Journal of the Souls of Legend (completed)

[Nthal]

Nemesis - 9/6/2020

About fiends: They don’t think of us as equals. To them we are nothing more than a resource; souls to be collected, traded, used as fuel, used to create lesser fiends, and so on. They don’t share our goals, our values, or even our fears.

But the one thing we share is a fascination with each other. We see power to be leverages, and they see us as…playthings.

And to call it unhealthy is an understatement.​

Beepu’s soft snoring continued, while Iesa lay there sprawled across the floor, with Mo nestled by his armpit. Daneath sat in the darkness, not knowing what to believe. He had seen Myrai as someone that was sure of herself. Someone in control. But the tale she told was about a person he didn’t know. Myrai’s lack of caution, her gullibility none of it seemed like. The part about being in love was the only thing that sort of made sense at all and even that didn’t sound like her.

“I’m having a very hard time following this. You talk about these races…what were they, Baatezu? They and the others, you make them sound commonplace. And why would anyone make a deal with…things…like that normally?”

Myrai turned her head to look at Daneath, “I’m sorry, but I forget what I consider common you consider extraordinary. The race of Baatezu are what you would call ‘Devils.’ And the reason why is simple; the Baatezu have power, and the ones seeking to make a bargain, don’t.

“And you can actually talk to Devils?”

Myrai sighed and then said in a rough voice “Perzackt! Nekim ninoc sek mondanach.”

“Ok…got your point. So, what does this all have to do with mirrors?” Daneath dreaded asking, feeling like it was almost too much to ask and unsure if he really wanted to know.

“I’m getting there. It…isn’t pretty. You…sure you want to hear it?”

Daneath nodded, “Yes, you’ve gone this far.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I found myself ‘entertaining’ Baatezu, Tanar’ri, what you call ‘Demons’, and ‘Yugoloths’ or ‘Daemons.’ It was…a low point. I suppose some part of me was perhaps eager for a new experience like a Sensate would be. But that faded, very quickly. All I wanted to do was help someone, and I didn’t even do that,” Myrai said while staring at the small mirror she had repaired.

“It seemed to be a never-ending parade of filthy, immortal, maggot grown fiends. I tried to keep count, but with the pain…I lost that and any sense of time very quickly. And I started to learn about the truth…about the lies in the contract.

“’Learn about the lies?’ Daneath asked, “Didn’t you cover that up front?”

“It was, but not like I had intended. When they talk about no marks, they only mean that at the very end. But before that…I was fair game for about anything.” Myrai pointed to her left forearm. “Look here, unscarred skin…now. But the first night, it was charred flesh after a Red Abashai put into a roaring fire. It just… crumbled away into ash right before my eyes. I couldn’t even scream.” Pointing down to her right leg she said “And I watched and was forced to converse with a Nalfeshnee as it…ate it… ever so slowly all while asking for recommendations on how my thigh should be seasoned. He even offered me a--”

Myrai stopped herself and stared the floor. She clutched her arms close to her as she started to recall the horrors. “It was a waking nightmare, a new fiend bringing, a new pain, a new horror. I remember being flayed. My bones broken. Acheron’s Glass being plunged into my flesh. Being cut to ribbons with greensteel knives or flechettes. I remember being disemboweled at least twice. I lost my eyes several times, in a variety of…inventive ways. Having my muscles fibers plucked like catgut on a lute. It went on…and on…and on.” She said, her eyes closed grimacing through the memory.

“That’s…just…horrible!” Daneath blanched as he heard the litany.

Myrai just nodded in agreement and continued…

---

Some of the fiends were just brutes, they reveled on causing indiscriminate pain. Others were far more…refined in technique and they had specific desires fulfilled. Some wanted to hear me scream as they worked me over, and others just wanted to watch my reactions. Each one was different, more intense than the last. Each one had thousands of years of experience in their…art. The difference between the Pit and their home, is they were free to do what they wanted, not just strip away the mortal coil till only evil remains.

Sometimes I would lose consciousness, only to have that Kyton rouse me. After a session, a healer would arrive and…fix me up. Occasionally, I’d be fed some gruel, roughly bathed and the process would start again. No two were ever the same. At the end of a day, I lay in a hammock of those chains…and I could only pray that my dreams would take me…anywhere else. A prayer that went unheeded. I wondered if I was being punished for not praying as often, I had before meeting Markel. That perhaps this was a twisted form of atonement.

All the while Markel’s dead eyes watched me. They left Markel’s corpse on the floor as a reminder for me and the malebranche had someone cast a spell on it, so it didn’t rot away. He said it was ‘to help keep my emotions at a ragged edge.’ His corpse stared at me blankly, as if judgment had been rendered and I had been found wanting. A constant reminder of my failure.

On the seventh day, something different happened. When I woke up in my bedding of chains, I saw some Imps bringing in some furniture. Five divans and five tables were brought in first. Then other objects; a pillory, a small table set to it, and finally something large and rectangular covered in red velvet that was set off to one side.

I lay the hammock, not clear on what was up. The chains that hung in the room were more than enough to control me, so the pillory seemed unnecessary. But the divans…I wasn’t sure what that was about. I noticed one of the imps talking to the Kyton, and soon it scampered away. Then, the chains moved, letting me down gently while keeping a pair wrapped tightly around my waist. The Kyton moved towards me and spoke.

“Several patrons have combined their time for something special. They are to take…care of you. You will comply. Stand and wait.” I stood there naked, my arms across myself shivering. Then I heard a scraping sound metal on stone. I watched as a pack of imps moved with great difficulty, a brass tub full of steaming hot water, with a small cage attached to one end, holding a mephit made of flames.

More imps appeared, Another brought in food, and another poured what appeared to be razorwine, into glasses. Then the patrons entered the room.

Not surprisingly, there were five of them. The first two were succubi, in female forms. Each with long dark tresses, and voluptuous bodies covered with only a minimal amount of leather. One of them carried a satchel with which they set on the table. Then the pair started to circle me, like wolves around their prey. They were evaluating, judging, looking me up and down.

I was afraid and confused. I had heard that succubi didn’t work together, that they would compete for souls, and even kill one another, rather than deal with a rivalry. They then touched me; poking, prodding and running their hands over me as they circled like vultures looking a fresh kill. But my dread increased when the next pair of fiends entered.

One was a glabrezu, a greater Tanar’ri. Normally they seduce with power to mortals willing to listen. Twice my height, and heavily muscled, he strode in into the room on taloned feet, giving me a only a sidelong glance. He quickly to and flopped down on the one of the divans and watched. Its two large pincer arms stretched out lazily above him, while the two smaller human arms pulled the wine to his lips. He just stared at me with those yellow eyes from the divan, saying nothing.

The next one surprised me; an erinyes. They were said to be fallen celestials, focused on twisted enforcement of punishments within Baator, and seducers of mortals. She was statuesque with skin like ivory. She wore armor, unlike the others, with a rope coiled at her waist and of course she had dark red feathery wings, not bat like ones the succubi had. I heard that they were also rarer than succubi who would typically be their rivals. And they were all beautiful in that twisted way and now I found myself standing there nervously, as the trio stood around me, and each touching me. They ran their hands along my shoulders, and down my back. They gracefully brushed my hair back to see my eyes. That they were gentle, which scared me the most, even as their wicked smiles showed malice, but they whispered to each other in Abyssal (which apparently the Erinyes could understand). And then the final of the five arrived.

And then my heart nearly stopped as stared with fear and horror.

She was the most gorgeous fiend I had ever seen but several features about her stood out. I noticed trailing behind her, was a tail split into four prehensile parts. Her dark green hair was lustrous and framed her face perfectly, as it cascaded down her back, between her wings that looked as if they were burned away from a great fall from Celestia. But it was the green halo of light above her head that told me who and what she was. I wanted to hide, to run, to be anywhere else in the multiverse. It was a Radiant Sister; one of the thirteen chosen of the Succubus Queen, Malcanthet herself.

Each Sister takes its name from its halo and based on the deep green color of here, I guessed that her name must have been Jade. I wondered what ill luck had befallen me, had I offended Kelemvor or another power altogether? Was I cursed? None of the other fiends had the presence or power that Jade had. And while I was sure the malebranche was very busy selling time to see me, I didn’t think I would attract this kind of attention.

Jade had come into the room with a drink already in hand and evaluated me with those smoldering eyes. But she never broke her slow strut to one of the divans, and then, gracefully lay upon it, her tails twisting and fanning the air around her. She leaned over and placed a kiss on the lounging glabrezu and whispered into its ear and playfully nibbled it. He gave a wicked smile and responded in deep toned growls and nodded. Then erinyes took her place on the other side of Jade, coolly watching the gambit unfold before them.

Without another word, the two succubi, each grabbed one of my arms and lifted me aloft into the air. And they slowly descended, and lowered me into the tub. At first, I thought this was an elaborate ritual that involved drowning. What they did was more unnerving; they landed, each standing in the tub with me, and began to bathe me.

---

“They gave you…a bath?” Daneath said disbelievingly.

Myrai nodded, “I had not yet been washed yet, it usually was a rag and a bucket of water thrown at me by a pair of imps, not a tub.”

“This sounds a bit different. What the--?”

Myrai nodded, “--And it only gets worse…please let me try to finish.”

---

The pair, playfully splashed the water onto me first and then they used soft cloths and soap. They took great delight in gently scrubbing me, cleaning away the blood and filth from the prior day. The divans were positioned so they could see the spectacle of my bath easily. Jade, the glabrezu and the erinyes each watched with smiles on their lips, as they watched their prey, me being prepared for something, all the while whispering to each other conspiratorially and sipping wine.

Before this, bathing before was a function of being clean, so that some fiend could make a mess however they liked. And being dirtied by something was a fairly consistent experience, blood, dirt, and other things. But this was anything but perfunctory. They were…gentle, taking their sweet time washing me. They took time to anoint me with scented oils and rubbed my muscles, and ran their hands over me, in an effort to calm and soothe me as I shivered not in the cold, but in fear. My body ached from the abuse given from pain and just from being stretched, and it responded to the kind attention they gave me.

Mentally I was guarded; I knew something was up, that this was a seduction. But my body wanted the soothing relief they granted me. That mephit below the tub was kicked a couple of times to keep the water warm, and the pair took their time cleaning off the blood and grime from the previous day. All the while grooming me by stroking and combing my hair and adding some fragranced oil into it. It felt all wrong in all the right ways. My shivers dissipated as the warmth penetrated to my bones. Mentally I was losing focus; it felt too good. It was everything the prior days weren’t.

The imps then flew in with trays, and then the succubi started feeding me fruits; some fresh, others candied and spiced. The flavors were sweet and tart at the same time and far better than the meager morsels of gruel they normally served me, most of which was barely edible. I bit and swallowed all that was given to me, eagerly. Usually it was the case I tasted my meal twice once going down, and after an intense session it coming back up again. So, my hunger was never sated, and I ate like the starved women I felt to be. As I was being doted on, the Abyssal conversation continued in whispers, with amused smiles on the lips of the Glabrezu and the Radiant Sister, while erinyes looked at me judgementally.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, none of this was making sense to me, and I noticed it didn’t make sense to my jailor either. Normally during a fiend’s session, he would sit and watch with ‘professional’…disinterest, stirring his tea. But now, he was standing on the side of the room his tea and spoon forgotten, and I could barely see furrowed brow on his shrouded face. Now if Kytons are indeed the masters of torture, then this was one was as confused as a monodrone in limbo. I could at a glance tell that he was trying to puzzle out the game being played.

As would have I; but the pair were too distracting. Being tag teamed and pampered by two was effective in keeping my mind away from questioning the circumstances. I couldn’t concentrate and discern what the game was. The positive stimulation from their caresses was a stark contrast to the pain I had suffered in the prior days. The care they gave me was a huge alarm in my head, and it was almost enough that I missed the next guest.

He, unlike the others, was a nobody. A male human wearing only a small loincloth, walked into the room flanked by a pair of imps. And silently he walked to the pillory and I then watched as he bent himself over and was fastened in by the imps. I could see that his back was covered in thick scars and it told a story. A story on how he was a regular here for the amusement of the patrons.

It confused me. Why did they pamper me, while prepare another for a session in pain? Where was my torture? Where was the pain I was going to suffer? Why were they doing this? It bothered me and my mind was no longer being rational. Was I jealous? But I’m the one getting pampered, so why would I be? Because I wasn’t the center of attention?

I seriously wondered if they slipped me a poison in the fruit.

---

Daneath sat there shaking his head. “I was beginning to wonder if your whole perspective was warped at this point. I don’t see how you wouldn’t have been a little scrambled.”

Myrai nodded, “I was a bit messed in the head, and that’s what they wanted. And I knew it. But after days of nothing but pain I quite frankly didn’t care. But this is where you see how it starts going barmy.”

---

The succubi then lifted me out of the tub and the used soft towels to dry me, and the imps slowly pushed that tub out of the room. Now the attention was on me and the man in the pillory. One of the succubi retrieved the satchel on the table and opened it. Inside were polished metal blades. Some straight, some with serrations, some with hooks. All sharp and clean.

The succubi picked a straight flechette from the set and handed it to me. I know I must have looked silly, with a confused look in my eyes as I stared at the instrument. The other one guided me to the man in the pillory. He was positioned so he was bent over at the waist, wearing only a loincloth, which was more than I had. She then traced on his back near the shoulder blade with a long-manicured nail, and then looked at me and spoke:

“Cut here,”

I was dumbfounded. My jaw dropped open, and I was grasping at straws on what to say. I never had thought about hurting someone intentionally for fun. And certainly not like this. And now a small group of fiends wanted me to hurt this man. I was shaking my head no, but she just repeated again with a slight admonishment.

But I wasn’t sure I could really refuse. This man wasn’t some prisoner, he had been here before. And certainly, I didn’t want more pain. I knew that I didn’t want to face another round of knives if I could help it. The back of my mind somewhere I was screaming no. But right now, after being well treated I was willing to do anything to keep it that way. I was being lured into trusting them.

And it was working.

I remember placing my hand on his back, and then drawing the flechette across his skin, following the ribs to his spine. My first attempt didn’t even break the skin. But the other succubus laid her hands upon mine and guided me with pressure. The flechette pierced the skin, and blood flowed everywhere. The man’s screams of pain echoed off the stone, and I almost dropped the flechette in my hand. The whole experience was unnerving, my fear returning along with more shaking. The three other fiends were talking among themselves. Pointing and nodding approvingly.

“Well done. Again,”

Encouraging me.

And so, I was being taught how to cut, slowly and painfully. The pair kept adding tools. Showing me how to draw out a scream. How to make the man howl. Each success was rewarded, with a soft touch, or soothing words.

Another scream, another complement.

The Kyton was looking at this and took the time to come closer to watch. And here I was, an aasimar being educated by fiends, and being judged by them on how to inflict pain. He watched, with curiosity at first, and then respect. I apparently had a feel for this.

But I was disgusted all the same. I didn’t want to do this, but the pair kept guiding, supporting, smiling. It didn’t matter that the man was here on his own volition. He probably voluntarily signed a contract, like I did. He probably knew the terms better that I did.

I kept cutting, poking, prodding, pulling, twisting. Small areas, and always slowly with precision. I have plenty of audible feedback when I struck the right balance, followed by a caress, a pat, even a small hug.

Complements were constant. The only criticism was for me to cut slower, to draw it out. As I was slowly shredding the man in front of me, the other fiends would each get up with their razorwine. They would put a hand on me, and my eye would meet theirs. They would complement and show me little things to improve on.

The Radiant Sister remained quiet with that knowing smile. She did walk around and would laid a comforting hand on my shoulder or a gentle caress occasionally, but otherwise said nothing to me.

This continued for I don’t know how long, and I kept listening and focusing. More cuts, more blood, more screams. I lost track of time when I heard footsteps of Jade move past me as I was working. And then I heard the movement of cloth.

I had forgotten about the velvet object in the room, and I looked up as I saw Jade, with the most innocent smile, revealed what was concealed beneath the velvet.

It was a mirror.

And within was an image I want to forget. An imagine that haunts my many nightmares today.

I saw myself in the mirror with that infinite gaze of mirrors in mirrors, standing over the man with a hooked knife in hand, ready to cut again. I was naked and covered in blood, none of it my own. It was spattered across my body, my hair and my face. As I looked myself in the mirror I shook, and the blade fell out of my hand.

I was smiling. A smile of pure bliss.

Jade then spoke in Celestial no less, “See? It’s not hard to convince a lily to dirty their halo. Especially when they are doing what they want to do anyway…”

No…what…no? My hands shook as I started to think back. When was the last time they told me to cut?

When did I start to do it on my own?

When did I start to take pride in my work?

When did I start to enjoy my work?

My hands shook violently, and I heard the knife clattering on the floor. My vision clouded as tears formed. I was shaking my head and mouthing the words ‘no’ over and over. I didn't want to do this. I didn’t enjoy it. I could have walked away. This wasn't in the contract. Why didn't I walk away? Why didn't I try? Why was I seeking approval, validation, confirmation?

What have I done?

And then I just sank to my knees in front of the mirror and screamed.

I had been screaming for six days, knowing the pain would end. This was different. It wasn’t pain that drove the scream from my lips. I felt like my soul was being torn asunder. I didn’t know who I was at that moment. It was during this primal scream my thoughts were wondering if I was tricked, if there was a spell that made me do it. But truth was in that mirror.

I did it all. And I was reveling in it. That I loved the pain I caused. That I felt empowered and strong because I was in control. I screamed at my own betrayal. I screamed in frustration on how I was manipulated here. I screamed at the ugly person I had become.

Finally, I heaved, and I vomited those tart berries on the stone, now bitter and dark as my soul felt. My screams had died down to whispers. And as I collapsed on the floor, I could hear the laughter of fiends echoing in my ears as they broke this simple mortal aasimar.

“Even lilies can be made to see the truth in themselves, they just hide it better. All it takes is some encouragement and some soap and even a foundling can fall.” Said Jade, this time in Infernal, which echoed in my ears as I surrendered to darkness.

---

Daneath’s eyes were wide. She had told them about the conversation in the bar where she had been playing up “cutting the gnome” with the madam. But he had no idea that she actually had done something like this. And he, like Myrai in the story was horrified at the implication that somewhere deep inside her, was a need to create and cause pain and misery.

Myrai wasn't weeping though. Her innocence was long gone, sacrificed in the Tenth Pit. She was slumped against the wall, no longer looking at Daneath, resigned to whatever judgment he had.

“When I came to, the pillory and other furnishings were being taken away by the imps. Only the mirror remained. But Jade was still there kneeling by me, looking at me with amusement.”

---

“All this drama,” Jade sneered, as she pulled my head up by the hair, so I could see my image in the mirror. “All this sanctimonious self-sacrifice, for a worm. A worm that betrayed her trust and sold her.” She tossed the barely remembered letter on the ground in front of me. “And pride and arrogance led you here, to find yourself. And there you lay in someone else's blood, someone else’s pain, feeling sorry for yourself. How rich. How typical. How…mortal.’ She let go of my hair, and my head sagged and touched the wet floor with my forehead.

“Your parents must be very proud of you,” and the five fiends stood and laughed. And with that, she stood and took the arm of the glabrezu, and the five of them left me to wallow in a new prison. One where I was the sole judge of its occupant.

I lay there stunned. My trembling hand reached for the letter and grabbed it. I pushed myself to a half sitting position, and I read it.

Myree,

By the time you read this, I should be dead. I didn’t realize that I had been peeled; that he was using me to get to you. It doesn’t matter now. I hope you don’t fall into the trap that has been laid for you. Don’t try to save me.

I owe you an apology; I spent time with you because you threw yourself at me. You were pretty and you just wanted to have fun. I hope you found some happiness for a while. But I didn’t have the courage to tell you I didn’t really love you. Everyone was just so impressed that I had a girl like you.

You deserved better. I guess the malebranche was right; I really did sell you to pay things off. It doesn’t matter they were going to hurt you anyway, because I couldn’t pay. I shouldn’t have been the cause.

I don’t deserve any favors, nor do deserve to ask anything from you. Not even forgiveness. I hope you walk away from this, because I don’t deserve to.

Believe well.

Markel

I crumpled the parchment in my hand. Falling forward back onto the floor, I sobbed uncontrollably.

The love we had together was a sham; I was nothing more than an ornament on his shelf. The things we did…no I did for him meant nothing.

My unwanted sacrifice was worthless.

---

“I was honey peeled three times over. By Markel. By the Malebranche. By Jade. The rule of threes in action.”

While he didn't quite get the phrasing, Daneath certainly understood a con. Sure, he had done shady stuff. But he didn’t play with lives. The harlot in the brothel he tried not to hurt while saving Beepu was an example.

But this was something else. He saw why Myrai could laugh at the anyone what wasn’t afraid of punishments for their actions in life. She had perspective, from the evilest beings straight from Hell itself.

Daneath, got up and sat next to Myrai. she appeared exhausted. She flinched when Daneath touched her, and she almost recoiled when he put his arm around her shoulders. She was tense at first, but she slowly relaxed and leaned her head on his shoulder. He could smell the fragrance in her hair for the first time, and the softness of her now unblemished skin. Her breathing slowed as she relaxed.

“I can only say sorry. What happened was horrible. But…how did you pull through that?”

She sighed, “I found something unexpected in the Pit.”

“Compassion."

Story Notes:

The last part is coming soon...and then back to the mess on the island.

 

[Nthal]

The Nature of Torment - 9/10/2020

There is a story floating around Sigil of a man that could not die and he suffers pain because of it. In that story, he collects to him companions for various reasons and then they all departed Sigil.

It would be an interesting anecdote, if I hadn’t of heard of one of the companions beforehand; a Sensate named ‘Fall-From-Grace.’ She ran a brothel not far from the Civic Festhall.

When I first heard the story, I didn’t understand why she might have followed him. I do now.​

I lay on the floor of the chamber. In my hand was the crumpled note with Markel's betrayal. His corpse lay nearby, immune to any fury I could muster, staring at me with cold dead eyes. His soul long departed for whatever punishment he had earned for his sins. Because if what he did to me wasn’t one, I no longer knew what was. The mirror remained, impassively reflecting a twisted version of myself.

I was numb to the horror of it all, as I lay there in shock. My tears had dried, along with the blood. as my sobbing ended some time ago. I was done caring, about anything at that point. For the first time in six days I wanted to end it all. To run to Suicide Alley and jump. Jade had pushed me beyond my limits and showed me how ugly I was in the mirror. Shown to me that I was just a mere mortal, flawed and worthy of only contempt.

I lay there, wishing for an end, when I heard the chains move again. I closed my eyes and braced myself, not yet ready for more.

I felt the chains as slithered around me, the cool steel against my skin. They again lifted me upwards into the air, and carried me towards the Kyton and I hung there limply expecting to be told to prepare for another round. He was seated in a simple chair on one side of the room, the teacup on a table beside him, with the spoon perfectly balanced on the rim, the scent of sulfurous herbs wafting from it.

The Kyton’s red eyes regarded me, and it tilted its head left and right several times. I was dimly aware of the chains as they weaved themselves into a web fully supporting me, and brought me closer, and then lowered me down until I was level with the fiend.

My focus was returning. The Kyton had never touched me before, only the chains in the room. But now after hesitating a moment, the chains lowered my supine form onto his lap, and he lifted its arms and cradled me. I remembered shaking my head and then it spoke.

“There is nothing more today. Rest.”

I looked at the fiend puzzled unable to articulate anything. I blinked and barely shook my head

“Because it was agreed to let you fully rest before and after,” the Kyton said simply.

“No, why are you…” I said, my voice hoarse and ragged, as I gestured at the mix of arms and chains.

It was silent for a while and then it intoned, “It is…necessary.”

“Necessary? It wasn’t before, why now?” I croaked.

“Before, pain served no purpose but pain. Easy to dismiss. Pain with purpose and intent is meaningful. Consequences probable. Intent here to make you question self. To choose a path or belief when you believe it is against your nature is a higher order of pain. A torment.”

I twisted in the chains to look in the Kyton's eyes. “Believe against my nature? But is it right or true?”

Two small chains snaked from its shoulders and formed a pair of sideway curves, imitating the motion of a shrug. “Mortals suffer on choices to define their nature. Their nature not absolute. When nature conflicts with choice, torment occurs. Many outcomes possible; nature changes or change is repudiated. Torment then ends.”

Confused, I asked “What about immortals?”

“Torment is acting against nature by choice. Creatures of belief do not choose nature. Torment ends only with alteration of choice. Result, mortal pain is brief, but greater in intensity. Immortal pain constant, but less intense. Side effect: Mortals break easier because of torment intensity. Immortals take much longer to break, if at all.”

“So why are you helping me now?” I didn’t understand and was suspicious.

I couldn’t tell for certain, but I had the impression of furrowed eyebrows. “Because of choice made. You were forced to reconcile beliefs and are tormented. I too chose a path leading to torment. In this we are similar.”

I was curious at this point, “What torment?”

“Jangling Hiter, in the third layer of Baator. Few mortals visit. Wanted context to better inflict pain. To improve. Came to Sigil. To watch. Learned much. Still learning. Mortals driven by many things. Pleasures easy. Most who seek pain or give it, transform it to pleasure. Few seek pain for pain.

“Like me?” I whispered to myself.

“No,” it said, and I turned to look at him with confusion. “You looked for pleasure. Pleasure of altruism. But you found torment; of belief and perception of one’s nature.”

I frowned at that, wondering how this made us similar. It wasn’t enough, something else was there. “And you are tormented?

It shifted uncomfortably now. “Pain caused by a second choice made. Choice not to return. Found that Blood War was pain without point. A distraction of purpose. Do not wish to participate. But not returning means cannot do what nature should be doing. Purpose is to remove impurities from Lemures and others. Jail and enforce order. Cannot do functions in Sigil. Did not realize discontinuity of Blood War’s purpose until arrival in Sigil.

“True torments not common. Pain of petitioner or mortals common. True torment of petitioners or mortals rare.”

My head hurt, and I slumped to one side, “Why are you helping me?” I whispered.

The Kyton looked at me intensely as he said this. “The Radiant Sister was breaking…Myrai. Permitted by contract. Not…desired by...” And he averted his gaze from me.

“Why do you even care?” I said disbelieving raising my voice slightly, pushing myself upwards in my hammock, “How many fiends have been tearing at me? And now? Now you intercede? Why?”

“I…I…cannot explain,” the Kyton said simply.

I stared it and said, “Then what do I---?”

“--Nothing. For now. Address problem later with time. Avoid crisis now. Rest and for mortals, contact helps. Later can reconcile. Otherwise, Myrai will likely break.”

I slumped back into the chains, “What I saw… was it me or not?” I asked that more to myself than the Kyton. But I still was shaken by what I saw or felt or experienced. All of it.

“That…is up to you,” the fiend intoned.

I imagine to any fiend or any celestial walking in they would have been a strange site. A naked Aasimar, covered in blood and tears, laying in a cradle of chains, resting peacefully in the embrace of a Kyton looking on, sipping tea.

“Tha…thank you…Nastanal,” I said and closed my eyes, breathing deeply I fell into a slumber, feeling at peace.

The pain didn’t end of course. My time was not yet done. But the worst was over. Nothing compared to what I faced, although it was still horrifying. The other fiends continued their wretched fantasies of misery on me, using my body as a canvas to paint their pain. But each night I found myself being consoled by a nervous Kyton.

Three days later, I walked out under my own power. ‘The Pit’ kept to its side of the bargain, and my skin and bones were unbroken and unbruised as the day I walked down into the bar. And I have no doubt, no matter what was spent on fixing me, they profited handsomely at my expense. I stayed below only long enough to see a Collector take the remains of Markel to the Dusties for his final rest. I still felt bruised and battered, despite being unmarked and intact. At least physically.

Jade had done…more lasting damage by comparison.

Finally, I emerged from the playroom’s below and entered the bar. I strode through with my head high and ascended to the streets above, I ignored the sniggering patrons. I ignored the nasty grin from malebranche that orchestrated this nightmare. I ignored the fingers pointed at me from the bouncers and imps. All of them.

The only one I acknowledged was Nastanal who guided me out from below to the bar. And as I started to ascend the stairs out, I gave him the slightest of nods, and he returned the gesture. Nothing felt better than the light of peak on my face as I left the horrors below.

---

“And then I was free.”

Myrai’s head was resting on Daneath’s shoulder, as the hints of dawn started to peak through the slats of the floor above replacing the moon’s light to our hiding place.

“So, there you have it, mirrors, pain and more.” Said Myrai.

“Well the term boring doesn’t exactly come to mind,” Daneath replied. “But it is all resolved, right?”

“Sort of I suppose,” Myrai said sadly. “I took those ten days of memories, and I went to the Civic Festhall. I committed most of them to sensory stones, and it was…more than enough to become a member of the Society. One of them became a public stone, which I heard caused a ruckus. Meant a lot less curiosity seekers went to the Pit, and a little less money for them. The rest became part of the Sensates’ members only collection. All of them but that seventh day…that I recorded for myself and left there, and I haven’t looked at it since. I’ve heard that most Sensates have never been able to sit through all of what I recorded. Weeks later I travelled to the Gilded Hall in Aborea and took the test and passed it. Barely perhaps, but it was enough. And I became a full fledge member of the Society.

“But on other matters, no.” she said softly. “I thought I had put some of those questions behind me years ago. But…ever since I got dropped onto this plane and we started dealing with the Kershak…I wanted to outright kill Paradros before we entered the library; and now I want to let his and every other member of the Kershak’s blood run. The pirates here see me as a commodity, the sailors, that madam, everyone. And each one that looks at me or get close to me…I want to give them the most painful memory to remember me by. I didn’t care if they lived, died or anything as so long as we got Beepu free.

Myrai looked Daneath in the eyes “So you probably think I’m not a normal person. I’m just a fiend in lily’s clothing, right?”

Daneath stroked Myrai‘s hair and looked into her eyes. “I think you are exactly…what you are. Someone coping with what happens to them as best they can. For good or for Ill, better or for worse. I mean, you didn’t actually try to skin Beepu right? Talking about it isn’t the same.”

Myrai chuckled, “I guess there is truth in that, and maybe that’s enough. And I guess we should get up and find that Genasi. And besides, the others are awake listening to us.”

“You tell such horrible stories; how would I sleep?” Iesa said from his spot on the floor, eyes still closed. “And personally…if you are a fiend, you are the best fiend someone could know. Certainly, better than the Kershak.”

“I have to agre---” and Beepu yawned in the middle of his words. “—ee with Iesa. No matter what you feel, what you do I admire and can defend. You are not anything more than what you do, and that is enough for me.”

Myrai hung her head down and after a moment nodded and said, “You sound like a Cipher…and I suppose that’s not a bad thing Beepu. And thanks to you for your faith in me. I hope to be worthy of it.” Myrai untangled herself from Daneath, stood and stretched.

“That’s just it; you already are,” Daneath said giving Myrai a squeeze. “I wouldn’t worry about the rest. Just…do what you do best. Be you.”

Myrai looked at Daneath again with tears in her eyes, and a smile on her cheeks. Pulling out the white cloth she wore before, she tied it around her eyes. She unfastened Daneaths large cloak and took it. She then donned it, and wrapped the folds around her body, pulling up the hood, and tucked her hair within. Looking at the once shattered mirror she nodded satisfactorily, and she tucked it away in her pouch.

“I think we have a casino to hit; we ready?” And seeing the others nod, she climbed a couple of steps of the ladder, and pushed open the trapdoor, flooding their hiding place with sunlight. And the Aasimar ascended into the warm morning light, leaving her horrible memories below.

---

Epilogue​

Five Years ago, Market Ward​

Kelthsan was tired. He had just shooed a pair of urchins from his shop and was leaning against a ladder catching his breath, when a young woman entered. He straightened up, smiled and walked to the entrance to his shop to greet her. The woman was of medium height and had that radiance that instantly marked her as an Aasimar. As he looked her in the eyes, he remembered that he had met this woman before. She was working as a table host for ‘Sixes and Styxes’ at the Fortune’s Wheel in the gambler’s hall. He smiled inwardly remembered losing quite a bit of jink at the table that night as well. Dice never seemed to be in his favor.

But she had made him smile the entire night, as she plied her table guest with drinks, and they placed their bets against each other, and she with tips. She was worth every jink in it too, based on the little illusions she cast tracking the winners of the pot and based on the headache in the morning the house clearly won.

“Good day, and what can I get for you?”

The woman smiled, “I’m looking for a bag of red spindle bloom tea.”

Kelthsan arched an eyebrow, “An uncommon blend, but I do have some that I can part with for three jink.”

The woman rolled her eyes, “One and a quarter.”

“Now, now, two and a half.” Kelthsan said reasonably.

“Cross trader! One and seven stingers! You know it isn’t in high demand.”

“Can’t part with it for less than two. After all, it is a rare commodity.”

“Done.” She said with a smile.

Kelthsan, returned it, and moved the ladder along a rail to a corner of the shop. He then climbed up and pulled out a drawer, and carried it down the ladder, to a nearby counter. Using a large spoon, he scooped out leaves and needles from the drawer, causing a small cloud of dust with the scent of an earthy smoky tone, mixed with brimstone, and placed the contents into a small sack.

“I seem to remember you pounding ales after you finished your job at the tables, not sipping tea,” Kelthsan commented.

The woman shrugged, “It is more of what I like, but this is for…a friend.”

Kelthsan nodded and started to wrap up the dried leaves. “A good friend then? This isn’t exactly the cheapest herb.”

The woman replied. “I guess…but it’s worth it,” she said with a smirk.

“Here you are then. Remember you can only use the hottest water. A roiling boil, otherwise it won’t bring out all the essence.”

“I’ll mention that,” and the woman handed over two gold coins. “Believe well!” and smiling, she turned and exited the shop.

“Likewise,” and Kelthsan watched her leave.

Kelthsan thought to himself, it was an odd choice of tea. He had a tiefling that brought in a batch or two every so often. But as it came from the depths of Minauros, the swampy third layer of Baator it was rarely seen. It also wasn’t exactly popular with most of the natives.

Kelthsan stepped to the window of his shop, to watch her leave. It was moving towards anti-peak and the light was only starting to fade. But she didn’t go far; she moved to a nearby light post, leaned against it and waited.

It wasn’t long when another figure approached from the spireside direction. It was of medium height but with a broad shoulders, covered in a heavy cloak and robe. While Kelthsan couldn’t hear, he saw the woman call out to the figure and wave a hand. It then turned and approached her.

He saw the woman approach the figure with her head bowed down slightly, and then she offered the bag to it. From beneath the robe, a chain ending in a hook snaked out and pierced the upper part of the bag and lifted from her hand.

The figure cocked its head and regarded the bag then nodded. He reached out with its arm towards the woman, and she responded by suddenly embracing the figure. She then released it, and with an almost guilty look she then clasped the hand as offered. The woman then looked at the figure and said something, and if Kelthsan had a guess, it was a thank you.

The figure nodded slowly, and after a long moment together they both release their hands. They looked into each other’s faces for a moment, and then moved past each other, going their separate ways.

Kelthsan turned and to look for the broom to sweep the shop. He shook his head and wondered if what he saw was the opening to a bad joke, or an interesting story of why a Kyton and an Aasimar met in a marketplace.



Backstory notes:

Thanks for my indulgence…back to the adventures

 

[Nthal]

A Mind’s Grip Tossed Asunder - 9/14/2020

I might be considered a bit of a control freak. I am in control. I must be in control. I feel at my worst when I am not, whether a pack of monsters are charging at us, or because I was strung up for the night with a fiend or hipped across the multiverse.

But those examples are physical manifestations. Mental ones are even scarier. ​

Crawling up out of the ruined hut it was nice to feel the warm of the sun in my face. I never really thought of the ‘north’ as cold, but there was a distinct difference on how the rising sun felt here. I stepped off the ladder and breathed deeply; the smell of the salt air was fresh and clean. I chuckled; this might be the last respite I would have for a while. I was a wanted…no hunted woman. And damned if I would get caught. Not to the pirates, and certainly not to Philandre. The idea of being kept as a brothel slave to that woman was sickening. I would kill them first or force them to kill me.

But now we had to survive, and find this casino run by drow. I looked around, as Iesa climbed up and Mo quickly bounded off, looking for a rooftop.

--Morning! You DO tell terrible stories. Enlightening but terrible.

It wasn’t for you. Anyone been nearby?

--No. Last night they streamed towards the cave we came in by. But I did notice that some came back with wounds. Looks like they might picked a fight. But that was early last night, nothing since.

That’s good.

--I wouldn’t count on that. A lot of blame was tossed your direction as they came back to town.

I winced. “Iesa, we’re going to need something to cover ourselves with.”

“I know. Stay here,” and Iesa stayed low to the ground and moved into the alleyway and darted out of sight. I then helped Beepu and the Daneath up out up off the ladder.

“Been talking to Foggle,” the gnome said as I pulled up Daneath. “Looks like there were three ships in harbor last night, but only one this morning. I bet they pulled out with the morning tide.”

“That might help, less pirate looking for us,” Daneath said straightening out.

“I hope so,” I said looking around for Iesa. “Being the object of the pirates’ affection is more than I can stand. The less pirates, the better.”

We stayed next to another empty ruin and waited, and soon Iesa reappeared. In his arms were a pair of sea coats.

“Well…that’ll work. Very piratey,” Daneath said as he took one and Iesa donned the other one.

“Yep, Myrai wearing yours should be fine, especially if he hunches like an old woman.”

“I guess,” I said scrunching my face on how my back would feel. “What did you get Beepu?”

Beepu looked at Iesa expectantly.

“Seriously, there are no small folk here. I haven’t even seen a child!” Iesa exclaimed as he raised his hand. “But…you are short enough to hide in Daneath’s cloak, as Myr bends over.

“You must be joking,” Beepu said his eyes narrowing.

“I don’t smell do I?” I said suddenly concerned about my hygiene.

“What? No! That is not the problem. The idea is ludicrous. How will that even work?”

Iesa knelt over to the gnome and looked him in the eye. “Look, no one looks an old woman shuffling. We’ll go slow so not to arouse suspicion. But what I need to do is get out there and talk to the locals. So, head inland, and stay next to Daneath. I’ll find you.”

“Iesa…be careful,” I said.

“I will…go!” he replied, and he crept back into the alleyway.

“I hope he knows what he is doing,” Beepu muttered.

“Same here. Hate to lose a brother now.” Dan said with a worried expression. “Look, I’ll follow behind you, that way I don’t accidently lose you.” I nodded, and crouched over Beepu with the cloak, and we made our way into the shanties.

It was slow going, and as I expected my back was killing me. Looking around I found a stick and basket. I gave my rod to Beepu and used the stick to lean on and put the basket on an arm. With my shield on my back I looked like a crouched robed woman. I just hoped it would do.

And it seemed to so just that. Iesa appeared to be right; an old woman was uninteresting, and no one tried to speak to me. But I with copper wire around my finger, could talk to Daneath easily:

“Heading to the left now,”

“I see you. I’m crossing to the otherside. No one is looking at you.”

“Ok, I’m shuffling forward, any sign of Iesa?”

“Not yet. Go into the alley to your left, a pair of pirates are near you.”

And so on.

It worked fairly well. We followed the alleys to the main road, and then turned inland, moving as far away from the quays and the brothel. The homes were slightly nicer, in the sense there was less sewage our front and they had real foundations. Finally, we came to a fork in the road, and there wasn’t a clear direction to go. I moved over to an alley and waited, while Daneath waited across from me.

After what felt to be an eternity, Iesa appeared behind me, scaring me.

“Iesa!” I hissed between my teeth. “Don’t DO that!”

“Sorry, can you get Daneath over here?” he said.

Looking across the way, I saw the warrior approaching, and I said “No need. What did you find?”

“Well, a couple of things. First you are very popular. Three thousand crowns popular, paid in jewels by the madam herself.”

“How nice…wait a minute. In jewels?” Beepu said from under the cloak I wore. “They are paying for your bounty with MY bounty! Those conniving pirates!” and he spat on the ground.

“Second, the search did reach the cave, and the drow shot them. They seem to think the drow are protecting us,” he continued.

“Why would they?” Daneath asked confused. “Didn’t we kill some of them earlier?”

“I’m guessing they didn’t ask, and the drow just let loose. They made up a story and went back to drinking. Apparently, the bounty isn’t enough to beat up the drow over.”

“Maybe, or they are plain scared of them,” I wondered aloud.

“Whatever the case, the Casino is uphill to on the left fork of the road. Enters a lava tunnel of some sort.” Iesa finished.

“Well to the left, I guess. Follow me and I’ll slowly hobble my way to safety,” I said in a mock-heroic tone.

We departed the alley, with Beepu and I sticking close, Iesa on the other side of the street, and Daneath somewhere behind me. I slowly tapped and leaned on my stick. It felt like slow progress as I slowly shuffled forward. It took a while, and the houses became slightly nicer. I slowly made my way to the top of hill and crested onto a plateau. There were the remains of a house that was perched on the slide of a bluff overlooking the bay.

Or half of it was, as it was clear that only half of it remained on the bluff and I guessed the other half was at the bottom. Frowning I looked around, and I saw that there were no passages into the hillside, just a couple of houses here at the top.

--Uh Myr. You have some pirate coming up and they are heading right for…Iesa?

I slowly turned, and indeed I saw eight men, seven with drawn cutlasses making their way to Iesa. A fifth man who looked like a painfully tall and thin scarecrow of man followed, calmly strumming a lyre, like nothing was amiss.

“Iesa?” I asked, twisting the copper around quickly on my finger. “Did you happen to get this all from the man with the lute?”

“That’s a lyre Myr and oh…crap,”

I grimaced. “Beepu, Try not to rip my shirt alright?” I said whispering below me, dropping the stick and grabbing the rod.

“Why? No. What did he do?” Beepu asked groaning.

“He led some pirates right to us,”

“I am ready then…foolish son of a—”

The man with the lyra called out aloud. “--Thanks for the tip friend. You led us right to them.”

“I don’t believe I sold them out, much as you sold me a bill of goods. I even tipped you for the song!” Iesa spat fingering his rapier hilt. Daneath had turned and had already drawn his sword.

“I think your lady friend wants to come with me, and not put up a fight. I think we will be dear friend from here on out.” He said as he casually plucked on his instrument.

I stared at him like he was mad. I straightened up and got my rod ready. But it was strange…the man’s words echoed in my head.

“…wants to come with me…”

“…not put up a fight…”

“…come with me…”

“…Not…fight...”

“Beepu…we probably shouldn’t fight them. I’ll just go with that man and take care of…things,” I said slowly. My mind was disconnected in a fog. But it was important I follow that man…

“What? Myr?” Beepu said in alarm. He turned around underneath me and jumped to slap me solidly on the cheek.

I stood up suddenly in confusion, “What was that for?” I said as I looked at the gnome in anger.

At the sound of the slap, Iesa was in motion, quickly drawing his rapier, and thrusting it into the man closest to him. The pirate groaned, dropping his cutlass, and then collapsed on the ground in a pool of blood. Iesa then spun away from two men slashing at him with their heavier blades, none finding their mark.

I started to run over to the man with the lyre shouting “I’m coming!” As I approached, of the pirates moved over to me and each gently took an arm. That was nice…nice that they would take me to the man that was walking down the street, playing that lute…er lyre…whatever. The men who had my arms were filthy and unwashed, but they were a help. One of them saying, “That’s right dearie. Fost wants you to follow him…we’ll keep you safe, so you don’t have to fight.” with a nasty smile missing more than a few teeth.

“Myr?!? What the hell are you doing?” I heard Daneath behind me say. The men pulled me gently along, as the nice man…Fost?...yes Fost, trotted down the hill.

“We need to catch up with Fost,” I said feeling this was urgent that I should follow him. I didn’t turn to look, but from behind I heard the whistling of a blade and a yelp of pain, followed by the sound of Beepu throwing fire at another pirate. I wanted to help, but I…I…I was tired of fighting. I shouldn’t fight. I should follow Fost…but he keeps moving away.

Fost continued to play his lyre calmly and spoke, “You know the plan, she’s a wanted woman. We should manacle her, so people think we caught her and keep her safe.”

As I was being jostled and following the man, they quickly clamped a set of manacles on my wrists.

“Hey, just let me get to Foss, I’m not going to fight you…this isn’t needed!” I said in alarm…but I had to get to Fost. I shook my head. I wanted to resist…but I didn’t want to fight. “We can work it out I’m sure, but I don’t want to fight you!”

From behind me I heard more shouting, of my name. But it wasn’t important. Getting to Foss was important. I heard more steel on steel, and steel slashing flesh.

The four men led me into a muddy alley, with Foss at the far end. Various wooded boxes and crates were stacked haphazardly along the walls here and there. Behind me I still heard fighting and I was glad that it wasn’t near me, and I didn’t have to fight. That’s good. Almost to Fost now.

Fost smiled at me wickedly and with a sneer, “Philandre said to give you a work over before we dropped you off—”

I was puzzled for a moment as two of the men pushed me against the wall and pinned my manacled arms above my head. Then a basket hilt smashed into my cheek almost knocking me down, followed by two two pommels to my ribs, cracking at least one, and a third to my gut. knocking the wind from me. The fog was fading fast.

What was I doing?

I felt ill, as they punched me again. I felt another rib crack and I was coughing up blood. Another blow to my face and another to my gut, and I lost control of my legs and collapsed gasping for air into the mud of the alleyway. I tried to pull my hands from the manacles in vain, desperately. The man, Foss stepped close to me with an evil grin, taking his place with the other four men that surrounded me.

“—And to take our bounty out of your hide. One at a time boys.”

I was scared. I never had been threatened like that. Not any spiv. Not any fiend. I lay there in pain as they grabbed at Daneath’s cloak ripping it away trying to get to my clothes and armor. I grit my teeth together in anger. I searched inside myself for the largest white strand I could find. I pulled it tight and mentally tethered it away from me. I looked at Foss and spat at him.

“Over your dead body,” I hissed and then I pulled the strand until it snapped.

A bolt of lighting streamed from the heavens, striking the point where I once lay in mud. The detonation of sound obliterated boxes and crates around the point and threw the four of the men lifeless to the ground. Foss stood there stunned, his hands on his ears, covering the blood that streamed from them. He staggered a moment in pain and looked at the ground seeing only the empty manacles there. He then turned around looking for me in desperation.

As for me, I was laying on my side on top of a nearby rooftop in pain. Not from the explosion I caused, but from the cracked ribs and beating I had received. Focusing I pulled myself up and stood on the roof looking down triumphantly. My blood was boiling, and I pulled on a dark strand. Around Foss’ neck a ghostly skeletal hand formed and started to pull his life away.

He glared at me and grabbing for his lyre he plucked a couple of strings smiling. But I could see the expression on his face turn from contempt to fear. The dark strands siphoned away the magic he used to try to heal himself. From the distance I could see him shake his head, his hands clasped together in a desperate plea for mercy.

My face was contorted in anger, and without a second though I pulled on the dark strand again. Foss stiffened and fell into a lifeless heap around the impression in the dirt and mud of where I once lay. I readied myself to pull on another strand if another emerged from the alley, all the while I cursed at my attackers.

“May Kelemvor damn your souls, for trying to—"

I was about to finish it, when I heard a whistling sound followed by the sound of metal sinking into flesh. I blinked and looked down, and I was surprised to find that a dagger had lodged itself into my chest. I gasped at the sudden rush of pain, as blood poured from the open wound. I grabbed and yanked out the dagger dropping it on the wood where it clattered and skidded off the roof. But the wound was now gushing blood.

From below me, I heard fighting, steel on steel once again. I wanted to fight. I wanted to hurt who threw that dagger at me. But I was so tired, I wanted to rest. I remember my body relaxing as I fell from the rooftop. I was so happy to get down, but the ground was coming up awfully—

---

I was warm.

The warmth spread through my tired limbs, numbing the pain.

I took a breath. On my tongue was the taste of wet air, salt and other minerals. The air was warm too…warmer than it was before. But it was so soothing.

I slowly opened my eyes and my vision started to focus. My head was tilted backwards, and I felt something under my arms. The chamber I was in was a natural cavern. Along the walls were lit oil lanterns, and the light played off the steam that drifted around them. I lifted my head and found that I was in a bubbling pool of water, perhaps a natural hotspring.

I turned my head and looked around. Behind me I saw the open mouth of a cavern, and more lamps leading off around a corner, and I thought I saw that this passage was one fork of at least two. But beyond the pool, and what looked to be a towel folded neatly on the floor near the spring, the chamber was empty.

I looked myself over. The dagger wound was already closed and only a bit of redness remained and touching my ribs I could feel only the barest level of soreness.

Wait my ribs?

Looking down at myself in the water, I swore that my eyes were about to pop out of my head when I shouted aloud:

“WHERE IN SODDING BAATOR ARE MY CLOTHES!?”



Session Notes:

So, in full disclosure; I have no idea what happened this session, because I wasn’t there.

So, I know that the pirates were trying to catch me, and the other players said, “they did something to your mind and caught you.” But the details were vague. And no one else took notes.

Now, I came back to the next session, and yes it opened with Myrai was alone naked in a hot spring. I admit to having a major problem with this. In my mind the suggestion of hot tubing in a Pirate’s port is a bad idea in principle. As you will soon see (foreshadowing) this wasn’t because we were safe either. It one thing with a spell being cast on Myrai and a saving throw being intentionally failed to keep things going while I wasn’t there. But making a character vulnerable, just because I missed a session (just like Beepu) I felt wasn’t right.

 

[HalfOrc HalfBiscuit]

Well ... I miss a few updates and when I do check back in !!

Going back a bit I can understand why you were ambivalent (to put it mildly) about what happened to Beepu as a result of missing a session. I'd be royally hacked off if I was Beepu's player. I'll hold off a bit on passing judgment over what's happened to Myrai in the last post - how bad it is depends on knowing your full situation.

As for the backstory stuff ... I don't quite know what to say. Dark barely begins to cover it. I'm actually a little surprised Myrai is as balanced as she seems to be after that.

Looking forward to more

 

[Nthal]

Going back a bit I can understand why you were ambivalent (to put it mildly) about what happened to Beepu as a result of missing a session. I'd be royally hacked off if I was Beepu's player. I'll hold off a bit on passing judgment over what's happened to Myrai in the last post - how bad it is depends on knowing your full situation.

As for the backstory stuff ... I don't quite know what to say. Dark barely begins to cover it. I'm actually a little surprised Myrai is as balanced as she seems to be after that.

Almost done with the post-hot-tub story part. So you can judge soon. I am interested to know if I was off base. Being attached to a character is one thing, but the suspension of disbelief is a bit much in my opinion (which is that; opinion)

Re: Dark backstory. It is; I blame Game of Thrones partially. And there is a question there: Is she balanced? She asks herself that. But I think that is the point; how DOES someone climb out, how DOES something like that shape your actions, how DOES someone really recover from trama. And, there is of course, more going on that meets the eye. So good news, I think everything for a while is in the present gaming, and less the background. Because we are going to have a fairly significant shift soon.

 

[Nthal]

Deals from the Underdark - 09/19/2020

There are stories of the Underdark even in Sigil. But they are looked at by bloods and planeswalker as something akin to “Just another bad trip.” No Blood would let themselves get trapped on a plane, much less anever-ending series of caves. They are compared to other destinations with a shrug. How could it be worse than the howling winds of Pandemonium? The depths of Stygia? Mechanus when you’ve missed the window for using the privy?

It wasn’t until I asked Arnara about them, that I understood what it meant for primes. To them, it was a version of the Abyss that lurked far too close, that could reach up and swallow you at any moment. A nightmare that adults tell each other so they can keep their kids safe. To them, the Abyss is just a story of where your kids go if they are really bad.​

“Hey! Myr’s awake,” I heard Iesa’s voice nearby. I looked around and Iesa came from around the fork, with only a towel wrapped around him. Mo, was bounding behind him sporting a similar cloth, and both of them were dripping wet.

“You feeling better?” Iesa said grinning.

“I uh…what happened?” I was very confused on why he was so casual.

“Well, someone knocked you down from a roof. Luckily, I grabbed you and fed you a potion I had. But you were still out, and we carried you here!”

“Here?” I said looking at Iesa dubiously.

Iesa nodded, “I realized that that guy with the lute—”

“—Lyre.—”

“—Whatever. Basically, gave us bad directions, it was easy to get here. We headed right, and there it was, a bunch of buildings surrounding a well-travelled path underground. And the drow at the entrance pointed us here to relax and get you back on your feet.”

I slowly blinked not quite believing it. “And they just…let you in with an unconscious me in your arms? Just like that?”

“Well, the other pirates didn’t follow us once we passed the pair of drow at the entrance,” Iesa pointed out. “It was like they didn’t want to stir up trouble.”

I stared at Iesa with what was probably an incredulous expression, “And Daneath and Beepu are just…soaking it up in another spring?”

“Pretty much. I mean beyond the potion I was at a loss on what to do, and one of the drow mentioned that the springs here are renowned for healing properties. Cheap too for all four of us.”

“So…let me get this straight,” I said trying to keep my voice even. “You took the advice of some random drow at the entrance, a number of which we killed what yesterday? And they recommended that we all take a bath so I would feel better? And you decide it’s a good idea to strip me of my gear and float me alone, naked in a spring?”

“Well, I made sure you were braced so you wouldn’t slip in!”

“And did you come up with that idea before or after you stripped me?” I said starting to let my anger show.

“Hey, you said I had already seen—”

I looked around and found a loose rock, and half emerging from the pool threw it at the man. He easily ducked, and it flew down the corridor. “Pike it you barmy leatherhead! We slipped the knot, and now you put us in a tub, while those unhende drow turn stag on us! What kind of a tanar’ri martyr are you?”

Iesa blinked a moment opened his mouth and then shut it. He was quiet for a moment, and then looked at me and smiled.

“I’m really sorry…what does that even mean?”

I seethed and said with clenched teeth. “It means that the drow have tricked us, and now we are sitting here vulnerable.”

Iesa looked shocked and defensive, “They seemed to be helpful. I think you are overreacting.”

As he uttered those very words, a dozen drow dressed in leathers, and carrying crossbows and swords at their belts ran down the hall from the main entrance. By the time he said ‘over-reacting,’ six of them aimed their weapons at us, while the other six went town the other fork. From the distance I could hear Beepu’s shrill voice piping, “What is this all about!”

Iesa didn’t even turn around. He closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat. Mo raised his hands and the his towel dropped to the floor.

“They’re right behind me, aren’t they?” he said realizing what I had meant.

“You two are coming with us. The boss wants to see all of you. Now.” Said one of the drow in a no-nonsense tone.

Iesa raised his hands and turned around with a wan smile, “Hey I think there has been—”

The crossbow men all turned to point their weapons at his protests.

“—A completely reasonable ask made.”

I sat there in the pool fuming.

Gos, where are you?

--About time! Umm…I’m hiding near your guys stuff in a room above the pools.

Stay there, keep an eye on my things.

“Fine, once I get dressed,” I said.

“You come as you are,” the drow said to me menacingly.

I stiffened a bit and pulled myself out of the pool. I shook my head, and scattered water droplets around, sprinkling the guards. I then crossed my arms.

“No. I am getting dressed.”

The drow’s captain, stepped forward with the crossbow still pointing at me. “I don’t think you are in a position to make demands.”

I moved my hands to my hips, I was naked, and running a serious red one, ready to kill Iesa for them. But I spoke far calmer than I felt as my heart pounded.

“I am not going to be marched to your boss naked. If you want to shoot; do it. However, I am pretty sure your boss wants us alive, otherwise…you would have shot us already. But in the spirit of compromise, you can get my clothes and I will follow you peacefully.”

Iesa turned his head to look at me and then the drow captain uncertain how this was going to play out. The tension in the air was palpable, with neither side wanting to back down. Finally, the captain, turned to the drow on his left.

“Get princess here her clothes,” the captain snarled, and his subordinate lowered his crossbow and retreated down the main corridor.

Iesa turned towards me, “I think—” he started.

“Bar that and eyes up,” I snapped, and Iesa immediately looked up at the roof of the passage. “You don’t get to look, because you aren’t pointing a crossbow at me.” Several of the drow sniggered at my orders, while the captain regarded me coolly.

--Hey, there’s a drow here grabbing your stuff.

All of it?

--No just the clothes.

Keep watching, thanks.

The subordinate returned and tossed me my pants, boots and underblouse. As I put them on Iesa cleared his throat.

“No,” the captain said. “Only her.”

Iesa finally looked down from the ceiling and protested, “But why?

The captain looked at the rogue and said evenly, “Because the other pirates aren’t going to care if you are naked. Most of them at least.”

---

We were then marched out of the springs, and for the first time I saw where we were. It was a huge cavern with a vaulted ceiling that must have been hundreds of feet above us. The floor of the cavern had various buildings, that would have been home outside. The streets were straight and wide and not a twisty maze like the shantytown or even the cliffside dwellings. The streets were lit by smokey oil lamps, as were many of the windows of the buildings. Far above there was the glint of crystals, which reflected the light from below, creating a glittering firmament. It gave the feeling that we were in a town, that was trapped or was hiding in a cloak of eternal night.

The streets below weren’t crowded, but there was activity everywhere; drunken men swaying together singing shanty songs off (and some on) key, some collapsed on the ground in their own vomit, while another group were noisily brawling at a bar. It was a version of the port above, under stone.

We passed, two large buildings looked like warehouses, without walls. Large and open, tables to dice at and to deal cards. The tables were only partially full, which made sense with only a single ship docked in the quay. But like above, there were no small races, and I saw only a single old woman in the cavern. Unlike above, there were also guards; pairs of drow men patrolled together, their red eyes watching the pirate’s activities with a detached interest.

And as I expected, my passing with a loaded crossbow pointed at my back created a wake of whispers as we were escorted to not a building, but a passage that pierced the rock, opening into a smaller chamber. While I had managed to bargain for clothes, Daneath, Iesa and Beepu were being escorted in loose towels and Mo tagged along, staying close to Iesa.

Once inside the smaller grotto, we ascended a circular set of stone steps set on the outer edge of the roughly oval chamber. The steps themselves were covered in rugs; the stone walls were draped with dark tapestries. Unlike the other cavern, there was no set light source as the there were no sconces or lanterns mounted on the walls at all. Instead our escorts stopped, and lit a candelabra set on a table and carried it, so the humans could see their way through the darkened space.

As we started to ascend the stairs, the drow grabbed the arms of Daneath and Iesa, helping them to guide them up the stairs. I noticed that they didn’t try to help Beepu at all. But they were surprised when I brushed off their attempts to guide me.

“I can see fine,” I said looking at the captain. “But is that,” gesturing at the candelabra, “The best you have?”

The captain looked at me with a dirty look. “It will be sufficient,” he said bluntly. I thought about casting a light and decided not to push my luck and get shot in the back.

We continued our ascent, and entered another stone passage, lined with several oak doors. Finally, we stopped in front of a single door, larger than the others. The captain opened it, and we were prodded inside.

The room was dimly lit, but I could easily see the outlines. In the dark it might be foreboding and impressive, but for me I saw it for what it was. Bookcases lined the walls; each a repaired wreck of furniture and no two the same style. Only a third of them contained actual books, while the rest seemed to be a haphazard collection of cheap art objects, roughly carved statuettes and carvings, small coffers and chests with cheap fittings. It clearly was for show to folks that otherwise couldn’t see well.

In the center of the room was a large wooden desk, with signs of water damage. Cracks and fissures split the wood grain, and some of the panels appeared to be buckled. Two dilapidated but serviceable chairs were set before the desk, while on top was a lit oil lamp, and some scattered parchments. Seated at the desk was another male drow. This one while still having the young elven appearance, face seemed more weathered and worn compared to his peers. His white hair was cropped closely, and his ears sported rings and piercings like many of the other pirates we had seen. His arms were bare, and they were lined in white colored scars that reminded me of whip marks. He sat there and watched us being herded into the room. He looked at the men bemused, but his expression turned a little darker as he looked at me.

He leaned back in the chair he sat in and evaluated us each one by one. The look on his face was one of contempt.

“These are the ones Nymor,” the captain said to the drow sitting at the desk.

“So…you? You are the troublemakers? I’m surprised. Or perhaps I shouldn’t be. The pirates topside aren’t that bright.” He said coldly.

We stood there looking at each other, and I picked up that the other three felt a bit underdressed for the discussion. Rolling my eyes, I looked at the drow. “You should come up more often. It’s easy pickings.” I said and watched him.

He closed his eyes, and seemed to groan inwardly, like he didn’t want to deal with me specifically. “So…you are the one leading your…crew is it? Your ship must be very far from port, as I can’t place what ship would claim you as members.”

“I think that is obvious,” I said coolly. “You clearly are a busy person; so, let’s get to the matter; what do you want?”

“I can see why you are in charge,” he said in a droll tone. I almost corrected him, but I decided against it. “But you simply put, you are here to pay off your debt to me.”

“Debt?” Daneath spoke up. “What are you talking about?”

The drow sat back and rocked his chair on two of its four legs. “First you slay some of my men, and then we…covered for you. The bounty on her head is substantial, so not claiming it is a loss, in addition to keeping the more colorful pirates out. Then there is the cost of reviving my men. It all adds up.”

“As I recall, your men, shot first and shot poorly. We forgave them for their mistake and let them live, on the condition that the matter was settled,” I said watching him carefully.

The drow frowned, “I don’t recall saying anything of the sort.”

“Not you…the drow in charge in the caves. Apparently, he’s making deals you can’t honor.” I said, feeling like I was sparing with the male.

“And you believed him?” he said with a tone of mocking amusement.

“We gave you the benefit of the doubt,” I retorted. “And you paid to have these men brought back? Are you sure that’s a wise…investment in failure?”

His eyes narrowed, and I could hear Iesa hiss between his teeth, while Beepu tried to admonish me saying “Myr…” He then spoke again. “Loyalty like theirs is worth the price.”

“I guess it would be at that, considering the alternative. So, you haul us here to drip on your floor just tell us this, or did you actually want something?” I asked assertively.

“Watch your tone female,” he snapped. “As it turns out we have something that you can do as recompense. Do it and then matters between us will be clean.”

I frowned for a moment. I wanted more from him, and I wanted to keep him off-balance. So, I sat down on a seat in front of the desk and leaned up and propped up my boots on top of it. “It sounds like we might be able to help you with…something. Tell us more.”

Nymor’s eyes narrowed at me and continued, “We had an agreement with some dwarves nearby. They have been…remiss on its terms.”

“And you aren’t sending us to…renegotiate I take it.” I said.

“Indeed. I expect you to make a creative example of these, Duergar. All of them.”

I hadn’t heard that term before, and the word wasn’t elvish, so I turned to Beepu with a questioning look.

“Gray dwarves? Here?” Beepu said in a thoughtful voice. “So, there is a passage to the Underdark beneath this island. And I bet they are blocking it.”

“Our disagreement is none of your concern. What is, is that you remove them all from their holes.” Nymor replied testily.

“All of them,” I said aloud. “You seem to be pretty particular on that point. How many is all?”

The drow grinned, “Around twenty to thirty dwarves. I admit to not having a precise count, but that is your problem.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well, that is an…ambitious ask. Any particular reason you haven’t taken care of it yourselves?”

“I see no reason to waste my men on them, when I can send you instead.” He said dryly. The light on his face was dimming, as the oil in the lamp was running low, moving the room closer to darkness. But for me, that only meant I could see him even clearer, as if the sun itself lit his face.

My brow furrowed as I gazed down at him. As I saw it there were several possibilities. The first was he was already stretched thin and couldn’t afford a confrontation with these dwarves. That also would imply that he really was concerned about us, and he wanted to have us perish in the attempt. A second one was that he was actually afraid of us, either because we would disrupt something that was already precarious on the island, and sending us to deal with the problem was a convenient way to dispose of us.

Either one would work out for them. Thirty vs four wasn’t great odds. But I could see us being victorious and them the drow turning stag on us. They could then solve their problem and collect on my head and maybe even sell Beepu for a profit.

“Well…that is quite a problem there,” I said nodding. “And I can understand your…reluctance to handling it yourself. We may be the right people for this kind of work. But I wonder if you can perhaps answer a simple question for us?”

“This is not a negotiation,” Nymor said flatly.

“No. It is not,” I replied. “One of your men mentioned you might have seen a Genasi. Being he was camped in the back of your cave; I assume he was an inconvenience. What happened to him?”

Nymor was taken aback for a moment, and quickly his face returned back to the inscrutable mask it was before. “Is that why you are here then? To track him down?”

“Track yes,” I replied. “It’s not like he has a bounty on him or anything, but we do have an interest in his whereabouts,” I deflected.

Nymor chortled, “Such a coincidence. He’s with the duergar as we speak.”

“Interesting. And where does he fit in your request with them? Is he included?” I asked, trying to see if he was important to the drow or not. But as Nymor answered, it became clear it was serendipity and nothing more.

“Kill him if you want. He isn’t really a concern to me.” Nymor said shrugging.

“Any other…requests then?” I asked. “This seems straightforward otherwise.”

“Other than we don’t want to see your faces until the job is done. So, we will be watching. If you come back too soon, or we find not enough blood has been spilled; we will claim you all as recompense.”

I looked at the others. I wasn’t real keen on being the focal point for negotiations. I was told I was effective at it, but I felt ill-prepared for them. Beepu returned my glance, gripping the towel in front of him and shrugged. Iesa’s face was scrunched up somewhere between anger and annoyance, but he nodded to me. Daneath was quiet, but he too gave a single nod.

“Sounds like solving your problems, are now ours. Fine, we’ll do it,” I said.

“You will leave then and get started now. Tanas will—”

“—Tanas will take us back to our things, and we rest and prepare. Then and only then, Tanas will take us there.” I said bluntly.

Nymor’s eyes narrowed, “I suppose we could just take our recompense now.” He said with a hard edge on his voice.

“If you wanted that, you would have done it already,” I observed. “So, I think you really want this problem taken care of. You can wait a little bit.”

Nymor chewed on that for a moment and after a long pause, nodded. “You are right; I do want this problem taken care of. You can have your respite then…but you will be under watch.”

I held up my hands, “As you like. I am glad you are being…reasonable. I guess we will, prepare ourselves.”

“Two words of warning female,” Nymor said. I wouldn’t leave the caverns here; seems that the crew of the Crows has taken an interest in your…activities. And I don’t think I need to say anything about going back on the deal you just made.”

I gave a hard stare. As I watched, I could see a single bead of sweat descent from his temple as we sat and looked at each other. I gave him a slight smile and stood. The captain Tamas, gestured to the door, and we filtered out from the room, the light in his oil lamp started to sputter. With my back to him, I looked over my shoulder and flexed a moment and felt the familiar warmth up and down my back as the wings appeared. On the desk, the lamp flared alive with a brilliant yellow light, and I could see him start to reach up to shield his sensitive eyes from the light, as I stepped through the door.

“I think that goes both directions doesn’t it?” I said. “My god is an active one in this world, and I think he would be…disappointed to see one of his servants arrive before he has called for her. Or you for that matter.” And with a simple gesture and pull on a small white strand, I made the door slam behind us.

“Shall we Tamas? I am certain you have…more interesting things to do,” I said to the captain, as we started downstairs.

Tamas regarded me with a dirty look, “I certainly don’t wish to have another fight with you.” Daneath and Iesa gave the drow a strange look, while Beepu simply shrugged, being he missed the fight in the cave.

I looked at him in surprise. I tried, but I couldn’t remember his face, on the corpses on the drow we faced in the cave days ago.

“It may not mean much Tamas, but I didn’t want to kill you,” I said trying to keep my tone even.

“The smile on your face told me a different story,” Tamas retorted. “But I was foolish. I remembered you breaking our bones. I charged at you to make sure you didn’t do that again, and never saw the sword strike me.”

I nodded and held my tongue. We had left the small grotto, and were crossing the main cavern, and all I could do was stare at Tamas.

For months, I could say that I was the only person that I knew that was brought back from the Fugue. And here was a person that I helped send there, and then was brought back. I knew what I had experienced, but I found myself desperately wanting to talk with him. To ask what he saw, what he felt in the Fugue. Could he even remember it? Did coming back change him, as it did me? Did he fear death anymore, or did he dread returning?

We arrived back at the springs. Right in front of the passage to them, was a building on stilts, that had a set of stairs that led up into them. The other drow took positions below the building and they waited for us to ascend. I turned to look at Tamas, wanting to ask those questions. But it was clear from the face he wore, that he wanted nothing to do with us, and with me in particular. I sighed, as followed the rest of my friends upstairs, with four drow in tow.

We arrived at the large room that I presumed that one of the others paid for and closed the door. There on four beds were our things and looking around at the rafters I saw Gossamer crouched, wings folded tight to his body, and probably well-hidden for anyone’s’ eyes but my own. Daneath closed the door, and I caught a glimpse of the drow taking positions just outside.

I sat down on the bed with the rest of my things, and found the copper wire, and wrapped it around my finger again, while Beepu said aloud, “Well this is an interesting mess.” In what appeared to be total agreement, Mo lept onto a bed and flopped making a small groaning sound.

“Well, I guess you can’t blame them for being a little angry with us,” Daneath said cautiously, as he noticed me playing with the copper.

As quickly as I could, I sent each of them the same message; “They are going to be listening obviously. Don’t mention anything more on why we are here for the Genasi. I personally think they are going to try to kill us when we finish with the Duergar.”

“Well, I think we should get the rest, and do what they ask,” Iesa said aloud, even as he and the others nodded to my message, that I had sent to them. And each one in turn gave me a different response:

Beepu: “Typical for a drow, and a very reasonable expectation.”

Daneath: “I agree with your instincts here, but all we can do is play along for now,” and he shrugged.

Iesa: “Do you think so? I caught that they are afraid of us…although they seem to detest you,” and he looked at me with concern.

I lay down on my bed, as the others finally put on some semblance of clothes and left their wet towels on the floor. As I lay there, I worried silently on how this was going to work out. We were in a den of cony catchers, and it scared me how we kept stumbling. Iesa becoming infected by that plant, losing control of myself and, my friend’s poor judgement here getting us caught, how easy it was for Beepu to get knocked out and put into a cage. It felt that nothing had gone as expected, and that we were just reacting, and not doing what we were supposed to.

“Hey Myr,” Iesa said. “Sorry about the spring earlier…I just didn’t—”

I sighed and interrupted, “—Look, I shouldn’t even have to say anything about stripping off my armor and clothes. You just don’t do that.”

“Yeah…as I said I didn’t—”

“Forget it; its done. Let’s just rest and get this over with.”

I lay there fuming a bit. I didn’t know if I was overreacting or not. I wasn’t safe here; well none of us were really. But I was dumbfounded on what had happened. Perhaps the power Tymora or Bes, or the Fates were watching over us. It was a comforting idea. But then I realized who I should be thanking. And I grasped my holy symbol that was on my neck and prayed.

Kelemvor, I thank you for watching over us and letting us finish this work. I hope that I…we are doing this to your satisfaction. That our battle, against another who thinks lives are cheap, and denies himself your embrace is. Tomorrow we will be outnumbered as we search for the final piece to end this.

No one should be alone, in life or death,

Death is a part of life, not an ending but a beginning

Death is without deceit and has meaning,

I will do anything to see this errand done.

I will sacrifice all that I am to finish it.

May you bless us on the next step of the journey,

Because Death is never an end, but a waypost,

A Destination and a Journey one and the same,

May our deeds live forever in You,

And let me be your instrument my Lord, as it is my desire in faith

May the end of the Kershak grant us all peace.





Session notes:

This felt like a shotgun wedding, and I just didn’t appreciate the setup. It also may have been fatigue on the theme, of the island against Myr’s gender. Or that the rails were showing.

In hindsight, I was a tad snarky in my dialog with Nymor, and so I might have contributed by overreacting, to a lot of negativity.

 

[Nthal]

Sudden departures – 9/27/2020

You can’t plan for everything. For everything you discussed and went right, there is bound to be something you didn’t think about that went wrong. Most of the time its small stuff.

Except when it isn’t.​

I woke with a sudden start, my heart pounding. Images of me falling into the Weeping Catacombs fading away already as my eyes took in the image of the waking world. Iesa and Daneath were already up strapping on their armor, and Beepu was flipping through pages of his spellbook on the bed across from me.

“You should have woken me,” I said feeling guilty on not doing my normal routine of a final watch.

“I told Iesa to let you rest Myr,” Daneath said. “You’ve not been resting well since we arrived, and you have been putting up with a lot.”

“I don’t like it though. Feels like I am not pulling my weight,” I said frowning.

“You can make it up to us after we get out of here,” Iesa said holding open his pack and letting Mo climb inside. “We have plenty of time.”

I got off the bed and grabbed my breastplate and proceeded to strap it on myself. As I did so I looked at Beepu, “Where is Foggle by the way?”

“Oh, I set him to perch on top of the building and did not bother to move him once the drow brought us to meet Nymor,” he said not even looking up. “I assumed that the pirates above would come down here, but he has seen nothing of the sort.”

“I guess the drow are covering for us then,” I said buckling the last strap on my armor.

“Not happily,” Beepu said still not lookup up. “That one we spoke to…Tamas knocked earlier. He really wants us to get a move on.”

I buckled my rapier to my hip and adjusted it, and then grabbed my shield and strapped it to my arm. I checked to make sure my component pouch and my holy symbol were in place and took a deep breath.

“Let’s get this done,” I said and after seeing the others nod, I pulled a white strand and pulled open the door with a snap of my fingers. There outside, the two drow stood glowering at me, one of them Tamas.

“So, the princess is finally awake,” Tamas said coldly.

I sighed, “Look Tamas, don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. I don’t know, and I doubt I can properly imagine what other women from your society were like,” and I saw Tamas stiffen at the word ‘women.’ “But I…we have a job to do for you. So, it would be…appreciated that you at least pretend you aren’t going to cut my throat at the first opportunity.”

Tamas glared at me, and just barely shook his head. “No…you have no idea. And I see no reason to educate you.”

“Well, then you can lead the way, and educate me on something else,” I said resigned to the frosty response and focused on keeping things civil. “What can we expect out of Duergar.

Tamas looked at me critically and didn’t say anything. “Come on Tamas,” I pleaded. “You clearly have more experience here than I; you can at least tell me a bit about them.”

Tamas frowned and nodded. “I will tell you but let us get moving first.”

I looked at the others, and with silent assent we exited the room, and followed the drow downstairs leading us back to the main cavern. Staying close with us were Foggle flying at Beepu’s shoulder level, while Gossamer trotted, keeping his wings closed and close to his body. Once we were on our way in the main throughfare Tamas spoke again.

“They are soulgrinding dwarves. They toil and toil for their own gain, and only bargain when they are in a position of weakness. Otherwise they just take. Expect no quarter from them. Even if they did offer it, you would be worked to death,” he said with his lips curling in disgust. “In combat they are strong and fierce. And they like to ambush rather than fight straight up in their tunnels.”

“What they hide in holes and wait?” I asked.

“No. They can vanish from sight, and when they do reappear, they frequently are larger than most. It doesn't last long, but while so enlarged they are strong opponents. You would do well to be wary.”

Hey Goss?

--I caught that. I can see most things hidden by spells. I should be able to see them.

I hope so. I’m counting on you.

“Well…that’s something. Thanks, Tamas.” I said and saw him curtly nod.

We were led through the cavern and took a tunnel that branched off the main cavern. This one started leading downwards, but just as it did so, we pass through a garrison of some type, with a wooden gate its sides pierced with slits and a team of drow at the ready. They unbarricaded a large double door and motioned us through. As we all passed beyond, the door was shut and barricaded behind us.

I took a moment to flex and lit Daneath’s shield with a dim red light. Tamas shook his head in disapproval. “Your surfacer eyes are weak. Even the gnome can barely see in front of him.”

“I can see far enough!” Beepu said indignantly.

“And you can see the chasm ahead of us then?” Tamas challenged.

“Ah…well…ah no.” Beepu admitted.

But looking ahead, I saw something quite different. “That’s not nice Tamas. Its an opening to a large cavern with an open set of iron doors,” Tamas whirled around in surprise.

“You should not be able to—”

“—I can see just fine. I probably can see better than you, as I can actually read in darkness.” I said. “But tell me this; why are the doors even open?”

Tamas looked side to side a moment and leaned closer to me. “Because they do not suspect an attack. You truly only have one shot at this. If the doors close with you on the outside, breaking them down will be a very difficult task. Nymor will consider it a failure. And I need not say what that means for you.”

“No…you don’t,” I said. We stopped in the cavern, at least fifty paces away.

“Myr you aren’t kidding right? The doors are open?” Iesa said questioningly.

I nodded, “An open set of…iron doors, and I see no guards.”

“Well Foggle can look for them,” Beepu volunteered.

“No…in this case, Foggle isn’t the right way to do this,” and I looked at Gossamer. Gossamer simply trotted off towards the entryway, and I could see him crouch and slowly and stealthily make his way on the ground towards it.

--Well, I don’t see anything or anyone on the outside.

Alright. We’ll be there in a moment.

“Goss sees nothing, so I guess its up to us now.”

Tamas nodded curtly. “Don’t come back to the gate unless you have a pile of dwarf heads. Otherwise, its your death.” And with that, Tamas turned around and retreated down the passageway, back to the drow barricade.

“So, this seems too easy,” Daneath whispered. “Why are the doors open?”

“Because, the drow are betraying them,” Iesa hissed back. “Otherwise there would be a guard or something.”

I shook my head, “No…its because they don’t need them.”

Beepu’s eyes lit up. “A trap!”

“Well in that case…let’s go find it,” Iesa said with a grin.

--

We snuck up to the entrance to the Duergar’s lair. With the entrance being dark, this meant that Daneath’s shield was still needed to light the way for the brothers. So, while we crept quietly, we were fearful that the light would give us away and warn the denizens within.

However, luck seemed to be with us. While up close the stone entrance looked grim and foreboding, it seemed to be all for show. The solid stone around the entrance was dour and grey, but it also lacked windows or arrow slits. It wasn’t a strong defensive structure; just an imposing one. Deeper within, past the great iron doors, I could see the light from fires in cages of iron on the ground. The passage as Gossamer reported, seemed devoid of anyone.

Iesa moved up toward the entrance, quietly. He placed his ear to the ground and looked down the passage carefully. He then moved forward a couple of feet and then moved to the side wall. He then pulled out an arrow and held it about a foot off the ground, its length perpendicular to the passageway. He then twirled and twisted it, and then with a pair of snips, cut a barely visible wire. The arrow shaft was now pulled to the wall, while a thread of thin wire now was tangled on the shaft, preventing it from being retracted inside the wall.

We moved up closer, standing by a door and out of view of the passage as Iesa continued his work. Moving slowly forward, he stopped when the rock turned to dusty gravel. Pulling out a small blade, he pushed the blade into the slurry, prodding at different spots. At first the dagger sunk deep into the ground, but on the left side he found a spot the dagger didn’t sink deeply at all. Poking more carefully, he sketched out a narrow pathway along the left side.

I gulped and my heart pounded as I watched him, slowly treading on that side, with his back pressed against the wall, looking down. As he slowly shuffled down the passage, he suddenly stopped and cocked his head. Squatting down he took the small blade and jammed it at an angle in the earth. He then scooted down farther, and then stood at an intersection going left and right, motioning us to follow.

I raised up my hand, and stopped everyone from following his instructions, while I twirled the copper wire and used a strand to send him a whisper.

“Iesa, what should we be watching for?”

“The tripwire is disabled. If you stay left, you will be on a narrow ledge. The right is just thick dust on a cloth frame, probably covering a pit. Don’t step on the plate where I left a blade; I’m not sure what will happen, but I bet it will hurt.”

“Come on, stay left, and don’t step on the blade on the ground,”

“I hope that’s all of the traps,” Daneath grimaced.

“We will know soon enough,” said Beepu who took the lead on the treacherous path, with myself and Daneath close behind. I found myself sweating as I shuffled down the passage, my back leaning against the wall. I only breathed easier, when we all stood next to Iesa at the lower leg of a T intersection. Once there, I doused the light on Daneath’s shield, letting the distant torches provide us light.

“Now what?” Daneath whispered. Beepu quickly moved his hands and then waved them at Foggle, who quickly faded from sight. I only barely heard his wings beat in the air as he left us to scout ahead. Before long Beepu said, “We can go to the right. It turns a corner, but there is a small room with barrels and crates. We can hide there while Foggle looks around.”

Goss…just meow if something appears.

--'Meow?’ What don’t send you a message in your head?

Goss…the others can hear you meow.

--Oh. You do have a point.

“Listen for Goss, if he sees something, he’ll say something.”

“What, he’ll start purring?” Daneath said smirking, to which I jabbed him in the ribs.

“Hah hah. You and Goss are a barrel of laughs.”

We crept along the right-hand passage and found the small room that Beepu told us about. It wasn’t much, more like an opportunistic space to store unimportant things. We took positions with Iesa and me looking back the way we came, and Daneath and Beepu looking around the corner, as we waited for Foggle’s return.

It seemed to take forever, but Beepu never seemed concerned. I took solace knowing if something did happen to Foggle, Beepu would be aware of it instantly. Finally, Beepu got our attention.

“Well, just ahead of us, there is a large room that looks like a barrack of some sort. There are four dwarves in there. Next to it is another larger room with two exits, one leading deeper with another four dwarves, which I didn’t explore yet. But the other direction circles around to guard room with another six or seven dwarves—”

“—Is it six or is it seven?” Iesa said impatiently.

“I have endeavored to teach Foggle to count. Unfortunately, numbers past three are still problematic.” Beepu said exasperated.

“Never mind that, keep going,” Daneath said.

“Anyway, past that room, there is a pit with a narrow bridge that leads to the intersection we were just at, and then we arrive here.”

“Over a dozen at least,” I said. “If they all come at us at once, we’re dead.”

“There is only one other passage going deeper. If we can prevent them from going in there, we can prevent them from getting more help,” Iesa pointed out.

“We might be able to,” Beepu asserted. “The ones in the back rooms are asleep, that leaves the pack near us that is a problem.”

“Was there a door or something blocking the way deeper?” I asked.

“There is, but it is open right now.” Beepu answered after thinking a moment.

I thought a moment, and then said, “Sneak there, close the door and jam it shut. Then start killing the sleeping dwarves.”

“What about the awake ones?” Daneath said.

“Well…Beepu and I can draw them here. The bridge is a chokepoint, if we can keep them clustered on it, then we have a chance.”

“Oh, are the rooms lit it lit?” Iesa asked.

“Yes, it is. Torches or braziers in all the rooms.” Beepu confirmed.

“Ok, have Foggle follow me, and he can tell you when the door is locked. Then…do something big.” Iesa said.

“’Do something big.’” Beepu frowned. “I am not a charlatan at Shieldmeet!”

“Beepu…” I said soothingly. “Worry about it later. Let’s go to that corner and do something…smart.”

Beepu was about to object, when he nodded. “Yes, that is a better idea.”

“Good luck you two,” Daneath clasped me on the shoulder and I responded by pulling the pair of brothers close and quickly hugging them. “May Kelemvor protect you both.” I whispered. They then nodded and started to make their way quietly down the hall, while Beepu and I crept to the first intersection and waited.

We stood in the passageway peeking around the corner, with Gossamer at my feet and waited. Finally, Beepu spoke, “He has blocked it. Any suggestions?”

I thought a moment, “Well, can you cast something through Foggle?”

Beepu’s eyes lit up, “Yes. Yes, I can. Get ready to run back to the corner.”

We both peered around the corner and waited. Beyond the narrow bridge over a pit, I could barely see their faces, other than the gray complexion and shock of white hair on their heads. But they all seemed heavily armored. A couple of them were sitting, while the others stood around looking bored.

Suddenly in the middle of them, there was a flash of gold as Foggle materialized out of nowhere. I frowned and wondered why would Beepu do that when I saw blue white tendrils of energy erupt from Foggle’s beak, striking many of the Duergar. I heard shouts of alarms and growls of pain, as Foggle flew to us and turned the corner seeking refuge.

“That’ll get their attention al—oh crap,” As I looked down the hall, I could see them all disappear from sight.

“Not unsurprising, we should move,” Beepu said and he ran back to the crates in the corner, with me close behind.

I reached the crates and took cover and looked down the ‘empty’ hallway. Still by the intersection, Goss pressed himself against the wall, and peered around the corner. As I watched, I saw Beepu prepared another incantation. I could feel the pull on the weave as I realized whatever he had in mind was going to be large.

--They are in a line crossing the bridge!

“Now Bee—” I didn’t even finish, when I was almost blinded by a blueish white light, as a bolt of crackling energy streaked down the passage. I could then see the outlines of multiple dwarves, sheathed in crackling energy were lit up. The flash was only an instant, but the effect was instantaneous. I could see four dwarves, collapse falling into the pit, while three others reappeared, their invisibility broken.

I smiled, and quickly pulled on a dark strand, and started to choke the life out of a pair of dwarves. I could hear them growl and shout, and they clambered over the bridge. Beepu and Foggle, ran around the corner making haste as I stood my ground behind the crates. On the ground in front of me, Gossamer was running as fast as he could seeking safety. It was then, when I saw it.

It was nothing more than bright flash at first, when I realized it was a bead of fiery light streaking towards where I hid behind the crates. I felt the color drain from my cheeks as I realized what was about to happen. I reached out in front of me in a silent shout of terror towards Gossamer, still streaking on all fours to my position. At the same time, I could hear Beepu’s voice, just at the edge of perception:

“Myr! No!”

Then the bead unfurled like a flower blooming in the sun. Petals of flame unfolded and then blew apart as a conflagration of fire erupted in front of me. I watched in horror, as the flames expanded, rushing to cover everything in devastation. The flames ran along the walls and ceiling, and then leap over the tressym, surrounding it completely in flame. Loose fur flew from his coat, and then were incinerated completely.

I screamed in the sudden horror of what I saw, and yet felt nothing…the connection between Gossamer and I was severed. The warmth of his thoughts suddenly was quenched, leaving behind an empty void where his presence had once lurked. Where once my hand was outstretched wishfully trying to grab him now turned upwards in a vain attempt to shield me from the roaring inferno that was going to consume me.

Session Notes:

Kaboom Rico. Kaboom.

 

[Nthal]

Prison break - 10/5/2020

Would it surprise you that I’ve been in prison? Well, not as a criminal, but I did some work there. The Mercykillers would hire young Gatehouse orphans to crawl and clean up places where the guards couldn’t get to. It wasn’t as mind numbingly boring as scrubbing rust from manacles, but it was a dirty job, and it was the best paying job that a kid under nine could get.

But as you worked and cleaned you had a view of the punishments and labor the prisoners faced. And honest truth, from what I saw, death was a blessing, compared to what those berks went through.​

I knew the pain I was going to face; I had felt it all before in the ‘Tenth Pit.’ But as the flames started to lick around me, I realized something else was happening. My skin didn’t boil and flake away with the sudden burst of fire. What I felt was the opposite.

I felt cold.

As I watched, I could myself suddenly covered in a layer clear cold crystal. It covered my limbs and then expanded around me. In an instant, I found myself surrounded in the cold substance. I couldn’t move at all, my limbs where locked in place, trying to shield myself from the fire. My mouth and lips were surrounded by the icy substance, my scream stifled, my breathing stilled. I could no longer look around as my eyes were now locked on an empty scorch mark on the floor of the passageway. Everything looked like I was gazing through cut crystal, with rainbow like refractions everywhere that I could see with my frozen eyes.

I was afraid. The cold wasn’t numbing at all. It was a new pain I had never experienced before. As sharp as any knife, as pervasive as any flame could be, penetrating me to the core. So cold that I felt that even my heart would stop beating.

The flames surrounded me, their warmth a distant memory. In a matter of moments, it was over. The light of the fire disappeared, yet the cold crystals remained. Somewhere in front of me I saw several figures running towards my direction. But despite the cold, and despite the pain, all I felt was anger. I strained against my prison, wanting to burst free so I could do something against the murderous Duergar.

As I tried to flex every muscle I had, I first felt and then saw fissures form. First, they were thin and spidery, and in moments, they spread everywhere like a broken mirror. Final my arms moved, and then I suddenly stumbled forward as the blocks of cold crystal fell away from my body.

Foggle flew over my head and sprayed the dwarves with more blue-white lightning, before flying back around the corner. Four dwarves ran towards me, when in red hot anger, I bound a pair white and dark strands, and pulled them taut until they snapped.

I watched the dwarves fall to the ground as their bones cracked within themselves. They made soft gurgling sounds as life left their bodies from my onslaught. Even the crates near me were not spared, as they blew apart spraying flinders and splinters everywhere.

“What was that?” I heard Beepu exclaim.

I didn’t know how to answer. The crystals I was surrounded in, were turning into a liquid rapidly. I knelt down and picked up a remaining shard of crystal and held it. Its cold was rapidly dissipating, and it was shrinking as it turned into a liquid, but I brought the shard to my mouth and cautiously tasted it. But it had no taste at all just like…

“Water?” I said dumbfounded.

“Ice! Ice you silly girl!” Beepu admonished. “We do not have time. We should move and find Iesa and Daneath.”

I nodded and paused only a moment to look at the ash streak on the floor. I puffed out my chest, exhaled, and followed Beepu deeper within.

The room we came to was indeed a barracks, bunks in tiers of three were arranged in this rectangular room, along with a table and some stools. But while I saw no dwarves, I could hear them shouting along with the sounds of steel on steel, coming from a passageway to my right.

Beepu and I didn’t say anything, and just ran. The passage was short, only a couple of paces. But when I exited it, I blinked in surprise at what I saw.

Daneath had his shield overhead, using it to block a downward stroke of a battleaxe. The axe was wielded by a ‘dwarf’ that was easily a foot taller than Daneath. As he blocked the blow, he quickly reposted and used his shield to block another blow from a second dwarf’s axe, this one of equal size to the first. Iesa was nearby fending off another pair of huge dwarves, neither having any luck in landing a blow on the agile rogue.

Not waiting, I pull on dark strands, and summoned a miasma around Daneath’s foes. The darkness swirled around them, causing them to bellow in surprise, and one falling to his knees. As he did and fell forward, he shrunk until he was the size of a typical dwarf.

Beepu in the meantime, flung a bolt of fire, into Daneath’s second foe. While the blast wasn’t enough to fell him, the distraction was enough to allow Daneath to quickly thrust his sword into the dwarf’s belly. It groaned, and fell to the floor, also quickly shrinking in size. With his opponents down, he ran over to help his brother.

Iesa sported a nasty cut from an axe on his arm, and blood flowed freely down it, having none of the armor his brother wore. But as Daneath moved behind one of the ‘giant’ dwarves it was enough to cause the dwarf to shift and prepare himself for his new foe.

And that was all Iesa needed, to spin and sink his dagger deep in the Duergar’s flank. The dwarf wheezed and spat up a great gout of blood, before falling to the ground, shrinking back to his normal size.

The last dwarf glared at Iesa and shouted some type of insult involving comparing his elbow to some type of animal. Or at least that’s what it sounded like, as my knowledge of dwarven slurs was limited. The dwarf swung, and his axe found its mark, slamming into Iesa’s side, the blade tearing away the leather and spraying blood across the nearby wall.

Iesa grunted and stumbled backwards and the Dwarf moved in closer to deliver a final blow when I intervened, pulling on threads and throwing a pair of bolts of purple energy at the dwarf. They both struck him, causing him to stumble to his knees, where Daneath brought down his sword, crushing the cuirass and causing the now shrinking dwarf to groan out his last breath.

“Well…that worked we all survived,” Iesa said smiling, clutching his side.

I shook my head and wiped the sudden tears that were forming in my eyes as I pulled on a light strand to staunch Iesa’s bleeding. Iesa looked at me puzzled when Beepu spoke for me.

“Gossamer did not survive; the dwarves had a sorcerer with them, and he…almost killed Myrai with a large blast of flames,” Beepu said somberly.

“She looks fine,” Daneath said confused. “Not a mark on her.”

“I am not sure I can explain that,” Beepu looked at me perplexed. “One moment she was there about to be roasted, and the next she was surrounded in rapidly melting ice.”

“Ice? You mean like icicles in Waterdeep.” Iesa said looking at me.

“I’d never seen ice…I’ve heard of it,” I said quietly. “But was just thinking how to…protect…myself.”

I then suddenly remembered a conversation I had with the strange magical construct I found myself in, while at the fortress of the Prophesized One. Where there was a sudden infusion of something into my person:

“Assimilation of loci complete. Configuration of loci allocated to protection, based on metal state of element Myrai.”

“Protection,” I said understanding what the construct meant.

“Myr?” Daneath asked looking at me concerned.

“Nevermind,” I said. “We need to find somewhere safe or keep moving at least.”

“Can you bury the bodies like you do normally?” Daneath asked.

I looked around at the room and shook my head, “Its all stone. I need dirt to hide them like that. And while I should give rites…we can’t right now.”

“Well then, Iesa can you open the door?” Beepu asked. “I can send Foggle through and scout ahead. Probably for the last time too where he can’t be seen.

Iesa nodded and moved to the door. He quickly took a small pair of pliers and put them into the lock and quickly removed a small bar, which he pocketed. He then gripped the handle to the door and pulled it open.

Beepu poked his head beyond the door, looking back and forth, and sent Foggle through. Iesa pushed the door to near closure and we waited and listened to Beepu mutter.

“Let us see. Opens into a cavern, less worked stone here. Several shafts leading down…likely mines. I see another area of worked stone…a forge based on the fire and tools. Unoccupied. Several dwarves patrolling in pairs. There is another passage…looks like…cells for prisoners. A bigger passage leads…And he’s out of range now.” Beepu said shaking his head.

“Bigger passage?” Daneath asked.

Beepu nodded, “I could just get the image of a tower. Probably leads deeper into the Underdark. And it was large too. Several floors.”

“How are we going to clear that?” Iesa asked.

“Clear it?” I said looking at him confused. “Why would we need to?”

“Isn’t that what the drow want?” Iesa said puzzled.

“I bet they do. I think we want a Genasi.” I pointed out.

“Myr’s right,” Beepu said excitedly. “We find him, and if he knows where the last part is, we can just…use the device and leave here.”

“And if he doesn’t have it?” Daneath said concerned.

“Then, we decide if we need to clear out the Duergar,” I said.

“So where to? The cells or the shafts?” Iesa asked.

“Cells, should be easy to get to.” Beepu said before straightening up. “Ah…he’s back. Wait…yes. Oh...oh…that is not good.”

“What isn’t good?” I asked warily.

“It was not just a tower. It is a much larger garrison.”

“How large are we talking?” Daneath pressed.

“Large enough that we cannot possibly take them on in a straight fight.” Beepu said in a resigned tone.

“Let’s not do that. Cells then, quickly.”

We stood there and nodded, and Iesa pulled open the door. We followed his lead and put our back to the wall and stayed in the shadows as best we could.

The cavern we found ourselves in wasn’t a natural one. It appeared to be a pit with multiple levels with us on a top tier, and the cavern was vaulted above us. On one side was an opening with large iron doors still wide open. Withing the glow of a hot forge emanated a warm orange light, casting shadows off of anvils and benches. Following the lip of the pit around, another passageway pierced the cavern wall, and from here I could barely make outdoors lining the walls.

Directly across was a large opening, that continued downwards. From our vantage point I saw what Beepu was talking about; the upper floors of a tower were visible in the distance, framed in sconces on the top corners of the battlements. It was a very large structure I could tell, based on how small the torches were in comparison.

“Where are the patrols?” I whispered to Beepu.

“Down in the pit; that is where the shafts are.” He replied quietly.

Nodding to myself, we continued circling the pits edge, trying not to get too close, lest we be seen by a sharp-eyed dwarf. We passed by the forge and gave it only the most cursory glance to check that it was unoccupied and made our way to the tunnel with the doors.

The passage was four paces wide, and iron doors with iron bars at eye level, stretched the length. Iesa walked to one on the left side and peeked inside quickly, he pulled himself back and frowned. He pointed at me and then the door. I started to shake my head, when he then pointed to his own eyes and the waved his hand in front of himself.

I sighed and took the lead. Moving to the door, I quickly smelled what was the odor of an outhouse. Grimacing, I stood on my toes and looked inside, only to find it was unoccupied. Frowning I moved down to the next one, and found it was also unoccupied beyond the fumes. I kept moving down the line, finding more odorous empty cells. It was like this for ten doors, and I reached the end of the hall. Sighing, I walked across the hallway to look inside and almost squealed in surprise.

There in the cell, lay a human male, dressed in rags asleep on the stone. He was covered in dirt, dust and probably a bit of his own filth. He was however either asleep or passed out unconscious. I thought a moment and realized that the cells on the left must already be mining below, while this side would be roused and sent down into the pits later on.

Frowning, I moved to the next cell, and found another human male, and continued onto the next one which held a dwarf like figure. The conditions of each of them was wretched, but the sad truth was that we couldn’t really do anything for them right then. I could only hope that we could later.

I then looked into the next cell, and saw it was empty and quickly moved on, looking into the next one. It was another human male, although much older than the rest with grey hair and sagging skin. I was about to move on when I stopped. Squinting I looked more carefully and then I started to smile.

As I watched, I saw that his hair moved on its own accord, drifting and waving on a missing breeze. He wore a simple leather tunic that had clearly seen better days. Around his ankles and wrists were fetters, with chains between them. But around his neck was something like a thick clay circlet. I could hear him groan in his sleep quietly as I stared getting more excited.

I then turned to Iesa and nodded, pointing to the door excitedly. He wasted no time pulling out his tools. He then bent down and started to work at the lock as quietly as he could, and as quickly as he dared. It wasn’t long before we heard the creaking of the bolt slide out of the door jamb. Backing away, Daneath pulled on the ring and he slowly and carefully, pulled the door open, and I quickly stepped inside.

I knelt down next to the Genasi; he was indeed old; his face well lined. His sagging skin hid that his body was in good shape, if a bit underfed. I leaned down close and with my left hand I gently roused him, while I covered his mouth with my right.

His eyes flew open as he tensed up, like he expected violence or punishment. His eyes scanned the darkness, unable to see me.

“Whmm? Hmm?” and I shushed him and uncovered his mount to let him speak. “Wha…wha…no…who?” he stammered; his voice raspy as if speaking was an effort.

“What is your name?” I asked softly.

“A…a…woman?” he said surprised. “I haven’t heard a…nevermind. I am…called Eri…Eridan.”

“Eridan,” I said. “Eridan bin Ahoone?”

His eyes darted around frantically, trying seek me out in the darkness, “You…you know me?”

“We’ve been looking for you,” I said, and I flexed, feeling the rush along my back, and creating a small dim light in the palm of my hand, letting it shine on both of our faces.

The light touched his eyes, and he winced momentarily, and then he looked at me. He stared like he was a man dying of thirst, drinking in my features. As I watched, I could see tears stream down his face as he looked me up and down, until finally his eyes saw the medallion on my chest; the scales held aloft by a skeletal arm. At that point he gave a contented sigh.

“Finally, it is time. Finally, you have come to me,” he said still tearing up.

“Yes,” I said smiling. “Pachook’s son, Umbra’s sons…they are here.”

“No…not them. You Myrai…” he said, and my jaw dropped open. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

I was blinking in confusion at Eridan’s words. “Wait…What? How did you know my name?”

He smiled as he reached up to touch my face, as I stared at him unsure, what to think or feel.

“I was told that you would come. That you would bring the sons to me. I feared that it might not happen. But my faith has been rewarded,” he said smiling still touching my hair as I looked him uncomprehendingly. Finally, I shook my head to clear it.

“I don’t…. wait….do you have the final piece to Pachooks’ device?”

He kept smiling and nodded. “Yes…Pachook’s part is still with me, and with it Umbra’s plan can come to fruition,” he said as he touched the clay ring encircling his neck.

I touched the rough surface thinking a moment, “I thought it was copper clad—”

“—Adamantite? Yes, it is…but I covered it in clay to disguise it. If the Duergar were any wiser, they might have taken it,” he said.

I nodded, and then looked at him seriously, “Can you walk? We should go somewhere…anywhere else.”

“Yes…yes of course, we can talk elsewhere.” Eridan agreed, and I stood and assisted him to his feet.

“Iesa, can you unlock these chains?” I whispered, and he came over and after a single glance he shook his head. “They aren’t locked, they’re riveted shut. I’d need serious tools to undo those.”

“Pay it no mind, I can carry the lengths, just go slow. I am not as spry as I once was,” and he stooped over and gathered the chains from around his legs, and we exited the cell.

“Where now?” Daneath asked.

“Back where we came from, and jam the door,” Iesa recommended.

We moved around the pit ledge cautiously, with Beepu in front, and the brothers behind him, while I helped Eridan to move keeping his chains silent. trying not to attract attention. But as we made our way past the smithy, suddenly Beepu started backing up.

“Patrol!” he said under his breath, and we turned and ducked into the nearby forge. The first thing I noticed was the heat; the furnace was beyond hot in the smithy. Warm red orange light poured from the opening of the forge, giving the smithy an infernal glow. Four anvils were scattered nearby, and the room contained a scattering of incomplete weapons on the racks, as well as more mundane objects from flat iron plates, to rivets and pull rings. At one end was an open door that led into a workshop and we quickly moved into it, so we could hide.

Inside it was rectangular in shape, with numerous benches and tools. Near the door, stood a large well with a bucket on the edge. Several oil lamps were hung from wires, unlit over the workbenches. The tools here were for smaller, finer work, compared to the large hammers outside.

Iesa pushed the door shut, and as he did so, Beepu and I focused and lit a pair of lamps giving the area some light.

“Let’s get these off of you,” and Daneath started to rummage through the tools while Eridan pulled himself onto a bench and sat expectantly, smiling.

As he sat there, Beepu stared at the Genasi. After a while he nodded to himself and then spoke. “I remember you now, you were pretending to be a messenger with my offer from Candlekeep for training,”

“Well, that’s not quite true…I was a messenger. Your father had already paid for your entrance with several volumes on artifice he had written, and I simply took the opportunity to deliver its confirmation back to him. The fact I was doing ‘deliveries’ for the Harpers was part of my wanderings.”

“Well I’m glad you remember him, I don’t,” Daneath said as he picked up a set of tongs, and an iron rod handing it to Iesa.

“I would be surprised if you had; I kept my distance, while you were at the church; the sisters there could keep an eye on you better than I.”

“You were an orphan at a church?” Iesa asked his brother. “Lucky. You never mentioned it.”

Daneath started to pull with the tongs on the rivet fastening one of the fetters closed, while Iesa used the rod and a hammer to push. “Well the Church of Tyr was…harsh, and the Sisters seemed awfully meanspirited. Made it when I trained under Umbra feel less like toil, and more fun.”

“Didn’t you say our father was a harsh taskmaster?” Iesa questioned.

“He was. But nothing compared to Sister Cemina, her thrashings are the stuff of nightmares.” Daneath replied, pulling the first pin away.

“Well I don’t remember him either,” Iesa said, shifting the bar to the next set of fetters.

“That’s only because I lost you,” Eridan replied defensively.

“Lost me? How was that possible?” Iesa asked looking at Eridan disbelievingly.

“Well, Umbra had set up your mother in a home in Baldur’s Gate, she had coin and enough to live well,” Iesa’s jaw dropped in surprise.

“But the gods were not kind. When you were newly born, one of the Sea Dukes, essentially robbed your mother because he wanted her property, and she was forced to flee the city. She had no way to contact Umbra to ask for help. By the time Umbra did find out what had happened, she was long gone. She managed to somehow get to Waterdeep, and I am still uncertain how she did.”

Iesa frowned, “I don’t remember that at all.”

“Well it certainly angered Umbra, and he made sure the Duke paid for what he had done. And he asked me to look for you. And finding you was my primary reason for wandering. So many false hopes...but found you I did, albeit too late to be of real help to her, or you. I’m sorry about that.”

The second fetter sprang loose, and the brothers started on the manacles. “Well, its’ not your fault,” Iesa said, placing the rod against the bottom of the rivet.

“No, and Umbra, probably rightfully, blamed himself. But I was so happy when your little pal…hello there,” and Eridan waved at Mo, who had poked his head out of curiosity at the Genasi, “Took the map, and you actually followed it.”

“You could have just told me you know,” Iesa pointed out.

“I considered it, but…oh well,” Eridan shrugged.

“Alright, so how do I fit into this?” I asked, crossing my arms in annoyance. “I understand the machinations with Iesa, and Daneath and Beepu. But you…knew I was coming? How? I didn’t even know I was coming.”

“Well, that’s a strange story in itself. When Umbra told me about the Kershak, and the essence of his plan, I was concerned. What he described was offensive to Kelemvor’s teachings. And so, I prayed for many things; Umbra’s success, the survival of the three, me keeping the parts safe. But one night, months ago I received a vision. In that vision I saw an angel, clad in grey and silver, and he…informed me that my prayers had been heard, and that a hand named ‘Myrai’ was sent, and they would bring us all together eventually.”

I stood there blinking and shaking my head in disbelief, as he continued.

“Now, there was nothing I could do directly, but I did tell the Harpers about what I had heard. I wondered how I could help, but no one I knew heard of a person going by your name, much less a woman. All I could do was have faith. And it seems my faith has been rewarded.”

The manacle popped open, and the brothers set to work on the last one, “So, what? Myr is an agent of the gods?” Iesa asked as I still was considering the implications.

“What would you call it then?” Eridan asked.

“Luck?” Daneath responded. “Or good fortune perhaps. But divine intervention?” and Daneath looked at me awkwardly, clearly unsure what to believe.

“I don’t feel…that divine,” I said feeling awkward with this conversation. “I mean, getting maneuvered to a bar, that happens to hip me in Triboar…that’s just coincidence.”

“Perhaps it is,” Eridan responded nodding. “But then, how did I know your name?”

I didn’t know how to answer that, let alone feel. Was I in control of my destiny or not? Was I a slave to fate, and unable to make a real choice? Was it because I was devout in my beliefs, or was that secondary to an…angel’s…?

“Eridan, you said it was an angel that told you, right?” I began. “Do you remember anything about them? Anything at all?”

“About the angel? Well…um…well. A tall, perfect angelic man, and he had golden hair, and eyes like yours come to think of it—”

“Ten gold says she’s about to lose it,” Iesa said looking at Daneath.

“Sucker bet,” Daneath replied.

I know now how I should have looked at this. I should have felt honored to be given an important task of my faith. I should have been inspired that I was sent to someone that needed my help. That I was the right person to help.

But I didn’t; I felt angry. I felt manipulated. But instead of a fiend selling me screed and putting me into chains for coin, I was maneuvered to a bar and pushed out of Sigil by the actions of an angel. And not just any angel, one that had been an absent and silent father. One that left me alone to fend for myself in the Gatehouse. Left penniless, without a legacy, or anything to help me. And when I did dive through the portal, I was left alone in the dirt, without so much as a word why. Putting my life at risk, without being told it was part of a plan or even asking me to help.

I kicked a nearby bucket next to the well, frustrated. I wanted to scream and shout and swear a lot and would have if we weren’t so close to danger.

“I don’t understand…what is wrong with—” Eridan started.

“—I am going to make an educated guess that she was forced, and not asked to do this,” Beepu remarked.

“Sodding straight,” I said from behind clenched teeth.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t have helped?” Eridan asked puzzled.

I looked at him, and then Beepu, Iesa and Daneath in turn. “What? I…no…I would…I would have helped if asked. I...do not regret helping, or bleeding, or killing or anything about this. I just would have wanted to have a choice.”

“Not everyone gets to make choices. And as harsh as that sounds, someone had faith in you,” Eridan said with a small smile.

I looked at Eridan awkwardly and said, “I’m flattered that you have faith in me Eridan, but—”

“—No, not me,” Eridan interrupted. “The angel that sent you.”

“An angel…having faith…in me?”

“Why not? Belief can change many things, can it not?” Eridan pointed out.

I nodded and sighed, clearing my head. “Well, if that is the case, lets finish this.”

“Yes, I agree. So Eridan, if you could take off the ring around your neck—”

“—I cannot—” Eridan replied, as Beepu blazed on without noticing.

“—and then we can combine it with the rest of the device in my pouch here…wait, what did you say?” Beepu finaly registering what Eridan said.

“I cannot take it off…not by myself. It has a core of adamantite, so some heat and tools are needed.” Eridan explained.

“Why did Pachook make this difficult?” Iesa asked bewildered at this revelation.

“So, it couldn’t be simply taken from me, or pick pocketed or lost,” Eridan said. “But Pachook said that with a pair of tongs to pull and separate the ring, and a third one heated and pinching the body would make it pliable enough to bend.”

“Well…there’s a forge right there,” Iesa said. “Let’s warm it up,” and he walked out of the workshop door, to the furnace, followed by Daneath and Eridan. I stood there with Beepu still processing my emotions with Eridan’s revelations. I so wanted to talk to Gossamer right now.

It was strange; a familiar from one perspective just a simple spirit. But binding that spirit into a familiar form makes it a part of you. In some ways it is you. It knows your thoughts, and your fears, and it knows your secrets. Most of the time, a familiar is bound into animal form. They aren’t any smarter than that animal, but they are loyal to a fault.

I didn’t choose that form for Gossamer. A Tressym is far smarter than most familiars and as such the connection is stronger. There are advantages to this, better observation and more insight. I was warned about the downsides from Beepu.

“It is the first time, right?” Beepu asked, to which I quietly nodded. “I wish I could say it gets easier. Foggle is fixable but, I cannot say he is not different every time.”

I nodded and said, “Well, I guess I should resummon him, right?”

“Mourning something that does not really die is not a real productive use of time,” Beepu pointed out.

I smiled and nodded, pulled some incense from my spell pouch and was about to take off my pack to find a pot, when suddenly I heard steel on stone. Turning I saw the brothers and Eridan scramble back into the workshop. Daneath slammed the door shut and braced it with Iesa’s help.

“What the—” and I stopped when I looked at Eridan. Lodged in his side was a short iron javelin, a river of blood was already pouring out of the wound. Then I saw he wasn’t the only one wounded. Daneath also sported several wounds from javelins.

“Damned dwarves snuck up on us,” Daneath said, just as the sounds of iron pounding on iron echoed in the workshop. “One moment, we had tongs in our hands, the next—”

“—Invisible dwarves throwing iron at us. Cheaters,” Iesa said grimacing in pain as he held the door.

“Oh, like you haven’t done the same,” Daneath groaned.

“Where is the ring?” Beepu demanded. “We can build it and get ourselves out of here."

"It...it...is still on my neck," Eridan grunted. “We didn’t have enough time.”

Session Notes:

Gossamer's death was in one sense a tactical mistake, and in another a role playing opportunity. Some familiar's get treated as tools, others like simple pets. Neither Foggle or Gossamer were that, both had personalities and while Goss was the smarter one, it was Foggle doing a lot of heavy lifting. And while he was 'skinned' like an artificer's pet (and Artificers hadn't been released yet, otherwise I would pegged Beepu to be one) It was more than a simple statue. And Gossamer had all the cattitude needed; judgmental, bored with everyone, etc. The sudden loss was more like a friend disappearing than a tool, and I was satisfied with that interpretation.

Mo on the other hand, was lost and forgotten quite a bit. He wasn't a familiar, and so never did drive the story that way, but many times the "urchin's" pet faded in the background because it wasn't as useful. Granted story wise he had moments, and there was some free theft from merchants occasionally (which I felt was again RAI one what an urchin's pet mouse could do, but it really didn't make a material effect.) Mo would be either free in town, and forgotten about, or hiding in a pack, forgotten about. Although I did end up painting a mini for him, that we never ended up using.

 

[Nthal]

Exit Strategy – 10/9/2020

Any good knight of the post will tell you obvious advice for a low price or a drink of bub. But it is invariably good advice. What costs more is how to apply it the situation at hand.

It’s usually worth it, because you are going to pay for that knowledge at the beginning or the end. And the end costs more.​

The pounding continued on the door along with the shouts of angry dwarves. Iesa and Daneath both pushed back trying to hold it shut, breathing heavily. Both brothers were bleeding profusely, along with Eridan, who was leaning heavily on the workbench. Beepu was oblivious to these details however as he stood there impatiently.

“Well, get back out there and finish the job,” he said indignantly.

“Beepu!” Daneath grunted, “There were six of them that hurled javelins at us! I didn’t even have time to heat the tongs!”

I moved over to Daneath and looked him over as they pushed their backs on the iron door.

“I can’t heal you Daneath until I pull this javelin out,” I said grimacing. “Same goes for Eridan.”

“What about the one in me?!?” Iesa said, as the banging on the door grew more urgent.

“What?” I muttered as I looked Iesa over. And sure enough, lodged in his thigh, the broken shaft of a javelin stuck out.

“Sodding Baator,” I groaned. “I barely have enough to heal you all,” I grasped the rod tightly in my hands and started to pull quanta from it. I could feel within me, strands reform as power flooded into me as the glimmering light with the purple sapphire faded.

“Myrai…” Eridan started. I grasped the javelin lodged in Daneath and pulled it free, while he gritted his teeth in pain. I then quickly pulled on a strong white strand and started to close Daneath’s wound.

“Don’t…don’t bother,” Eridan gasped for air as I turned to Iesa and quickly pulled the javelin from his thigh. He yelped in response, and I pulled on another smaller strand and healed him as I did his brother.

“What, I’m not going to let you die from a wound like that,” I said, starting to pull on a light strand.

“No—“and Eridan reached out with a hand and placed it on mine. “—You need the ring. It would be far easier to remove if…” he trailed off looking me in the eyes.

“What? No there must be another way!” Beepu said grasping what Eridan was saying.

The banging on the door was now replaced with a rhythmic booming, as the dwarves started to use something to ram the door. With each boom, the door shuddered, and the hinges started to shift from their positions in the wall.

“We aren’t going to be able to hold them back if they keep this up,” Iesa said. “We need time!”

Beepu and I looked at each other and nodded.

“Open the door, then slam it shut, and move that bench to block it,” I said.

“Are you out of your mind?” Daneath said in alarm.

“A bit of arcana can do wonders,” Beepu said, as he pulled some fur and glass from his pouch and started to mutter some mystic syllables under his breath. “You ready Myr?”

I nodded, pulling on the dark and light strands again, and winding them together and pulling them taught. I mentally kept the tension high and waited. Daneath then grasped the pull ring and looked at Iesa who had a hand on the bolt fastening the door shut. They tensed up and waited. Finally, just after a boom from the ram and just as the door stopped shaking, Iesa threw open the latch, and Daneath pulled the door open.

Beyond were a tight pack of enlarged dwarves, using a length of what looked like wood, topped with a cap of iron. They were still moving backwards and looked up with surprise. They dropped the ram, and were about to draw weapons to charge, when I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. In the Duergar’s black eyes I saw the reflection of light and then sudden look of fear, as a bolt of blue-white lightening, pierced their bodies and hit the wall behind them. The ram they held splintered apart in their hands. And then as they staggered, I snapped the strands, and I heard bones crack and the ram blew apart into splinters as the dwarves fell over, crushed by our magic.

I smiled as I saw that at least nine fell to our onslaught, but it fell away quickly, as I saw that there were more dwarves coming. And it wasn’t just a handful, but a full score was outside, taking cover from the chaos that Beepu and I caused. But what alarmed me most was that one of the dwarves was starting to create a bead of light in his hands.

“Close it NOW!” I screamed knowing what was coming. Iesa quickly slammed the iron portal shut and threw the bolt back into place, while Daneath and Eridan shoved the workbench in front of the door. From around the sill, the edges erupted in orange flickering waves of heat and Iesa retracted his hands from the gout and shook the pain of singed flesh away.

“How many are left?” Iesa asked, as he then helped to pull the heavy bench in front of the door.

“Too many,” I said. “We are running out of time.”

“Well, hopefully we can hold the door,” and Daneath and Iesa braced themselves behind the workbench, ready to hold it and the door in place.

Beepu set his pouch on the ground and pulled out an object. It wasn’t very large, perhaps the size of an apple. It resembled a clockwork mechanism, with brass and silver plates in places, covering barely a quarter of it. He pulled out the two spur gear rings that his parents once wore as wedding bands and started to affix them to the mechanism.

I looked at it and turned to Eridan. “There has to be a better way.”

Eridan smiled, “Myrai, I have been travelling this world for eighty winters. I have loved, had a family and I have had no regrets. My best friend sacrificed all he was, so he could end the Kershak. I cannot let him down now. I can’t have that regret on my soul.”

“I have helped people to go beyond but…they were all in dire straits, beyond anyone’s power to help. I don’t …no I don’t want to do this. The price is too steep.” I said, knowing I was going to lose this battle.

“Myrai,” he said grasping my hands. “Remember, ‘Death is a part of life,’—”

“—' not an ending but a beginning,’” I finished, drawing my greensteel dagger slowly. I looked at it, doubts weighing heavily on my heart.

I did swear I would do anything to see this through, to finally end this. But this wasn’t what I had intended by my prayer. Sacrificing one’s self is easy; especially if you don’t know what that sacrifice really entails. But to sacrifice someone else? Only fiends…or someone with that mindset did that. But for me…this was a price I didn’t want pay.

Yet looking at Eridan, I saw he had no doubts in his eyes. He wasn’t a child or even a young adult starting out on their journey. He had walked his path; he had all the time to sample all that life had to offer. He was certain that he reached his time; he had faith in what he was doing; what he wanted to do.

I looked at Eridan and smiled, I pulled myself close to him and embraced the genasi, sniffling a bit. He chuckled a moment, and then I pulled back a step and leaned forward, pressing my lips to his.

A final kiss.

The blade slid between the ribs smoothly, and I could feel the warmth of his blood cover my chest. He shuddered a moment, and I pulled him close whispering into his ear, “May Death grant you peace Eridan.” He held me tight, as the blood poured on the floor between us.

“I will…not forget…you…” he said and then he became limp in my arms, and I staggered with his weight, as I lowered his still warm body to the ground, tears spilling forth.

“Now Eridan, we can try to…MY WORD!” Beepu said, looking up for the first time. “Myr what did you DO?”

“What he asked for. What he wanted,” I said a bit shaken. “His time was over, and he…wanted his end to have meaning.” I looked Beepu straight in the eye. “Let’s not disappoint him.”

Beepu looked at me, at the blood, and at the smile on Eridan’s dead face and swallowed. His face was contorted into a scowl when he said “Why not one more to the pyre. The cost the Kershak has incurred is far too high.”

Daneath turned to look at us and as he spoke his face paled, “What are you two yam…oh crap. No. No. No.” Iesa turned as well and growled in frustration, pushing against the workbench, trying to keep the door shut.

“Daneath,” I said, moving toward the table and I slung my shield onto my back. I then started to push against the workbench with all my weight and strength. “You need to…remove his head.” Daneath looked at me wearily and winced. But he moved from the table and drew his sword. I saw him take aim and swing, and Eridan’s head rolled away from the body in one clean stroke. I watched remorsefully, as I strained against the workbench, pushing with my legs trying to hold the door fast. As I did so, the door shuddered again with a dull booming sound.

“They got another ram,” Iesa said. “The door is going to fly from the hinges, and then this table is going to give quickly.” The door shuddered again, dust flying and the sound of stone cracking, as the dwarves kept hammering away.

Beepu reached down and pulled the ring away from the decapitated corpse. He quickly smashed it on the ground, breaking away the clay cladding, and the coppery ring beneath was revealed. As he did so, he spoke to Daneath. “Keep your sword out, and with your other hand grasp the orb.”

He doffed his shield and slung it on his back, “Myr and Iesa aren’t going to be able to hold the door for long.” He pressed his hand to the orb, and from within I heard the whining of gears starting to turn faster and faster

“Well…It is going to be only her in a moment, because I need Iesa and his dagger as well.”

“I can’t leave her—” Iesa protested.

“—It will not be long. The device is charged, I have put some arcane energy into it. Once you touch it, my spell will activate the orb and with it we can open a portal to...somewhere. I need you now Iesa!”

“Go,” I said to the Knight of the Post. “I only need to—” <BOOM> “—hold the door for a little while.”

Iesa looked at me and nodded. Keeping his back on the workbench, he pushed with his legs, as he drew the dagger. He held a moment, and looked at me, and I gave him a nod. He stepped forward and dropped down to his knees, reaching out and laid a hand on the orb. Then, Isea and Daneaths faces contorted in pain as the device started to pull something from them. Wisps of haze and fog poured off their skin and swirled into the device, now at the center of a small arcane storm. Howls emanated from it, like warped Aoskar hounds baying at anti-peak. The orb gave of a brilliant white light, and the whining gears inside increased in speed and pitch. Beepu touched some buttons on the curved surface and frowned.

“No!…it still not fully powered up. It requires more time!” Beepu said angrily.

“We better hold the—” Iesa started.

“—Do NOT let go!” Beepu shrieked. “This can only be done once!”

I continued to push on the workbench, my feet slipping on the stone trying to keep it in place against the door, when the upper hinge burst free from the stone. I could feel the workbench sliding backwards with the repeated banging on the door and watched as the iron latch in the jamb started to bend in place. It would not be long before the door was loose.

“Beepu!” I shouted. “You need to throw everything you have into it now! I can’t hold it!”

Beepu looked at the brothers who were struggling in pain, as their essence or perhaps a part of their souls was being drawn into the orb. Frowning, he reached into his pouch, and pulled out a smooth orange stone. Looking at it for a moment, he lifted his hand and smashed down the stone on top of the orb.

The orb started to hum, its reverberations overtaking the high-pitched whine of the spinning gears. I could feel the Weave shudder a moment and then I felt it tear apart, as I felt lashed by the unwinding of the Weave near me. Then a brilliant white light lit the room, not from the device but from an angle from the ceiling. A new howling sound erupted from the orb…or was it a scream? The light lit the orb up, and the howling, the gears whining all increased in intensity and volume. As I squinted my eyes to watch, I saw a hole tear open right behind the gnome. Light and moving shadows and colors streamed through it as it grew in size.

“What is that?” Iesa shouted, still in pain.

“Our exit portal. I think I have it set to a city on the mainland, we must go no—”

The door’s last hinge broke, and the workbench now slid into the room, my strength a feeble match for the large muscular dwarves behind it. I turned and pulled on a weak dark strand and pulled out the miasma, and I saw the dwarf that was barreling through the ruined doorway in pain, and behind him another growled with equal anger. Spinning I started to run.

I saw Beepu grab the orb and he ran for the fissure in the weave. He dove for it, and in a blink, he was gone. Daneath and Iesa, still grasping their weapons, followed him blindly. Each crossed the threshold, and I could hear Mo shriek in Iesa’s pack as he disappeared into the portal. Close behind, Foggle dove for it, wings folded in close to its body, streaking at it like a golden raptor diving for prey, and he too crossed and disappeared across the portal’s boundaries.

I then threw myself at the portal. Time seemed to slow, and I could feel my heart pound with every step. I leaned forward and reached my hand out straining to breach the threshold. It eerily felt like it did one hundred and forty-six days ago as I dove under the transom in the bar, where a portal appeared unexpectedly. I flung my body forward towards it and stretched to grasp the entrance to the escape that Beepu had created.

I then gasped for air, as a body slammed into me. Glancing at my side, I saw an armored dwarf had collided with me, and I fell onto one knee to stabilize myself. I instinctively turned and threw a punch at the nose of the dwarf, and I was rewarded with the sound of bones cracking. The dwarf backed up a step and shouted in anger, and then launched himself at me again. He forced me off balance as he sought to pin me against the wall of the well that stood in the room.

My strength was no match against the foe, and I gave up ground rapidly. I found my body pinned against the brick and mortar of the well’s wall, and I felt it start to sunder. Although I was crushed against it, the dwarf kept pushing, and suddenly the wall gave way. I heard the roaring sound of the dwarf’s laughter, as I found myself falling into the shaft of the well. Twisting around, I watched from my back as an ugly face of the dwarf gave me an evil grin. But the image quickly receded away as I fell.

So, this was it, the end.

I felt the air stream through my hair as I fell. The pain in my chest was distant and unimportant. I closed my eyes and relaxed; there was nothing to be done now. I smiled as I realized that I had helped cement a victory against the Kershak. That I helped my friends escape with their lives.

I smiled as I descended; I felt free. Any concerns on what I owed whom I left behind as I fell. The only regret I felt was that I would break my promise to see Arnara again. But somehow, I knew she would forgive me.

Below I heard rushing water, but I knew I was falling too far and fast. If the fall didn’t kill me, I would likely drown in the water below. At least I knew what the end was like, and any pain would be brief.

I’m ready Kelemvor…

NOT YET!

And then I felt it, my body crossing between places, the cool air being replaced with warm. My eyes widened in shock and surprise and…

 

[Nthal]

Epilogues – 10/9/2020

Athkalta, Amn​

The sun was setting, spreading long shadows from the buildings in the city, and reflected off the waters of the harbor on the ships mooring in the Alandor river for the evening. Trotting along the river, was a man in a long dark cloak, followed closely by a brown furred monkey. Quickly the man moved through the thin crowd until he reached an old fest hall near the banks of the river. Above it an old sign with fresh painted letters read ‘Sea Bounty’s Tavern’ in common. Wasting no time, he entered the doors, and without a second glance ascended the stairs to the second floor, and swiftly entered the third door on the left, and just as swiftly slammed the door behind him.

Then, it just as quickly opened again, with the figure saying “Sorry Mo.” The monkey deliberately walked in with exaggerated slowness, glaring at the man holding the door open for him, and swiftly but gently closed it again, once Mo entered the room.

“It took you long enough Iesa,” a large man said seated on a chair with a small hammer by the table, repairing a strap on a breastplate.

“I don’t know Athkatla’s streets very well, so it took me longer to figure out where the temple district was, let alone where a temple of Oghma was Daneath,” Iesa replied.

“I told you where to go, if you would only listen,” a gnome said a the other end of a table, reading through a large book, while a brass owl observed perched on the back of his chair.

“I did Beepu, but you were right about one thing,” Iesa replied mildly.

“Right about one thing? What exactly are you talking about?” Beepu asked confused.

“Foggle has problems counting above three; so instead of six blocks down, it was eleven.” Iesa replied.

“A minor detail that you apparently figured out.” The gnome said dismissively.

"So... It took a while, Dan,” Iesa said returning his attention to the big warrior. He reached into his pocket and threw an apple at the monkey, who quickly grabbed it and made its way to the window overlooking the street and started to munch away.

“But did you find one?” Daneath said laying down his tools.

Iesa nodded, “I did find someone that could perform some type of divinations. It cost a lot though.”

“How much?” Daneath asked.

“Well, the orphans of the city will be well off for the better part of a century,” Iesa said. “Not that’s a bad thing. But I am going to need funds…and so are you Daneath.”

“I noticed you ‘borrowed’ some coin. Leave anything left?”

“We’re good for a year or so.” Iesa replied unbuckling his rapier and laying it on a bed.

“So, what did they say?” Beepu asked urgently. “Is it over?”

“Well for the first question, yes the Kershak is gone.”

“We did it!” Daneath said smiling. He grabbed for a bottle on the table and pulled out the cork and started to pour wine into glasses.

“But the Kershak’s organization; it still exists.” Iesa frowned.

Daneath stopped pouring for a moment, “So we didn’t win?”

“I would interpret that to mean while our original nemesis is gone, the hoodllums he led are still doing what they want.” Beepu said frowning.

“Who’s left to lead them?” Daneath asked puzzled.

“Paradros,” Iesa said. “That was my third question, and a good guess on a yes/no question.

“Well, does that mean we are in danger?” Beepu asked.

Iesa shrugged, “Well, I suppose if we leave well enough alone, they might be smart enough to do the same.”

“Well, it’s a start,” and Daneath continued to pour the wine.

“I have more,” Iesa said.

“Well, with as much coin as you just spent, I would hope you have a bit more,” Daneath said without looking up.

Iesa nodded, “I got two divinations; six questions.”

Daneath stopped pouring again. “Well…what did you ask?”

Iesa sat at the table and looked down. “I asked if…if Myrai was still alive.”

Beepu and Daneath said nothing and leaned forward. Then Beepu spoke, “And?”

Iesa nodded, “She is.”

“Crap how are we—” Daneath started when Iesa cut him off.

“—There’s more. My second question was if she was still in or under Nelthander. The answer was ‘no.’”

There was silence as the other two thought about the answer.

“But she didn’t follow us, and you said you thought the door broke open. Where is she?” Daneath asked.

“That was the point of the third question, and I took a gamble. I asked if she was still in Faerûn.”

Beepu and Daneath looked at each other and then looked at Iesa expectantly, both arching their brows.

“She isn’t.”

The trio looked at each other saying nothing for a while. Daneath then moved, and finished pouring the wine into the cups, and passed them to Beepu and Iesa.

“I guess…that’s it then,” Daneath said.

“You think she found a way home?” Iesa asked.

“I don’t know. But I am going to drink in her memory. I don’t think I could ever forget her,” Daneath said holding his cup in a toast.

“To Myrai, may you find your way, wherever it may lead.”

“To Myrai,” Beepu held up his wine as well, “A better partner than we deserved.”

“To Myrai,” Iesa said as he raised his cup. “I hope you find the peace you sought.”

They all then took a deep drink of the wine and turned to look at the setting sun, wondering where their adventures would lead.

The Misty Forest​

Melandrach nodded in thanks to the attendant for the tome and with a hand gently dismissed them. Without even waiting for the attendant to depart, the King of the Misty Forest flipped through the yellow paged tome, his eyes searching for something almost forgotten.

“And here you are, monarch of the wood, in your garden, with your nose not in the flowers or a glass of wine, but in a book instead. I swear you were once a Sun elf in a prior time.”

Melandrach smiled at Kylan Ustina’s jest, “Well old friend, I at least insist reading in nothing but the finest light and the warmest breeze, as befits my heritage. And what brings you from your house to mine?” Melandrach said as he grasped the forearm of Kylan who returned the gesture.

"I only just returned, having spent some time in the northern forest. It was a good time to do so after escorting the…outsiders to the teleportation circle,” Kylan said.

“Thank you for doing that on such short notice,” Melandrach said with a tone of gratitude. “I know you were not particularly fond of them.”

“Too little, too late for my house,” Kylan said. “Half a generation lost to the war.”

“Half is better than none.”

“Of course, it is. But that ha-celas made things more difficult. Arnara now must become prepared to lead the house. The last thing she needed was ideas of experiencing the world.”

Melandrach tilted his head, “And weren’t you the same as she? Weren’t we both in our youth centuries ago?”

Kylan smiled. “I suppose. But I know better now; House Ustina must survive. If I understood the risk then, I would not have been so…reckless."

"And so, you seek to prevent her from making the same mistake? Don’t the humans have a saying; ‘You learn more from failure than success?’ And if she cannot make her own mistakes, how will she grow?”

“Easy for you to throw words of wisdom when you have nothing at risk.”

“But I did; when I trusted those four to win the day. It allowed me to commit all of our forces to the south, allowing us to beat the horde. I left our northern flank exposed, a great risk. And I did it because I saw once long ago where not committing was a worse decision.”

“And you knew the outcome?”

“No. I just had…faith in who helped us.”

“Why? Why them? Why any of them?” Kylan asked mystified. “They aren’t kin, and to expect them to lay everything down was fool hardy. I cannot dismiss the results…but…I do not understand it.”

“I did not either; it was a distant memory nagging at me ever since I heard of their arrival in Whitepetal.” Melandrach looked down at the book he held. “And I have since discovered the answer to that.” Melandrach opened the book to the page he was recently looking at and turned the book to Kylan to review.

Kylan took the book and looked at the page. There on one side was a plate with a drawing of a human. With long hair, and fine features it stood out as a paragon among humans. But as he looked at the drawing, he realized that something was out of place. It took a moment of looking before he realized what was wrong.

“The eyes—” he said softly.

“’—Like mirrors reflecting souls around them and coifed with hair like spun gold.’ Is what the text says.”

“So, she—”

“HE was here. The man came here around what…1383? It was shortly after I helped some adventures with the ruins of Illefarn. He stood out, strong, confident. As a paladin he commanded without effort the respect and loyalty around him, all to a new god that arose from the Time of Troubles.”

Kylan looked up away from the book and almost asked the obvious question, when Melandrach answered it for him.

“The holy symbol is in the drawing; he was perhaps one of the earliest paladins of Kelemvor, who had only been worshiped for a decade when I met him.”

“But this plate, he…and she could be twins,” Kylan said confused.

“Not twins, but perhaps brother and sister, with more than a century separation. And he had a similar story, an angelic father and a missing mother,” Melandrach said in amusement. “I only remembered the man recently, as I only laid eyes on him once. The coincidence is remarkable; too much so.”

“Coincidence? What do you mean?”

“He was among the vanguard that protected Daggerford from the fiend Baazaka who came up from Dragonspear castle. He implored me to protect Daggerford before departing. And I heeded that advice and the battle there was won. Unfortunately, he died, on the fields in front of the castle and we never met again. All of this was before the Shining Lady, Caelar Argent seized the keep almost five years later. And until the ha-celas arrived I had completely forgotten about him.

Melandrach stood overlooking the pools and thought a moment. “Perhaps the memory is why I trusted the word of those in Whitepetal that a mirror-eyed woman had things in hand. Perhaps it was simply what I hoped for or wished for. But after I met her, I realized that she was one with destiny shaping her fate. I felt it was best to help her how we could.”

Kylan closed the book and shook his head before Melandrach took it from him.

“You do not believe so? I understand that Master Elanthyr has accepted your daughter into the bladesingers,” Melandrach remarked. “Congratulations are in order.”

Kylan nodded, “An…unexpected honor, her skills with the longsword were never—”

“But Elanthyr doesn’t use the longsword, his style uses the rapier. And didn’t the ha-celas teach Arnara—”

“Are you saying that she had an influence on her—”

Melandrach raised his hand, “I am saying that she like a leaf on a still pond; her impact causes ripples and how those ripples affect others in the pond? Who knows, but I am not one to ignore what seems to be coincidence. Or providence.”

Shendilavri, 570th layer of the Abyss​

Teiazaam alighted on the ledge of the tower, surrounded by a garden of dark twisted trees, which sported flowers resembling blood red orchids, the sun ever setting perpetually, casting long shadows from the trees and tower alike. Orchids whose scent was said to drive mortals to madness, ecstasy or both. Vines and creepers crept up the bone ivory walls of the windowless structure, as it towered in the center of a valley, a far distance from the ocean and the busy sea town of Darkheart, and its perverse delights.

Upon landing, Teiazaam, folded her leather bat like wings and ascended the stairs with a confident strut, until she reached an ornate door. The door was encrusted by a layer of brilliant green gemstones with blood red stains in the cracks and fissures and sporting a brass colored ring on the left-hand edge of the door. Beside it, perched on a large bone of some creature, a Vrock glowered as it watched the succubus approach. As she did so, its eyes narrowed as it regarded the fiend approaching it.

“She does not wish to be disturbed. But I won’t stop you from your…ill advised entrance,” it said with contempt watching the fiend walk to the door.

“And I know better than to disobey, Kvandark,” she replied, and without so much slowing down, pulled on the ring and opened the jewel encrusted door, and stepped inside.

The room was dark, with dim red light from candles lit around the room, each with countless years or decades of wax drippings from the everlit sources forming thick pillars reaching the floor. The room was clad in dark wood, with clear glass bowls of water hovering at different heights, surrounding the room, each with flowers floating within, their petals open, and giving a heavy sweet perfume in the air. Even Teiazaam’s heart beat a step quicker when the scent drifted across her nostrils, reminding her of dark pleasures. Along the walls stood mirrored panels and in between them were assorted racks and shelves. Some with perfumes, others with vials of liquids and contents unknown, another held a rack, and nearby was a stand of blades of all sorts of sizes, some with gleaming sharp edges, others dulled.

In the center was a large circular platform, where a thick cushion lay. On top of it, reclined a large female figure. She lazily turned over on her stomach, and stretched out the burned remains of wings, as her four separate tails twitched like an angry cat. She regarded the little succubus with malice as her deep green eyes narrowed, and the jade halo above her head burned with hatred at the intrusion. The tower walls seemed to close in, as creepers and barbed vines crept across the floor, and descended from iron rafters above, all seeking the warm blood of the succubus.

The succubus swallowed, and dove to the floor, her palms pressed down, and her forehead and horns touching the back of her hands. Her knees were curled up underneath, as her hooves pointed back toward the entrance, and her wings spread out and lay flat on the cold stone floor, as her tail fell flat behind her. She took deep breaths, hoping to avoid destruction long enough to tell her tale.

“I am certain I told that fool of a Vrock that—” Jade started with a flinty tone.

“—and I ignored them, to obey you…mistress.” She said flatly, the only signs of emotion came from her tail, which quivered nervously behind her prostrate form.

“Obey me?” the Radiant Sister said. “Do tell, how are you interpreting this as an explicit order to be left alone?”

The succubus grimaced and didn’t move, lest she lose her nerve, “I obey you when you ask for word of a mirror-eyed trollop, and their whereabouts.”

Jade tilted her head in interest, “Well Teiazaam, that is worthy of an interruption,” she said licking her fingers. “And what word do you bring?”

“A foolish thrall named Philandre, saw her on the world of Faerûn, near her establishment. She caused some sort of ruckus and angered our pet there and asked for help in subduing her. Alas, Falinas was a fool and did nothing with this information, and only after plying her with a larva did, she reveal her mistakes to me.”

“A pity. And you came here straight away to tell me like a…good girl?” she said mockingly. “Perhaps you desire to swap places, and she take the punishment of disturbing me, and you receive the reward instead? But that was such a small crumb of what information I wanted, so perhaps I should just punish you both…”

“No! there is more!” the shaking Teiazaam stammered. “I investigated personally to learn more, but…the island she left is tearing itself apart. The pirates, the Underdark dwellers, all of them are at war with each other, and the port was in flames when I left. As for the trollop, she was gone. But I did manage to loosen the tongue of a Duergar to learn about the trollop’s fate.”

“Loosen the tongue of a Duergar? That must have been a trial,” Jade said with a wry grin.

“It wasn’t easy to find the right leverage, but I…suffered to pry what I did from that disgusting Duergar. But what he told me was more interesting; she fell into a portal, but a very different one from her friends left in.”

“Fell?” Jade sat up slowly and stretched, “Into a random portal? I doubt that very much. How long have you known?”

“Moments,” Teiazaam said gulping nervously. “I only just returned! I wasted no time learning what I could from what would have been a cold dark trail.”

“Enterprising, shows initiative, and knows enough to appear like she’s not a threat,” Jade purred. “I think Falinas was woefully unprepared for your ingenuity. She wasted my time on a story about you and a larva, thinking that was important. So, she is being…entwined and consumed in the garden below; and clearly, she needs some lingering correction. You on the other hand…understand not just want I want, but what I need…and despite your cowering demeanor are, very much, a threat.”

Teiazaam sweated and waited shivering on the floor. She then felt Jade's hand caress her back, sending shivers down her spine and wings. The hand moved under her chin and lifted up her head to look at Jade’s smiling face.

“And a threat is exactly what I need.”

“A threat to the…trollop?” Teiazaam asked still nervous and confused.

“No…” Jade said. “She’s just a means to an end. Her father though…that’s another story.”