D&D 5E [IC] THE CURSE OF AMBERSTAR

[Charwoman Gene]

Kethra shakes her head at the flood of warriors to the library. Books will not give the answers. Don't they understand we must learn to be one unit? She goes to the banquet hall and selects a light but nutritious dinner. She nods to the monk, saying, "Another not much for books I see. Even this food is too much. Some quality food I understand, but wouldn't our time be better spent teaching each other our abilities so we can be forged into a force worth reckoning?"

 

[Greenmtn]

Herfik Human Monk

"My mind is too clouded for research right now. Scrolls and dusty tombs have their place I suppose but I agree that we would be better served to learn to be as one. Kerthra is it? I am Herfik, a slave and pit fighter. I know nothing of magics but my mind and body are as one. I believe I like the way you think."

Harfik lifts his glass of water and inclines his head. "Here is to our survival."

 

[JustinCase]

Aanzu does not acknowledge Posca the elven servant who greets those who make their way upstairs to the guest quarters, but instead sits himself down at the dinner table where Harfik and Kethra are already engaged in conversation. The blue dragonborn snatches some food from the platters, meat only, and moves aside a plate to drop his meal on the table. Delicately, the banished prince takes each piece into his hands as if weighing it carefully, before tossing it into his draconic mouth to quickly gulp down.

After a few such bites, he speaks, "This one says, one strand is easily broken, but many strands make rope stronger than the gods."

With the unreadable expression of dragons, Aanzu turns to the human and aasimar. "This one favors the sword. What weapons do you prefer?"

 

[Charwoman Gene]

"I too favor the sword, but I use one that is very light to work with my maneuverability," Kethra responds.

 

[Greenmtn]

Harfik Human Monk

"I was given a spear to help defend myself on this trip but in the pits we fight without weapons. Count Frederik says that giving slaves weapons is expensive and dangerous."

 

[JustinCase]

Aanzu nods in response to the words of Kethra and Harfik, then looks around the room as if looking for something.

"Do you have kar-na-chuk... training sticks?"

 

[Charwoman Gene]

"Now THERE is an idea, dragonman!" says Kethra, as she stands and starts looking around for something we could use as improvised non-lethal weapons.

 

[Greenmtn]

Harfik Human Monk

"Yes. It has been seven days of travel. That long without training makes one weak"

Harfik smiles, stands and steps away from the table moving the couches to create an open area on the floor.

 

[Archon Basileus]

LIBRARY

"I have a need for maps of the area around the Teraphim sanctuary, or any reports of expeditions to the same. Do you know where I might start looking?"

The curved old man walks slowly, but steadily, conducting Yttrian among the many shelves and isles. He accommodates the visitor in a large table and insists in getting the volumes himself, serving Yttrian in his every need. Soon, the librarian has filled the table with maps, volumes and scrolls, all concerning the region, the known parts of the sanctum, the surrounding structures and the history on former expeditions. A series of detailed descriptions on the religious role of the Sanctum is available as well. It would take weeks to go through it all, Yttrian knows, but the aware and helpful sage offers his services, separating any pieces of information the visitor might want as the researching hours unfold.

Soon enough, Lyllie joins the duo, aimed with books that even the librarian overlooked. She makes quick way into indexes of texts concerning the topics she chose, from metaphysical readings, to great grimoires, to old legends.

[Yttrian discovers several paths towards the Sanctum, as well as the existence of several complexes around it. He may map them through the next hours, if he so chooses, as well as gather more info about the surrounding areas and even the many mazes that allow for side entrances to the Sanctum. As for Lyllie, she may learn new spells, study the lore or gather info for future prayers, as she chooses. Considering the tiresome nature of the tasks, though, appropriate knowledge tests are needed – with the aforementioned +4, of course]

On the other side of the complex, Icosa browses through his findings. Plentiful in any other part of the known world, in here they’d be scarce. A few scrolls speak of the presence of others similar to him. One of the recounts, a description of the Age of Advent, speaks scantly about a few warforged being spotted around the lands. Anything else seems vague at the very least, since the encounters were restricted to finding dormant or destroyed warforged. Only one recount speaks of a single warforged that was brought back from her slumber. Having no memories, she could not bring clarity to anyone involved in her rescue. The entity, known from then on as Hecuba, lived for several years among the people of Wellington, becoming a successful merchant. One night, Hecuba simply disappeared without trace. Some say she was last seen walking towards the mountains were the Sanctum lies, while others say she decided to roam the world in search of her past, some old memory awakening deep inside her, forcing her to action…

As for the other warforged found throughout history, most of them are here in Wallis, preserved either by the Duke or by the Artisan’s Guild.

BANQUET HALL

"Are all guests received so lavishly or is this a special occasion?"

“Oh, this is a special occasion, sir.” – the servant responds tenderly. “The Duke values your efforts and wishes to show it. Besides…” – he comes closer for a moment – “… he sees this opportunity as a way to rebuild Wellington’s reputation. For a while, now, he’s been inclined to make Wallis and the Duchy more… cosmopolitan.” – he softens these last words, almost in secrecy. Harfik can see a list of noblemen that would hate to see the Duchy opening its doors to foreign nations. Should this be Conrad’s choice, he’d face brutal and unyielding opposition.

As soon as the heroes begin to move the furniture around, the many servants in the halls move towards the pieces. Stopping the guests, they do it themselves. They even fetch training gear from another hall. Why did they not take the guests to a training room, no one knows. Still, they organize an improvised arena and stand around, anxiously waiting to see the legendary characters of many a tale as they perform.

[Ok, you’ve got yourselves an improvised arena within the apartment, as well as training gear! The servants are around, watching anxiously!]

@industrygothica @hafrogman @Charwoman Gene @Greenmtn @Shayuri@JustinCase

 

[hafrogman]

Yttrian thanks the sage and Lyllie for their efforts and sets about copying down and gleaning whatever information he can from the maps, focusing on the Sanctuary itself and the way or ways inside. He isn't much of a scholar, but hopefully some of this information will translate into useful knowledge once they arrive at their destination.

Occasionally he looks up from the documents to clear his head and rest his eyes, staring at nothing, or glancing around to see what progress the gnome and construct are making. He briefly considers what he's missing downstairs, but this feels more important right now.

OOC: [roll0]