THE HEROES OF DYVERS CHAPTER 7: CLARE'S ERRAND

[Tellerian Hawke]

OOC: Basically, to make the comment correct and timely, just remove the word "trapped." And the mention of this obvious fact suddenly has many party members, all of whom speak Elvish, slapping their foreheads with their palms. It occurs to everyone that because Elves are so long-lived, their languages very rarely change.

 

[MacConnell]

Lathir shakes his head and sighs. He feels like he has suffered the effects of a ripple in time and was momentarily displaced by a few minutes. In Elven, since he speaks it and to his knowledge the language has not changed in even 2 millennia, he says, “You have been trapped by magic for a time so great that it will make little sense to explain it. I am sorry to say, my friend, that you are being used for a malicious purpose by a powerful and malevolent being.”

 

[Aust Thale]

Respen:
Whispering to himself the indignity of this fellow’s plight focuses him. The last hours have felt like a year or longer. Perhaps it’s claustrophobia. Perhaps it was the illusions.
Perhaps it’s the abruptness of Dame Clare’s “assistance”. He feels himself growing resentful of these tasks. A hollowness has been growing in his chest, a darkness creeping in his mind.

Listening to Lathir and Dewydd, he states flatly, “…Something wicked this way comes….”

 

[Diarmadhim]

"Erm - ahh..." Travis clears his throat before asking, almost timidly, "Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job, Leonard... but Lathir has a point. He's an elf. Have we ever met an elf that didn't speak elvish?"

Leonard stammers, opens his mouth, closes it, raises a finger, opens his mouth again, shakes his head, and closes his mouth one more time before sheepishly grinning. "That... is a good point. I was just excited to hear tidbits of an archaic dialect. It's now on my list of things to learn." Turning to the towering elf, he awaits a response to Lathir's statement.

 

[Waynan]

Vale's axe, the vessel for Val Copperbeard's soul, speaks up in its usual, blustery tone. "Yes, he's sure, shrimpboy! Grow a pair! And if you're worried about traps, then put those locksmith skills to good use!"

"Sure about what? You pompous axe!"
"I was asking about the magic, not about traps."

 

[Harps]

Lathir shakes his head and sighs. He feels like he has suffered the effects of a ripple in time and was momentarily displaced by a few minutes. In Elven, since he speaks it and to his knowledge the language has not changed in even 2 millennia, he says, “You have been trapped by magic for a time so great that it will make little sense to explain it. I am sorry to say, my friend, that you are being used for a malicious purpose by a powerful and malevolent being.”

Djyn’s face contorts into a concerned and slightly confused expression. He takes a deep breath processing the situation. He composes himself and says to Lathir in Elvish, “I understand, I appreciate your honesty. I can tell that you have no ill intent towards me, but you must understand that I do not fully trust you. If you were to explain a little more about where I am and who you are I might trust you a little more.”

 

[MacConnell]

Lathir nods, "For all intents and purposes, my name is Lathir. I am a druid who serves Meilikki. As to the rest of it, it is best that I leave explanations to better minds than mine. I am merely assisting my new friends in their endeavor, though I have divine assurance that this is of great importance with far reaching portent."

 

[Diarmadhim]

Leonard steps forward at Lathir's words. In Elvish he states, "Il semblerait que vous soyez victime d'un sortilège lancé par un sorcier maléfique. Il a dû y avoir un problème lors de son incantation, car normalement, vous seriez sous son emprise et nous attaqueriez à l'heure qu'il est. Heureusement, ce n'est pas le cas ! Nous sommes des aventuriers des Terres Libres de Dyvers, et nous explorons ce donjon pour le compte d'un employeur. C'est un heureux hasard si nous sommes tombés sur vous. Je crains que vous ne soyez prisonnier depuis un certain temps, car si notre calendrier nous amène à l'an 964 de l'ère chrétienne, cela correspond à l'an 6 479 du calendrier julien."

Spoiler: Elvish Translation

"You appear to have been caught in a spell by an evil caster. They must have had something go awry with their casting, because normally you would be under their control and attacking us right now. I am glad that didn't happen! We are adventurers from the Free Lands of Dyvers, exploring this dungeon for an employer right now. It is fortuitous that we came upon you. I fear you have been trapped for quite some time, for while our calendar is CY 964, that translates to S.D. 6,479."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

OOC: Posting on behalf of Harps

Djyn listens carefully to both Lathir and Leonard before replying in the Elven tongue. Those who speak the Elven tongue notice the distinct, sing-song characteristics of the Gray Elf dialect.

Spoiler: If you speak Elven

"It seems that I have, by this one's (indicating Leonard) estimation, been magically imprisoned for approximately 1,500 years. In the reckoning of my people, I am 252 summers old. However, for the past 100 or so years before my imprisonment, I lived among humans, and grew accustomed to speaking their language as my primary tongue. But I have not forgotten the language of my Gray Elf lineage. As for the spell going awry, if it was intended to mentally compel my mind, then it was doomed to fail from the start; for I am an agent of Xan Yae, and my mind is ruled by serenity, and a perfect, calm, sense of peace that comes from knowing and accepting one's inner self, and achieving the highest level of enlightenment. Mere spells cannot put asunder that which has been uncovered by enlightenment. My lady of balance has freed me from such burdens."

He turns to Lathir, and says, "I am well aware of the Forest Mother, and her agents, and I can sense her influence upon you. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, and I am more than happy to accompany you and your companions on your journey, especially since I seem to have no idea where I am, nor any idea as to how I might leave. Serving the Forest Mother is a worthy endeavor, and will give me a sense of purpose and direction. Lead the way, my friend, and I shall follow." He then nods at Lathir, smiling.

Spoiler: Know. Religion DC 15.

Xan Yae’s clerics wear cloaks of gray and typically carry falchions or those weapons associated with monks. They are agents of harmony and discipline, seeking out extreme alignments and factions and bringing them toward balance. They train others in the martial and mental arts, study with gurus, and seek out evidence of the Universal Mind. They are active in seeking to change the world. They pray at dusk. Purpose: The mastery of the mental and martial arts can be combined to attain a higher level of existence.
Pursuit of Perpetual Harmony: The pursuit of balance and symmetry in all things. The driving purpose of Xan Yae's followers.
Xan Yae, through her enigmatic presence and teachings, offers a path to those who walk in the twilight, seeking the unseen harmony that binds the world. Her followers, embracing the disciplines of body and mind, strive toward balance in a world teeming with light and shadow. In the teachings of Xan Yae, one finds not just a deity, but a philosophy that seeks to transcend the dichotomies of existence, finding peace and power in the delicate balance of twilight.

Spoiler: Cited Sources

D&D Tools (Xan Yae | D&D Tools), D&D Wiki (Xan Yae), and The Verbobonc Campaign Guide (https://www.worldanvil.com/w/verbobonc-campaign-guide-576cy-stylinlp38/a/xan-yae-person)

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Val (the annoying, talking axe on Vale's belt) pipes up once more: "Ye sound like a Gray Elf, but yer skin and hair are bleached almost white. What happened to ye, tree hugger? Perhaps being trapped in that glowing orb for so long has taken its toll upon yer body?" For once, the axe is almost sympathetic and compassionate in its tone, aside from its condescending description of Elves.