Ch 5: Part 2: Prisoners of Paradise: Session 82

[15:49] <Kilarra> *****Second Darkness*****
[15:49] <Kilarra> ~~~Chapter 5: A Memory of Darkness~~~
[15:49] <Kilarra> -Session 82-
[15:52] <Kilarra> After being assaulted in the night by agents of the Winter Council, the party was invited by Queen Telandia to stay in a chamber in the Palace for their protection. In truth, the chamber is known as a 'Paradise Chamber' and is actually a magical prison that uses enchantments and illusions to keep its occupants placated and confined
[15:53] <Kilarra> Within the chamber, the party met a Half-Elf bard by the name of Quilindra, who was imprisoned by the Winter Council for acting against them. She was able to inform the party of what this council really is, and wished to enlist their aid in defeating the shadow government.
[15:55] * Kilarra whispers to Aluthyra, "Remember the tale and be wary of this Half-Elf. She might speak the truth, or she might just be a -really- good liar. Or enough of both to make her an even better liar."
[15:56] * Kilarra doesn't mention this to Kahree yet though; her rapport with the bard was working out well for them
[15:56] * Aluthyra nods, whispering back, "Agreed. I have my suspicions, though currently... I cannot tell if she is lying. So far, it seems she is telling only truth."
[15:57] * Kilarra nods, "Yeah, I know, but considering what I've seen growing up in Riddleport, I tend to err on the side of suspicious caution."
[15:58] <Kilarra> Kjell thinks of one more thing. "Miss Quilindra, does the name 'Allevrah' mean anything to you?" It was possible that, in her own investigations, she might have come across something useful to their mission.
[15:59] <Kilarra> Quilindra blinks, "Well, I don't know anyone by that name personally. A friend of yours perhaps?"
[15:59] <Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "Someone important we've heard whisper about."
[16:01] <Kilarra> Quilindra contemplates that a moment, "Well, the name Allevrah isn't entirely common. The most well known Allevrah I can think of is a general of the Elven Army, known for defending the northern border. Do you think she's among the conspirators?"
[16:02] <Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "We can say for certain she is not, I am quite certain this is not the same someone."
[16:04] <Kilarra> Quilindra shrugs, "Well, I'm sure once you're free of the Winter Council's grasp, you'll have plenty of time to resume searching for this Allevrah."
[16:07] <@Aluthyra> Kahree fidgets, anxious to move. "Right. And if that's all, let's work on getting out of here."
[16:09] <Kilarra> Quilindra smiles, liking Kahree's motivation. "That's easier said than done, but..." She pauses a moment, looking around. "While here I was subjected to a number of... interrogations. However, I was able to, carefully, glean bits of information about this place each time. I can't be sure I know it all, but I think I know enough."
[16:11] <@Aluthyra> Kahree nods with a small smile. "So, do you want to take the lead, or just guide us?"
[16:12] <Kilarra> Quilindra chuckles, "It might require a bit of both. First and foremost, we actually have to penetrate the illusions and find the exit."
[16:13] * Kilarra smirks, "I can help with that." She reaches into her pack and produces a vial of ointment. "For True Seeing," she notes, before slipping it back away
[16:23] <Kilarra> Quilindra nods, "Alright. There is also an enchantment that compels those within to remain within. I have managed to throw it off before, but I was stymied by the door beyond. As well, there is a ward against teleportation." She looks to Kjell's spellbook, "but it could be dispelled."
[16:23] <Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "I have the capability to dispel magic, but my teleportation is short range only at present."
[16:24] <Kilarra> Quilindra nods, "Then we would have to go through the door, which is locked, and protected by a pair of stone golems."
[16:30] <@Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Anything else, or is that all you've seen?"
[16:33] <Kilarra> Quilindra shakes her head, "Well, with all of us, the golems shouldn't be too much of a threat, and sneaking past them to get to the door would be difficult anyways. Once we're past them, it's just a matter of evading the guards in the palace long enough to get out into the city, where it will be easier to move undetected to the first gate."
[16:33] <Kilarra> Kjell looks to Quilindra, "Is there an alternate path?"
[16:34] <Kilarra> Quilindra shakes her head, "Reaching tanglebriar on foot form here is a journey of sixty-three miles. Moving through the gates is not only quicker, but would allow us to stay a step ahead of any pursuers." She motions to her jewellery. "As it happens, I have all the keys we'll need." She smirks at Kahree.
[16:35] <@Aluthyra> Kahree grins. "Nice." She draws her dual maces, winking at Quilindra. "Shall we, then?"
[16:36] <Kilarra> Quilindra, "If you are prepared, then yes." She clears her throat a bit. "The compulsion to remain is strong, so if you have anything that can bolster your resolve, you should make use of it."
[16:37] * Kilarra frowns a bit, "I actually didn't come with that sort of thing prepared today. Perhaps we should take the rest we were denied and make our escape first thing in the morning."
[16:38] <Kilarra> Quilindra frowns, "I could provide some bolstering with my bardic skills, if needed. I would prefer not to remain here any longer than I already have."
[16:39] * Aluthyra nods in agreement. "With her bardic skills, I do not think we need to remain."
[16:39] <@Aluthyra> Kahree taps her maces. "I'm -not- going to stay in here, knowing it's some sort of prison..."
[16:40] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, knowing Kahree would have a hatred of confinement. "I agree. The sooner we leave, the sooner this gets done. If we need to rest, we cam do so someplace else."
[16:44] * Kilarra nods, "Alright then." She pulls the balm out and applies it to her eyes, which seem to light up light torches, although they don't actually increase the lighting. She glances around, getting used to the sight. "Never usedthis before. Feels a bit wierd."
[16:47] * Kilarra looks around, "Man, this place is a lot duller than its made to look." She stops when facing south. "There's the curtain we came in through." She approaches it in a straight line so that the others can follow and stops when she's right next to it.
[16:48] * Aluthyra follows Kilarra and draws her bow, nocking a single arrow in preparation.
[16:49] <@Aluthyra> Kahree follows after, dropping low to the ground and moving quietly.
[16:49] <Kilarra> When the party reaches the curtain, Quilindra clears her throat again and begins singing. She sings in elven, but regardless of lyrical understanding, her voice carries with it a feeling of supernatural confidence and resilience
[16:52] <@Aluthyra> Kahree smiles faintly as she moves forward...
[16:53] <Kilarra> As Kahree passes through the curtain, she feels a tingling compulsion to return
[16:58] <Kilarra> It passes however, for now. Kahree can see the two large wasp statues that are presumably the golems Quilindra mentioned. For the moment, they remain inactive.
[17:03] * Kilarra doesn't hear anything or notice Kahree backpedalling, so she takes a breath and steps through the curtain as well.
[17:03] <Kilarra> Quilindra directs her singing at Kilarra now.
[17:04] * Aluthyra follows immediately after, bowstring pulled in caution; ready to fire.
[17:05] <Kilarra> Kilarra makes it through and shakes off the compulsion.
[17:05] <Kilarra> Quilindra sings at Aluthyra as she passes through
[17:07] <Kilarra> Quilindra sings at Kjell last as he passes through the curtain.
[17:07] <Kilarra> Kjell and Aluthyra both make it through, shrugging off the compulsion.
[17:09] <Kilarra> A pair of domed chambers connect to form a single larger room here. A towering pair of double doors stands in one wall, opposite a shimmering golden curtain. The floor is of polished marble, matching the plain but spotless walls rising to the domed ceiling above. To either side, an equally well-polished stone statue of a crouching wasp with crystal wings stands sentinel.
[17:12] <Kilarra> The heads of the stone wasps turn when Kilarra stumbles through, her armour rattling.
[17:12] * Kilarra frowns. "Crap. Should have waited for Kahree to get the door."
[17:12] * Kilarra pulls out her Noqual Heavy mace
[17:12] <Kilarra> Kjell draws his Noqual Longsword as well.
[17:14] <Kilarra> The crystal wings on both statues begin to buzz, and the golems take to the air!
[17:16] <Kilarra> However, the room is only a little over 10ft to the ceiling, so the golems' flight really just lets them move a bit quicker laterally.
[17:24] <@Aluthyra> Kahree charges forward toward the nearest golem. As she reaches its side, she swings one of her maces, bringing it up into the construct.
[17:26] <Kilarra> Kahree's mace bounces off the Golem's stone like a rubber ball
[17:28] <Kilarra> Quilindra looks around the group, and to the golems. She couldn't do much to them personally, but draws her rapier anyways. She then casts a spell of Haste on the entire party.
[17:32] * Kilarra decides to hold back for now, keeping her mace ready on the defensive for Aluthyra, who needed distance, and Quilindra, who seemed to have put herself in a supporting role. She then lays a hand on Aluthyra and gives her some divine aid.
[17:35] <Kilarra> Kjell knows that most of his spells won't work on Golems, so instead he raises his sword, taking it in both hands, and moves to cover Kahree up close, considering her choice of tatic was less effective against constructs.
[17:43] * Aluthyra raises her bow, aiming downrange at the construct closest to Kahree and Kjell. Assisted by both magical haste and her inner ki, she launches a flurry of arrows, seven in all.
[17:46] <Kilarra> Only a couple of Aluthyra's arrow manage to penetrate, but her precision firing punches through the thick stone readily.
[17:50] <Kilarra> Both of the golems are relatively close to Kjell and Kahree. One of them moves to close the distance, but rather than attacking, a magical burst emanates from it
[17:54] <Kilarra> The spell seems to falter. In response, the other golem attacks Kahree
[17:54] <Kilarra> Kjell moves, as he had planned to, to strike the golem before it can do so.
[18:01] <Kilarra> Kahree is slammed once by the stone wasp's stinger.
[18:02] * Kahree growls, steeling herself for the hit. It hurts, but she can take it in stride.
[18:02] <@Aluthyra> Kahree returns the sting with several blows from her maces, smashing them into the construct's stingers.
[18:04] <Kilarra> Kahree barely manages to scratch it
[18:07] * Kilarra frowns. This was kinda hit and miss. Still, ALuthyra and Kjell were hurting them, so she just needed to keep them alive long enough for the hurt to add up. She casts a blessing, giving the entire party a bonus to their morale (+1 to attack and saves vs Fear)
[18:08] <Kilarra> Kjell takes the slight increase in vigour and uses it to lash at the Golem with both hands on his sword.
[18:09] <Kilarra> Kjell manages to rend another gash in the Golem, but his backswing doesn't quite follow through.
[18:11] * Aluthyra frowns, launching another barrage at the injured construct.
[18:15] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's barrage of arrows manages to crack the stone wasp severely, then two more arrows into the crack shater it, leaving crumbled mess on the floor
[18:17] <Kilarra> The second stone golem turns its attention to Kjell, since Kahree wasn't doing squat to it
[18:18] <Kilarra> Kjell takes two very nasty slams from the Golem's stinger.
[18:18] <Kilarra> Kjell grimaces, "That wasn't fun. Kilarra, little help."
[18:20] <@Aluthyra> Kahree growls at her own ineffectiveness. Trying to divert its attention, she ducks below the construct, turning on her heels as she dodges any attempt for the wasp to sting her while moving.
[18:21] <Kilarra> The wasp doesn't seem interested in pursuit
[18:22] <@Aluthyra> As Kahree turns, she delivers a series of mace hits to the golem's back.
[18:22] <@Aluthyra> Or attempts to, rather.
[18:23] <Kilarra> Kahree once again doesn't do much
[18:24] <Kilarra> Quilindra holds her position, not thinking she can do much if Kahree can;t
[18:24] * Kilarra moves up to Kjell and places a hand on him.
[18:26] <Kilarra> Kjell is healed a bit, after which he takes another pair of swings at the Golem
[18:27] <Kilarra> Kjell's blows takea few more chunks out of the second golem, which is now considerably damaged
[18:28] * Aluthyra raises her bow to with hope to finally finish the construct. Another barrage of arrows is launched.
[18:32] <Kilarra> Three arrows make their mark in the damaged spots of the Golem and break it apart at the seams.
[18:32] <Kilarra> All that's left on the floor is golem rubble
[18:32] <Kilarra> -End Session-
[18:33] <Kilarra> Rewards: 6400 Exp Each