Sunken City of Astilogoth (Naomi)
From Toosigma
| Title | Sunken City of Astilogoth |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Mann - Naomi |
| Campaign | Convergent Threads |
| Session | Sunken City of Astilogoth |
| Posted | |
| Game Date |
t seemed just yesterday I floated back into the Eyrie after returning the statue to Veril. Maerin and I were again researching at the library when a messenger from Askin arrived requesting us to meet him at his office. We went through the usual hurdles to inform Hero of the invitation. We met at the arranged place and time where Askin asked us to follow-up on a mission that he lost track of. He told us that he sent an airship down to Xen'drik and lost contact with them. He promised the usual fee, which was quite lucrative in our past, but I had the suspicion that this mission might be different somehow.
The passage that he brokered for us was aboard a storm galleon Inevitable, commanded by Captain Abelard d'Lyandar. He seemed very glad to have us on board, indicating that our reputation had proceeded us. I was flattered to be thought so highly of by him, but I could not in my mind consider that I had earned it. During the uneventful journey, the captain entertained my requests to help and basically keep myself busy while underway. In truth, I am not sure that I really helped as much as simply kept out of the way, but taking part in as much as I did made what could have been a tedious crossing feel somewhat productive.
During the whole voyage, I could feel a tingling sensation whenever I was not busying myself about the ship. When I was calm, when none stirred but the night watch, I could feel it. Like an energy enveloping me and penetrating deep into my heart. The feeling was warm and caressing, like slowly sinking into an ocean of bath water. As I drown in the sensations I began to wonder if I was going to find out what the “like us” was that Luca referred to but did not explain...
The night before we were due to drop anchor in Xen'drik I was on watch near the forecastle when we were attacked on all sides. Creatures came from the sea, and huge black tentacles came over the side grabbing at everything within reach. No matter the speed of the attack and the terror it caused with the others, the battle was over in the blink of an eye. With the creature dispatched, I pulled all of the survivors I could find from the water and helping wherever I could through the night.
Just before dawn, I found a young sailor sitting near the bow with his head in his hands. His name was Daren, and I had met him our second day out of Sharn, but ran into him is probably more correct. I was told that he was “green”, that this was his first journey away from home, and he seemed as eager to learn the trade as I was to stay out of everyones' way. I suppose he hoped to become a permanent member of the crew if this trip was successful, and I could not blame him for wanting adventure. He tried to put on a brave face as I approached, pretending to be working on the coil of rope sitting next to him. I walked just past him and leaned against the rail to look out over the black water for a moment.
“Even at night, the sea is so beautiful,” I commented to him.
“Yea,” he challenged, “what would you know about it?” His tone told me that his emotional strain was becoming anger.
“I know just a little,” I countered, “mayhap not so much as I would like.” I avoided comment that this was not my first trip to sea as not to seem to challenge him in return.
“Land lover,” he scoffed. “This whole mess is probably your fault anyhow.”
Curious about his statement, I prodded for more, “Oh?”
“Yea, it's bad luck to have a woman on board,” he stated the old superstition plainly. “This trip would have been much smoother without you here.”
“Me?” I chuckled, “I suppose you have your reasons for saying that.”
He stated several instances where he believed I had complicated his life, beginning with the first time I ran into him. He said that he had been the subject of many embarrassing comments about the contact. Crew constantly teasing him about getting in my way only to grope me. When that started, he had avoided me since, which had caused him to get into trouble because I may have been where he needed to work and he would not come near me. A final blow was the attack that cost the lives of some of his shipmates.
“You have been nothing but bad luck,” he stated frankly. “I don't see why the captain ever let you aboard the Inevitable! I ought to throw you overboard myself!” He pulled his sleeves up as though he might just attempt to follow through with his threat when a single word from a powerful, commanding voice froze him in place.
“Apprentice!” bellowed Captain Abelard d'Lyrandar. “Dare you insult a passenger on my ship? You'll pay hell until you've forgotten the wind! Hear I an unsolicited whisper from you before we make harbor back in Sharn and it will be you who meets the waves less a deck to keep you afloat! Now, out of my sight!”
I waited until young Daren was well out of hearing before I spoke a word. “I think he's just scared.”
“Aye,” the captain agreed in a low tone, “but he's got to keep his mind open and his mouth closed, especially when he's scared. Were it not for you and your mates, the Inevitable and her crew would be lost. Instead,” he said as he cast his gaze into me, “we are mostly together and on our way.”
“I just wish I could have done more,” I told him looking toward the deck.
“None could have,” he stated. “To voyage on the Thunder Sea is to do so on her terms.”
“Fate.”
“Aye.”
We stood together in silence, looking over he bow toward the black horizon for a long moment before the captain turned around wordlessly and left. The sun was rising and I watched it dreamily as I envisioned Kayli standing on the deck with me.
Kal'ryu lightly landed on the railing next to me and said, “I thought so.”
I smiled and ran my fingernails along his spine without looking. “That obvious, is it?”
“I have no idea how you two kept it from anyone.”
I sighed, thinking back for a moment. “Neither do I, Kal'ryu; neither do I. Certainly not for want to do so.” My small companion remained silent and enjoyed a good scratching.
It was well into morning by the time the tower came into view. Around it lay what remained of an ancient city that was now completely under water. I tried to picture for a moment the way it must have looked before disaster sank it below the waves, but my attention was captured by an airship moored to the tower itself. I could not see any movement, so I left the ship to see if it was our missing expedition. When I got close, however, I noted the markings of the Emerald Claw and I quickly ducked toward the far side of the tower. I described the scene to Hero and Maerin through our mindlink, noting that they had not seen me yet. The pair quaffed potions and came to the side of the tower that I occupied as I prepared to attack the vile abominations.
The fight was over quickly, but we had alerted the crew of the airship to our presence and they prepared hurriedly to get underway. With but an instant of thought, I rushed to the edge and jumped onto the deck of the fleeing vessel. Immediately I was set upon by what seemed to be the whole crew, but only for the few moments it took for Hero and Maerin to join me. Maerin bound the bulk of them together in a Web spell while Hero became busy combating some sort of wraith. Ultimately, we triumphed and I maneuvered the Nightwind toward the Inevitable, where we handed the captives over to be guarded. Then we used our abilities to return to the tower we had just left.
Passage after passage, room after room, we cleared the tower as many other structures we have encountered on two continents. We engaged threats as a trio of individuals as we have in the past, almost as if we had never learned to work together, so it was no surprise that the humans we encountered were met with three different responses. For my part, I attempted a show of force to slow them and force a negotiation, but spells and crossbow bolts flew leaving my display for naught. After we drove the others back, blocked momentarily by a wall of force, I found myself face to face with what appeared to be a desperate caster and her bodyguard.
Rather than subdue them through force, I decided to neutralize the caster and force a negotiation with the body guard. I grappled with her, avoiding injury to her or myself, and questioned why they were attacking us. When they also questioned why we were attacking them, and they identified themselves as all that remained of the Stormdancer's crew, I released the woman who had been identified as the ship's First Mate. The man I originally perceived as a bodyguard was actually the captain of the lost airship and seemed grateful that I had not harmed his second. He explained that they had been attacked by a black dragon shortly after arriving, and that they barely made it to the tower. Every since, they had been holed-up simply trying to survive the residents of the tower and the recent Emerald Claw arrivals.
We resolved that we were going to have to explore underwater in spite of my companions' reservations. I helped get Maerin started making Water Breathing potions and then I went to assist the guards where we entered. Since we made the hole, I felt that it was only right that one of us be available should our intrusion assist a more hostile entrant.
I found it strange that Maerin tried to caution me not to reveal the truth of my nature. I expected this behavior from Hero and was not disappointed, but from Maerin it was unexpected. He further illustrated the specifics of a deception that the pair felt I should exercise in order to keep what they perceived were important secrets about me. I had never deceived them, even when it might have been to my benefit to do so, so I could not imagine the rationale behind their insistence. I refused in spite of their expressed concern, promising that I would not play along, but I would be careful.
Hero and I journeyed to the lower levels in the morning while Maerin remained behind to finish the potions should the survivors of the Stormdancer require them. Once we got through the door that blocked our way, we found a chamber with many passages leaving it. I picked one at random and began traveling through the corridors. After quite some time and many twists and turns, I began to wonder if we would ever find a way through. Then I had an epiphany, that mayhap we could not find our way through until we had a destination in mind. My first experiment was to take us back to where we began, which seemed to work wonderfully. Then, we tried find the exit. This took more walking, but we eventually found ourselves at what appeared to be the ground-level entrance to the tower that we had been exploring. To me, this looked wonderful and meant that we surely would not find the statue within the tower.
I began to venture out of the tower when Hero said that we should get help before going out into the submerged city. I told him that he could go get the others while I looked around a bit. He stayed at the doors while I headed down what used to be a street of some kind, it all made me feel so tiny. Far to my left I could see a glass-like pyramid structure that looked interesting. As I approached, however, I could make out a creature of some kind higher up on it. As I began to climb, I was struck again and again by some invisible force. Using his powers, Hero was able to direct my attacks at the foe, some sort of astral construct that I imagined was much like Karakashtai used to fashion. Once I could strike it, the battle was over quickly and the creature on the pyramid disappeared. It did, however, leave us a present in the form of a trap spell.
Both hurt, Hero and I returned to the tower to reconsider our strategy. I thought it best to get the others out of the tower and back aboard a ship. Since theirs had been lost, I was quite happy to give them the Nightwind though I believe Hero would rather have kept or sold it. No matter, we did not have the ship with us when we arrived so we are no worse without it still. It may just take them some time to clean the stench of Emerald Claw out of the vessel.
We searched from above the waves for any sign of a building that could contain the statue we have been looking for. After some time searching, we discovered a huge hemisphere under water directly across from the tower. Reentering the water and exploring, however, showed us that there was only one door and it was sealed and guarded by very powerful magic. As we contemplated how to get through the door, a huge dragon turtle set upon us with its scalding breath. We defeated the creature, but the cloud of blood in the water began to attract rather large sharks.
Fleeing the imminent frenzy, we realized that the temple backed-up to a cliff that may have been above water at one time. We hoped that some form of caves or other shelter could be found below so that we would not be the sharks' next meal. Descending even deeper, we discovered that there were indeed some openings in the cliff wall, but one in particular looked rather appealing. Inside, however, we found that this cave had only recently been submerged. Suspended in the murky water, we could see evidence that the water had rushed into the cave very recently, so we proceeded with caution. Maerin cast a spell on me to make me invisible, and I split from them to investigate ahead. I had seen movement and I hoped to determine the source without putting the whole of us in danger.
Rounding a corner I was struck with a bolt of some kind. They clearly did not see me as they did not continue to fire, but Hero's conversation with them seemed to grant us a moment to explain ourselves. What exactly happened over the next several hours is partially lost on me as I do not speak their language. It seems these dark skinned elves have been trapped beneath the temple since before the land fell into the waves. Generations of their kin have been raised in the catacombs, living much as those on the surface might, while always looking for a way to leave. While Hero and Maerin talked to them, I simply sat out of the way and watched. Mayhap in the time Fate has allocated for me I shall return to Xen'drik and learn the language and the ways of these elves.
When we were on our way again, we were able to find our way out of the catacombs almost immediately. For a moment, I considered that generations of dark skinned elves may have passed this very spot and did not see a way out. However, since the whole temple lay underwater, it may not have been a boon to find it without a means to escape the sea. Mayhap Fate has brought us here to pave a path for them to follow or not as they decide.
We made our way from room to room again, in what had become our standard methodology. We were pounced upon by a horrible slimy thing which seemed to try to dissolve us where we stood. One has to admire how adapted the creature was for one such as me, how it seemed perfectly evolved to turn my strengths into its own. Fortunately, Fate compiled a wide array of talents when she forged the three of us together.
We journeyed around a bit more, searching rooms as we came to them. Eventually, we found a room that had a large spiraling staircase in the middle. On the far side of the room stood a golem, apparently waiting for some trigger to set him to work. I told my companions that I would go see what was up the stairs and I leaped high and over the bottom rings of stairs. Once I landed upon them, however, the golem went to work obliterating the structure right under my feet. Vaulting level after level, I made my way to the top of the stairs and found myself in the middle of he temple proper, on a pulpit or a dais of great height. Below me, the golem continued to destroy the stairs while Hero and Maerin watched from outside of the room. It seemed that the construct held no interest for them so long as they remained beyond the doorway. No sooner had I reached this conclusion in my own mind than Maerin dashed diagonally across the room toward a door that I did not stop to investigate. Immediately the golem turned on him and I knew that I had to go back down the hole left by the stairs before I could look around the temple.
I enchanted Earon Skye against the construct and dove through the hole on top of it. The construct's attacks were powerful but slow as I dashed around trying to draw its attention. Finally clear of the others, I attacked in earnest and, just a few swings later, the golem lay in pieces on the floor. I was happy that both Maerin and Hero were safe, and I felt that we should search around the temple quickly for the statue before we meet with any more surprises.
Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of humor as we were attacked by a rather powerful force almost as soon we emerged onto the platform. I remembered the pounding from before, and I knew that I was being set upon again by an astral construct. This time, however, there seemed to be many more of the aberrations. The longer we lingered, the more the whole situation felt like an ambush. Hero and Maerin felt the same way, and Maerin transported us back to the dark skinned elves to heal and reconsider our strategy...when we returned to fight, we also returned the favor in surprise and denied them the opportunity to ambush us again.
We all gathered at the apex to the temple. We saw the key before and I reinserted Earon Skye into the slot that seemed to be made to fit the weapon. I was in awe of the moment, this moment, where my hand might be in the same place as Tasara Viran, holding the same weapon, doing what she did so many centuries ago. For me, it was a very solemn event that I had all of the time in the world to live through, but I could tell that the others were far less patient than me.
Once inside the unexpectedly icy room, we were set upon by a series of devils that divided us and isolated us from helping each other. I could not see the fight on either of the other two but I could hear it as I used all of my agility to avoid blow after blow from my attackers. As far as I could tell, both Hero and Maerin were holding their own at least as well as I was. When one of my assailants left, I waited in silence for him to attack me again but the attack never came. Instead, I broke through the wall of ice and helped the others deal with those who remained. As the ice melted, Maerin and I began to study a huge map of Xen'drik as it must have been before the catastrophe that sent so much of it into the sea. We both copied it as best we could, and solidified our plans to hoist the statue through the dome.
With everything progressing well, a site which must have terrified the new crew of the Nightwind showed itself low on the horizon: a massive black dragon. It appeared to be the same creature that had destroyed their ship before, now they had a huge statue slung low beneath their present vessel and had no hope of moving out of the way. Hero attacked from the deck, but his range was too limited and the dragon too fast as it strafed the deck with it's terrible breath weapon. Maerin went to work trying to keep the ropes secure and prevent the statue from falling back into the temple while I summoned all of my strength to meet the giant in its own aerial domain.
On mighty wings, it dove low and came up from beneath the ship and I gave chase. I could not catch it, but I could intercept if only I could judge its course. The dragon, however, thought the better of my attacks and snatched me from the air as it blasted the airship again with acid. It flew out over the jungle, mayhap to return me to its hoard to destroy me in piece, but I did not give it a chance to complete the journey. I wriggled my tiny body free of its massive taloned fist to deliver a series of crippling blows that left the beast slain before it struck the trees below. I kept with the body, leaping back into the air only as the ground halted the uncontrolled descent. I thought for a moment how sad it must be for such an ancient and noble creature to end so horribly. But, I resigned that those who depended on me would always come first no matter how difficult or dangerous the adversary.
The statue was lowered to the deck of the Inevitable, and we set our course back to Sharn with the damaged Nightwind following very close behind. I assisted with repairs as I could, dividing my time between the two vessels for standing watch and conversing with the captains as much of the crew would not speak with me. Rather, they stared a lot more and gave me far more space than I wanted. Even Daren had nothing to say of the bad luck I brought to his ship. Strange how overcoming a dangerous foe can silence those who have succumbed to it so recently.
“Nothing like feeling shunned after being so welcome before,” I commented to Kal'ryu as he sat on my shoulder late one evening.
“They are in awe,” he replied, “they have witnessed something truly spectacular.”
“I suppose...”
“Don't suppose little one, understand,” he commanded, his tone was almost biting in its icy directness. “Understand that you have shown these people more might than they probably ever imagined in your tiny frame. Understand that you have slain a beast that they believed unstoppable, and have come back from an adventure that will be recounted in their families for generations. Understand that you are more than your modesty will ever conceal.”
I thought for a moment before replying, “But I just do what I know I can, not trying to impress anyone. Some things I'm not even so sure how they come about, they just happen.”
“That is what they find so bothersome,” he retorted. “Your off-handed regard of your abilities confounds me as much as it scares those who care to imagine what you are truly capable of.”
“I see,” I said.
“Maybe not yet,” his tone softened, “but you will, little one.”
I continued to stand watches and help anyone who needed it as much as they would let me on the return. Most still busied themselves as if to keep work from being available for me, but I managed to occupy my time regardless as the days moved along. The First Mate showed me a bit of how to navigate, and I sparred with the Master at Arms on a couple of occasions. Kal'ryu never spoke of our conversation again, but I took what he said to heart and tried very hard to understand what he meant the whole way back.
“You are forever welcome aboard my ship,” Captain d'Lyrandar said as I disembarked. “But I should hope to have a drink with you whether we sail or not.”
“I would like that, Captain,” I replied. “I would like that a lot.” I shook his hand and then I saluted him as I prepared to leave the quarterdeck. “Permission to go ashore.”
“Permission granted,” he replied.
I smiled and turned smartly as I walked down the gangway. Our benefactor already had people on hand to take possession of the statue, so I parted ways with my companions and headed home, glancing back at Captain Abelard d'Lyandar and his fine ship...
