Of Rings, Spells, and Consequences...
As Tam-Tam sits down, a murmur cuts through the crowd. It seems that Tam has caused quite a stir; many people begin to whisper and point, until Margull silences them with a single gesture.
Margull addresses Tam, but it’s obviously for the crowd’s benefit: “My little friend, justice here in Dyvers is indeed swift, and sometimes brutal, but it is also always fair. As much as I hate to say it, you will now be charged with unauthorized weapon brandishment, and with physical abuse of a prisoner. Despite the fact that these men are criminals, and despite the fact that many gathered here likely feel the same way as you, it is NOT within your purview to render judgment, nor to carry out punishment. Each of these two crimes carry a hefty fine, although I shall waive the hard labor period, as long as you swear to LEARN YOUR PLACE, and in the future, to KEEP WITHIN IT!”
Margull gives Tam a long, hard stare.
[sblock=If anyone can make a DC 15 Sense Motive roll, feel free to read this]
Margull is giving Tam a pleading look, as if begging him to accept his sentence willingly and quietly, without making a fuss. It’s obvious he is going very light on him for some reason.
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Laramon uses various spells to restrain the interlopers, and instructs Lieutenant Benquist to take them to his tower. Laramon gathers up the gold rings from the guests, as well as the silver ring from the paralyzed man. He places them in his belt pouch, saying that he will examine them later in his laboratory. Laramon says that he can see the magical auras of the rings, and that he can tell from looking at them that they are keyed to function under two conditions, the first being that the ring is actually worn, and the second being that the ring is presented to someone as a gift.
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[sblock=Tam’s eyes only]
Tam notices Palimov staring at him, an angry look in his eyes. Palimov signs to him again, saying: WHY DID YOU TAKE SUCH A HUGE CHANCE? YOU SHOULD HAVE SLIT HIS THROAT! YOU SILLY, LITTLE OAF! YOUR INCOMPETENCE HAS COST OUR GUILD DEARLY!
Margull notices what Palimov is doing, and does some signing of his own: I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP AND BE SILENT. WE WILL ALL TALK ABOUT THIS LATER, IN PRIVATE! THIS IS MOSTLY YOUR FAULT!
Palimov puts on a calm face, so as not to attract attention, but it is obviously that he is still fuming in silence. Tam, you can’t help but wonder what the relationship between Palimov and Margull is, that Margull is able to command such complete and immediate obedience…?
[/sblock]
Margull continues, “This party, unfortunately, is at an end. All guests who did not receive rings are free to go. Those that did, shall accompany Laramon and I back to his tower. Dewydd, you and your companions, ESPECIALLY THE HALFLING, will accompany us as well. I have business to discuss with all of you. That will be all.”
Once everyone involved is within the private confines of Laramon’s tower, Margull separates the party members and the ring recipients in two different rooms. Margull enters the room occupied by the party, closes the door, and being satisfied that the room is sufficiently private, he speaks candidly to all of you:
”Let me begin by apologizing to you, my dear Tamarlin, for scolding you thus, in public; you will not actually be charged any kind of fine, because it is my belief that these ‘men’ are not men at all. I suspect that they are fiendish in origin, which seems to be a pattern here lately, considering what occurred last year in my courtroom. The laws of Dyvers protect men, but they do not apply to creatures of fiendish origin, sent to corrupt mankind and spread chaos.
However, I would caution you against such wanton defiance of authority in the future, because I would have indeed fined you, and perhaps worse, had your intended victim been a normal man. Justice in this city is mine, and mine alone.
And as for Palimov, I saw him order you to do what you did, which is another reason that I shall not punish you, although he and I are long overdue for a serious talk. It seems that I have granted him too much leeway, and he now feels that he can ran amuck, even to the extent of ordering a murder within not only my jurisdiction, but quite literally under my very nose! Palimov is a dear friend, but this act of defiance will test the limits of that bond!
But nevermind all that now; I have never taken the time to thank all of you properly, and for that, I also must apologize. You have all played an important part in the stability of this city and of its domain; your rescue of Sheriff Denby in Caltaran, and your subsequent capture of Beringer Crestwall, and your protection of Beringer during the assassination attempt, not to mention your swift action against the fiends who defiled my courtroom, are all actions worthy of praise, and what you have done here today is to add even more icing to an already impressive cake.
I shall write a proclamation this day, designating all of you as The Heroes of Dyvers, granting all of you titular petty nobility status, which means that all of you are now authorized to wear the insignia of Dyvers upon your vestments, and be known as Lords and Ladies, and addressed as such by those beneath your station. I shall extend this courtesy even to your newfound friends, having heard tell of their loyalty, bravery, and excellent behavior.”
| GM: | All party members, with the exception of the twins (who are seen as hirelings), have been granted Minor Writs of Nobility and have had their 2,500 gp. per year fee WAIVED, although Margull suggests that making some sort of annual donation to the city’s maintenance (payable to the Viceroy) would be looked upon with kind favor. |
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| GM: | The ‘men’ are placed within a Forcecage (barred cage version), from which there is no escape. Laramon casts Dispel Magic upon the captives, who turn out to be a Doppleganger, and a Rutterkin, respectively. It seems that Margull’s suspicions are confirmed with an uncanny degree of accuracy. Laramon then re-paralyzes both creatures, dismissing the Forcecage spell; he then follows up by casting Imprisonment on both of them. The two prisoners are now both out of sight and out of mind. A grim, dismal fate to be sure. |
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Margull continues, “I am now going to confide something in all of you, something that must be kept strictly secret, for the sake of this city, and of the stability of the entire region. I am what most people would call a vampire, although this is technically incorrect. I am indeed immortal, and possessed of a tainted life force. My kind are few and far-between; we call ourselves The Ones of the True Blood, although some people who have discovered our existence erroneously misinterpret that title, referring to us as the True Vampires. But the term “vampire” does not do my kind justice; we are so much more than that. The power of The Abyss itself runs through our veins, and we are all connected by a single lifeforce, spread across a vast web of consciousness. The lifeforce is said to be demonic in nature, but in our long history, only two of my kind ever proved to be truly evil. While it is true that we are cursed to require fresh blood as our primary source of sustenance, most of us struggle daily to slake that thirst without the taking of sentient life.
I am now over 2,200 years old; but early in my existence, upon reaching my 150th year as an immortal, at the age of 309, I was captured by a mortal Wizard who was bent on obtaining immortality at any cost. He kept me prisoner for over 200 years, experimenting on me, making potions from my blood, extending his lifespan, and finally, succeeding in turning himself into a rude mockery of my kind, an abomination, which my kind refer to as Vampyr, which literally means, Those of the Stolen Blood. By the time I freed myself from my imprisonment, that fiend had spawned thousands of his kind, and it is those creatures, The Vampyr, whom your kind despise and fear, calling them “vampire.” And I have made it my life’s purpose, since the time of my escape, to hunting down Vampyr wherever I can find them, and eradicating them completely. It is for this purpose that I pay so well for the hunters of the undead; where there are minor undead, there are usually also Vampyr, and seeing proof of their destruction helps bring me closer to my life’s goal. Alas, the one thing about the Vampyr that makes them formidable is the rate at which they can breed. Those of the True Blood are slow to breed, and selective, because most mortals never survive the transition. My kind only breed for companionship; carrying our curse for all eternity is truly and deeply lonely, which is why some of my kind choose to procreate. But the Vampyr have no compunction, no morality, no honor; they spread their diseased existence randomly and carelessly, leaving destruction and ruin in their wake. They are hated by my kind, although I am the only one, thusfar, that actively seeks them out.
I am one of the oldest of my kind; there are those among the True Blood who call themselves “elders,” but most of them are more than a thousand years my junior, and none of them have the slightest notion about the true extent of our powers. True Bloods of my era are known as The Antediluvians, and we exist unseen, even by the rest of our kind. The older we become, the more we are able to mask our presence from the younger True Bloods.
Respen, Laramon has told me that you have become indebted to one of the Vampyr, a Drow Sorceress named Clare, who calls herself The Empress of Darkness. He told me that she not only spared your life, but also mated you to her mortal sister, for reasons that neither Laramon nor I myself can begin to fathom. She could have literally chosen anyone, and quite easily forced Nelvandra to comply with that choice; I must say, I am deeply intrigued. Most Vampyr wield their powers without concern for the living, nor even the slightest consideration for others of their kind. Most Vampyr are completely self-absorbed, and deviant to the extreme. Hearing of one that engages in diplomatic relations with lesser beings is nothing short of astounding. Other Vampyr would consider her actions as the equivalent of playing with one’s food.
However, I am still inclined to end her, should we ever chance to meet. I doubt that there is anything that she could possibly say that would convince me to spare her life. But as a favor to you, and to your new wife, I am telling you this with the utmost sincerity, so that you may warn her to steer clear of dealings on the surface, especially within the Domain of Dyvers. If she remains in the Underdark, I might never chance to meet her, thus ensuring her continued longevity. If she does not, she should be aware that I have it within my power to kill her with but a single glance. She would not survive our encounter.”
| GM: | At this point, Laramon uses an epic version (of his own design) of the Legend Lore spell to discover various things about the two prisoners. As a favor to the party, Laramon allows you all to collectively “ask the questions” to be answered by his spell. You may ask 30 questions whose answer MUST be in the form of a YES / NO response. Discuss it among yourselves in LINE chat, and post the final list of questions HERE; I am designating Duncan to be the party’s spokesperson / “caller” ; Duncan shall post the list, once the questions have been decided upon. |
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EVERYONE: What do you do?
