Session 31: Dark Days No More
General Summary
12th of Duscar, 838 PD
For any adventuring party a month spent in a single city could be the ultimate demise. Extended downtime for warriors only serves as a respite for gluttony and growing soft. Such was not the case for Malegg’s Marauders. One month’s rest in Rosohna had been exactly what they needed to regroup, grow stronger, and to make actionable plans for the future.
The dark days in the drow city proved anything but monotonous. While the party collectively occupied their new estate they rarely spent time together as a group, each attending to their own business throughout the day.
Whisper spent her time primarily with her family where she would walk Kasumi to and from school each day. The precocious young girl was adapting well to the academy, where the instructors paid special attention to undo the brainwashing that the Children of Malice had inflicted upon her. Whisper noted how each morning as they stepped foot out of their estate Kasumi had made a fun game of counting all the dead birds laying on the front lawn, noting each type.
“That’s a blue jay,” Kasumi pointed out one morning. “They are the meanest.”
Whisper bit her lip and whisked Kasumi off to school as she instructed Jasper and the help to clean the yard. Yet, despite her best efforts more dead birds would litter the yard each morning. She suspected the kenku named Bait, who the others had abruptly taken in out of some form of twisted compassion, was the primary perpetrator, but she had yet to catch them in the act. After the fifth morning Whisper instructed Kasumi to no longer speak to Bait, fearful that the strange bird would cause irreparable damage, beyond what the Children of Malice had done.
“But why, mom? I think Bait is funny. And they have a funny name, too.”
“Because I said so. They are very odd. I haven’t the slightest inkling of why the others agreed to let them stay with us, but you’re not to speak to them under any circumstances. Understand me?”
“Yes, momma,” Kasumi answered, bowing her head. Inwardly she liked the peculiar kenku, but Whisper’s words were stern and she knew not to challenge her mother.
After Kasumi was dropped off at school, Whisper would assist her drow mother, Mez Balin, with various jobs that needed tending to around the city, as well as overseeing the renovation of the eastern wing of the second floor of the house into a private apartment. She would then spend several hours training in the newly built dojo, often sparring with Drezzin or Andy, the latter of whom she noticed considerable improvement as of late.
Sabrine had left Rosohna rather abruptly, thanking Whisper for her hospitality and insisting she had overstayed her welcome. She had decided her time in the city had come to an end and that there were new vast cities to explore. When asked where she might go, Sabrine rattled off several landing places in her usual quick talking way, which was to really say that she preferred no one knew her ultimate destination. Whisper later found a small stash of a few thousand gold with a note of apology for any harm done. While there was no way to concretely determine Sabrine had been the infamous catburglar of the Firmaments, Whisper's suspicions were raised and found it quite the coincidence.
Aside from the occasional sparring matches, Andy had been withdrawn much of the month and Whisper quietly expressed concern to Drezzin and Shiro over how distant he seemed. However, neither Drezzin nor Shiro seemed too interested in Andy’s coming and goings, and so the issue was dropped.
No one knew where he went when he slipped out at night, and no one questioned it all that much. For the first time since meeting the group, whatever trouble he was finding himself in was his own and did not affect the others in the house. So what if he came home cut, bloodied, and bruised now and again? In fact, it seemed to be doing him good. He seemed stronger and focused, as if he had found some sort of purpose.
Hacket kept himself busy in his workshop, crafting all hours of the day and night, muttering to himself about travel to the moon. He would sit at the breakfast table scribbling calculations, and muttering under his breath. Shiro also spent time in the workshop with Hacket, doing his best to stay out of the way, while also providing assistance wherever possible. There he would often drink and try his best to remember everything he could about his family, to which Hacket did his best to help with, though didn’t feel as though he were helping Shiro much at all.
For the most part Hacket kept the noise of his near constant work to a minimal volume. Only once did Whisper need to ask Hacket to quiet down so that Kasumi and her mother could sleep. Hacket, realizing he should probably take a break anyway, found his way to a local watering hole where he then spent the remainder of the night gambling and causing trouble amongst the locals. The winnings were modest all considering, but for Hacket gambling was less about the money and more about the challenge of outplaying the others at the table.
Drezzin seemed mostly focused on building up the reputation of the group, and made a point to attend court regularly both see and be seen, learn and listen, and expound his thoughts and ideas as he saw appropriate. He also attended to learn more of Olc Skerry, and stake his claim in the land. On occasion Whisper would attend with him so as to make herself visible within the leadership of the city.
It was odd at first to see two humans in a drow court. But with time Drezzin and Whisper found a general level of tolerance, if not polite acceptance by some. Whisper understood the customs of the city thanks to her mother and upbringing within Rosohna but was unaccustomed to such a degree as the manner in which members of the high society would speak and interact in the most courteous and yet disingenuous way. More than once she could sense a backhanded compliment or politely veiled insult. After a while she grew bored with the formalities of nobility and yearned for an escape from the city. She could feel their down time as a group was coming to an end.
On Embertide, the 5th of Duscar, Whisper gathered everyone together to celebrate a feast in honor of Malegg who had given his life in defense of the party. She had made a point to seek out and spend time with his mother prior, and returned a few of his personal possessions, including the five hundred gold pieces Malegg set aside for her. The visit was a short one and his mother accepted her son’s fate as though she had already foreseen it coming.
Embertide was known throughout Wildemount as the holy day of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon. It was marked as a day of remembrance for those who had given their lives for others. The party at the estate was small and solemn, but provided a rare occasion where everyone was together in one spot, and where they could laugh and share memories of the adventures that had led them this far. Even Bait, who had neither traveled with the group, or knew Malegg, joined in.
At one point in the evening, after several glasses of wine, Drezzin raised his glass to acknowledge Felix’s sacrifice as well, but Whisper did not return the gesture given the recent news of his desire to ultimately betray the party. The snub soured the mood of the group and Whisper stood up and left abruptly, muttering angrily under her breath about how everyone had too easily allowed a Dwendalian spy into their midst, and into their very courts, and for whom had been promised consecution by the Bright Queen herself.
Later in the evening, still stewing, Whisper emerged from her suite and wandered the halls. She found Drezzin sitting by the fire enjoying a book and wine. The others were sitting nearby reading, and keeping to themselves.
“I don’t know why you had to bring up Felix at dinner,” she confronted Drezzin, clearly still not over his gesture. “I never trusted him. I knew something was off about him from the moment I ran into him in that bookstore in Asarius.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Drezzin answered, tired and half drunk. “He fought with us. He saved our lives at multiple points. He never did anything to actively betray any of us. Why wouldn’t we remember his sacrifice as well?”
Whisper growled softly and continued antagonizing Drezzin. “No. I suppose he didn’t do anything, aside from reporting our movements and our activities to whomever the hell that letter was to go to. Who knows how many other letters had already been sent! Not to mention how he manipulated Andy and turned him into a sad sack of potatoes. Look at him! He goes out in the city at night to relieve his grief with violence, then comes home battered and bruised.”
Drezzin wasn’t in the mood for her antagonizing and brushed Whisper off, only annoying her more. The bickering continued for a few moments until Whisper spun on her heel and returned to her room.
“Mom and Dad are fighting again,” Shiro joked to Hacket, who had both remained quiet during the exchange, drinking in the corner and reading.
“Mom and Dad,” Bait repeated mockingly with a snide laugh.
Andy sat alone and said nothing, but eventually stood up quietly and slipped away out of the mansion to continue his nighttime activities of hunting down the Children of Malice and inflicting his own style of vigilante justice. Every one of their jaws he cracked and bones he broke seemed to bring new life into him. It was as if hurting them helped heal the wound that Felix had left. Not to mention it just felt good to be outside, away from the pompous estate, free and beholden to no one. Not judged, not pitied, and not accountable to anyone else.
As another week passed, Whisper and Drezzin returned from court and called the group together.
“It’s time we think seriously about what comes next. It’s been a month. Time is ticking on our little mission from Sir Ret,” Drezzin said with a renewed sense of urgency.
“Yeah, and I don’t know about you all, but I need to get out of this town. The darkness is killing me, not to mention the petty attitudes of everyone towards us. I need to feel the sun on my face again,” Whisper added.
“So where to?” Shiro asked.
“We need that moon rock,” Hacket answered. “I just can’t sort out how to get us to the moon.”
“Well, can’t we just go to the Ruins of Draconia and south to Xarzith Kitril?” Whisper asked. Isn’t that where it was supposed to be where ruidium is found here on the planet? Without the need to go directly to the moon?”
“What about consecution?” Andy asked. “Maybe we should do that first before we go anywhere.”
“You’re right. We’ve put that off long enough. Are you still going through with it?” Whisper asked Hacket.
“I sure as hell am. I deserve it!” Hacket insisted.
There was no further conversation on the matter. It had been settled quickly and easily. They would see the Queen’s court regarding the promised boon of consecution, and with that done would set out to procure the ruidium needed to uphold the bargain with Sir Ret. It was a bargain no one wished to fulfill, but they would not risk the safety of Drezzin or Andy against a fragment of Asmodeus.
Jasper was sent and returned confirming the ceremony would take place the next morning.
The new day broke the same as the others. There was no sun to welcome them, just an eternally dark sky. Whisper woke early and dressed herself elegantly, prepared to meet the queen. Andy made his best attempt to clean up and dress nice, even covering up some of his fresh wounds from his nightly outings. However, when Hacket stumbled down the stairs it was obvious to everyone that he had been awake all night, working in his workshop and drinking. He was dirty, unshaven, and smelled a bit of alcohol. There was a slight chance he was still drunk.
“You’re seriously not going to go to be consecuted looking like that,” Whisper said.
Hacket looked at Whisper as if to say “like what?” but only sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow. “Are you wearing perfume?”
“Of course I am. This is a serious occasion,” Whisper answered matter of factly.
“You smell worse than I do,” said Hacket.
“She smells good,” said Shiro. “But you… you need a bath.”
“We don’t have time. We need to be there in an hour,” said Whisper. “Come on everyone. Let’s just prestidigitate the hell out of him.”
It took the whole party working together to manage to get Hacket looking presentable, but was accomplished quickly and within their time limit. They then made their way to the Queen’s castle the courts.
As they entered a serious looking drow priest attendant greeted them solemnly. “For those being consecuted, please follow me. You others may sit over there and wait for one of us to get you.”
The attendant led Hacket, Whisper, and Andy to private chambers where they were ceremoniously stripped of their everyday clothes, as well as stripped of any weapons or armor. They were dressed in pure white robes and adorned with a small polyhedron to be worn on the chest. They were then led far beneath the castle, deep underground, into a dark series of halls that eventually emerged in a central chamber. The ceremonial room was large and dimly lit with a beautiful magical circle in the center. There was an assortment of tables along the edge of the room and eight large pillars rose around the circle to the ceiling. In the center of the room in the back a large riser was in place where the priest who would be conducting the ceremony stood silently.
The attendants accompanied Hacket, Whisper, and Andy and led them to their respective points in the circle. Drezzin, Shiro, and Bait had been brought in and allowed to spectate from the outside edge of the chamber.
Drezzin looked carefully around the room. He could immediately tell that the drow did not appreciate their presence and that this ceremony would be one carried out under protest. Consecution was a sacred act for the drow, and by the drow. Yet here stood three individuals, none of which were drow, and none of which were truly native to Rosohna, not even the orphaned human woman who had been born and raised within the city walls.
The older drow priest began speaking with long, slow, deliberate words “As we were once fallen followers of Lolth living deep in the underground so we rose up, came to the heavens, and our souls were blessed with eternity. I have lived longer than I should have. They have lived longer than they should have, and so soon shall you, all through the blessing of consecution. Being consecuted is an act where you become better than you once were, and could be. It is an honor and privilege to be able to pass this gift of eternal life to all.”
He paused as if to let his words sink in and then continued. “If I may ask you three to please begin to repeat after me.”
What followed was not a set of words, but more utterances, resonating sounds that as Hacket, Whisper and Andy joined in created an ever rising harmonious reverberation that felt to all as if they were tapping into the very magic of the universe.
As the magical and musical humming continued, the resonations intensified. The drow priest began chanting in old elvish as the magical circle began to glow brighter and brighter and began to waken. The magic in the very atmosphere of the room penetrated the three, embracing them in a tightly held hug. The three could feel themselves being lifted off the ground even though to the onlookers they remained steadfast, rooted to the floor.
The music intensified further, breaking, creating two independent resonating choruses, one of the body and one of the soul. The sounds echoed from every corner as the priest moved his arms as though he were conducting a grand magical orchestra. The magic turned, and swirled, biding and continuing.
Shiro, observing from the outside, where he was instructed to stay felt a strange compulsion and stepped closer to the ceremonial circle, almost staggering.
Drezzin leaned forward and grabbed Shiro by the arm. “What are you doing?”
Shiro looked back at Drezzin with a panicked face. “I can’t… stop… ugh… help.”
In the ceremonial ring Andy could feel his amulet trying to reach out, but in the midst of the resonating noise felt a binding presence muting it.
Shiro continued to stumble forward, shaking off Drezzin’s grip. He began to feel the magic resonating through the astral forms of Whisper Andy and Hacket. And then he began to levitate his body actually rising where the others remained rooted. As Shiro’s body ascended the energy of the room shifted causing a burst of bright light as a new voice screamed through the room, its voice painful, wracking everyone’s mind as though with rusted gears grinding against each other. The screaming broke and bent the magic and pain cut through every body.
As the magic broke the circle of the floor burst open as tentacles pushed their way through the cracks, uprooting ancient stone. A mouth with rows of razor sharp teeth emerged and then the body of the massive beast itself broke through the floor shattering multiple pillars, sending priests flying back.
Hacket was immediately hit and fell to the ground by a broken pillar only a few feet from the gaping maw of the monster. He quickly regained his senses and cast the misty step spell disappearing then reappearing thirty feet away.
“What the fuck is this?!” Drezzin yelled, taking in the sight of the massive Core Spawn. Drezzin drew his sword, and activated its blade song, the movements now familiar to all. He then cast a cloud of bats that swirled and swarmed around Andy in a vortex warp that moved him behind a fallen pillar. Andy rolled to his feet and ducked for cover casting mage armor on himself, readying for what might come next.
“Ummm, Is this supposed to happen?” he yelled at the priest before realizing he was lying on the ground, dead. Andy turned to the core spawn and the let loose a forceful eldritch blast at the monster sending bits and pieces of the monsters flesh flying from its body.
Whisper rolled dodged out of the way and quickly hunkered down next to Andy.
“What the fuck? Do we just bounce out?” she asked.
“I didn’t do it!” Andy said in a panicked voice. “I swear!”
“I know you didn’t. I’m just saying, do we try to escape?”
“It will get out into the city! Drezzin yelled at Whisper.
The core spawn looked down at Shiro who was standing in the center of the room entranced and fully vulnerable. Then it paused, nodded at Shiro and moved away searching for Hacket. Hacket realized he was cornered as the monster opened its mouth and attacked aggressively biting and swallowing him whole. Whisper let out an audible gasp from behind the pillar where she was hiding with Andy.
Shiro shook himself out of his stupor, withdrew his sword and attacked the monster, ripping into it. The creature screamed in pain, bent over and puked out Hacket who fell to the ground prone and near unconscious. Shiro quickly pivoted to protect his friend.
Drezzin focused himself, then spoke in a resolute tone. “Well we fought fire elementals, and now this thing.” He then pointed behind the nearest standing pillar and spoke again. “Gregory I need your help.” Drezzin’s undead friend materialized and attacked the monster twice, but to no avail.
“What are you doing? It’s your job to help me! So help!”
Gregory looked back at Drezzin. “The only reason I have a job is because someone found it necessary for me to be employed.”
“Are you kidding me? We’re not having this conversation now!” Drezzin yelled back.
Andy then cast detect thoughts on the creature having noticed the way it nodded knowingly at Shiro. His mind filled with information he had no time to share, but only reacted by striking out with two more eldtrich blasts.
“Guys, this thing’s like a giant assassin and it came here specifically for this ritual! We have to kill it!”
“Well, no shit, captain obvious!” Whisper said with a roll of her eyes. She looked at the monster and down at her robe. “No blades, no problems. Time to fuck this guy up old school style.”
She then bounced around the room from one shadow to the next in a frightening blur, before she leapt directly at the monster and attacked using the power of her ki. Her attack hit the monster critically as it reeled in agonizing pain. She looked towards Bait who was readying a bolt of lightning then bounced away realizing she did not want to be near the beast when Bait’s bolt cracked down.
Hacket saw his chance and got to his feet, battered and bleeding. He bolted away just as Bait’s lightning snapped above the core spawn wracking its body with electrical currents that emanated throughout. Hacket fell back near Bait who stood looking quite satisfied, but who had acquired a sudden beard of feathers around his beak.
“Is that beard new?” Hacket wondered aloud.
Drezzin looked at Bait. “This is why I told you to work at your magic, so these things don’t happen!” . He then drew his crossbow in an attempt to shoot the core spawn.
The party continued their assault with the monster dealing out little in the way of attacks. It had not been prepared for the capable warriors it now faced.
Whisper again bolted from the shadows and rushed the monster aiming a ki fueld attack to its spleen. She hit it critically again as its eyes grew wide, its body semi-paralyzed from the attack and fell over head, its heart no longer beating. Whisper took a few steps back, then a few more as the body slowly condenses. “I think it’s going to do something!” she said finding cover. No sooner had she ducked behind cover than the monster exploded with radiant energy that blasted the room causing more rock to fall.
“We need to get out of here,” said Drezzin.
“Well, I’m never getting consecuted again,” Whisper said. “That was horrible. What was that creature?”
“It was a core spawn, a rather nasty beast,” Drezzin answered.
“I want to take a look at what remains before the guards arrive,” Whisper said. She and Shiro walked over to the monster. What was left of it was not much more than flesh and meat, which was already starting to turn to rot. The firm and bright pink and purple meat radiated magical energy but neither Whisper nor Shiro could discern what.
“The monster used Shiro’s weird soul. It seemed as though Shiro operated as some sort of anchor.” Andy said looking around as he tried to understand the pain the monster carried. Core spawns were known for being twisted creations of powerful mages, rather than a beast of the natural world.
“Okay, so this thing came here because of Shiro,” Drezzin spoke. “But we should not mention that in front of everyone else. And by everyone else, I mean the guards who are almost here.”
“What do you mean, because of me?” Shiro asked Andy. “What are you saying? Are you accusing me of this?”
“We can talk about it back at the manor. There’s people coming.”
“Well, we better get ready to explain all this. Get our story straight,” said Hacket.
“Get our story straight?” said Whisper with an incredulous tone. “It was an assassination attempt.”
“We can just play dumb,” suggested Andy
“Yeah. We don’t want to look stupid,” Hacket reaffirmed.
“Why change now?” Shiro chided.
As he said this six guards rushed into the room, ready to engage. Seeing nothing but the few who were to be consecuted, and their other honorable guests they stepped aside. From behind them a drow woman with sharp features stepped forward and examined the room and those left standing.
Andy broke the silence with his typical bravado. “The heroes of Roshona once again rose to the challenge and handled it for you. You’re welcome.”
“You killed…” she started and then paused. “You killed the core spawn?”
“Yeah. After a demigod, a core spawn is nothing. Am I right?” Andy responded looking around for validation.
“Those would fight on behalf of the betrayer gods. They were beasts who killed many of our people,” she said.
“Well, what was it doing here? This was supposed to be a secure ceremony. It could have killed us,” Whisper said with a tone of accusation.
“The only ones we have seen have been at the Miskath Pit. But we do not spend much time on the Blight Shore. This will need to be reported.”
“So not to be the selfish one here, but who do we talk to about rescheduling the ceremony? The core spawn got to the priest before the ritual was done.” Andy asked.
“I will alert the Bright Queen to see what next steps they might want to follow. For now, return home and get cleaned up. We will be in touch.”
The party looked at each other, all worse for wear, their ceremonial robes soiled with blood and flesh. “Well, I suppose she’s right. Let’s take our leave,” Whisper suggested.
“Agreed. Thank you miss… err… miss drow lady,” Drezzin nodded as he moved to leave with the realization she had never provided a name.
He quickly left the room as the others ushered themselves out behind him. They retrieved their belongings and collectively made their way from the castle grounds and across the firmaments, doing their best to avoid the strange looks of the city citizens.
/end session
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