Rissada - Session 46.3

Returning to the visitor's inn in Broken-Top, the party takes this chance to relax, preparing themselves for the final battle.

Na'nabi: "Stone beds... stone beds..."
"...it's slightly better than cave floors."
Kellan: "But worse because it's on purpose."
Na'nabi: "Beds that are both better and worse than the floor."
"...though calling it "bed" is being kind."
Arastalia: "(Mmm... I miss the beds back in the guild...)"
Kellan stands up on one of the "beds", peering around the room from his new vantage point.
Na'nabi stands at eye level with Kellan.
Engir: "(You're not the only one.)"
Kellan: "Wonder if she's gonna wake up before we leave."
"Hey, Engir. You guys fought one of these negative dragons before, maybe we'd better know what it was like."
Engir: "How am I to answer that? It was over so fast."
"Anarod summed it up by descriing how unbelievably horrible a combination its breath was."
I suppose, of note, was that we were able to reduce its power by weakening the ritual materials."
Kellan: "Let's hope this one has better oral hygiene, I guess."
Na'nabi: "So I guess let's just focus on breaking as many negative things as we can as we progress."
Engir: "If we've found its home, then it's more of a case of fighting it as soon as we can."
Astrid murmurs faintly, although it is barely audible.
Na'nabi: "Oh...? Someone might be waking up?"
Engir: "She's been murmuring most of the time."
Na'nabi: "Maybe it's like in those old books, and she needs a kiss from her prince to wake her from her deep sleep~"
Engir: "Keep dreaming."
Na'nabi: "I'm not exactly princelike."
Na'nabi sits on the bed, casually shrinking herself down to the size of everyone else awake.
Kellan watches Astrid, unusually quiet.
Astrid: "(Br... I-I...)"
Engir: "I'm going to make sure I have some countermeasures for the dragon prepared before we go."
Astrid suddenly curls up on the stone bed, opening her eyes and breathing heavily.
Kellan: "You okay, sister?"
Na'nabi: "Take it easy, you've had a rough time."
Astrid cradles her head in her hands, as she begins to tear up.
Engir: "Nightmares, indeed."
Kellan backs away, sitting down next to Na'nabi.
Astrid moves her hands around blindly on the bed, before tilting her head up and catching sight of Engir and Arastalia.
Engir waves slowly.
Engir: "Are you safe, Astrid?"
Astrid: "E-Engir?! Ara!"
Na'nabi: "Good morning, sleeping princess, we're all okay, no one's hurt... at least not irreparably."
Astrid glances at Kellan and Na'nabi too.
Arastalia opens her eyes wearily to look at Astrid, before resuming trying to find what little rest she can from the stone beds.
Astrid: "(Y-You're all safe... I...)"
Kellan: "You've just been dreaming."
Astrid collapses back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Astrid clings to the bed sheet, looking back at Engir.
Astrid: "Everyone had died... a-all of you..."
Engir: "That's a pretty rough dream."
"Did involve flames? The earth itself?"
Astrid: "I don't remember, I'm sorry... I-I must look like a fool..."
Kellan: "Anarod said these scions or whatever had nightmares, didn't he?"
Engir: "No, it's fine. What's important is that you're alive and lucid."
"Yes, they do."
"His dreams involve horrifying quantities of ice."
Kellan: "That why he freezes up like that? I poked him once and he nearly got frostbite in my finger."
Na'nabi: "He's that cold?"
Engir: "Yeah. The cold physically manifests."
Astrid: "H-Having one nightmare doesn't mean its related... to the scions, Kellan..."
"But... What happened...? How did I end up like this?"
Kellan: "Not saying it does mean that."
Kellan glances at Na'nabi, not sure whether to mention Gespenst.
Engir: "I wish we knew."
"We found you collapsed near a tainted crystal."
Astrid: "...Found me? I wasn't with the rest of you...?"
Kellan: "You went off scouting ahead. And were out cold when we found you."
Na'nabi: "No, you went to go light up some crystals and after our rest we found you collapsed."
Astrid: "I-I see..."
Astrid rubs her temples, looking exhausted.
Astrid: "I... should get some more rest, for now. Is that okay?"
Na'nabi: "Rest as much as you need to, Astrid."
Engir: "Yeah. We need you at full strength tomorrow."
Astrid: "A-Alright."
Astrid retreats back underneath the covers, sighing.
Na'nabi: "Hmm...hey, Engir?"
Engir: "Yes?"
Na'nabi: "Want to do some more storytelling? I'm still interested to find out what happened."
Engir: "We're about to face this important a battle and story time is what you want?"
Kellan: "If the storytime is relevant to the battle. Yes. Unless you got a better idea of what we should be doing."
Na'nabi: "Yes, it is. I already know what I need to get to face a big negative dragon, and I have an overwhelming curiosity."
Engir: "Exactly what you need, eh..?"
"Pray tell, what would that be?"
Kellan: "A stand-in."
Engir chuckles.
Na'nabi: "Another adamantine sword, a good quality crossbow and bolts. And possibly some sort of positive energy scrolls."
Kellan: "Didn't you have plenty of those?"
Engir: "How about some energy resistance? Something to handle its claws and magic?"
"I wonder if this thing will be more than just breath and claws, if it's had time to quicken."
Na'nabi: "Energy resistance scrolls would also be a good buy, but these all seem like pretty straightforward things we need. I doubt we need to debate for hours what we want."
Engir: "That is because you don't manage preparations."
Kellan: "What's he gonna do if we all want adamantine weapons, yeah?"
Na'nabi: "Only you and I use weapons, Kellan."
Engir: "So you understand that it's not a simple case of stocking adamantine weapons."
"But fine. Anarod and Ara are asleep."
Na'nabi: "Yeah, only half of our party is awake now."
Engir: "Now, I believe we were on the road to Rissada City."
"We reached the very crossroads that we passed. Where Sakkel, Rissada and Broken-Top meet."
Na'nabi pulls her cloak over herself, listening attentively.
Engir: "We were halted by a Valesian patrol. They seemed to be expecting us."
Kellan tries to listen attentively, but keeps glancing back at Astrid.
Na'nabi: "A Valesian patrol expecting you? What, are you all wanted by Valesia for crimes of being impure?"
Engir: "Aparrently we killed the Thaumaturge's guild, and also Nalzij."
"So, not only did they somehow know what we'd been up to in Dubrovish, they had false information."
Na'nabi: "So someone was spying on you? I assume we'll get to that later."
Kellan: "I thought you said you did kill most of those guys."
Engir: "Technically, the only one we killed was Coenus, a sinister mind control specialist with a creepy mask."
"Another guy was crushed by a rampaging golem, another betrayed by Ferrand, another Thaumaturge (and Scion)..."
Kellan: "What's the deal with these scions?"
Engir: "Now that is a good question."
"I don't know. Ara and I tried to glean what was happening during Anarod's extended nightmare."
"But what we do know, we had from a divination with the fire dragon's heart."
"Let's see... so, there's four of these shadowy elemental dragons."
"They each have absolute dominion over an element. Each seem buried in some kind of deep labyrinthine structure."
Na'nabi: "You cut out its heart?"
Engir: "Yes, and I'm glad we did."
"It was a stupid idea at the time, but it seems to be the root of the problem. It seems nigh indestructible, so we want to find a method to do so."
"Anyway, so the dragons seem to pick on someone with elemental blood, and draw them to their power."
"Usually this is done through dreams - like Anarod's frosty sleeps."
"The Scions make a binding pact with them, gain unlimited power, and probably get twisted to the dragons' will."
Na'nabi: "What happened with our icecube, then?"
Kellan: "Probably refused the pact, I'm guessing."
Engir: "I don't know, and nor does he. It happened in a dream that neither of us recall."
"But yes, now that we know, there's no deal."
"It seems the other scions that we've encountered were aware of this, though. Sirius was used as a pawn to summon the fire one."
Kellan: "You said something about a new earth scion."
Engir: "Anarod doesn't think it's possible."
"But we did kill the old earth scion, Ferrand. And your crewmate took his soul."
"It makes an interesting mystery with regards to why the earth dragon is active, doesn't it?"
Na'nabi: "Yeah. Maybe it was awake enough that is doesn't need a scion anymore?"
Engir: "That raises some worrying questions if it's true."
Kellan: "I don't think she did anything with his soul. Well, nothing more unusual than ever."
Engir: "One other thing we know. The wind scion is called 'Si'ri Arina'. ...they're probably a beastkin, and live in the east. That's about it."
"Honestly, I'm hoping we can learn more about what's going on tomorrow."
Na'nabi: "Hopefully, yes."
Engir: "Ugh, so, back to the crossroads. Do I have to?"
Na'nabi: "You're going to have to tell us at some point."
"May as well just get it over with, right?"
Engir: "Am I, now? I never vowed to that."
Kellan: "I'm a lot more interested in the dragon issue. And from what I can guess about this next part, I'm not sure I want to hear about it."
Engir: "I'd honestly rather save that story for text, where I can put my feelings into it."
"Needless to say, never, ever deal with a succubus."
Na'nabi: "We could skip that event and instead move onto the nect event in the series?"
"I'm still interested in that possible spy."
Kellan: "Writing it down works anyway. I can always tell it from there!"
"Yes, spies! What happened with spies?"
Engir: "Perhaps I'll take you up on that."
"The spy is relevant enough to both of your interests."
"Two of the thaumaturges were in league with Valesian nobility, trying to bring down the guilds in Rissada."
"Their names? Ferrand and Viella. The earth and fire scions."
Na'nabi: "Double scion spy?"
"How did you figure them out?"
Engir: "When Astrid bumped into them setting up an ambush on us."
Kellan: "Who's the Viella?"
Engir: "A fire specialist. She inscribed a rune on Pitch while we were in Dubrov. I didn't hear about it until she detonated it weeks later while we were all grouped up."
Na'nabi: "...detonated?"
Engir: "Made it go bang. Like Anarod's fireballs, only bigger."
Kellan: "What happened to Pitch?"
Na'nabi: "I'm pretty sure that guy is still alive."
Engir: "He survived. I think his dragon heritage protected him."
"Terita was grievously injured, though."
Kellan: "I mean in the first place to get runes inscribed on him."
Engir: "Beats me. She seemed amiable enough at the time."
Na'nabi: "Terita's the other Tiefling in the guild right? So that's how she got those burn marks."
Engir: "Yes, it was."
"Either way, turned out that not only did Viella report what happened, falsely, but she also actively scried on us the whole time."
Kellan: "I wouldn't let people put exploding runes on me no matter how amiable they seemed!"
Engir: "Quite."
Na'nabi: "So what happened after the fight?"
"Did you glean anything from them?"
Engir: "Well, Ferrand died in the battle."
"Viella, we captured. She seemed to have harbour intense vendetta against the elves. She and Ferrand had committed a number of heinous deeds to break apart the Thaumaturge's guild."
"It's strange, though. I'm not sure that her hatreds were own. She seemed pretty indoctrinated by the Valesians."
Na'nabi: "That's what the Valesians do..."
Kellan: "That's kinda just natural, really, isn't it? I mean, how many of them have even seen demihumans to have decided to hate them? It's just what they get told."
Engir: "Yeah."
"It's just amazing to think she'd want to go on a rampage in Uthindel like that."
Na'nabi: "So what happened to her?"
Engir: "We took her to the Paladins. But it wasn't long until she was released by Valesians."
Na'nabi: "Argh, dammit. So she's still out there?"
Kellan: "They broke her out of jail?"
Engir: "Not sure if broke is the right word. They waltzed in and took her out,, as if it was their right."
Kellan makes a rude gesture directed vaguely southeast.
Na'nabi joins Kellan in this sacred ritual
Engir: "Oh, it gets better."
Na'nabi: "Better than that?"
Engir: "They'd somehow captured Melodi, and hosted a public execution."
"It included a number of half-elves, too."
"It was almost certainly a trap to bait us."
Na'nabi: "Bastard Valesians..."
"Damn then, and damn whoever came to watch that..."
Na'nabi clenches her fist angrily.
Kellan: "It's okay, you can brutally dismember them all later, keep thinking happy thoughts."
Na'nabi: "Right, happy thoughts..."
Engir: "We did managed to stop it. There were casualties on each side, though."
Na'nabi: "You lost a comrade?"
Engir: "...Orz."
"She'd run ahead alone, and I made a tactical error."
Kellan stops his fidgeting and looks down solemnly.
Kellan: "No one else, at least...?"
Engir: "Not of ours. One friend lost an arm. None of the half-elves were hurt."
"Orz, though... she was exceptionally pure given what I've read about the Drow."
Na'nabi: "She was drow?"
Kellan: "Orz was a drow?"
Engir: "Orz, Raza. Tharrius's comrades, both Drow. Children of his wife, also Drow. Half-siblings to Tisha. "
Na'nabi: "They were Tisha's siblings? Jeez, that girl's got enough to deal with..."
Kellan: "That guy married a drow?"
Engir nods with Kellan.
Engir: "No idea what their story is, but he gave us the ring to pass on to Tisha."
Kellan mutters something not very polite-sounding.
Engir: "We have no idea where Raza is currently."
Na'nabi pats Kellan on the shoulder reassuringly.
Na'nabi: "This Raza went off?"
Engir: "After we told him the news, yeah."
Kellan: "Just up and left?"
"Wait, wasn't he the guy who was with you in Sakkel?"
Engir nods solemnly.
Na'nabi: "Well...if I were him...I...wait."
"When I was fighting some Valesians, they were on about someone who was shooting their scouts in the right eye..."
Engir: "In their right eye, eh..?"
"That's pretty specific."
Na'nabi: "Yeah, the bitch who was trying to murder children was on aobut it."
Kellan: "I still wanna meet that guy, that is some damn fine aim."
Na'nabi: "Someone was doing it, and it wasn't me. I was doing the old stabby stabby on the scouts instead."
Engir: "Raza is certainly the crack shot."
Kellan: "It's a pretty big leap of logic, though. Not like there's a shortage of people who'd wanna shoot Valesians."
Engir: "It is. But someone that precise would probably be him."
Engir relaxes, smiling.
Kellan: "How do we know he's only gonna take it out on them?"
Na'nabi: "We don't."
"(I don't even know this guy...)"
Kellan: "Valesians don't look different from other humans on the road."
Engir: "He knows their uniform, if nothing else."
Kellan: "Unless he's attacking civilians too."
Engir: "Good point. I hope not."
Na'nabi: "Oh, right. Something I've been meaning to ask about, which probably links into the story."
"You have... a lot of fluffy people in your mansion."
"And I've been hearing things about slaves and beastkin."
Kellan: "You said this Orz was extraordinary for drow. Do you think the same of him?"
Engir: "He was trying."
"The beastkin... that's a complex one. Happened the same day as the execution."
Kellan scowls, not quite reassured.
Na'nabi scoots closer to Kellan, putting her cape over his legs too.
Na'nabi: "From what I've heard...yeah, that sounds definitely complex."
"Most of them, except Se'ki, can't speak well, if at all."
Kellan: "Sounds like some day."
Kellan relaxes a little at Na'nabi's presence.
Na'nabi: "Sounds like one nightmare of a day, that one..."
Engir: "Ever seen a farm full of people who have been reduced to acting like cattle?"
"That's the best I can describe it. I should still have the overseer's journal."
Na'nabi: "Humanoid livestock...?"
"Gods, that's horrible..."
Engir pulls the journal out of his bag, sliding it over to Na'nabi and Kellan.
Kellan shudders, letting Na'nabi take the journal.
Na'nabi takes it out, and reads through it, holding the book as if it were a rabid animal
Na'nabi: "...you killed whoever wrote this, right?"
"Made him scream?"
"Death is too good for this... supervisor."
Na'nabi puts the book next to her, shaking a little.
Engir: "He is no longer a part of this world."
Kellan picks the book up, curiosity getting the better of him, and reads a few pages before abruptly setting it down and punching the wall.
Engir: "...yeah."
"That sums it up nicely."
Na'nabi: "We rescued as many as we could, right?"
Engir: "Yes, and the Paladins are still out there finding more."
Kellan: "Owww... why's everything gotta be rocks here... You did kill him, yeah?"
Engir: "Rapier through the heart."
Na'nabi: "At least the current fluffy people have a real home for now..."
Kellan nods solemnly, sitting back down holding his bruised hand.
Na'nabi: "At least that's over now."
Kellan: "Good riddance."
Engir nods.
Na'nabi: "So...after that nightmare day, what happened?"
"I can guess you rounded up as many of them as you could and put them in the big mansion, and did what you could to start integrating them into society."
Engir: "I'm pretty sure that's what you saw, yes."
Na'nabi: "But I remember you talking about vampires. When does that part come in?"
Kellan: "Magical quests sounds like a more accurate description than I thought."
Na'nabi: "No kidding."
Engir: "That came in after. ...and yes, it really is."
Na'nabi: "I am so happy I found you guys."
"This is so cool."
"So, I remember you talking aobut this powerful vampire, and a really cute vampire maid you hired after you slew him."
Kellan: "Being a freelancer vigilante just isn't the same, eh?"
Engir: "Cool isn't the word I'd use for it."
Kellan: "Yeah, uh, why do you have vampires working for you? Aren't you supposed to kill 'em or rekill 'em or something?"
Engir: "Well, there were originally thirty or so. Arastalia slew most of them in a grievous breach of divine conduct."
"That seemed to completely knock her out, though. So I had to take her home."
"When I came back, there were two vampires on our doorstep."
Na'nabi: "From the short time I was at your guild, hey seemed harmless enough. Y'know, for vampires."
Engir: "Harmless for a vampire. They still drink blood."
Kellan: "For vampires. I wouldn't count that as okay."
Engir: "Indeed. One of them wants to be killed and born again naturally. So we figure we can at least take her to the Star."
"The other, I'm not sure why she's still staying. I'm relying on Nalzij's judgement there."
Kellan: "Your paladin is keeping pet vampires. Alright then."
Na'nabi: "Anyway...what about the big bad vampire?"
Kellan: "Yeah, that part."
Engir: "After the execution incident, we were invited to the manor of a Lord Athel von Armaneus."
"His name appeared a lot on the ledgers for the beastkin trade."
Na'nabi: "So a slave trafficker?"
Engir taps his nose, knowingly.
Engir: "Now, that's the thing."
"We arrived at his mansion, expecting to confront him on just that."
"Instead, he asked us to assassinate a known supporter of the half-elves."
Kellan: "Just like that? Why'd he think you would?"
Engir: "We didn't understand either, until a day later, Melodi disappeared on her own and was found with a dead beastkin in that noble's back garden."
Na'nabi: "Shady."
Kellan: "You have weird friends."
Engir: "Do you know much about the myths behind vampires, Kellan?"
Kellan: "Yeah. But that's just myths."
Engir: "One of their powers is to dominate the mind of anyone they look at."
"Turns out... it's real."
"Not only was Melodi completely under his spell, but the beastkin was found entirely drained of blood."
Kellan: "Is there anything else you're gonna tell me is actually real?"
Engir ponders.
Engir: "Well, you're aware of Ara."
"There was a were-rat in the sewers at Tyrane."
"I don't know if you've seen Nalzij's pet Gryphon."
"And if you ever see Pitch, you should have a chat with him about dragons."
"Who knows? Maybe the tooth fairy is real, too."
Engir grins.
Kellan stares at Engir skeptically.
Engir: "Got any idea for things I should try summoning?"
Kellan: "Well, you let me know when you murder the tooth fairy, please. Keep in touch and all."
Na'nabi: "Tooth fairy?"
Engir: "I wouldn't do that. Maybe investigate her ledgers."
Kellan: "Try a manticore. That could be fun."
Engir: "Oooh, that's a good one."
Kellan: "Unicorns maybe, but I guess they wouldn't like you anyway."
Engir: "Now that's not very nice."
Na'nabi: "Uniponies?"
Kellan: "In all the stories I've read, they're afraid of men. Really, I'm complimenting you, see."
Engir shakes his head, trying to contain a smile.
Na'nabi: "Ooh, I could ride a unicorn then, into battle!"
"So..anyway, about the vampire. He brainwashed your friend, and then you guys got mad and went to go deal justice to him and such?"
Engir: "Wasn't about vengeance. It had to be done."
"He was using the beastkin as food. And he'd been manipulating. the nobility for centuries."
Na'nabi: "Ew, ew, ew."
Kellan: "Centuries? And nobody noticed?"
Na'nabi: "Presumably he mind controlled anyone who did."
Engir: "Or, you know, turned them."
"He had a serving staff of over thirty vampiric butlers and maids."
Kellan: "Ugh, Star preserve us, that many? Just how many people were they eating? No, don't tell me, I don't want to know."
Na'nabi: "Yeah, leave us out of that detail, please."
Engir: "He was in league with a couple of devils and a succubus, too."
Na'nabi: "Oh, a succubus, I know about those."
"And was this where your epic final showdown took place?"
"Fighting powerful minions of hell, commanded by an eternal unholy abomination..."
Kellan: "I'll need to get some notes from you on that later."
Engir: "Thanks to dame Arastalia, he was near enough alone."
"How she slew so many vampires at once I'll never know."
Na'nabi: "One of the great mysteries of the universe."
Engir: "It was a very close battle, all the same."
"(There was that fumble with our secret weapon against him, too.)"
Na'nabi: "Secret weapon?"
"Ooh, do tell."
Kellan stretches and jumps down from his "bed".
Kellan: "You'll have to tell me later. It's high time I make some preparations before this dragon. But you'd better let me know what happened!"
Na'nabi: "Shouldn't we be sleeping before dragon, not getting up and about?"
Engir: "I should make my own. Na'nabi, let's put it this way. An explosive concoction of holy water and divine magic."
Kellan: "That's why I've gotta do this stuff soon, so I can sleep later. And don't you have your own shopping left?"
Na'nabi: "I have shopping I'd like to do, but lack the money."
"Hey, Engir, mind if I get my shopping out of the way now?"
Engir: "Of course. You're part of the group. You'll be funded for any reasonable request."
Kellan scampers down the stairs with a wave back to Na'nabi.
Na'nabi: "So...can I have some money an' go shopping with Kellan?"
"I don't have much on me as is."
Engir: "Yes, yes. I'm on my way, too."