Trades of The Traveler

Skrel was closed into the coldroom so the rest of us just kind of waited for a bit. Eval had more conversation with the ghouls. He asked about what all was going on with them and this crypt and whatnot. I only kind of was listening when they started talking about the nightmare realm. It sits parallel and is similar to the shadow plane and shares a border with the boneyard. They also started talking about the nine legged one. They are intelligent arachnids that hunt and feed on those who take from their hoards by weaponizing the terrain. Mostly be wary of items in webs and don't touch the loot trees, whatever that means. They also are traders of sorts and can strike a deal. Other than that the leng ghouls didn't know much. Eval was curious about how they crossed the dimensional barrier to be traders. Apparently some had mastered the knowledge being powerful creatures of the mind. He also asked about the ghoul vs ghoul thing that was a result of the leng ones searching the catacombs for something. The material plane ones had a monarch somewhere down here and the leng ended up here by accident somehow.
Eval made mention of how we were looking to get outta this place as well, and they pointed him toward the more northern door of the room. There was some talk about the combative misunderstanding and how they had a hunger for knowledge more than that of flesh. There was talk of waiting for Skrel and cleaning the northern room as a sort of buffer from anything more that might come. Eval, Lily, and I went to go check it out. There was only a few tracks and they headed toward the main room so I wasn't overly worried about more for ghouls for a bit. The concerning part for me was the webbing that was getting more dense the further in. My size to those that are from the underdark made me back off until more people came through.
Kniana questioned my sudden reappearance and I told her of the looming spider webs. Lily eventually pinged Eval with the Telecommunication stones sighting various things in the webbing such as a room off to the side. Eval was adamant about not touching anything and said that it was their domain. I reminded them that they COULD be dealt with if we had enough to trade. After a bit more running around, Kniana, Tamebrass, and I slowly wandering up and passed by Lily. She went back to the main room and pinged us that Skrel had returned. I went back with Eval and our little side group started talking about what had happened and slowly explored north.
Skrel had talked to a very old undead that spiritually wasn't there, only physically. He flatly said that it was a litch, I've not known someone personally that had ever done it, but I understand the idea behind it. The whole sacrificing others never appeased me, but the immortality! Oh to live so long as to acquire so much knowledge, to master all the crafts, to build monumental artifacts for the very gods themselves! But, the loosing your flesh thing doesn't appease me. I rather like my copper heritage. Back to the litch, he was so incredibly old that he said that we were stopping the end of the world...again... Apparently he has seen the last time the would had ended and he wasn't talking about the Heart falling either... Skrel also made mention of a massive ice golem in the room. "We" said our goodbyes to the ghouls and went on to go find Kniana and Tamebrass.
After making it into the next room, Eval asked for a light for his torch that Skrel got to before I was able to dig out the Campfire Bead I had. I thought he could see in the dark too, but I guess it was more for Kniana. He then showed us a false wall with webbing around it and some missing bricks. As something to possibly check out after regrouping. He then walked us over to a broken into coffin that was empty. Next to it was a very damaged chest with some webbing. Eval asked me to use Detect Magic on the chest and I was able to find a faint conjuration aura. Lily figured it wasn't trapped but jammed. Eval decided it was better left due to the webs. He then pinged Kniana and "Sordaiv" over the stone. Took me a second to remember he was talking of Tamebrass... Either way, there was talk of combat and smell of ghouls so we went to investigate.
By the time we made it to were they had been fighting only one was left. He had screamed something about us regretting being here and something would get us. At the same time the bastard opened the door with it's dying breath JUST to fuckin blind me. The door opened to outside, or so I thought when I saw trees and webs before nothing. I ended up walking into a wall waiting for my eyes to stop hurting after pulling my goggles on. Eval started to start to figure out a game plan while I went to close the damn door. He wanted to explore the area further and the rest of us agreed even if we all were getting a bit stretched in out abilities from all the fighting today. His concern was that this place was touched by the gods and the ghouls were here. Kniana and Tamebrass liked that we found a door to the outside since they were getting claustrophobic down here. No idea how as the proportion were made for their size more than mine. I guess the plains dwellers don't like the caves like us kobolds do.
We ended up back tracking about a room to were the others had heard sounds of battle earlier. Lily and Skrel worked together to open a large vault-like door. A smell like one I've never had before came sweeping through. I ended up voiding the tea I had earlier as it felt like death itself took residence in my nose. As a kobold I've dealt with quite the smells and in dire needs eaten some pretty awful things, but this was something else. After the initial shock, everyone wandered into a room filled with dead ghouls and knocking doors. Lily found a lady slumpted against a far wall. Musta been cut good or mashed some serious ghoul since she seemed to be all red. Kniana went over to talk with them while I stayed closer to Tamebrass. He has had a personality shift ever since the axe thing, but he seemed to be cleaving things in two more often so more protection for me due to proxy of Kniana. I really didn't like the implications of the knocking doors. Then Eval said that Kniana poofed away with "Hellena". It only got weirder from there...
When they poofed a voice came out from one of the rooms saying that he was glad Hellena disappeared. A strangely colorful masked man emerged from one of the rooms as all the knocking stopped. He seemed to know Skrel and Eval pinged over the stone like what is up with this guy type thing as the dude returned with how rude it was to talk about him right in front of him! Well, Skrel greeted this man as The Traveler that he's spoken of a little. They chatted a way for a bit with Eval as the man with many colorful cloths summoned a bag the size of Skrel and climbed down a ladder into it's depths. He came back with a black shiny cloth I recognized as beetle silk from Baldir. Real fancy stuff that is, harvesting the silk is no easy task. Well, it was draped over something called the Phenix Bow. Eval seemed shocked to see it as The Traveler offered a trade of this bow for his. Eval just sat there apprehensive while The Traveler "turned" to talk to Skrel some more. He told us that he didn't like the tiefling known as Hellena. A tiefling? really? I hadn't encountered one in my time in Naan, let alone Lfaen. Very strange looking folk. Anyway he continued with a tale of her getting plane shifted and eventually back into the material realm to find her love, Shela gone. The only Shela I've heard of is avatar of Gozreh... The Traveler apparently didn't dislike the abyss and Hellena Hated him or his type or something. He talked to Skrel about "his book" of which Skrel pulled from under his armor and off of his chest. That had to be nasty with all that had happened in the last week alone.... I didn't have time for disgust because The Traveler was still holding the bow to Eval with one set of hands and had Skrel's book in another set. This dude has some weird shifting magics. He then greeted the book!? Does everything in here reek of intelligence?? Maybe instead of lichdom I can infuse my soul into some crafting tools...
The Traveler turned back to Eval and told him that the bow was looking for a new master. He said it was a "weapon of mercy" and there was some talk of neutrality and balance and something about not fighting the "enemy" shadow king. I'm lost on that last part... But Eval accepted the trade and "only wished that his bow would find its way back to his family in the future." The Traveler hinted that it might somehow... Eval took this new bow only to look like he vacated mentally. The reaveler turned to talk to Skrel some more about his sword and whatnot.
After about ten minutes, the bow in Eval's hands gets rather shiny as a wicked grin spread on The Traveler's face. Eval came back to and stared asking even more questions to The Traveler. Some such like where is it safe down here, if he had info on the spider, and wat they were doing down here. The Traveler answered each in kind. Safety was in here and the entrance area, he came to trade with the spiders, they were from the nightmare dimension, and that he was taking a break from shadow walking down here. Apparently he had made some trades in some town and was deemed dangerous so they hired Hellena to get him. There was some talk of Eval killing his own master and the bow using souls or something to deliver Pharasma's judgement. I'll have to ask him to look at the bow closer sometime.
Well, The Traveler said that we were making a difference in the world unlike those who are hiding away during these times. He also warned Skrel from going to Baldir until after the conflict passes. The bottom three cities had been destroyed! The tainted had gotten ahold of a rune gate or something and killed about 40k people 2-4 days ago. Eval wondered why the dwarf didn't mention anything. Then Skrel filled in The Traveler of what happened just yesterday, er earlier today? I forget down here sometimes. Apparently dwarven rune lords can travel amongst the clouds. Personally, I'd be more concerned with securing his own city than placing s foothold across the continent. During the attack the Glyphkin used more runes to relocate an entire library somewhere out in the deserts of Baldir. Well the conversation continued with finding out that the Lady of Nine was meant to destroy Skrel or something... Really makes me want to distance myself a bit maybe after we're done with the whole everything in Svendio wants to kill us type thing. The Traveler then "turned" er, shifted back to Eval to explain the new bow a bit. It requires self-sacrifice to use and adjusts to the wielder's strength. He then strung Eval's old bow with a single finger! That scares me, I've strung a few bows in my time and seen what happens when someone my size messes up with those... Apparently the gifts didn't stop there.
The Traveler turned back to Skrel as Eval walked off to meditate. He handed Skrel a newspaper as well as some herbs in a bag. Shrel seemed to be...happy by this. I've not seen him...happy this way before... The traveler then turned toward me and mentioned me by name. Surprising since I'm relatively local to Lfaen and Naan still. Even he made mention of how he should stop just knowing names or something another. He asked if I needed a break, I told him more of a break from the not-work. He made mention of perhaps an offer and pulled out a foot tall vial with a cork. It was filled with a black and green sludge that was moving. He said that I should find a safe place and drink it and that I wouldn't be disappointed. I would need a day or two of rest afterward though. The only thing he wanted for the exchange was as many as the black pedals as I was willing to part with. I personally didn't like the aura that this man was giving off, something felt...wrong... But I figured I had that crate from the Old Lady of Brentwood that I wasn't using and still could keep the living flowers. So I traded him the crate in the hopes of figuring out what/ if the vial would do. I asked him the serving size of which he replied the whole thing and that "it would help itself down." WHAT!? This thing is a third my height and... uggg just reminding me of those dire situations...
The Traveler was interested in the flowers as something to trade with the spiders. He noticed my confusion and told us that this was the trade hub of Svendio. A warning was given to us about only selling our goods to the folks from Leng not trading. And do NOT accept any crystals from them. Skrel nearly read my mind and told me no before I even said anything. Apparently their kind are telepaths that enslave the weakminded. The Traveler also warned us to not go into their portal to the nightmare realm. Apparently the crystals they have make us fight our own will to go into the portal. We should check everything and anything we got from them in sale. Skrel said that we'd have to scrape off all Dire iconography...