Grasp of the Emerald Claw (Naomi)
From Toosigma
| Title | Grasp of the Emerald Claw |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Mann - Naomi |
| Campaign | Convergent Threads |
| Session | Grasp of the Emerald Claw |
| Posted | |
| Game Date |
I have learned that adventure can call from anywhere when one wraps themselves in the cloak of an adventurer, and this morning was no different. It was not a summons to some noble or dragonmarked house, or a midnight attack while I wandered the streets. No, this time was an academic-looking man named Maerin who immediately began with rude, sexual remarks.
At first, I thought his entire reason for seeking me out was to determine how far I would tolerate his insulting comments, which I was not particularly in the mood for to begin with. When he finally mentioned the artifact that he thought I might be able to help him locate, Shalel en Tanath, I felt as though I had been hit with a rock right between the eyes. The shock that racked my body at hearing of it collapsed my legs and I dropped heavily into the chair I had just been wiping off. For several seconds I couldn’t see or hear anything save the blinding light and thunderous noise in my head.
He said the name again, and it struck me again. I immediately understood that this artifact or its origins had some importance to me. And, again, Xen’drik has come into the context of my past…
Apparently “Nikki” sent Maerin to find me and to later get in touch with “Inar”. I often wonder how “Hero” is able to be “Hero” if he spends so much time pretending to be so many other people. Come to think of it, I suppose I really don’t know much about him other than everything about him is some sort of deception, and that may be all I ever know if the only time I ever see him is when we are working together. Mayhap that is just the way things are meant to be between us.
Kayli said she would finish up at the Eyrie and I departed shortly with Maerin in tow heading to “Inar’s” staging area: the King of Flames in Lower Dura. I have to wonder how much pleasure this gives “Hero”, to have me run all over the city just to get in touch with him three or four times before we can actually get to the matter at hand. It struck me once that this is possibly the worst way to remain anonymous because, should anyone that is part of whatever he is hiding from follow me, they will see three or so of his personas and know where to find them. After all, the most complex maze would be pointless if there is someone around, unwitting or not, that can show the path through it. This sort of thing could not have been missed by someone so obviously experienced at subterfuge and general sneakiness, so I must assume that this is some sort of power trip on his part…
We decided to pursue the obvious course and get to the University and see Veril Navahn for information about the artifact. After meeting Thea finally, and again, my aversion toward the University is no more. On the way there, however, we were intercepted by a gargoyle messenger sent by Lady Elaydren. He said that it was urgent and that we needed to see her in her apartment right away. It may have been more expedient to have “Hero” go with the messenger while Maerin and I made our way there separately, but it would not have been much faster than hiring an air taxi.
Once we arrived, we found Lady E under assault by a number of zombies. Maerin proved to have some significant utility here as he destroyed the zombies outright with but a proclamation of his faith and a wave of his hand. Indeed, should we meet either of the vampires that we have seen so recently, I believe our chances of overcoming them have substantially improved.
After the intruders into her apartment were vanquished, Lady E told us that she had found information about the location of the creation pattern and schemas in Xen’drik. Fate is an amazing force, especially since the pattern and undoubtedly some of the schemas were so recently in my possession. Fate is indeed taking me to the Lost Continent sooner than I had imagined.
Lady E provided a most unexpected form of transportation to Stormreach. The Sea Dart, an underwater elemental ship. The captain seemed quite happy to see us onboard as our reputation preceded us. Maerin seemed a bit surprised by our notoriety, and I can imagine he will be surprised a great many more times should he choose to adventure with us beyond this expedition.
Once aboard, I could not help but quip how odd it was to be boarding a ship that was designed to sink, though the technology fascinated me. I spent every moment of our few days underway observing how the small vessel was put together and how it moved through the water. Simply amazing; mayhap I’ll make one of my own in the years before me.
It is fortunate that some of us were actually looking outside when the gigantic shark and the Sahuagin moved in to attack. The shark stuck the submersed ship with substantial force, driving the ship to the surface so that the crew could repair things and “Hero”, Maerin, and I could do our best against the assailants. For my part, I elected to see what I could do to drive the shark away or dispatch it as it was the greatest threat to the ship and its crew. It would be dangerous, but Fate was taking me to Xen’drik so I had no fear of meeting my end this day…
We arrived in Stormreach and quickly realized that we did not have any idea of how to begin or where to search. “Hero” found out that there was a small contingent from Morgrave University present, so we decided to seek them out for ideas on how to proceed. The leader of the group, a professor amid a group of students on their first outing to study some of the less remote areas of Xen’drik, told us that a group passed through here recently enroute to a location up the river. He suggested that we could hire a riverboat to take us upstream toward the ruins located there as a good place to begin.
As we traveled down toward the docks, a figure called us from the shadows. I thought at first that it was an agent sent by Lady E, as she has communicated with us through proxies before, but I was wrong. It was evil, very evil, and I could feel its gaze wash over me as a blanket of darkness, but it passed. Maerin turned it, but our pursuit caused it to fight back as a cornered animal. We were victorious, leaving just a cloak as proof that anything had happened at all, when we were approached by Muroni. She claimed to be sent to observe our part in the Prophesy, asserting that she would accompany us only to observe our actions and outcome, but she also indicated that she may help in small ways if it wouldn’t interfere with the outcome.
The Draconic Prophesy, I had heard someone mention it when I was in the library but I know nothing of it. The context made it seem very far removed from anything practical, not something even so familiar as magic to those who spoke of it. Mayhap, in the time left to me and Fate willing, I will learn more of it.
We chartered a boat to take us up the river and, surprisingly, Muroni paid. Admittedly, I welcomed that little bit since the passage was quite expensive. The rate was punctuated by a very quiet journey through the jungle. Either the trip was normally very dangerous, in which case the quiet was very conspicuous, or it was normally quiet and we were being exploited by a boat captain that could see that we didn’t know any better. Once we got to our destination, however, I was still a bit surprised that the man who brought us upstream said that he would wait twenty-four hours for us to return before he sailed back to Stormreach.
We disembarked near a pair of gigantic hands that reached from the ground, appearing to all of us as if they had been holding something long ago. There were Emerald Claw soldiers standing below an air skiff, most likely guarding it waiting for their leader to return from the giant temple. “Hero” succeeded in taking control of one of them, luring him away and coaxing his comrades to follow. We overtook them without bloodshed, tied them up, and hid the air skiff in the trees in case we would need it later.
“Hero’s” ability to take control of the guard is somewhat unnerving in its effectiveness. He could presumably do much more, so I have difficulty reasoning why he would be running from anyone if he could simply make them go away, maybe even forgetting that he exists at all.
We approached the temple and were greeted by an armed-and-ready force of dark-skinned elves. They looked very fierce and they looked very ready to end our journey right where we stood. They knew of those who had left the skiff and gone inside the temple but told us plainly that, while they could not stop those invaders, they certainly intended to stop us as we appeared to be within their ability to stop. This did not comfort me about the challenge that lay before us. “Hero”, however, was able to convince these elves to send an escort with us so that we could rid their temple of the Emerald Claw.
We made our way inside, quickly finding a large room with a terraced dais near the middle. Maerin sent his familiar, a newt, into several of the rooms to gain as much information as we could. The mind link between us allowed much greater coordination than would have been possible, and allowed me to attack through the main door while the other two remained at a stand-off distance in a side passageway.
I expected the guards and others in the room to be significantly more difficult given the reaction of the dark-skinned elves, but I dispatched them with alarming quickness. That was not the end of the surprises for me, however, as I found the so-called gibberish atop the pedestal to be quite legible. Displayed in plain language to me was the name of several stars and constellations, but their arrangement was somewhat puzzling. I decided simply to copy it all down and figure it out when time permitted.
We searched, I believe, every other room in the temple. We found a magical lens of some kind and, like the writing I copied from the dais, I put it into my bag to study at a later time.
The biggest problem that we encountered before we finally found the rest of the Emerald Claw was more of what I anticipated finding in the jungle. We ventured into an upper level and found that the now familiar dire apes had claimed the balcony as their domain. I would have rather escaped them, but we were completely surrounded and engaged before we could go anywhere. We fought very hard, barely making it back to the interior of the temple. I did not grow any fonder of the large creatures, but I certainly respected their strength each time I have met them. If only there was a way to establish mutual respect and agree to leave one another alone…
We finally made it to the top level and after investigating what seemed every possible door or crack in the masonry, we found a huge corridor with a giant-sized throne in the middle. “Hero” and Maerin went down some side passages, planning again to remain at stand-off range while I engaged the foes more directly. I was not immediately sure what course “Hero” took as I became embroiled in the battle, only later discovering that he had followed what appeared to be the leader of this group of Emerald Claw to wherever the magic of the throne took them. The guards were of little importance to me as I focused on the single warforged with them. I had already enchanted my double-scimitar against him, so he and the remaining guards near him were dispatched very quickly.
Maerin took care of those near him and we too went to where the magic of the throne would take us.
When we arrived, we found that “Hero” had already taken the leader down. When I picked up the creation pattern with three of four schemas fixed to it, all I wanted to do was study it. Maerin seemed to want to complete it, “Hero” wanted to stop him and, while those two fought over what to do, the urge came over me to just complete it and see what happened…so I did.
It is very difficult for me to say that was the wrong option because, to witness such artifice is nothing short of astounding! The power behind this creation seemed even beyond the ken of House Cannith, which certainly explained their interest in these ancient artifacts. They could not be allowed this knowledge to build such war machines, but to forgo any learning that could be gained from the schemas and patterns found here would be madness as well.
When it was all over, I had delivered blows to this construct that would have given any warforged I have fought reason to flee if they were not so fanatical. Likewise, I had never been so injured in my recollection as I was when the fight was over. Admittedly, I was not in very good shape when I sat on the throne to follow “Hero”, so this day was clearly not my time to pass.
We retrieved the pattern and a large number of assorted schemas as we returned to the entrance of the temple. After parting ways with the dark-skinned elves, “Hero” and I disagreed about the disposition of the artifacts. It seemed that he wished to have complete control over the schemas and the pattern, and is only willing to trust me so far as he has control over what I am to be trusted with. For my part, I wanted to study the items while he labored to verify his suspicions of Lady Elaydren, and I am not to be under his thumb while doing so.
In the end, we parted ways at least for now. I returned back the way we had arrived and he and Maerin took the air skiff along a very awkward-looking path toward the airship that they believed to be a short distance away. Mayhap we will meet when we return to Sharn, and mayhap we will not…
