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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheBard" data-source="post: 50879" data-attributes="member: 2821">Episode 6: Balor's Brood, or Aoelif, Man's Best FriendTime Elapsed: 4/20 — 4/27/495 A.I. Background The characters rode back to the small Cimbri village of Phelan where they spent the night before pressing on to Dumbrani Rath, the holdfast of the Dumbrani king. SummaryThe journey was uneventful, and they were warmly greeted by the Dumbrani king Donn and his daughter Brianne. On seeing the head of the wyvern they'd slain on the slopes of Delenach Mor, the king feasted them and offered a bounty, which all and sundry proclaimed as a generous gift. Ingolf, as the one who struck the final blow, was given the honor of removing a single slender tress of Brianne's hair, and she also gave him a carved bone scroll case to carry it in.During the feast, the Grand Druid Krossbyr arrived in the form of a great wolf. Once he resumed his normal form he was greeted warmly by the king, though he was treated somewhat with awe by the assembled feasters. The fenian warrior Aoelif asked to speak with the Druid about a personal matter. She seemed distressed about something, and it became apparent that she was only in human company at the command of the captain of her fianna warband. Krossbyr asked her why she had been given this task and she replied that her captain felt she was too one-sided in her opinions, and needed to meet and spend time with humans in order to better understand them. The druid seemed to think her captain a wise man and commented that she should consider the actions of her companions before she judged them too harshly. At this point, Aoelif confided in him the nature of the group's quest for the hair of three faerie princesses, and expressed her doubts that the other people who were involved had good intentions. The locks of hair were required to release the shade of Svear, the lieutenant of the dead unseelie king Balor. His shade had promised much loot in return, but Aoelif had no desire for wealth - she was involved only because of the oath she swore to ransom the mortal remains of Bodicea's daughter, so that her spirit might be laid to rest. Aoelif seemed most suspicious of the human fighter Zaccara, and asked the grand druid to question him. Even under a magical compulsion to tell the truth, Zaccara avowed that he respected Aoelif's oath and would help her to see it fulfilled. She seemed somewhat mollified at that, but took apparent umbrage at the Grand Druid's comment that her captain was much wiser than she. As she turned to leave, Krossbyr called her back abruptly and chastised her for her lack of respect. Finally he dismissed her, but suddenly he spoke in a loud voice, apparently very angry at some comment, though no one had heard her speak, and said that perhaps some time spent as a loyal and humble servant would change her attitude. Krossbyr leveled his finger at her and in a flash Aoelif was transformed into a hound! This was more or less the signal that the feast was over, and it was time for the human, alfar and newly doggish adventurers to depart before their welcome was even more exhausted. The group departed that very night.Ingolf took care to tend to Aoelif in her new form and she stuck close by his side. On the road back to Tavia he told her that he would find some more level-headed Druid who could undo the spell, and Martaine commented wryly that he was gladdened to learn that such abuses of power were not confined only to the priesthood of Logos. But the last evening spent on the road back, Krossbyr reappeared. He briefly lectured Aoelif on her lesson in humility and then restored her to her natural form, whereupon he changed himself into a raven and flew off with no further comment. The company reached Tavia the next day, and made their way to the Bad Pony, where they found a letter from Theodorus. The letter requested they find Theodorus at a particular location, and so the group decided to meet with their one-time traveling companion.The young nobleman had secured an apartment in a much nicer part of town, very near the citadel. He even had a servant woman waiting without the door who offered to wash the feet of the travelers. The two elves were somewhat confused by this, but the humans seemed to regard it as customary. Zaccara particularly was enjoying the foot-bath, until the servant asked him about the webbing between his toes! As surprised as Martaine, Nicasia, Ingolf and Aoelif were to hear about this, Zaccara was even more astonished. No explanation seemed likely to reveal itself in the hallway, though, so the group decided to enter Theodorus' new apartments and further discuss things. Theodorus complained loudly, and to unsympathetic ears, about the drudgery of being wined and dined by every gossip-hungry noble in Tavia. Finally the issue of Zaccara's webbed toes was raised and at that Theodorus perked up sharply and began to question him. Zaccara, it turns out, had no memory of most of the last two years. He'd been a seaman in the Imperial Navy, and away from his galley when a sudden squall blew up. He remembered his skiff being swamped and washing up on an unknown stretch of beach. His next recollection was simply of the road to Tavia - of how he came to be there, he had no clue. Theodorus was very intrigued by this turn of events, and asked permission to examine the warrior more closely. He then produced a scroll of some sort, intoned a spell, and began to examine the back of Zaccara's neck. In short order, he announced that he could see some sort of tattoo, invisible to everyone else. Martaine also confirmed that he could detect some sort of enchantment on Zaccara, though he could not give any details about its exact nature. Theodorus sketched the tattoo, and Ingolf and Aoelif were alarmed to see that it was the symbol of Balor. Everyone remembered how Zaccara had wanted to keep the stone symbol they found in the wyvern's lair, and suspicion once again fell on the unkempt human. Then Zaccara claimed he'd only been interested in the symbol because Lady Zlata, the ogress consort to Lord Vihar, had flashed the symbol to him and seemed to recognize him! Ingolf asked why he hadn't mentioned this before, reminding the human that Zlata and Vihar were Rolgulkan nobles, not exactly friends to human or elf either one. At this point, Theodorus commented that Lord Vihar had been courteous enough to him when they spoke!At this point, Ingolf began to suspect the whole group was in league with Rolgulka, but he remembered the Grand Druid's truth spell and believed that Zaccara at least was unaware of his tattoo. Zaccara claimed he had no idea why the Rolgulkans were interested in him, but said that Lady Zlata seemed to recognize him somehow. The men of the group decided to retire to the public bath house nearby so the travelers could be refreshed, but on the way yet another player in the mystery was revealed.Ingolf spotted a young Cimbri male preparing to ambush the group in one of Tavia's parks, and Theodorus gave his perch a magical shove. The half-elf hit the ground running but a quick Command from Martaine brought him to a halt. The party tried to question him, but he would give no answers, aside from whispering in Cimbri that "she" was watching. Ingolf assumed he meant Lady Zlata and so they forced the Cimbri, Tavis by name, to accompany them to the baths. There he revealed that "she" was not Zlata, but his lover - or former lover. He related that some months earlier, he and his fellow brigand Marya had waylaid Zaccara on the road to Tavia. Zaccara had a faint memory of being chased by the Cimbri. Tavis claimed that after Zaccara had fled, they found a strange black stone in the belongings he left behind, and that the moment Marya had touched it, she'd - changed. She called herself "Eagon" now and talked only of tracking down Zaccara so she could "get his body back." Eagon told Tavis that she would return Marya to him once Zaccara was found, but he did not believe her fully, most particularly after she revealed sorcerous powers and burned down a human village on the way to Tavia.Ingolf recognized that "Eagon" was not a name, but rather a title - Balor's personal bodyguard were called the Eagon. Tavis claimed that "Eagon" needed to get Zaccara back and would not risk harming him. So the group formed up into a small knot around Zaccara and headed back towards Theodorus' apartments. On the way, they all heard a small voice from an unseen source whispering in their ear to "return him to me" and - most tellingly - "I have the third braid - we can make an arrangement." The group hurriedly dashed the rest of the way to Theodorus 4th floor rooms, burst in yelling to Aoelif and Nicasia to grab up their armor at once. Very quickly the tale spilled forth, and Theodorus, on realizing he had numerous windows open to the street, told his servant to close them. She had hardly been out of the room for a moment when all heard a sickening cry. Theodorus looked into the street-side room and saw her motionless form lying beneath an open window!In moments, all hell had broken loose. Ingolf strung his bow and dashed to a far window, scanning the streets for any sign of a possessed Cimbri rogue. Zaccara, not content to be protected, seized up his sword and pushed out past Theodorus into the room, as did Aoelif. Martaine intoned a quick Blessing on the entire group. Nicasia grabbed some flour from the camp supplies thinking to douse the invisible attacker with it. Again came the whispered message "give me back my mount!" - this time much less patient, much more threatening. Zaccara didn't take kindly to being called a pack animal, but as no one could see anything, no one was quite sure how to proceed. Theodorus announced that their was no magical effect within the room that he could detect, when suddenly a brace of Magic Missiles came through the open window to strike him and Aoelif both!. Ingolf spied the flying Cimbri and loosed an arrow, which missed, and then things really began to heat up. Theodorus and Nicasia both let fly with Magic Missiles of their own, Nicasia from her innate powers and Theodorus from the potent wand he'd used once before, and all seven of the arcane orbs hit the mark - hard. "Eagon" howled in rage, and unthinkingly loosed a spell through the open window, bathing everyone in the room except Ingolf in sorcerous fire. Theodorus, barely still on his feet, called out to her that she'd roasted Zaccara, the man she wanted to capture, and the Cimbri howled in rage once more. Suddenly, Aoelif took it into her head that she, too, could fly.Calling on the power of her fenian training, the Alfar woman made a magnificent leap through the open window to grapple the flying sorceress. As she bore "Eagon" to the ground below (far below), Theodorus and Nicasia continued the barrage of Magic Missiles, until the possessed Cimbri intoned a spell - and vanished, leaving Aoelif clinging to nothing. Everyone quickly descended the stairs to find Aoelif unhurt and the Cimbri woman gone. Of her lover Tavis no sign could be seen, he had disappeared early in the confrontation. As the group stood discussing what next to do, they heard a scream from less than a block away and ran to find the source. An Imperial Luminary lay dead in the street, his skin a blight of pox blisters and sores. Theodorus mumbled something about "Necromancy" and Ingolf spotted the Cimbri again, flying towards the top of the city Cathedral.All six members of the company gave chase at top speed. "Eagon" loosed a sickly green arrow at Aoelif, but it missed and struck the earth harmlessly. Zaccara and Ingolf both sent arrows winging towards the Cimbri woman, but neither could find the mark. Finally Theodorus called one last time on his wand, and five glowing and deadly orbs of magic power smashed into the Cimbri, she gave a cry - and tumbled from the cathedral roof. The group reached the still twitching body just in time to see a black and malevolent shade rise from it — a huge shadow with a gaping maw and mail formed of minature skeletal hands — suddenly settle into something held beneath the palm of her glove.Theodorus rushed to the College of Wizardry to summon aid, while Ingolf very quickly searched the body, and upon finding a long braid of blonde hair, thrust it into his pouch. When the human Wizard reached the scene, he used his magic to discover a small black stone, a stone engraved with the symbol of Balor, in the still-clenched fist of the dead woman. All were careful not to touch it. The Wizard instructed the members of the group to come to the College of Wizardry the next morning to explain these events, and also suggested they do something about the corpse slowly cooling at the base of the Cathedral wall.Notable Quotes: "Not that I would want to cause any dissension between you and your friends!" — Lord Vihar, after telling Theodorus that Zaccara bore an invisible mark on his neck"I don't know what you are talking about. I found the Unseelie, like lord Vihar, to be quite eloquent and to have treated me better than the Seelie, in many cases." — Theodorus"Nice to see abuses of power are not limited to the Church of Logos..." — Martaine, Templar of Logos upon seeing Aoelif be turned into a hound by the Grand Druid Krossbyr""Rrrrrrr, ruff, ruff!" <pant, pant> — Aoelif, after casting dispersions upon Grand Druid Krossbyr's loyalty to Faerie.</blockquote>

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