# The Selgaunt Campaign: Harpers Undercover in Sembia [no more updates]



## haiiro (Nov 10, 2003)

(I've stopped updating this thread. Please see the last post for details.)

A quick aside before we get started: character backgrounds, a full introduction, changes to the Realms and other info can all be found on the website for this campaign: http://3d6.org/. These Story Hour entries are also posted there, accompanied by photos and artwork (in the Journals section). Enjoy!

[size=+1]*Tuggle's Follies*[/size]

_(In the Realms: 4th & 5th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, The Year of the Rested Serpent)_

*The Road South*​
The party's attempts to stay undercover ended the moment they stepped out of Vars' wagon and found everyone staring at them. Behind them was the Dalesouth path, leading back to their training ground in Tasseldale. Ahead, the last leg of Rauthavyr's Road -- and Selgaunt at it's terminus. All around them is the dust and noise of dozens of people passing through the small and squalid town of Essiar, the closest settlement to the North of Selgaunt.

Their journey to this point had been by wagon. Specifically, a cramped and strange-smelling wagon belonging to an amiable spice merchant, Vars. He spoke of only one thing of consequence on the entire trip from Essiar: a recent spate of bandit attacks around Selgaunt and the River Arkhen. As a result, our merry band is alert, but not terribly worried -- they are seven in number, and only a long day's walk separates them from Selgaunt's gates.

Bidding farewell to Vars, they begin marching Southward.

The road is busy at this time of year -- and all the more so because of Rook's Night, which has provided them with a cover story thus far. Among the items that their principal contact within the Harpers, Agrafion, gave them is a small cage containing four ravens. As people from all over Sembia travel to Selgaunt to celebrate Rook's Night -- an annual festival commemorating the nation's most illustrious bird, the raven -- a few more will hardly stand out.

Unless, of course, those few are these seven peculiar individuals.

Here is what the average Sembian passerby -- a farmer returning from Selgaunt with his mule, or a trader heading there on a laden wagon, perhaps -- might notice, in approximately chronological order. There is a silver-haired elf, clad in an outlandish iridescent outfit bedecked with jingling bells. Oh! And look -- a worshipper of Torm in gleaming banded mail, whose mild-mannered expression belies the fact that he looks as though he stepped out of a stained glass window. Next to him, the most striking woman they've ever seen, clanking sleekly along in heavy plate shot through with enamelwork flowers -- who _also_ looks like she might have emerged from churchglass.

Her radiant beauty is matched only by the blazing good looks and natural charm of another elven companion, who idly strums a lute and takes in the scenery with glittering eyes. The next two folks might look a bit out of place, but to a keen observer one's twitching gait and the other's fluid, loping stride make them equally hard to miss. The latter looks like a strange collision between a swashbuckler and a barbarian, while the former appears to be the product of a ruffian and a meaner ruffian -- unarmed, but appearing fully capable of uprooting trees with his bare hands. As these two are content to remain quiet, it is the silken voice of the final figure -- not his size or garb -- which draws the viewer's notice. Moving in and out through the group as they walk, this attractive gnome projects a certain something that makes the passing merchant think it might be wise to have her prettiest daughter move to the _back_ of the wagon, out of sight.

Next to most of the other travelers on Rauthavyr's Road, this bunch stands out like a gold coin in a purse full of coppers. Quickly realizing this, the party begins to work on a new and somewhat more elaborate cover story. They will need to be able to move about Selgaunt without exposing themselves as Harpers -- which would be a dangerous thing to do, given the way most Sembians feel about Those Who Harp. Their trainer and principal Harper contact, the thistle-haired Agrafion, has tasked them with pursuing the Harper cause and code in Selgaunt -- and given them their first mission.

The last Harper to pass through Selgaunt, a woman by the name of Allekar, was able to secure an excellent contact within the city: Thissiken of Dracon Row. The majority of what the Harpers know about Selgaunt came to Allekar through Thissiken, and he has been an invaluable resource thus far. Before the party started their journey from Tasseldale, Agrafion received word by from Thissiken by _feather token_ that his life was in danger -- and that he needed their help. Agrafion dispatched his newly trained recruits -- our charismatic party -- without delay.

As the party walks down the road in conversation, they quickly arrive at the notion of hiding in plain sight. This motley band is going to stand out everywhere, so why not deflect questions by standing out as much as possible? In short order, they have become Tuggle's Follies -- a troupe of traveling entertainers accompanied by their manager, porter and guards.

With their legitimate musical talents, Cupric and Jaehn fall into the role of the principal entertainers. They are backed up by Artemis, whose tumbling talents should be adaptable to the stage. Armed and heavily armored, Tal and De'lea become the guards. Strong, unarmed and possessing no talent whatsoever for entertainment, Vicktor is relegated to the role of porter. Lastly, Tuggle's prodigious charm makes him the natural leader -- the manager and face man for Tuggle's Follies.

Once they've settled on this course of action, the Follies waste no time spreading the word -- to be precise, spreading it to each and every person they pass on the road. Amidst strumming and singing, they announce to anyone who will listen -- which is, not to put too fine a point on it, everyone -- that they will be performing in Selgaunt. Cupric at last remembers a Rook's Night song he was trying to recall, and its merry chorus of "Ca-caw! Ca-caw!" accompanies many of their meetings with other travelers.

In this manner the Follies pass the time until dusk, when a thick fog begins to set in. They are close enough to the Sea of Fallen Stars to smell the salt on the breeze, and Cupric notes that fog is a regular occurrence in Sembia at this time of year. Nonetheless, with visibility limited to hundred yards at most, the group forms up into a proper column and begins actively scanning the terrain to either side of the road.

In the front is Cupric, who has ceased to sing and play music and instead scouts a little ways ahead of the rest of the party. Behind Cupric is Talishmere, the gleaming symbol of Torm on his breastplate beaded with moisture from the fog. De'lea brings up the rear, the metallic noises of her enameled plate sounding strangely loud within the mist. In the middle of the column are Tuggle, Vicktor, Artemis and Jaehn. Jaehn's bells tinkle merrily, while Vicktor slouches quietly along next to him. Artemis keeps a ready hand on the hilt of his rapier, and Tuggle walks near him off to one side, with the thicker patches of fog rising to his chest.

*Ambush*​
Not long after they've settled into this marching order, Tal hears a bestial grunting off to the right side of the road. The party fans out a bit, and Tal draws his greatsword and heads for the copse of trees where the sound seemed to come from. Facing the opposite direction, De'lea concentrates and _detects evil_ on the far side of the road. Just as she senses the aura of evil's presence, a massive form lunges out from behind the tree Tal is approaching. Shaking leaves free as it shoulders its way around the trunk, this two-headed creature roars and swipes at Talishmere -- and in the moonlight, he can see that its arm is wrapped in thorny vines and spiked straps.

The blow connects, staggering Tal, and suddenly the other Follies are jolted into action. Tuggle creates the _ghost sound_ of a swarm of giant rats off to one side of the giant creature, while De'lea approaches the underbrush wherein she detected evil. At the same time, feral-looking humanoids step out from behind trees and rise up from the bushes on either side of the road, sending several arrows zinging through the group. Vicktor moves up to engage the two-headed creature with Tal, while Cupric tries to get a bead on the archers. Jaehn prepares to assist the others with his spells, while Artemis takes this opportunity to flee down the road and into the fog.

A few short seconds later, Cupric has told the nine-foot tall two-headed humanoid a magically charged joke -- casting _Tasha's hideous laughter_ and rendering it helpless. As bizarre as the spectacle of this giant beast clutching its sides and roaring with laughter may be, Vicktor and Tal waste no time laying into it with sword and fists. Across the road, De'lea is able to dispatch an archer, although she knows not what manner of foul creature it might be.

Looking like an unwholesome crossbreed of orc and gnoll, the archer's skin is oddly withered in some places, and scaled in others. Cupric notices this as he fells another one, catching it with an arrow in the throat despite its best efforts to stay behind cover. The remaining two archers let fly again, and again their arrows fail to find their mark. A heartbeat later, Tal and Vicktor have felled the laughing creature -- and at this, the two archers waste no time in bolting into the fog and fleeing the battle.

Searching the bodies reveals a few interesting details. The hybrid nature of the archers is made clear, and Cupric's store of bardic lore brings their name to mind: dogsbloods. They are apparently fairly common in Sembia, and are indeed suspected to be an orc/gnoll cross that breeds true. They wear ill-fitting clothes and dark leather armor, and wield odd horn bows. One of them carries a large brass whistle, which the party claims for their own. The larger creature is first thought to be an ettin, but it to has odd patterns and variations on its skin. Cupric is able to identify it as a war-ogre, but knows nothing of them apart from the name.

Examining the war-ogre's body turns up several very large nails that have been pounded into its back -- as well as one driven into the back of its head. These are not magical, but careful study that suggests they are used to control the creature in some way. Someone with sufficient knowledge of anatomy could insert them into specific areas of the body and brain to make the creature more docile -- or fiercer. When Talishmere pulls out the nail in the war-ogre's head, it is found to be at least eight inches long.

Although they may be waylaying travelers along Rauthauvyr's Road, it is clear to the Follies that these are not mere bandits -- rather, part of some much more organized and powerful group. Before they have a chance to leave the ambush site, however, they are subject to a strange visitation.

*The Shimmering Man*​
Practically in the middle of the party, a glowing orb appears in the air -- popping into existence under a small tree by the side of the road. The Follies scatter, taking up various hiding places in the immediate area. As they look on warily, the ball of shimmering light expands slowly -- from a mote into an oval, then a larger oval, then a doorway with a rounded top. When the bottom touches the ground, Jaehn creates a _minor image_ opposite the doorway, mirroring it exactly as it continues to grow. Artemis returns at this point, lingering just at the range where he can observe the light.

A moment later, the sparkling door coalesces into a shimmering humanoid form. This form appears to walk through the doorway while at the same time pulling himself together from its substance. As the _image_ mimics this action, the being steps completely through the doorway -- which is now gone, as all of the light has gone into giving depth to his form. The shimmering man seems poorly resolved, and no details can be made out. He stands there, impassively surveying the area without seeming to notice the _image_ or those members of the party who are still visible. After looking from side to side, he reaches up with his right hand -- as if to grasp a staff that is not there -- and seems somewhat surprised. With his hand still up, he says, "_Shauuuuuundaaaaaakul_" in a sonorous voice, and then disappears without fanfare.

Although Jaehn and Cupric both have knowledge of _portals_, neither they nor any of the other Follies have ever seen or heard of this sort of thing. Baffled, the party presses on for Selgaunt with all haste.

*Entering Selgaunt*​
They arrive at the Statue Gate in short order and without incident. A scattered crowd is gathered under the twin armored warriors that are carved around the massive gateway arch. The statues are thrown into sharp relief by the light of several torches at ground level, and these also illuminate the more mundane guardsmen who are letting people into the city. There appear to be two groups of guards -- one group clad in luminous sky blue capes, the other in functional black tabards. The guards in black seem to be doing most of the actual work, and the Follies approach them. Tuggle spins their tale, describing the troupe as Vicktor brandishes the cage of ravens. Satisfied that they are here for Rook's Night, the guards let them pass with only a cursory inspection.

Having asked about finding a place to stay for the night, they were directed to the Flags -- a large district of inns and taverns down one fork in the road and not far from the Gate. The street itself is bustling with activity, even this late at night, and people with cages of ravens are everywhere. As the party quickly finds out, most businesses in Selgaunt don't use wooden signs or representative objects to advertise themselves. Instead, they hang large colored flags over their doors, depicting their wares and services. Divining this, the Follies wander down the crowded street looking for a flag that suggests musicians and is hung from a decent inn. Only one building in easy view fits the bill, and they decide to go inside.

*The Follies' First Performance*​
Noise and light spill out as they open the door, and they step into an equally crowded common room. At one end are two small stages, with a troupe of untalented minstrels on one and a dancing bear on the other. The common room is packed nearly wall to wall with people, and a long bar runs across the back wall. Thinking that this might be a good time for their first public performance, Tuggle begins casting _glamour_ to make himself more charming -- and before the spell is even cast, the head bartender has begun shouldering his way through the crowd, glaring at Tuggle.

The barkeep is a short, stocky man with a bald head and craggy features, and he's brandishing a cudgel in a businesslike manner. Before any of the Follies have had a chance to react, he growls, "We'll have none of that in here!" Tuggle begins to apologize as Cupric steps in and tries to mollify the barkeep. Between Cupric and Tuggle, the barman is convinced that they meant nothing by it -- and even agrees to give them a chance to perform on the spot. By way of explanation, he whispers conspiratorially to Cupric that if they start using magic openly, the Skyclads will be all over the place in no time. Cupric's honeyed words also pry out the fact that the bartender -- Frango, actually both head barkeep and owner of the inn, which is called Farry's Port -- makes regular bribes to the guards to avoid their attention.

The minstrels seem somewhat resigned to being shooed off the stage by Frango, but the dancing bear troupe is a different story. Led by a dwarf with a massive handlebar mustache, this group shoots dark looks at the Follies as they make their way offstage and out the front door. Once the stages are clear, Tuggle begins introducing the group as the other Follies confer about the precise nature of their act. After borrowing a mandolin from Jaehn, Cupric and the outlandish wizard strike up a merry tune. Artemis, despite being urged to perform feats of strength, settles on a vigorous kicking dance he learned among the Storm Horn barbarians. On the smaller stage, De'lea begins posing seductively in her plate armor, making eye contact with attractive men in the audience. Meanwhile, Tal stands near the stage in case his blade is needed, and Vicktor lurks by the exit.

Within moments, the crowd is caught up in the performance -- people are clapping in time with the Rook's Night tune being played by Jaehn and Cupric, and several men have moved to the front of the audience to dance with De'lea. Although improvised on the spot, the Follies' performance far outshines the average tavern fare -- so much so that people are stepping outside to bring in passersby. It's not long before the common room is more full than before, and the bartenders are busy keeping the wine and ale flowing freely. Seeing that things are going well, Tuggle begins working the crowd: a combination of charming the ladies, taking song requests and spreading the word about the Follies.

The Follies play and perform for around half an hour, at which point they bow their way off the stage. Frango is thrilled at their performance -- and the business it brought in -- and offers them room and board until Rook's Night is over, in exchange for daily engagements at dusk. The Follies agree in a heartbeat -- they've just covered their expenses for a short while, and found a perfect way to begin building their reputation. In combination with the gold and silver that was tossed into Jaehn's upturned hat during their act, they made out quite well. Ready for sleep, all but Jaehn, Cupric and Tuggle retire to their fine rooms upstairs, one at each end of the hall on the second floor. The remaining three linger for a bit to mingle with the crowd, establishing that everyone enjoyed themselves -- despite missing the dancing bear -- and would like more bawdy songs tomorrow night.

*Night at Farry's Port*​
After the common room empties out and all of the Follies are upstairs, everyone is asleep in short order -- with the exception of Vicktor. Their rooms are good enough to have glass in the windows, and Vicktor stays up for some time looking out over the main thoroughfare. Sometime after the street has more or less cleared out, he sees a figure emerge from an alley opposite the inn. Cloaked and hooded, Vicktor can't make out much about him except that he's fairly short in stature. After a few moments spent glancing around, the figure fades back into the alleyway and out of view.

When this process has been repeated twice more over the next several minutes, Vicktor trudges down the hall and wakes Talishmere. Watching with Vicktor, Tal's darkvision lets him pick out enough details to establish that the figure is none other than the dwarf who lead the dancing bear troupe, mustache and all. They watch for a little while longer, and then both Tal and Vicktor head for bed.

Hours later, the Follies are all awakened with a start by a tremendous _BOOM_ -- distant, but so loud and powerful that it makes the floor shake. After leaving their rooms to confer briefly, the Follies decide that it's not an immediate threat and return to sleep.

During breakfast in the common room the next morning, the Follies find out that the sound was probably an explosion -- mostly likely one of the dracotechnics shops to the South going up. This is apparently not all that uncommon, and no one at breakfast seems terribly disturbed by it. A brief foray by Artemis, Vicktor and Cupric into the alley across from Farry's Port turns up an enormous bear turd, found near where the dwarf was seen during the night. This out of the way, the party sets out into Selgaunt to seek Thissiken of Dracon Row.

*Heading Into the City*​
A bit of asking around establishes roughly where Dracon Row can be found, and the party makes its way over the Arkhen and deeper into the city. As they walk through the already busy and bustling streets, they notice that the guards dress in a variety of colors -- and each time a new color is spotted, the Follies make casual inquiries as to what each group is called. In this manner, they establish that there are nine groups of guards (plus the Silver Ravens), each associated with a particular merchant prince:

*Black* - Shalligh’s Black Capes
*Blue* - Ursmeril’s Skyclads
*Dark Grey* - Bright Slayers
*Gold* - Baric's Pikemen
*Green* - Daridon’s Ravens
*Grey* - Gurrom's Wheels
*Pale Green* - Calderro's Blades
*Red* - Alseyn's Rangers
*White* - Davisson's Legion

The areas of the Low City that they pass through are marked by taller buildings -- most are two stories, often more -- of widely varying ages and styles. In the smaller streets, construction seems to have been haphazard and frequently revisited. Buildings overlap, and the higher floors are braced against those on the opposite side of the street; some roadways are paved or cobbled, while others are packed dirt criss-crossed with wagon ruts. Most buildings seem to be quite old, and there are more wooden structures than stone ones. No matter what area they are in, however, people carrying caged ravens of all types are a common sight.

*Dracon Row*​
Arriving at Dracon Row, the Follies notice that quite a few things are different about this ramshackle little district. Passing under the iron entry sign that bears the district's name, they step from cobbles to sand. Before them stretches a maze of haphazard streets, all covered in sand -- piled into deep drifts in some places -- and flanked by stone and brick buildings. There are no torch brackets to be seen on any of the buildings, and there is at least one shovel by every doorway, as well as a prevalence of what look to be water barrels.

Walking a short distance down the substantially quieter street, Cupric enters the first shop he comes to -- a small sandstone building with a brass plaque over its door that reads "Garyid's." While Cupric finds out if the shopkeeper has heard of Thissiken, the rest of the party notices that all of the businesses in Dracon Row use lettered signs and plaques, rather than the colorful flags that are so common elsewhere in the city. After coaxing a squeaky halfling, Garyid, out of the half-sized door in the rear of his shop, Cupric is able to get precise directions to Thissiken's -- which turns out to be not far down the road.

The other thing that turns out to be not too far down the road is a large pile of rubble strewn between two buildings, accompanied by a pall of dust and smoke that has lingered and spread down the street. Small groups of onlookers can be seen around the rubble, and as the party approaches it is clear that this is the wreckage of a shop -- quite probably the one they heard explode during the night. Scampering about among the smashed stone, broken timbers, roofing tiles and other detritus is a frantic, sooty gnome. His wild white hair waving about, he is attempting to shore up the building on the far side of the blast site -- lifting scorched planks and beams and wedging them in against the wall.

The Follies step into the rubble and offer their assistance, which the gnome gladly accepts. Still trying to shore things up, he starts ordering the Follies around. Seeing that the building he's trying to shore up looks fine -- remarkably unharmed by the blast, actually -- and that his efforts are fairly pointless, they mostly try to look busy. While trying to convince the gnome that he can stop propping things against the wall, one of the Follies asks if he knows Thissiken.

"I'm Thissiken!" says the gnome. "Why do you want to know? Who are you? What do you want?" He delivers all of this almost without punctuation, "_Whydoyou wanttoknow? Whoareyou? What doyouwant?_" Trying to calm him down, the Follies assure him that they are friends, and that they were sent by Agrafion. At this, Thissiken insists that they go into his shop.

The shop, which is adjacent to the blast site, somehow contrives to feel cramped despite the fact that it's actually a sizable building. The interior is dark and cool, lit only by some sort of magical globe off in one corner. There are two gnome-sized doors on the back wall, and a hodgepodge of shelves and seating in the main area. Also noticeable is a large bell hung from the ceiling, adjacent to which is a round trapdoor of some sort.

A series of rapid-fire introductions and explanations ensues. Thissiken flits about, trying to explain things too quickly or not at all, and eventually disappears into the back to prepare some tea. When he returns, he insists that everyone partake -- ""Havesometea!" -- and settles down somewhat once a few Follies have done so.

Tal and De'lea do much of the talking, patiently explaining to Thissiken why they are there, and trying to find out exactly what it is that he needs. What emerges is this: the shop next door belonged to a fellow drakesmith, Algaer, and Thissiken knows that it didn't blow up by accident. Sometimes little accidents happen in the dracotechnics trade, but this wasn't one of them. Last night, he was up late and noticed flickering flames -- "Strictlyforbidden!" -- outside his shop. He rang his shop's blast bell and jumped into his blockhole -- here he gestures at the circular trapdoor, and explains that every dracotechnics shop has a bell and a blockhole. The blockhole is a thick-walled stone tube, much like the top of a well (only set into the ground) intended to protect the drakesmith from an explosion.

Before he made it into his blockhole, he caught a glimpse of several figures in red cloaks carrying torches -- one of them extremely tall -- who were running down the street, away from Algaer's shop. He relates that he had seen this same group twice in the last two tendays, and that he sent the message to Agrafion after the second time. While explaining all of this, he keeps telling the Follies that he fears for his life -- and appearing to mix up his facts at the same time. De'lea concludes that he's hiding something, while Tal and some of the other Follies think he's telling the truth.

Wondering why the fact that strangers blew up _someone else's_ shop makes Thissiken think he's next, the party keeps pressing him for details. In due course, he explains that it seemed like they were casing Algaer's shop -- "WhywouldI wanttocall theguards? Noguards comedownhere." -- and that at one point they came into _his_ shop and started asking him all sorts of questions about paintings. Further probing into this topic reveals that Algaer had quite a few paintings, and that he had even shown them to Thissiken on occasion. Thissiken also recalls that Algaer had returned from a long trip just yesterday, and that he had been carrying something large and flat wrapped in cloth -- perhaps a painting?

Realizing that Algaer may still be in his shop -- possibly even trapped in his blockhole -- the party asks Thissiken if he's looked for Algaer. He seems surprised that they would ask this, and says that no one has looked for him.

*Clues in the Rubble*​
The Follies return to the rubble pile and begin searching around in earnest. While some try to uncover the blockhole, others scan the outlying areas for clues. They turn up several items of interest: a torch stub, which smells strongly of smoke and ash and faintly of honeysuckle; shreds of canvas, some still bearing paint; and a tiny rune, crisply etched into one of the remnants of Alger's door. In addition, they also clear the area over the blockhole -- but Algaer is not inside. The blockhole is not empty, however, and Cupric uses a bit of sleight-of-hand to retrieve a leather pouch that was half-covered by sand. While this is going on, Vicktor identifies the symbol on the door, which looks as though it were etched by acid: it is a mark of death, often used by thieves and assassins.

Peeking into the pouch while screened from view by the other Follies, Cupric finds several wooden tokens, a carved brass object and a letter:

_Hail and Well Met, Lockmyre. My regrets, but I do not have the work you’re looking for. I deal in the fire of dragon’s breath, not in the flames of artists' brushes. Perhaps one of the many fine shops that line Avent Row will have what you seek. (Signed, Algaer of Dracon Row)_

Returning to Thissiken's shop, the Follies ask exactly what he'd like them to do for him. What he wants seems fairly straightforward: find out who blew up Algaer's shop, and keep him (Thissiken) safe. In exchange, he will set them up with lodgings at Selgaunt's premiere inn, Pub, for two tendays. Yes, just "Pub" -- "Roomsarevery difficulttoget!" Also, he can provide them with information about the city. Sensing that this might not sound attractive enough, he asks the Follies when they entered the city and at what time of day. When this is related to him, he says, "Then the guards on the gate would have been Skyclads and Blackcapes -- and I can tell you that for any time of day." Pleased with this sample and with his offer, the Follies agree to help Thissiken.

They give him one of their _feather tokens_, which he has used before, and tell him to use it to contact them in an emergency. Some considerable effort is spent making him understand exactly what is meant by "emergency" -- for example, people asking him questions about paintings is not an emergency. They also arrange to meet him at Pub one hour after dark that same day, so that they can get their room keys and begin learning about the city from him. Still distraught, Thissiken insists that they walk him back to his shop, and they agree.

At this, Thissiken returns to the back of his shop, closing the small door behind him. Cupric takes this opportunity to send a brief message to Agrafion, who had requested that they contact him within ten days of reaching Selgaunt, or once they had made contact with Thissiken -- whichever came first. Cupric accomplishes this by opening the door and pretending to have lost the sleek raven that darts from his hands and streaks off into the sky. While he is doing this, Jaehn uses _detect magic_ to establish that the peculiar brass token -- a small, flat object on which is carved some sort of fire or wind emerging from a doorway -- radiates very faint conjuration magic.

After sharing what was found in the rubble, and discussing some of what Thissiken told them, the Follies arrive at their plan. Since Thissiken mentioned that another drakesmith, Martooth Battlebrow, had also spent some time with Algaer, they want to try and track him down. As the wooden tokens in the pouch from Algaer's blockhole turned out to be tavern tokens for a dockside bar, the Copper Cup, that also seems like a good place to visit. Lastly, Cupric needs to acquire an instrument -- and of course they have a performance at dusk at Farry's Port.

With all of this in mind, Tuggle's Follies step out of Thissiken's shop and prepare to do some detective work.


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## haiiro (Nov 10, 2003)

This is going to be a pretty big one-two punch, but as the writeup for our second session is also complete, I'm going to go ahead and post it now.

The first session was deliberately paced to allow the PCs to get into character, and to allow us all to get to know each other as a group. Now that that's taken care of, things really heat up in session two.


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## haiiro (Nov 10, 2003)

*Dockside Battle*

[size=+1]Dockside Battle[/size]

(_In the Realms: 5th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, The Year of the Rested Serpent_)

*Rooftop Lurkers*​
Since Thissiken told them that the only other drakesmith who spent much time with Algaer was one Martooth Battlebrow, the Follies decide to make his shop their first stop. They're only a stone's throw from his place, so they enter the alley alongside Thissiken's in single file, heading for the next street over. Cupric, however, heads the opposite direction -- intending to seek out a music district and obtain an instrument for himself. He has arranged to meet the rest of the Follies at midday at their second stop, the Copper Cup.

Emerging from the alleyway, Tal catches a glimpse of movement on the ramparted building adjacent to Martooth's ramshackle shop -- a brief flash of blue on the rooftop. As soon as Tal has whispered this news to the other Follies, they spread out across the street. Narrowing her eyes, De'lea tries to _detect evil_ on the rooftop, and finds two faint auras. She communicates this to the party in a slightly louder voice than Tal, and in response Tuggle aims a _recent occupant_ at the same area. He learns the name and race of one of the beings on the roof -- Ursuro Mull, a tindali -- and informs the Follies that something up there isn't human.

At this point, Vicktor has circled around behind Martooth's shop -- which sits askance to the road, jutting out from the ragged line of shops to either side of it. Finding the junction of Martooth's side wall and that of the adjacent shop to be very convenient, he begins climbing up towards the ramparts. On the street, Tal has approached the door of the shop closest to Martooth's (the small metal sign over it reads "Tarayn's") and knocked on it sharply, while Artemis has begun swiftly climbing the front of that same building. Jaehn, Tuggle and De'lea are all hanging back, waiting to react to what transpires above.

What happens next depends on the observer's viewpoint.

Artemis crests the ramparts and surveys the scene: he takes in a figure in faded blue robes with leather wrappings on his feet, hastening to the back of the rooftop. In the same heartbeat, he hears a faint _sizzle_ off to his left, and a thin blue ray emerges from the shadowed corner, striking him in the shoulder. This beam's effect is dramatic: Artemis goes through several minutes of becoming very frightened in just under a second, breaking out into a cold sweat and preparing to flee in a blind panic.

Seeing this from his vantage point on the street, Jaehn finishes up a summoning spell -- and brings a celestial giant bee into existence on the roof, directly in front of Artemis. For Artemis, this doesn't improve the situation -- now sheened in sweat, he lets go of the rampart and begins his drop into the street. On the roof, observed by none of the Follies, the enormous bee flourishes its glowing Stinger of Judgment and launches itself at the fleeing blue-robed figure. Without turning around, he nimbly sidesteps the bee's attempt to smite him while simultaneously drawing a dagger from under his robes. Those below can hear only the rumbling buzz of the giant bee.

On the street, De'lea readies her bow and prepares to fire at the first hostile creature that shows itself on the roof above. Out of everyone's sight, Vicktor finishes his brief ascent -- and comes face-to-stinger with the bee. In his peripheral vision, he spots a small floating object -- about the size of a grapefruit, with several stalks or tendrils protruding from it -- near the front of the rooftop. Zipping through the air, this tiny creature lets loose with a thin blue ray from one of its stalks, and this ray strikes the bee. The bee's buzz goes up several notches in volume, and it does an about face and heads straight for Vicktor. Vicktor leaps onto the roof and grapples the bee in one smooth motion, catching it around the base of one frantic wing and pinning it to his body, and roars, "I have the foul beast!"

Having landed safely in a drift of sand, Artemis has now fled at top speed down the nearest alley, disappearing from view almost before any of the Follies have noticed his passage. Seemingly unperturbed, Tal knocks again at the door of Tarayn's shop -- and when he receives no response, tries the handle and finds it open. He steps into the shop's cool and quiet interior, taking in the blockhole, bell and shelves jam-packed with alchemical peculiarities, as well as two doors on the back wall. As one of the doors is barely thigh-high on him, Tal knocks on the larger door -- and hears glass break on the other side.

Suspecting that his bee may have missed its mark, Jaehn finishes up a second summoning spell -- this time calling into being a shining white celestial monkey. This monkey appears on the roof and immediately begins chasing after the blue-robed figure, its wild shrieks sounding like a cross between monkey howls and a choir of monks. Faced with a wide gap between two buildings, it somersaults into the air -- De'lea and Tuggle spot it from the street, tiny sparkling halo and all -- and disappears from sight. Blinking, De'lea says to no one in particular, "I think I just saw a monkey of Sune run across the roof."

Inside Tarayn's shop, Talishmere opens the inner door with a vague premonition of dread. In the small room beyond is a bulky dwarf wearing some sort of armor cobbled together from leather and various bits of metal plate. He is staring, aghast, at a smoking puddle on the glass-strewn floor in front of him. Tal says, "Are you open for business? I tried to knock."

His eyes still wide, the dwarf responds, "Get that armored apron from the bench behind you." When Tal has found the apron, the dwarf says, "Put it on." After waiting for Tal to do so, he continues: "Now lay on the puddle."

Tal replies, "How about if I just lay it _over_ the puddle?" This done, the dwarf steps carefully around the spill -- trying to tread on the apron as little as possible -- and makes it through the door, which he slams shut. Leaning against the door, he gives Tal an appraising look and says, "You're pretty sharp, for a human."

A brief discussion ensues, during which Tal learns that Tarayn last saw Martooth this morning, and that he can't understand why any self-respecting drakesmith would want to keep regular hours. Things head South when Tal tells him that there were people up on his roof, and get steadily worse once he mentions that his friends are in fact up there right now. Meaning to head up to the roof, Tarayn demands Tal's sword -- Tal refuses -- and the dwarf winds things up by ejecting him from the shop.

Outside, Jaehn's bee has vanished -- leaving Vicktor somewhat confused -- and Artemis, his fear having worn off, has returned to the group. When Jaehn feels the bee pop out of existence, De'lea lowers her bow and the Follies move completely out of combat mode. As there are now small crowds of people watching them from one street over, Tuggle bows and announces loudly, "And thus ends our performance!"

While De'lea waits nearby, Artemis, Jaehn and Tuggle gather around the door to Martooth's shop. On the roof above, Vicktor finds a rope-wrapped glass jug of wine and a few crumbs where Tal first saw the robed figure. Speculating that perhaps it was just a wino after all, he walks over to the edge of the roof facing the street to tell the other Follies what was on the roof. At this moment, his failed attempt at diplomacy complete, Tal emerges from Tarayn's shop. Spotting him, Vicktor shouts down a description of what he found -- and then drops the wine bottle. Making to catch it with his heavy steel gauntlet, Tal naturally winds up drenched in wine when the bottle shatters over his upraised hand.

*Martooth's Shop*​
By then, Artemis has already picked Martooth's lock and let himself in with Tuggle and Jaehn in tow. They are joined shortly thereafter by Vicktor and a rather pungent Talishmere, who is the subject of some ridicule. The Follies find the interior of the shop to be much like the exterior: haphazard and disorganized. The lower floor is mostly taken up by a large table and benches, a small stairway that corkscrews up into the ceiling, and shelves on every wall. These shelves are taken up by all manner of containers, from heavy earthenware jugs to delicate glass boxes, and in combination with the marked absence of a bell or blockhole this makes it look like Martooth might just be in the container business.

While De'lea waits outside, the rest of the Follies search Martooth's shop from top to bottom. They turn up two items of interest, one inside and one out. Upstairs, they find a small painting depicting an unusual scene. The left half of the work is taken up by a wall and doorframe, while the right half depicts a rather nondescript street at night. Centered in the right half, as if observed by someone peering around the doorframe, is a shimmering humanoid figure -- more faded and redder in color than the one the Follies encountered on Rauthauvyr's Road, but in exactly the same "looking for something" pose. A brief discussion establishes that they aren't going to steal the painting, and Jaehn ascertains that it isn't magical before returning it to the shelf.

Downstairs, Vicktor is called over to identify a symbol that has been scratched into the lower right corner of the front door. It consists of three dots or circles, and to the left of the top two circles are two small triangles. Drawing on his carnie background, Vicktor relates to the Follies that this is thiefsign: each circle represents a time that someone entered Martooth's shop, and each triangle stands for an occasion on which they stole something from him. Before they all regroup on the street in front of Martooth's shop, Artemis takes a moment and re-locks the door behind him.

*Meanwhile*​
After taking a few minutes to share information and speculate as to who -- if anyone -- the blue-robed being was watching, the Follies begin walking in the general direction of the river. Jaehn, however, splits off from the group and heads back towards Farry's Port. His intention is to send out empathic signals to Drake, his silver raven familiar, until he gets within a mile of the inn and is able to receive a reply. Once Drake has joined him, he'll make his own way to the Cup and meet the others there.

Meanwhile, Cupric has been making some discoveries of his own. Deftly gathering information from a variety of Selgaunt natives and other passersby, he has been researching the music business while the other Follies were at Martooth's shop. He has learned that there are two music districts in the Bazaar: the first is in the Southspur district, adjacent to the city wall some distance East of the Trade Gate. This is one of three gates into Selgaunt -- the other two being the Statue Gate, which the Follies came through last night, and Sailor's Arch, to the South. In Southspur is a very large and exclusive shop called Mazendria's, which is said to be frequented by the High City's best musicians. As people laughingly inform Cupric, it costs twenty gold pieces simply to set foot in the door -- and so a cluster of less pricey shops has arisen around Mazendria's, catering to those who can't afford it but wish they could.

The other district of note is called the Strings, and consists of a street packed with cubbyhole shops each devoted to a particular instrument, or part of an instrument. The Strings is quietly tucked in behind Red Cobbles, a service market that borders the Arkhen just South of the Davisson Bridge. Instrument-wise, nearly anything can be had in the Strings, but quality varies and most shops are too small to have much on hand -- instead, one has to wait for an instrument to be crafted. A bit more asking around also determines one other significant fact about both of these districts: they're too far away for Cupric to make it there, shop around, and still be at the Copper Cup by noon. Intending to seek them out later, Cupric instead turns his talents to finding out where the Cup is located -- and once he has done so, begins making his way towards the docks.

Off on his own, Jaehn has made contact with Drake. As the raven takes flight, Jaehn turns around and begins giving directions to Drake while walking towards the river. After making inquiries into the whereabouts of the Copper Cup, he changes direction slightly and begins making directly for it. Still in his customary disguise -- a portly human of completely unremarkable appearance -- Jaehn moves through the busy streets as he listens to Drake describe what he saw at Farry's Port. Only one thing stands out: a group of bears that were led up and down the street in front of the inn a few times, after which they did not reappear.

After receiving this information, Jaehn posts Drake in the rooftops around Martooth's shop -- with instructions to keep an eye out for anyone in blue or red robes, and for non-gnomes entering the shop itself.

*En Route to the Copper Cup*​
Not wanting to draw undue attention to himself, Vicktor hangs back about fifty feet from the other Follies as they walk through Selgaunt's busy streets. Although every member of the party has had experience with cities, this is easily the busiest one any of them have ever been in. The winding streets are jammed with people, nearly all of whom seem to be carrying ravens. It's difficult for anyone to take it all in, but the Follies also catch sight of myriad wine sellers, raven hawkers (carrying tall poles draped with cages full of rooks), messengers flitting from place to place, halflings selling sweetmeats, swarthy fruit merchants, and beggars showing off their ailments. All of these people combined make it difficult for Vicktor to keep the Follies in sight, so he moves a bit closer to the main party as they walk.

Taking immediate notice of the beggars, Talishmere begins handing out iron rations. He gives a day's rations to each beggar that he sees, and while they thank him he tries to find out the location of the Copper Cup. As always, De'lea has her eye out for flowers -- but after several minutes she has not seen a single flower-seller. Settling instead on scarves, she has no problem spotting a number of outlandish cloth merchants. Each appears to have donned an entire closet before leaving the house, and they are swaddled and draped about with all manner of brightly colored clothing. Flashing a gold coin, De'lea is able to buy several handfuls of scarves from one such merchant, and she begins handing these out to attractive (and apparently unattached) men as she spots them.

Coupled with her radiant beauty and innocent comments -- "Love is free if you look hard enough" -- this practice quickly draws an entourage around her. Tal and Tuggle keep a watchful eye on her as the crowd of hangers-on continues to grow, and Tuggle has to suppress a smirk when someone comments loudly, "I've never seen a hooker in armor before!" De'lea seems unaffected by this, and continues handing out scarves even as Tal is handing out rations.

Vicktor, who has been watching all of this transpire as he moves through the crowd, is suddenly distracted when he makes eye contact with a peculiar figure off to his right. He appears to be an elf, but the ugliest elf Vicktor has ever seen. He is completely bald, and his face and head are covered in scars and pockmarks. He doesn't break eye contact as he shoulders his way towards the crowd and steps up to Vicktor, who has stopped to wait for him. Observing this from further down the street, Artemis remarks, "Ahh! Carnie elves!"

In a gravelly, accented voice, the elf says, "You look like a man who's good with his fists." Vicktor grunts in assent. "How'd you like to come fight for me?" Vicktor makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. The elf continues, "Name's Orkrur," and sticks out his hand. Noticing that his knuckles are scarred and bruised, Vicktor shakes his hand and tells him his name.

Cracking a joke about how hard it is to obtain a license to fight within the city, Orkrur goes on to explain that he runs a fighting ship, the Bloody Barge, and that he'd like Vicktor come do some boxing for him. He tells Vicktor that the Barge moors just South of the city most of the time, but will be tied up at the largest pier in the bay for Rook's Night. He intimates that Vicktor would have a chance to make several hundred gold pieces, which catches Vicktor's interest. Still deadpan, Vicktor agrees to come fight for Orkrur, at which the elf hands him a wooden ring. As Vicktor looks it over -- its dark surface stained with blood and sweat -- he explains that this token will get him onto the Barge. With a wink, he bids Vicktor farewell and fades back into the moving crowd.

The rest of their walk to the docks passes without incident, and the Follies (or at least, most of the Follies) at last arrive at the Arkhen. Between them and the river are the tidiest -- and by far the largest -- docks any of them have seen. From end to end, the whole dockside area must be at least a mile long, and the shoreline swarms with people. The broad river is no less busy, jammed with every imaginable type of boat along its entire length. Looking out towards the bay, the party can see only a thicket -- or more aptly, several forests -- of masts, bobbing and weaving every which way as galleys, sloops, traders and ships of the line head up and down the Arkhen.

Across the river, high white marble walls run the entire length of the shoreline: the Follies have caught their first glimpse of the High City. A few towers can be seen protruding above the vast walls, and one tower in particular catches their collective eye. This edifice juts at least a hundred feet higher than the wall, and from its apex they can see massive cables stretching down and across the river -- into the Low City -- in three different directions. Bringing their attention back to the stretch of impossibly busy docks ahead of them, the Follies begin making for the Copper Cup. As they avoid bales, beams, lines and clutches of dockworkers, they notice that there don't seem to be very many guards on the docks -- and those that they do see are mainly orcs and half-orcs. This goes for most of the dockworkers as well. Continuing down the docks, the Follies are once again struck by how clean and orderly the area appears to be.

As they approach from the North, Cupric has already gone into the Cup and begun making inquiries about Martooth Battlebrow. At the same time as Cupric is finding out that no one at the Cup has heard of Martooth, Jaehn is one street away to the South, walking down a narrow road that runs parallel to the Cup.

At this point, everyone in the party -- and on the docks around the Copper Cup -- hears the same thing: an inhuman roar loud enough to wake the dead.

*A Lot Can Happen in Sixty Seconds*​
In full view of the main group of Follies, a section of deck on a large ship moored at the dock explodes upwards in a shower of planking and splinters. A massive, hulking figure smashes its way out of the wreckage and begins hauling itself ashore -- and although only its upper half is visible, it is clearly at least ten feet tall. In that frozen moment, the Follies have time to observe that the creature is roughly humanoid in appearance, but lacks any sort of defined musculature -- instead, it looks like a mass of guts and ropy muscles jammed into a mottled, giant-shaped skin. The monstrosity howls again, and suddenly everyone is in motion.

As the dozens of dock workers, pedestrians and onlookers begin to flee from the river's edge, a second creature -- clearly of the same type, although not identical -- smashes through a different section of the same ship's deck and leaps ashore. As the ship's masts thrash wildly and sailors are tossed into the river, Artemis is already speeding towards the second creature. He draws his rapier as he runs, nimbly dodging coiled lines, barrels and other impediments while building up speed. Knowing that the giant's great reach will allow it to strike him before he can skewer it, Artemis dodges to one side as he comes within striking distance -- but not quickly enough.

The behemoth's barrel-sized fist catches Artemis in the ribs, snapping several and sending jolts of pain through his body. Undeterred, he continues his lunge and aims his rapier for the giant's chest. The blow strikes true, and Artemis watches in horror as the slender blade bends to a right angle and completely fails to penetrate its thick hide armor. While this is going on, the first beast is smashing through a pallet of barrels arranged by the dock, crushing some to splinters while flinging others aside like toys. As the crowd around the Copper Cup finally has a chance to fully react to the situation, their screams become loud enough to drown out the tormented roars of the rampaging giant.

Jaehn pokes his head out from between two buildings not far from the Copper Cup, and sees a third giant emerging from the swaying ship behind the first two. He sizes up the situation and decides to see if he can distract the trio of giants -- and with this in mind, he creates a _minor image_ of two more giants, right in the thick of things. To make it clear to his companions that these are _their_ giants, he adds huge scars on the backs of their heads in the shape of his mage rune. Knowing that any physical interaction with the real giants will make it fairly easy for them to disbelieve his illusion, Jaehn concentrates on making them swing and miss, while avoiding the blows their foes aim at them.

The giant facing Artemis clasps its hands together and brings its paired fists down on the slender man like a piledriver. As Artemis reels, the beast follows up with a swift kick that nearly drives him to the ground. Trying to roll with the blow, Artemis begins trying to set himself up for a quick escape from this fearsome melee. The other giant, meanwhile, has focused its attention on the beast that first broke out of the ship -- a punch is followed by the same paired-fist attack that nearly felled Artemis, and both blows hit the other giant like falling tree trunks.

Not so for De'lea's arrow and Tuggle's _magic missiles_, nor Tal's crossbow bolt. The arrow sinks into the wounded giant's hide armor with no effect, while Tal's bolt goes wide. Only Tuggle's tattoo needles find their mark -- but the giant doesn't even seem to notice their impact. As the Follies begin attacking the giants in earnest, nearly all of the people on the dockside have fled from the scene, including De'lea's entourage. Two carts with chocks under their wheels -- with two wild-eyed, neighing horses hitched to each of them -- and a few cowering pedestrians are all that remain.

Finding himself suddenly alone in the Cup -- the other patrons having fled out the rear door when they caught a glimpse of the giants -- Cupric assesses the situation through one of the windowframes. Hearing a shrill whistle blast cut through the bedlam, he tries to see whether or not the rampaging giant bears the same control nails in the back of its head as the war-ogre they fought the night before. Between the giant's frenzied movements, the crowd and the clouds of grain erupting from the barrels the creature is destroying, he can't tell for sure -- but he spots what could be glints of metal studding the back of its head. Hoping for a repeat of his earlier success, he steps out of the Cup and sends a wave of _Tasha's hideous laughter_ washing over the wounded giant. It doubles over with laughter, pounding a barrel to splinters in the process.

Just then, several of the Follies hear another whistle -- this one much lower in tone than the first, and coming from a different direction.

At this point, it seems as though everything is happening at once. The wounded giant is laughing and roaring in pain all at the same time, and stands rooted to the cobbles. Near death, Artemis tumbles away from the knot of giants, avoiding one last swipe that is aimed at him as he retreats. Tuggle has slipped down an empty alleyway, entered a small storehouse, and found a window from which to rain _magic missiles_ on the giants. Vicktor, who has been crouched behind one of the horse-carts (now creaking wildly as the horses struggle to escape) from the start, has begun trying to pinpoint the source of the high-pitched whistle. Jaehn has stayed put, and continues to try and keep two of the giants occupied on the shoreline. Cupric bellows out a joke about the closest giant's mother at the top of his lungs -- and it glares at him with its fist-sized eyes and roars back, "I ate my mother!" De'lea bobs and weaves to avoid obstacles as she keeps loosing arrows from her bow. Tal moves to intercept Artemis, loading his crossbow as his heavy boots clatter across the cobbles.

Hoping that the frenzied horses might do some damage the giants, Tuggle calls up a _mage hand_ and begind worrying free one of the tethering pins on the nearest cart. As he gets the pin loose, that horse bolts straight for De'lea -- and as if on cue, all three of the other horses also break free of their burdens. One tramples a cowering halfling under its hooves, splashing blood on his companion -- also a halfling who didn't flee fast enough. The other two horses bolt off at top speed: one heads straight for the river, and the other straight for the Cup. De'lea avoids being run down only by blind luck, as she hits the ground and the horse's hooves strike the cobbles all around her. Seconds later, two of the horses have tumbled headfirst into the river (after maddened attempts to halt their forward movement), and the others have bolted off into the city.

Both whistles have been heard again amidst the chaos, and Vicktor is finally able to determine the direction of the high-pitched one. Crouching low, he scoots away from the mayhem, heading further up the shoreline. At the same time, Tal suffuses Artemis with Torm's blessing, mending bones and stanching blood with curative magic. Throughout the past several seconds, Tuggle has launched _missiles_ at the giants as often as he can cast the spell. Even though they don't seem to have any effect, he knows that they _must_ be doing damage, a little bit at a time. Noting that the low whistle made the two pursuing giants look around, Cupric uses _ghost sound_ and his knack for vocal performance to mimic it perfectly, and causes it to emanate from a point right in the midst of the giants.

The nearest one doesn't appear to notice, but the giant that had been attacking Artemis perks up and turns towards the sound. As he begins moving towards the source of the phantom whistle, however, all three of the misshapen creatures are distracted by the appearance of a squad of humans and half-orcs wearing the grey of Gurrom's Wheels, who burst onto the scene from the South. Although as yet unnoticed by the Follies, a squad of Baric's Pikemen has also arrived, and is making its way down the alley behind Tuggle's hidey-hole.

Several of the Follies are visibly relieved when the Wheels show up, clad in chainmail and armed with shortswords, and led by a whipcord-thin bald man with the bearing of a veteran. The Wheels all come to an abrupt halt, clearly trying to take in the chaos before them: three hideous giants, two of them wounded (and one of those laughing hysterically); a sinking ship moored to the dock; the trampled halfling; smashed barrel-staves and planking scattered everywhere; and the armed and armored Follies in the middle of it all.

Their leader shouts, "Gurrom will kill us if we try!" -- although his words are all but lost in the noise of the battle. At the same time, three of the half-orcs in his squad charge the nearest giant. One of them sets his sword just right and rams it into the giant's chest up to the hilt -- and in response, the giant rears to its full height and swats his head off with a single blow.

Following through, the giant staves in the next guard's sternum in a shower of bright blood -- and in the same movement, throws one leg out in a powerful mule kick that tears one of the third half-orc's arms clean off. The momentum carries the guard spinning to the ground, and he's dead from shock before his blood has finished spattering to the cobbles.

In the same moment, the Follies at last fell the first giant, who continues laughing uproariously even as blood clogs his throat and gurgles messily from his wounds. As he crashes to the ground like an avalanche, Tal, Cupric and De'lea head into the thick of things -- traipsing through his innards in the process -- and wind up among the remaining Wheels. This group has still not acted, and they are caught completely off-guard when the Wheel-slaying giant plows into one of them, breaking bones and driving him back with one massive shoulder.

Three Follies and the last three Wheels are now arrayed against two giants -- one right in front of them, the other ten paces off by the shore. Cupric moves his _ghost sound_ to the listing ship, and the unharmed giant spins about and begins clambering aboard, following the low whistle. What happens next takes the Follies completely by surprise.

Appearing to have come to some sort of decision, the leader of the Wheels narrows his eyes and stabs Talishmere through a gap in his armor. One of the half-orc Wheels swings at Cupric, who avoids the blow while casting another _hideous laughter_ on the guard-killing giant -- this time meeting with success. As Tal draws back, startled, a third guard darts around behind him and slips his blade between Tal's ribs. Almost simultaneously, De'lea cries out, "We're on your side!" and Cupric shouts, "Stop attacking my friends! We're trying to help you!"

As this is going on, the Pikemen begin pouring out of the alley just North of the melee. As they emerge, the lured giant stomps aboard the ship -- which promptly capsizes from his weight. He falls to the deck, causing it to list even more, and becomes caught up in the rigging. As the ship heels over completely, its slick, barnacled underbelly glistening in the sunlight, the giant slips off the deck and slides into the Arkhen with barely a splash. Without further ado, he begins noisily drowning.

As De'lea shouts once more for the Wheels to stop attacking them, the final laughing giant is taken down by water blasts from Jaehn (lurking in the Copper Cup) and magical needles from Tuggle (still hidden in the storehouse). Clutching his face where Tuggle's final _missiles_ struck, he sinks to his knees and begins to topple -- and at the same time, one of the Wheels takes another stab at Tal, catching him in the throat. Blood welling out over his armor, Tal crumples to the ground.

At this, De'lea stops trying dissuade the Wheels and begins wading into them -- and in the same instant, the melee is joined by several of Baric's Pikemen. Staying well back, the Pikemen jab at the Wheels with their long spears as De'lea chops at them with her sword. Cupric takes this opportunity to duck down and force a flask of healing elixir down Tal's throat. When they both rise to rejoin the battle around them, they are thoroughly surprised when a few more Pikemen arrive -- and begin thrusting their pikes at _them_.

While things begin to get _really_ confusing in front of the Copper Cup, Vicktor is crouched behind a stack of masts further up the docks. All of a sudden, he hears the shrill whistle again and is able to pinpoint its source: on a small barge moored about ten feet offshore, lurking under a canopy that covers the aft portion of the boat, is a dark figure holding a large brass whistle.

In a heartbeat, Vicktor is up and running across the cobbles. By the time he reaches the edge of the dock, his run has become a full-out charge, and he leaps out over the water and into the barge -- where he tackles the whistler. As Vicktor's ropy arms close around him like an iron vise, the whistler's hands wind up crushed against his chest and he utters a short girlish scream -- which is cut off abruptly as Vicktor increases the pressure, saying, "Well, he can't whistle anymore!"

The barge continues to sway as Vicktor grapples the figure -- clearly an orc of some sort -- and refuses to let him draw breath. As the orc tries to speak, Vicktor whispers to it, "Sleep...sleep..." and its eyes begin to close as it succumbs to the crushing strength of the Beast of Saerloon.

Once he's certain the orc is out cold, Vicktor examines him a bit more closely. He's dressed in drab greys and browns, and his only possession of note appears to be his whistle. Pocketing this, Vicktor hauls the small barge in to shore and hoists himself back up onto the docks. Still able to hear some of the noise from the ongoing battle, he heads back towards the Cup at a brisk pace.

Back in front of the Cup, everything is still happening at a breakneck pace. A few of the Pikemen have hung back, held up by the sight of the trampled halfling and his wailing companion, as well as the expiring giant -- and his dead and drowning fellows -- and the quick-and-dirty melee between the Follies, the Wheels and the other Pikemen.

Wasting no time, De'lea grapples one of the Pikemen who is trying to impale Tal yet again, and Tal fells one of the Wheels flanking him. Meanwhile, Artemis has recovered enough of his strength to head back into the fray, and skirts the line of buildings as he approaches the fighters. Thinking fast, Tuggle fires off a _recent occupant_, targeting the spot where the Wheels' leader is trying to kill Cupric and Tal. Learning that the man's name is Garilly, Tuggle takes a deep breath and belts out, "Garilly! Cease fighting _now_!" from his hiding place.

Garilly's brow furrows as he considers this -- and also takes in the fact that his squad is down to himself and one other Wheel. With one last swing at Tal, he turns and bolts from the scene, running full-tilt towards the closest inland street. His cohort does the same, not even bothering to get in a last lick as he flees. Seeing this, the shell-shocked Pikemen come out of their reverie: two charge in towards the Follies, spears at the ready, and another wheels about and stabs at Artemis as he comes within range.

Not having any of that, Artemis ducks under his pike and slips his rapier into the guard's throat, killing him instantly. At the same time, Jaehn -- who emerged from the Cup as the Follies and Pikemen were routing the last of the Wheels -- sees two Pikemen bearing down on him. Magically disguised as a drunken vagrant, Jaehn staggers back towards the nearest wall, trying to get out of their way. Both stab at him as he stumbles by, and the leader's pike pierces him so deeply that he almost passes out on the spot. Yanking himself off the pike and running back into the Cup, he rallies and uses a well-placed _color spray_ to daze both of the Pikemen. Struck blind and rendered unconscious by its wondrous display, they collapse to the ground, their pikes striking the cobbles with a harsh clatter.

Aparently unconcerned about the danger to his compatriot, one of the advancing Pikemen tries to skewer De'lea while she is grappling another member of his squad, and he narrowly misses them both. Seeing that things are going poorly, the last Pikeman to emerge from the alley drops his spear and starts running down one of the long piers that jut into the Arkhen.

The remaining two active Pikemen are quickly cut down by the Follies, and when De'lea lets go of the one she's grappling he takes off like a shot, bolting for the river's edge and leaping in without hesitation. At the same time, Vicktor returns from his little excursion to find Tal and Tuggle trying to rally the Follies -- and nearly all of their various opponents dead or fleeing at high speed. As Vicktor assesses the situation, a Wheel that no one had noticed before darts out of the Copper Cup with a long dagger in his hand.

Taking note of the two fleeing Pikemen, Cupric (who has yet to engage any of the guards) takes careful aim at the one who's already in the water and lets fly with an arrow. It arcs out over the water and finds its mark, and the guard thrashes noisily for a moment before sinking under the surface. Seeing the second Pikeman leap from the end of the dock, Cupric considers shooting him as well -- and decides against it.

In the confusion, none of the Follies -- most of whom are heading for the alleys that Tal and Tuggle are waving them towards -- attack the Wheel that emerged from the Cup as he sets upon the first of the dazed Pikemen. He draws his blade across the man's throat, and then stabs him under the collarbone for good measure. Moving on to the second man, he slits his throat in one smooth motion -- and then tears aside his armor and carves a large "G" into his chest.

As the Follies scatter -- Vicktor to the North, Cupric and Artemis to the West, and Tuggle, De'lea and Tal to the Northwest -- Tuggle shouts for them all to meet up back at Farry's Port. Hoping that everyone heard him, he takes off himself -- and after the last Wheel carves his mark into the second Pikeman that he dispatched, he too flees the carnage with all haste.

From the moment the first giant emerged to the moment the Follies left the docks, only sixty seconds have passed.

*The Follies Regroup*​
With two exceptions, the Follies make their way back to Farry's Port by the most direct route possible. Jaehn takes a path that brings him close to Dracon Row, and collects Drake without slowing down. Drake communicates to him that he saw nothing out of the ordinary while they were gone. Vicktor makes a stop of an altogether different nature: he returns to the barge that he left only moments ago, stuffs its unconscious passenger into a large burlap sack, and then heads for Farry's Port with the orc tossed over one shoulder. With none of the Follies drenched in blood -- spattered, or red to the ankles, yes, but not drenched -- and Vicktor sticking to side streets with his cargo, everyone makes it back to Farry's Port without incident.

Arriving separately and in pairs, the Follies immediately head upstairs, and all of them gather in the larger of their two rooms. Vicktor gets there last, and everyone is surprised that he has brought a prisoner.

Once the orc is out of the bag, some Follies search him -- finding only a coin purse containing twenty of Sembia's pentagonal gold coins, called Princes -- while the others examine the whistle. It looks nearly identical to the one carried by the dogsbloods they encountered the night before, with the only real difference being that it's built to produce a different tone.

Having had some time to get their minds around what just happened on the docks, the Follies begin sharing stories and discussing the events of the past few hours -- and in particular, the eventful minute in front of the Copper Cup.

The Follies are mostly in agreement that the first giant was out of control, and the two whistlers were trying to get the other giants to help them keep him in check. They are more divided on other topics, some seeing coincidences -- the two attacks roughly coinciding with the two times they saw the shimmering man, for example -- and others speculating about conspiracies. Whether or not Gurrom's Wheels and Baric's Pikemen are involved in some sort of guard war is also a topic of discussion -- but everyone agrees that whether or not they themselves were involved before, they certainly are now.

When Vicktor points out that their prisoner won't stay asleep forever, talk turns to what to do with the orc. Having sensed his evil, De'lea favors turning their prisoner over to the authorities, while Tal would prefer to bring him to justice in the nearest temple of Torm. The others disagree in one form or another -- but one thing everyone agrees on is that they don't want the orc to wake up and get a good look at them all. After blindfolding him, Cupric casts a _ghost sound_ to mask their location as well, making the room sound like the inside of a barn (complete with whickering animals, chirping birds and so forth). Tuggle follows up by using a _recent occupant_ to learn the prisoner's name: Valic Zell.

With the sounds of Selgaunt outside their window -- and the sounds of a pastoral farmhouse in their room -- the Follies settle in to wait for the orc to wake up.


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## haiiro (Nov 10, 2003)

...and that brings us up to date. 

The dockside battle was easily the largest and most complicated combat I've run under 3rd Edition rules, and it was a blast -- three hours to play through in real time, sixty seconds to experience in game time.

Although none of the other Follies are aware of it, the mystery Wheel who came out of the Copper Cup at the end of the battle was actually Jaehn (using his _hat of disguise_). It came up in conversation when they got back to their room at Farry's Port, but Jaehn played along and didn't claim credit for the incident.

Our next game isn't until November 23rd, so you've got a bit of a wait ahead of you for the third installment.


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## thedangerranger (Nov 11, 2003)

*Dockside Battle Royale*

Cupric here.
Good lord that battle was confusing. Not from a rules or gameplay point of view, but more of a "What in the name of Sune's little black book is going on?!?" sort of way. We were all fairly thrown when the Cavalry (guards) decided we were part of their targets.
-tdr-


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## Broccli_Head (Nov 13, 2003)

Like the story so far even though the posts are realllll lllllong!

Couple of things....I like the title to the story hour, except what follows the colon.  I think that the Selgaunt Campaign would be enough. 

Also...I know you changed things for the Realms, so is your Year of the Rested Serpent a change as well (since 1372 is the Year of Wild Magic according to Alaundo's Roll of Years)?

Just picky, I guess. 

In anycase, I'm hooked. Loved the dock battle and am intrigued by the possible plots and sub-plots.  I love your attention to detail in Selgaunt describing all the wards and such. 

too bad you don't play until next weekend.


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## haiiro (Nov 13, 2003)

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> Like the story so far even though the posts are realllll lllllong!
> 
> Couple of things....I like the title to the story hour, except what follows the colon.  I think that the Selgaunt Campaign would be enough.




I might try breaking the posts in half, but so far I've just stuck with posting the whole session in one go. As far as the title goes, since this is a new Story Hour I wanted it to be a bit more descriptive -- I'll give that one some thought as well.



> Also...I know you changed things for the Realms, so is your Year of the Rested Serpent a change as well (since 1372 is the Year of Wild Magic according to Alaundo's Roll of Years)?




Yep, I tend to fiddle with the Roll of Years.



> In anycase, I'm hooked. Loved the dock battle and am intrigued by the possible plots and sub-plots.  I love your attention to detail in Selgaunt describing all the wards and such.




Thanks!


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## GrassyKnoll (Nov 13, 2003)

Very Good, love the story so far, will be following it with interest. Anyone reading this who hasnt seen the '3d6' site itself should take a look as well, as it has a load of info and is nicely set out as well.


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## haiiro (Nov 24, 2003)

We played yesterday (and had a blast), and an update is on the way.


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## haiiro (Nov 29, 2003)

*The Promise of Darkness*

_(I'm going to try splitting this session's posting into 2 or 3 parts, and put them up as I finish writing them. If this works out well, I may just continue doing it that way.)_

[size=+1]*The Promise of Darkness*[/size]

_(In the Realms: 5th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, The Year of the Rested Serpent)_

*Interrogating Valic Zell*​
Realizing that Cupric's _ghost sound_ will expire long before Valic is likely to wake up naturally, the Follies return to discussing what to do with their prisoner.

"I can make him talk," Talishmere intones darkly.

"I can make him fall in love with me," replies Tuggle.

"I don't want to see the results of that," Tal shoots back, giving the orc a light kick in the ribs for emphasis.

After a bit more banter, the Follies have formulated their plan. With Valic still bound, blindfolded and gagged, they will ask him a list of questions -- starting with those that can be answered with a nod or shake of his head. Since they don't know whether or not he speaks Common, Artemis will get things started in Orcish.

Calling forth the least of Torm's blessings, Talishmere uses a _cure minor wounds_ to bring Valic out of unconsciousness. Once Artemis has established that Valic does indeed speak Common -- and conveyed to him that he shouldn't try to cause any trouble -- Cupric starts in with their questions. Drawing on his vocal training, he alters his voice (sounding like a cross between a pompous priest and a drill sergeant) and fires them off in rapid succession: Were you hired by the guards? Were you controlling the giants on the docks? Do you work with dogsbloods and ogres?

In response to each question, Valic shakes his head or shrugs, as if confused.

Rightly suspicious, the Follies change tactics: Cupric loops one of Jaehn's mandolin strings loosely around Valic's neck, and asks Tal (referring to him as "Jurvius") to come forwards. Tal places a dagger at Valic's throat, at which the orc flinches back. Cupric says, "It seems that some of your answers can't be conveyed with a simple yes or no. We are going to remove your gag, but if you scream or call out, we will be forced to harm you. Do you understand?" After a moment's hesitation, Valic nods his assent.

Once Artemis has given him some water, Valic proceeds to answer Cupric's questions somewhat more clearly -- at first. When asked why he was blowing his whistle during the dockside battle, however, he replies, "I like to whistle."

At this, Vicktor moves Tal aside and crouches behind the orc. Almost languidly, he gently places his hands on Valic's shoulders and chest.

"My friend, I remember your pretty whistle, whistle..."

At this, Valic squeaks, sits bolt upright, and blurts out, "I'm sorry I lied!"

Vicktor smiles, glad that the orc remembers him so well. From that point forward, Valic is completely forthcoming -- and visibly relieved as soon as Cupric calls Vicktor off (using the name "Jamis").

*Valic's Story*​
As he tells it, Valic is a handler and trainer of giants that have been fitted with "the iron spines." The spines make them calm or angry, and allow the giants to be controlled with the right kind of whistle. He considers this to be a an art, although he allows that it isn't a _perfect_ method of controlling the creatures.

He reveals that he works for a woman named Lassiter, though he has never seen her. The moment he blurts out her name, he appears to regret it. With fear in his voice, his describes Lassiter as riding on a barge that is completely shrouded in cloth -- and tells the Follies that she "speaks inside his head." For the past three years, Lassiter has been bringing him and his fellow handlers giants and ogres to train.

He and these two others -- Asdruc, who he describes with some trepidation as "the dwarf with no face," and Leleeria Yane, an orc ranger of some sort -- train the giants for weeks or months at a time. Once their training is complete, one of two things happens: either Lassiter returns to take them away (perhaps bringing new creatures with her), or she instructs Valic and the others to deliver them to a client. In this particular case, their client was Gurrom Lek -- a High City merchant prince in Selgaunt, whose guard faction is known as Gurrom's Wheels.

In the last year, Valic, Asdruc and Leleeria have delivered giants to Gurrom six times. This time, Gurrom was supposed to meet them just after dark -- and Valic cringes as he tells the Follies how angry Gurrom will be now that the giants have escaped. When they tell him that the giants were all killed and Gurrom already knows about it, Valic becomes even more fearful.

When asked who else buys his giants, Valic tells the Follies that he has only had one other customer: a dark-skinned halfling in Saerloon. This halfling was always clad in chainmail, but apart from that Valic cannot remember any other details -- and he never knew his name.

Eager to please his captors, Valic tells them that he also has a meeting with Asdruc tonight. Whenever they arrive in Selgaunt, Asdruc disappears into the city -- and returns with "his pets." Their meeting is to take place in their usual spot: a trio of piers called the Lamb's Feet, popular with small barges because they're close to Davisson Bridge. From there, the three handlers are to return to their base camp via the River Arkhen.

Asked for details about the location of their camp, Valic can only tell the Follies that it is "to the North, mostly." He has never walked from there to Selgaunt, and without looking at a map he can't be any clearer than that.

Using his own musical knowledge as a sort of sounding board, Cupric spends some time finding out about the process by which Valic trains his giants. He establishes that each creature or group of creatures is trained to respond only to a certain pitch of whistle, and that what commands they are taught varies widely. There are no universal commands, unless a particular group is specially trained to respond to them.

Wanting to find out if Valic can tell them anything about the dogsbloods who ambushed them on Rauthauvyr's Road, the Follies make arrangements to remove the orc's blindfold. All of them save Jaehn move behind the curtains that divide their room, and Jaehn uses his _hat of disguise_ to change his appearance -- into that of Garilly, the Wheel captain who stabbed Tal during the dockside battle.

Once Valic's blindfold is removed, it becomes clear that Jaehn nailed his disguise: Valic squints at him, and then says, "I _know_ you. You work for Gurrom!"

Ignoring the whistle that is proffered to him, Valic just won't let go of this notion -- so the Follies decide to perpetuate it. Over the next few minutes, Valic establishes that they aren't _betraying_ Gurrom, so all of this must be some sort of test. Since he's obviously failed Gurrom very badly by letting the giants escape, they're trying to find out if he's still worthy to work for him. As he tells them that the whistle sounds familiar (and is definitely used to handle war-ogres), but that he can't remember who might have owned it, Valic appears completely convinced that he is being tested.

Satisfied that Valic has told them all that he can, Jaehn re-blindfolds the orc and Vicktor chokes him into unconsciousness once again.

*The Follies Split Up*​
A brief discussion ensues about the Wheels' participation in the dockside battle, during which Jaehn reveals his role at the end of the conflict. He tells the other Follies that it was him -- disguised as a Wheel -- who slew the two Pikemen and carved the letter "G" into each of their chests.

At this, Tuggle makes a face and says, "Aww...you use that dagger for _eating_."

The other Follies' reactions are varied, but Cupric is able to get things back on track by reminding them that everyone does strange things in the heat of battle.

With their performance and dusk and a meeting with Thissiken shortly thereafter, the Follies decide to split up for a few hours: Tal and Jaehn will take the unconscious Valic and drop him off near the docks (allowing him to keep his meeting with Asdruc, and continue to sow confusion among the guards), while Cupric and Artemis go off in search of a lute for the bard. De'lea, Tuggle and Vicktor will all remain at Farry's Port. Before Tal puts Valic back in the burlap sack he arrived in, Artemis forges a brief note to pin to his chest:

_For now the test is passed, speak of this and death is at hand._

To further muddy the issue, he forges this in Algaer's hand, using the letter to Lockmyre as his sample. After that, Valic's whistle is tucked into his shirt and he is unceremoniously dumped back into the sack.

*In Search of a Lute*​
Particularly in a city as large and bustling as Selgaunt, one might think purchasing a masterwork lute would be a simple affair -- but this simply isn't the case. As Cupric found out earlier in the day, there are really only two places to buy good instruments in Selgaunt: Mazendria's, and the Strings. As Jaehn and Tal are heading out to drop Valic off by the docks, Artemis and Cupric set out for the Strings.

Watchful for guards, the two Follies are able to reach the Strings in short order. What they find is a long, fairly narrow street composed entirely of tiny stalls and shopfronts -- some large enough to walk around in, others small enough to be called alcoves. The street is surprisingly quiet, though not in the sense of being empty of people. Rather, it is quiet in the sense that the only ambient noise comes from the small sounds of people busily applying their craft: fretsaws, hand-drills, tiny boilers, the plucking of strings and so forth.

Just as was described to Cupric that morning, most shops seem to focus on a single type of instrument, or even _parts_ of a single type of instrument. Given the sheer number of tradesmen, it takes well over an hour for the two Follies to find what Cupric is after: an elven lute merchant. Knowing well that the craftsmen of Cormanthor and Evermeet are some of the finest lute-makers in Faerûn, the dream-bard is thrilled to find one tucked away in Selgaunt.

He is less thrilled to find out that like most of the shops in the Strings, Sefin the lutecrafter's tiny store keeps no instruments in stock. Instead, Sefin makes each one to order, with an average lead-time of two tendays. Since he was hoping to acquire one for this evening's performance, Cupric politely exits the shop, notes its location, and nods for Artemis to follow him to Mazendria's.

*The Temple of Sune*​
At Farry's Port, Vicktor discovers that one silver piece will be more than enough to drink himself under the table. Showing restraint that would have been wholly uncharacteristic a few years ago, he settles on merely drinking copiously instead. Also in the common room (where they will be performing that night) are De'lea and Tuggle, respectively attempting to pick up an attractive elf and socializing with the other patrons. (Most of the patrons are more than happy to share their versions of the dockside battle, rumors of which have already spread this far. Their tales seem to divide into two sorts: those that center on giants killing guards, and those that revolve around an attack by winged minotaurs -- leaving Tuggle pleased that none of them include the Follies.)

As if so often the case, De'lea meets with almost immediate success: the gorgeous elf, Laffia, is very interested in learning more about the teachings of Sune. He suggests to De'lea that they visit the temple of Sune, and once she's checked his aura (not evil) De'lea agrees. Having been half-listening to their conversation, Tuggle's interest is piqued, and he offers to accompany them. Since Vicktor is content to drink and await the return of the other Follies, De'lea, Laffia and Tuggle head out for the temple.

After some unfocused rambling (Laffia proves not to have known where the temple is _per se_), the trio arrives at Sune's sanctuary. It's an imposingly beautiful building: a tapering, lacquered red spire, six stories tall, with slender windows scattered randomly up the face of it. Incense and soft music suffuse the interior, which is delicately lit by the tall windows and a small forest of red candles.

Having grown somewhat tired of Laffia's company, Tuggle and De'lea try to pawn him off on a nearby priest. The devastatingly attractive priest is more than happy to take him under his wing -- but his real interest lies with De'lea. Sune's faith is not known for producing many paladins, and even in a city as large as Selgaunt the cleric could have gone his whole life without meeting more than a handful. Perhaps able to spot her celestial heritage, he fawns over De'lea, leaving Tuggle bored -- or at least, bored until De'lea mentions their performance that night.

In full-on entertainer mode, Tuggle steps in to talk up their engagement at Farry's Port. As soon as he is certain that De'lea will be involved in the actual performance, the priest tells them that he will be attending it -- along with as many other Sunites as he can gather before dusk. Bubbling with excitement, he tells the Follies to expect a crowd and bustles off to begin spreading the news.De'lea and Tuggle leave the temple shortly thereafter, and begin walking back to Farry's Port (with Tuggle advertising their performance en route).

Without warning, a raven drops from the sky and swoops straight towards Tuggle, who is startled but still manages to throw up an arm for it to land on. The bird neatly dodges his upraised arm, alighting instead on his shoulder. The moment it touches down, the raven crumbles to dust before Tuggle's eyes -- and leaves behind a crumpled scrap of paper.

Opening it, Tuggle finds a message from Thissiken:

_left shop going to pub was followed trying to lose him in belv row herbal come quick please 
damn didn't lose him will try again help_


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## haiiro (Dec 2, 2003)

*Dropping Valic at the Docks*​
With Valic draped over his shoulder like a sack of unconscious potatoes, Tal exits Farry's Port and starts heading for the docks. Disguised as a nondescript human -- average height, brown eyes, brown hair, etc. -- Jaehn follows him at a respectable distance. Up above, Drake scouts ahead of them, keeping an eye out for guards along their path to the docks. At one point, a vendor Tal has just passed shouts, "Oi! What's in the sack?" -- to which Tal replies, "Your mother!" and keeps walking. Apart from that, Drake's empathic guidance allows them to reach the docks without incident.

Finding that the closer they get to the North end of the docks, the more Wheels they have to avoid, Jaehn and Tal decided not to take Valic all the way back to his barge. Instead, they find a likely alcove in a relatively empty street and dump him there. Tal reaches into the sack and cuts his bonds, and in the process jostles Valic just enough to wake him up. As the orc starts shouting incoherently from inside the sack, Tal and Jaehn head back to the nearest busy street -- not too quickly, not too slowly -- and disappear into the crowd. Before long, they are safely on their way back to Farry's Port.

*Mazendria's*​
Just as Tuggle is receiving Thissiken's _feather token_, Artemis and Cupric are arriving at Mazendria's. The shop is easily the nicest building they've seen since they arrived in Selgaunt, bar none. Four stories high and done in an exquisite greenish stone, its two massive teak doors are flanked by a pair of impassive footmen. Mirror-smooth glass is in all of the building's windows, and the stairs leading up to the entrance are of milky marble shot through with streaks of red and gold. The whole area around the shop is quiet and nearly devoid of passersby.

Ascending the stairs with Artemis, Cupric finds out that the rumors were true: it really does cost twenty gold pieces just to enter the shop. Artemis scoffs at this and walks back down the stairs, while Cupric counts out the money and presents it to one of the footmen. Bowing with a flourish, the man admits him to the inner sanctum: a long hallway, richly carpeted and dimly lit.

The only illumination comes from tiny magical light sources, all arranged to spotlight small shelves that run down the length of the hall. Set at various heights, each shelf holds a single perfect instrument. Doors of various sizes are arrayed between the shelves, and a stairway can be seen at the end of the hall. After locating the shelf that holds a lute -- or, more aptly, The Lute -- Cupric approaches it gingerly.

The moment he comes close enough to the lute to make out the details of its fine workmanship, there is a pattering of feet on the stairs. The smallest gnome the dreamborne has ever seen emerges -- barely two-and-a-half feet tall, with a subdued style to his garments and grooming that projects an image of wealth. He greets Cupric, asking if perhaps sir would like to see the lute room. When Cupric gives his assent, the little gnome tells him, "It costs ten gold pieces to see the lute room." Inwardly fuming, Cupric coughs up another ten Princes.

The gnome escorts him up two flights of stairs to the third floor, where he ushers him into another hallway -- much like the first, save for the absence of instruments -- and then stops in front of a smallish door. Unlocking this, he bows and indicates that Cupric should enter the lute room. Once again, capital letters might be called for: this chamber earns the right to be called The Lute Room.

Masterwork lutes of all shapes and sizes cover all four walls of the room from floor to ceiling, each held by brackets in such a way that it is easily accessible yet takes up as little real estate as possible. Needless to say, it doesn't take Cupric long to find The Perfect Lute. By its appearance, this lute is the sort of thing that, when the final touches had been put on by its elven master craftsman, made that craftsman set down his tools for good. As before, the moment Cupric seems certain to buy the lute, the tiny gnome opens the door and politely inquires if sir would like to buy this instrument.

When Cupric indicates that yes, sir would like to buy this instrument, the gnome inquires as to the identity of Cupric's patron. Cupric informs him that is buying the instrument for himself, and has no patron -- and the gnome's reaction is somewhere between shocked and appalled. Recovering, he asks, "May I know what you're going to use the lute for?" -- as if Cupric's first action as its owner might be to chop it up for kindling, perhaps. When he is satisfied that this is not the case, he asks whether Cupric would consent to give him an impromptu performance.

Not without some trepidation, Cupric agrees to do so. The gnome escorts him to the shop's finely appointed solarium, clambers up onto a padded bench (in an uncharacteristically undignified manner), and awaits the music. Finding that the lute is already perfectly in tune, Cupric goes into a high-class ballad, accompanying the delectably mellow tones of the lute with his voice. He delivers a marvelous performance, clearly satisfying the gnome's high standards, and earns the right to purchase his instrument.

He is escorted back downstairs, through two locked doors (which are re-locked behind them), and into a bare stone room containing a desk, two chairs and a small door. Going into the other door, the gnome produces a pillowed basket and sets it on the desk. After carefully placing the lute into the basket, he informs Cupric that there is a small commission attached to paying in cash. After making a few notes on a piece of vellum, the final price is delivered: two hundred and twenty-five gold pieces. After making sure this includes a case, Cupric forks over most of his Princes, glad that the ordeal is nearly over.

Not long after that, he has selected an excellent hard case from the case room (which, surprisingly, did not cost money to enter) and left the building. Blissfully unaware of what sort of trouble the rest of the Follies have gotten themselves into, Cupric and Artemis make their way back to Farry's Port in a leisurely fashion.

*Belvemma's Row*​
Relaying Thissiken's message to De'lea, Tuggle quickly ascertains the location of Belv Row -- which is actually Belvemma's Row, a small district populated by herbalists, potion-brewers and the like. They decide that De'lea will head straight there, while Tuggle will run back to Farry's Port and round up the rest of the Follies. If they have trouble linking up in the Row, they'll meet at the closest lavender shop.

Returning the inn, Tuggle finds Talishmere entertaining drunks with an account of Torm's defeat of Bane, while Vicktor is on his way to joining them. After breaking off Jaehn's mediation session upstairs, Tuggle leaves a note with the barkeep for Cupric and Artemis: "_Belv Alley - South end of city...quickly! All but you two are there for our friend. - Tuggle._" He tries to strike a balance between being informative and giving away too much to the barkeep, and does a fair job of it -- which is really too bad, because after the barkeep receives his tip (one copper piece), he looks highly unlikely to deliver the message to anyone.

Since Tuggle's familiar, Thss, isn't terribly well suited to the role of advance scout, Jaehn dispatches Drake to Belvemma's Row. The raven's instructions are to find Thissiken, make as much of a racket as possible, and then lead Thissiken to De'lea. As Drake picks up speed and flaps off over the rooftops, Vicktor, Jaehn, Tuggle and Tal head for the Row with all possible haste. By the time they reach it, half a candlemark (thirty minutes, to one of Gond's clockmakers) has passed since the Follies received Thissiken's missive.

Belvemma's Row turns out to be a full-sized open-air bazaar jammed into a twisting maze of narrow streets, alleyways and courtyards. Where the buildings leading up to it tend to be two or three stories tall, those in the Row look to be rarely more than a single story in height. Nearly every building sprouts an awning or two, under which vendors stand behind stalls; between open doors and curtained entryways are peddlers with their wares spread out on bolts of cloth, vying for space with those who have set up tables. The Follies are immediately assaulted by a range of strong smells -- and given the sullen and unsavory atmosphere of the Row itself, being assaulted by the vendors themselves seems fairly likely.

In fact, it has been clear for several minutes before arriving in the Row itself that they are not in a very good part of the city. Still, the Row itself makes the surrounding neighborhood look positively inviting -- and noting this, De'lea focuses her will and _detects evil_ in the direction of the stalls. Of the dozen people she can readily see, every one of them radiates an aura of evil.

At about this time, the Follies converge on De'lea and Drake emerges from the Row, cawing loudly and herding Thissiken in their direction. He runs up to them at full tilt and barrels into Tal. Clutching one of his legs, he begins shouting: "Wehaveto getaway! He'safterme! Youhaveto helpme!"

Somewhat skeptical, the Follies nonetheless calm him down and try to find out exactly what's going on. After a few moments, a description of his pursuer emerges: a tall man, well over seven feet, dressed entirely in white. Although no one fitting this description is visible from where the Follies are standing, Thissiken seems to think that he's heading in their direction. At Jaehn's command, Drake takes off and does a quick reconnaissance flight over the Row -- reporting back almost immediately that a tall man in white is indeed on his way to pay them a visit.

*A Very Brief Battle*​
Per usual, the Follies scatter: Jaehn shifts his disguise into that of a one-armed, one-legged beggar; Tal starts escorting a crazed Thissiken away from the entrance to the Row; De'lea and Tuggle step into nearby alleyways to await the man in white; and Vicktor blends into the background, pretending to be interested in a coriander stall. Though no one takes the time to express it, most of the Follies share a moment of black humor: they are shy two party members, and three out of the five present are spellcasters who are all but out of spells. There is, in short, some cause for worry.

As the figure in white passes by Vicktor, the pugilist catches a strong scent of sickly-sweet honeysuckle, easily detected even over the prevailing smell of cinnamon. As Tal tries to stay somewhat in view without being _too_ close (and uses Thissiken as bait) the figure exits the Row entirely. Seizing the moment, Jaehn hobbles out in front of him, arresting his progress. As the figure flinches back and then looms over him, Jaehn looks up at him with his ruined face and says, "Spare a copper, sir?"

The figure is shrouded in heavy white robes, and his face is almost entirely covered in folds of a gauzy material. As Jaehn jiggles his upraised palm pathetically, a small black cylinder emerges from the figures robes at around chest height. Its tip flashes brightly at Jaehn, and the illusionist finds himself feeling incredibly well disposed towards his new friend -- he has been _charmed_.

In a voice that is at once sonorous and grating, the figure speaks. "Take me to the gnome."

"Which gnome, sir?" croaks Jaehn.

In response, the figure describes someone who sounds an awful lot like Algaer -- and when Jaehn tells him he doesn't know where this gnome is, the figure then describes Thissiken. Pleased to be able to help his friend, Jaehn nods enthusiastically and begins hobbling in Thissiken's direction as fast as he can -- which isn't very quickly at all. After following the beggar for a few of his long paces, the figure snarls, "Go _faster_."

No stranger to disguises, Jaehn knows that this is a bad idea: if he goes faster, it'll be obvious that he isn't _really_ a crippled beggar, and his disguise will be blown. As the figure kicks him to the ground, the cloud over his judgment passes completely -- and in the same instant, the white figure spots Thissiken through the crowd.

As he breaks into a run, Tuggle scampers up behind him, drawing Snakestrike and letting it hang loosely at his side. Vicktor (who was already in motion) charges past the white-robed figure at full-tilt and stops about ten feet in front of him, blocking his way. Noticing this, Tal shouts at Thissiken to keep moving -- while casting _enlarge person_ on Vicktor.

The beast of Saerloon rapidly doubles in size, taking one corner of an awning up with him and knocking aside a startled pedestrian. Not knowing how or why this happened to him, Vicktor is baffled -- but only for a heartbeat. At that moment, the white figure stops short, rears back, and then thrusts his head in Vicktor's direction. The pugilist staggers back, feeling as though an explosion has just taken place inside his skull. His mind a blank, he is dazed and completely out of action.

The white figure's reaction is unexpected: he too staggers back a bit, looking fatigued -- as if he had just placed himself under a great strain. Not one to miss a chance, Tuggle unleashes the fury of his family's ancient heirloom, Snakestrike (a sure sign that the tiny sorcerer is out of spells). His mighty blow just manages to graze his foe, barely breaking skin -- and quite likely causing several of Tuggle's ancestors to spin in their graves.

Even down on the ground, Jaehn is a flurry of activity. Compartmentalizing his mind, he attempts to _daze_ the white figure, while simultaneously commanding Drake to seek out the music district and round up Cupric and Artemis. Perhaps because Drake begins to argue with him (it's a big city, and he has no idea where to look, and...) the spell passes harmlessly around its target. At that same moment, De'lea bursts from concealment.

The fire of her faith at full roar, she brings her sword around in a great sweeping arc and _smites_ the figure in white. Brushing aside the flickering force of his _mage armor_, her blow cuts him in two just above the elbows. There is a brief, pregnant pause -- and then he appears to explode, showering everyone within ten feet with blood as he falls apart.

Wet and startled, Tuggle and Jaehn nonetheless waste no time giving his corpse the once-over: while Jaehn pats down the bottom half, Tuggle searches the top half. As De'lea stands over them, wiping her sword clean, Tuggle's search uncovers the figure's face -- and gets a good look at his pale gray skin, elongated head, and tentacles. Although his features are otherwise mostly human, a slim and noisome tentacle protrudes from just beneath each eye, and another pair emerge from his jaw line.

Leaving the creature's hood open so others can see his true nature, Tuggle quickly directs a _recent occupant_ at him. As he learns that the being's name is Liddis Malzevent, and that he is a bel-illeth, Jaehn recovers the slim black wand that was used to _charm_ him. Noting that screams of panic and fear have started up -- and that the blood-soaked bystanders are beginning to come out of shock -- the pair then do their best to look innocuous. Jaehn uses his _hat_ to disguise away the blood and fade into the background, while Tuggle commences wailing and pretending to be surprised by what has just taken place.

What follows is a few minutes of frenzied escaping, negotiating with guards, deception, stealth, and existential confusion.

After a moment of _what the hell is going on around here_, ogre-sized Vicktor climbs the closest building and begins clambering over the rooftops. When he reaches a gap too wide to cross, he sits down to wait and see if he'll return to normal size, the whole time wishing he had some way to wash off all the blood. Eventually he shrinks, shrugs it off, and starts walking back to the inn.

Two squads of guards -- Calderro's Blades and Alseyn's Rangers -- arrive in rapid succession. Though it would be difficult for an observer to sort out, in a short period of time they: believe Tuggle's story about De'lea rescuing them; find out about Tuggle's Follies and their performance that night; get lambasted by Tal for failing to adequately guard the city; try and detain several Follies (even going so far as to surround them in a spear circle); and wind up letting them all go, although only after Tuggle tells the Blades their names. In any case, a lot of bluffing is involved.

When all is said and done, it is the second time in the past few hours that the Follies have made their way back to Farry's Port in ones and twos -- only this time they have Thissiken in tow, riding piggyback on Talishmere.


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## haiiro (Dec 2, 2003)

*Thissiken's Font of Information*​
Once everyone is back at Farry's Port, and stories of recent events have been exchanged, the Follies settle in to pick Thissiken's brain -- and over the next candlemark or so, they learn quite a bit.

For starters, Thissiken is no simple drakesmith -- and being a drakesmith isn't as simple as it sounds. After cautioning Tal not to jostle him the whole way back to the inn, Thissiken takes up residence on the largest bed in the room and demands pipeweed and tea. When Tal has grumpily fetched him both items, he commences puffing like a chimney.

Surrounded by a pall of smoke, Thissiken asks, "Now. What do you want to know?"

The Follies begin by asking him if he's heard of some of the people -- and things -- that they've encountered since they left his shop. He answers no to all but one: Liddis Malzevent.

"_Liddis_ Malzevent, I don't know -- but everyone knows Tarcas Malzevent. Have you seen the cables yet?"

Thissiken proceeds to describe the cables that the Follies caught a glimpse of earlier on in the day. As he tells it, there is a very tall tower in the High City from which three thick cables extend out over the river. These cables touch down at three different spots in the Market, and Tarcas Malzevent runs the cable buildings. Special casks slide down the cables into the Low City, and are winched back up into the High City -- bearing messages and other communications, Thissiken guesses.

Selgaunters call Tarcas "the Low Prince," because although he's an important man he isn't actually a prince. He's the chief enforcer for the Argent Rook vintners guild, and by all accounts he's a nasty piece of work. Although Thissiken doesn't have all of the details, he says that Tarcas is well known for being involved in a variety of shady business.

As it turns out, Thissiken isn't such a stranger to that sort of thing himself. When he casually mentions that he wasn't _always_ a drakesmith, the Follies press him on the issue.

He responds, "I was an...entrepreneur."

"You were a thief," says Cupric.

"More of a liberator of possessions," answers Thissiken. "My specialty was gems. I _love_ gems. That's how I was able to start up my shop -- it isn't cheap being in the dracotechnics business."

As conversation turns to the guard factions, the princes, and their various stances on open magic use, it becomes clear that Thissiken is more cagey than he seems. He divides the factions four ways: the Skyclads, who care the most about magic use and come down very hard on it; Davisson's Legion, who generally only care if someone is around to _notice_ them caring; the Wheels, who couldn't care less; and everyone else, with their opinions on the subject varying over time and according to context.

Thissiken also supplies the Follies with the names of all nine merchant princes, as well as brief descriptions:

• Baric of Blacksedge, a dangerous man with connections to Saerloon.
• Calderro, a straightforward prince whose guards are primarily mercenaries.
• Dizerio of Thay, Selgaunt's newest prince.
• Eeras Davisson, also called the Merchant King; his Legion patrols the High City's walls and the outlying areas.
• Gurrom Lek, rumored to be part-orc, who spends most of his time on the docks or at sea.
• Morcia Alseyn, often out of the city, leaving her Rangers in charge of protecting the surrounding area.
• Sareene Shalligh, about whom little is known (save that her guards are rarely seen outside of the High City).
• Ursmeril, the most brutal prince, whose Skyclads are feared throughout Selgaunt.

On the subject of Gurrom Lek, Thissiken tells the Follies that it is fairly widely rumored that the prince holds gladiatorial combats in the High City, but he isn't privy to more details than that. After demanding more pipeweed (to add to the cloud that is currently obscuring the entire ceiling), he also expresses his gratitude to them -- and makes sure to get in a dig about the fact that they didn't believe him when he said he thought he was in danger. He also promises to provide them with the schedule of gate guards if they need it, and hints at the fact that he can have his contacts look into any areas they have questions about. When asked for a description of some of Selgaunt's major landmarks, he instead offers to have a map drawn up for the Follies that includes those places -- and more.

By the time their lengthy conversation is over, there is barely a candlemark left to prepare for their performance. With a basic plan for the evening in place (perform; visit the Copper Cup with Thissiken; go to Pub to secure their new rooms, also with Thissiken), the Follies begin their preparations.

*The Follies' Second Performance*​
Over the course of the next hour, Frango visits the Follies room to let them know that he's taken three deliveries on wine for the evening, the Follies firm up their act, and the common room downstairs begins to fill up. By the time the Follies make their grand entrance and ascend the pair of stages, the house is truly packed -- and a small mob of people is already gathered outside.

Recalling the crowd's request for bawdy songs the night before, the Follies open with a popular Rook's Night ballad, and then head straight into a lewd little number. With Jaehn and his flute supporting Cupric's lute and amazing voice (earning them a nickname: the "ute" brothers), Artemis tumbling up and down the room (and _not_ doing feats of strength), and De'lea -- without her armor -- doing alluring dances and handing out more scarves, the response is tremendous. Off to one side, Thissiken sits between Vicktor and Tal, keeping time with his pipe and apparently enjoying himself immensely.

For the next couple of songs (including a rousing rendition of "A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End"), the crowd continues to grow, as more and more people somehow manage to squeeze their way in. A small army of bartenders, including a beaming Frango, keeps the wine flowing freely -- if not necessarily cheaply.

At that point, an unexpected guest crashes the party: a silver-furred bear shoulders its way through the front door on its hind legs, parting the crowd like water. Although many of the revelers further away from the door simply don't notice, the Follies do -- and they know whose bear it is, too. Without missing a beat, Cupric employs one of his many bardic talents and _fascinates_ the bear.

It stands rooted to the floor, completely blocking the doorway, swaying slightly and with a glazed expression on its face. After a few moments, the crowd concludes that this must be part of the act, and one man even begins dancing with the bear, taking its forepaws in his hands and doing a merry (if drunken) jig. Knowing the his song will have to end -- freeing the bear to act on its own again -- Cupric tries to catch Vicktor's eye. While Vicktor just grins back and raises his ale mug, Tal notices the bear on his own and takes action.

Acquiring a rack of lamb on a massive wooden platter from Frango, he shoulders his way to the front door. Setting down the lamb, he looks for a way past the bear -- and finds the only one available. Getting down on all fours, the cleric begins to force his way between the bear's legs. Naturally, this is precisely when Cupric's song ends, at which point the bear also drops down to all fours. As two tons of muscle and instinct begin munching on the lamb, Tal finds himself completely covered by bear. Inching his way out, he gives the platter a swift kick -- sending the lamb sliding out the open door, and the bear lumbering after it.

Having spotted two more bears outside (smaller and darker than the silver one), as well as the dwarf with the handlebar mustache and his three friends, Tal slams the door, draws his greatsword, and stands fast in the entryway. Noting that all of the Follies are still downstairs -- and all but Artemis are still on or near the stages -- Tal waits a few minutes, then steps outside. Having weaved his way through the crowd, Tuggle joins him.

The street in front of Farry's Port is full of people -- and the part of it right in front of the door is currently very full of bear. Faced with three growling bears and their handlers, Tal is impassive and Tuggle is nonchalant. Between them, they convey to the mustached dwarf that under no circumstances will his troupe be coming inside until the Follies' performance is over. With dozens of onlookers, they convince him to back down, and Tal tells the handlers he'll let them in when he's ready.

Once back inside, Tal waits a good long while (ignoring the knocking on the door), giving the Follies plenty of time to play their final songs. When they begin filing offstage -- to the sound of the whole crowd roaring their drunken approval -- Tuggle announces that the dancing bear troupe will be performing next, and Tal lets them in.

With the exhausted Follies watching from various spots in the crowd, the troupe files sullenly in -- amidst cheering and praise, though not as much as the Follies received -- and makes their way to the stages. They make no introductions, and simply begin their act. With no accompaniment, the three bears dance and gallivant around the stages, and it isn’t long before it becomes clear that no one is enjoying them as much as they used to. After continuing for a few more lackluster minutes, the troupe files back out of the inn.

As he passes Tuggle, the dwarf glares at him and says, "This isn't over."

For the time being, however, it is. After being thanked profusely by Frango, the Follies retire to their rooms and the crowd begins to disperse.

*Returning to the Copper Cup*​
With a brief cooling-off period under their belts, Thissiken leads the Follies to the Copper Cup by the most inconspicuous route possible: he hires a barge. Taking them down a short trail that leads down from the near end of Davisson Bridge, he secures passage on one of the many small barges that are moored there.

As the dwarven bargeman poles them down the river, they are treated to an amazing view. The forest of masts they saw earlier in the day has receded to either side, and a wide swath of river lies clear before them. To one side are the vast marble walls of the High City, and to the other are the lights and sounds of the Market. Up ahead they can just make out the Sea of Fallen Stars, a vast expanse that glitters darkly in the starlight.

The bargeman lets them off a little bit North of their destination, and from there Thissiken guides them through back streets until they arrive at the Cup. In addition to the fairly substantial number of dockworkers and city folk that would normally be in the area, there are also a large number of Gurrom's Wheels. Most of them are pacing the docks, scanning the river, or otherwise looking away from the Cup itself -- allowing the Follies to approach it unobtrusively.

Not far from the inn's front door, the corpse of one of the giants can still be seen, covered by what looks like sailcloth. A group of dockworkers is sliding long poles under the creature's body, preparing to haul it away. A nearby patch of bloody cobbles -- from which stretches a lengthy smear of blood -- is all that remains of the other giant, which must already have been taken away.

Turning their attention to the Cup itself, the Follies are greeted by an altogether different sight. The entire front wall of the inn is now covered in a colorful mural of the dockside battle -- at least, in a manner of speaking. Enthusiastically (if not skillfully) depicted are forces of Wheels and Pikemen doing battle with several giants, while winged minotaurs descend from the heavens. To their relief, the Follies don't appear in the mural at all.

Inside, the Cup is dark, crowded and noisy. After making sure that no Wheels are in evidence, the Follies split into two groups. One group ascertains that while there are a great many people getting drunk and swapping stories about the battle (all of which are wildly inaccurate), none of them is Algaer. The other group discovers that for one silver piece, the harried barman will be happy to give them a key to Algaer's room.

"Remind me never to stay at the Copper Cup," mutters Tuggle.

After learning that Algaer has a sort of standing room kept available for him, the Follies make their way down the hall in that direction. With Tal, De'lea and Vicktor posted at different points in the hallway, Artemis checks Algaer's door for traps and suspicious markings. Finding none, he opens the door and enters the room, with Thissiken and the other Follies not far behind.

*Algaer's Room*​
By the light spilling in from the hall, they can just make out that Algaer's room is small, neat and empty. With the aid of a _dancing lights_ from Cupric, they see a hammock, a chair and two small tables. On the larger table are about a dozen small paintings, all propped against the wall. The hammock is unoccupied, as is the smaller table -- it's what's on the chair that draws their attention.

Propped up on the seat is a most peculiar painting. The frame is made of some sort of quartz-like crystal, perhaps thirty inches long and half that in height. A small brass plate is affixed to the lower edge, and it reads _The Promise of Darkness_. The canvas itself is largely black, but closer examination reveals dark blues and gray tones as well.

It shows a tunnel of some sort, which looks to be ankle-deep in water. The viewpoint is from somewhere in the vicinity of the ceiling, looking down the tunnel at an angle. In the foreground, staring up at the source of that viewpoint, is a wet, wild-eyed gnome -- and from his appearance, it's clearly Algaer. Approaching him from further down the tunnel are four dark forms, vaguely humanoid but otherwise impossible to identify. The whole work has an atmosphere of unsettling menace about it.

While Artemis and Tuggle determine that there is nothing else of real interest in the room, Jaehn and Cupric swap theories about the nature of the painting. Based on his past experience with _portals_ -- and the fact that the painting radiates an aura of faint transmutation magic, just like an inactive _portal_ would -- Jaehn is fairly certain that the painting functions as a gateway of some sort.

Cupric, on the other hand, has heard of a Sembian painter called Malionh, who is well known for using "Promise" in the titles of his paintings. His work is often done in a dark and brooding style, and it's possible that this painting is one of his.

After a short discussion about what to do with the painting -- take it, or leave it there -- the Follies decide to bring it with them. While it might turn out to be just a painting of Algaer, Thissiken is very agitated at the thought that his friend is somehow stuck _inside_ it -- and as he points out, if Algaer returns they can always give it back to him.

This decided, Jaehn takes the _Promise_ and tucks it under one arm. In the blink of an eye, he's carrying a simple wooden platter, and shortly after that the Follies are on their way to Pub.

*Pub*​
Pub is quite unlike any other building the Follies have seen since arriving in Selgaunt. For one thing, it's really two buildings in one: the main portion is a wide stone tower, two stories tall, and in front of that is a smallish plaster-and-timber house. The back of the house butts up against the tower, the base of which is large enough that the docks stop on one side of it and pick up again on the other. A row of narrow windows (much like arrow loops) runs around the top of the tower, and its back half clearly sticks out into the river. On the whole, it as though it was once a harbor guard tower of some sort.

Thissiken knocks on the stout front door, and after a moment it is opened by a stocky figure at least three feet wide at the shoulders. In one hand is a quarterstaff, just barely visible past the doorframe. His head is bald, and runs into his shoulders almost without interruption -- but it's his eyes that draw you in. The size of small oranges, they bulge out of his head, taking in every detail of the party arrayed before him.

Looking down, he says, "Ah, Thissiken," in a deep and unhurried voice.

Nodding, Thissiken produces a round wooden disc and passes it to him. He examines it for a moment, then intones, "You may come in." As he says this, he steps back and to one side, swinging inwards in the same manner as a heavy door.

"Safest place in Selgaunt," Thissiken reminds the Follies as he leads them to their rooms. Inside, Pub certainly looks the part: even the interior walls are a foot thick, and although it is sparsely decorated it feels warm and cozy inside. Padding softly over the straw that covers the floors, the Follies find themselves being led downstairs. Another thick door admits them into a curved hallway below the waterline, and Thissiken stops in front of the door to their first room.

As he hands over their keys, Thissiken mentions that he has reserved a room for himself upstairs, just for the next two days. Although everyone is tired, the Follies try to establish whether or not Thissiken has any plans for the next day. He hints that he may go and visit some of his contacts, to see if he can help the Follies find out what's going on.

"Are you going to leave here on your own?" asks Tal.

"I might nip out, just for a little bit..." Thissiken replies. Seeing the expressions on the Follies' faces, he adds, "...No, no, I don't think I'll be going out."

"Well, if you do, come get us first," says Cupric.

Somewhat cagily, Thissiken asks, "Can you give me another _feather token_?"

Of the four _tokens_ they were originally given by Agrafion, only two remain -- one was used to contact Agrafion himself, when they first found Thissiken; the other they gave to Thissiken that morning, and it was expended when Liddis was chasing him.

"We only have two left," Cupric tells the gnome, "but we're going to give you one. We'll have to see about getting some more of them."

With a hint of a sly smile, Thissiken takes the _token_. As he tucks it away in his vest, he says, "I have a friend who makes these. His name is Quaal."


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## haiiro (Dec 2, 2003)

That brings us back up to date. Our next session is on December 14th -- stay tuned.


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## Broccli_Head (Dec 2, 2003)

not as much action as the last one, but plenty of role-playing goodness and lots of set up as well!

can't wait until the next installment...


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## haiiro (Dec 29, 2003)

Between the holidays and catching a nasty virus, I haven't gotten the update ready as soon as I expected. It'll be up this week.


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## thedangerranger (Dec 29, 2003)

Ah yes. The fat man cometh.
Him and the goram satanic cupid on his shoulder.
This one should be fun.
-tdr-
p.s. this _is_ about the update, not the GM.


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## haiiro (Jan 7, 2004)

*Mephiskaran*

[size=+1]*Mephiskaran*[/size]

_(In the Realms: 6th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, the Year of the Rested Serpent)_

*And Then There Were Six*​
During the night, Cupric is roused from his trance by De'lea's departure from the Follies' suite. After waiting for some time for her to return, the dreamborne pads out into Pub to look for her. He finds her upstairs in one of the otherwise empty common rooms, sitting at a table -- almost motionless, as if deep in thought. Finding no obvious threats, Cupric leaves her be.

Just before dawn, De'lea comes back to the Follies' rooms -- pounding on the first door, then the second, before bursting in.

"I've been called back by my order," De'lea says to a room full of half-awake Follies. Within moments, it's become a room full of completely awake Follies.

"There are precious few paladins in our faith, and they have need of me in Ordulin," she continues.

Tal asks, "Not to say that this isn't serious, but is it something others in your faith could handle?"

"They're not sure how much of the order to trust."

Over the course of several minutes, the Follies establish that De'lea is resolute in her belief that she must return to Sune's High Sanctuary in Ordulin -- on her own.

"I don't think you should travel alone," urges Tal.

"My faith will armor me."

"And your armor," quips Tuggle.

Although unwilling to allow her companions to accompany her to Ordulin, De'lea gladly accepts their last _feather token_. For her to be called back in this manner means that whatever corruption has been uncovered in Sune's church must run very deep indeed, but she promises to contact the Follies sometime in the future. She leaves it up to them whether or not to inform Agrafion, but makes it clear that still considers herself a Harper.

Having already gathered up her gear, she bids each Folly farewell in turn, clasping them in lusty hugs. This done, she departs without further delay.

There is a lengthy silence in the Follies' suite.

Tuggle says, "So...who here can fight, again?"

*Planning*​
With the silence broken, the moment passes. Though none of them wanted to lose De'lea in this fashion, there is a mutual understanding that she is doing what she has to do.

What ensues is a lengthy discussion of the Follies' role in Selgaunt, their need for a means to communicate over great distances, Thissiken's motives and goals, and the notion of breakfast. The remaining Follies are more or less in agreement on items one, two, and four (particularly four), but number three is the sticky one.

Various suspicions are broached -- notably, Cupric's theory that Thissiken is confirming his suspicions about the fact that they're Harpers -- and options are considered, including a novel suggestion from Tuggle: the Follies could simply _charm_ Thissiken.

This is met with nearly universal disagreement, with Vicktor somewhat in favor of the idea.

Turning to the pugilist, Tal asks, "How would you feel if we had _charmed_ you to gather information?"

Sounding a bit uncertain, Vicktor asks, "Did you?"

This point is never completely resolved, but the Follies do agree that Thissiken is more than he seems, and that their first goal is to get the gnome to arrange a meeting with Quaal. If Thissiken wasn't stretching the truth in that area, that should also help the party address their need for other forms of communication -- in particular, more _feather tokens_, as they have just run out.

*Breakfast*​
After a time, the Follies make their way upstairs for breakfast. As before, they find Pub curiously empty -- not _completely_ empty, just more empty than one might otherwise expect. Not to be deterred, they approach a large door with an encouraging sign: "Kitchen," and under that in neat lettering, "Knock." They do so.

A thin dwarf with stringy grey hair pokes his head out, looks around for a moment, and asks the Follies what they'd like to eat. When asked what's available, he says, "You want it, we have it. Rat testicles in bouillabaisse? We have it!"

The Follies request ham, eggs and fresh fruit all around, and are most pleased when the dwarf tells them to have a seat and wait for their meals. Even in a city like Selgaunt, it's not common to find fresh fruit readily available in an inn where you don't have to leave your weapons at the door.

One of the Follies nips upstairs to Thissiken's room to see if he's up and about, and is informed that he'll be down when he damned well feels like it. Sounding somewhat tempted by the prospect of breakfast, the grumpy drakesmith says to have the cleric bring him a plate.

The Follies oblige, sending up a plate -- just a plate, with no food on it. Thissiken doesn't seem amused, but it does the trick: a short while thereafter, he joins them at their table.

A lengthy discussion follows, during which time Thissiken seems to switch between several states: tired, frantic, furtive, dedicated, and back to tired. The gnome is very insistent about finding Algaer, but his refusal to share any real information begins to frustrate the Follies anew. Even as Thissiken agrees to set several things in motion -- drawing up a map of the city, compiling his list of which guards are on which gates, using his contacts to find out about the painting, and arranging a meeting with Quaal -- Vicktor's hands writhe as his distrust grows.

After a time, Cupric leads Thissiken back up to his room for a private discussion. At this point, suspicions have been raised that he is a mage -- and the possibility that there might be other Harpers in Selgaunt has also been brought up. During his private talk with Thissiken, Cupric finds out that Allekar -- the last Harper to pass through Selgaunt before the Follies -- spoke very highly of her associates, and by extension of the Follies themselves.

After disappearing for a short while, Thissiken tells the Follies that Quaal himself is very busy -- but that he will be happy to send his representative, Quisk. He has arranged a meeting later in the morning with Quisk, and he tells the Follies to be up on Pub's roof at that time.

With this in mind, the Follies spend about a candlemark engaged in a variety of activities. Artemis practices his dancing, with the Follies' next performance in mind. Jaehn meditates, clearing his mind of external concerns and contemplating the nature of the Weave. Cupric writes in his journal, perhaps looking back on his brief but tumultuous life to date. Tuggle socializes in one of the common rooms, while Vicktor broods nearby.

A bit later on, both Cupric and Tal take advantage of Pub's excellent messenger service. Like most good inns in Selgaunt, Pub maintains a small army of messengers, runners and boatmen. Their standard fee is five gold Princes -- a kingly sum for most, but well within the reach of the average Pub patron. Tal pens a letter to the city's temple of Torm, letting them know that he has arrived in town, intends to visit, and comes with the blessings of Father Gedrik from his home temple. Presenting this to a messenger, he discovers that there are actually five temples of Torm in Selgaunt, laid out along the pattern of an upraised gauntlet. The central temple, or thumb, is in the High City -- easily accessible to the messenger, less so to Tal himself.

Not wishing to relive his lengthy and harrowing lute-buying expedition of the day before, Cupric employs the messenger service to round up quality lute parts in his stead. Armed with a promise of five Princes a day (plus costs) and a description of Sefin's shop in the Strings, the messenger promises to return with the items that Cupric needs.

Before too long, the hour of their meeting with Quisk arrives.

*Quisk*​
Emerging onto the roof of Pub, the Follies find a wide, bare expanse that offers a remarkably good view of the city. While they take in the sights, Thissiken scampers over to one wall and begins circling the rooftop in a methodical fashion. Arriving at particular spot, he tells the Follies that this is where they should wait for Quisk. The Follies have time to bring up several chairs, and also to notice that there are no ravens on the roof -- in Selgaunt, a very unusual absence indeed.

Moments later, a single raven descends and touches down on the low wall, precisely where Thissiken stopped a few minutes ago. The raven cocks its head and says, "Thissiken. So, these are the friends you have told me about."

There is a collective pause among the Follies, during which time Thissiken nods and Quisk says, "Caw."

Once they've gotten over their initial surprise, the Follies discover that Quisk is both personable and businesslike. The raven establishes what it is that they want -- namely, more _feather tokens_ -- and then informs them of a variety of other options. His master, he says, not only makes the ubiquitous bird _tokens_, but a wide variety of other _tokens_ as well.

Interspersed with casual jibes -- as when Tal comments that communication is very important, and Quisk responds, "That's the brightest thing you've said so far today" -- are descriptions of several compelling items. One is a silver raven figurine that acts exactly as a _feather token_, but is reusable. Another is a _feather token_ that sends its message to several people at once, and the third is a _token_ that sends a message, then waits and returns with the response.

When the Follies mention that they'll have to look into their finances, Quisk tells them, "Quaal would like to express his sincere appreciation for saving this useless little gnome. I think we'll be able to work something out for you."

At which point the raven sneezes loudly, and abruptly turns into a small white badger. The badger says, "Bugger."

After it has been established that he's alright, Quisk asks for some pepper. Tuggle steps forward and mentions that he can produce the same effect with a small spell, which he proceeds to describe. About three words into his descriptions, Quisk interrupts: "Oh, _prestidigitation[/i[. Fire away." Tuggle does so, and with another loud sneeze the badger transforms into a little brown gibbon.

This process is repeated often enough for Cupric and Jaehn to determine that it is not a spell, but something inherent in Quisk (although not inherent in the same sense as it would be for a doppelganger, or a druid). For his part, Quisk is nonchalant about it, remarking that he tries to make sure it doesn't happen while he's flying. After it becomes clear that he isn't going to turn back into a raven -- or even something with wings -- right away, Quisk requests some entertainment. Having discreetly asked Thissiken if the raven was trustworthy (to which he responded, "He's very trustworthy, unless he's the weasel"), the Follies are quite comfortable around Quaal's emissary, and a Rook's Night tale is shortly being told by their resident bard.

After a few minutes, Quisk sneezes his way back into raven form, takes the scrap of paper on which the Follies have written their communications wish list, and departs. Before leaving, he tells them to return to the rooftop just as night falls for a second meeting._


----------



## haiiro (Jan 7, 2004)

*The Temple of Azuth*​
Thissiken's research earlier yielded a name: Mephiskaran, purported to be one of Selgaunt's only experts on _portals_. This notable resides at the temple of Azuth, which Jaehn had wanted to visit anyway -- so the Follies decide to make that their next goal. Since Thissiken is very worried that whoever destroyed Algaer's shop might destroy his shop next, they agree to stop there after visiting the temple. What they do after that will just have to depend on what Mephiskaran can tell them.

With Thissiken's knowledge of quiet streets and backways, it takes the Follies the better part of a candlemark to reach the temple of Azuth. The temple itself consists of one massive sandstone building, the rear of which butts up against the city wall. The sprawling temple appears to be about three stories tall, and numerous windows look out onto the street.

As they approach the main entrance, several of the Follies notice two things about the windows: one, that they are tinted pale blue, and two, that what's visible beyond them is not the interior of the temple. Behind each window the sandstone wall is unbroken, but painted with detailed scenes of libraries and wizards engaged in a range of activities. In actuality, there appears to be only one real opening in the whole building: its enormous and imposing front door.

What greets them when they open the door is something of a surprise: the entryway is swarming with dozens -- if not hundreds -- of tiny humanoids, each no more than a foot high.

*The Legion*​
Stepping inside, the Follies find themselves in a high-ceilinged hallway. Several feet over their heads, small bridges, walkways and chutes criss-cross the passage, running in and out of the walls, up to the next level, and down the length of the hall. These tiny byways are swarming with the same creatures that are even now gathering around the party, and all of them seem bent on one task or another. Some carry tomes several times their size, others clutch smoking alembics or scrolls, and they all seem quite busy.

Down at ground level, the creatures have completely surrounded the party, giving them a chance to take a bit of a closer look. The small beings are humanoid in shape, and look as though they're made of melted brown wax. As the Follies stare, one of them steps to the fore and welcomes the party to the temple in a high-pitched voice.

Jaehn introduces himself to the speaker, and relates his name and purpose, being sure to mention that his patron is Azuth. At this, every single creature in the hallway -- by this point, perhaps numbering a few hundred -- bows low.

"Welcome to the temple, all of you. We can certainly let you see Mephiskaran, he is very approachable, and we will need to know a bit more about you," says the leader. As the Follies introduce themselves, the creature seems to sense that they are out of their element. Sounding a bit surprised, he asks, "Have you not heard of us?" When the Follies all shake their heads, he continues.

"We are the Legion," he says. Then he turns to look at the assembled crowd, bobs his head, and turns back to the Follies. In unison, all of the waxy men shout, "And we are famous!"

The leader goes on to explain that they are homunculi, or homun, managing to seem thrilled to have guests and very pleased with himself all at once. While Jaehn conducts some side business with the homun -- offering them several of his more unusual spells in exchange for copies of others that he is interested in -- Cupric extemporizes a song about the Legion. They love it, and shortly the crowd in the hallway has tripled in size, and many of them are singing along with the chorus.

While this is going on, Jaehn has successfully negotiated for several spells. The homun politely inform him that there may be a balance owed, as he is asking for a bit more than he is providing. When Jaehn agrees to this, the homun borrow his spellbook to add the seven spells he has offered to their libraries -- and seven of them climb onto his shoulders. Seeming quite content, they explain that they will serve as the deposit for his spellbook until he returns to retrieve it.

Now with seven homun on board -- and a great many more in tow -- the Follies are led through the temples many halls to Mephiskaran's chamber.

*Mephiskaran and Falmin*​
In the doorway is an opaque sheet of what appears to be falling smoke, completely filling the sandstone arch. The homunculi indicate that they have arrived, but none of them actually approach the archway. Instead, they form a ring around it, with none of them closer than about three feet. The Follies step through, and each of them has the same experience: the moment any part of them touches the smoke, they are simply _through_ it and inside the chamber beyond.

In approximately this order, they are greeted by intense cold, a bare and forbidding stone room, and sight of the largest man any of them have ever seen.

Mephiskaran's chamber consists of four stone walls, on which are several torches, a long trestle table (with one end pointed at the door), numerous high-backed chairs, and a sofa. The sofa is placed at the far end of the table, and seated on it is a truly enormous human -- literally several feet in diameter, with his braided hair and beard flowing over him and down to the floor. He is wearing a plain blue robe, and seated on his shoulder is a peculiar creature that looks something like a homunculi -- only with gigantic eyes vastly out of proportion to its tiny head.

Between the Follies and Mephiskaran is a sumptuous feast covering about half of the table; apparently, a multi-course meal is in progress. As their eyes travel over the food, the Follies also notice that the thing on Mephiskaran's shoulder is carrying a miniscule bow with an arrow nocked, and it bears a small quiver of arrows on its back.

"You guys must be the ones who wanted to see me. I'm Mephiskaran. Come in and have a seat."

As the Follies introduce themselves and bring up the subject of their visit, Mephiskaran grills them for background details. He seems particularly interested when Jaehn relates to him that he studied on Evermeet under Archmage Larkin, in the great city of Leuthilspar. Once the introductions are out of the way, he urges them to get down to business.

The Follies show Mephiskaran the painting, and describe some of the circumstances surrounding it. They also produce _Soriyo's Crop_, the wand they took from Liddis Malzevent's body -- and Mephiskaran identifies it without any hesitation. When he has heard quite a bit of their tale -- the possible connection to the painter Malionh, the appearance of the shimmering man, and so forth -- he asks to hold the painting. With some reluctance, the Follies pass it over to him.

Placing it on the table before him, Mephiskaran sends a stream of sparkling motes cascading out of his forehead and down onto the _Promise of Darkness_.

"Well, it's definitely a _portal_," he says after a moment's concentration. "How much do you know about _portals_?" The Follies reply that they know a little bit, but not all that much -- only Jaehn has had any significant contact with them.

Mephiskaran proceeds to give them a quick lesson in the basics: very expensive, fixed to one location, and a one-way trip unless you build a counterpart at the other end -- and Algaer's definitely in there. His best guess is that the painting shows the last thing that would have been seen through the _portal_ as it closed. Turning his gaze back to the party, he says, "But I've never seen a _portal_ like this before, and I've seen a _lot_ of them in my day." His voice hungry with excitement, he adds, "Who _are_ you guys? You've just shown me something I've never seen before, and told me about something else that I've never heard of."

Beginning to feel as though they've just put all their cards on the table without seeing what's in Mephiskaran's hand, the Follies clam up. They tell him that they want to find out how to operate the _portal_ -- and nothing more.

Leaning its misshapen head closer to them, the creature on Mephiskaran's shoulder says, "Yes, master, but who might want to know about _them_?" Its voice is languorous and unpleasant, and it turns towards Mephiskaran as it finishes asking this question.

In the next few minutes, the decidedly uncomfortable Follies hash out the basics of a deal with Mephiskaran: he will open the _portal_ for them in exchange for the information they've already given him, as well as a report of what's on the other side. After establishing that they won't sell him the painting outright, the enormous man focuses on getting them to agree to tell him what's on the other side.

With surprising dexterity, Mephiskaran reaches around into the back of his robe and produces a small leather pouch. Unwrapping it, he reveals an irregular piece of glass or crystal. Holding it up to the group, he asks, "Here, have you heard of _image crystals_?" When the Follies say no, he hands the _crystal_ to the thing on his shoulder -- referring to it as Falmin -- and motions for the Follies to gather around him.

Falmin steps carefully around the food on the table and turns to face the assembly -- the six Follies and Thissiken gathered around Mephiskaran's bulk, like moons around a planet. The creature holds up the _crystal_ and mutters something under its breath, and the glass goes completely dark, then lightens -- revealing a perfect picture of Mephiskaran and the Follies.

Taking the _crystal_ back from Falmin, Mephiskaran says, "See? I will give you several more of these, and you can make images of what's on the other side of the _portal_."

His eye on the _crysta_, Tal casually asks, "How do you erase them?"

"Oh, you can't erase them. You can break it, though -- it's just glass."

"We'd like to have that one, then," says Tuggle.

"No, I think I'll hang onto this," replies Mephiskaran, smiling broadly. Having returned to his shoulder, Falmin draws its lips into a loathsome grin.

"We'd really like to break that one, then," says Tal. In response, Mephiskaran tucks the _crystal_ back into his robe.

*Impromptu Conference*​
Indicating to Mephiskaran that they need to speak amongst themselves, the Follies head back out into the hallway. All but Tal are glad to escape the bitter cold, but Thissiken seems more interested in the food and stays behind.

Back in the hallway, the Follies make some quick decisions. They intend to acquire more _feather tokens_, and perhaps use them to seek guidance from the Harpers. Whether or not they consult their patrons, they plan to go through the _portal_. They most definitely don't want to leave the painting with Mephiskaran, and everyone -- but particularly Tuggle -- agrees that they need to get the _image crystal_ that holds their portrait back.

During their discussion -- and while surrounded by a small army of homun -- Tuggle says, "We should let our Harper...sh*te."

After a brief pause, Cupric rallies with, "Yes, we _should_ let the harpist back at the inn know that we're going to be late." The other Follies leap on this deception, and between them they think that they might've carried it off. Since the walls -- or more accurately, the floor and ceiling -- have ears, they hope they're right.

It crosses Jaehn's mind to see if the temple has any useful information on Shaundakul, and he asks the homun about this. Seeming almost offended, they tell him there are seventeen libraries in the building _just_ on Shaundakul. The quick-thinking mage asks them to give him a summary of Shaundakul's avatar appearances and traveling methods, and anything related to the "glowing green guy." On a whim, he also asks them to tell him more about _Soriyo's Crop_, including its uses and a list of its previous owners. The homun agree to add this to the spells that they'll be bringing him later on.

Jaehn also gives everyone a brief rundown on the nature of the church of Azuth. As he describes it, the church is composed of many factions, some of which are quite ruthless. He knows that they are mostly neutral on the topic of the Shadow Weave, but that many of them are incredibly zealous about gathering information -- sometimes at the expense of all other concerns. For the most part, however, the church stays true to its aims: preserving knowledge, and advancing magic in the world.

Resolved to be more cagey in their negotiations, the Follies return to Mephiskaran's chamber.

*An Impasse is Reached*​
Seating themselves around Mephiskaran's table once more, the Follies make their terms clear. Mephiskaran hands over the painting without reluctance, his manner suggesting that he had no intention of holding onto it. The _crystal_, however, is a different matter.

The Follies start out by politely mentioning that they would rather others not know about them. Mephiskaran's unhurried reply -- "That kind of information can be very valuable" -- doesn't help any, so they try a different tack. The fact that they have told Mephiskaran several new pieces of information and received little in return is brought up, and Mephiskaran agrees that there is an imbalance there. Hoping this opening means he might make returning the _crystal_ part of their bargain, the subject is raised again.

Smiling, Mephiskaran replies, "I like my pictures. I have a room full of them."

Now incensed, Tuggle tells the giant man that if he won't return the glass they will take their painting and leave. Period.

There is a brief, pregnant pause. Mephiskaran eats a dollop of blancmange.

Drawing Mephiskaran's attention to himself, Jaehn asks if perhaps he could confer with him privately. As he speaks, Jaehn notices something for the first time: the seven homun on his shoulders have been remarkably still the entire time that they've been in Mephiskaran's room.

Mephiskaran consents to a private conference, at which point Falmin leers at the homun seated on Jaehn and draws back its tiny bow. "You should go," it hisses at them -- and without a moment's hesitation they do so, leaping off of Jaehn and scampering out the door as fast as they can. The other Follies go after them, this time with Thissiken in tow.


----------



## haiiro (Jan 7, 2004)

*Questioning the Homun*​
Out in the substantially warmer hallway, the Follies confer among themselves. As no one but Thissiken and Mephiskaran have eaten any of the food, there is some speculation that Thissiken may be under some sort of magical influence. A few brief questions establish that he seems like his usual self, and Vicktor tries that bread and reports that he doesn't feel any different either.

Noticing that the homun forming Jaehn's deposit are seated against one wall, motionless and apparently quite afraid, Cupric tries to draw them out a bit. In no time, the charming bard has won their trust and is sharing in their secrets. The homun tell him -- and the other Follies, who by now are also listening -- that Mephiskaran is rarely seen in the temple. As far as they know, he spends most of his time in his chamber -- someplace they try never to go.

When asked about Falmin, they tell the Follies that he was once a homun like them, but that Mephiskaran changed him. After explaining that most homun are scribes, librarians, catalog-keepers and so forth (and expressing surprise that the Follies can't tell them apart -- "See? He's more waxy, and he's more brownish..."), the one who has become their impromptu spokesman says of Falmin, "His talents lie in other areas."

Cupric asks, "What areas?"

"He's _very_ good at killing things."

The homun are deathly afraid of Falmin, and they tell the Follies that he is responsible for killing those that Mephiskaran doesn't want around.

The Follies also quiz Thissiken on what he and Mephiskaran talked about the first time they were out of the room. Happily munching on some of their host's bread, he explains that he filled Mephiskaran in on Dracon Row, Algaer, and Algaer's disappearance.

*Two Deals are Struck*​
At the same time, Jaehn is working hard to convince Mephiskaran to give up the _image crystal_ containing their portrait. Finding that the other wizard is intrigued by the Shadow Weave, Jaehn hints that he might be able to show him a _portal_ created using that Art. Explaining that he's going to call up a Shadow-infused creature, he gets up from the table. Mephiskaran continues to eat his blancmange with gusto.

Falmin draws back his bow and gets a bead on the point where Jaehn says the creature will arrive, and without further ado Jaehn summons a shadowy celestial bee.

Running one hand through his massive beard, Mephiskaran tells the elf that this isn't quite what he had in mind. Thinking fast, Jaehn tells the wizard that he'd be willing to give him something made with the Shadow Weave in exchange for the breaking of the _crystal_. At once confident and modest, Jaehn expresses some concern that he might not be able to do this right away, and suggests a longer timeframe.

Seeming quite sincere, Mephiskaran agrees, and the first deal is struck: Jaehn will provide Mephiskaran with a Shadow-made object within one month, and in return the wizard will smash the _crystal_ on the spot. Jaehn also asks that the wizard not speak of him, as he would rather certain parties not hear about him. Mephiskaran agrees to this as well. The terms laid out, Falmin takes one hand from his bow and holds it out towards Jaehn.

"We must...shake on it."

Jaehn steps forward and shakes Falmin's hand, and then draws back. Mephiskaran removes the _crystal_ from his robe and passes it to Jaehn. Holding it parallel to the floor, Jaehn lets it fall. At the moment of impact, it goes dark again, then shatters into countless fragments.

Popping out of the room -- literally -- Jaehn tells the other Follies that's it's alright to come back in. When they are all inside, Jaehn explains that he has made a deal with Mephiskaran and destroyed the _image crystal_.

Cupric takes the lead, proposing a second deal to Mephiskaran: if the Follies decide to go through the _portal_, they will take some of the wizard's _crystals_ and -- assuming they make it back -- tell him what lies beyond the painting. Mentioning that he's made this sort of deal in the past, and understands that many don't make it back, Mephiskaran agrees to their terms.

At this, Falmin clambers off of his shoulder and picks his way across the table to Cupric. The homun holds out his hand and smiles.

"Where I'm from, it is not customary to shake on things," Cupric says.

"We're not where you're from," replies Falmin. "We should shake. So much more...polite."

Thinking that perhaps a _geas_ is involved, Cupric hesitates. After a moment, Vicktor steps forward, brings his thumb and forefinger together, and shakes Falmin's hand.

"See how easy? No fear, it's a little guy," Vicktor says, smiling broadly.

Looking pleased, Mephiskaran passes Vicktor two blank _image crystals_ -- his to keep whether the Follies decide to chance the _portal_ or not. After making sure that it's alright to send their answer by way of Drake, Jaehn's raven familiar, the Follies leave Mephiskaran's chamber. On their way out of the temple, Jaehn retrieves his spellbook and confirms that the spells and information that he requested will be sent to Pub as soon as they're ready.

*Thissiken's Shop Redux*​
Once again taking back streets that he seems to know quite well, Thissiken leads the Follies to Dracon Row. Passing beneath its wrought iron entry arch, the group finds the Row to be much as it was yesterday -- with one important exception. About ten paces ahead of them is a man in a sweeping cloak, the back of which is emblazoned with a large pair of silver wings: the symbol of Sembia's Silver Ravens.

As the Follies quietly alert one another to the Raven's presence, Tuggle is already at work. He casts _glamour_ on himself, instantly becoming at least twice as dashingly gnomish, then lets off a carefully timed _recent occupant_, catching the spot that the Raven just passed through.

The spell reveals his name to be Landiser Culver, and his race to be human. Jaehn mentally commands Drake to fly higher and tail the Raven, while the other Follies quietly continue on in Landiser's footsteps.

Arriving at the site of Algaer's shop -- around which some of the rubble has been cleaned up -- the Follies glance across the debris and spy another disturbing sight. A motley group of men is in the process of dispersing throughout this part of the Row, drawing hand axes and lighting torches as they go. It is somewhat difficult to tell, but it looks as though the Silver Raven is motioning the mob into action.

In a heartbeat, the Follies are in motion as well.

As Artemis and Thissiken make for the latter's shop, Tuggle yells, "Fire! 'Ware the torches!" at the top of his lungs. Vicktor darts down the alley just past Thissiken's, making for the next street over. Tal shouts to Thissiken to get what he needs and then go, while Jaehn shifts his disguise into that of a butcher carrying a large chopping board. Based on his memory of what the alarm bell in Thissiken's shop looked like -- and by extension, what it should sound like -- Cupric draws on _ghost sound_ to mimic that bell ringing at maximum volume, right in the middle of the pile of rubble.

Seeing two of the axe-bearers approaching the party across the debris, Tuggle sends two gleaming tattoo needles flicking into one's throat, killing him instantly. Taking the cutting board from Jaehn (at which point it reverts to painting form), Cupric runs into Thissiken's shop, uncovers the blockhole, and drops the _Promise_ into it. Blending in with the other now-screaming pedestrians, Jaehn flails about and runs towards the Silver Raven.

From across the way, two armored men break out of the group of axe- and torch-carriers, draw heavy crossbows from beneath their robes, and fire on Artemis. Though he is not far from them, only one bolt sinks into the nimble barbarian. Seeing this, Talishmere crosses the gap and sinks his greatsword into one of the thugs, while Tuggle lets loose a brace of needles at Landiser.

In response, the Raven cups his hands and then draws them apart, and a glowing red shape streaks from him to Tuggle. It catches him in the forehead, and the gnome feels a sensation much like a gentle kiss. Stopping off to the side of the action, Jaehn summons forth a bombardier beetle -- and turns it on a third crossbow-wielding warrior who has just emerged from an alleyway.

To an observer looking on from above, what happens next would seem nothing short of amazing. Bursting out from between two shops, Vicktor leads with one fist and knocks down a torch-wielding thug. Twisting without losing momentum, he hits a second one with his other fist, driving him to the ground like a force of nature. Still moving, he crosses the short distance to a third unfortunate and nearly staves his face in.

Seeing this, the two nearby crossbowmen fire wildly at Vicktor -- and miss their mark. One bolt thunks into a cringing bystander's head, while the other catches one of the axe-carriers in the small of his back and drops him. Stepping into the still-toppling body of his last victim, the Beast of Saerloon knocks him aside and drives a fist into the jaw of the nearest thug. His blow hits with enough force to tear the man's jaw clean off, and with a touch of the surreal it remains stuck on Vicktor's fist until his next explosive punch shakes it off.

With the painting relatively safe, Cupric draws and nocks his bow and heads back out into the street. From his vantage point, he can see Landiser, a sword-wielding man battling what looks suspiciously like one of Jaehn's creations, and Tuggle preparing to launch another volley. Cupric lets fly at Landiser, catching him high in his mailed chest, and in response the Raven sends a red rune darting back at him. It moves too fast for him to dodge, and Cupric feels the gentle kiss as it strikes him in the face.

With Vicktor tearing his way through thugs across the street, Artemis matching rapier to scimitar blow-for-blow with an opponent in the rubble, and the rest of the Follies dealing with Landiser, Tal decides to work on fighting fires. Several of the torch-bearing thugs have hacked their way into shops, set fires within, and moved on to new shops. Taking advantage of the water barrels placed near every drakesmith's business, Tal drops his sword and hoists one over his head. Staggering slightly, he runs into the nearest shop and launches his barrel at the heart of the blaze. The rush of water puts it almost entirely out, and Tal darts back outside to repeat the process.

Across the rubble heap, spells are flying. Jaehn sends the smoky, shrieking vortexes of his _magic missiles_ into the man currently chopping up his beetle. Cupric tears the air between him and Artemis's opponent apart with a _silent sound_ -- and Tuggle lets fly with two more needle _missiles_, both of which bury themselves in Landiser's heart and send him to his knees. He is dead before he slumps to the ground.

At nearly the same moment, Artemis and his foeman -- each bobbing and weaving to avoid each other's strikes, but both bloodied nonetheless -- are concluding their battle. More aptly, Artemis concludes it by running the other man through, and then flicking the blood from his rapier and going through his opponent's clothes and possessions.

Back among what remains of the mob, Vicktor has already punched one of the crossbowmen to death and is facing down the second one. Tal has put out another shop fire, and most of the arsonists are fleeing up the street. Once he has dispatched the other crossbowman, Vicktor joins Tal in putting out fires with the same grab barrel--toss barrel--next! approach.

Within a few short minutes, all of the fires have been put out, Thissiken has retrieved a crate from his shop (and Cupric has gotten the painting out of the blockhole), and all of the fire-starters and other attackers are dead, unconscious, or in flight. Quick but efficient efforts have turned up some items of interest on the bodies of Landiser and the crossbowmen -- including holy symbols of Waukeen around the necks of the Silver Raven and one other man. Jaehn makes some quick attempts to make it look like the armored men killed one another, but no one wants to dally any longer.

Regrouping by Thissiken's shop with every intention of making themselves scarce, the Follies make an unpleasant discovery. The spell Landiser used on Cupric and Tuggle has created a lurid red mark that completely covers their faces -- not harming them in any way, but so bright and visible that it seems to glow. Both marks are the same shape, and look something like a stylized seagull -- and nothing the Follies try seems able to cover them up.

Cupric borrows Jaehn's hat and disguises himself as De'lea, wearing a broad bonnet with a veil and a pretty sundress covered in flowers. In the meantime, Jaehn covers the rest of the Follies with a _silent image_ that neatly erases blood and other marks of battle, conceals Thissiken's heavy crate as a box of fruit, and manages to cover Tuggle's marked face with Tuggle's _unmarked_ face. In this manner, they return to Pub as fast as possible -- and manage to avoid attracting much attention in the process.

*Marked*​
Back in their rooms, the Follies take a breather to assess their situation and discuss the nature of the marks.

Thissiken turns out to have actually seen them before, and says that they are sometimes used by guard-clerics to single people out as criminals. Between Tal's religious knowledge and Jaehn's and Cupric's background in magic, they are able to piece together that the symbols are made by a spell called _mark of the outcast_ -- and that it is most often associated with the Underdark. Cantrips, orisons and simple magic cannot remove them, but more powerful dweomers -- and godlike magic, like _wishes_ -- can do the trick.

Talking things out, the Follies decide that their first priority has to be getting rid of the marks. They decide that their best bet is to pool their funds and try and buy two scrolls containing _remove curse_ from the temple of Torm. Although currently beyond his reach, with a bit of luck Tal will be able to cast them, and it seems like the speediest option.

Taking their pool of around seven hundred gold pieces, Tal heads downstairs to find out how to get to the nearest temple of Torm. Armed with directions to the smallest of Torm's churches -- affectionately known as "the pinky" for its place in the gauntlet pattern -- and accompanied by Vicktor, Tal sets out to meet his brethren.

While they are gone, the other Follies keep themselves busy sending messages. Selgaunt's most literate barbarian, Artemis, pens a message to Frango at Farry's Port. It reads:

_Tuggle's Follies will not be able to play tonight due to unforeseen circumstances._

Jaehn scribes a quick message to Mephiskaran, which he sends to the temple of Azuth by way of Drake:

_We are going to wait for word from our associates on whether or not to enter the painting.
We are planning to do so, and we will know within a few days._

Although they are hoping Tal and Vicktor will be successful at Torm's temple, the Follies figure that this will give them some breathing room. Once Drake and Pub's runner have departed, they settle in to rest, wait, and (in Tuggle's and Cupric's case) wish they didn't have giant red seagulls on their faces.

*The Leastfinger Temple of Torm*​
Torm's smallest temple in Selgaunt turns out to be a simple granite cloister, ringed by columns shaped like massive greatswords, their hilts supporting its roof. Two of the faithful are visible, both patrolling the grounds in shining full plate armor and with their blades drawn. Tal is pleased -- this is as it should be.

Approaching the nearer of the two, Tal introduces himself. The man tells them that his name is Oxaran, and welcomes them to the temple. Next to Tal, Vicktor looks even shabbier than usual, and the cleric seems to take an instant dislike to him.

After Oxaran has showed them to the inner sanctum -- a rock garden, its central feature being a greatsword-shaped grand altar -- and Talishmere has requested several scrolls, Oxaran asks if he can baptise Vicktor. Standing by the altar, Vicktor stares back at him and asks, "What's Torm ever done for me?" Oxaran bristles, but Tal is able to calm him down -- while at the same time trying to convince Vicktor of Torm's many virtues.

When Tal mentions Vicktor's sinful past, and tells him that Oxaran has a point, Vicktor shoots back, "He didn't have a point. He just said, 'Let me baptise him!' That's not a point."

A few moments later, Vicktor comes out with, "Torm is such a weak god."

When Oxaran returns, he looks at Vicktor, then at Tal, and says, "Please keep the heathen away from the altar." Proceeding to completely ignore Vicktor from that point forward, Oxaran tells Tal that he has procured the scrolls he needed from the temple stores. Thinking to make the party's need slightly less obvious, Tal asked for four scrolls altogether: _detect magic_, _cure light wounds_, and two copies of _remove curse_. As such, even with what Oxaran explains is a special price for a fellow brother, Tal finds himself handing over nearly seven hundred gold Princes.

In addition, he gives Oxaran every copper of his personal money, totaling another ninety princes or so. Oxaran seems somewhat mollified by this, and when Tal tells him where they're staying the cleric even says that he might come for a visit. Leaving before Vicktor causes any more trouble, the two Follies quickly make their way back to Pub.

*Quaal's Gifts*​
Back in the Follies' rooms, everyone gathers around Tal, Tuggle and Cupric. Suffused with steely grace, Tal musters his will and chants the words on their first scroll. His upraised palm flashes once, brightly, and then the mark on Tuggle's face is gone. His confidence unwavering, the aasimar repeats the process for Cupric -- and succeeds again. Much relieved and considerably poorer, the Follies settle in to wait for nightfall, and Quisk's arrival.

At the appropriate time, they return to the roof with their chairs and circle up around Quisk's spot. Shortly after the last of the day's light has left the sky, the lone raven flaps down out of the darkness and lands on the wall. As he touches down, the velvet bag he clutches in one claw clinks slightly against the stone.

"Quaal wants to thank you for your heroism in Dracon Row this afternoon. He didn't have as many _feather tokens_ on hand as you requested, so he asked me to give you this instead." As he tugs open the velvet sack with his beak, Quisk sneezes and turns into a parrot. "Bugger," he adds.

What's revealed inside the bag is a small, delicately carved silver raven.

"This will turn into a raven on command, and you use it just like a _feather token_," says Quisk. "It'll work for anyone who knows the two commands: 'imbelar,' to change it into raven form, and 'oslain' to have it deliver your message. It works for about thirty candlemarks per tenday, but you don't have to use the time all at once."

The Follies are pleased and grateful -- all the more so when Quisk gives them two _returning tokens_ to go along with their raven figurine. They thank Quisk, and ask him to thank Quaal, and he in turn thanks them. Still in parrot form, Quisk wishes them luck and flies off into the night.

Back downstairs again, the Follies take care of two last items of business before heading to bed. Together they compose a message to Agrafion, and send it to him via Thissiken's _feather token_ (which they had given him previously). It reads as follows:

_Friend of Thiss, Algaer, in danger, need to go through painting portal to help.
Working with Mephiskaran from temple of Azuth, room in Pub.
Unknown destination. Unknown time of return._

And lastly, Jaehn sends Drake back to Mephiskaran for the second time, bearing a brief message. In it, the Follies tell the wizard that they will be back at the temple tomorrow, and intend to go through the painting. They also request that he prepare some supplies for them, and provide them with a way to determine where they are once they're on the other side of the _portal_.

This done, all of the Follies retire for the night -- resting up in preparation for the coming day, and their trip through the _Promise of Darkness_.


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## haiiro (Jan 7, 2004)

That's it for session four. The campaign site includes a short video shot during this session -- it's a 1.6 MB .wmv file created by thedangerranger, and it's pretty nifty.


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## Broccli_Head (Jan 7, 2004)

Hooray! An update!

Love the Beast of Saerloon and his jaw-tearing punches!


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## thedangerranger (Jan 10, 2004)

It didn't really get a lot of screentime in any of the writeups, but it is amazing how paranoid we all were around Mephiskaran and his little homonculi. There was this great big table filled with food he kept urging us to eat. No one except Viktor and Thissiken ate. Hmmm... The two most comfortable with sharing info...
Cause or effect?
-tdr-


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## haiiro (Jan 31, 2004)

This SH generally lives on page 5 because we only play once a month, and it takes me a good long time to write the updates. That said, there _will_ be a session five update -- replete with several frisky battles.


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## haiiro (Feb 15, 2004)

*Through the Painting*

[size=+1]*Through the Painting*[/size]

_(In the Realms: 7th & 8th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, The Year of the Rested Serpent)_

*Breakfast, Deliveries, and Dracotechnics*​
Sitting around a table in one of Pub's common rooms, the Follies start their day by discussing some of the particulars of their coming journey. They are still divided over whether or not to trust Thissiken completely, though all of them are excited about the prospect of finally seeing some of his dracotechnics. There's also a lot of back-and-forth about how concerned they should be over what happens to the painting while they're gone. While shoveling down their tasty grub, they consider a few different scenarios -- the painting leads to a cave that no one would ever want to visit again, Mephiskaran keeps it and sends someone through it after them -- and wonder how concerned they should be about getting it back.

When Thissiken comes down to join them, he seems alert and excited. His only contribution to the conversation is that Algaer cares greatly for his paintings, and would almost certainly want the Promise back. He then ushers the Follies upstairs, telling them that he has some presents to show them.

Noting that Thissiken seems to be feeling better, Cupric suggests that Tal bring him some breakfast. Thissiken grins and asks Tal to surprise him, and Tal takes off for the kitchen with a smirk on his face and a spring in his step. Thissiken beckons the Follies to gather around his bed, where a heavy blanket covers several lumps of different sizes. When Tal returns with a covered plate, Thissiken ignores it in favor of what's on the bed.

With a somewhat clumsy flourish, he draws back the blanket and reveals several peculiar objects. There are nine altogether: three small metal spheres, each with a coil of cord protruding from them; two rectangular blocks of what appears to be stone, each with a "T" stamped on their top face; a single small barrel made of dark wood banded with brass; a large stone cube with an ornate "T" on one side; and two short arrows with heavy metal heads, each of which has a tindertwig tied to the shaft.

Beaming, Thissiken begins to describe the objects. Pointing to the large cube, he tells them it's called a walljammer, "The pinnacle of our art -- it will blow a giant hole through just about anything." The two rectangular blocks he refers to as lockbusters, telling the Follies that the side with the "T" will stick to nearly any surface. With great care, he brushes away some of the pebbling on what they thought was its stone surface, revealing a slightly tacky gray substance with a long channel in it. In the channel is a fuse, with regular stripes along its length.

Thissiken explains that -- like nearly all dracotechnics -- these will explode when the fuse reaches its end. How long that takes can be determined to within a few breaths by cutting the fuse to the desired length. Once he's sure that the Follies understand the basics of using these powerful explosives -- a new term for most of them -- he lets them take what they like from his stock. He seems a bit worried that they will take everything, and once or twice he casually mentions that this is everything he's got on hand.

As the Follies gingerly heft and prod the various items, the gnome says, "All dracotechnics are designed to destroy fortifications...and sometimes people. That's why they're not allowed in the High City." He starts on his breakfast as he talks, and after the first bite he looks up at Tal and asks, "How did you know I liked pigeon necks so much?"

Before choosing their gifts from Thissiken, the Follies agree that they should decide what's going to happen to the painting while they're gone. Thissiken tells them that Pub has vaults that can be rented out, which helps them narrow it down to two choices: Mephiskaran keeps the painting at the temple of Azuth, or Thissiken takes it back to Pub and puts it in a vault. They decide to put it to a vote, and Thissiken pipes up, "I should get two votes, because I'm important."

After going around the room, the vote stands at four to three in favor of Thissiken taking the painting after they've gone through it, with Tal, Jaehn and Vicktor in the minority. Since the subject of Thissiken's and Vicktor's friendliness towards Mephiskaran came up before the vote, Thissiken's vote against the corpulent wizard helps to allay some of the Follies' suspicions about his possible ensorcellment.

With that decided, the Follies pack up their chosen dracotechnics -- the two arrows for Cupric, the knockerbomb barrel for Tal, and the three small gremlyn grenades for Artemis. They opted against the lockbusters after Thissiken warned them not to cut into them, or jostle them unnecessarily, and the walljammer was ruled to be too unwieldy to transport. Thissiken also tells the party that he doesn't think he can go back to his shop again -- for fear someone will try to kill him -- and that this whole affair is going to change his life dramatically. He hints that he will probably try to set up shop in Pub, but seems uncertain what his future holds.

Before they leave Pub, the Follies have a note delivered to Farry's Port canceling their performances for the foreseeable future -- and they receive several deliveries as well. Pub's messenger service brings them Cupric's lute parts from the Strings, and a return message from the Grand Sword of the temple of Torm in the High City for Tal, while a runner from the temple of Azuth brings Jaehn a small box.

When opened, the box turns out to contain several homun who excitedly present Jaehn with the spells that he requested, as well as their notes about Shaundakul. The notes are on two thick sheets of vellum and penned in dozens of different styles -- all written so small as to require a magnifying glass to read comfortably. Before closing the lid of their box, the homun slyly mention to Jaehn that they decided not to charge him the balance on his spells because they like the Follies, but they refuse to elaborate.

Talishmere also get a _feather token_ from Tarayn of Dracon Row, which he reads aloud to the other Follies:

_To Tuggle’s Follies,
Protectors of Dracon Row

From the Drakesmiths of Dracon Row,
Selgaunt’s Finest Purveyors of Dracotechnic Arts,

Simple words cannot be enough thanks, but for now they’ll have to do.
We are grateful, and intend to show our gratitude.
At present, we are very busy working on a surprise for certain unsavory parties.
We will be seeing you soon.

Penned by Tarayn of Dracon Row,
On Behalf of the Undersigned,

(Signed by a dozen drakesmiths)

PS, Stay off my roof._

The Follies all grin at the idea of a group of drakesmiths preparing a "surprise" for someone, and amidst speculation about who the lucky parties in question might be, they head out for the temple of Azuth.

*Departure*​
As before, Thissiken's knowledge of back streets makes for an uneventful journey to through the city. En route, however, the Follies catch sight of several squads of Silver Ravens -- a sight they have not seen before. Heavily armed and armored, the Ravens seem to be patrolling the city in much the same manner as the various guard factions.

Arriving at the temple, the Follies are greeted with another unexpected sight: the entryway is almost entirely devoid of homun. A few paces back from the door, four homun are supporting a tiny sedan chair -- and seated in the chair, his tiny bow cradled in one arm, is Falmin. While only a handful of homun are visible at ground level, the walkways, bridges and tubes that criss-cross the hall at ceiling level are swarming with them.

"I was expecting you," says Falmin. He then glares at one of the sedan-bearing homun, causing all four of them to spin the throne around and scamper off down the passageway. The Follies follow Falmin back through the winding corridors to Mephiskaran's chamber. When they reach the smoky doorway, Falmin steps down from his chair and sends the other four homun skittering away with a glance. Without a word, he passes through the falling smoke.

Stepping through after him, the Follies find themselves once again in Mephiskaran's presence. He is seated in his customary sofa at the far end of the long table, and the room is just as cold and bare is it was the last time they were there. The table, however, is different: instead of food, the near half holds three lidded baskets with straps attached to them, designed to be worn as backpacks, as well as a small ivory box. The far half, closer to Mephiskaran, is completely covered with a thick white pelt, furry side up. Directly in front of him is a square of black silk, on which are arrayed numerous peculiar tools.

Smiling broadly, Mephiskaran welcomes them inside. Although Falmin's demeanor is unchanged, Mephiskaran himself seems almost chummy. Once all of the Follies are in the room, he asks them if they have decided who will be holding onto the painting in their absence. When they indicate that they will be leaving it in Thissiken's care, he replies, "But it will be so much safer with me. Gnomes are so _fragile_."

Seeing that their minds are made up, he drops the issue and moves on to explaining what's on the table. He tells them that the three packs contain enough food for six people for two tendays, along with a good amount of water, torches, rope and other essentials. As he talks, several of the Follies notice that he is wearing a slim golden headband in addition to his usual robes.

As Tal empties and sorts the packs, making sure that they don't contain any unpleasant surprises, Mephiskaran continues, telling them that the box holds two more _image crystals_. While the other Follies discuss how much they want to carry with them, Jaehn procures an extension for his side of the bargain with Mephiskaran: one month from the date of the Follies' return from their journey. He shakes with Falmin to seal these terms.

As some of the Follies have concerns about how much they can trust Mephiskaran's rations, they ask him if he cares whether they take the packs with them or not. He replies, "I don't care what you do with them, just don't starve to death before you bring something back."

Once the Follies are geared up and ready to go, Mephiskaran asks them for the painting. Accepting it from Jaehn, he places it carefully on the pelt. Selecting a few tools, he begins probing and prodding the edges of the canvas. After a few moments he looks up at the Follies, says "Don't worry," and then jabs one of the tools into the center of the _Promise_.

He then inserts a second tool into the hole and draws the pair apart. Instead of tearing the canvas, his tools pull the image itself aside, revealing a faintly shimmering gray surface. Keeping the tools where they are, Mephiskaran deftly maneuvers the painting to the edge of the table. Holding it steady and gripping the edges of the crystalline frame firmly, he says, "Get closer, and get ready to touch it in unison. It won't stay open for long, so be quick!"

After a moment of shuffling for position, all six of the Follies touch the _Promise_ simultaneously.

With no sense of movement, they suddenly find themselves crowded into one end of a passageway in near-total darkness. Looking up at the same spot Algaer was gazing at in the painting, they see nothing marking the _portal_ through which they came.


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## haiiro (Feb 15, 2004)

*Part 2*

*Arrival*​
The first thing the Follies notice is the temperature -- cool, but a far cry from the arctic chill of Mephiskaran's chamber -- followed by the water on the floor, and then the silence. They are indeed in one end of a passageway, with nothing but a bare wall behind them. Ahead of them the far end of the tunnel is framed in a soft glow, and this is the only light available. The walls of the passage itself are smooth and oddly curved -- more like a burrow or other natural creation than a constructed passage.

Forming up into a rough column, with each Folly having a hand on another's shoulder, the party heads towards the light. Jaehn casts _glittering robe_ on himself, providing his spare frame with some meager protection against dangers unknown. Sloshing quietly through the water, they arrive at the end of the tunnel -- and what they see at first defies description.

The tunnel opens out into a very large chamber at an odd angle. The room is rectangular and over one hundred feet in length, with a high vaulted ceiling. The smooth arc of the vault makes the whole room look like an extended arched doorway, and at its highest point the ceiling is at least sixty feet off the ground. The floor of the room is covered by water, as in the passageway, and the walls are tiled with massive plates of purplish stone. Scattered about the room at floor level are several plates that stick out from the walls. What draws the eye, however, is the room's central feature.

Floating in midair under the arch of the ceiling is an enormous cylinder, nearly as long and as wide as the room itself. It spins slowly counter-clockwise, and its entire surface is covered in deeply-graven runes. The far end looks to be lower than the near end by several feet, and this list gives the massive cylinder's spin an irregular lilting rhythm. The cylinder glows brightly enough to softly illuminate the whole chamber.

Peering around the shoulders of the other Follies, Jaehn and Cupric combine their knowledge of architecture and history to determine that the room is built in style associated with ancient Netheril. Seeing that the others don't know the significance of this discovery, Jaehn explains what he knows of Netherese history -- their wildly powerful magic, towering egotism, and ultimate downfall resulting in the creation the vast desert realm of Anauroch.

There is a pause, during which only the faint lapping of water at the Follies' ankles can be heard.

Then Vicktor pipes up, "Sounds like hokey voodoo to me."

Cupric responds, "Oh, another thing about Netheril: it was torn apart by evil creatures."

Somewhat sheepishly, Jaehn adds, "I hate to tell you at this point, but I'm being pursued by mages. Shades."

When this doesn't have the desired impact on some of the Follies, the wizard describes the return of the floating city of Shade, and its power-hungry inhabitants. He also mentions that he's fairly certain that if the area the Follies are in happens to be under Anauroch, it's also awfully close to Shade -- and that his contact with the shades means that they might be able to tell when he casts a spell. A spell, for example, like the _glittering robe_ that he cast a few moments ago.

There is another pause, this one somewhat more ominous than the first.

*The Cylinder Room*​
After a few moments of silence, the Follies agree that what's done is done and begin cautiously exploring the cylinder room. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes or so, they make several interesting discoveries.

Scattered in no apparent pattern among the carved runes on the cylinder's surface are symbols of a different sort. Though similar in shape, these are made of bright green metal set flush with the surface of the cylinder. There is also a hemispherical socket or depression of some sort in each of the cylinder's ends. These are surrounded by corroded metal fittings, by which it looks like something was once attached to each end of the cylinder.

The murky water covering the floor is several inches deep, and walking around in it the Follies occasionally encounter small protrusions. Jaehn uses _prestidigitation_ to part a small patch of water in front of him as he moves about, and in this manner is able to determine that these protrusions appear to be bones -- which wouldn't be that odd, except that they seem to be embedded in the floor.

At the cylinder's midpoint on one side of the room are the remains of what looks to have been a marble pedestal of some sort. It would have commanded a good view of the cylinder, but it is impossible to tell much else about it in its current state.

Tuggle's _detect magic_ reveals several auras: the cylinder radiates enormously powerful transmutation magic, easily the strongest the gnome has ever encountered, and this aura is slightly weaker at the listing end of the cylinder; the scattered metal runes on the cylinder have their own auras of moderate transmutation magic; and the shattered pedestal and raised wall plates all radiate faint transmutation magic.

A casting of _recent occupant_ before anyone has crossed the room's midpoint identifies Algaer Harblock, male gnome, as the last intelligent creature to occupy one part of the room -- three days ago. The area he was in is directly in front of one of the raised wall plates, and unlike the others this one is missing a piece from one of its bottom corners.

Crouching down to examine the size of the gap -- and what's beyond it, which appears to be a small round room -- Vicktor remarks, "Oh, yeah, I could force a gnome through that."

Although interested in further exploring the cylinder room, the Follies agree that their course is clear: they need to find a way through the panel that Algaer was near.

At this moment, they hear a voice from behind them: "Hey! Is someone out there?"

*Malkas Lockmyre*​
Turning around, the Follies don't see anyone else in the room. When the cry rings out again, however, they are able to pinpoint its origin: it sounds like it's coming from behind a wall on one of the long sides of the room.

Hurrying over, they shout back that yes, someone is out there. The voice responds, "Oh! I'm so glad...it's been so long. Please help me!" There is a hint of arrogance in the tone, but also obvious relief.

Skeptical, the Follies press the speaker for details. In between repeatedly asking them to get him out, he seems happy to oblige. He says that his name is Malkas Lockmyre, and that he has been trapped there for five years. He tells the Follies that they are hungry and weak -- and they pounce on his use of "they," asking who else is in there with him. After a pause, he says that his companions are trapped as well, and when asked for their names two other voices pipe up. They claim to be Franzas and Joden, and they also plead to be let out.

While they are conversing with Malkas, the Follies are also trying to oblige him: they are examining the wall panel closely, looking for a way to open it. Like the others that are dispersed throughout the room, it sticks out several inches from the surrounding wall. Instead of being featureless, like the non-protruding plates, it bears three runes -- similar in shape and size to those on the cylinder, but also just as undecipherable. There are grooves in the wall above the panel, indicating that perhaps it is designed to slide upwards when it opens.

The Follies also don't miss the speaker's surname, Lockmyre, and they ask if he knows a Lockmyre in Selgaunt. He says that he does -- Immir Lockmyre, his brother. He tells them that Immir is an art collector in the High City. Malkas explains that he found a painting -- "Yes, yes, the dark one" -- and traveled through it with his guards. When asked, he says that a gnome came through the area several days ago, but that they don't know where he went. He claims to have a special means of surviving for this length of time, but won't elaborate on it.

At this point, several minutes have passed and the Follies are no closer to opening the door-panel. Vicktor has tried lifting it alone (it didn't budge), and then again with help from Artemis and Tal. When this has no effect, the Follies decide to all try at once, with Vicktor doing the bulk of the lifting. While they get settled, the voice from behind the door badgers them with questions -- "Are you lifting the door? Get us out, please!" and so forth.

When all six Follies are lined up along the door, hands underwater, and grunting mightily as they try to lift the door in unison, the voice calls out, "I hear grunting. Are you all pushing on the door?" Frustrated, they shout back that yes, they are all pushing on the door -- at which point they hear a loud buzzing sound from behind them.


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## haiiro (Feb 15, 2004)

*Part 3*

*Blink-Dwarves?*​
Before the Follies have had a chance to react, Jaehn, Cupric, Vicktor and Tal are all stabbed from behind, bringing Jaehn near death and seriously wounding the others.

Without bothering to see what's attacking them, Artemis drops into a roll and tumbles out of the melee. Hampered by the water and catching bits of his armor on the bones that protrude from the floor, the barbarian just barely gets away cleanly -- and he hears a sword blade zing off the floor behind him as he rolls by one of their attackers.

Cupric is the first to turn around, and he's not expecting what he sees: four dwarves with tangled beards and matted hair, all wearing chainmail and wielding shortswords -- and fading and flickering in and out of existence.

Vicktor lunges for one of the dwarf-creatures, catching a whiff of pungent body odor as he goes for the grapple. As his arms close around his foe, he finds that the dwarf isn't where he was a moment ago -- instead, he's a few inches to the right, and just far enough away to have avoided Vicktor's grasp.

Jaehn leads off with _shadow self_, and two copies of the wizard shimmer into place beside him. At the same time, Tuggle sends two _magic missiles_ at one of the dwarves, hoping that his flickering effect won't keep them from striking home -- and he proves correct.

Finding himself boxed in and gravely wounded, Talishmere fishes out his _wand of cure light wounds_ and sends a charge of stored faith into his body.

As the Follies try to get their bearings, the blink-dwarves hold their ground, stabbing and slashing at the party. Although they are nearly always blinked-out when the Follies try to strike them, they seem to be able to keep from fading away when they're on the offensive.

Realizing that he has little chance of striking them, Cupric falls back on _Tasha's hideous laughter_. The spell's energy writhes around one of the dwarves, and he tumbles to the ground while forcing out disquieting throaty chuckles.

Nearby, Vicktor hauls off and punches one of the dwarves, landing a powerful blow in the center of his chest. The dwarf responds by deftly sticking his sword in the pugilist's gut -- causing Vicktor to curl up and collapse into the filthy water, unconscious.

Surrounded by bedlam, Tuggle tries to get off another _magic missile_, but puts too much of his focus into avoiding the swords of the dwarves -- the spell twists itself into nothingness, stinging the gnome's fingers.

Across the room, Artemis comes out of his roll and finds himself face to face with a ragged human. Artemis has time to take note of the man's well-maintained studded leather armor -- and the wide-eyed insanity of his expression -- before a well-aimed sword blow carves a path down his arm. In one of those odd moments that occur sometimes during combat, several of the other Follies catch enough of a glimpse of the sword to determine that the blade appears to be made of stone.

As the battle rages on, the Follies find that their opponents can not only fade in and out of reality at will -- they can also disappear entirely, then reappear somewhere else. The three remaining dwarves and the human all use this tactic to devastating effect, winking out before the Follies can attack them, then blinking back in to strike from a new direction.

Within a few heartbeats, the Follies have taken blow after blow from their elusive enemies. Vicktor is bleeding out into the water, Jaehn is still reeling from the initial ambush, and Tal -- despite his curative efforts -- is pinned down and in bad shape. Tuggle, Artemis and Cupric are faring slightly better, but they can't get into a position where they can back up the other Follies.

In the space of a moment, though, the tide has turned in their favor. Jaehn manages to stun two of the dwarves with a perfectly-aimed _color spray_, dazzling the human at the same time. Tal is then able to reach Vicktor, who is in no condition to refuse Torm's grace -- and Cupric lays low the last dwarf with another _Tasha's_.

As the lanky human comes out of his dazzlement, he realizes that he has dropped his sword. He bends to pick it up as Tal skates the tip of his greatsword across the floor and up into the man's belly. Grunting in pain and surprise, he scrabbles around in the bloody water, fails to retrieve his blade, and disappears.

Firing himself up into a rage, Artemis jabs at his closest foe, causing blood to well up from several small wounds. In the thick of things, Cupric draws his dagger, lets out a savage scream, and lops a dwarf's head clean off with a single blow. As arterial blood spurts out over the melee, the dwarfs head continues laughing for a moment, then splashes into the water.

A flurry of _magic missiles_ from Tuggle and Jaehn fell another dwarf, while Tal cleaves another nearly in twain with his massive sword. As Drake flits about, pecking at their final opponent, Cupric sends a shrieking _silent sound_ in his direction -- and misses.

Before the dwarf has a chance to blink out, Jaehn splashes over and brings his staff down on his head with a sharp crack. With blood running out of his nose and eyes, the dwarf collapses into the water.

After a moment, the echoes of battle have died out, and the only sound the Follies can hear is their own ragged breathing.

*Following Algaer's Path*​
Knowing that their escaped foe -- although apparently injured and weaponless -- could return at any time, the Follies remain alert. Tal expends twenty charges from his wand in healing them -- preferring to reserve his remaining spells for the day ahead -- and brings everyone pretty much up to snuff. Meanwhile, Tuggle recovers the human's peculiar sword, and feels a sharp pain in his palm as he picks it up. Pulling his hand away from the hilt, he spots a tiny thorn-like sliver of metal that protrudes from the grip.

Taking a close look at the sword, Cupric tells the others that there is a tribe of Bedine in Anauroch who use stone blades similar to this one. The swords are called thorngrips, and their magic is dependent on the thorn damaging the wielder -- removing or covering it renders them temporarily non-magical.

Now fully recovered from their battle with the blink-dwarves, the Follies spend the next better part of three hours exploring the cylinder room. For much of this time, they are completely stymied by the operation of the door-panels. Lengthy and careful searching uncover the fact that there is a simple magical means to open them -- but not what that might be -- and that there should also be a mundane means of gaining access, in the form of a small catch at the top of each panel.

In the end, they are able to coax only three of the doors to open.

One leads to the chamber in which Malkas and his guards were supposedly trapped. That room is bare and devoid of personal effects save one: a magical spoon that appears to be carved from a human leg bone, and a matching bone bowl. This proves to be a _Murlynd's spoon_, or something very similar, and provides an answer as to how Malkas could have survived for five years with no supplies.

The second room is even less appealing: nearly the size of the cylinder room itself, it contains dozens of gigantic piles of feces. When the Follies get this door open -- using same trick they found to operate the first door: passing a _mage hand_ through the center of the panel -- the stench from within nearly makes them all throw up. That door is hastily closed, but after some debate they reopen just long enough for Tuggle to cast _detect magic_ into the chamber. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as the case may be), this turns up no magical auras whatsoever.

The third door that they tackle is the one with the chipped corner. After they have placed rubble under it in such a way that it keeps the door from closing, but can be removed easily if need be, the Follies peer into the chamber beyond the panel.

They see a cylindrical room about seven or eight paces across, with a small stairway leading down into the center. The middle of the room is filled with rubble and debris, and the floor is concealed by water. From this central area, three other stairways ascend to three small doorways -- one opposite the entrance, the other two centered on the walls to either side. All three appear to open into narrow vertical shafts of some sort.

Seeing no obvious threats, Artemis walks into the room -- where he receives a very nasty surprise.


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## haiiro (Feb 15, 2004)

*Part 4*

*Ye Liveliest Awfulness*​
Sloshing through calf-deep water and pushing aside floating debris, Artemis is caught completely off guard when the water surges up and crashes into him like an avalanche. He hears the creak of bones flexing and -- much worse -- snapping sounds as several of them break, and then he finds himself stuck to the surged-up creature and held immobile.

Cupric is the first to react, sending a _silent sound_ into what looks like some sort of gelatinous mass festooned with debris. When the sonic attack strikes the surface of the mass, a high-pitched shriek of pain reverberates around the small room.

Tal brushes past Cupric and charges into the room, still not completely certain what's going on. Finding himself thigh-deep in some sort of standing wave, he draws his dagger and stabs down at it -- with no visible effect. The ooze responds by surging up into Tal, cracking ribs and sending sparks of pain through his entire body. Even as this happens, both Follies realize that their weapons are stuck firmly in the creature's body.

Not sure how much of the "water" in the room is actually water, Jaehn makes a gamble: he tries to summon a fiendish shark into the center of the chamber. The ghostly image of a thorny-hided shark appears, then fades out in a puff of shadow -- there wasn't enough water present for it to manifest.

Taking careful aim, Tuggle tosses a flask of alchemist's fire into the room. It flies true, arcing over the standing wave and out of sight, but it's impossible to tell if it has any effect on the creature.

A ripple passes through the creature, and it flexes and continues to crush Tal and Artemis. Succumbing to the pressure, Tal falls unconscious -- and Artemis narrowly avoids meeting the same fate.

Thinking that perhaps he can wriggle free of its oozy grasp, the barbarian makes a desperate effort to do so. While it doesn't make things any worse, the thing's sticky hold on him is so strong that he doesn't budge at all.

Rushing forwards, Cupric forces a healing potion down Tal's throat, bringing him back to consciousness. Shoulder to shoulder with the dreamborne, Vicktor grapples Tal and tries to pull him free. This causes Tal intense pain, but has no other effect.

As Jaehn and Tuggle fire _magic missiles_ into the mass -- still frustratingly unable to see what effect they have, if any -- the creature once again intensifies its grip on Artemis and Tal. Even as Tal is trying to time his next effort to break free with Vicktor's next attempt to pull him out, he lapses back into blackness. Although Artemis is largely hidden from their view, the other Follies are treated to the horrible sight of Tal's face turning purple as blood begins to seep out of his eyes and mouth -- and worse still, wells up around the seams in his armor.

The next few moments pass in a blur. Changing tactics, Jaehn focuses his will and grants Cupric a _mark of fire_ to use when the opportunity presents itself. Cupric, meanwhile, yanks Tal's _wand of cure light wounds_ out of the cleric's belt and presses it to his chest. Tal doesn't wake, but looks like he's no longer at the brink of death. Behind them, Tuggle lobs a flask of acid over the melee and into the chamber -- with dramatic results.

The creature emits another piercing shriek, ripples away from Tal and Artemis -- dropping Tal into the water and leaving Artemis bloodied but standing -- and surges towards the rear of the room. Leaving his rapier stuck in the creature, Artemis dives for the door -- and at the same time, Cupric heaves mightily and drags Tal out of the water.

Now all safely outside the ooze's chamber, the Follies take a few moments to heal, regroup, and try to determine how to proceed. While Cupric is sifting through his knowledge of peculiar creatures, Artemis takes a more direct approach: he trims the fuse on one of his gremlyn grenades down to a nub, flicks the attached tindertwig alight, and tosses the sphere into the next room.

The Follies are still scrambling to get away from the doorway when the grenade goes off like a peal of thunder. Thick smoke billows out of the room, and after their hearing returns and the smoke clears, the Follies see a very welcome sight: there is a steaming crater in the middle of the chamber, and the scorched walls are coated in dripping slime, water and debris. Artemis's rapier is also embedded deeply in one wall, its hilt bobbing slowly up and down. Apart from the sulfurous smell of the blast itself, there is a strong urine-like odor wafting out of the chamber.

Confident that the ooze is well and truly dead, the Follies move in and begin exploring the round room.

*Which Way Did He Go?*​
In several minutes of efficient searching, the Follies find out a number of things.

A ring is recovered from a blob of oozy stuff on one wall, and it bears a mark that Cupric recognizes: that of the Finders, and adventuring company known for their love of food. Items they crafted were most often protective in nature (though sometimes associated with fire, as well), making this one well worth holding onto.

One of the three archways opens into a blocked shaft: several feet above the arch, it is completely clogged with rubble. Below the level of the doorway, there is a short drop that terminates in an upraised forest of wickedly sharp spikes. Curiously, these spines gleam like new-forged metal, showing no signs of their age.

Figuring that Algaer couldn't possibly have gone that way (assuming he didn't just get eaten by the ooze, of course) the Follies focus their attention on the other two arches. A _recent occupant_ cast on the area on front each opening reveals that one was last visited by Ellestar Nalfeloc, a male human, 1,586 years ago -- and the other by Algaer Harblock, much more recently.

Shaking his head as he wonders aloud how Algaer was able to bypass the ooze, Artemis takes a close look at the second shaft. It features the same spiked bottom as the first (and the third, which was also examined), but the upper portion is clear to beyond the limits of his sight. The edges of the archway appear scorched, but not by the recent blast. The marks are old and worn into the stone itself, although there is no obvious source. To the right of the arch is a small keyhole, and a glance to either side confirms that the other two shafts have this feature as well.

Selecting a few choice picks, Artemis has worked the mechanism in no time. After a momentthe prevailing silence is broken by a faint humming sound, growing louder. The party is in the process of backing away when a reddish marble disc floats into view from the top of the shaft, passing the opening and stopping level with the bottom of the archway.

Although presently unhurt, the Follies are dangerously low on resources. All of the spellcasters have used up most of their magical energy for the day, and there are precious few healing potions to go around. A short discussion takes place on whether or not they should press on, ending when it's agreed upon that they'd like to find a safer place to make camp.

This settled, Vicktor steps onto the disc. While everyone is deciding who else should join him, Jaehn is pushed into the cramped shaft as well. After a short pause, the disc rises rapidly and whisks the two Follies out of view.

*The Room With No Floor or Ceiling*​
Moments later, the disc bearing Jaehn and Vicktor comes to a smooth stop. After a glance into the chamber beyond, neither of the Follies opt to leave the shaft.

What they see is a circular ring-wall of the same purplish stone as the cylinder room below -- but supported by and supporting nothing. Where the bottom of the wall ends they see only ground and foliage, several hundred feet down. Above the top of the wall is only sky. Even more baffling, there is a circular bench surrounding some sort of shattered pedestal "sitting" in the center of the room, and it's hovering in place with nothing to hold it up.

Since this sight defies all reason, even in a world steeped in magic, both Follies make a conscious effort to disbelieve their eyes. It fails, and the room remains exactly as it was. Seeing that Drake has accompanied them, Jaehn coaxes him off his shoulder and tries to get him to walk out onto the nonexistent floor.

Drake bristles and refuses, fluffing up his wing feathers in indignation. After huffing for a bit, he eventually consents when Jaehn reminds him that _he can fly_ and promises him some really excellent bird feed later on.

The raven settles onto the surface of the disc, then takes a few hesitant steps out over the yawning drop. Several feet out from the shaft, and still not visibly held up by anything, he turns around and glares at Jaehn, then flies back to his shoulder.

At that point, Artemis trips the shaft mechanism and sends the still-occupied disc floating back down to the ooze's chamber.

A brief explanation and a few minutes of shuttling back and forth later, all of the Follies are gathered around the top of the shaft, looking down through the floor that they can feel but not see. The observation is made that the position of the sun is about the same as it was when the Follies left Selgaunt -- which should mean that they're in roughly the same part of Faerûn.

They also take a more detailed look at what else is in the room, which proves to be interesting indeed.

Every few feet, large freestanding arches are spaced around the walls of the room. Each sits (on nothing) about a foot from the wall, and is open on both sides. All of them are different shapes -- ranging from tall ovals to short hexagons -- and nearly all of them are unremarkable in appearance. In the far half of the room, however, are two archways that are quite different from the rest.

One opens out onto a stony beach, waves lapping at the shore and sparkling in the noonday sun. From their vantage point, the Follies can see nothing but sky, beach and ocean -- although they can make out the fact that the gap between the arch and the wall is just as empty here as elsewhere in the room. In front of this archway is the dusty skeleton of something very large, which looks like a cross between a lizard and some sort of shark or other aquatic predator.

The other arch of interest looks out onto a mountainous area speckled with snow, with steep crags surrounding a valley of unknown depth. Gusts of wind carry snow across their field of view like smoke, and the whole atmosphere is one of bitter cold -- in stark contrast to the apparent warmth of the other vista.

Knowing that he cannot cast any more cantrips today, Tuggle calls out to the other Follies -- who have now begun gingerly venturing into the room -- not to go near any of the arches. He tells them that he wants to use _recent occupant_ to figure out where Algaer might have gone, but that they'll need to rest before he can do that.

The Follies agree that resting up sounds like an excellent idea, and opt to sit on the ring-shaped stone bench in the center of the room. Making sure nothing of theirs is touching the invisible floor, the Follies each make their own efforts to go to sleep -- or at least relax -- in this strange place. Since it's still before noon as far as their bodies are concerned, this doesn't prove easy.

To pass the time, Cupric tells stories, Tal talks to Vicktor about Torm, and everyone shares rations -- which turn out to be fairly tasty, as these things go. Amid the pleasant warmth of camaraderie, the Follies eventually manage to catch some rest.


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## haiiro (Feb 15, 2004)

*Part 5 (Final)*

*The Skyclimbers*​
Though it does the trick, the Follies' sleep is anything but comfortable. Waking up the next day -- morning, at least by the sun -- they are still aching and sore from the events of the previous day. On the upside, no one on watch overnight heard anything out of the ordinary, or saw any sign that the teleporting human from the cylinder room was still prowling about.

As their first priority is still Algaer, the Follies get right down to business. Tuggle makes his way over to the beach archway and casts _recent occupant_. Surprisingly, what it picks up is the skeleton on the floor in front of the archway: Reloorb, a male var-shark, last present (and alive) 241 years ago.

Incredulous, Jaehn says, "They have _names_?"

Heading over to the mountain view, Tuggle prepares to do the same thing -- and stops short when he sees Algaer.

The arch looks out onto a U-shaped valley between craggy mountain peaks. Slumped facedown behind a projecting rock perhaps two hundred feet away is Algaer, on the opposite side of the chasm. On the same rock face, but about fifty feet to Algaer's left and a hundred feet further down are three massive minotaur-like beasts. These appear to be at least part mountain goat or ram, as they have shaggy white fur and long recurved horns. Each wears a coil of rope over its shoulder, to which is attached a pouch of some sort, and all three carry bundles of javelins. They are clearly climbing towards Algaer, and as the Follies take things in they see that a javelin protrudes from the gnome's back.

Artemis and Cupric both recognize the peaks visible in the distance as part of the Storm Horns mountain range, and Cupric also notices faint puffs of breath coming out of Algaer's mouth -- indicating that he's still alive.

With no time to spare, Tal ties off one end of a rope to the central bench-pedestal. Artemis grabs hold of the other end, takes a deep breath, and steps through the _portal_. He immediately loses his footing for a moment, slipping around in the area just beyond the archway. As Artemis regains his balance, Tal follows him through the _portal_ -- and he too has trouble staying upright.

Once Tal and Artemis have found their footing and moved aside, Tuggle heads through as well. Once through the arch, the sorcerer turns back -- and sees only the neatly "severed" end of the rope emerging from thin air. Reaching into the area where the portal should be has no effect. Able to see Tuggle through the portal, the other Follies now know that this is a one-way trip.

Shortly thereafter, all of the Follies are on the rock face. Cupric and Tuggle quickly don their cold weather gear, while Tal shouts back to the others about tying off on the rope that he and Vicktor are attached to -- at which point the minotaur-beasts notice them.

There follows a moment wherein the six Follies look at the three minotaurs across the chasm. The moment is broken when Artemis waves at them.

Now seeing them head-on, Cupric is able to recognize them as Skyclimber minotaurs -- a brutal and clever tribe that inhabits the Storm Horns, known for their precision with javelins. From his time spent near this region, Jaehn knows that they are voracious predators. Oddly, despite his travels through this very mountain range, Artemis has never heard of the Skyclimbers. Regardless, the Skyclimbers have now heard of _them_.

One of the minotaurs pulls a gourd from his pouch, downs its contents, and then shouts across the divide to the Follies: "What tribe do you hail from?"

Seeing that the minotaur is looking at Cupric, Vicktor says to the bard, "Harpers! Tell him we're Harpers!" The other Follies glare pointedly at him.

Cupric shouts back, "We're lost lowlanders, from Sembia."

The shaggy minotaur replies, "You're a _long_ way from home."

"Foul magic brought us here," responds Cupric, hoping that the Skyclimbers are as suspicious of magic as most humanoids.

"You're not trying to steal our kill, are you?"

Pointing at Algaer's body and projecting disgust and confusion, Cupric shouts back, "What _is_ that thing?"

Cupric and the minotaur go back and forth in this manner, eventually establishing that the Follies do indeed want Algaer's body. Cupric offers payment, and the minotaur leader seems interested -- but during this time, Tal and Vicktor have not stopped heading towards the gnome's body.

The minotaur bellows at them, telling them to stop moving. At the same time, Tal slips, and his weight begins to drag Vicktor down the mountainside with him.

The leader shouts at them again: "Stop moving or we'll kill your friends!"

Still trying desperately to arrest their slide, Vicktor and Tal don't have any choice but to keep moving. Seeing this, the minotaur downs another gourd-flask and levels a javelin in their direction. Taking careful aim, he winds up and sends it flying straight towards the pair -- until it bites deep into the rock face just under the center of the rope that connects Vicktor to Tal. This pivot point stops Tal's fall abruptly, and gives Vicktor time to find purchase and brace himself against the mountain.

Turning back to the other Follies, the minotaur shouts, "We've paid for the kill. Go about your business.".

Vicktor calls back, "How about the other gnome? He's living and tasty!" Luckily, Tuggle is too far away to hear this remark.

Still trying to negotiate, Cupric talks up the properties of one of his two explosive arrows, telling the minotaur that it strikes with the fury of a wizard's fire. After a moment's thought, the minotaur tells him to shoot one of them up into the air so that he can see what it does. Cupric replies that this would create a noise loud enough to cause an avalanche -- so the minotaur tells him to leave it on a flat rock and move away from it.

The Follies insist that they be allowed to examine Algaer's body, and the minotaur consents. "Gnome-vermin can look at other gnome-vermin when we've seen your arrow."

At this point, the Follies are spread out over quite a wide area. Cupric, the one closest to the portal is about two hundred feet away from Tuggle, the Folly closest to Algaer's body. Coupled with the high winds, this makes it difficult to coordinate their efforts.

Seeing that the other two minotaurs are still heading towards Algaer's ledge, Tuggle, Vicktor, Tal and Artemis keep moving towards that same point. Treacherous footing keeps them from making very good progress, but Tuggle's size and weight seem to give him a bit of an advantage. He has nearly reached Algaer when the lead minotaur spots him.

Lips drawing back into a grin, he lets fly a javelin -- which finds its mark, drilling straight through Tuggle. The javelin's point emerges from the gnome's back, narrowly missing his heart and nearly knocking him off the mountain with the force of its impact.

With the first blow struck, all Hell breaks loose.

One of the other minotaurs begins blowing a large horn, and takes cover behind a rock spur. The other downs a gourd and disappears entirely, apparently invisible.

Making haste, Artemis slips once again -- and this time, he begins sliding rapidly down the mountain. Naturally nimble, he is able to arrest his fall after twenty feet or so, bruised but otherwise unhurt. Resolute, he begins climbing back up and heading for Algaer's ledge.

Opting for speed over safety, Vicktor breaks into a trot, scampering over the scree and loose rocks. Moments later, he falls and begins his second slide down the rock face.

Still in shock, Tuggle downs a _cure moderate wounds_ potion, then casts _glamour_ on himself.

Catching Jaehn's eye, Cupric tries another gambit. Using _ghost sound_, he begins an act involving himself, his unseen demonic master, and a host of screaming accompanied by the cries of tortured souls. "Master, not now!" he shouts, patting himself as if on fire.

His ghost sound responds in booming tones, "*You have failed me.*"

Cupric takes this chance to begin crawling towards the explosive arrow, pretending to be lurching and shambling in pain.

The minotaur leader takes aim again and flings a javelin at Cupric. This time, however, the sheer distance gets the better of him, and his shot goes completely wide. The javelin strikes the rock some distance from any of the Follies, then bounces off into the abyss.

Vicktor, Tal and Artemis are still involved in their efforts to keep from falling into the chasm. Artemis is having a tough time scrambling back to his previous position, and Tal is trying to cast _bull's strength_ on himself while Vicktor drags him down the mountainside. Vicktor, needless to say, has his own troubles -- nothing he does seems able to arrest his fall this time.

Jaehn, meanwhile, catches on to what Cupric is trying to do and plays along. He uses _minor image_ to cause an inky circle to form above Cupric. An enormous demonic arm, wreathed in flames and covered in bloody spikes, emerges from the circle and begins mangling Cupric horribly.

Trying to time things with what's going on around him, Cupric has his master bellow, "*I will destroy your soul for your impudence. This pain is only the beginning, flesh-maggot.*" Really getting into things, Jaehn chooses this moment to have the hand tear Cupric's maimed body in half.

Across the chasm, Tuggle is still preparing to make a break for Algaer. He drinks a potion of _mage armor_, then catches sight of the demonic pantomime and decides to play into it as well. Emerging from behind cover, he starts wailing and shrieking in fear, in plain view of the minotaur leader.

With the help of Tal's enhanced strength, he and Vicktor have now regained their footing and begun moving towards Algaer again. Artemis, on the other hand, has slipped further down the cliff face and -- though he caught himself before falling to his death -- wound up making very little progress.

"*What have you done to my emissary?*" booms the great voice, and Jaehn turns the hand to point at Algaer's crumpled form.

As the minotaur leader emerges from cover and prepares to throw another javelin, Tuggle tries to use _learn heritage_ on him to find more fuel for the illusory bluff-in-progress. As the minotaur throws and misses, Tuggle's spell fizzles out with no effect.

The phantom voice calls out again: "*Small calves, you will pay for this!*"

Fortunately, this does the trick. The minotaur leader's resolve finally breaks, and he doesn't even pause to cower in fear -- instead, he begins half-climbing, half-running up the mountain face away from the Follies. Seeing this, the other visible minotaur takes off in the opposite direction, heading down the cliff as fast as possible. The invisible minotaur's frightened horn blasts can be heard receding into the mountains.

Even with no obvious threats at hand, the Follies know that this may summon more trouble. Bearing this in mind, they make their way to Algaer's body with just the right balance of caution and haste -- and for a change, no one slides down the mountain in the process.

In moments they have established that Algaer is unconscious but still barely alive, and wasted no time in administering one of their remaining curative potions -- after, of course, pulling out the javelin.

Seeing that Algaer is back in the land of the living, Cupric delivers one final missive with his _ghost sound_: "*For this day, the calves may live. Touch not my envoy again.*"

*Back Into the Ruins*​
Algaer seems quite confused at first, but readily accepts that the Follies are friends of Thissiken's, and that they've come to rescue him. He is weak, cold and hungry, and seems not to understand quite where he is -- but luckily for them, he remembers very clearly how he got there.

In between thanking the Follies profusely for their efforts, he tells them that he found a slender bone object near the _portal_ -- and that when he passed it through the archway it opened a door to the mountains.

Relieved that they won't have to trek all the way back to Selgaunt from the far side of Cormyr, the Follies keep a close eye on Algaer (lest he fall off the mountain in his weakened state) as they make their way back to the _portal_. Still marked by the rope sticking out of it, the spot is easy to locate -- and Algaer's peculiar bone key does indeed open it from their side.

Although it seemed like hours, they spent less than a quarter-candlemark (fifteen minutes, to a Gondsman) in the Storm Horns. Retreating to the relative safety of the circular bench, the Follies sit down for a moment's respite. As Algaer wolfs down some rations, they realize that the day has barely begun -- and they are still deep within the Netherese complex.


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## Broccli_Head (Feb 17, 2004)

Too bad you don't post/play more. I really enjoy this SH and am getting a hang of keeping all the characters straight 

Loved the "fifteen minutes to a Gondsman" crack!

_sigh..._ now I guess I have to wait another month


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## haiiro (Feb 18, 2004)

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> Too bad you don't post/play more. I really enjoy this SH and am getting a hang of keeping all the characters straight




I'm glad you like it. Apart from GrassyKnoll and thedangerranger (who plays in the campaign as Cupric), you're the only reader who's spoken up -- thanks! 

Have you already looked at the background material on 3d6.org? The Characters section includes sheets & backstories for the PCs, and short descriptions of all of the NPCs.



> _sigh..._ now I guess I have to wait another month




...on the other hand, the monthly update is always substantial. 

I'd spread things out a bit more -- like an update a week -- but I figure since the whole shebang will be posted at once on the campaign site, it wouldn't make sense to break it up for this thread. Doing it this way certainly doesn't help bring in new readers, though. 

(Edit: forgot that GrassyKnoll had responded much earlier on!)


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## Broccli_Head (Feb 18, 2004)

Thanks for the website. I'll check it out!

I'm always on the look out for an FR campaign! Some are not so good, more log than story. I like story!


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## haiiro (Apr 21, 2004)

*No longer updating this thread*

As you can probably guess by the fact that this thread is now two sessions behind the campaign journal on 3d6.org, I am no longer posting updates here.

There are two reasons for this. The main reason is that posting once a month means that almost no one actually sees the thread -- and that's no fun.  The second is that if I opt to break each update into smaller pieces and post them once a week, there'd be no point in waiting for them (since you can just go read the full journal on the campaign website).

Broccli_Head, GrassyKnoll and thedangerranger, thank you for posting your comments here. Broccli, your initial -- and continued! -- interest is part of what kept me engaged in writing these journals. I hope you'll drop in at 3d6 and keep reading them.

If you want to keep going with the story, you can find all of the updates here: http://3d6.org/journals/. I'm still having a blast writing them.


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