RealmsToowoomba Recap # 80 [RPG]

[29-30 Flamerule 1372]

Outside the walls of Nesme, the midnight raid continues. Cain completes his spell and another mephit appears and immediately joins its fellows in their gleeful attacks. His permanent fire mephit, Mupit, gleefully turns his attention to the thatched roof of a house sitting just inside the wall and sets it alight, cackling joyfully.  Having destroyed all obvious enemies, Mellia suggests that they stick to their planned hit-and-run tactics and make an early exit. First though, she observes that they should make sure that the heretics of Auril know who they’re dealing with. She raises her hand and evokes a massive wall of flame on a hilltop outside the city; the flames resolve into the familiar shape of the symbol of Kossuth!  As Ralkin prepares himself to be teleported away, Mellia asks Cain is he wants to summon Mupit back early. The cleric nods and does so, pausing first to send a flamestrike against the wall, exacerbating the already significant damage. Mupit rapidly wings his way back to his master and the entire group dematerializes.

Within Nesme, as alarm bells ring out, and defenders stream towards the wall, sleepy citizens cautiously peer out from behind their curtains. The symbol of Kossuth is clearly visible in the hills beyond the city, but more pressing matters draw their attention: Cain’s summoned mephits have been set free to wreak havoc on the city, burning homes, wagons, and anything else that seems flammable.  Wrex, running through the streets with Rosalina by his side, glances back and is horrified to see that his companion’s roof is alight. He cautions her not to look behind her. Suddenly, a fire mephit lands right in front of them and opens its mouth to scorch them with a blast of fire. Miraculously, however, Cain’s summoning spell expires just before the fiery breath can be unleashed and the mephit vanishes, leaving two shakened gnomes in its wake. Wrex takes Rosalina to a place of safety at the same abandoned rug merchant’s where he hid out during his first nights in the city.

Meanwhile, in the High Forest, Rufus has succeeded in vanquishing the blazing skeletons, but he feels no triumph: the guardian Treeant is dying and the saplings have been destroyed. Rufus explains that he could not protect them because his powers were not strong enough. He asks the Treeant if it can tell him what is happening. With its dying breaths, the great creature says it saw a chariot pulled by horses wreathed in flame fly through the sky.  Holding the reins was a golden prince, and wherever the chariot touched the ground, fire spread and undead attackers appeared!  With Sheila’s help, Rufus is able to verify that the attackers arrived seemingly from out of nowhere.  He spends the remainder of the night following the custom of Silvanus and burying the fallen Treeant and the saplings. With that task finished, he makes his way back to his former campsite and repeats the process with the body of the dead elf. Afterwards, he sinks into an exhausted sleep.

[30 Flamerule 1372]

On Startop Mountain, the successful raiders of Nesme return. Mupit eagerly receives praise for his actions from Cain and Mellia and is sent to his room in the mansion where he promptly brags to Magnim and starts a brawl. Outside, Ralkin asks in Kenku whether anyone understands him. Mellia, with her Tongues spell still active notes that she does, for the time being. Ralkin asks to speak with her privately and they excuse themselves. For his part, Cain decides to familiarize himself with Startop Keep for use with a new transportation spell he is perfecting.  Ralkin notes that Mellia asked previously if he spoke Ignan. Though he does not, he is curious why she didn’t ask any of the others in the party who obviously do (Cain and the mephits). She explains that she is trying to learn the language and there are a few phrases she would like to have at her disposal ‘the old-fashioned way’. Ralkin says that although he doesn’t speak Ignan, he couldteach it. He explains that if Mellia casts that Tongues spell on him at her next opportunity, and provides him with a book, he can create a tool she can use to teach herself. Mellia agrees, promising to do so tomorrow, and both enter the mansion.  Before heading upstairs to check on the mephits, she tells Ralkin about the tunnels under Nesme, suggesting the expert trap-maker might be able to come up with some way to collapse those tunnels beneath the feet of the Aurilites. She then interrupts the mephits and advises them not to ruin any other rooms in the mansion. She also suggests to Magnim that he might be wise to learn what he can from Mupit in the hopes that he can perform as well or better when it is his turn to travel to Nesme.

Outside the mansion, screams and yells suddenly fill the air. Tunak immediately leaps into action and closes in quickly, since the ruckus appears to be happening close to his own wagon. Cain also hears the noise and makes his way towards the commotion. Markus and Urist are also eager to investigate but the duo have trouble pinpointing the source of the disturbance and head off in the wrong direction.   When Tunak arrives at the scene, he sees acrobats Nik, Nak and Nok congratulating themselves on having caught the Smiling Man killer inside Ulugu’s wagon.  They note that the mystic had a vision that he would be the target of nefarious activity,  and had thus hid himself under the acrobat’s wagon for safety, allowing the acrobats to set a trap. However, when the door to Ulugu’s wagon is opened, a young boy is found hanging upside down by rope looped around his ankle, demanding to be released. Tunak immediately goes to his aid, though the boy is prevented from running off by Nik, Nak, and Nok, who are insistent that they’ve caught the killer. The boy, Phlobus, claims that he was paid a platinum piece by a man ‘covered all over in fur’ to sneak into Ulugu’s wagon and make moaning sounds and rattle things as a prank on the “spirit-channeller.”.   Phlobus says he often runs messages and does errands for soldiers and other refugees in the camp in order to make money, as his parents died in the undead siege on Nesme.  After a thorough search turns up no weaponry, the crowd that’s congregated around the scene begins to doubt his guilt.

At the same time, as Mellia emerges from her conjured mansion, she hears a strange wheezing sobbing from a nearby tent. She investigates and finds a man named Shimus in a drunken stupor moaning that his drinking companion, Torrego, has been murdered. Warning Shimus to keep his distance, Mellia whistles to attract the attention of nearby guards. They come to investigate, as do Markus and Urist, who were still looking for the site of the original scream. Mellia sends her friends in search of Jygil Zelnathra. While they’re away, a guardsman emerges from the tent looking pale and confirms that the man inside is dead: apparently, another victim of the Smiling Man killer. Upon being questioned, the drunken Shimus claims to have seen nothing useful, as he had been gone only minutes to secure more ale and found his friend dead when he returned.

Markus and Urist soon track down Jygil and tell her they’ll lead her to the murder site. They again head in the wrong direction, but end up by the Carnivale Intrepid where the boy is still being detained and questioned by guards under the watchful eyes of the newly-arrived Cain and many others. Markus and Urist announce that a body has been found back at the far side of the camp and Jygil makes a rapid exit, as does Tunak.  When Jygil Zelnathra arrives at the true murder site, Mellia fills her in on what has happened and waits while the other woman investigates the tent. When she emerges, she reveals that a clue has been found: a broken claw was under the body.  Mellia recognizes this as a cat’s claw, but suggests that Zelnathra and the Startop authorities proceed cautiously, as this could be a frame-up and they have been fooled before.

All of the commotion outside finally awakens El Capitan, who had been sleeping heavily in his tent. Assuming his grogginess is due to too much ale the night before he soon discovers to his dismay that he is covered in blood and that one of his claws is broken off. With no memory of what has happened, he cleans himself up as best he can and goes to investigate.  Soon picking up word of a murder, and realizing looming danger, he quickly returns to his tent and assembles his gear. He pauses to speak to the young lad, Pietro, that he rescued from the wraith attack. Swearing he is innocent, he advises the boy that he must absent himself for a time, though he will be checking in. The boy promises to provide an alibi and the two arrange a drop site to exchange messages. After a close call with a patrolling guard, El Capitan finds a hiding place in the stables and secrets himself in the rafters.

Cain sets out to find Sir Triandial Truehammer. He intercepts the man and inquires whether they will use the opportunity to secure answers by speaking to the corpse. Truehammer is disgusted and makes it clear that he thinks necromancy is an abomination. Cain replies that such a spell could still provide answers. Truehammer makes it clear that if such is the sort of help Cain would provide, he is forbidden from taking part in the investigation. Cain returns to the mansion. Noting that Mellia is absent, he settles into the fireplace in his room.  

Meanwhile, at the murder site, Mellia and Jygil agree to cast divination magicks while questioning Shimus to ensure he is telling the truth. When Mellia’s spell opens her mind to the thoughts of others, she is startled by the unexpected realization that she is detecting an additional mental presence, one whose inchoate essence appears to reside in her own midsection! She struggles but maintains her concentration and confirms that Shimus’ surface thoughts support his statements. However, she is flustered and excuses herself, to Jygil’s surprise.  She returns to the mansion, where she tries to wrap her mind around the possibility she could be pregnant.  When she sees Cain, she asks him if he is coming to bed. He notes that he had assumed she was already asleep and hadn’t wanted to wake her, but she assures him she isn’t bothered by clanking armour and would rather have his presence in bed. While she helps him with his armour, the couple discuss the murder investigation. Mellia mentions the claw and points out the obvious connection with El Capitan. Cain, in turns, mentions that he is suspicious of Truehammer since the man refuses to use all of the spells at his disposal.  When Mellia adds that her divinations confirmed the witness’ statement, she becomes distracted and flustered at the thought of what else the spell revealed. She babbles that her spells aren’t always accurate. Cain notes that she is behaving oddly by doubting herself, and asks what is bothering her. Desperate for a way to distract him, Mellia decides to use her feminine wiles. Though Cain does allow himself to be distracted, he resolves he will follow up on the matter in the morning.

In Nesme, Wrex and Rosalina are too agitated by their narrow escape to sleep.  Wrex listens as Rosalina plaintively wonders why these terrorists keep attacking. Though she has no love for the Aurilites, they have protected the city from the hordes of undead. She speculates about leaving, but Wrex presses her to stay in Nesme and help rebuild it, to honour her late adoptive father, a temple guardsman who fell during an earlier terrorist attack on the temple. Although torn, Wrex conceals his own knowledge of the attackers’ identity and his role in that raid.  Instead, he promises someday to tell Rosalina all about his past.  As an initial offering, he reveals that he was born in the Underdark, that he spent time in jail, that he never knew his own father, and that the city of his birth burned to the ground.  Rosalina shudders upon hearing this last part, and observes that burning Nesme to the ground seems to be the goal of these mysterious invaders.  She says she has no love for winter, but the Aurilites seem to be all that is keeping them safe from utter destruction.  Wrex tells Rosalina that in this city of ice, she can depend on him to keep her warm.

Hours pass and Markus and Urist continue their investigation of the smiling man. First, they heard to the makeshift tavern.  They’re horrified to hear that the last of the whisky has just been doled out, and that no one knows when more supplies will reach the camp.  Markus puts his time to good use, and hears that someone saw El Capitan leaving the tent of the murdered man!  When Urist’s attempt to commune with the spirits results in no luck, they decide to seek out El Capitan, reasoning that he might know something about the murder. They find his tent empty and seek out Pietro to see if he knows where the cat man has gone. Pietro, covering for his hero, claims that El Capitan has gone fishing on the lake and could be gone for some days. Although the sun has not yet risen, Markus and Urist don’t hesitate to make their way to the lake and climb aboard a raft and paddle out. However, they quickly realize that the night is dark, there is no visible sign of El Capitan, and they have forgotten to bring along any paddles or sails. They return to shore, resolving to try again the next day.

Meanwhile, Fargrim slumbers in his room at an inn in Mirabar.  Well over a tenday has passed since he left his former allies in Longsaddle and set out on the Long Road for Mirabar to rally others to his cause.  His journey hadn’t been easy.  Simply gaining entry to Mirabar, given its state of quarantine, was difficult, and several clashes between The Axe and Luskan’s armies west of the city had bent the minds of his fellow dwarves towards war, making it hard for them to listen to what seemed like a distant and speculative threat far to the southeast in the Evermoors.  Still, his efforts hadn’t been totally in vain: a few of his kinsmen have been persuaded to follow his banner, as his notoriety as the Hero of Grunwald against the troll invasion, and the slayer of the foul bandit Grim had spread to Mirabar, earning him much respect.

He’s awakened by a shout:  “Ware the bone naga, Tobias, its bite is deadly indeed!”  Rolling to his feet in a battle stance, Fargrim sees a floating, ghostly manifestation of Ardanac Harpell in his room.  The man’s eyes seem to be gazing at something in the distance, and his face looks haggard and worn.  “I have split my consciousness into several aspects,” Ardanac says, “as the candle grows dim and we are pressed on many sides!”  The wizard of Longsaddle continues speaking, though his attention is sometimes drawn away.  He tells Fargrim that he’s investigated the dwarf’s reports of threats stemming from the Crown of Horns.  He relates that after Myrkul was cast down during the Time of Troubles and channelled all of his remaining essence into the Crown, Khelben Blackstaff approached Ardanac about a place to hide the malevolent artifact, for it could not be destroyed.  Ardanac says he is the one who suggested the depths of Startop Mountain, for ancient enchantments would hinder any who tried to detect the artifact’s location, summon entities to retrieve it, or travel there mystically.  More, he adds that he assumed a slumbering guardian would serve as final barrier against the Crown being retrieved.

While simultaneously directing battles on other fronts, the wizard continues.  He tells Fargrim that for fourteen years, the Crown has remain dormant, and little did he know that Myrkul’s devotees remained faithful and would launch this mad scheme to resurrect their god by channelling the energies of life and death into the Crown so that it could possess its own guardian!  Ardanac says he is presently leading warrior-priests of Kelemvor to hunt down the hidden cults of Myrkul across Faerun, but that destroying them will not stop the process they’ve put in motion: on Highharvestide, the Crown will control the guardian, and the behemoth will rise.  And as if that were not enough, he adds that he’s identified the mysterious dark figure who has blackmailed others to hunt for the Crown on his behalf: the master of Darkhold himself, the evil Zhentarim mage Semmemon!  Whether the scheme of Myrkul’s Horned Harbingers succeed or Semmemon’s agents reach the Crown first, the results will be cataclysmic for the Evermoors and its surroundings.

The wizard of Longsaddle adds that he and other protectors of Faerun are now pressed on many fronts: an unimaginable power is rising in the Anauroch, an orc King with the largest army in generations threatens the civilised North, and invaders from other planes search for weaknesses.  He concludes by charging Fargrim with the task of stopping the threat posed by the Crown.  Ardanac says he realises his own folly in trying to keep the Crown hidden, but that he may at last have discovered a means to destroy it. If the Crown can be taken to the Rotting Plain and fed directly to Laogzed, the menace of Myrkul will be removed forever.  Fargrim asks if there is any hope in destroying the behemoth should it rise; Ardanac says one should never be without hope, but that the wrath of such a powerful avatar of the now-vanquished Lord of Death would be terrible indeed!  He says that he will deliver the surviving Knights of the Eternal Order of Kelemvor to Fargrim in coming days, and perhaps together they will be strong enough to destroy the Crown before its threat manifests.  Fargrim vows that if given an army, he will succeed on this quest.

Dawn comes across Faerun. Far away in the High Forest, Rufus wakes from his rest and, obeying the dictates of his mentor Faevid not to enter the Sacred Grove while impure, he meditates and gathers his thoughts. Faevid himself arrives at mid-morning, battle-worn and filled with righteous anger. He explains that there have been incursions all over the High Forest, though the line at the Grandfather tree was able to hold. Rufus shares what he was told by the dying Treeant and Faevid nods. He says that he spent the hours since sunrise communing with the Lord of Oak, and has identified their true foe.  The elder druid goes on to relate a legend he says has been passed down from heirophant to heirophant for centuries about a great king of a distant land deposed and forced into exile for consorting with alien, sinister beings of the netherworld.  The king, a Pharoah Imkhotep, was driven with his followers from land to land until eventually reaching what is now known as The North.  Faevid says his predecessors of ancient times learned of the great evils of Imkhotep and waged a long and costly war before realising that the foreigner had made a pact with death itself: in exchange for delivering souls innumerable to the Lord of Bones, Imkhotep was granted invulnerability until such time as death itself died!  However, Faevid says, the ancient protectors of the High Forest drew upon their great powers to cast Imkhotep into the bowls of the volcano now known as Startop, and to imprison him there with ancient wards now lost to mortals.  If the seals of his prison have failed, the druid says, Imkhotep must be destroyed: and now that death has indeed died during the Godswar, the dark pact has been broken and such a fate is possible.  Faevid tells Rufus that he cannot see into his heart to know if he has truly atoned, but events have now overtaken their own souls and thus Rufus’ full strength must be restored.  For while Faevid assumes the duty of rebuilding and rallying the forces of the High Forest, Rufus must journey to Startop Mountain and discover the location of Imkhotep’s lair.  “Find allies if you can,” he says, “but let nothing stand in your way.  Show no mercy, and bring the mountain down on his head if you must.  Go now, and do not return until our fallen have been avenged!”  Rufus instantly transforms into a winged creature and flies at top speed towards the Evermoors.

Within the enchanted mansion, Mellia rises at dawn and quietly and carefully slips out of bed without waking Cain. She prepares for the day and tiptoes down the stairs. She encounters Markus and Urist just entering and is surprised, for several reasons, to hear about their night-time sailing excursion. Markus heads to bed and Urist heads to the bar. However, Urist’s clanking armour from downstairs awakens Cain, and when the cleric realizes she’s no longer in bed with him, he sets out to find her. He just misses her as she departs the mansion, seeking the aid of an herbalist to try to confirm her suspicions. Cain returns upstairs and orders the mephits to help him get his armour on so he can go in pursuit of his missing lady love. With Jygil Zelnathra’s aid, Mellia manages to track down one of the camp’s wise women, Borgea. Having paid the required fee and a bonus beside, Mellia undergoes a ritual that includes being struck with a willow branch, having a hair yanked from her scalp, and slapped until tears run down her face to be collected.  Still, Mellia obeys the woman’s instructions, though she is dismayed when told that she won’t learn the results until sunset.

Outside, she is startled by the sudden magickal arrival of Felix Ruul.  The Red Wizard of Thay has brought another man with him: dressed in fine livery, the stranger holds a scroll in one hand and a trumpet in the other. Felix does nothing but glare and disappear, leaving the other fellow behind. Getting no response to her inquiries, Mellia hastens back to the mansion where she finds Cain just coming down the stairs. She ducks his questions and quickly advises him about Felix and the newcomer. Cain is displeased to hear that Felix has been there and they leave the mansion, although Cain pauses to tell Mellia that he intends to find out what is troubling her at the earliest opportunity. When Cain arrives, the stranger immediately plays a fanfare and reads the scroll in a loud voice for the entire camp to hear.  The message proffers a duel, both mystical and mortal, between the Red Wizard Felix Ruul and the Archon of Kossuth Cain, to take place at sunset on Shieldmate, with the conclusion to be death or submission. In the latter case, the vanquished must prostrate himself whenever in the presence of the victor.  The duel will take place according to the ancient rites and under the auspices of the Lord or Lady of Startop Mountain. To that end, the stranger presses another scroll into the hand of Jygil Zelnathra.   Cain is angry that Felix has chosen now to make his challenge, knowing that Cain has bound himself to destroy Nesme. Mellia offers to pass along a message to Ruul, once Cain decides what he’d like that to be. Having confirmed with the stranger that there is no need to formally accept the challenge before the appointed time of the duel, it is decided that they will wait and see if the ill effects they have experienced from delaying their task at Nesme disappear now that they have refocused their efforts.

With that decided, Cain demands to know what is upsetting Mellia. Though she tries to distract him with talk of other subjects and even tries to excuse herself to finish work on a new spell, he will not be put off any longer, putting a hand on her shoulder and requesting that they talk somewhere private. Mellia finally acquiesces.   Arriving in the stables, Cain tells her that she’s obviously flustered and babbling, a sure sign that something is troubling her. He reminds her that she can trust him. “You know you can tell me anything”. Just as she finally beings to speak, Cain notices that they are not actually alone - the swaying tail of El Capitan hangs just behind Mellia. However, Cain opts to say nothing.  Mellia reminds Cain of the night in Longsaddle when the nature of their relationship changed and when he summoned his first mephit. She haltingly tells him that the mephit may not have been the only living creature brought into existence that night, finishing with a weak “Surprise!” before anxiously awaiting his reaction.  Cain realizes what she is saying and responds first with stunned silence then “This is something you thought you would have to hide from me?” Mellia assures him that wasn’t the case - she was in shock, and wanted to be sure before she said anything, though she owns that she wasn’t sure how he would feel about a baby. Cain says it is surprising news but not unwelcome and Mellia agrees and kisses him.

Afterwards, Cain says fatherhood will be a new experience. Mellia says that though she’s been through this before, she has never done so with someone by her side. She explains that she has visited a herbalist for confirmation and the results are expected at sunset. Cain offers to go with her and she accepts, noting that she is happy they had decided to get married before finding out this news. She notes that they haven’t actually discussed wedding plans yet and they may want to do that, since if she is pregnant, it won’t be a secret for long.   Cain says they should definitely discuss wedding plans but in private, and yanks El Capitan’s tail, pulling the cat man down to the ground. Mellia cooly notes that this is an unusual place to take a nap and El Capitan tries to dissemble and get away. Cain holds him in place and Mellia asks to shake hands so they can be properly introduced. Though El Capitan tries to dissemble by removing only one glove, she tells him she knows the claw that Jygil found is his. He tells them he doesn’t remember anything from the other night.  Mellia notes that the Smiling Man has fooled people before and says El Capitan could be telling the truth, noting this could be a case of possession. Cain says it could also be someone using a disguise to pose as El Capitan. Mellia does notice some flecks of blood that El Capitan missed when cleaning his fur. Cain and Mellia debate turning El Capitan in to the authorities, but the accused says he’ll get no mercy from them and will receive only a sham trial.

Just then, Ralkin ambles up, ready to begin his translation task for Mellia. The others fill him in. They give El Capitan a choice: get turned in now or stay in their custody for a time as they wait to see if anything else happens that will clear his name. He chooses the latter option and they move him to the mansion under cover of invisibility.  El Capitan is put in the custody of the mephits who are given instructions to guard him and warn the others if he tries to escape but to block his leaving (though not to harm him).  While Mellia steps out to speak with Ralkin, he hands her a rough Ignan translation guide.  Back in the mephits’ room, El Capitan offers Cain his congratulations. The mephits are curious about what Cain is being congratulated on, but Cain says he will reveal it to them as a reward if they achieve something noteworthy. 

Unbeknownst to anyone, however, not one but two new sparks have flickered to life within Mellia, promising even more complications than the adventurers could anticipate.