Paths of Legend: The Journey

[crazy_monkey1956]

Jolly gets Estelle a handkerchief and settles back into his chair, "Thankfully no one, that I know of. William headed into the orcish lands to track down that undead army you and he saw leaving the Necropolis. The others made it back to the Azgundi capital."

Jolly points at the rapier case with his pipe, "I think Corath would want you to have those. I can't be sure, as I'm not an arcanist, but I think at least some measure of her spirit still resides within those rapiers. I think Azilyk has taken the rest of Corath's body for her own purposes."

He pauses a moment, gathering his thoughts, "Your friends are in a great deal of danger. The tournaments are starting soon and a great deal of political maneuvering will be taking place. It wouldn't surprise me some of your former companions were planning on competing for the Silvergard lordship. But, the Dagger is there. Not to mention a thousand and one more mundane dangers."

Jolly stops for a moment, looking into the bowl of his pipe, which is stubbornly refusing to light. He sighs heavily and mutters to himself in the halfling language.

 

[ethandrew]

Relief washed over Estelle's face at the news that William hasn't died, "William went into the orcish lands by himself?" She shakes her head, lost in the moment.

She uses the handkerchief to dab at her eyes as she takes in the news of her friends, "I must get to Azgund. If there's a chance to bringing Corath back to her body, to finding this dagger, to stopping Azilyk, I must take it. I can't sit back and watch the world tear apart and unravel in front of me. Jolly, the world wants me to do evil, it pulls me in that direction, but I must fight it. I must help them, I must find them."

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Jolly nods and ponders a moment, then sits forward looking at Estelle intently, "You are quite possibly unique. You realize that, don't you? Somewhere between life and death. You being what you are, at this particular time, is no accident. It is quite possible that you could do what no one in this world has ever done. Master the Dagger."

The emphasis he puts on "this world" seems almost as if he might be suggesting that there are other worlds.

 

[ethandrew]

She looks at him oddly, sitting up a bit straighter, "I don't understand, the dagger that killed Johen's master. I know it's more than it seems, but I don't know how, or how I could use it where others can't." She takes a deep breath and stares deep into his eyes, "And you must never tell people about me, about my family history. If they knew, if people knew, they would string me up and kill me. I did not choose this life, but it chose me and it's the only one I have, so I have to do what I must."

She leans back and takes another drink of her tea, the bitterness now a little bit less palatable than before. She savors the empty warmth before pursing her lips in silent determination, "So, Jollitri Tal, what must I do?"

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

"Well, find the Dagger of course. Before someone else does."

Jolly finally gets his pipe lit and puffs little smoke rings that drift through the air, adding an aroma of sweet wood to the room.

"By someone else, I mean anyone else...even your friends. That Dagger offers power to any who wield it, power that could corrupt even the purest of souls. I have a suspicion that that's part of the reason William went off on his own. He got a brief taste of that power when your former companions confronted Azilyk."

Jolly opens the wooden case again, "You'll want to take these. I don't know how much of Corath still dwells within them, but I can tell you they are enchanted, and powerfully so."

 

[ethandrew]

Estelle reaches down and gingerly grabs the grip on one of the rapiers and lifts it from its case. She tests its balance, almost like she knows what she is doing. "Can I use them? I mean, will it hurt Corath?" She awkwardly squints her face in realization at the stupidity of her question.

She steadfastly looks at Jolly, "How fast can I get to Azgund?"

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Estelle feels an odd twinge from the rapier...an urge, a desire almost, to hold the other rapier as well.

Jolly answers, "On foot, a couple of weeks. On horseback, a week-ish, depending on the horse."

OOC: The rapiers are +1 silvered rapiers with Int 12, Wis 12, and Cha 10. The rapiers communicate via empathy to their wielder (I'll be playing the rapiers, so don't worry about that part). The rapiers are able to see to a range of 30 ft. and can hear as a normal human. The rapiers are neutral in alignment can be wielded by anyone with a neutral component in their alignment. The rapiers have an Ego score of 4 (this is the Will save DC should the wielder and the rapiers come into conflict). Last but not least, they can use disguise self 3 times per day, caster level 1, as a standard action (which the rapiers take, not the wielder). Note that they don't both have this power, they share the power. The rapiers lose all magical properties if they are seperated by more than 5 feet and both must be in hand to activate special properties. The rapiers will grow in power as their wielder does, assuming they and the wielder get along.

 

[ethandrew]

Estelle reaches down to retrieve the other rapier and starts talking pretty quickly, "I'm not that experienced with a horse, but I'm sure I can pick it up well enough to get to Azgund in a week. I have to get there fast to get that dagger..." She stops when her hand grabs the other rapier, feeling the odd sensation grow greater as she neared the reconnecting the pair.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Now that Estelle has both in hand, a feeling of contentment emanates from them.

Jolly nods, "I don't suppose you remember Captain Pirren from the last time you were here? Eastern border patrol commander? Well, anyway, he's in town, up at the barracks. Talk to him about loaning you a horse. Tell him that Jolly vouches for you and you should be fine."

 

[ethandrew]

Estelle nods her understanding to the instructions. She needed to get food, she was certain, lest she repeat her present circumstances. This all was a lot to take in. Norali was dead, Corath had been turned into these rapiers with her body being used by Azilyk, and William, poor William, it appears had a taste of the evil she had never wanted him to experience, and now he's off fighting orcs. At least he's alive, for now. Estelle knew she had a lot to do, a lot of responsibility rested with her, finding the dagger, resisting the seduction of its power, and somehow using that to destroy the Serpent Queen. But she knew also that the day would come in which she would seek out William, to find him or what came of him. But that day wasn't today, sadly.

Estelle stood from the bed, and she realized how small this room truly was. She spotted her gear in the corner, organized meticulously and with care. She looked for someplace on her person to secure the two beautiful rapiers, finally she turned to Jolly, "Are there scabbards for these? I'm not that used to swords." She sighed a deep sigh, not one of desperation or disappointment, but one of contentment. She knew what she must do, but first it was to get to Azgund. The find the dagger and her friends, hopefully in that order. And hopefully it would be easy.