Session 44: The Home of Aelindon Report

General Summary

It was two days flight by drake to the Aelindon estates. Smoke could be seen in the distances both east and west from the ravaging of the Frost Blood and Aelindon raids. The Golden Fields of Aureate would sprawl beneath them for miles as the flew. Their arrival was not expected at the Aelindon estate but its new garrison commander welcomed the Scales and gave them a rundown of their findings after taking the holdfast. "And the room under the library?" A'lar would ask to a confused commander. "We ugh found nothing in the cave networks that lead beneath the library my lord?" A'lar would nod and simply lead the scales onward as tho he knew the place well.  

The Library was massive for a private estate, black marble book shelves lined the center of the room, matching the marble tiled floor. An impressive statue to Chronokarah stood looming over the entrance, the words written upon its pedestool, "In the Haven of Knowledge where wisdom weaves, Before Chronakarah's gaze, secrets shall cleave. Beneath the moon's sliver of silvery gleam, Unravel secrets, like a waking dream. In the heart of time's undying dance, the Sun's guidance leads. Two keys entwined, their fate weaves, unlock the dragon's eyes, where truth conceives." A'lar would read out loud and look to Adalon, "Well you are her chosen, what does that mean?" Adalon would frown, "I do not know..." he would step forward to look closer. "Well I would think as her chosen such things should simply be granted to you no?" Adalon remaining calm at the pokings, "I have never claimed to be chosen..this however does not seem to be divine in nature, mortal transcriptions honoring a place of knowledge with the goddess." Ismaril would sigh, "Enough of the poking, lets look around and see what we can find." Indalell already moving into the large library, each side of the room would have several loungers centered between shelves and the wall, with spinning book cases beside them and desks to write and study if necessary. In the center of each of these seating arrangements would be found a moon dial on the left tracking the cycles of the Moon and a small solarium tracking the movement of the planets around the sun.  

Indalell would spin the moon dial to a new moons sliver while A'lar inspected the solarium, turning planets this way and that to adjust the moons cycle as well. Ismaril would offer, "This one I think has to do with the planets placement to the sun." Adalon calling from the statue, "Try Autumn...most deities associated with dreams are from the Fae court of Autumn." A'lar would start to adjust the planets, Ismaril nudging a few into their correct position after him. The Eyes of the statue would spring open. "That's it!" Adalon would call and as his gaze met the statues the wall of the marble book shelves would slide open behind the statue. The scales would move in following a long winding staircase down.  

Their footfalls would find them upon smooth ice. Not slick, no more then the marble tile above, the entire room would be akin to a frozen palace. Great ice pillars held up the roof above, frozen gargoyles sat perched upon pedestals around the room and at the far end was a single window, a pristine pane of glass which on the other side displayed a marvelous winter scape, untouched snow upon evergreen trees. A'lar was the first to approach, a book lay open upon a table before the window, "Now dont bother with that, that is information given to Lord Aelindon, not to you, you are not a thief are you?" the lilting voice coming from the window before him. "Well this is a library, I was just going to borrow it," A'lar would offer in turn. "The Library is above, this is the home of Aperture of Winters Epoch, and I can tell you anything from the past you wish to know, you just must give me a memory of equal value. As you did not give me a memory for the information in that book, you would be a thief." A'lar would nod his fingers drumming on the velim paper as he wished to look upon its text, "And what memory did the Lord Aelindon pay for this past truth?" The Windows voice would laugh softly, "Why, that of his kindred dragon, every moment, every memory with her." A'lar would frown at the prospect that Caelion would lose every memory with his beloved bonded dragon. "Well surely this information is not as valuable to me, what would I need to pay to read it?" The window would seem to think, "A fond memory of a family member perhaps? The more emotional the more valuable to me after all." "Agreed," A'lar would offer and turn to the pages before him, reading aloud for the others.  

18th High Winter, 1783  

It took several years to secure this Augery from Clan Frostblood I at first thought it was how they were able to ambush my beloved Findri, but it is not the case, the Aperture is only able to show things that have been. The price however is steep. It will require my memory of something of equal in value, she has told me that While I will learn the truth about Findri's fate I will have no memory of her, all that we were will be gone, perhaps the gaping hole in my soul will pass with it but I doubt even this creatures ability to remove the pain of losing my Kindred. None the less, with the truth I can seek proper vengeance for Findris death and my own fate, this tome has been enchanted to record what transpires incase there is fae trickery as well in this deal.  

I am to record the happenings between Master Aelidon and the Strange Window. The deal has been offered and accepted, Master Aelidon has been struck with some sort of magical ray. The window has changed, no longer showing the visage of a winter landscape but now a great war council. Master Aelindon is there and several other Dragons and Riders. The head of this council is a dragon named Kazdormu, they are discussing an assault upon Chromatic clans to the north. Concluding the meeting the window follows Kazdormu and his female rider, they leave the area teleporting to the Ary and then another teleport, they arrive in a great frozen hall. They are brought before a White Dragon. Kazdormu makes platitudes to the White Dragon Leader and informs them of the plan of the Metallic Dragons attack. Lord Aelindon shouts in rage. The images now change to Lord Aelindon and Findri his dragon. Every memory he has shared with her and experienced is flashing across the mirror. A single tear leaves his cheek. The Window returns to showing a winter scape of untouched snow. My Duties have concluded.   A'lar would frown deeply at several points of the reading. Adalon would ask, "Kazdormu sounds familiar, but I can not place them." A sigh escaping from A'lar, "It is my father...to which I offer this memory." He speaks to the fae window, a beam of energy shooting into A'lar as he spoke the words. The scales would watch as A'lars earlies memory of his father, playing with simple toys and reading a book would play out upon the window, and then be lost to his memory for ever. "Thank you!" the window would exclaim then sigh, "I am sorry for this, but, none who read that book may leave." As she spoke this the gargoyles would roar to life, the icey beasts stomping into the frozen floor as jagged ice shards would now jut up all around the room, impeding the scales movement and cutting them as they tried. The Scales were quick to react, most being ready for some sort of betrayal. A'lars kobold fire staff roared to life as a fireball errupted across the room engulfing two of the beasts. Indalell would be slashed and bitten by the creatures before withdrawing to release a wand of fireball himself, the flames licking and lashing at the icey flesh of the gargoyles. Ayrien would send Vaera forward, working with Ismaril to flank and strike at one of the gargoyles. Adalon would hold another in place his new sword and shield covering and slashing at the beast. Longwei would exchange blow for blow with his before leaping into the air and flying across the room a fireball exploding in his wake. A'lar would create a flaming sphere to finish one of the gargoyles, as Veara succumbed to the onslought of another. Indalell would bolster Ismaril with healing magics as Longwei was pursued and smashed into the ground, bleeding across the ice. Adalon would shatter another gargoyle, who exploded into icey shards piercing his armor and wounding Veara further. Ayrien would heal her companion and order the feline to seek cover. A'lar would cast invisibility on himself and sneak past a gargoyle to rescue Longwei, healing him before he perished upon the ice. Ismaril and Indalells blades would sing thru the air as the last gargoyle was put down in another shattering explosion of ice shards.  

"OH wonderful you survived!" the window would exclaim. "Terribly sorry about that, didnt wish to do it, you did share such a good memory after all." The Scales would give the fae window no more of their time and withdraw from the frozen chamber and close up the library. Two days travel back to the Aureate capitol they would learn a raid of Aelindons came close to the villa they were just at as they were apparently leaving. Longwei would offer that it is likely 3 raiding parties in total, and that they must be doing something else between because it should not take 3 as long as it does between strikes, but what or where still eluded the scales. They rested, removing the curses of the winter fae that had chilled them to the bone for their journey home with little ill effect and set about desiding their next move to halt the workings of Lord Aelindon.