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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cloudgatherer" data-source="post: 196284" data-attributes="member: 66">Elves on the move...choosing the least of two evils?The party has successfully defeated the Dark Wizard.  He awaited them in his lair under Rama's courier service in Saven and there he engaged them.  Star was killed by his own worst feats (phantasmal killer), Remus and Katrina trapped in a force bubble, while Canthor and Rax barely managed to defeat the Dark Wizard, then carry his unconscious form away from an iron golem.  In the end, the party had him turned into stone, and sent him to the ethereal plane...."Five down, one to go," she smiled to herself, walking out of Aenith's main gates and proceeding to our heroes' house.  Katrina dreamed of her husband, whom she has not seen for an entire year, as she strode along the dirt path.  Her demeanor soon sombered as she recalled the sending she had received.  Aenith was being threatened once again, but it was not by Polary, it was the elves this time.  For months they have controlled the Free Northern cities (or formerly free cities), and taxed them extensively.  The last group of elven ambassadors had made threats, at least indirectly, to Olon, high cleric of Bryle and informal leader of Aenith.  The danger came as no surprise...."We should check it out!" Star proclaimed.  His sly sense of discovery taking hold of him."The message I heard said that we had roughly three days, and that Ralanov fell to a ship.  I suppose the elves built a ship and sailed it down the Qizix to assault Ralanov, if that is the case, it does not threaten Aenith, we do not have any rivers," reported Katrina."We could use the portal to go to Ralanov and check out the city," offered Remus."I'd rather not," Katrina stated quickly.  "Alerting the elves to the portal might only cause them to enter Aenith this way.  Also, if we seal it off, then we are trapped in Aenith as well, the portal goes to more places than just Ralanov.""I could teleport!" the gold-cloaked kobold proclaimed.  "I could do it tomorrow....""We should check it out today," decided Star.  "We'll go see Olon, perhaps he can call Canthor back and he can cast that wind spell of his.""We've tried contacting Canthor.  Something is interferring with magical communications..." stated Katrina.The party proceeded to seek Olon's help, and he agreed to provide them with the necessary spell to allow them to travel to Ralanov and investigate the situation.  The gaseous form of the party members raced across the sky, however the sight that met them along the way answered many of their questions....Sure enough, Ralanov had fallen to a ship:  a bloody floating one!  With massive metal plates fastened to its underside, over a dozen propellers for propulsion (forwards and back), and a small congregation of elves on the deck the ship appeared capable of leveling an entire city with the amount of weaponry it possessed.  Studying some of the elves on the deck, it was easy to make out their chosen profession:  arcane magic."Guess that answers 'where the money went'", thought Star.  As daring as usual, Star floated below the great ship, and carefully made his way into an open portal in the ship's side and started to reform in the presence of a studying elven wizard....Meanwhile, Remus and Rax were trying to make out what they were seeing, studying the ship closely, and mistakingly thinking Star was that fluffy cloud right next to them...."Egads!  Alarm, alarm!" the elf in gold starred, blue robes exclaimed as Star changed his appearance in his cabin.  As he materialized, Star could hear the approaching footsteps of elven guardsmen, and quickly hid in the upper shelf of the closet.Within a few breaths the room was filled with elven swordsmen.  Cautiously the blue-robbed elf entered the room, followed by two other elves (Star could hear, but not see)."What is it Calvis?" one remarked."I saw a wind form reshape right in front of me," Calvis, the blue-robbed mage, answered.The two elves who had entered with Calvis began casting their spells, scanning the room for possible life forms."I don't sense the life force of anyone but who I see," stated one elf, silent until now."And I see Calvis has a collection of magic items in his closet!" laughed the first elf."No, I don't," Calvis protested.The elves gave a hearty laugh, not believing the elven mage as the patrol left the room.  When convinced he was alone, Star decided to leave his hiding place and investigate.  Peering outside the room, the blue-robed mage was keeping an eye on the door, but studying his spell book as well.  Assuming the form of someone he studied on the ship's deck, Star used his ring of change self to slip into the hallway unnoticed and make his way to the main deck.On the deck, Star surveyed his surroundings.  Enough artillary to severely damage Aenith's walls, not to mention the number of mages.  Aenith had no arcane support, the clerics and paladins of Bryle served as its cheif defense.  Carefully, Star proceeded to make cuts in several of the larger ballistea ropes, hopefully they'll break during the fight and go unnoitced until then....Changing forms when needed, Star proceeded down the ship's decks.  At the third level, a pair of elven guards stood a vigilant watch.  After surveying them for a bit, a bearded male gnome waltzed up the stairs and proceeded up.  Assuming the gnomes form, Star proceeded down the stairs.He did not make it far, for the quickly encounted a runned door.  If there were any more magic on the door, it would have bitten Star on the rear, probably literrally...  Star removed one of the continual flame torches from the hallway and replaced it with a normal torch, then hid in the shadows and waited.He waited for about 15 minutes when the gnome returned to find 2 very confused elven guardsmen.  Detecting something was amiss, the trio proceeded down the stairs and found an identical looking gnome."Grab him, he's an imposter! I'll go get help," Star shouted.  The guards responded quickly, and siezed the gnome."Hey, wait! I'm no imposter you tree-huggers!" he protested, as Star quickly walked back up the stairs and into the nearest open room.  He decided to waste no more time, as he shifted back into wind shape and returned to Aenith with Remus and Rax.Olon was shocked by Star's tale.  The door was obviously heavily magically sealed.  The party debated a variety of ways to bring the airship down, but they had access to none of the options they could think of, and others appeared longshots at the very best, suicide missions at worst.  Olon advised against going back to the ship, especially since Star's presence was likely reported and security will be much tighter.The party decided upon a previously open course of action:  retreival of the last medallion piece.  With that power, they could finally free Cloudgatherer, and he could set things right.  With Olon's assistance once again, the party, along with Katrina, proceeded to Kilinay, the home of the Phantoms, the deadliest assassins in all of Aera.Katrina took up a room in the Inn of the Red Blade, laying low.  She was a target in this city, the less she did, the better.  Meanwhile, the adventurers proceeded up to the Phantom Estate, and knocked on the large door.At first, the butler, a stately looking older gentlemen, would not permit them access.  Star persisted, he used his medallion's detection ability, which would alert Varrius Afus, to a medallion's presence.  The butler rolled his eyes and later returned to say the group will be admitted.  Storing their weapons, the party was shown to a table filled with delectables, and seated across from Varrius Afus himself.With a formal air, Varrius conducted himself while he ate and questioned the party.  Star did most of the talking, and asked to "rent" his medallion piece for one month.  Varruis looked upon it suspiciously, "only if you have the other five is this one of much value, especially for 30 aquans" (30 aquans = 30,000 gp).  Star assurred Varrius that he only had a couple, but in response Varrius scanned the area for himself.  He felt the presence of 4 other medallion pieces, the 3 on the party, and Katrina wearing hers once again.Varrius related a tale of a man who wished to procur his piece:  the Dark Wizard.  The only way the party could have possibly gathered that many is to have slain him, as he would not give them up lightly.  Star admitted to the deed, and Varrius called to his butler, who proceeded to cross off the name of Silven Nightmantle from the wall.  In the Phantom Estate, the names of traitors, failed assassinations, and others who have opposed the Phantoms are named upon a wall.  Katrina's name is also on that wall, meaning if she were killed, her killer could become a Phantom.Varrius offered membership to the Phantoms, but doubted the party would accept.  Star declined, but said he may join at a later time.  Varrius promised to think over the matter, as he had business to attend to, and would see the party in the morning.  Star's protests to resolve the matter presently were ignored as Varrius left to take care of some "business."That night the party slept outside of town, lest Varrius' business included acquiring Katrina's medallion piece.  The next morning, Katrina agreed to let Remus carry the piece, lest Varrius discover her in the city.Returning to the Phantom Estate, they again met with Varrius.  He had thought of the offer, and would be willing to agree with one condition:  the party recover his blade, the Wind's Edge, that was recently taken from him.  If the party produced the blade for him, he would agree to Star's deal of 30K GP, for the loan of the medallion piece.  The party agreed, and left the estate.The party was attacked by some Phantom thugs while debating their next course of action.  The arrogant attackers threatened for their money or lives, to which Remus answered with his green glowing sword.  In short order, the thugs were routed, but the townfolk looked at them in shock and horror, for they had just slain Phantoms, which one just does not do in Kilinay.  As the party walked away, a man asked to speak with them.  He inquired if Remus was the "Green Death" and said he was once known under that name (while under the Dark Wizard's control).The shrouded man made the appointment to meet with the party around noon at a local tavern.  Meanwhile, the party returned to Katrina, who did her best to heal the wounds the thugs had inflicted on the party.  She mentioned a sad event, the death of a merchant who has funded the Silver Swords for years.  He was killed just the previous night, by Varrius Afus.  The party was saddened by the news, but being so close to their goal of acquiring all the medallion pieces, they set it aside...for now.At their scheduled meeting, the plot thickened for our heroes.  Ambros, an obvious follower of Valeya, goddess of War, stated his business plainly.  He was a leader of an organization, composed of several smaller organizations, mostly thieves guilds, who want the Phantoms displaced.  For far too long the Phantoms have been hired and end up killing who they please in the underworld, he wants it to end.  Star, sensing the man's dedication, asked about Varrius' weapon, the Wind's Edge, and Ambros confirmed he was indeed in possession of the weapon (not on him, naturally).Unsuccessfully, Star attempted to persuade Ambros to allow them to use the blade, returning it to Varrius in order to gain his trust.  Ambros scoffed at the idea, not only does it make Varrius considerably more dangerous, but the plan Star proposed would mean at least an addition month of Varrius wreaking havoc with the blade!  Also, he had no reason to trust the party with such a weapon...Instead, he proposed the party slay Varrius.  If successful, he would give the party the blade as payment after the deed is done.  Ambros would be able to secure Varrius' next target, as the trading of this kind of information was rather common among the Phantoms, often for sale for those outside the organization.The party, considered the deal, and asked for some time to ponder the decision.  Ambros agreed, and left them to their thoughts.....</blockquote>

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