At Akron's Table, waiting for party members to come hang.

[Liqcrys]

Akron side-eyed her as he laid the card on the table's unvarnished wood.
    "You'd have been better off playing that Headsman of Lions you're holding in your hand," Joff said to the dwarf, looking at the face-up card, "that little Mantis soldier won't get you to far."
    She fanned her cards slightly, looking over the hand. Finding the shar-veith cards in this backwater had been a welcome surprise. The game was far more common in the north, but caravans and travelers had helped to popularize it even this far south.  She had learned the game early in her career as a guard (and learned how to cheat almost as quickly). The 48 small cards were greasy and bent, but it didn't matter so much.  Akron and the other locals had immediately learned expensive lessons playing against her, so now the stakes were limited to drinks and rounds. Joff selected her Fool of Dragons from her hand and placed it on top of the card with the picture of Mantis Clan soldier.
    "You leading me down the primrose path Akron?" she said as she swiped the two cards from the center of the table.
    She surveyed the cards on the table, directly in front of her. Their drawn faces stared back at her, laying face-up on top of face-down cards . Her fingers nimbly kicked the Dragon Steward to the center of the table. Joff turned over the card that had lied underneath, revealing the Lady of Lotus. She winked at Akron as his brow furrowed. Staring at his cards furiously, his mouth unconsciously sounded out the words "Spider people". Joff chuckled to herself as she looked back at her cards. Akron was a good player, but not the fastest. The game continued at a casual pace and her mind wandered.
    Crack! The tavern keeper's wife was shelling walnuts to roast with the evening meal, hammering their shells against the dark bar-top. Crack! Joff shuddered inwardly, the sound bringing her back to the moment the owlbear crushed Donatella's skull. Crack! She never stood a chance. The half-elf had fought valiantly, but the owl bear's final, mindless death throes had knocked her to the ground. Nothing could have prevented it from stomping her into the floor of the pit. I had to protect Shuiske. I'll miss her. The cleric had been a kind and strong companion.Crack! She thought of the hobgoblin's spears striking the ground in unison as they chanted. I've never seen anything like that. Small bands and tribes of course, but never a full hobgoblin army. She worried about Maru's plan. The idea of giving Corvid the ability to unify the hobgoblin clans was terrifying. She couldn't allow that, but she needed the party's assistance to complete her tasks. I'll honor the deal, Maru's a good person. But I have to convince him to alter this plan. He'd have peace for Wolfesboro, but at what cost? Corvid will overrun everything in his path as soon as he can. If he unites the clans and wages war across the south I'll never be able to finish Shalimar's tasks.
      Joff wasn't even sure how to proceed with their plan. All that had been decided was to go and get the tome and destroy it. But that was far more easily said than done. Getting to Whitehall hadn't been difficult before, but now things would certainly be different. How are we going to even get into Shattered Bridge? Surely Raff and this Shuulith have heard of Maru's return by now. Plus those damn elves are hard to hide. I haven't seen any others of their kind around here. They stick out like a sore thumb. Once in the city we still have to get across the river. There'll be work gangs on cliff sides and river during the day, so we'll have to go at night or find a crossing far enough from the city not to be seen. Whitehall at night! And where in Whitehall is it? This Temple of Heironius sounds like the most likely place, but I wish someone with more history could tell me more. Joff unconsciously chewed on her lower lip as she thought. Even assuming we find the tome I still don't know how to destroy it. Perhaps Shuiske can be useful for once, I wonder if he has any idea. Shalimar! Can you tell me how to destroy the tome? The fighter wished that her companions were present, there were many plans to be made. Joff looked up at Akron.
    "Your play old dwarf."
    His gnarled finger slowly drew a card from his hand and triumphantly slapped it on the table.
    "The Lord of Dragons!? Why Akron, I do believe you've been practicing!", Joff remarked.
    She looked over her remaining cards. The dwarf had stolen advantage on her while she was in her reverie, and his stack of conquered cards was twice the size of hers.. Her mouth twisted sideways as she regretfully pushed forward her Lady of Dragons. Akron snatched the two cards from the table and grinned. He quickly played the last card in his hand, leaving both of them with only their last stacks.  Akron's Dragon's Fool came sliding across the table, taking her Knave of Lions. Akron flipped over his last card, grinning hugely as he revealed his Lord of Lotus.
    "Save the best for last, eh?" Joff smiled, "Well I did too old-timer. As a fact, its my favorite card." The fighter flipped over her last card, revealing the Death of Lotus. She pulled the cards to her side of the table as the dwarf grumbled, muttering, "Damn spider-person!" to himself.
    "Walked right into it Akron. I believe its your round. I'll have another ale.", Joff laughed as she motioned to the innkeeper to refill their wooden mugs. She leaned back against the rough wood walls of the tavern, wondering where her companions might be at the moment.




OOC: Set it up so we can talk about plans for the next session if you'd like. Need to figure out how to:
A) Get into Shattered Bridge. Its likely that there'll be trouble if we try to go through the gates undisguised.
B) Get to whitehall.
C) Where in Whitehall is the Tome? Its likely that its the Temple Of Heironius, but it'd be good if some folks with more History and Arcana skills could do some knowledge checks so we can try to pinpoint where to go.
D) How the hell do we move around in the abandoned city? Many, many, many, many dead things there that will kill us.
E) How do we destroy the tome?

Feel free to chime in with OOC or IC responses please! Had a great session last time and felt like we really built up some momentum. Would love to keep it going. Sean, this'd be a great chance to introduce your new PC if you'd like.

[ShintetsuSaito]

The weight on Saito's shoulders was almost unbearable. It threatened to force him into the dirt. His body felt heavy and sluggish. His feet dragged as he made his way to the inn. He wore only his kimono and his wakizashi, Kamakiri. He felt naked without his katana. Vulnerable. Even more so than usual.

So many things on the mind. Was it right to honor the hobgoblin's laws? Was it right to just stand there and watch as Donatella was mauled to death? Is that what thousands of years of Elvish heritage wanted him to do? A heritage that probably created the very monsters that threatened Wolfsboro? Did it then want him to abandon all that on a whim to save Shiuske and Joff? If his ancestors frown on him for saving those two, then they can just stew in their contempt of him. Saito felt no guilt over breaking the rules of the duel to save his companions. He just wished he'd jumped in sooner to help Donatella.

Then there was the hag. That disgusting old creature. In charge of his people. Torturing them. Killing them. He grit his teeth in anger as he thought of it. Saito looked up and stared at the moon.

"I swear. After Wolfsboro is safe, you're next crone. I will kill you."

Saito walked into the inn and nodded to the innkeeper as she gave him a warm greeting. He then saw Akron and Joff at a table playing cards. He didn't like either of them at first, but he'd warmed up to both of them as he got to know them. Especially Joff, who he considered one of his nakama, even though he got the feeling she didn't care for him too much. All his ancestors and honor ever seem to get hims is sneered at and half killed. Saito sat down at the table with them and grumbled, "deal me in".

[Liqcrys]

"A question of honor and scale Jenn" Thats what you said Mardoin. It was always about honor. She was so unnerved by it. Joff had seen the warrior enter the tavern, glancing up from her cards. She had caught Akron's eye and he nodded, stumbling towards the bar. The fighter took in Saito's figure as he sat. What in hells happened to him? He seems defeated, but I went to hell with him and thought we freed his honor. He has lifetimes and lifetimes ahead, but wears the present like chains.

She didn't understand the eladrin, couldn't understand them. Their lives seemed infinitely long to her, and yet they did nothing with it. Sat in their palaces in Krys and schemed against each other while the outerlands burned. Mardoin had told her about the city, its beautiful spiraling towers, the white marble reflecting the sunlight. Joff had never been north of the Sea Of Grass, but even where she had grown up the remnants of the great Empire of Roses were evident. The power of the eladrin was unmistakeable, and frightening.

They also had proven immune to her charms. And people she couldn't manipulate bothered her. She had started working with the elves and barbarian only months ago in her time, but in 4-6 years of time in reality. It is gods damn confusing.  In that time she had kept her distance from the Dragon warrior, but she had come to appreciate him more and more. He was one of the two best warriors she had ever seen. Seeing him battle demons had brought back flashes of the bedtime stories that she had loved the most. Told about the great eladrin warriors of old, sealing portals and driving back the infernal hordes. He could have been one of them. And he had other qualities.  Warmth and humor were not traits she had normally associated with the eladrin, but she had come to recognize the subtle signs. The passed glances as Shuiske fumbled with his spell components yet again, the wry half-smiles that flickered across his face as Bailey had unspooled length after length of rope. She could see the other signs too, the way his shoulders slumped, born down by an invisible burden.

She flashed him  a warm smile, allowing a bit of surprised joy to slip into her eyes. He looks like he could use a friend. She motioned to the innkeeper to bring wine for him. Joff  held out the stack of cards apologetically, their faces up.
"We're playing with Clan cards, sorry. This deck is Dragon, Lotus, Mantis, Lion. Found it behind the bar. I know that some of your kind are not particularly fond of these types of shar-veith decks, especially when their own clans are represented. Why don't we put aside the cards for now and have a drink?" She pushed the deck of cards to the side.

Joff raised her glass, motioning to Saito's side at the clay cup of wine. "To comrades dead and gone. To Donatella." As she spoke the words she saw something pass across the elf's face. A flicker of something across his normally stoic features. Gone so fast she wasn't sure if she'd actually seen it. Joff was not sure why, but it scared her.

"Saito? Are you alright?"

[Liqcrys]

OOC Post: Would love to continue this conversation, but we need to figure out what is happening for next session. My understanding is that we had decided to go to Shattered Bridge and cross there, because the other bridge was farther away, and would take us through The Blight. If that's the case, see the questions below:
Need to figure out how to:
A) Get into Shattered Bridge. Its likely that there'll be trouble if we try to go through the gates undisguised.
B) Get to whitehall.
C) Where in Whitehall is the Tome? Its likely that its the Temple Of Heironius, but it'd be good if some folks with more History and Arcana skills could do some knowledge checks so we can try to pinpoint where to go.
D) How the hell do we move around in the abandoned city? Many, many, many, many dead things there that will kill us.
E) How do we destroy the tome?

[ShintetsuSaito]

Saito picked up the cup of wine, clacked it against Joff's and said, "To Donatella. May she fiind peace within the halls of Heironius." After taking a sip of wine, he responded, "It just never seems to end. As soon as one evil is defeated, another two crawl out from the darkness to take its place."

Saito picked up the deck of cards and started shuffling. "We couldn't stop that Hag when we first fought her in the caves. How many innocents have died because of that failure? How many more will fall by her claws? Do hags even have claws? Or are they just long, gnarled, unkempt fingernails?" Saito dealt cards to Joff, Akron (in case he comes back), and himself.

After shaking his head, he continues, "Have you and Maru come to a concensus yet? I don't like the idea of giving that warlord a powerful weapon, but if Maru thinks that's best I'll go along with it. As for the book, we had it once already. Hopefully if we get it again Shiuske won't decide to throw it down a well. Whatever you and Maru decide to do, count me in. This tide of evil may be neverending, but I'll struggle against it until I sink." Saito downed the rest of his wine and placed the cup back on the table, and with a grim smile on his face growled, "And even after I sink I'll slice it up from within."

[Liqcrys]

"You're not sinking Saito," she said reassuringly as she motioned to the innkeeper to refill his cup. "As far as I'm concerned you're rising above it. What drives you now? You've slain your enemies, stood over their corpses, triumphant. What more could you want? What honors are left to gain? I remember a bard telling the story of Erinvato of the Lion Clan. After he had helped to seal the portals against the great demon hordes he worried that there were no more honors to achieve. So the gods rewarded him with greater and greater struggle. The bard said that his efforts after the sealing of the portals brought more honor to his clan than anything he did before. He single handedly elevated the Lions to their place at the Emperor's side. " She stared at the elf warrior curiously. "Truly Saito, you remind me of him somehow, and the gods seem to have gifted you the same burdens."

She picked up the cards and sorted through them. Pulling her array of 4 face down cards and laying the Fool of Dragons, the Lady of Lotus, the Knave of Lotus, and the Warrior of Lions on top of each respective face-down card. She fanned her remaining cards in her hand, watching as Saito arranged his own card array.

"Take this plan of Maru's for instance. I don't know what's gotten into him, maybe he's picked up to much honor from associating with you elves, but the idea of arming that Hobgoblin clan chief with an artifact like that scares the hells out of me. I've been thinking about it non-stop. They can't be allowed to have that mace, assuming we can find it. I say we find it, break its power and then give it to the hobgoblin chief. That way no one has to go back on their word. He didn't say anything about what condition the Mace had to be in. They're tricky devils, but they'll honor the word of the agreement."

"First we have to get this tome though. I'm sure you've been schooled in the histories, I've even heard a little from old wives tales and soldier's campfire ramblings. I wouldn't have ever believed them before we met, but the things I've seen these last few months (?), years (?) make me a believer. The darker worlds seek entry to this one, and this hasn't changed in the 1000 years since the Empire of Roses fell. Only now, there's no one to stop them, and dark forces are gathering. I don't know how you fell into this, but something tells me that Fate is at work. You're here for a reason, and I think its to stop these intrusions. You and Shuiske may be the only eladrin for hundreds of miles. Perhaps the gods have brought the two of you here as a challenge? A bulwark against the pressure of the other worlds?  I know this, that if the gods don't need you, I do. I have to find this book and destroy it. I cannot do that without your aid and knowledge.

She shook her head, as if to clear it of quiet dreams gathered behind her eyes. They played in silence for awhile The shar-veith cards slowly disappeared from the tabletop as suits were won. Saito played well, though she wasn't surprised at this. The eladrin had invented the game, its name was a corruption of the elvish words for "clan" and "war". She considered him as they played.

"I'd ask you for counsel Saito. How should we go through the haunted city? I am not sure where the Cathedral of Heironius is in the city. And what can we expect from this tome? You say its guarded by a spirit of some sort, how do you think it can be defeated?"

[artisto16 (Shiuske)]

Oh, no. I got so caught up in my spells that I forgot I'm supposed to meet up with the group. I'd better hurry. Ooh, I can finally try out this new Invisibility spell, and just sneak up on them. I wonder what Akron will think when a chair just magically moves, and a few seconds later I just pop out of nowhere! I hope he spits his drink everywhere and we all get a nice laugh.... we could seriously use one after what we just went through. Hopefully no one else in the place will even notice me, and I can just say Akron is being crazy because he's drunk.

[Shiuske makes it to the place, waits for the chance to turn invisible without anyone seeing, and carefully enters.]

Ah, there they are at that table. Here's a good spot where no one will accidently bump into me, I'll eavesdrop for a little while.

[Shiuske overhears the doom and gloom from Saito, and the acceptance that Donatello Mizrahno is dead and gone forever.]

Saito seems really messed up over all of this, even more than usual. Have they lost all faith? We got Maru back, we can get Miz back. I just know it. Are things so dreary that they no longer believe in miracles? [Shiuske clutches the part of his bag containing Miz's finger.] I have to try, I have to get Miz back..... for Daria....

[Shiuske begins to ignore his friends at the table and goes deep into thought about Daria, old Meadstead, and the Spirit of the Woods.]

What all happened while we were away? How did things come to end up like this? While I'm glad Christoff survived, I wonder what's become of Daria and the Spirit of the Woods. Who put such an evil and powerful magic on her temple? I have to find a better way to get in there, but it's too dangerous to go alone. Maybe getting Relsif's tome back might provide some answers to this riddle as well. Daria, if you're still alive, please stay strong until we can save you and your protege Miz... if we can save you...

[Shiuske carefully goes back outside and becomes visible making sure not to let anyone see.]

I can't make light of our situation when the weight of he world seems to be crushing us. Saito lost so many of his clansmen in the pits of hell, and I don't even know what's become of the Lotus Clan. I may no longer have a home to go back to. Can we even do anything to Suluth, let alone get the tome from him? Can I trust Thranduil, what are his motives and why did he send us to get that lens? Is Mama Mabley still alive? How did evil spread so vastly in this world? So many questions, so many problms...... No, I need to focus on what needs to be done now. Joff needs the tome destroyed, Maru needs peace restored to Meadstead... I mean Wolfsburrow. They are my family now, they need my help. I pray we can get Miz and that evil tome back at the Temple Of Heironius...

[Shiuske walks back in, visible, heads straight to table and takes a seat and looks everyone in the eyes.] Joff, we're bringing Miz back, and we're getting that tome!

[Liqcrys]

The thing about being invisible is that it only hides your image. She was always watching the room. When the chairs in the tavern started scuffing the floor, seemingly of their own volition, she had grown tense. Her back straightened slightly as she exchanged glances with Saito. He senses it too. Joff tracked the hidden figure as it moved through the room, gently knocking into tables. She maintained a casual pose, just playing cards (and losing) with a comrade, talking over plans for the future. The back of her mind began reaching out to her sword, calling to the kami within and summoning it to her hand when a familiar scent wafted across the table. Sulphur...mildew...an acid of some sort. The smell of someone who spends to much time with books and not enough time in a bath.. Smells she knew, all to well, from the Temple. Joff couldn't sense its movement any more, but did have a lurking feeling she was being watched. Okay. A magic-user, and not threatening...yet. She considered calling her sword and hurling it at the spot where she had stopped sensing movement, when another scent came to her nose. Elf. It must be Shiuske. She slowly relaxed, though still considered hurling a weapon into the corner, just on principle. Someone's learned a new spell apparently. Wonder what else is in the spell book of his now?.
       She couldn't sense anymore movement from the corner, and whatever scent had been in the air, it had been overwhelmed by the smell of the huge fire in the hearth of the common room and the spitted stag roasting over it.

[Shiuske walks back in, visible, heads straight to table and takes a seat and looks everyone in the eyes.] Joff, we're bringing Miz back, and we're getting that tome!

     Joff looked at him, worry in her eyes, "What do you mean 'We're bringing Miz back'? Where is she? Why couldn't you speak to Daria? Where is Maru?"

[ShintetsuSaito]

"You seem uncharacteristically brave and energetic tonight, Shiuske. Something happen? Have you been possessed? By the pit, not agian! Snap out of it!!" Saito yells sarcastically as he begins shaking Shiuske.

[artisto16 (Shiuske)]

Brave? HA!... no. Determined, YES!

I thought Maru would have gotten here before me. I hope that spell on Daria's temple didn't have lingering effects and Maru is afraid to come here too.

But seriously, I think we can still bring Miz back. While my magic is not capable of such a feat, there are other more powerful magics that might be able to. I feel that we may have to get to the Temple of Heironius, although some answers may lie right under our noses... if you're willing to come with me to Daria's place this time. Saito, I no longer care if you're banned from that area, I'd much rather have you there as well. Strength in numbers. Maybe together, we all can overcome that strange barrier spell.

[ShintetsuSaito]

"Hmmm. Okay, I'll go with you to Daria's. But we'll have to go stealthily. If I'm caught in the Hobgoblin lands more trouble will brew. Joff, are you okay with going to see what's become of Daria's sanctuary before we head off to the blight?"

[Admin]

((Give me a d100 someone.))

[ShintetsuSaito]

60

[Liqcrys]

"Hmmm. Okay, I'll go with you to Daria's. But we'll have to go stealthily. If I'm caught in the Hobgoblin lands more trouble will brew. Joff, are you okay with going to see what's become of Daria's sanctuary before we head off to the blight?"

"Yes, but the quicker the better. Already the seasons move toward winter. I'll find Maru after a few more drinks and let him know the plan." She gets up from the table and moves toward the bar.

[Admin]

60

Thank you.

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