Journal Entry 9.00 Captured by the Coteries

Brief intro of those who returned from the alternate Canton. The party, minus Morvion, return to Chrailis and are taken into custody by the Coteries

General Summary

As the party warily watches Morvion and the rest of the elves leave, Snarla talks quietly with Urik. “My actual name is Kalisha. You said earlier you are from a place called Chrailis? I know not of this Chrailis. My homeland is Borez and sadly this is a name which none of you seem to know. If it is ok, I will travel with you back to your city.” Urik assures her that this is acceptable and even offers to help her get established once there. Grateful, she then transforms into a large silver wolf and wonders off into the jungle to be by herself for a few moments to reflect.
The eight bugbears confer among themselves. For a brief moment, they seem intent on attacking everyone else. Then one of them, the leader points north and says in an almost indecipherable dialect of Rictat, “We go that way.” With almost no sound, they all pad off heading north.
Everyone else waits several minutes to make sure the bugbears are truly gone. Each party member then starts focusing on different tasks.
Graykar checks the bonds of Sir Caladanis and his men and while doing so engages briefly with them to make sure their basic needs are met like health, food, and water. Meanwhile, Aja and Urik tend to the three rescued Coterie agents who seem fine, just severely shaken.
Candice recovers first and reluctantly thanks them for their rescue. It can be seen in her eyes that she is blaming the party for the events that just transpired or is at least suspicious they are somehow responsible. She simply says, “We must go back, there is much to answer for.”
Aja and Graykar, once they are sure everyone is physically ok, introduce themselves to the other seven escapees while Urik secludes himself so he can pray and seek further guidance.
The two elves are lifelong friends and adventurers from Chrailis going by the names of Seranayce and Croja. The taller of the two looks to her companion to make sure she doesn’t have something to say then turns to Graykar and asks for the year. Graykar tells them that it is year 919 of Chrailis’s founding. “Then we have been trapped in the accursed mountain for at least a century,” Seranayce says flatly.
She once again looks at her shorter companion. “We were known as Sisters Death? Never heard of us? Eh. That’s disappointing.”
Croja, dressed in black leathers covered in multiple sheathed knives, who is also bald with a tattooed scalp, quips back at her friend, “You are well aware of my thoughts – I told you we shouldn’t trust that damned elf. He was conning us from the start. Diamondshell doesn’t exist now, if it ever did.”
Aja looks questioningly at Graykar about Diamondshell who quietly responds, “Ancient location of mythical power – Diamond Shell or sometimes Diamond's Hell - home of the Famine King if I recall. A place steeped in cursed madness.”
Graykar then looks lost in thought, “I wonder, was I ever . . . ?”
Both elves seemed pleased to hear that Aja believes she can operate the world gate and get them back to Chrailis soon. Croja bluntly says while happily punching Seranayce in the arm, “Gods, over a century and no whiskey. We’re gonna have an ole’ fashioned 10 day drunk, I tell ya, and then follow it with a 30-day bender. Either of you know if the Lich’s Breath is still slinging the worst ale in the river district?”
Neither Aja nor Graykar can say yes, though Graykar is curious to find out. A place recommended by two tough elves must be worth checking out. Aja is somewhat fascinated, never having met such boisterous elves before.
She then turns her attention to the other five.
The remaining five seem have formed up and are taking stock of themselves. The dwarf introduces them as a group of professional skip tracers from a city neither Aja and Graykar have ever heard of, the port city of Kraylin. “I go by Krolan,” he says. “The two humans are Smiles and Tenkiller. The elf is Sible. And the halfling is Conrad.”
Looking at the group, both Aja and Graykar can see they are no-nonsense professionals – well arm and geared up for the road. Conrad looks like no halfling either of them has ever seen before, he is actually overweight by about 20 pounds. All 20 pounds appear to be meanness the way he glares at everyone, as if it is their fault they are taller than he is.
The human which Krolan identified as Smiles is dressed in fancy clothes, an embroidered vest and wearing a velvet green cap with a small red feather tucked in its side. With effortless charm, he bows to Aja, “Greetings my lady, I believe you most recently have known me as ‘Bob.’ I do proclaim, my many thanks and eternal gratitude for seeing me well kept during our time together. I enjoyed the shocking way in which you kept me hale.”
Krolan abruptly breaks in, “Ignore him, it’s the only way to get him to shut up when there is a pretty lass involved. He’ll keep charming as long as you pay attention. More like a needy dog if you ask me. Anyway, me and my men will also follow you back to this city of yours, if you will allow.”
Aja says yes to Krolan. This is another novel experience for her. Dwarves are so rare in Chrailis. Supposedly there aren’t more than a few hundred, and they all keep underground. This is the first dwarf she has ever spoken with. While his mannerisms seem rather brusque, he isn’t rude like Aja was expecting him to be, her limited understanding being that all dwarves are miserably rude
Thinking of the similarities in tales from Sir Caladanis and the two elves, Gryakar asks Krolan. “Were you led to that strange land by an elf also?”
“Yep.” Krolan offers no further explanation.
Tenkiller grunts and looks mockingly at Sible, “Yeah, gonna find him and start my elf ear collection,” to which Sible quietly says, “Not going to rise to that, friend. I’ll help you scalp him. And unlike you, I have an actual collection of tiny barbarian bits.”
Kalisha returns, once again in human form. She goes straight up to Graykar and asks for her spell book to which he nods and reaches in his pack to retrieve.
Urik, also done from his mediation says, “We must return quickly. It’s not safe here. Josca has warned me that that evil thing will return if we tary.”
With that, Aja pulls out her notes and begins to recreate the runes needed to open the gate to Chrailis.
The gate opens.
Looking through the gate, they see the warehouse. Where before it was a busy maelstrom of clerical activity, no activity can be seen in the warehouse. It appears abandoned.
All of the Coterie agents seemed concerned by this. Candice asks, “Where did everyone go?”
Uncertain, everyone still decides to go on through. The gate is two way, so if anything is amiss, they can quickly return. Graykar is the first through. Once through, he realizes that the scene is fake. There is an illusion or something covering the inside of the warehouse. He turns to go back through the gate, when he hears in his mind, Wait – We know you from before. We are readying for a potential invasion and mean you no harm.
Graykar, not seeing anyone responds, “It is just I and several others. Some of them are your factors.”
When that is said, Candice and her two companions quickly walk through. “The immediate threat is passed, my lords,” Candice loudly proclaims.
Then welcome home, comes the voice in Graykar’s mind. He can tell, and how he doesn’t know, that this is what the three returning Coterie agents are also hearing. Uncertain what to do, Graykar decides that Chrailis is probably a lot safer than waiting for Majalacturis to return. He motions for everyone else to come through.
They all do. Once through, Aja and Urik look around and see only an empty warehouse. A voice is heard by all, Everyone is through. Please lock the gate. The gate immediately shuts and is now just a stone circle.
Looking to Graykar and wondering if he has been betrayed, Urik suddenly feels his body freeze up. He’s had this happen before and knows it to be a hold person spell. Looking around he notices that everyone else seems to be freezing up also. Then he falls asleep and is quickly followed into slumber by the rest of the party.

Report Date

29 Jul 2018