Ch 4: Part 4: To Serve Evil: Session 65

[15:30] <Kilarra> *****Second Darkness*****
[15:30] <Kilarra> ~~~Chapter 4: Endless Night~~~
[15:30] <Kilarra> -Session 65-
[15:31] <Kilarra> In the middle of the night, unannounced, Undamesta throws open the door to the party's room. "Gear up. QUickly! And follow me."
[15:31] * Kilarra shoots up, immediately reaching for her mace. She sees Undamesta and is, momentarily, very glad the drow slavemother never actually seemed to enter their room when she came to call.
[15:32] <@Aluthyra> Kahree groans, muttering, "Stupid bitch..." She sighs, rubbing her eyes before gearing up.
[15:32] * Aluthyra yawns, nodding, and dons her robes.
[15:33] <Kilarra> Kjell wakes and actually bumps his head on the low ceiling with the suddenness of his waking. He groans a bit, but does as ordered. Considering the unusual nature of the Slavemother barging in, he suspected something urgent was afoot.
[15:35] * Aluthyra dresses quickly and slings her bow over her shoulder. She waits by the door for her companions to ready themselves, waiting for the slavemother to lead.
[15:38] * Kilarra takes care to make sure her Holy SYmbol goes unnoticed as she pockets it while gearing up, then stands by Aluthyra
[15:39] <@Aluthyra> Kahree takes several more moments to dress, none too eager to wake this early. With a grumpy face, she stands next to both Aluthyra and Kilarra.
[15:40] <Kilarra> Kjell is glad he hadn't been using any of his spells lately, since apparently he didn't have time to prepare fresh ones. He puts on his armour and both swords, following the Slavemother.
[15:42] <Kilarra> Undamesta leads the party to the Noble's Terrace on the second floor of the Vonnarc Palace. There, standing in the dim light, are Second Son Tiryin and a hooded female figure wearing bloodstained robes. In the shallow pool decorating the room, there are three corpses, each a naked drow man, floating.
[15:44] <@Aluthyra> Kahree raises an eyebrow. The least they could do is put a rag over them...
[15:44] * Kilarra raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. This could be a lot of things, knowing the drow. However, she figured it was pretty clear that they were about to be involved in some sort of coverup.
[15:47] <Kilarra> Kjell knew drow males weren't exactly in charge, but this seemed rather... crude.
[15:47] <Kilarra> Tiryin hisses to UNdamesta in undercommon; "Why did you bring -them-?"
[15:49] <Kilarra> Undamesta ignores him, taking in the scene before her. "Tiryin, drag those corpses out of the pool so I can dispose of them and clean up this mess." Tiryin scowls at the party, but then gets to work as instructed.
[15:50] * Aluthyra waits in silence for instruction.
[15:53] <Kilarra> Undamesta looks to the cloaked woman; "I trust these servants. They will escort you home, but don't let me catch you here again." She turns to the party adding: "Be swift, and let no one see you. Especially the House mistresses or other nobles. Your lives depend on this. If you are caught, I'll order your executions. Go!"
[15:54] <@Aluthyra> Kahree blinks. "Alright... And where are we to escort her?"
[15:59] <Kilarra> The cloaked woman moves to lead the party out of the room. "Home," she says curtly. Kahree would recognize her voice as someone she met earlier today.
[16:04] <@Aluthyra> Kahree rolls her eyes. "Can't help you as much if you don't specify, but fine." She follows, snickering. "It's a good thing 'those that actually make decisions around here' decided to put us together, huh?"
[16:05] * Aluthyra follows. "As rude as our companion is being, it would be of use to know where we are to lead you."
[16:05] <Kilarra> Safan begins leading the party towards the stairs; "We had best be out of here as quickly as possible. My mount and other lizards I wasn't able to sell are in the kennel waiting. You will take me there and we will ride to Arshyvhar."
[16:06] * Aluthyra nods. "Very well."
[16:07] <@Aluthyra> Kahree raises an eyebrow. "Why is it that you need a guard? What are we guarding you from?"
[16:08] <Kilarra> Safan turns and glares at Kahree, "If you don't shut up this instant, I will wake the rest of the house, my neck or not."
[16:09] <Kilarra> Safan snorts, "The nerve of some servants." SHe turns and continues down towards the kennels.
[16:09] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra, "If they're trying to keep whatever this was a secret, I wouldn't be surprised if other parties might come after her as a witness. I'm still not entirely sure what 'this' is though."
[16:13] <@Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs. "I suppose, I was only curious." She stays silent after, continuing to follow.
[16:17] <Kilarra> In the Kennel, Safan's riding lizard and the others wait patiently. Each one is about the size of a small horse. Safan begins saddling them, attaching tack and Harness.
[16:18] <Kilarra> Kjell has some skill with riding, and attempts to assist Safan in order to make things go more quickly for them.
[16:24] <Kilarra> Safan talks while she works, nodding approvingly at Kjell's assistance, seeming to think him a servant who actually knows his place. "We will ride up the walls and ceiling of the cavern of Cocyrdavarin. It will allow us to bypass any traffic in the city and avoid unwanted attention or delays."
[16:25] <@Aluthyra> Kahree blinks. Great... She isn't too adept at riding. This may be a challenge.
[16:25] <Kilarra> Safan mounts up.
[16:26] <Kilarra> Kjell helps his companions mount up if they are not used to doing so. The harnesses on the lizards saddles would prevent the riders from falling off, even when climbing vertical walls or completely inverted on ceilings.
[16:26] <@Aluthyra> Kahree smiles appreciatively as Kjell helps her up. She takes a moment to acclimate herself to the reins, then nods, ready.
[16:28] * Aluthyra hops up onto her mount, following Kjell's instruction as he assists Kahree. "Ready."
[16:29] * Kilarra is not a good rider, but hopefully this woman's 'shortcut' would allow them to avoid a fight in the first place. Not that she trusted any drow, but considering she was saving her own skin, she suspected Safan was taking what she figured was the best option.
[16:32] <@Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Whenever you're ready."
[16:32] <Kilarra> Kjell mounts his lizard last, strapping himself in. He had no objections to their vertical route, as it would certainly be an interesting perspective.
[16:33] <Kilarra> Safan spurs her personal lizard forward and motions for the party to follow
[16:34] <@Aluthyra> Kick. Kick. Kahree spurs her mount onward.
[16:35] * Aluthyra nods, spurring on her own mount to follow as well.
[16:35] * Kilarra takes a breath, then gets her mount moving
[16:43] <Kilarra> Following Safan, the lizards easily scale the walls surrounding the Vonnarc Palace and continue out into the Eidrissier cavern.
[16:50] <Kilarra> As the party approaches the sheer drop into the heart of Zirnakaynin from the upper level of the noble Houses, Aluthyra, Kahree and Kilarra can hear the footsteps of something approaching them from behind.
[16:52] * Aluthyra frowns, turning her head. She speaks quietly, but loud enough for her companions and Safan to hear, "Someone is following us."
[16:52] <@Aluthyra> Kahree looks behind her.
[16:53] <Kilarra> A group of seven drow guards wielding lances and mounted on lizard back move to try and surround the party and Safan.
[17:00] * Aluthyra reins in her lizard to stop and draws her bow, pointing it at one of the drow.  "Leave us be."
[17:00] <@Aluthyra> Kahree growls. "Turn back now before we kick all of your asses."
[17:02] * Kilarra blinks as she notices something. "I recognize a couple of these guys. They all work for House Vonnarc." Notably however, none of them are wearing their signet rings or other identifying markers
[17:03] <Kilarra> The drow don't heed Kahree, leveling their lances, looking ready to charge
[17:18] <@Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs, reining her mount to charge at the nearest drow lancer. As she reaches his side, she turns, attempting to deliver a flurry of blows to his chest.
[17:24] <Kilarra> Kahree pummels the drow into unconsciousness with two well-placed blows.
[17:29] * Aluthyra attempts to steady herself while riding, firing a barrage of five arrows; four into two guards, and the last at the third.
[17:32] <Kilarra> One of the guards is killed with a pair of heavy arrow impacts, while two others are bloodied by single shots
[17:36] <Kilarra> Safan figures the guards have been sent by Tiryin to keep the party from knowing what they had been doing, and moves to separate herself from them. She moves out towards the rings of guards, only for one of them to attack her as well.
[17:37] <Kilarra> Safan's superior riding skill allows her to avoid the blow. She screams loudly and pulls a rapier out from under her cloak.
[17:39] <Kilarra> The drow that attacked Safan lunges at her with his Lance. The remaining four each make a charge at one member of the party.
[17:42] <Kilarra> They all miss
[17:42] * Kilarra reaches out from her mount and attempts to slay the drow that attacked her
[17:44] <Kilarra> Eldrich fire spawned from Kilarra's hand engulfs the drow, snuffing out his life force and causing him to fall limp in his saddle.
[17:45] <Kilarra> Kjell draws his sword and takes a swing at the drow attacking him, charging his blade with magical lightning as he does so.
[17:49] <@Aluthyra> Kahree swings at the drow in front of her with her two maces!
[17:53] <Kilarra> Kahree pummels the next drow into a pulp
[17:55] * Aluthyra attempts to finish the last two off, firing two arrows into the injured drow, and three into the uninjured.
[17:59] <Kilarra> The drow attacking Safan is skewered before he can land a hit on her, or she on him. The bloodied drow is finished off with one more shot.
[17:59] * Aluthyra slings her bow back over her shoulder. "We should continue, if that is not the last threat."
[18:02] * Kilarra kicks away the drow corpse, then looks to Safan. "I think it's safe to say whatever you had going on with Tiryin is over and done with."
[18:03] <Kilarra> Safan spurs her mount and begins moving again, saying nothing after sheathing her rapier
[18:04] <@Aluthyra> Kahree rolls her eyes, spurring her mount to follow.
[18:05] * Aluthyra does the safe, following.
[18:06] * Kilarra smirks at the drow remaining quiet. Apparently she had nothing else to get on their case about after they had thwarted the ambush. Had she gone alone though, she almost certainly would have been killed.
[18:09] <Kilarra> The party encounters no other threats as they escort Safan home. The experience of walking on walls and ceilings is exhilarating for some, but perhaps nauseating for others. There is also a fair amount of blood rushing to the head.
[18:10] <@Aluthyra> Kahree chuckles. "Well... that was rather easy."
[18:11] <Kilarra> Kjell rolls his eyes, "Someone tried to make it difficult, but I suspect was underestimating our competence."
[18:13] * Aluthyra nods. "Indeed. Though one positive, Undamasta 'trusts' us, as much as the drow can."
[18:15] * Kilarra nods, "We'd best watch our backs though. I don't think Tiryin is going to be happy we survived."
[18:16] <Kilarra> Safan returns to her home wordlessly, collecting her lizards and restabling them, leaving the party to make their own way back to House Vonnarc
[18:17] <@Aluthyra> Kahree starts to walk back. "Good thing we've got the ward then."
[18:17] <@Aluthyra> She adds, "Can you make it set off an alarm too? Maybe so they don't catch us sleeping."
[18:17] * Kilarra shakes her head, "I don't have any spell that can make noise or an alarm or anything like that."
[18:18] <@Aluthyra> Kahree nods. ..."Kjell?"
[18:19] <Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "Most of my protective spells are for personal use only."
[18:19] <@Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs. "Ah well... careful it is then."
[18:21] * Aluthyra raises an eyebrow. "Should we take turns with a watch?"
[18:23] * Kilarra nods, "Considering these bodies technically don;t need sleep, that'd probably be a good idea."
[18:25] * Aluthyra nods. "Right. Then we shall decide shifts tonight, when we get back."
[18:26] <Kilarra> The party returns to House Vonnarc without serious incident.
[18:26] * Kilarra nominates Kahree for the first watch, since she and Kjell had to finish their rest to replenish their spells.
[18:27] <@Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs, agreeing.
[18:27] * Aluthyra takes whichever watch Kjell and Kilarra don't want.
[18:29] <Kilarra> The following day, Kilarra and ALuthyra find themselves offered the same Promotion as Kahree had recieved. Direct attendance to the Nobles of House Vonnarc.
[18:32] * Kilarra accepts without hesitation. Better the chance of getting what they came for, and it had barely been more than one of their three months.
[18:32] * Aluthyra accepts the promotion. With luck, perhaps it will be more to her skills than the previous servant duties...
[18:33] <Kilarra> -End Session-
[18:34] <Kilarra> Rewards: 3 EL 11, 1 EL 9
[18:34] <Kilarra> 11,200 Experience Each