Iron Chef BBQ
First Post
Homecoming (run of 06-01-04)
Our adventurers return to Vesh with mixed emotions. They are invigorated by their success in battle and relieved to find no trace of Mormo, however, the death of Fang, the resurfacing of Cosette and the destruction of the Mesos water had them deeply disturbed. They head straight to Beltray when they enter the city.
Beltray rails at Lucre for his stupidity, but only briefly. Matters are too severe to spend time on what is past. “Marja, why is your name on the wall in that cave? It does not breed confidence.”
Marja is miffed, “Can I control where my name is written?” She proceeds to tell Beltray everything they know about Cosette and that cave. Kalina gives Beltray the note Cosette from to Lady Axhet so he can use her handwriting for divination.
Borin has been paying very little attention. He asked Beltray what he knows of Madriel’s tears. They are powerful diamonds used in healing. Borin wants locations. The others are curious about his questions, but he remains silent. Only Marja sits contentedly interested in Beltray’s response.
Beltray orders lunch while he crawls through his books, listing locations of the holy diamonds one by one. “Only one is lost,” he finally muses lifting his head up from his books, “the tear of rage. Its existence has never been confirmed. It would be in Barath Narn, if it exists.” Borin and Marja perk up. “Barath Narn is the city that was built by dwarves and dark elves as a city of brotherhood. It was overrun by Churn in the Great War. The dwarves believed that the dark elves were in league with Churn.”
“They were!” Lucre butted in to affirm.
Beltray continues paying no attention. “They destroyed the bridges between it and Barak Torn. It’s said that when the Goran and Nathalos fell, Madriel shed a tear of blood. The power of such a thing…” Beltray is lost in thought. The others leave for home. Borin and Marja are prepared to disclose their dreams over dinner once everyone has had a chance to wash and rest.
They arrive home to find the door unlocked, the house full of dust, and no Theo. Terri noses around the neighborhood and finds out that the city guard dragged Theo off accusing him of beating up some woman. They all head immediately to the jail. Two filchers are sitting on the roof. One winks at Marja.
Inside they ask to see Theo Mustardseed and find that he head-butted a woman. They tell the Lieutenant in charge about their incident with the man who was beating his wife, hoping to establish a pattern of weird activity. The lieutenant reports that they’ve had two other domestic attacks and an 8-year-old boy who beat his grandmother. All were mild-mannered people. Theo is distraught and has no idea why he did it. They reassure him that everything will be ok.
Back at home Marja and Borin take some time upstairs with Lucre to tell him about their dreams while the others scrounge the kitchen and Kalina and Darkwind check out the house from outside. The filchers tell Kalina they’ve sensed something on the roof watching the house. Kalina feels fingers poking into her brain and then she spies the figure on the roof. She yells and casts fairy fire blue. In an instant the house springs into action. Marja casts spells as she darts down the stairs. Borin, Lucre and Kel are flying and Borin is invisible. Kira starts to sing. As she runs out the door, two frantic filchers grab her hands and drag her to the jailhouse. Kel follows her.
Kalina feels those fingers twisting inside her brain again. She falls unconscious. Marja darts into the alley and sends a lightening bolt shooting toward the blue figure. Caerwyn follows, shooting his crossbow as he springs across the alley. He hits the figure in the chest. “Nice shot,” Marja retorts taking cover next to him.
Lucre senses the psionic power. “Put down your brain and surrender,” he shouts as he hits the figure. The figure’s knees buckle and he disappears. Marja thinks he was summoned or projected. “He wore the symbol of Corean on his chest,” Lucre notes.
“I’m not surprised,” Caerwyn says. “Several years ago the Church started a project to rescue children of the ‘taint,’ but they had few positive results.”
“Perhaps if you didn’t call them tainted, but just called them children you’d have better luck,” Marja scowls.
Kalina heads to a quiet pool in the public garden to attempt a scry. She sees inside a dark room. There are several hooded figures. One is a young, but bald man. One is a woman on fire, but not in pain. One is in a sling with twisted limbs and bright, intelligent eyes. He’s supported by an enormous half-orc and a dark-skinned elf with whit hair who is covered in tattoos. All have pronounced blood marks.
The boy in the sling speaks, “I told you, you would mess it up. I told you just to watch. If they don’t find him, he’ll find us. We’re his only real choice. The Fellowship won’t have him. We can’t stay here. Jovan will find me. Barrett,” he addresses the bald man, “your primary goal is to find the hate spreader. His family is powerful and will try to hide him.
The pond ripples and the vision ends.
Our adventurers return to Vesh with mixed emotions. They are invigorated by their success in battle and relieved to find no trace of Mormo, however, the death of Fang, the resurfacing of Cosette and the destruction of the Mesos water had them deeply disturbed. They head straight to Beltray when they enter the city.
Beltray rails at Lucre for his stupidity, but only briefly. Matters are too severe to spend time on what is past. “Marja, why is your name on the wall in that cave? It does not breed confidence.”
Marja is miffed, “Can I control where my name is written?” She proceeds to tell Beltray everything they know about Cosette and that cave. Kalina gives Beltray the note Cosette from to Lady Axhet so he can use her handwriting for divination.
Borin has been paying very little attention. He asked Beltray what he knows of Madriel’s tears. They are powerful diamonds used in healing. Borin wants locations. The others are curious about his questions, but he remains silent. Only Marja sits contentedly interested in Beltray’s response.
Beltray orders lunch while he crawls through his books, listing locations of the holy diamonds one by one. “Only one is lost,” he finally muses lifting his head up from his books, “the tear of rage. Its existence has never been confirmed. It would be in Barath Narn, if it exists.” Borin and Marja perk up. “Barath Narn is the city that was built by dwarves and dark elves as a city of brotherhood. It was overrun by Churn in the Great War. The dwarves believed that the dark elves were in league with Churn.”
“They were!” Lucre butted in to affirm.
Beltray continues paying no attention. “They destroyed the bridges between it and Barak Torn. It’s said that when the Goran and Nathalos fell, Madriel shed a tear of blood. The power of such a thing…” Beltray is lost in thought. The others leave for home. Borin and Marja are prepared to disclose their dreams over dinner once everyone has had a chance to wash and rest.
They arrive home to find the door unlocked, the house full of dust, and no Theo. Terri noses around the neighborhood and finds out that the city guard dragged Theo off accusing him of beating up some woman. They all head immediately to the jail. Two filchers are sitting on the roof. One winks at Marja.
Inside they ask to see Theo Mustardseed and find that he head-butted a woman. They tell the Lieutenant in charge about their incident with the man who was beating his wife, hoping to establish a pattern of weird activity. The lieutenant reports that they’ve had two other domestic attacks and an 8-year-old boy who beat his grandmother. All were mild-mannered people. Theo is distraught and has no idea why he did it. They reassure him that everything will be ok.
Back at home Marja and Borin take some time upstairs with Lucre to tell him about their dreams while the others scrounge the kitchen and Kalina and Darkwind check out the house from outside. The filchers tell Kalina they’ve sensed something on the roof watching the house. Kalina feels fingers poking into her brain and then she spies the figure on the roof. She yells and casts fairy fire blue. In an instant the house springs into action. Marja casts spells as she darts down the stairs. Borin, Lucre and Kel are flying and Borin is invisible. Kira starts to sing. As she runs out the door, two frantic filchers grab her hands and drag her to the jailhouse. Kel follows her.
Kalina feels those fingers twisting inside her brain again. She falls unconscious. Marja darts into the alley and sends a lightening bolt shooting toward the blue figure. Caerwyn follows, shooting his crossbow as he springs across the alley. He hits the figure in the chest. “Nice shot,” Marja retorts taking cover next to him.
Lucre senses the psionic power. “Put down your brain and surrender,” he shouts as he hits the figure. The figure’s knees buckle and he disappears. Marja thinks he was summoned or projected. “He wore the symbol of Corean on his chest,” Lucre notes.
“I’m not surprised,” Caerwyn says. “Several years ago the Church started a project to rescue children of the ‘taint,’ but they had few positive results.”
“Perhaps if you didn’t call them tainted, but just called them children you’d have better luck,” Marja scowls.
Kalina heads to a quiet pool in the public garden to attempt a scry. She sees inside a dark room. There are several hooded figures. One is a young, but bald man. One is a woman on fire, but not in pain. One is in a sling with twisted limbs and bright, intelligent eyes. He’s supported by an enormous half-orc and a dark-skinned elf with whit hair who is covered in tattoos. All have pronounced blood marks.
The boy in the sling speaks, “I told you, you would mess it up. I told you just to watch. If they don’t find him, he’ll find us. We’re his only real choice. The Fellowship won’t have him. We can’t stay here. Jovan will find me. Barrett,” he addresses the bald man, “your primary goal is to find the hate spreader. His family is powerful and will try to hide him.
The pond ripples and the vision ends.
