RealmsToowoomba Recap # 95 [RPG]

[9 Eleasis 1372 continued]

On their way down the stairs in her conjured mansion, Mellia stops to ask Cain whether he believes the Consul of Thay would be able to carry out the threats he made to cause trouble for Cain in the Church if the Archon fails to deliver the head of the Ambassador’s attacker. Cain says that he does not know, but regardless, he has a poor track record with the church and cannot take the risk of further issues. Still attempting to return to her husband’s good graces after removing the bonds of his quest without his permission, Mellia asks when Cain would like her to seek that second opinion regarding her potential illness. He suggests that they will do so while the others prepare for the days’ excursion.

In the Font of Knowledge, Londo and Ralkin continue to speak after the latter receives healing from the former. Londo asks whether Ralkin is aware that Markus was under an enchantment when forced to attack him. Ralkin shrugs and says that he expected Markus to do something like that anyway.  After Londo leaves, Ralkin considers stealing some books from the storeroom but decides against it.  Both Londo and Ralkin find themselves waiting outside the Font for their allies to arrive.

Markus, who has been slinking away from the Font of Knowledge to avoid trouble with the Watch, is trailed by both Daarion (overhead) and El Capitan (behind). When Mellia and Cain emerge from the mansion, they quickly spot Markus and can immediately see that he is acting guilty. Mellia sternly says “What did you do?” Markus protests that he can’t really remember any of it. When El Capitan arrives and mentions the attack on Ralkin, the situation quickly becomes clear.  Mellia tells Markus that she needs to talk to him and suggests he hide out for a time in the mansion, provided he leaves his pack (an extra-dimensional object) outside. El Capitan agrees to hold onto it for him and the Sembian darts through the portal. Before returning to the mansion herself, Mellia talks to El Capitan and attempts to recruit him for the adventure to destroy the Thayan Ambassador’s would-be assassins. She asks after his evening with Janakath and they briefly compare notes on the others romantic works. She makes a special point of telling El Capitan that she does not consider him to be a mere appendage to Markus. After brief consideration, El Capitan agrees to join the venture. Mellia also asks him about the two newcomers (Londo and Daarion) and El Capitan notes that the former seems like an okay fellow, though the latter appears fairly humorless. Just then, a Watch patrol happens by and asks the adventurers if they have seen anything suspicious.  They deceive the patrol and it moves on. 

Nearby, another patrol has reached the Font of Knowledge and is in search of witnesses to the morning’s reported altercation. Londo steps forward and explains the details of what happened, to the best of his ability, naming Markus and Ralkin to the Watch, but making it clear that in his capacity as a Cleric of Oghma, he determined Markus to be under an enchantment that has now been lifted. The patrol are grateful to Londo for his assistance.

As they head back to the mansion, Mellia pauses to ask Cain whether he would like her to do the talking to recruit their friends and allies to their cause and he tells her to continue. She also suggests that he be nice to Markus, since the swordsman loaned her a significant sum of money to purchase the scroll that she used to free Cain. Realizing that this is still an extremely sensitive topic, she then precedes her husband into the mansion, where they find Markus cursing kenku while cleaning Ralkin’s blood off his blade. Mellia tells Markus that he owes the kenku an apology, but Markus refuses, even when Mellia points out that this is the second time that someone has used Markus to attempt to murder Ralkin (the first being the man dubbed “Mighty Warrior” who turned out to be an assassin composed of insect swarms). Markus does eventually compromise enough to note that although he profoundly dislikes Ralkin, he would not try to murder him like that (though he would make no such exception for Shiro). Mellia changes the subject and, after thanking Markus for his assistance and loan the evening before, explains the challenge that faces the group that day. Markus, who is eager for glory and a chance to avoid the Watch, quickly agrees to participate. They briefly discuss whether or not to bring Urist along, but Markus fears that she would be unable to control the cursed blade and, if too successful, could cause herself to be killed by absorbing too much strength. The trio agree that Markus will remain inside the mansion and out of sight for now. The swordsman appears a bit depressed with having to hide himself away, so Mellia attempts to cheer him up by noting that he always comes through for his friends. When she and Cain head back outside, she darts back to give her friend a hug, still grateful for all of his help.

Once outside, El Capitan walks along with Cain and Mellia towards the Font of Knowledge. Learning that Markus has agreed to come along and that Mellia and Cain intend to recruit Ralkin as well, El Capitan notes that this could cause the tensions in the group to come to a head.  Mellia firmly states that any inter-party conflict is something that needs to be gotten over, as the group has too much that they need to accomplish together.  The group meets up with Ralkin in front of the library and the kenku perceives the awkwardness and tension between Cain and Mellia, though he doesn’t get answers from either of them when he asks what Mellia has done to upset Cain so severely. When the terms of the day’s planned activities are described to him, along with the fact that there may be traps to disarm, he agrees to put his spell research on hold until later in the day. In return though, Ralkin asks for a small favour. He has not seen his sister in a couple of days and (unaware of her death in the sewers beneath the city) is curious about her whereabouts. Mellia quickly obliges by casting a sending to the fallen adventurer, but  of course receives no reply. Mellia suggests that perhaps Cain could scry on Shiro’s location later in the day.

The final stage in the day’s recruitment process involves Mellia and Cain talking to Londo and Daarion. Mellia asks the Cleric of Oghma if his chronicling efforts include traveling or even participating in their adventures. Londo explains that he has been commanded to observe the adventurers by his deity and is happy to accompany them.  Mellia and Daarion explain to him the meaning of wild and dead magic zones and he notes that this may hamper his usefulness during the encounter, but that his trusted companion is quite skilled in the martial arts. Londo then asks if Mellia would like to cast the spells she mentioned the day before to test the truth of his claims. As Mellia turns to ask Cain to cast his prepared spell to detect lies, she hears Daarion mention that ‘the female’ seems out of sorts, perhaps due to too much drinking the night before. Insulted, she castigates him for not referring to her by name (and notes that she does not drink). As she fetches her husband, Daarion remarks that he finds humans fascinating.

Cain goes through the motions of casting a spell to discern lies, but it quickly becomes apparent that nothing has happened. Londo suggests that it appears that Cain has fallen out of favour with his deity. Cain, becoming even more visibly angry and withdrawn, swiftly stalks away in the direction of the mansion. Mellia turns pale and appears stricken, noting out loud that this is her fault, not her husband’s, and she was afraid that this would happen. When Ralkin suggests that she go after Cain, she demurs, noting that he may need some time. When Ralkin asks her to explain what happened, she privately tells him about using the spell of limited wish to remove Cain’s magickal bond to destroy Nesme. Ralkin notes that it may be difficult for Cain to regain his powers. Mellia decides to give Cain some time alone and decides to seek out a midwife for the second opinion she promised to get. She tells Londo and Daarion to meet the others back at the Font of Knowledge in two hours and walks off with El Capitan and Ralkin in tow, after finding a scholar to direct her towards a midwife with an excellent reputation.

On their way to the midwife, Mellia, El Capitan and Ralkin turn a corner and find themselves on a strangely deserted street with a pungent, unpleasant odour filling the air. A tentacle emerges from a sewer grate and creeps towards them. Suddenly though, a mouth opens on the tentacle and, rather than menacing the adventurers, offers them an opportunity. An agitated Mellia quickly refuses and darts back the way she came, with Ralkin close at her heels. El Capitan though, is intrigued. He talks to the creature and is offered the chance to join a revolutionary new business. The product is a special hair care cream and if the cat-man can only convince three of his friends to sell this product, and they in turn can convince three more friends, in time the results will be staggering and everyone involved will become fabulously wealthy! El Capitan accepts a small sample in a clay jug and promises to think the offer over before rejoining the others. When they reach the midwife’s abode, Mellia finds that unfortunately, the woman is much in demand and too busy to see her until the following week. She makes an appointment and arranges to be notified of an opening through messages left at the Font of Knowledge. She then reluctantly agrees with Ralkin that the day is wearing on and they have much to do. She begins to head towards the mansion. Along the way, Ralkin suggest that if limited wish was used to remove the oath and get Cain into trouble, perhaps she could use the same spell to duplicate the effects of magic that could restore him to Kossuth’s goodwill. Mellia is unsure that Cain would want her to do this, noting that he may feel she has ‘helped him’ more than enough.

Meanwhile, Cain has returned to the mansion in a silent fury. He ignores Markus when he enters, despite the swordsman’s attempt to provoke a response from him. He heads upstairs and lights an enormous bonfire and sits as close as he dares, quickly realizing that he lacks the resistance to fire and smoke that his faith had previously provided him. When Mellia enters the mansion some time later, she finds Markus downstairs. She initially asks him to go outside, but hesitates, remembering that Ralkin is waiting just outside the portal. Instead she asks Markus to wait and slowly beings to climb the stairs, starting to cough on the smoke as she does so. Pausing some distance from the room where Cain sits in meditation, she contacts her husband with a magicalmessage, noting “I don’t suppose you particularly want to talk to me?” She continues to cough on the smoke and seconds later, Cain emerges from the room and takes her hand, pulling her back down the stairs. She tells him she got an appointment with the midwife, but will have to wait until next week. Cain tells her he has no issues with that timetable. She also apologizes for the results of her impulsive decision to break his magickal oath, but Cain tells her now is not the time to talk about that. They pause to collect Markus and head outside.

As Londo and Daarion wait for the others, they talk about the plans for the day. Daarion notes that he is happy to fight and aid these new people, but he is not willing to give up his life for them. Londo promises to do all he can to make sure that Daarion receives any healing that he needs. When they are joined by the rest of the group, Londo tells Markus he has cleared up the issue with the guards, something the swordsman is very pleased about.   Mellia, knowing she is already in trouble with her spouse, decides to plunge ahead with something else that may raise his ire. She pleads, in a babbling, run-on manner, for him to accept healing from Londo, noting all of them need to be at full strength to defeat this barbarian chief and his lieutenants, and that she and the twins need Cain to come out of this mission alive. Cain is not pleased, but eventually accepts Londo’s aid, as does Mellia. While this happens, Markus notes that El Capitan’s fur is even more silky smooth than usual and enviously enquires after his friend’s grooming routine. El Capitan explains about the new product he’s been using and relates the amusing tale of where he obtained it.

Next, tactics are discussed, including which spells might be of use to cast prior to entering the region where magic is unreliable. Londo offers to conjure a feast that will strengthen the party, cure disease and bolster them against attacks that would cause fear. This task would take roughly an hour. However, when Cain and Mellia discuss it, they realize it could have the same risks for their unborn children that Cain’s own spells could have caused and the decision is made to move out immediately. After Mellia provides Londo with details on their destination, they teleport to a popular campsite along the road northwest of Waterdeep. The day is very windy and the group begins the five-hour track eastward into the foothills of the Sword Mountains in search of Hagar Hlutwigsson’s hiding place.

In the middle of the afternoon, the group see a small wooden hut at the top of a nearby hill. Londo conjures a small golden halo above his head as an indicator of when the group has entered a dead magic zone, but the spell unleashes the chaos of the damaged Weave and gives the priest’s formerly deep and sonorous voice a ridiculous, squeaky tone. Markus and El Capitan roll on the ground in laughter, and even the dour Daarion manages a small chuckle.  After the levity, Mellia suggests that Daarion fly Ralkin up to the hut so the kenku can check for traps in as stealthy a manner as possible. Once there, the kenku carefully searches the area and has no difficulty concluding that the door has been trapped with a poisoned needle.  He has Daarion beckon the others forward and they approach with varying speeds. Cain takes pains to make sure that his armoured body remains in front of his pregnant wife at all times. For his part, Londo remains at the back of the group as he too is in great danger in an area where spellcasting is not reliable.

Ralkin theorizes that in an area of wild magic, it may be unsafe to retrieve his usual tools from their resting place in his bag of holding. El Capitan offers him the clay jug that had held the hair care sample and Ralkin uses it to disable the trap on the door. Then, when they realize that the door is also locked, the clever kenku uses one of Mellia’s crossbow bolts to pick it.  Daarion, who is immune to most poisons, opens the door. Inside, they find that the hut is empty, save for a metal trap door on the floor. Ralkin quickly discerns that this too is a trap, as attempting to pull it open will cause the door of the hut to slam shut and the entire building to collapse in on itself. He comes outside and ponders the safest way to proceed. Mellia worries that if the trap goes off, it may be loud enough to alert any watchers. Markus is impatient and demands that Ralkin just disable the trap with no more talking, but the swordsman’s outburst is countered by Mellia, who argues on Ralkin’s behalf. Eventually, at Ralkin’s direction, Markus and Daarion are able to pry a panel off of the wall from the outside to expose a series of gears. Unfortunately, in doing so, the trap begins to operate. Thankfully though, the quick-thinking kenku is able to jam the gears before the hut collapses. Once the trap is disabled, Ralkin explores the trap door more carefully and finds it is a ruse, as there is nothing underneath besides the trap mechanism.  Outside, the others mill about and Mellia continues to suffer from her morning sickness.

Eventually, Daarion flies up to scout the area and sees a larger building hidden amidst a sparse forest approximately 300 feet to the east. Just as the adventurers form up and begin to head in that direction, arrows begin raining from the treeline.  Markus, who had taken point, is grazed by three of them.  Still, the brave Sembian charges ahead with El Capitan close on his heels. Daarion also flies speedily in that direction and his celestial vision enables him to spot several barbarians just inside the treeline armed with longbows and axes.  When Daarion lands and swings at one with his heavy mace, all of them follow a previously-determined plan and bolt for the lodge.

Cain, Mellia and Londo advance slowly and cautiously towards where the battle is now taking place hundreds of feet away.  Ralkin continues retrieving useful parts from the trap but eventually catches up to the others and draws his enormous bow.

Markus, El Capitan and Daarion have regrouped and prepare to take the battle to the barbarians. They realize that they’ve entered a dead magic zone where their magical protections and weapons no longer function.  What’s worse, their foes have found relative safety in the lodge and begin shooting arrows from narrow slits in the walls. Still, the adventurers remain undaunted and close in.  As they do, Daarion hears a shrill whistle and realizes that an eleven-foot tall hill giant has been summoned from the woods and is now advancing on them!

As the slower adventurers continue their snail’s pace advance, Ralkin suddenly charges ahead and makes his way to the tree line where he has line of sight on the enemy. He sets himself and begins firing arrows. Though he is unable to pierce the hide of the hill giant, he manages feats of amazing precision and twice strikes one of the barbarians inside the lodge through an arrow slit! By combining their efforts, Daarion, Markus and El Capitan (who takes to the roof and treetops as needed), manage to wear down the hill giant until it collapses with a powerful smash from Daarion’s mace. Though victorious, Markus is badly hurt from blows suffered at the hands of the giant’s tree-trunk sized club.  The adventurers continue to circle the lodge looking for the obviously-hidden entrance while avoiding arrows fired from within. El Capitan explores the rooftop carefully and locates a hidden hatch.  He opens it and finds a rope ladder below, but before he can climb down, he’s spotted by a sentry and the barbarians drop their bows, grab their axes, and cluster around the bottom of the ladder.  Undeterred, El Capitan boldly drops down, lashes out with his rapier, and bolts back up the ladder in one fluid motion!  Still, some of the barbarians were fast enough to wound the swashbuckling cat-man.

When the defenders close wooden shutters to block off the arrow slits, Ralkin finds himself without a visible target. He circles the lodge to the north and readies himself to attack if an opportunity presents itself. Inside though, the situation is changing. Hagar Hlugwigsson has tired of hiding and gives in to his growing rage.  He charges out of the lodge with his surviving lieutenants, intending to kill anyone they see! Hagar and his barbarian tribe emerge outside just as Cain, Mellia and Londo reach the treeline. Seeing this, they quickly begin to retreat back to an area where their spells may at least be possible, if not reliable.

Ralkin, who had not expected the enemy to charge outside so swiftly, is attacked and wounded. He flees to the woods and is briefly followed but manages to escape.  He decides to keep running all the way back to the hut. Daarion slows the barbarians’ charge, but Hagar’s mighty attacks soon leave him gravely wounded. The celestial flees to Londo’s side and once again, the Cleric of Oghma bravely risks the unpredictability of wild magic to heal his friend. It works and Daarion is restored to full health to fly back towards the lodge.

The battle continues, and at one point Markus stands to one side of the hut facing down several of the barbarians while El Capitan is on the other side, on top of the roof. In his rage, Hagar climbs the building with ease and strikes out at the cat-man, and El Capitan flees to Markus side. Hagar follows and leaps down at Markus with a downward slash of his axe that cuts into the already greatly wounded swordsman with ease. Markus falls, and Hagar roars with battle lust, summoning his men to his side. One of them steps forward and raises his axe. Seeing the blow about to fall but unable to stop it, Markus cries out his last words “I’m too pretty to die!” before his head is lopped clean off.

From a distance away, Mellia hears his cry and her heart sinks as she realizes her friend has fallen. She asks her husband what he means to do and Cain says they must finish this. She is uncertain they can claim victory with no magic to aid them. For now, they observe and slowly retreat.

El Capitan, having witnessed Markus’ death, is caught at the edge of the woods by the bloodthirsty barbarians and also cut down, his life’s blood slowly seeping away. With the spell-casters seeking safer ground, only one possible salvation remains for the dying El Capitan: Daarion.  But it won’t be easy: surrounding the fallen cat-man are three bloody barbarians and their barely-wounded chief, Hagar Hlutwigsson.