Darkness Advances thru Pit of the Fire Lord (Naomi)
From Toosigma
| Title | Darkness Advances thru Pit of the Fire Lord |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Mann - Naomi |
| Campaign | Convergent Threads |
| Session | Darkness Advances |
| Temple of the Scorpion God | |
| Pit of the Fire Lord | |
| Posted | |
| Game Date |
Several days passed since I dropped the letter for Hero at his shop, and I began to wonder if he was gone from my life for good. But Fate has a way of taking my mind off of such things...
It was a quiet morning at they Eyrie, working with my adoptive family and generally enjoying some of life's more mundane activities, when a kalashtar boy about Kayli's age hobbled through the door. He did not look well, but he immediately asked for me by name. Once I affirmed that I was the one he was looking for, he delivered a strained request for my help to defend a shard from what seemed could be an army. He could not clarify the situation, however, as his plea for help was the last thing he said as he fell to the floor and passed beyond.
Cald and I got to Overlook with all of the speed we could manage only to find the whole district rioting. I could not tell the source, but I was sure some foul sorcery was causing everyone to have lost their minds. I told my brother my thoughts, and he quickly became entangled in a brawl as he tried to protect the people from themselves.
As I looked toward the temple, I found Tobias ir'Boromar and some of his ilk apparently guarding the temple entrance. He seemed slightly surprised to see me, but immediately ordered his henchmen upon me. I evaded them without too much difficulty, leaving them a few broken bones to remember me as fondly as Tobias does. I'm sure the cold weather in a few months will bother him substantially...
Once inside, I saw a tall human-like warrior for just a moment before he bounded through a window near the temple's roof. For a moment he seemed familiar, but only the supernatural height of his leap stuck in my mind as I rushed to the old man that he had been standing over.
Through rasping breath he said, “You've come... the Dark One is coming...”
“Be still,” I told him as I used the powers Fate granted me to heal him. “Who is the Dark One?”
“Kalath Khatha Shethalath, the Dark Prince...” he explained, his strength failing, “the Inspired seek to release him from his prison...Only you can stop him...”
Uncomprehending of the source of his assurance that I was significant I asked, “Only me? How do I stop him?”
The old man continued to explain some things as I cast spell after spell on him, but his knowledge was not as detailed as I am sure even he hoped. He said that I had to recover the “Planar Crystal” so that I could lock the planes from his return.
As I was about to get the old man out of the temple, Aramil and a contingent of the Watch came through the doors. Aramil himself pointed me out as a criminal that they had been looking for.
“There she is!” he exclaimed. “Arrest her!”
Dumbfounded, I protested, “Arrest me?! You can't be serious, Aramil!”
“She is a cold-blooded murderer...” he insisted.
I tried to tell him that the one who assailed the old man and ransacked the temple was getting away, but he continued to demand my incarceration. Rather than take just me, however, he had his troops arrest the old man as well. I decided not to fight as now was not a time to provoke the whole of the watch.
Outside, I saw Cald some distance away and he looked confused about what to do about my predicament. I silently mouthed that I was okay, and requested that he tell papa. He flew away quickly, so I was certain that my message was received and I renewed my verbal protests to Aramil and how he was ignoring what was going on in the district. I was rewarded with a hard slap to the face and a smug smile from a man I was truly learning to loathe.
When we arrived at the garrison, the old man and I were separated. As I was thrown into an isolation cell, I discovered that I was being charged with the murder of Tobias and three guards from the Watch. This was getting serious, and my contradictions were met with assertions that a dozen including Aramil could bear witness against me. I could not tell whether Aramil was being pressured to do this, or if he had decided to have me killed because I was out of his reach. Fate protects me, so I decided to remain quiet and use this time to think about the implications of what the old man had said.
I remembered hearing about the Dreaming Dark just one time, and that was when Kaine followed us into the sewers. When he spoke of it to Karakashtai, I remember that I had a strong but brief emotional reaction to simply hearing it. I also recalled something that I heard about the Inspired being the nobility of Riedra, and then it struck me: Luca had mentioned that Lady Karastelle was the ambassador from Riedra. This could mark her as someone that I should be wary of, though I hated to admit it even to myself. She was striking and very nice, but I have learned nothing about nobility if not that diplomacy pervades everything they do.
It was nearly two days that I was locked into that cell when Sergeant Dolom entered and told everyone else to leave so that he could soften me up. Fortifying my dignity, I stood and brushed myself off, prepared to be interrogated or assaulted in my cell, as suited Aramil's pleasure. Instead, the dwarf handed me a note from Hero that answered the letter I had left for him and requested information about my situation. I replied that I was fine but that I had been accused of murder, and that he could find out what happened from Cald. Dolom left with the note and I was again alone.
- Naomi-
- My trip was mostly uneventful and with some trouble returned with an airship which I promptly sold. This gave me considerable amounts of money for the three of us. I am also glad that the dark skinned elves did not give us much trouble and maybe we made some allies if we ever return.
- There is much you do not know about me and that I don’t know about you. At first you were just another job that Aramil sent me on but I was only to watch you. I learned little about your past. Aramil stopped paying me months ago but I kept tabs on you more for mere curiosity than anything else. I will say that following you around Sharn has been one of the more colorful hobbies I have had since I was young. Although it has been colorful I have not delved into finding out your past or asking personal questions. For me that is something best left for someone to reveal themselves unless its important to protect their friends.
- I’ve never been one for having close friends. Most people who get close to me die much to my sadness. I have steeled myself against these losses by creating an elaborate maze of identities. This leaves me with little else but my own thoughts and soul. Friendship has not been a privilege I’ve given myself and in that regard my actions seem to be that of a self important game player. While from an outside view I can definitely see that my actions may seem self serving and cold, to me they are a ruse to keep my past and present from finding me.
- You have not harmed me or offended me in any way except that we do clash on a fundamental level. I see the gray area between the black and white you live in. I choose to live there. It does not mean that I am evil or have intentions of being your enemy. I simply have my way of going through life that has kept me alive. I am a rogue and information seller. I have been such since I was young and it is an occupation that keep me very much under the radar. I cannot change what I am overnight nor do I wish to. I can make compromises with you on certain things but I will not endanger you or anyone else to do so. My actions may seem dark and devious but as fate works in unseen ways, so do I. For my part I have shared quite a few things with the group and some I haven’t. To see me in the world you see as black and white simply places me in on the black side of the line. Know this. I will never try to harm you unless attacked first. I care about you and those around us.
- However, something has been nagging at my gut since we began this quest for the schemas as well as dabbled into the business of some very dangerous people in Sharn. In the past few months we have managed to aggravate many dangerous factions of this city that, in fact, have prices on our heads. The more influence we begin to have as Hero and Naomi means the more willing our enemies might seek us out and not care who they hurt in the process. While my actions may seem to serve myself and myself alone I would point out that I have in the past given out things that I find to our friends and allies. It would be silly not empower my allies for their safety and mine.
- I am beginning to suspect that there are those at the Inn that are not what they appear to be. I am also beginning to suspect that someone knows exactly who I am and others who are hunting for who I was nearly a decade ago. Most of them would kill me and anyone around me in a heartbeat with no equivocation. The Boromir whose warehouse we hit awhile back was the source of one piece of the puzzle. I know my father’s name is Maxian. I also know that the people who killed my mother and thought they had killed me are looking for me again. They haven’t found me yet but my situation puts me in mortal danger. I ask that you respect my façade as much as possible. The less people know about me the better. This “game” keeps me alive. It’s not to harass you and it’s not foolish as it seems. If they found out I had any care for you or anyone else they would use you and them to get to me.
- The last time we met with Lady E I was unnerved by how lax her security was. I was unnerved that someone who should know how dangerous these items could be in the wrong hands would take chances with what she had. It made me even more cautious about returning anything to her when you, normally a cautious person who makes sure things are right before she does them, were so quick to put the scheme and the creation pattern together. The pattern and everything to do with it feels wrong. Very wrong indeed. I have 4 other schemas that I would be glad to hand over to you but I do not feel we should do anything with the other artifacts that we have until we know more about what power control them.
- I know trust is hard when you don’t know anything about the other. I have no intention of asking you about your past or what skeletons you have in your closet. Although as a paladin they might just be interesting. What you decided to tell me and not tell me is up to you. I didn’t mean to offend you or show you that I was selfish or taking you for granted. I know you do be an honorable warrior and artificer. You have been kind to me and saved my life on occasion. This does not mean I can be what you are. I will never be able to live outside of the gray. My actions of helping save the boys, your friend and those people, being generous with the items and gold we have found, and continuing on quests with you are good signs for you to follow. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t have stuck around this long.
- I agree fate has brought us together but we have to realize that we are very different on some things. We must also realize that while fate has us together, we might as well trust each other that what the other does, may be of great benefit to both people even if we disagree on how to get there.
- Where we go from here is an understanding of the above. Sometimes you have to trust the people you are thrown together with. They may be the key to your salvation or you may be the key to theirs. How much you decide to trust me is up to you but I trust you enough to put my life on the line and compromise on the schemas in some way. I will not put others at risk just for you to try to figure out what they are. I will try to be more open with you but at the same time I must respect what my instincts are telling me. These instincts are what have kept me alive.
- Hero
I sat down again and considered the content of Hero's letter. He and Maerin are both back safely though they had difficulty that I could have easily prevented, which made me feel at once relieved and guilty. He admitted that he had followed me even after Aramil had stopped paying him and, while I could have been mad about it, I would have willingly had him accompany me had I known. He seems to want to know more about me and has some interest that is also being kept at bay by inner fears, fears that his association with me will put me in danger. I wonder if he would laugh at the irony of our perceptions. Still, I have not been plagued by the visions since our return from Xen'Drik, and I am very thankful for that.
I am not sure what happened in the interim, but I saw Aramil again only it wasn't Aramil. Hero was impersonating my captor, and he ordered me and my items released to him so under the impression that I was to be taken elsewhere. He spirited me away to one of his safe houses and I filled in the details of what had happened and what the old man had told me. I thought that the “shard” that the boy had mentioned might be Arabel's necklace, but it was not. Instead, we discovered that Mathis and Hero were connected at a far deeper level: they are half-brothers. Not only that, but Hero has ties to house d'Deneith and Arabel's necklace enhances the dragonmark tied to that house. As he said, things are not what they might seem to be.
Hero suggested that we visit a shard dealer to gain more information about any shard fitting what I knew. We agreed and ultimately found ourselves in the shop of Tophran Damilek. We were not entirely sure what we were looking for but, as soon as he heard that we were looking for a shard tied to sealing the planes, he immediately informed us of a shard that he had recently heard of. We took what information he could give us, and we immediately departed for the lost continent.
With no time to waste, we hired an airship and journeyed to the location we had been given. Unlike the last tribe of dark skinned elves that we encountered, this group attacked us almost immediately. From the ground came assistance as well, bulettes that might have been allies of the Drow. We fought our way through them, however, and quickly found that a trio of two-headed giants blocked our path into the temple. Those too were dealt with quickly and we were able to enter the temple.
Once inside, we saw a badly damaged floor, eaten away by something we were unable to determine initially. Suddenly, the doors closed behind us and we defended ourselves. Maerin cast light on stones and I threw one toward the corner where someone was attacking us while Hero attempted to get to the shard which was held by the statue of a gigantic scorpion. The assault from the far corner continued and, while Maerin debated on how to reach it, I ran faster and jumped farther than I think I ever have. I met the evil being that assailed us from the corner and dispatched her as fast as the thought to do so entered my mind, and then I bounded back across to aid Hero who seemed to have gotten tangled up with a dragon.
When I saw the acid of the dragon's breath, I knew immediately why the floor was in such poor shape. Were it not for the circumstances I would certainly have left the dragon alone, or maybe traded for the shard that we came for. With Hero in danger and the dragon enraged at our intrusion, there was no decision to be made. I struck and our combined prowess felled a creature that would have lived beyond the time when our memories were dust.
Once outside, the man I had seen at the temple stood to challenge us for the shard. I was grateful that his companion from our first meeting did not appear to be with him, but I kept waiting for her to leap from the shadows. When it was all over, I had to consider that we had grown much since the last time we met him. In the future, should Maerin remain with Hero and I, I look forward to a time when our efforts are coordinated to better effect.
After examination by Maerin and I, we found that the shard we recovered was covered in the symbols of planes known and unknown. Among them Fernia, the plane of fire, glowed brightly. It seemed that it was reacting to the coterminous plane, which could be the the harbinger of things to come. I wonder if I shall see more planes as time goes on? Mayhap the realm where Thea and the others were trapped with the giant insect-like creatures is not completely off of the map yet.
I considered that the trip back would give me time to think and time to deal with my wounds, but that was not the entirety of it. Hero had seen something that brought him to question me, though he did so in the privacy of my cabin. He asked about what happened when I was struck down earlier. I think that he was as surprised by my explanation as I was surprised that it was him and not Maerin, the one who brought me back with his magic, that confronted me. Mayhap his attention is testament to his interest and concern, but I would not lie to him no matter the case. Rather than simply explain, however, I showed him one of my wounds that I suffered which I had yet to attend. I could tell that he had considered the possibilities behind what he did not know of me, but I believe he was still surprised to learn how far he would ever be from a reasonably close guess.
As I plied my craft to my wounds I explained what little I knew. He did not pry more than I was willing to say, so we discussed briefly what to do next. Certainly we had to get the shard that we recovered to Torphan and follow any leads he could give us, but we were mostly playing by ear. Hero did not linger longer than was polite, and I was again left to the contemplation and wound tending that I had started when we left.
Once we returned to Torphan's shop, we were greeted by a complete wreck and a dead shard broker. Looking around for clues revealed a note implicating one of Hero's competitors, a lesser-known information broker. We went to his shop and received substantial resistance from who we believed to be his secretary. When we barged into his office, I had to laugh when I realized that it was just an illusion! It appears that Hero does not own the franchise when it comes to hiding in plain sight, though I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that he did not see through his own tactics. Fortunately, Hero's other bag of tricks, psionics, came in quite handy to find the shape changer and wrestle a name from him.
Following the lead into the Depths, it became instantly apparent where the coterminous plane Fernia was being accessed. We fought several creatures that has crossed into Eberron through a gate and had to withdraw to organize our assault. We prepared ourselves to resist the influence of the plane and the heat and then began our attack in earnest. More fiery creatures stood before us, but those were dispatched far easier after our preparations. Soon we found the being who had Torphan killed, standing over the gate to Fernia as he summoned more of the plane's denizens to this side.
Rather than attempt to attack from a distance, I ran along the narrow ledge and met Lamishal and his companion head-on. I am not sure whether they were drained from holding the gate open, or overconfident, but they fell much more quickly than I had imagined they would. Hero and Maerin took care of the creatures near them and I used the Planar Seal to close the gate. We all left, alive and generally well, to resume our lives until Fate calls us again...
