Q'Barra: Into the Emerald Forest - Part II

Urko

First Post
First Night at Steadfast Reach, take 2
I’m going to back up a bit to the night of your arrival at the plantation in order to do a bit of historical revision to work in the changes to the party roster.

After the human guests and the members of the household have retired for the evening, a hush descends over the manor. Eff Flat and ‘he has no name’ move quietly about the library. About half of the books are written in the Dwarven tongue and therefore incomprehensible to them. Of those that remain, most seem to be about history, economics, or agriculture. ‘he has no name’ finds, among several books concerning animals, a thin tome on dog breeding and care. Eff Flat notices a book that seems oddly out of place – “Planar Theory: A Student’s Primer” – apparently published by The Twelve in Korth.

Before Eff Flat can open the book, Xavier enters the room and looks absently at the bookshelves. He waves vaguely to the two warforged but does not speak, or look like he wishes to. He peruses the titles without actually reading them. A sound causes him to start and put one hand to his sword. He relaxes when he sees that it’s just Old Borden.

”I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who can’t sleep,” the old priest says genially. He addresses Eff Flat and ‘he has no name’ with a chuckle. “I envy you, my friends, that you do not have to feel the frustration of a body that needs to sleep with a mind that won’t allow it.” He turns his attention back to Xavier. ”I’ve always found that a short walk can be most helpful – the events of last night excepted, of course.” He winks at ‘he has no name.’ ”Would you care to accompany me, my young friend?” With a grunt that might be an assent, Xavier follows the priest out of the library.

With the humans gone, peace reigns once again. Dog, asleep under ‘he has no name’s’ chair, heaves a mighty sigh and rolls over. Eff Flat can now examine the book more closely. Much of it is given over to long charts and incomprehensible arcane notation. The rest is a basic description of the thirteen planes that are said to orbit Eberron in a metaphysical manner and their supposed effect upon the world. There is a bookmark on the section concerning Daanvi, the Perfect Order. The bookmark itself appears to be part of a page from another book – it’s a fragment of a recipe for pixieberry pie. Written on it in pencil are the words Merrit exp. – stone trv?

Around three bells of the morning, the storm finally breaks, with terrific violence. Eff Flat cannot help but envy the percussive power of the thunder. At times, the sound seems to fill the whole world. It does not occur to either of the warforged to wonder if the two humans made it back in before the rain started.

The book provides most of the information on the planes in the Eberron Campaign Sourcebook.
 
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Interlude – Sanae dreams

Flat angular shapes that must be trees surround Sanae. They rush past and she vaguely wonders how the trees can move so quickly. Then she trips and falls on her face in the fetid water and realizes that it was her who was moving. A strong hand pulls her up. Leara. The girl puts her hand back to her stomach, trying to stop the endless red flow. They’re moving again, the trees just a blur. Hisses and roars seem to come from every direction. Menacing, reptilian shapes in the shadows, never quite becoming visible. Sanae realizes they’re being toyed with, herded in the direction their foes want them to go.

A brown hill looms close, its side gashed with a black hole. Sanae knows the enemy is too close, that they will be found, but Leara can’t run anymore. They have to try to hide, to find a defensible place. They plunge into the dark.

And emerge into a blinding light. A silver light. It is the Great Temple – Flamekeep itself! Leara is gone, forgotten. A stately procession moves by – a long line of somber ecclesiasts in their finest robes. They either do not see or ignore the mud streaked paladin lying beside their path. Sanae realizes it is an ordination ceremony, that a priest is being raised to the rank of cardinal. The initiate is lead up to the Keeper of the Flame and receives his purple sash. He turns to face the congregation and Sanae recoils with horror when she realizes that it is Kajalaketh. He alone of all the assembly seems to be able to see her and he fixes her with a smug grin that breaks into a mocking cackle. His laughter is still echoing in her ears when Sanae wakes up.
 

Morning at Steadfast Reach, take 2

The sleeping humans and reading warforged are roused at dawn by the insistent clamoring of a bell ringing steadily somewhere on the grounds. Gathering themselves together, the party runs to investigate, gathering on the veranda at the back of the house. The plantation grounds are invisible, cloaked in a thick white blanket of fog. Excited voices and dashing about can be heard in all directions. A shape detaches from the mist, resolving into the form of your employer. ”We’ve been hit again,” Kolbek pants. ”Worst one yet. Better get your gear together – it’s time to start earning your pay.” He does a double take. ”Where’s the big young buck and the old priest?”

Eff Flat, Erin, ‘he has no name,’ and Sanae may act.

Matilda and Dargin will be worked in very soon.
 

Sanae awoke with a scream in her throat. Once she realized that it had only been a dream, she vaguely remembers the dying words of Kajalaketh and makes a note to speak with the others about her dream. Unable to return to sleep, she spent the time between waking and meeting up with the others in prayer, then in her morning excercises.

When Kolbek speaks Sanae frowns deeply, "Xavier and Borden are not in their rooms? This is very troubling. Has anyone seen them between dinner and morning?" She looked between Kolbek, the workers and the other party members.
 

Erin

Erin arrives on the veranda wearing a hastily-donned robe and clenching her morningstar. When she sees there is no immediate threat, she visibly relaxes. She peers into the thick mist, hoping to catch a glimpse of Xavier or Borden. Perhaps they heard something earlier and went to investigate, thought Erin. Hmmm. No. Our little group has already learned the value of numbers, I believe.

"Perhaps they tarried in their room, or slept through the alarm. I shall collect the rest of my things and check on them."

Erin dons her armor and grabs her gear, moving quickly. She'll then head to Xavier's and Bordern's room. She'll knock, and if she doesn't hear an answer she'll glance inside. If she doesn't see them, Erin will go over to their beds and take a closer look. Were they even slept in? Are their weapons here?

Spot on Xavier's room: 1d20+0=2
Spot on Borden's room: 1d20+0=17
Search on Xavier's bed: 1d20+0=3
Search on Bordern's bed: 1d20+0=1
 

‘he has no name’ speaks

(Not sure when doghead gets back, so I’ll go ahead and NPC him for the weekend to keep things moving)

‘he has no name’ had been quietly observing the activity when Sanae’s question draws him out of his reverie. ”We both saw them.” He indicates Eff Flat. ”Last night. Before the storm. They went for a walk. I never heard them come back in.”
 

Dargin and Matilda meet

This meeting takes place on the evening of the 20th of Dravago, not long before the rest of the party is arriving in Steadfast Reach. This interlude is to give you a chance to meet in character. Once that’s done, we’ll jump to you arriving at the plantation and join the rest of the party

Dargin Crow Speaker has a problem. As near as he can tell, the group he seeks left this morning on a fast river boat. After a day of walking the docks, he has discovered two things. One, that fast boats cost far more than the handful of coins he currently has and two, any boat willing to carry him for the pathetic sum he does have will take at least two days to get where he needs to be. Sitting at the end of the pier thinking, he notices a human woman regarding him intently...
******
Matilda D’Orien has a problem. Lots of them in fact, mostly stemming from her family, but at the moment she’s more concerned about her empty purse and an overwhelming sense of boredom than anything else. She’s spent this afternoon skulking about the Orien Courier Post, mostly because it annoys the station master and she has little better to do. A strange character has caught her eye: one of those odd Talenta dino-riders and his clawfoot companion. He seems desperate to get somewhere and lacking the funds necessary to procure legitimate transport. Perhaps Matilda can help...
 
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Erin searches

Neither Xavier nor Borden respond to Erin’s knock. Driven by anxiety, her search of the rooms is fairly cursory, but it appears that both left most of their gear. Xavier’s bed does appear slept, or at least lain, in. Borden’s is still neatly made. One curious thing does catch Erin’s eye in Borden’s room. The window is open and there is a large puddle beneath it. On a low table in front of the window lies an open book, soaked completely through. It is a slender folio of prayers to the Sovereign Host.
 

Dargin and Matilda Meet

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10... 10gp. It was the fourth time he had counted his funds and it was the same every time. Dargin sighs again, knowing that no matter how many times he counts it it would still be far short of what he needed to get upriver. Malk nudges him from behind, breaking his dour musing. He sighs, "I know Malk, you are hungry as well. I just hope you don't get tired of fish as that's the only meat I can catch around here." Malk tips his head to the side and hoots in response. Dargin smiles a bit, glad at least one of them is keeping a cheerful outlook. "Maybe we can work our way up river on a boat. I might be able to row, or wield a pole to help pay our way. It'd take us weeks to get there through this jungle." He turns his head to look at his shoulder. "Yes Grandfather, we could try working in town but the local guilds might not care for us casting spells for money in their territory. It's one thing to do it for free to help people, but it's quite another issue to do it for profit." Dargin sighs again and tosses a pebble into the water. He looks over at his shoulder again. "What's that? Who's watching us?" He turns to regard a human female eyeing him from farther down the pier. He has gotten used to the attention he receives when in town which is part of the reason he rarely has cause to come into one. Something about her look is more appraisal than curiousity. Perhaps she can help...
With nothing much to lose by trying, he stands up and moves to approach her.
 

Erin

Erin's hand lightly brushes against the water-logged book as she peers out the window, her brow furrowed. Curious, she thought.

Erin turns and leaves the window, and heads out to the hallway with a purposeful stride. She rests her hand on her morningstar, and formulae whirl about in her head prepared for use. I fear something's happened to them. Their disappearance and last night's attack are far too coincidental.

Erin returns to the veranda. It is obvious to all present that she is worried. "They're gone," Erin says. "Most of their gear remains, however. I do not believe now that they went off without us. Xavier would be far too cynical to leave his things behind." A wry smile lifts the edge of her mouth only momentarily. "So... we have a problem."
 

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