The Risen Goddess (Updated 3.10.08)
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64
64—Wrapping up loose ends, and leveling the scales.
Khuumar is placed into the gentle hands of Taran, for reeducation and moral edification. Taran sifts through the bodies within the portable hole, and arms Khuumar with suitable weaponry. The two soon find that despite their differences, they share a common love for battle that proves to be the basis for an emerging friendship.
Thelbar tells the two of them that he will go and prepare the way for the citizens of Maermydra to make a new home with the followers of Ishlok in the Far Forest. He promises to return in two days time, then teleports away.
Thelbar arrives on the outskirts of Mistledale, sometime in the middle of the night. He makes himself invisible, and thus unseen, he returns to the site of his former home, and settles in to await the dawn. With the coming of first light, he renews his invisibility, and undertakes a careful search of the ruined building, remembering it how it was, and taking careful notes as he goes. He Spellcrafts the wreckage, nodding to himself. Finally, he removes a single budding plant, the last living reminder of the garden that was once his pastime, and places it gently within an empty spell component pouch. He walks to where the Thayvian golems still stand guard, and makes them invisible as well. He commands them to follow him, and travels to the camp for Ishlok’s worshippers in the Dalelands.
There, he dispels his invisibility, and meets with Malwyn, the high priest to the goddess Ishlok. He relates the general details of his recent adventures, and asks the priest about the readiness of the faithful. Malwyn tells Thelbar that he has prepared the refugees for a journey to the Far Forest, and in the meantime has done some further research on the three men who destroyed their home.
The three of them were no loose association of like-minded clerics, he says, but instead were adventuring companions. Elgin Trezler was the Patriarch of Lathander at Myth Drannor, and founded the great temple there devoted to reclaiming that fallen city. In fact, it was within Myth Drannor that the trio spent most of their adventuring careers, and the rumors from the North are that they are as fearsome a bunch of hard-fighting adventurers as Cormanthyr has ever seen. Jumdash Dir is called a paladin by the people, but in fact he is a Champion of Tempus, a fighter devoted to his god but without the paladin’s trappings. Enae Enhallo is himself a devoted lay follower of Corellon Larethian—he claims to be a prophet, and as of yet has not been reprimanded by the elven church, so perhaps it is true. Whatever the case, he is not a cleric to the elven High Father, but a powerful wizard.
As to their current whereabouts; Jumdash and Enae have chosen to Winter in the nearby Abbey of Swords, while Elgin Trezler has returned to Cormyr, land of his birth, to assist in the war effort there.
Thelbar muses on this new information, and tells Malwyn to spread the word around the refugee camp: quietly gather your belongings and make your way to the camp-ground at the center of camp. Be silent, and say your goodbyes to Mistledale, for you will greet the dawn far, far from here.
Once the refugees are gathered, they step into Thelbar’s teleportation circle, and emerge within the Grand Hall of Gorquen’s newly-conquered stronghold. Thelbar turns control over the two golems to Malwyn, and places the lone plant that he removed from the remains of his former home into the hands of the high priest. Thelbar instructs him to plant it wherever he locates the central temple to Palatin Eremath, and set the two golems to guard it.
That done, he returns to the Underdark and collapses the Crypts of Dodrian using earth magic, sealing off that entrance to the drow realm forever.
Mistledale awakens the next morning to find the followers of Palatin Ermath gone without a trace of their passage. If they wonder to themselves about the mystery, Thelbar never knows.
-----
While Thelbar is busy with the refugees in Mistledale, Taran and Khuumar are busy in Maerymda. They attempt to restore enough of the appearance of a semblance of order to say that they tried their best, and when that doesn’t work out, they call upon the Hidden.
Hanadah is located, and presents a close companion of his, another shadowdancer rogue. The four characters slowly herd the survivors into the area least infested with undead, and begin picking through the war’s leavings. They banish or kill all the drow aristocrats judged to be too irrevocably evil to ever reform (including those drow who are simply hated so much by the Hidden or Khuumar that they tell Taran they are irrevocably evil). That done, Taran abandons his original plan of organizing the drow into hunter/gatherer groups and sending them out for supplies, and instructs the remaining refugees that the coming winter will be cold and hungry, and they are all to scavenge as much food as they can find without resorting to violence.
Some of them comply.
Satisfied, Taran starts teaching Khuumar his favorite drinking game, and settles in to await his brother’s return. Khuumar cheats, but Taran does not notice. While they are busy getting drunk, the remainder of the populace is likewise engaged. Mind-altering drugs are a staple of drow culture, and nearly every drow citizen of Maermydra uses them to some degree. The recent siege had halted the drug trade, and the population’s resulting mass-withdrawal added to the chaos of war. Now, the drow are free to sack and loot the homes of their dead kin, and they do so with a vengeance.
Thelbar arrives to find his brother predictably inebriated, the populace either looting or incapacitated with drug-use, and the fires still burning. Nodding to himself, he begins to prepare a teleport circle.
-----
As the last of the drow refugees step through to the other side, they are greeted by Malwyn and Gorquen, Thelbar takes Khuumar and Taran aside. He relates to them what he has learned about Elgin Trezler, Jumdash Dir and Enae Enhallo.
Khuumar perks up at the mention of the Abbey of Swords. “Oh yeah, those guys. I know a back door into the Abbey—from the Underdark.” Khuumar smiles at his companion’s surprised expressions. “Oh yeah, I’ve fought ‘em before, they’re fun. And I’d be ready to do it again. Who are these worms?”
“Same guys who smashed our home, and kicked us out of the Dalelands,” Taran says.
“They trashed your home?”
“Yeah.”
“Then they got it comin’.”
Taran smirks. “Yeah.”
“Big time.”
Taran grins. “Yeah.”
“First, we must see to Szith Morcaine,” Thelbar says. I have sealed it away from the surface, but the followers of Lolth there must be given the same choices given to the drow here. After all, we are responsible for undoing their society. We cannot proselytize to all the drow, but I feel we are obligated to Szith Morcaine.”
“Hey, I’m from Szith Morcaine,” Khuumar says.
“Then you shall be our spokesperson. Be about yourself, this is your first test.”
“Hey, ordering around sniveling worms is what I’m best at,” Khuumar says with a courtly bow.
And with that, Thelbar teleports the group from one fallen drow city to another.
After looking into the mages’ guild, and putting to the sword the wizards who had established themselves as the nominal rulers of Szith Morcaine, Thelbar offers the survivors a new home in the Far Forest, and an apprenticeship under him. They readily agree, and after the normal drow boot-licking takes its course, the group convenes a city-wide address, delivered from the wizard guild’s balcony overlooking the massive chasm.
Khuumar regards the assembled citizens with a sneer. “The old ways are gone,” he shouts. “The time has come for us to take back the thing which was stolen from us, and without which our hearts will never cease to hunger for revenge—our rightful place under the sun and moon! We are to return to the way we were, by the will and intent of Lolth, our Arunshee, the one true goddess for the drow! Follow us now or be damned! Cast aside your slaves, for all must be made free. Cast aside your petty squabbling, for a new enemy unites us! I am forming a new noble house; House Szith Morcaine, named in honor of this city, with myself as head!”
Taran and Thelbar exchange worried glances.
“You may either join my House and follow me to freedom, or wallow in your cowardice forever, to live the rest of your lives in darkness, wondering always what glories your failure has cost you. Be with me,” He says, his voice rising to a scream, “be with Arunshee, or be thou cursed among drow!”
Khuumar turns to Thelbar with a proud expression on his face. “There, you see. I can change,” he says.
Thelbar scowls at him and steps forward to the podium. “People of Szith Morcaine. Know you this: You are creatures of free will, and may decide your fate, each being to themselves. We will take those among you who are willing to the surface, to a forest far from the contrivances of the Underdark, to a new home and a new way. It is a way of freedom, and peace. Those who do not wish to make this journey may remain, or may flee the city, as they see fit.” Thelbar turns to Taran. “Brother, something militaristic here would be appropriate,” he mutters.
“What? Oh, of course,” Taran says. He places his hands on his hips and swaggers forward, slowly surveying the assembled drow. “This thing we ask of you is not a path for cowards or weaklings,” he says. “It will be hard. It will be dangerous. You will struggle, and some of you will die.” He pauses for effect.
“Others among you will beg for death before this is over. But those who triumph we be gifted with a rare honor. You will be the first amongst your kind to live in peace under the sun. You will make a mark in history so great that no enemy will ever be able to erase your passing!” His voice rises to a scream. “You will have glory, and your works will live forever! Now who is with me?”
There is complete silence from the crowd.
Khuumar leans in. “My people don’t yell, Taran—yelling attracts wandering monsters. And I don’t think they like you.”
64—Wrapping up loose ends, and leveling the scales.
Khuumar is placed into the gentle hands of Taran, for reeducation and moral edification. Taran sifts through the bodies within the portable hole, and arms Khuumar with suitable weaponry. The two soon find that despite their differences, they share a common love for battle that proves to be the basis for an emerging friendship.
Thelbar tells the two of them that he will go and prepare the way for the citizens of Maermydra to make a new home with the followers of Ishlok in the Far Forest. He promises to return in two days time, then teleports away.
Thelbar arrives on the outskirts of Mistledale, sometime in the middle of the night. He makes himself invisible, and thus unseen, he returns to the site of his former home, and settles in to await the dawn. With the coming of first light, he renews his invisibility, and undertakes a careful search of the ruined building, remembering it how it was, and taking careful notes as he goes. He Spellcrafts the wreckage, nodding to himself. Finally, he removes a single budding plant, the last living reminder of the garden that was once his pastime, and places it gently within an empty spell component pouch. He walks to where the Thayvian golems still stand guard, and makes them invisible as well. He commands them to follow him, and travels to the camp for Ishlok’s worshippers in the Dalelands.
There, he dispels his invisibility, and meets with Malwyn, the high priest to the goddess Ishlok. He relates the general details of his recent adventures, and asks the priest about the readiness of the faithful. Malwyn tells Thelbar that he has prepared the refugees for a journey to the Far Forest, and in the meantime has done some further research on the three men who destroyed their home.
The three of them were no loose association of like-minded clerics, he says, but instead were adventuring companions. Elgin Trezler was the Patriarch of Lathander at Myth Drannor, and founded the great temple there devoted to reclaiming that fallen city. In fact, it was within Myth Drannor that the trio spent most of their adventuring careers, and the rumors from the North are that they are as fearsome a bunch of hard-fighting adventurers as Cormanthyr has ever seen. Jumdash Dir is called a paladin by the people, but in fact he is a Champion of Tempus, a fighter devoted to his god but without the paladin’s trappings. Enae Enhallo is himself a devoted lay follower of Corellon Larethian—he claims to be a prophet, and as of yet has not been reprimanded by the elven church, so perhaps it is true. Whatever the case, he is not a cleric to the elven High Father, but a powerful wizard.
As to their current whereabouts; Jumdash and Enae have chosen to Winter in the nearby Abbey of Swords, while Elgin Trezler has returned to Cormyr, land of his birth, to assist in the war effort there.
Thelbar muses on this new information, and tells Malwyn to spread the word around the refugee camp: quietly gather your belongings and make your way to the camp-ground at the center of camp. Be silent, and say your goodbyes to Mistledale, for you will greet the dawn far, far from here.
Once the refugees are gathered, they step into Thelbar’s teleportation circle, and emerge within the Grand Hall of Gorquen’s newly-conquered stronghold. Thelbar turns control over the two golems to Malwyn, and places the lone plant that he removed from the remains of his former home into the hands of the high priest. Thelbar instructs him to plant it wherever he locates the central temple to Palatin Eremath, and set the two golems to guard it.
That done, he returns to the Underdark and collapses the Crypts of Dodrian using earth magic, sealing off that entrance to the drow realm forever.
Mistledale awakens the next morning to find the followers of Palatin Ermath gone without a trace of their passage. If they wonder to themselves about the mystery, Thelbar never knows.
-----
While Thelbar is busy with the refugees in Mistledale, Taran and Khuumar are busy in Maerymda. They attempt to restore enough of the appearance of a semblance of order to say that they tried their best, and when that doesn’t work out, they call upon the Hidden.
Hanadah is located, and presents a close companion of his, another shadowdancer rogue. The four characters slowly herd the survivors into the area least infested with undead, and begin picking through the war’s leavings. They banish or kill all the drow aristocrats judged to be too irrevocably evil to ever reform (including those drow who are simply hated so much by the Hidden or Khuumar that they tell Taran they are irrevocably evil). That done, Taran abandons his original plan of organizing the drow into hunter/gatherer groups and sending them out for supplies, and instructs the remaining refugees that the coming winter will be cold and hungry, and they are all to scavenge as much food as they can find without resorting to violence.
Some of them comply.
Satisfied, Taran starts teaching Khuumar his favorite drinking game, and settles in to await his brother’s return. Khuumar cheats, but Taran does not notice. While they are busy getting drunk, the remainder of the populace is likewise engaged. Mind-altering drugs are a staple of drow culture, and nearly every drow citizen of Maermydra uses them to some degree. The recent siege had halted the drug trade, and the population’s resulting mass-withdrawal added to the chaos of war. Now, the drow are free to sack and loot the homes of their dead kin, and they do so with a vengeance.
Thelbar arrives to find his brother predictably inebriated, the populace either looting or incapacitated with drug-use, and the fires still burning. Nodding to himself, he begins to prepare a teleport circle.
-----
As the last of the drow refugees step through to the other side, they are greeted by Malwyn and Gorquen, Thelbar takes Khuumar and Taran aside. He relates to them what he has learned about Elgin Trezler, Jumdash Dir and Enae Enhallo.
Khuumar perks up at the mention of the Abbey of Swords. “Oh yeah, those guys. I know a back door into the Abbey—from the Underdark.” Khuumar smiles at his companion’s surprised expressions. “Oh yeah, I’ve fought ‘em before, they’re fun. And I’d be ready to do it again. Who are these worms?”
“Same guys who smashed our home, and kicked us out of the Dalelands,” Taran says.
“They trashed your home?”
“Yeah.”
“Then they got it comin’.”
Taran smirks. “Yeah.”
“Big time.”
Taran grins. “Yeah.”
“First, we must see to Szith Morcaine,” Thelbar says. I have sealed it away from the surface, but the followers of Lolth there must be given the same choices given to the drow here. After all, we are responsible for undoing their society. We cannot proselytize to all the drow, but I feel we are obligated to Szith Morcaine.”
“Hey, I’m from Szith Morcaine,” Khuumar says.
“Then you shall be our spokesperson. Be about yourself, this is your first test.”
“Hey, ordering around sniveling worms is what I’m best at,” Khuumar says with a courtly bow.
And with that, Thelbar teleports the group from one fallen drow city to another.
After looking into the mages’ guild, and putting to the sword the wizards who had established themselves as the nominal rulers of Szith Morcaine, Thelbar offers the survivors a new home in the Far Forest, and an apprenticeship under him. They readily agree, and after the normal drow boot-licking takes its course, the group convenes a city-wide address, delivered from the wizard guild’s balcony overlooking the massive chasm.
Khuumar regards the assembled citizens with a sneer. “The old ways are gone,” he shouts. “The time has come for us to take back the thing which was stolen from us, and without which our hearts will never cease to hunger for revenge—our rightful place under the sun and moon! We are to return to the way we were, by the will and intent of Lolth, our Arunshee, the one true goddess for the drow! Follow us now or be damned! Cast aside your slaves, for all must be made free. Cast aside your petty squabbling, for a new enemy unites us! I am forming a new noble house; House Szith Morcaine, named in honor of this city, with myself as head!”
Taran and Thelbar exchange worried glances.
“You may either join my House and follow me to freedom, or wallow in your cowardice forever, to live the rest of your lives in darkness, wondering always what glories your failure has cost you. Be with me,” He says, his voice rising to a scream, “be with Arunshee, or be thou cursed among drow!”
Khuumar turns to Thelbar with a proud expression on his face. “There, you see. I can change,” he says.
Thelbar scowls at him and steps forward to the podium. “People of Szith Morcaine. Know you this: You are creatures of free will, and may decide your fate, each being to themselves. We will take those among you who are willing to the surface, to a forest far from the contrivances of the Underdark, to a new home and a new way. It is a way of freedom, and peace. Those who do not wish to make this journey may remain, or may flee the city, as they see fit.” Thelbar turns to Taran. “Brother, something militaristic here would be appropriate,” he mutters.
“What? Oh, of course,” Taran says. He places his hands on his hips and swaggers forward, slowly surveying the assembled drow. “This thing we ask of you is not a path for cowards or weaklings,” he says. “It will be hard. It will be dangerous. You will struggle, and some of you will die.” He pauses for effect.
“Others among you will beg for death before this is over. But those who triumph we be gifted with a rare honor. You will be the first amongst your kind to live in peace under the sun. You will make a mark in history so great that no enemy will ever be able to erase your passing!” His voice rises to a scream. “You will have glory, and your works will live forever! Now who is with me?”
There is complete silence from the crowd.
Khuumar leans in. “My people don’t yell, Taran—yelling attracts wandering monsters. And I don’t think they like you.”
Joshua Randall
Legend
Re: 64
With Khuumar in the group, the Champions of the RG have a new dynamic. Khuumar is, as noted, a lot like Taran - a blustery fighter-type - and a big contrast from Kyreel. Will the group's balance shift more in the direction hack first and philosophize second? Or will Thelbar craft another Headband of Intellect, for Khuumar?
[nitpick]Doesn't the Underdark suppress or scramble teleportation magic?[/nitpick]
With Khuumar in the group, the Champions of the RG have a new dynamic. Khuumar is, as noted, a lot like Taran - a blustery fighter-type - and a big contrast from Kyreel. Will the group's balance shift more in the direction hack first and philosophize second? Or will Thelbar craft another Headband of Intellect, for Khuumar?
Re: Re: 64
Hate to say it, but I doubt a headband will do him much good - with Taran, his chop-first-talk-second attitude came from a lack of thought, but in Khuumar's case, he seems to have thought about it and decided he likes being the big bad bloodthirsty monster.JERandall said:
(contact)
Explorer
Re: Re: Re: 64
Taran still chops first! But with his headband, I'm able to rationalize him having a broader intellectual life, and applying better tactics.
Re: Khuumar-- you're exactly right. Khuumar is Chaotic Evil, and came to his 'enlightenment' through fear and intimidation (the drow way). He's now expected to get with a Neutral Good program, so we'll see how it works out for him. Hanging over his head is the spectre of a really pissed off Kiransalee.
Re: Teleport in the underdark. We decided that it was *boring* to have to play through the long marches. For some situations it makes sense (approaching Maermydra, for example), but once the meat of the adventure is over? Well . . .
We could say, "Okay, three days pass and you're there", but instead we said "Okay, your teleport works fine."
Vargo said:
Taran still chops first! But with his headband, I'm able to rationalize him having a broader intellectual life, and applying better tactics.
Re: Khuumar-- you're exactly right. Khuumar is Chaotic Evil, and came to his 'enlightenment' through fear and intimidation (the drow way). He's now expected to get with a Neutral Good program, so we'll see how it works out for him. Hanging over his head is the spectre of a really pissed off Kiransalee.
Re: Teleport in the underdark. We decided that it was *boring* to have to play through the long marches. For some situations it makes sense (approaching Maermydra, for example), but once the meat of the adventure is over? Well . . .
We could say, "Okay, three days pass and you're there", but instead we said "Okay, your teleport works fine."
incognito
First Post
Originally I hated Khuumar for a being a snivelling boot licking worm.
Now I like him, for threatening to kill the weaker dow - who cower in front of him like snivelling boot licking worms.
How messed up is that? But at least we have a 'Paladin free' party.
BTW: I totally agree about the underdark, the ix-nay on teleport, can easily be rule 0'd for teleportation circle at the very least.
Now I like him, for threatening to kill the weaker dow - who cower in front of him like snivelling boot licking worms.
How messed up is that? But at least we have a 'Paladin free' party.
BTW: I totally agree about the underdark, the ix-nay on teleport, can easily be rule 0'd for teleportation circle at the very least.
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