army of homun -- Tuggle says, "We should let our Harper...sh*te."

After a brief pause, Cupric rallies with, "Yes, we should let the harpist back at the inn know that we're going to be late." The other Follies leap on this deception, and between them they think that they might've carried it off. Since the walls -- or more accurately, the floor and ceiling -- have ears, they hope they're right.

It crosses Jaehn's mind to see if the temple has any useful information on Shaundakul, and he asks the homun about this. Seeming almost offended, they tell him there are seventeen libraries in the building just on Shaundakul. The quick-thinking mage asks them to give him a summary of Shaundakul's avatar appearances and traveling methods, and anything related to the "glowing green guy." On a whim, he also asks them to tell him more about Soriyo's Crop, including its uses and a list of its previous owners. The homun agree to add this to the spells that they'll be bringing him later on.

Jaehn also gives everyone a brief rundown on the nature of the church of Azuth. As he describes it, the church is composed of many factions, some of which are quite ruthless. He knows that they are mostly neutral on the topic of the Shadow Weave, but that many of them are incredibly zealous about gathering information -- sometimes at the expense of all other concerns. For the most part, however, the church stays true to its aims: preserving knowledge, and advancing magic in the world.

Resolved to be more cagey in their negotiations, the Follies return to Mephiskaran's chamber.

An Impasse is Reached​

Seating themselves around Mephiskaran's table once more, the Follies make their terms clear. Mephiskaran hands over the painting without reluctance, his manner suggesting that he had no intention of holding onto it. The crystal, however, is a different matter.

The Follies start out by politely mentioning that they would rather others not know about them. Mephiskaran's unhurried reply -- "That kind of information can be very valuable" -- doesn't help any, so they try a different tack. The fact that they have told Mephiskaran several new pieces of information and received little in return is brought up, and Mephiskaran agrees that there is an imbalance there. Hoping this opening means he might make returning the crystal part of their bargain, the subject is raised again.

Smiling, Mephiskaran replies, "I like my pictures. I have a room full of them."

Now incensed, Tuggle tells the giant man that if he won't return the glass they will take their painting and leave. Period.

There is a brief, pregnant pause. Mephiskaran eats a dollop of blancmange.

Drawing Mephiskaran's attention to himself, Jaehn asks if perhaps he could confer with him privately. As he speaks, Jaehn notices something for the first time: the seven homun on his shoulders have been remarkably still the entire time that they've been in Mephiskaran's room.

Mephiskaran consents to a private conference, at which point Falmin leers at the homun seated on Jaehn and draws back its tiny bow. "You should go," it hisses at them -- and without a moment's hesitation they do so, leaping off of Jaehn and scampering out the door as fast as they can. The other Follies go after them, this time with Thissiken in tow.

 

[haiiro]

Questioning the Homun​

Out in the substantially warmer hallway, the Follies confer among themselves. As no one but Thissiken and Mephiskaran have eaten any of the food, there is some speculation that Thissiken may be under some sort of magical influence. A few brief questions establish that he seems like his usual self, and Vicktor tries that bread and reports that he doesn't feel any different either.

Noticing that the homun forming Jaehn's deposit are seated against one wall, motionless and apparently quite afraid, Cupric tries to draw them out a bit. In no time, the charming bard has won their trust and is sharing in their secrets. The homun tell him -- and the other Follies, who by now are also listening -- that Mephiskaran is rarely seen in the temple. As far as they know, he spends most of his time in his chamber -- someplace they try never to go.

When asked about Falmin, they tell the Follies that he was once a homun like them, but that Mephiskaran changed him. After explaining that most homun are scribes, librarians, catalog-keepers and so forth (and expressing surprise that the Follies can't tell them apart -- "See? He's more waxy, and he's more brownish..."), the one who has become their impromptu spokesman says of Falmin, "His talents lie in other areas."

Cupric asks, "What areas?"

"He's very good at killing things."

The homun are deathly afraid of Falmin, and they tell the Follies that he is responsible for killing those that Mephiskaran doesn't want around.

The Follies also quiz Thissiken on what he and Mephiskaran talked about the first time they were out of the room. Happily munching on some of their host's bread, he explains that he filled Mephiskaran in on Dracon Row, Algaer, and Algaer's disappearance.

Two Deals are Struck​

At the same time, Jaehn is working hard to convince Mephiskaran to give up the image crystal containing their portrait. Finding that the other wizard is intrigued by the Shadow Weave, Jaehn hints that he might be able to show him a portal created using that Art. Explaining that he's going to call up a Shadow-infused creature, he gets up from the table. Mephiskaran continues to eat his blancmange with gusto.

Falmin draws back his bow and gets a bead on the point where Jaehn says the creature will arrive, and without further ado Jaehn summons a shadowy celestial bee.

Running one hand through his massive beard, Mephiskaran tells the elf that this isn't quite what he had in mind. Thinking fast, Jaehn tells the wizard that he'd be willing to give him something made with the Shadow Weave in exchange for the breaking of the crystal. At once confident and modest, Jaehn expresses some concern that he might not be able to do this right away, and suggests a longer timeframe.

Seeming quite sincere, Mephiskaran agrees, and the first deal is struck: Jaehn will provide Mephiskaran with a Shadow-made object within one month, and in return the wizard will smash the crystal on the spot. Jaehn also asks that the wizard not speak of him, as he would rather certain parties not hear about him. Mephiskaran agrees to this as well. The terms laid out, Falmin takes one hand from his bow and holds it out towards Jaehn.

"We must...shake on it."

Jaehn steps forward and shakes Falmin's hand, and then draws back. Mephiskaran removes the crystal from his robe and passes it to Jaehn. Holding it parallel to the floor, Jaehn lets it fall. At the moment of impact, it goes dark again, then shatters into countless fragments.

Popping out of the room -- literally -- Jaehn tells the other Follies that's it's alright to come back in. When they are all inside, Jaehn explains that he has made a deal with Mephiskaran and destroyed the image crystal.

Cupric takes the lead, proposing a second deal to Mephiskaran: if the Follies decide to go through the portal, they will take some of the wizard's crystals and -- assuming they make it back -- tell him what lies beyond the painting. Mentioning that he's made this sort of deal in the past, and understands that many don't make it back, Mephiskaran agrees to their terms.

At this, Falmin clambers off of his shoulder and picks his way across the table to Cupric. The homun holds out his hand and smiles.

"Where I'm from, it is not customary to shake on things," Cupric says.

"We're not where you're from," replies Falmin. "We should shake. So much more...polite."

Thinking that perhaps a geas is involved, Cupric hesitates. After a moment, Vicktor steps forward, brings his thumb and forefinger together, and shakes Falmin's hand.

"See how easy? No fear, it's a little guy," Vicktor says, smiling broadly.

Looking pleased, Mephiskaran passes Vicktor two blank image crystals -- his to keep whether the Follies decide to chance the portal or not. After making sure that it's alright to send their answer by way of Drake, Jaehn's raven familiar, the Follies leave Mephiskaran's chamber. On their way out of the temple, Jaehn retrieves his spellbook and confirms that the spells and information that he requested will be sent to Pub as soon as they're ready.

Thissiken's Shop Redux​

Once again taking back streets that he seems to know quite well, Thissiken leads the Follies to Dracon Row. Passing beneath its wrought iron entry arch, the group finds the Row to be much as it was yesterday -- with one important exception. About ten paces ahead of them is a man in a sweeping cloak, the back of which is emblazoned with a large pair of silver wings: the symbol of Sembia's Silver Ravens.

As the Follies quietly alert one another to the Raven's presence, Tuggle is already at work. He casts glamour on himself, instantly becoming at least twice as dashingly gnomish, then lets off a carefully timed recent occupant, catching the spot that the Raven just passed through.

The spell reveals his name to be Landiser Culver, and his race to be human. Jaehn mentally commands Drake to fly higher and tail the Raven, while the other Follies quietly continue on in Landiser's footsteps.

Arriving at the site of Algaer's shop -- around which some of the rubble has been cleaned up -- the Follies glance across the debris and spy another disturbing sight. A motley group of men is in the process of dispersing throughout this part of the Row, drawing hand axes and lighting torches as they go. It is somewhat difficult to tell, but it looks as though the Silver Raven is motioning the mob into action.

In a heartbeat, the Follies are in motion as well.

As Artemis and Thissiken make for the latter's shop, Tuggle yells, "Fire! 'Ware the torches!" at the top of his lungs. Vicktor darts down the alley just past Thissiken's, making for the next street over. Tal shouts to Thissiken to get what he needs and then go, while Jaehn shifts his disguise into that of a butcher carrying a large chopping board. Based on his memory of what the alarm bell in Thissiken's shop looked like -- and by extension, what it should sound like -- Cupric draws on ghost sound to mimic that bell ringing at maximum volume, right in the middle of the pile of rubble.

Seeing two of the axe-bearers approaching the party across the debris, Tuggle sends two gleaming tattoo needles flicking into one's throat, killing him instantly. Taking the cutting board from Jaehn (at which point it reverts to painting form), Cupric runs into Thissiken's shop, uncovers the blockhole, and drops the Promise into it. Blending in with the other now-screaming pedestrians, Jaehn flails about and runs towards the Silver Raven.

From across the way, two armored men break out of the group of axe- and torch-carriers, draw heavy crossbows from beneath their robes, and fire on Artemis. Though he is not far from them, only one bolt sinks into the nimble barbarian. Seeing this, Talishmere crosses the gap and sinks his greatsword into one of the thugs, while Tuggle lets loose a brace of needles at Landiser.

In response, the Raven cups his hands and then draws them apart, and a glowing red shape streaks from him to Tuggle. It catches him in the forehead, and the gnome feels a sensation much like a gentle kiss. Stopping off to the side of the action, Jaehn summons forth a bombardier beetle -- and turns it on a third crossbow-wielding warrior who has just emerged from an alleyway.

To an observer looking on from above, what happens next would seem nothing short of amazing. Bursting out from between two shops, Vicktor leads with one fist and knocks down a torch-wielding thug. Twisting without losing momentum, he hits a second one with his other fist, driving him to the ground like a force of nature. Still moving, he crosses the short distance to a third unfortunate and nearly staves his face in.

Seeing this, the two nearby crossbowmen fire wildly at Vicktor -- and miss their mark. One bolt thunks into a cringing bystander's head, while the other catches one of the axe-carriers in the small of his back and drops him. Stepping into the still-toppling body of his last victim, the Beast of Saerloon knocks him aside and drives a fist into the jaw of the nearest thug. His blow hits with enough force to tear the man's jaw clean off, and with a touch of the surreal it remains stuck on Vicktor's fist until his next explosive punch shakes it off.

With the painting relatively safe, Cupric draws and nocks his bow and heads back out into the street. From his vantage point, he can see Landiser, a sword-wielding man battling what looks suspiciously like one of Jaehn's creations, and Tuggle preparing to launch another volley. Cupric lets fly at Landiser, catching him high in his mailed chest, and in response the Raven sends a red rune darting back at him. It moves too fast for him to dodge, and Cupric feels the gentle kiss as it strikes him in the face.

With Vicktor tearing his way through thugs across the street, Artemis matching rapier to scimitar blow-for-blow with an opponent in the rubble, and the rest of the Follies dealing with Landiser, Tal decides to work on fighting fires. Several of the torch-bearing thugs have hacked their way into shops, set fires within, and moved on to new shops. Taking advantage of the water barrels placed near every drakesmith's business, Tal drops his sword and hoists one over his head. Staggering slightly, he runs into the nearest shop and launches his barrel at the heart of the blaze. The rush of water puts it almost entirely out, and Tal darts back outside to repeat the process.

Across the rubble heap, spells are flying. Jaehn sends the smoky, shrieking vortexes of his magic missiles into the man currently chopping up his beetle. Cupric tears the air between him and Artemis's opponent apart with a silent sound -- and Tuggle lets fly with two more needle missiles, both of which bury themselves in Landiser's heart and send him to his knees. He is dead before he slumps to the ground.

At nearly the same moment, Artemis and his foeman -- each bobbing and weaving to avoid each other's strikes, but both bloodied nonetheless -- are concluding their battle. More aptly, Artemis concludes it by running the other man through, and then flicking the blood from his rapier and going through his opponent's clothes and possessions.

Back among what remains of the mob, Vicktor has already punched one of the crossbowmen to death and is facing down the second one. Tal has put out another shop fire, and most of the arsonists are fleeing up the street. Once he has dispatched the other crossbowman, Vicktor joins Tal in putting out fires with the same grab barrel--toss barrel--next! approach.

Within a few short minutes, all of the fires have been put out, Thissiken has retrieved a crate from his shop (and Cupric has gotten the painting out of the blockhole), and all of the fire-starters and other attackers are dead, unconscious, or in flight. Quick but efficient efforts have turned up some items of interest on the bodies of Landiser and the crossbowmen -- including holy symbols of Waukeen around the necks of the Silver Raven and one other man. Jaehn makes some quick attempts to make it look like the armored men killed one another, but no one wants to dally any longer.

Regrouping by Thissiken's shop with every intention of making themselves scarce, the Follies make an unpleasant discovery. The spell Landiser used on Cupric and Tuggle has created a lurid red mark that completely covers their faces -- not harming them in any way, but so bright and visible that it seems to glow. Both marks are the same shape, and look something like a stylized seagull -- and nothing the Follies try seems able to cover them up.

Cupric borrows Jaehn's hat and disguises himself as De'lea, wearing a broad bonnet with a veil and a pretty sundress covered in flowers. In the meantime, Jaehn covers the rest of the Follies with a silent image that neatly erases blood and other marks of battle, conceals Thissiken's heavy crate as a box of fruit, and manages to cover Tuggle's marked face with Tuggle's unmarked face. In this manner, they return to Pub as fast as possible -- and manage to avoid attracting much attention in the process.

Marked​

Back in their rooms, the Follies take a breather to assess their situation and discuss the nature of the marks.

Thissiken turns out to have actually seen them before, and says that they are sometimes used by guard-clerics to single people out as criminals. Between Tal's religious knowledge and Jaehn's and Cupric's background in magic, they are able to piece together that the symbols are made by a spell called mark of the outcast -- and that it is most often associated with the Underdark. Cantrips, orisons and simple magic cannot remove them, but more powerful dweomers -- and godlike magic, like wishes -- can do the trick.

Talking things out, the Follies decide that their first priority has to be getting rid of the marks. They decide that their best bet is to pool their funds and try and buy two scrolls containing remove curse from the temple of Torm. Although currently beyond his reach, with a bit of luck Tal will be able to cast them, and it seems like the speediest option.

Taking their pool of around seven hundred gold pieces, Tal heads downstairs to find out how to get to the nearest temple of Torm. Armed with directions to the smallest of Torm's churches -- affectionately known as "the pinky" for its place in the gauntlet pattern -- and accompanied by Vicktor, Tal sets out to meet his brethren.

While they are gone, the other Follies keep themselves busy sending messages. Selgaunt's most literate barbarian, Artemis, pens a message to Frango at Farry's Port. It reads:

Tuggle's Follies will not be able to play tonight due to unforeseen circumstances.

Jaehn scribes a quick message to Mephiskaran, which he sends to the temple of Azuth by way of Drake:

We are going to wait for word from our associates on whether or not to enter the painting.
We are planning to do so, and we will know within a few days.

Although they are hoping Tal and Vicktor will be successful at Torm's temple, the Follies figure that this will give them some breathing room. Once Drake and Pub's runner have departed, they settle in to rest, wait, and (in Tuggle's and Cupric's case) wish they didn't have giant red seagulls on their faces.

The Leastfinger Temple of Torm​

Torm's smallest temple in Selgaunt turns out to be a simple granite cloister, ringed by columns shaped like massive greatswords, their hilts supporting its roof. Two of the faithful are visible, both patrolling the grounds in shining full plate armor and with their blades drawn. Tal is pleased -- this is as it should be.

Approaching the nearer of the two, Tal introduces himself. The man tells them that his name is Oxaran, and welcomes them to the temple. Next to Tal, Vicktor looks even shabbier than usual, and the cleric seems to take an instant dislike to him.

After Oxaran has showed them to the inner sanctum -- a rock garden, its central feature being a greatsword-shaped grand altar -- and Talishmere has requested several scrolls, Oxaran asks if he can baptise Vicktor. Standing by the altar, Vicktor stares back at him and asks, "What's Torm ever done for me?" Oxaran bristles, but Tal is able to calm him down -- while at the same time trying to convince Vicktor of Torm's many virtues.

When Tal mentions Vicktor's sinful past, and tells him that Oxaran has a point, Vicktor shoots back, "He didn't have a point. He just said, 'Let me baptise him!' That's not a point."

A few moments later, Vicktor comes out with, "Torm is such a weak god."

When Oxaran returns, he looks at Vicktor, then at Tal, and says, "Please keep the heathen away from the altar." Proceeding to completely ignore Vicktor from that point forward, Oxaran tells Tal that he has procured the scrolls he needed from the temple stores. Thinking to make the party's need slightly less obvious, Tal asked for four scrolls altogether: detect magic, cure light wounds, and two copies of remove curse. As such, even with what Oxaran explains is a special price for a fellow brother, Tal finds himself handing over nearly seven hundred gold Princes.

In addition, he gives Oxaran every copper of his personal money, totaling another ninety princes or so. Oxaran seems somewhat mollified by this, and when Tal tells him where they're staying the cleric even says that he might come for a visit. Leaving before Vicktor causes any more trouble, the two Follies quickly make their way back to Pub.

Quaal's Gifts​

Back in the Follies' rooms, everyone gathers around Tal, Tuggle and Cupric. Suffused with steely grace, Tal musters his will and chants the words on their first scroll. His upraised palm flashes once, brightly, and then the mark on Tuggle's face is gone. His confidence unwavering, the aasimar repeats the process for Cupric -- and succeeds again. Much relieved and considerably poorer, the Follies settle in to wait for nightfall, and Quisk's arrival.

At the appropriate time, they return to the roof with their chairs and circle up around Quisk's spot. Shortly after the last of the day's light has left the sky, the lone raven flaps down out of the darkness and lands on the wall. As he touches down, the velvet bag he clutches in one claw clinks slightly against the stone.

"Quaal wants to thank you for your heroism in Dracon Row this afternoon. He didn't have as many feather tokens on hand as you requested, so he asked me to give you this instead." As he tugs open the velvet sack with his beak, Quisk sneezes and turns into a parrot. "Bugger," he adds.

What's revealed inside the bag is a small, delicately carved silver raven.

"This will turn into a raven on command, and you use it just like a feather token," says Quisk. "It'll work for anyone who knows the two commands: 'imbelar,' to change it into raven form, and 'oslain' to have it deliver your message. It works for about thirty candlemarks per tenday, but you don't have to use the time all at once."

The Follies are pleased and grateful -- all the more so when Quisk gives them two returning tokens to go along with their raven figurine. They thank Quisk, and ask him to thank Quaal, and he in turn thanks them. Still in parrot form, Quisk wishes them luck and flies off into the night.

Back downstairs again, the Follies take care of two last items of business before heading to bed. Together they compose a message to Agrafion, and send it to him via Thissiken's feather token (which they had given him previously). It reads as follows:

Friend of Thiss, Algaer, in danger, need to go through painting portal to help.
Working with Mephiskaran from temple of Azuth, room in Pub.
Unknown destination. Unknown time of return.

And lastly, Jaehn sends Drake back to Mephiskaran for the second time, bearing a brief message. In it, the Follies tell the wizard that they will be back at the temple tomorrow, and intend to go through the painting. They also request that he prepare some supplies for them, and provide them with a way to determine where they are once they're on the other side of the portal.

This done, all of the Follies retire for the night -- resting up in preparation for the coming day, and their trip through the Promise of Darkness.

 

[haiiro]

That's it for session four. The campaign site includes a short video shot during this session -- it's a 1.6 MB .wmv file created by thedangerranger, and it's pretty nifty.