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<blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 802309" data-attributes="member: 96">Session Twenty-Four, Part Two: Return to Freeport&quot;I apologize for Brother Norton,&quot; Brother Egil said. &quot;If we had known you were coming, we never would have put him on desk duty.&nbsp; He's still...fragile.&quot;Dru nodded sagely.&nbsp; &quot;Who wouldn't be, after being trapped in an asylum full of undead?&quot;Egil opened his mouth as if to say that Norton's frailty had begun much earlier, but then thought better of it.&nbsp; &quot;Still, yours is a most amazing story.&nbsp; Shipwrecked on an unknown shore...strange creatures...you must write all of what you remember for the library, when you have time.&quot;&quot;Right now, we'd just like to get word to our families that we're still alive,&quot; Di'Fier put in.&nbsp; &quot;There's a spell, isn't there?&quot;&quot;There is,&quot; Egil admitted, &quot;although of some difficulty, and it requires a connection to the recipient...kinship is of course sufficient.&quot;&nbsp; He hesitated a moment.&nbsp; &quot;Traditionally there is a donation to the temple...in Freeport I would have foregone it, but the head of this temple is far more strict than Thuron...&quot;&quot;Oh!&quot; said Dru. &quot;Right.&quot;&nbsp; She reached into her pouch and withdrew a glittering stone. &quot;How's that?&quot;Egil gaped. &quot;That...will be more than sufficient.&nbsp; I have only prayed for the spell once today, but I can send for another brother.&quot;Di'Fier glanced at Dru, and said, &quot;The first one is to my mother. It's twenty-five words, isn't it? 'Mother, we were shipwrecked on island, sailed to Highgate.&nbsp; Need transport to Freeport for...&quot; Mentally, he counted.&nbsp; Myself, Dru, Benares, Shesara, Jim, Volodya...the gnomes are staying here... &quot;Six people.&nbsp; Love, Di'Fier.&quot;Egil nodded, and murmured the words into the void.&nbsp; His eyes unfocused, as he listened for a reply, and then he spoke: &quot;She says that the Guild tried scrying for you, but failed, and that she will meet you at the House of Universal Wizardry tomorrow at eight.&quot;&nbsp; He coughed. &quot;Your father is walking, with a cane, and she sends her love.&quot;&nbsp; His eyes flickered to Dru.&quot;'Papa,'&quot; Dru dictated. &quot;'was sold into slavery shipwrecked on island full of giant monsters. Killed a dragon.&nbsp; Safe now in Highgate. Returning home tomorrow.'&nbsp; How many is that?&quot;&quot;Twenty-two.&quot;&quot;'Much love, Dru'.&nbsp; There.&quot;&nbsp; Dru sat back and crossed her arms with satisfaction, as Egil went to fetch another brother.&nbsp; The newcomer cast the spell after taking Dru's hand, and listened...but slowly, a puzzled expression crept over his face.&quot;I'm sorry,&quot; he told her. &quot;But the sending did not get through.&quot;&quot;What?&nbsp; What does that mean?&quot;&nbsp; Dru was halfway out of her seat, fists on the table.&quot;I...I'm not sure.&nbsp; It is not the same as if he was dead, it is more...the message seems unable to find him.&quot;Oh, Papa, what have you done? Dru thought.&quot;Is there...anyone else you would like to send a message to?&quot;&quot;...no.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> &quot;Here, take this,&quot; Dru said to the gnomes as they parted ways. &quot;It will help you start up again.&quot;The gnomes' eyes widened at the sight of the glittering gem, and it quickly disappeared into the folds of Fonkin's tunic.&nbsp; &quot;It should be us paying you,&quot; he said.&nbsp; &quot;You rescued us from slavery and brought us back to civilization.&quot;&quot;Don't worry about it.&quot;&nbsp; Dru turned to Jim and Volodya, as the gnomes vanished into the crowd.&nbsp; &quot;We found buyers for some of the other gems, and we didn't want you to have any trouble getting back to your lives,&quot; she said, offering them a pair of purses.Volodya's eyes brimmed with wetness. &quot;The gnomes were right, we should be paying you.&nbsp; If ever you need a coachman, you must come to me.&quot;Jim looked wide-eyed at the money.&nbsp; &quot;Thank you!&quot; was all he said.&quot;It's about time to get going,&quot; Di'Fier said.&nbsp; &quot;What is it, Jim?&quot;&quot;I...well, I think I won't be going back with you.&nbsp; I'm going to take a ship.&nbsp; I'll buy into the cargo with this, and I'll make enough to pay you back!&quot;Di'Fier chuckled. &quot;All right.&nbsp; Be careful, though.&quot; He watched as the tiny halfling vanished as well.&nbsp; &quot;I hope he'll be all right.&quot;&quot;He grew up on the docks, he'll be fine,&quot; Dru told him.The remaining five made their way to the House of Universal Wizardry, in the Wizard's Quarter.&quot;That would be the Receiving Hall,&quot; Di'Fier said, nodding to a door with an arcane symbol inscribed upon it.&nbsp; &quot;They've got a pattern to the floor tiles there to identify it for people who want to teleport in.&quot;It was a matter of a few moments before the doors opened, and a pair of figures emerged: the slender form of Maga Eleanor, Di'Fier's mother, and the plump roundness of her friend Andolyn.&nbsp; Di'Fier hugged his mother, and Dru nodded politely to the other mage.&nbsp; &quot;How's the baking?&quot; she asked.&quot;Oh, Gendrew's had the most splendid idea for the next banquet,&quot; she replied.&nbsp; &quot;Dancing tarts! The pastries, of course, they wouldn't half know what to do with the other kind.&quot;&quot;Lets get you all home,&quot; Eleanor said. &quot;Only five, and the chest?&quot;&quot;The last one's decided to become a shipping magnate.&nbsp; Well, to try.&quot;&quot;All right, then.&nbsp; Andolyn, my house, so as not to upset the entire Guildhall?&quot;&quot;Of course.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />&quot;...so we woke up in chains...&quot;Dru slipped away as Di'Fier began to tell the story.&nbsp; She would have stayed, but she had to find out what happened to Papa.&nbsp; It seems so strange, to be finally back here...I wonder why Hevos' shop is closed up.&nbsp; Her eyes took in the dinginess of the neighborhood, the trash on the street. How can it change this much in only half a year?Ahead of her, a door opened, and half-a-dozen toughs walked out, laughing and guffawing amongst themselves.&nbsp; They went into the very next ship.&nbsp; Looks like they're collecting protection, she thought. But those were humans - Hellhounds, Finn's men.&nbsp; Her fingers curled on the handle of her rapier, but she restrained herself.&nbsp; No...not until I know what's going on.Her steps led her inevitably towards the kesir.&nbsp; Even here, the squalor had increased.&nbsp; The windows on the hledmalle, the Street of Glass, pride of the kesir, were dingy and unwashed - some cracked or broken.Her steps became firmer, more purposeful, as she strode through the cowering streets towards the headquarters of the ïlosNa.&nbsp; Her fist pounded on the door, and it jerked open.Opened by a half-human.Dru shoved him aside, bursting into the room as swords shot from their sheaths. Then she felt a hand clutch her arm, and she turned: Alust, gripping her with surprising strength, his eyes blazing.&nbsp; &quot;We must talk,&quot; he hissed, pushing her back towards the door.&nbsp; &quot;You are no longer welcome here after the way you behaved,&quot; he said.&nbsp; &quot;Vanishing for so long.&quot;Dru, astonished, fell back with him.&quot;You didn't even send poor Kennic any flowers,&quot; Alust continued.&quot;What-?&quot;&quot;You know how much he likes orchids.&quot;&nbsp; The mage looked left and right, then leaned in. &quot;Now is not the time,&quot; he muttered. &quot;Go.&quot;With his robes swirling around his haggard legs, Alust returned to the house, the door closing firmly behind him.Something's wrong.&nbsp; Something's very wrong.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="drnuncheon, post: 802309, member: 96"] [b]Session Twenty-Four, Part Two: Return to Freeport[/b] "I apologize for Brother Norton," Brother Egil said. "If we had known you were coming, we never would have put him on desk duty. He's still...fragile." Dru nodded sagely. "Who wouldn't be, after being trapped in an asylum full of undead?" Egil opened his mouth as if to say that Norton's frailty had begun much earlier, but then thought better of it. "Still, yours is a most amazing story. Shipwrecked on an unknown shore...strange creatures...you must write all of what you remember for the library, when you have time." "Right now, we'd just like to get word to our families that we're still alive," Di'Fier put in. "There's a spell, isn't there?" "There is," Egil admitted, "although of some difficulty, and it requires a connection to the recipient...kinship is of course sufficient." He hesitated a moment. "Traditionally there is a donation to the temple...in Freeport I would have foregone it, but the head of this temple is far more strict than Thuron..." "Oh!" said Dru. "Right." She reached into her pouch and withdrew a glittering stone. "How's that?" Egil gaped. "That...will be more than sufficient. I have only prayed for the spell once today, but I can send for another brother." Di'Fier glanced at Dru, and said, "The first one is to my mother. It's twenty-five words, isn't it? 'Mother, we were shipwrecked on island, sailed to Highgate. Need transport to Freeport for..." Mentally, he counted. [i]Myself, Dru, Benares, Shesara, Jim, Volodya...the gnomes are staying here...[/i] "Six people. Love, Di'Fier." Egil nodded, and murmured the words into the void. His eyes unfocused, as he listened for a reply, and then he spoke: "She says that the Guild tried scrying for you, but failed, and that she will meet you at the House of Universal Wizardry tomorrow at eight." He coughed. "Your father is walking, with a cane, and she sends her love." His eyes flickered to Dru. "'Papa,'" Dru dictated. "'was sold into slavery shipwrecked on island full of giant monsters. Killed a dragon. Safe now in Highgate. Returning home tomorrow.' How many is that?" "Twenty-two." "'Much love, Dru'. There." Dru sat back and crossed her arms with satisfaction, as Egil went to fetch another brother. The newcomer cast the spell after taking Dru's hand, and listened...but slowly, a puzzled expression crept over his face. "I'm sorry," he told her. "But the [i]sending[/i] did not get through." "What? What does that mean?" Dru was halfway out of her seat, fists on the table. "I...I'm not sure. It is not the same as if he was dead, it is more...the message seems unable to find him." [i]Oh, Papa, what have you done?[/i] Dru thought. "Is there...anyone else you would like to send a message to?" "...no." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "Here, take this," Dru said to the gnomes as they parted ways. "It will help you start up again." The gnomes' eyes widened at the sight of the glittering gem, and it quickly disappeared into the folds of Fonkin's tunic. "It should be us paying [i]you[/i]," he said. "You rescued us from slavery and brought us back to civilization." "Don't worry about it." Dru turned to Jim and Volodya, as the gnomes vanished into the crowd. "We found buyers for some of the other gems, and we didn't want you to have any trouble getting back to your lives," she said, offering them a pair of purses. Volodya's eyes brimmed with wetness. "The gnomes were right, we should be paying you. If ever you need a coachman, you must come to me." Jim looked wide-eyed at the money. "Thank you!" was all he said. "It's about time to get going," Di'Fier said. "What is it, Jim?" "I...well, I think I won't be going back with you. I'm going to take a ship. I'll buy into the cargo with this, and I'll make enough to pay you back!" Di'Fier chuckled. "All right. Be careful, though." He watched as the tiny halfling vanished as well. "I hope he'll be all right." "He grew up on the docks, he'll be fine," Dru told him. The remaining five made their way to the House of Universal Wizardry, in the Wizard's Quarter. "That would be the Receiving Hall," Di'Fier said, nodding to a door with an arcane symbol inscribed upon it. "They've got a pattern to the floor tiles there to identify it for people who want to [i]teleport[/i] in." It was a matter of a few moments before the doors opened, and a pair of figures emerged: the slender form of Maga Eleanor, Di'Fier's mother, and the plump roundness of her friend Andolyn. Di'Fier hugged his mother, and Dru nodded politely to the other mage. "How's the baking?" she asked. "Oh, Gendrew's had the most splendid idea for the next banquet," she replied. "Dancing [i]tarts[/i]! The pastries, of course, they wouldn't half know what to do with the other kind." "Lets get you all home," Eleanor said. "Only five, and the chest?" "The last one's decided to become a shipping magnate. Well, to try." "All right, then. Andolyn, my house, so as not to upset the entire Guildhall?" "Of course." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "...so we woke up in chains..." Dru slipped away as Di'Fier began to tell the story. She would have stayed, but she had to find out what happened to Papa. [i]It seems so strange, to be finally back here...I wonder why Hevos' shop is closed up.[/i] Her eyes took in the dinginess of the neighborhood, the trash on the street. [i]How can it change this much in only half a year?[/i] Ahead of her, a door opened, and half-a-dozen toughs walked out, laughing and guffawing amongst themselves. They went into the very next ship. [i]Looks like they're collecting protection,[/i] she thought. [i]But those were [/i]humans[i] - Hellhounds, Finn's men.[/i] Her fingers curled on the handle of her rapier, but she restrained herself. [i]No...not until I know what's going on.[/i] Her steps led her inevitably towards the [i]kesir[/i]. Even here, the squalor had increased. The windows on the [i]hledmalle[/i], the Street of Glass, pride of the [i]kesir[/i], were dingy and unwashed - some cracked or broken. Her steps became firmer, more purposeful, as she strode through the cowering streets towards the headquarters of the ïlosNa. Her fist pounded on the door, and it jerked open. Opened by a half-human. Dru shoved him aside, bursting into the room as swords shot from their sheaths. Then she felt a hand clutch her arm, and she turned: Alust, gripping her with surprising strength, his eyes blazing. "We must talk," he hissed, pushing her back towards the door. "You are no longer welcome here after the way you behaved," he said. "Vanishing for so long." Dru, astonished, fell back with him. "You didn't even send poor Kennic any [i]flowers[/i]," Alust continued. "What-?" "You know how much he likes orchids." The mage looked left and right, then leaned in. "Now is not the time," he muttered. "Go." With his robes swirling around his haggard legs, Alust returned to the house, the door closing firmly behind him. [i]Something's wrong. Something's [/i]very[i] wrong.[/i] [/QUOTE]

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