Session 34

To Convine the Team to Follow Destruction

Date: Wednesday, 16th of September, 2020
Attending Players: Ashara, Embra, Ish'Mael, Victalyassa
Time 3 Hours (Total: 106.25 Hours)

Game Time 14th of Sowmeadow, 12:30 PM
To
14th of Sowmeadow, 7:00 PM
Game Locations:
Watcher's Quarter of Orvadah

"I love you too dear sister, but it is something you must consider. If father is involved, it will mean dark times for our family."

"Perhaps it is time you return home then? With Dimideo trailing father, that only means that whatever fate may befall our sire, if he is indeed involved, will fall on him too."

"I may. The Rann's have been vital to the alliance, and all of Tanaviak. We are the heirs of the Dynasty. We cannot let it fall to another-"

"SIr?" Thorikar looked up through the shattered panes of the siege room. One of the servants stood by, a nervous look. A nod from Thorikar had the man continue. "It is the General Kral. He is here in person."

"Did I hear General Kral? Thorikar, why are you meeting with the Golden Arms? What need you of an army?"

"Sweet sister, I'm afraid this may be urgent. I will reach out to you in the coming week. Please take care until then," A moment of protest came, but Thorikar extinguished the communion, the leyline's energy snapping back to controls and illuminating the map around vineyard. A sizeable detachment had come with the General. Maybe four thousand soldiers, better trained than a levy, but worse equipped and disciplined than a true regiment. It was a fraction of what the General could muster.

"Please, lead the way, and when I join him, prepare some mulled wine."

The servant nodded, moving forward. Thorikar ran through the conversation he was preparing in his head. He knew the key points to be made; his father is in Benira, the alliance is trembling, and the gods were being more flippant and usual since this cult has rose. He did not control the vast resources of the Rann lineage while his father lived, nor could he convince his mother or sister to move them for him, but he had his own resources, and may soon have his own small military.

Starting off with Ish'mael:
Guards drop off Ashara and Ish'mael's stuff and leave it with Ish'mael. One of the guards has a foot shaped marking in his armor. One of the guards spit on Asharas stuff.
Ishamel says "well, that's what I expected, Good day." Then walks into the pouring rain of the city. He begins to walk towards a common area as though he knows what he is doing. The guards return to the prison.
Ish'mael walks away and walks around a corner, out of sight of the guards. Ish'mael decides to walk to the nearest square in an effort to get some directions. He wanders south and wanders towards some crowds of people. It takes him a few minutes, but finally reaches as area with some stalls.
Ish'mael goes up to the inn and asks for directions to the "Ruby Barge."
Ish'mael knows the exact sort of people he is looking for and, from his faint memories of Orvadah, he finds a group of people who easily direct Ish'mael in the right direction.
It's about a half an hour walk to get there.
Ish'mael says "Thanks mate" and gives him a pip.
"Thank you" the drunkard says back.
From there, Ish'mael goes straight to the Ruby Barge because he doesn't have any supplies and wants to get a room, start getting recharged, and make a new plan.
Half an hour later, and now soaking wet, Ish'mael manages to make it to the Ruby Barge tavern. He finds Vic, Embra, and Ashara just finishing an important discussion. Each appear to be weary and Ish'mael seems to have caught them right before they left. Ashara takes a moment for herself while Ish'mael meets up with the rest.
The rest of the party watches Ish'mael burst open the door and a crack of lightening goes off. He stomps in dramatically as the bartender yells "Shut the door."
"Oh good Embra, you're here," Ish Ma'El said as he entered the tavern.
"Well, look who it is," she retorted
"Finally you decide to join us," Victal remarked as she downed her drink.
"Well, I took the easy route," he smirked, joining the group. "Where's Ashara, I have her crap."
"Oh-- I hope that spit stung," Ashara spoke from the shadows of the hall nearby. "Well you saved me a lot of time brining me my stuff. Bring it here"
"Don't spit on me, I don't like it," the storm sorcerer responded, tossing the bag to Ashara.
"You shouldn't have wasted my time."
"Next time listen to my plan and wait 5 minutes before making a decision," Ish Ma'El responded, snapping to get the barkeep's attention.
"This morning you brought us to jail, then brought me to prison, and then forced me to break out,"
"By accident, that was your fault"
Ashara, sitting down, explains to Ish Ma'El everything that occurred leading up their meeting at the tavern. When she finishes, she looks up at him. "How did you get out?"
"Everything went as planned. I had to make a deal related to the task at hand, but I'm out now."
"That doesn't seem like it went as planned," Victalyassa sighs
"Well, it's a job."
"We don't need another job, why don't we hand in our Rann job first," Ashara remarks with showing agitation
"We should probably call Drosko," Ish Ma'El digs in his bag for the calling stone, ignoring Ashara's remark. As their guild head answers, Ish Ma'El continues. "Hey Drosko."
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" the grizzled dwarf barks through the stone.
"What was the last thing I told you?"
"You haven't told me anything since you left Valtaska."
"Why didn't you call us?" Ish Ma'El pondered.
"I figured everything was fine. I thought you'd at least have called me at the Rann estate when you settled there."
"Okay, quick recap then," Ish Ma'El tried to explain to Drosko everything that happened, but his tale was countered at nearly every point by the rest of the party. As the debate went on, he at one point proudly boasted that he had killed several cultists when they were in the other plane, shocking the party that had exited through the portal earlier.
When the bickering finished, Ish began to explain that Ashara now wanted to kill people in a library, when she interrupts the call, severing the connection.
The bartender comes over and delivers food to the adventuring party. Ashara informs Ish Ma'el that they will be doing HER job and not whatever deal he set to get out of jail. Ashara explains the job to Ish Ma'el and he explains he was visited by Bom who told him he needs to find the "Final Fight" statue. Also, I should tell Gavathrak that "Nur knows he has the hammer and what he is doing with it." He then takes a large slurp of his soup, pretty bad for soup.
"Well I think we should take some time to rest, my last time was taken up by some alternate version of me that LOVES TO WASTE MY TIME! I hope you heard that too..." says Ashara getting up to grab food from the bar. She plops the coin on the bar and asks for food, good food. She intimidates the bartender to go next door and get good food from the bakery next door. She sits down on the stool, re-equips her gear, verifies nothing was taken and looks at her eggs. Outwardly, they don't seem broken, though still unusually cool to the touch. As cold as a hand in an ice box, not touching any sides. The guardian intervenes: "They look good. Perhaps while we're here we can find someone that can look into them."
"Oh, you have an interest too huh, well tomorrow perhaps, tonight we need results..." Ashara retorts. She places the eggs back in her bag and pulls out the greataxe she got from the heavy fighter outside Skad, what feels like so long ago now. She plops it on the table and hovers her hand over the runes, feeling the power that lingers over it. She sits and finds it hard to focus in the bar environment while eating the bread but makes some progress on how to harness the power on her own.
Embra leaves the bar and attempts to find a place to purchase potions. Ish Ma'el throws 5 High Marks at her and asks for 1 potion while she's out. She has a back and forth with him, explaining that she owes him dinner as well for the hell, literally, they went through on his behalf. She then leaves, finding a nearby shop and finding potion's, including the bigger Greater Potions of Healing and asks about them.
"I can sell you a big case of 6 for 25 high marks, that's 'buy 5 and get 1 free'," says the slightly aged elven man, frail in body with deep cheek marks. An energy in his eyes as he is looking to make a sale.
"Are you going to work with me or is this as low as you're going to budge?" she asks, "where I come from they are a lot cheaper."
"So you're wanting some marks knocked of, hold on a second," he jostles some papers under the desk. "I'd be willing to do 22 High Marks for the 6, you look like you've been through some stuff." They conclude their business and Embra returns to the bar, now on the search for a target to pickpocket.
She finds a captain, well-to-do sort, that is sitting on the dock, one hand on the rusted scabbard on his belt. She quickly snatches his coin purse off his belt, unwrapping the sailor's knot single-handedly in lightning time, finding 14 high marks. Excitedly, she returns to the Ruby Barge, after a "Hard day's work."
Victalyassa takes out the bucket she has in her bag and hands it to Ish Ma'el, "you know languages, don't you? Read the inside for me..." she says.
"Okay, inside it says 'Thirsty'" he says. As he says the word out loud, it suddenly fills up with nearly a gallon of water.
"Is that all it says?"
Ish Ma'el takes the bucket and dumps it on the floor.
"Hey what are you doing?" says the Bartender.
"Well this place is 'Dirty' and 'Filthy'" says Ish Ma'el as soapy water fills the bucket, then hot water overfills the water and Victalyassa begins to clean herself with it.
"You're not supposed to do that here, you know," says Ish Ma'el. Victalyassa pays him know mind as the sudsy water is too much fun for her to ignore, and she cleans herself up; a thing she tries to do only on rare occasion. Today she went through hell, today is a special day.
After her cleaning, Vic gets up and decides to do some bar hopping making friends and acquaintances as she goes around. The bartender at her last stop, a half Orcen woman, asks her about her physiology. "Well I've punched my share of heads in... bad guys of course"says Vic.
"Well I only ask because a few people are looking for some people willing to go on a bit of a journey, to an island south of here. Saying they may have found a Nullium Scale," says the Bartender. The Nullium Scales used to be a large cosmic force that would be the end of cycles, but now sit idly. "They want to be able to harness it, but who knows what they really found. If you may be the type to get it, I'm sure there is some money to be made."
Vic takes this to understand that the Sand Cultists are the ones she is referring to, clinks drinks with the bartender and continues to enjoy the bar while waiting.
Ish Ma'el asks the bartender about having a room for the night and the bartender explains that they already have a room with Yula. Ashara explain that they are sharing the room with Yula, and Ish Ma'el explains he wants a room to himself and to cover the dinner for Embra, giving 2 Marks to the bartender. He then takes Victalyassa's bucket and fills it up, and along with a pitcher, goes in to his own room. He takes his Naga gloves and sticks them in the bucket, then sets himself up to resummon Quequeeg into the world.
A puff of black smoke and the smell of brimstone in the air. "More death?" it asks.
"No," replies Ish Ma'el, "the others will be in a different room tonight and you will be the fly on the wall, keeping an ear and eye out." Quequeeg responds positively and waits until it is time for him to act. Ish Ma'el then spends some time to look at the wand that he procured the day before at the Rann Vineyard. He finds that there are two aspects that need to be fixed, and initially a focus needs to be placed in. He realizes that he can pick any kind of focus he chooses into it, and he decides to find some flint stone, to "Make it go boom." As the time comes closer to night and Ish Ma'el wants some privacy, he sends Quequeeg out of the bar to peek into the window of the rest of the adventurers. He then, as the person with the least demanding day out of the party, lies down for a long rest, alone.
A few hours later, the girls reconvene at the bar. Vic strolls in letting out a loud burp as she sits with Embra and Ashara. She explains that some cultists might be collecting Nullium Scales, and they may have found one, and they are on an island to the south. The girls discuss the order of events that now lie ahead of them and relish the absence of ish Ma'el again. Yula rounds the corner and adds to the conversation and the discussion leans toward the help of Gavathrak. Yula seems slightly amused, but she has a cold uncaringness about her and says, "how would you prefer to do this?"
"I prefer to not make a scene, let's head out and stop the woman before she makes it to the bar." Ashara gets up and heads out of the bar with Uyla. Embra and Victalyassa grab their food and watch from a distance as they leave the tavern.
Yula motions toward an alley to the north, "she normally walks in from there," she says to Ashara, "I prefer jumping from the shadows, you?"
"I rarely get to stretch my stealth ability, let's do this."
The two of them fade into the shadows of the back alley. A dark skinned human woman, seemingly agitated, begins to walk into the alley. Yula jumps up and tries to grapple the woman, putting her hand over Nola's mouth. Ashara grabs the woman's legs, and they make for the window of Yula's room. Ashara pushes her thumbs down into Nola's big toes and and dislocates them as she screams in pain into Nola's door. Quequeeg telepathically reaches out to Ish Ma'el and tells him it seems his friends are kidnapping someone. Ish Ma'el groans, gets up and goes down the hall to the room. Yula locks the door as soon as they get in the room window, and immediately after, the door begins to rattle before anyone can make it in.
Ish Ma'el steps to the side and views through Quequeeg out the window. Vic goes out into the hall with a beer in hand and begins to look out while Embra tries to quietly pick the lock. None of the party particularly trust Yula and the discomfort of being separated from Ashara behind a locked door doesn't sit well with them. Ish Ma'el explains what he can see but Embra continues with the door anyhow, easily unlocking the door.
"Are your companions going to be trouble, CLICK they are going to be trouble..." the door opens and Embra walks in, "Sorry, I'll be quiet," she says as she sneaks into the back of the room to watch.
Yula stiffens up and says, "do we continue with your companions here?"
Nola fights in Ashara's arm as Ashara smiles and says, "I wouldn't have it any other way..." Victalyassa notices this and runs inside as well. Ish Ma'el walks into the room, "what are you doing?"
Ashara explains the job and Yula says, "shut up and sit on the bed with the rest of your companions." Embra sits on the bed with Vic and Ish Ma'el responds with malicious compliance to lean on the wall. Yula begins to tie up Nola, "You're going to tell us everything we need to know about the Temple to Oroval. My friend here can be very persuasive, she already showed you a bit, do you want her to show you more?"
Nola tries to nod No, but Ashara forces a yes to scare her. "How do you get into the temple?" says Yula.
Ashara releases her mouth and grabs the woman by the back of the neck. The woman acts as if she doesn't know anything. Ashara casts Ethereal chains on the woman's neck and connects them to the rafters. "All I have to do it pull and your head comes off..." says Ashara.
The woman explains that the temple is peaceful and Ashara retorts that so are they, "peaceful pilgrims looking to enter the temple." Nola pulls on the chain and looks at the rest of the party for help on her face. Ashara threatens she wants to learn all she can about the temple and the woman's embodied god. Yula pulls a dagger and says she wants to know the way into the temple. Nola looks up from the women and looks to Embra, begging for help, she looks back to Yula and says," you want the Embodied and I won't give."
Ashara pulls out her Katana and Nola explains that their minds will be devoured before they make it past the first hallway. Victalyassa asks what is going on and Ashara explains that this is a simple Gavathrak mission and the woman is spreading lies. Yula presses for more information and Nola explains the rest of the defenses and Ish Ma'el asks what kind of contract this is. Ashara explains that just because it isn't written on fancy paper, it's significantly more important than any other. She then breaks the woman's arm and has her explain the location of the statue. After she does, Yula pulls a syringe out of her pocket and injects a substance into the woman that puts her to sleep. Yula then cuts out the woman's tongue and Ashara puts her tail into Nola's mouth to cauterize the wound. Ashara and Yula then jump out the window to bring Nola to a medic far away from the Ruby Barge.
Ashara's companions look at each other and debate if they should continue on with this, as now there are things that can devour their minds. Ish Ma'el considers, knowing that he has never encountered Intellect Devours himself, but he knows that they scour the world for the brightest and devour their brains, hearing the tales from other sailors in his past. They devour intelligence and can kill a person by completely stupefying them and embodying the host. He has also heard of Mind Flayers which can stun enemies with psionic powers, but doesn't know any way to fight either of these upcoming enemies.
Yula and Ashara walk through the cold crisp night or Orvadah. Some fog rolling in over their feet as they carry Nola. Yula makes no conversation, and she is careful to walk through back alleys and not the main streets. Ashara is also silent, but in her mind she is struggling with her sudden decision to follow Yula. She believes that after her talk with her gaurdian, she has a change of heart with killing all who are suffering, changing her ideal to no longer include killing those which she makes suffer without purpose, perhaps they are more valuable later.
Yula drops Nola at the foot of the door of a medical building and bangs hard on the wooden door. The two of them leave her unconscious body on the stoop and go into a small alley. Yula looks over to Ashara and says she needs to leave to take care of her own task and Ashara tells her she will commune with Gavathrak before resting for the night. Yula then asks, "That man with you, what is his name?
"Ish Ma'el" says Ashara.
"And is he a Captain, do you know?"
Ashara considers for only a second as to the reasons that she is asking. "No, not that I know of. We've been together for a while, feel like that is something he would tell me." Yula makes a questioned face and then leaps over a nearby fence, out of sight until the meet up in the morning.
Ashara walks toward the Ruby Barge, knowing she will have to explain this line of questioning to Ish Ma'el one day, but after him leading them into hell, perhaps it is time for a change in group leadership. Ashara's guardian whispers in her ear in the dark of the city: I don't like her...