A Fool's Errand - Chatper 1
A Fool's Errand – Chapter 1
OOC Notes:
Exp is 2300 for 23rd, 1600 for 24th, 1250 for 25th.
A lot of catch-up work this session, and most of it happening out of Kayleigh’s view.
This Week’s Adventure:
Zinkman was a menace. I began to wonder if the Silverring was still in his right mind in wanting to bring him back. But the old dragon was convinced he was the key to a successful offensive, and so all I could do was wait to hear what the plan was.
Which isn’t to say any we were idle. We each tended to our own affairs, wherever that may be. For me it was Celene of course. Since the time we spent in the Far Realms consumed virtually no time on the Prime at all, that meant I could still feel at least marginally safe about my country’s borders. But I was less sure of this march on the Pomarj. I slipped out to the front and did some scouting of my own, without letting anyone know I was doing it. I wasn’t sure how Prince Melf, or for that matter Aran’gel, would view my snooping around, so I thought it better if I did so quietly. Things were as I had expected, based on the reports I saw at the palace. But it did little to put me at ease. I may have to act directly in this war to speed its conclusion and hence return the troops home sooner.
My scouting was interrupted by a message over the scale; the Concordant had been killed – assassinated really – and the Brazen was asking for some help.
It wasn’t long before several of us were at the Concordant’s tower. We were all there except Dravot, who was arriving momentarily. The Concordant’s throat had been slit in full view of the Hammer, but he had seen nothing. While there was some blood, there was not nearly enough of it for the kind of wound involved.
I took a long look around the room. I couldn’t think of any reason to assassinate the Concordant, but I could think of plenty of people who would want to draw us into the open. Perhaps its self-centered but this killing reeked of being mere bait.
Finally I caught a flicker of something out of the corner of my eye – something was here. It’s skill at hiding was at least as good as Valanthe – no average skulker here. I threw my old favorite spell, but the glitterdust didn’t catch the creature in the effect. But I was sure if I could find it, I could reveal it.
Aethramyr focused, trying to find the creature. He could feel the taint of evil but was unable to determine where it was. He felt that it had moved below us though. We all raced down to the next level of the tower, no doubt following the trap it was laying. We stood in the room looking, when there was another movement. This time it was near Aethramyr. There was no sound – not a single scrape or scuff. But a small knife flashed, and tore a wound in Aethramyr that would have killed a giant before it could whimper. Aethramyr was fortunately hardier than any giant and kept his feet, still ready to strike. Whatever it was, it moved back upstairs.
Dravot had just arrived in the room upstairs as I flew in through the door. And I could see it – it was cloaked in black and had no eyes and sent a chill through me as I looked at it. And its knife was poised to strike at Dravot.
I yelled “Duck!” and glitter filled the air.
This time, there was no ducking away. The creature was covered in magical gold flakes, and even with that handicap, it still danced in the shadows and could have been missed. But it couldn’t hide from me any longer. Nor it seemed from Aethramyr who charged into the room and struck at the assassin.
Shatterspike came in a neat, precise thrust. The assassin tried to deflect the blade but the smallest flick of Aethramyr’s wrist made the great blade twist and evade like a snake. The sword slid into the assassin and the creature shuddered and died, felled by the single thrust.
The scholars were sure it was a Gloom – a hired assassin of the most deadly stock. I was impressed with the creature’s stealth and with the powerful blade that it must have forged for itself. Naturally there was no sign of why it had come.
The rest was simple. Well almost simple. It’s hard to ever thing of the reversal of death as “simple”. It was carried out with the quiet grace of a blessing, and thanks to Pelor and Dravot, the Concordant was soon breathing again. I was glad he had not been lost permanently – if he was only bait, it would be unfair (and truly, unnecessary) for him to be killed permanently.
The blade was destroyed, which was difficult until it was separated from the Gloom.
There were some crystals and focusing elements missing from one of the devices the Concordant was working on. Surely they were lifted by the Gloom. But it was likely a secondary priority – any creature so stealthy would not need to kill in order to steal. The items were not on the Gloom’s body, but after it was pointed out that Gloom’s can effortlessly walk on the shadow plane, Valanthe easily found the items hidden there.
It’s hard to say what you would have to pay a Gloom although the price almost certainly isn’t measured by coin. Whatever it was, someone must have wanted something very badly. At this point though, I’m not even sure what they wanted, let alone why or who.
But that’s hardly new.
[OOC Note: for those interested – I’m not sure what the abilities of the gloom are – I doubt it was as listed though. For those that like numbers, I believe Valanthe has something like +67 for her hide roll. The gloom had to be pretty close to that. Kayleigh has +52 spot, but I was rolling poorly for the first several rolls and I needed to roll better than average to see it, and I was the only one who had a shot at it. Meanwhile, Aethramyr and his epic critical feats meant that his crit hit put the gloom in a save-or-die position, and he chose the latter.]
