Jack nods, understanding. That's just how the world works, some day you're just randomly thrust into sentience without even getting a say in the matter. "Don't forget to swallow at some point, that's the best part."
He watches the chickens work, "These your helpers?" Glance at the armour Bruce had just been working on, "...your army?" He's not seen a chicken army before, but he's seen many weird things this trip already. "It's a shame Mister Fusspot isn't here, I bet he would look adorable in armour."
Bruce's eyebrow goes up, suddenly very interested, and he halts his work for a second to gaze off into space holding his hammer (the demon seems to have reacted to Jack's talk of something "looking adorable in armour". Jack also notices the Hezrou had the same strong, almost overpowering scent of flowers that Evvdia had- he probably smells pretty bad, up close)
"Yeah, he's a..." Short pause, he was told it once. "A micro griffon! The cutest little thing, has a vicious beak and flies around like a demon. Sorry." He goes into a very detailed description of the little critter, like a mother fawning over their child, complete with using the helmet to demonstrate the size.
Bruce takes out a pick and chisel...next to similar carvings into the wall of abysmal chicken armor, Bruce the Smith begins to scrape out plans for Griffon Armor, listening carefully to Jack's specifications as Grey Man attempts painstakingly to translate...
[Should you both choose to make Mister Fusspot Orichalum Armor, it will reduce your ore count by half (enough left to make, say, a Longsword, or a pair of bracers). The armor, when worn by Mister Fusspot, would theoretically increase his battle capability, AC, and magic resistance: while at the same time, reducing his top speed, and dodge capability]
Evvdia shrugs matter-of-factly at Urixes’s silence. “Thought as much. Well…I figure, better for you to learn this from me, before anyone else…I’m sure you’ve heard much of it before, but you should both have some idea of what you’re getting yourselves into…”
[DEEP LORE DROP]
Evvdia holds the handle of the door like she’s ready to show you the secret, horrifying sideroom just off her bedroom. With a historian’s diction, she begins to tell you a bit of the history of Sess’innek and the Twilight Expanse:
“Sess’innek has already pissed off most of demonkind, by refusing to participate in the “Blood Wars”…And then he fled to this plane, and hid himself in the center of what would eventually become the Twilight Expanse. Granted, it was still dangerous, even back then: foul monsters, dire waters, and haunted lands. But after he got here…Sess’innek found a REAL treasure, which he claimed for himself: the Dream Skull.”
“With that Ancient Magic, he made the Twilight Expanse a place of everlasting, *constant* violence and torture: wanton suffering, with no escape. He kept even the souls trapped here, the undead strapped to the land to relieve their nightmares forever. This place became his Kingdom, with him sitting at the very center like a spider: accruing untold wealth, and vast influence, even across the other planes…”
“Finally…the Gods had enough of the presumptuous little upstart. A collection of the Gods…a fragile accord of Deities who wouldn’t normally be caught *dead* in the same *realm* as each other…, banded together, and each took a Champion, to engage in a ritual…*not* to defeat Seess’innek (there were more pressing concerns at the time), but to bind him in place…lock him and the Dream Skull away into his own little sealed bubble, so he could not expand and grow in power…”
“There were six Gods…six Champions…and six Legendary Items that they wielded together, to bind the demon Sess’innek and his ominous treasure, and seal him inside his own realm. Maybe you saw the Carving into the South Claw, in the Dark Glen?...No…? No matter…take a look, the next time you go past…”
“Their plan *worked*…Seess’innek became sealed in. The Twilight Expanse, his former seat of power, became his prison. But something else happened, something which Sess’innekk had foreseen through foul whipsers: the Spellplague ripped through the realms, and caused Wild Magic to run rampant. Sess’innek used this opportunity to bend his binding: so rather than a simple sealed prison, the Twilight Expanse become a churning, swirling puzzle box: a fractured sea of danger and fraught portals, closed off in it’s own small reality, unable to be breached…”
“It was the rogue wildgod Malar who warned Sess’innek of his incoming imprisonment, in order to spite his former master Silvanus, [Silvanus was the Sylvan God who spoke briefly and arrogantly to Urixes through STRIKE, in the Buried Temple], and together, Malar and Sess’innek concocted a plan. It was too late to escape being sealed in, but together with Malar, and his knowledge of the forthcoming Spellplague, Sess’innek found a way to twist the binding…to turn his own misfortune back on his aflictor’s, and seal them in with him in *horrifying* fashion…”
“All of the God’s six champions became cursed in some way…changed horribly, and *bound* to the Expanse. Fair William was one of them, brought by Ilmater to this place, wielding a Red Skulled Sword stolen and sanctified from Sess’innek himself. Another champion…was you, Urixes. You came here as a representative of the “Thing That Lurks”, bearing brilliantly carved magical bracers, and a devil’s care for the mortals which you destroyed…”
“…but I go on. *giggle* I always have! So I suppose, unless you all have any more questions…,” the Lilitu grins expectantly, ”who’s ready to meet Fair William?”
Oak is a little unnerved by the shifting Grey Man as it bounces from Bear to Arno. At this point, he would have expected to be a little more numb to the strangeness of this situation but that was still enough to throw him.
But, not as much as the sights he saw when they entered the furnace. Maybe surprise wasn't the word, but wonder at the work being done and more at the person working. Jack, of course, seemed to get comfortable right away, breaking into a conversation about his little companion.
Thankfully, it gave Oak a little time to think, trying to determine what he might be able to use the ore for. As he spent a moment thinking do their journey to this point, however, a singular picture kept reoccurring. He would slam his sword into something, over and over. In all those moments, he was only thinking that he wished the sword was hitting harder.
He set down the sword he had bargained with the Demoness for, and then dug into his pack for the Orichalum ore to put that on the table as well. "We need this sword reforged, but if yer willing, I do have something this ore could be used fer. An axe. Biggun'."
OOC:I'm suuuuper tempted to make mini-griffin armor but all Oak does is hit stuff with his sword and it really needs to start hurting more if he's going to keep contributing to the group. So, a great axe makes more sense here.
"A champion..." Urixes trails off, deep in thought. The whole story was at once fantastical and familiar. Eventually he shakes his head, clearing the clouds of memory for the time being. "Ready or not, let's do what we came here to do. Thought I doubt Fair William will be pleased to see me. No one else has so far."
But what about you and this place? What do you and here have to do with the island needing blood? Your the sudden, charismatic plot point that everyone always wants to learn the background of. Like that one story that had the green guy that talked funny, what was his name? Yogurt, I think? Ugh, yogurt, feels like that manticore might be...
Evvdia smiles with sharp teeth down at Bear*Arno. (The Demoness was able to discern the bear’s thoughts.) “Arno, you *are* the inquisitive one! A predator after my own heart!”
“So, Sess’innek’s use of Wild Magic to alter his binding inside the Twilight Expanse caused it to be torn between realms.. The Twilight Expanse ripped holes between places in the universe…and as it did so, it cast a dark reflection of itself across the planes…”
“Here in the Far Realm, Villam is…was… a giant celestial whale, who had become lost and among the maddening churl of this place, and was dying... You see, they are the same: reflections of each other, through a fractured mirror. Just as the Whale fell to madness here, the people of Villam fell to disease, hunger…the erosion of the island itself…”
OOC:
Places in the Twilight Expanse are doorways to, and strangely reflected in, other parts of the larger universe. Think Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past and it’s Dark World; or Silent Hill, with the Foggy Universe vs. the Dark World; Or Stephen King’s Dark Tower and the Rose
“As to the rest of your question…well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words!...” Evvida pulls up the hatch, and leads the two of you into the next room…
You stand inside a red metal sphere. At the very center of the room, a man hangs suspended, strange cables and wires driven into him. No…not a man…those eyes, the pallor of the skin…the desiccated creature, his body hung from and the beating heart of the ship, is without doubt a Vampire. He doesn’t notice you as you enter the room…he doesn’t seem to notice anything. The undead creature hangs in the strange contraption almost comatose, only occasionally twitching.
“Fair William’s *last wish* was to live long enough to see Villam restored. He was a *nut* for those lizard people, lemme tell you. So, Sess’innek and Malar granted him his wish….but with a foul twist. You mortals have a phrase, about a Monkey’s Paw? Just like that.”
“The binding twists with Wild Magic, the ground beneath his feet becomes sentient, and hungry…Fair William is dragged down into a foul mouth in your world, and wakes up here in the Far Realm, trapped in the belly of a whale. The whale has his first meal in weeks. The thing in his stomach is unable to die.”
“Shortly later, I was approached with a plan. Now, *I* knew the way to the Far Realms…but it was your friend Mr. Urixes here who contrived the basic idea. The Whale would continue to feed on the vampire, feeble but still alive, per the curse. But why not take advantage of the situation? Why not feed it, and create a magnificent vessel to sustain the planes at the same time?”
“So Urixes and I…some others…came here. We found the Whale. We found and bound the vampire inside its belly. Then…we created the ship around it, and began to feed the island all the blood we could. A blood magic ritual joined the two creature’s essences together. The blood feeds the island…is fed into the body of the whale…and then we channel it through Fair William here. Oh sure, the ship doesn’t go very fast…but it’s very fuel efficient, and one of the only safe ways across the Far Realms. Usually, just *being* in this place would drive a person crazy…but Villam and Fair William absorb most of the worst of it. It’s really a genius bit of a system: your friend can be quite clever, when he puts his mind to it…”
“….I appreciate you calling me charismatic, Arno. That’s very kind of you. Please let me know if you have any further questions!” The demoness grins, eyes manic and wide at the Bear.
She turns to Urixes. “…you’re probably wondering why I’m just telling you both all this so openly. Well, Urixes…last time we were together, and you said you’d changed. I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think it was possible. But it made me think. It made me think for a long time. And I suppose…maybe I was jealous of you? I’ve been here, doing the same thing, century in and century out…maybe I was afraid of change. I’ve thought on that, these long years we’ve been apart. Almost endlessly”
“So, I’m finally moving on. I’ll be departing this place…I’ve already dropped off most of the crew, only a handful of demons and fiends left to bring to their homes…then, *I* will be going as well. To find a new place, maybe settle down…”
[Urixes and Arno, please make a Perception (DC 16) or Religion (DC 13) Check to pick up on something odd…]
She keeps talking about moving on, Change, leaving. You believe she is leaving this place, but it isn’t just to retire quietly: she is about to ascend as a Demon. Whether this is through her own power, or a higher Fiend master, you don’t know, but the thought sends a shiver up your spine
“And I thought I’d give you the opportunity to do so as well, Urixes. Fair William stands (well, swings) before you. He powers this place…but, should he no longer, the ship will still last long enough to get us where we need to go. Should he finally die, the island of Villam in your world will be no more (the whale still lives for now, but it *giggles* almost certainly shouldn’t!) You could kill him, finish him for good, with the Red Skull Sword. Would that provide you closure? For one of the many awful things you did?”
“But then, maybe you’re not interested in this old time…if you’d prefer, you can simply leave him, and I’m sure I’ll find a…further use for him. I simply though I’d present you one last “gift”, for the joy and pleasure of meeting your friends!” Evvida leans over and pats Bear*Arno like a faithful puppy (god, that smell is *awful*…)
[Evvdia walks to leave the room, and leave Urixes and Arno alone with the enslaved, blood-battery vampire. Oak and Jack will be joining you with the Red Skull Sword shortly. Urixes, what do you plan to do here? Arno, what advice do you counsel Urixes with?]
Bruce works for what seems like a good long while, the chickens running around his ankles. The Red Skull blade is soon reforged into it’s original saber form: Bruce pulls the blade from the hot bath, and drops it into immediately *sizzling* hot water…
[You may unlock special properties from the Red Skull Sword, once a special condition has been met, and you attune to the weapon!]
The Axe takes him far longer. The Demon again begins to chisel out a plan on the wall: he stops at several points to scratch his chin and reassess. He eventually gets to work, letting you watch as he does so. Once he begins the crafting process, the Hezrou barely notices any of you there.
He eventually produces a work of sheer beauty. The thing is left to cool for awhile, as Oak and Jack look over the newly formed GreatAxe…
”Pulsing”Great Axe-
Great Axe/ Priceless/ 1d12+1 slashing damage/ 9 lbs./Heavy, Two-Handed
[You may unlock special properties from the “Pulsing” Great Axe, once a special condition has been met, and you attune to the weapon!]
Arno*Grey Man attempts to whistle in admiration, but just manages to spit some leftover jerky out. “F-f-f-ine work, Bruce! This one seems to…drink blood (here he indicates the red skull sword), while ….t-t-this one looks like it c-r-r-raps lighting! Or they will, once you learn how to use them…
Grey Man turns and grins at you both in your friend’s familiar form. Then, he shifts his face back to that of Urixes. “Believe that’s all then! I’ll walk you back to see this guy when you’re ready!”
[Oak and Jack, let me know when you’re ready to head back with the sword and the great axe. You will arrive in the Heart of the Ship when you are ready. However, before you get there, at some point along the way the Grey Man will lean in and ask something of you both:
”(desperately) Take me with you. Please, take me with you!”
Evvdia is providing you with everything you need, but for *ALL* the wrong reasons:
She’s leaving this place because it’s no longer useful to her…you’re taking out trash and disposing of evidence for her right now, in her eyes.
She’s given you Fair William as yet another token of revenge: Urixes in most of his former lives had *hated* Fair William, but this last time he had felt remorse on behalf of the poor soul…this is Evvdia’s way of making Urixes’s *CHOKE* on his talk of “change” (one way or another, she believes)…
Overall, Urixes can tell that she’s provided you with information and a hand up right now because someone…likely the Higher Demon who has offered to ascend her…has instructed her to. She’s just ingratiating herself, hoping assistance now will be worth it when your group moved into a key position to manipulate events
And despite all her talk, she *doesn’t* seem done with you. The hate is still there in her eyes. The conciliatory nature is yet another act, manipulating on behalf of some Dark God
Oak watches silently as the Demon works, caught up in the intricacies of the crafting process the same as the Demon who was actually making it.
When it was finished, he barely heard the Grey man and he walked forward. He wrapped his hands around the handle and lifted, awkwardly for a moment as he adjusted to the difference in weight from his long sword. But a few moments of holding it made it feel more natural, and a few swipes left and right gave him a feeling for it. "This is very well crafted." He looks up at the Demon, "You have my thanks Bruce."
He looks to Jack, "Grab the sword Jack, and let's head back."
Arno returns to humanoid shape, wanting to be sure the message is received.
"Urixes, I know you have a past. But all I've seen is a person who protects others and supports their friends. Whatever you suggest, I've got your back. You are trusted and supported."
Jack watches the demon work with fascination, he's never done more than carved a fresh set of (poorly balanced) dice and he can still appreciate the fast and precise work being done here. He takes the finished sword and swishes it around with a grin, "Oooh, she's a beaut." He holsters it next to his existing sword, might as well add it to the pile for now, "Thanks Bruce, great work!"
His focus seems to waver with the axe, the large weapon taking the smith longer than his attention span can muster and by the time the weapon is finished he's teaching their guide how to gamble (and cheat). "No problem Oak, way ahead of you!" He taps the red sword on his belt and gets up. Time to go!
Unlike his companion he listens to the gray man's plight, furrowing his brow, "Oh, sure, if we can!" After spending an hour with the demoness he cannot blame them for wanting out, he wants out. Think think think, "I don't suppose you can change into something smaller? Maybe fit in a backpack?"
"Or maybe you can just exit with us when we leave, step through as we do? Admittedly, I don't know how we're getting back, I do not want that lady to come after us immediately..." He gives Oak a helpless look.
Oak nods in agreement. "I'm fine with ya coming with us as long as ya behave. But Jack's right, yer gonna need to find a way to hide if yer to get out."
Urixes stares at Fair William, barely acknowledging Evvdia's departure. "Thank you," he finally says to Arno, "I've been so many things over so many years, but 'trusted' is rarely one of them. I know Evvdia is still scheming. She will only become more powerful after she leaves this place. All of this is just more of her infernal machinations - Villam, the sword, Fair William - all of it. Regardless, it is time for change."
He takes a step toward the heart of the ship. "Fair William, I don't know if you can hear me. I'm sorry for how things have gone for you. I want you to know that the lizardfolk are united. We're going to get them out. They're going to see a new life, away from all this misery and bloodshed. They're going to have hope. You held on long enough, and when my friends come back with the sword, I'm going to set you free."
(( When Oak and Jack come back with the sword Urixes will use it to kill Fair William ))
Bruce grumbles something in Infernal which Oak doesn’t understand, but it seems to be neutral, at worst. Touching the well-crafted Great Axe one final time, Bruce gives a *GRUNT* of satisfaction at the quality of his work. Saluting you and Jack with his hammer a final time as you leave, the demon smithy takes a break to sit amongst his abyssal chickens, who immediately flood over him, biting and scratching as the Hezrou collapses with contentment against the red steel wall.
The Grey Man took to gambling like a *CHAMP*. He greatly enjoys the sound and skill of putting the clacking bones where he needed to. When Jack pointed out that the sides have meaning, and explained there was a game involved, the Grey Man becomes ecstatic, and begins to eagerly learn from Jack how to cheat at dice.
Urixes*Grey Man’s face splits into a ear-to-ear grin when Jack asks if he can get smaller. The Grey Man nods effusively, Urixes’s excited and eager face looking wrong for a variety reasons. “I, I can! I can get real small!” Changing as he walks along next to you, the Doppelganger shrinks down quickly. Soon, an eager young Fox runs next to you, his tail swishing. Almost as soon as you notice it, the fox is growing and expanding back into the Grey Man again. “Would that be small enough?! I promise, if you get me out of here, I’ll work hard, I won’t be any extra bother,” The doppelganger’s diction seems to have improved exponentially since he met your group (the stutter is almost gone, even when he gets worked up)”
The Trophy Room is coming up in front of you, and Grey Man whispers the next part. “I don’t even think she would mind, really, if I left…all the others have been leaving…or, she’s been killing them. All the same…well, she doesn’t like your friend Urixes. Just, maybe…best if we don’t tell her?”
You all arrive back inside the Trophy Room. The room is deserted; everyone has left. The stuffed carcasses are almost more haunting in the silence.
Grey Man seems disturbed by everyone’s sudden absence as well. “*That’s strange*. Well, as to how to get back…it’s the same way you came in, you just need to make sure the Portal is activated. There’s a swtich up on the Bridge, and once it gets the signal,” as Grey Man points overhead, you see a sudden red pulse of energy, travelling from the front of ship back towards the portal you came in at. “…oh, looks like someone already gave the signal. Evvdia must be up on the bridge, then?” The Grey Man scratches his head, confused. “I dunno…this place has been getting weird the past few days…”
[JACK and OAK may join ARNO and URIXES inside the next room (Heart of the Ship) when they are ready. The Grey Man is ready to follow your commands if you’re willing to help him escape to a better life]
Fair William doesn’t seem to have heard Urixes for a long while. Then, very slowly, the man’s head raises up to you. Despite all this time, there is still a vestige of his former handsome face that will never age, even though it’s now drained of all the original life and vitality which led to him being called “Fair”. The milky white eyes finally meet yours.
You hated this man, and he you. He thought you were damned, Cursed beyond saving: a Fiend . You thought him a simpering fool, who wished to be a lizard because he hated his human skin. You would’ve happily killed each other, had the binding not forced you to work together. That hate persisted for nearly a millennia. And now…
Upon eye contact, a brief and impossible understanding is reached: these two know each other now, as few else ever could. The past is buried: the hatred is extinguished.
Fair William’s voice catches as he tries to answer you (you can’t be sure if it’s from emotion, or if he hasn’t maybe spoke in years…), he tries *wretchedly* to clear his throat. “Fien..you, y-u-Urixes. Rak’ta…United…New…Life?”, The Vampire eyes are glassy, and his head swims: it looks like he’s having trouble discerning from the reality in front of him.
“Hope?…hope…oh God…OH GODS, URIXES, it’s been so long…” The Undead William begins weep tears of blood in front of you.
You both find yourselves in a giant, cylindrical, red steel room, with a door on the far side (to the East, where Grey Man indicated the Bridge was). The main detail of the room is a Vampire, wrapped in strange chains and wires which, are connected to the body of the ship. Urixes and the Vampire seem to be having a bit of a moment, as Arno stands nearby supportively. Oak remembers the undead from his stupor in the buried ruins (and his quick glance at the Bas'Relief) as what's left of "Fair William"
Jack's smile widens into a grin as the doppelganger shifts in front of him, their size changing dramatically, "Oh, well that's going to be helpful. One second..." He stops on the edge of the smithy and kneels down, digging through his pack and taking out his old armour, putting it on the floor.
"Hope Bruce doesn't mind a bit of extra waste to get rid of. There, that should make enough room for a fox." He picks up his, now substantially lighter, pack back up and slings it over his shoulder, following their guide back.
"Just hop in there when you feel the hag won't find your absense suspect." They return to the trophy room and Jack himself feels pretty relieved their host is not here, at least, not yet. The sooner they leave the better. Though maybe if there's a pie to eat on the way out... no, no more pies here. Sadly.
"Where to, Oak?" He gives the gray man a questioning 'now?' look, nodding to the pack and pulling aside the flap.
Oak points forward, towards the Heart of the ship, and leads Jack and his stowaway that way.
Large axe resting on his shoulder, Oak enters the room and locks eyes on a Vampire, who is suspiciously close to Urixes. Hand gripping tighter on his axe, he advances, stopping at a distance where he could leap if needed, but also attempting to give enough space that if he misread the situation it wouldn't look too awful to the stranger.
"Jack" he says back over his shoulder. "Show them the sword."
"Yes William," Urixes says, a smile coming to his face. He acknowledges Oak and Jack as they come in, and keeps speaking. "I'm breaking things this time. My friends here are helping me. A new path is opening for the Rak'Ta. They're going to take the boats and start fresh. There's finally hope."
Urixes turns to Jack and holds his hand out. "Jack, the sword if you please. William has earned his freedom."
Fair William sees it…and manages to rasp out to Urixes, “Y’know…where she kept it…*before* she used it on you? In a glass case, not five feet from my face, …”
Urixes takes the reformed-Red Skull Saber from Jack’s hand. He places the tip over the Vampire’s heart…
Fair William finds Urixes’s eyes again: he still looks baffled at all this, but strangely thankful. The Vampire nods up at his former Tiefling rival. “...DO IT. Now, before I lose my senses ever again. Please, release me…”
The Tiefling feels a slight twinge of something bittersweet…and then he expertly *STABS* the blade into Fair William’s chest (having learned from watching Oak and Jack’s swordplay). The sword goes in once, and comes out…as it does, the Vampire gives a deep *GASP* from lungs that no longer breathe air.
The Tiefling stands before Fair William, witnessing his last moments as the life flows out of him. For a moment, the constant crash of *MADNESS* from the outside that seems to haunt William seems to ebb away, and he meets your eyes fully. Through his blood tear-stained face, the former light-hearted soul *LAUGHS* once: genuine and pure. Suddenly, the deathly white pallor leaves him, and he becomes himself again for a brief moment, as his ancient unlife finally departs him:
Fair William laughs up at Urixes, from his chains and fleeting life, “Hey….hey! Don’t look at me like that, F-fien-*COUGH-COUGH*,” Fair William is himself again, but on the edge of death as he hangs among the chains: the unlife catching up to him all at once in traumatic fashion, “Sorry, I meant…*my friend*. C’mon, now…I always thought when you finally did it, killed me proper like, you’d enjoy yourself a little more...hehehehe*COUGH-COUGH*. (solemnly, grasping at Urixes’s hands) Thank you. I’m, uhhm, *sorry*, you know, if I ever…” then Fair William’s eyes glass over, and he dies among the chains. (But, he did die mortal, and his spirit can finally depart this place…)
“…well, *SHIT*,” Evvdia stands at the door to the bridge, sloshing her drink over the railing as several (rather dull) Grey Men accompany her. She’s been subtly observing the drama from the other side of the door, and finally shows herself when the act is done. “I guess….well, I guess I thought I’d enjoy that more than I did?” The demoness gives a heavy sigh, and then stumbles back towards the door leading to the bridge. The manticore blood stains her face and clothing. “Well, that’s the end of *this* place….So, *URP* you can go now, I guess? I’ll need a minute to turn the portal back on…someone’s been (*SLURP SLURP*), messing with it again. I’ve gotta say, I did enjoy our reunion! I mean, the party with your friends: you, Urixes, are very unpleasant…and you can go absolutely….(Evvdia says something RUDE to Urixes…rude even for Fiends…)”
Evvida goes to make her way back through the door to the Bridge, the two Grey Men flanking her on either side watching you all warily. “I’m bored of this. This is so boring now. SO…..unless there’s anything else?” That awful smile, and those teeth…”Let’s do it again sometime, yes??”
[The Wild Bunch may depart this place, without further incident and go through the portal back at the other end of the ship, where they will arrive back at the top of the Dark Glen Lake, when you are all ready. Take your time if you wish. Grey Man #73, in his Fox form inside Jack’s backpack, will be joining you, per Oak and Jack…he doesn’t seem to arouse Evvdia’s suspicion at the moment (the Manticore Blood or her sheer Fury might be having something to do with that…).
You will come back to the Glen in the dark of night, the mist clearing and the temperature cozy. You will find a severed Chameleon head next to his body, and those able to smell it will pick up the heavy tracks of Worg and Goblin from 6 hours ago. Fusspot is nearby in the Trees, but scared from his experience.
Please take a long rest and catch up before unlocking the way to the Armada in the morning (you've all earned it! 8-) Tommorow, you will complete your quest on the island of Villam, and find yourself back aboard ship! ]
Oak stands still for a moment after Evvida leaves them. Just her presence sours the mood, but as she walks away, the darkening seems to follow her. Finally, after a moment of silence with just the four of them, the Shifter speaks up. "You did a good thing Urixes." Oak walks towards the Tiefling and puts his hand on his shoulder. "I don't know who you were before, but I know the man stands fore me now. And I'm proud of ya."
OOC Just didn't feel right scene shifting without someone acknowledging what just happened.
OOC:Feel free to break up the plot as you like headed back: from this haunted room, through the ship, and eventually back to the Glen to set up camp! You can also engage Evvdia or Grey Man on the way if you'd like.There was a situation today at home, and concern I might not be able to get back to the game for a while, so I wanted to leave you guys with room to breathe while I had time, just in case (not trying to rush!)
"Thank you," Urixes says, tears washing away some of the grime on his face. "I've been a lot of people before. Most of them were selfish bastards that would do anything for treasure, glory ... for power. But this time is different. I have hope this time," he turns and places his own hand on Oak's shoulder, "and good friends to share it with."
Handing the sword back to Jack, he sighs and turns for the exit. "What do you say we get the Hells out of here and get back to our adventure? I think there's a griffin out there that's forgetting the taste of fingers."
(( Take your time @mrpaku, that was a big arc to wrangle and you earned a break too! ))
Jack had missed some of the context for the scene and isn't really sure what's happening with the rather unhealthy looking man, until the sword tip is placed at his chest. His face goes through a rapid transition of cheery-confused-unsure-horrified before turning around quickly at the push, struggling to keep all of those pies down.
Stabbing someone in the middle of combat is one thing, pushing a blade into a willing target... he shudders, trying to ignore the goings on until the sword is pushed back into his hand. He finds a stray piece of cloth and gingerly wipes the sword clean before putting it back in its scabbard.
"Can we go now? I don't want to stay on this ship any longer." There's an undertone of pleading to the tone. He cheers up somewhat when Urixes brings up Mister Fusspot, "Oh, he must be worried sick for us he must!" and follows him to the exit eagerly.
As they leave the Heart of the Ship and head back for the portal, Oak waits a moment for the other three to walk out of the Trophy. He looks around in the silence at a place that he could only describe as uncomfortable, but that now felt hollow as well. Still, there was a small sliver of fire that was lit inside of him, anger from the way that Evvida had been treating them all, but that he had attempted to smother as much as possible to prevent them from having issues. But as he stood here silently now, their "hostess" gone, the rest of the group headed for the exit, Oak couldn't help but be a little vindictive.
A new toy on his shoulder, the shifter allowed a small grin to cross his face, then in a single motion, he swept the axe downward with two hands, slicing through one of the stuffed carcasses, it's top half collapsing to the floor. A small grunt of a laugh escapes his lips, before he says to no one, "I hate this place.", before catching up with the rest of the group as they escape.
Your group walks the echoing hallways of the Ship, eager to depart this foul place together. After a long walk over bone and steel you come to the familiar window and dais. Giving one last look to the strange churl of the Far Realms out the window, the Wild Bunch ascends the dais, and the lamp over your head begins to glow a growing red in your eyes…
After a strange *wrenching* sensation, and a sudden disembodiment, you find yourselves at the bottom of the lake in the Dark Glen. You swim up and out. As you emerge, you see that the mist has cleared (you can finally see properly around this place). Evening is falling upon Villam.
Your ropes are tied to a now empty tree…however, less than five feet away, you can see the body of Pipes the Chameleon. He has been stripped of his boiled leather and gear…and his head has been separated from the rest of him. (Those of you who can smell it suspect Worg Riders were the ones responsible for coming through this place and taking his gear.)
It takes a while for Mister Fusspot to make himself known. Your group searches the area, calling for him together. Finally, the Small Griffon gives a *SQUAWK* from overhead, and flutters down from the trees, finding the nearest lap to crawl into and shudder in. Fusspot’s beak is coated in blood, and he seems shaken, but he's otherwise unharmed. You sense he may be responsible for what happened to Pipes.
Suddenly, to the South, you hear a familiar bell begin to ring out, over open water. The Whispered Curse must be just off the south coast, and very nearby. (were you to walk to the southernmost point of the Glen, through the dense trees to the South, you can just make out familiar masts and sails on far off water…)
The Wild Bunch is tired: it’s been a long week. The Goblins came here, but didn’t stay long...you get the sense that most creatures fear the waters here in the Glen, and stay away from this place. However, your group has found much worse things to fear elsewhere. With a warm sense of camaraderie, the group makes camp, and takes in their last night on the island of Villam…
GM NOTE: The Group can take a Long Rest, and when they are ready, the “lock” hidden among the Bas Relief awaits the “key” of the Red Skull sword
If you examine the BAS RELIEF-
[An Eldritch Evil, comprised of a hundred thrashing tentacles and an eye at the center, bequeath a [Pair of Magical Bracers] to a suspiciously familiar Tiefling, who you now know to be Urixes…]
[A Broken Man, arms clasped and bleeding: the man hands a [Red Skulled Sword] to a Dashing Ranger. You recognize the Broken Man as Ilmater, who you met during the Battle of the Elwood (There is a *Deep Indentation* where the sword should go...)
[An Ethereal Presence hands a [Moon Insignia] to a Man with the head of a Wolf…]
[A Simple Rak’Ta presents a Chameleon Monk with a [Giant’s Belt]…]
[A Fae King (Urixes now recognizes this as the haughty Fae Lord who possessed Strike in front of him, Silvanus) presents a [Leaf-knit Book] to a Drow Druid…]
[A Hulking Mass made of Bone curses a She-Witch with a [Black Candle]
OOC:Thanks for the break guys, needed it these last few days! Preparing the exit from Villam, and then your next section, which will be aboard ship for a good while! This section will feature some changes, including: weekly summaries so people with jobs aren’t getting lost in the plot, making the Whispered Curse a well-known and comfortable “home base”, the hopeful inclusion of Bern as a regular cast member (at least for awhile!), and me cutting back a bit on the exposition (now that Villam gave you guys most of the main plot)
Oak emerges from the water tired, both physically but mentally. The sound of the Bell from the Whispered Curse is almost a blessing. The Shifter missed the ship and the open sea more than he realized until this moment.
Ignoring the corpse of the Chameleon they left, Oak returns to the picture that he had been inspecting earlier, finger tracing the indentation of a sword. He hadn't thought too much of it until they went through the portal, but once he saw the sword, it clicked into place.
Jack's head breaks the water's surface and he pulls himself out, sodden but feeling a -lot- better to be out of that place, "Hey, Mister Fox, you all right back there?" Making sure their tag-along is okay he starts looking for the griffon, running to meet the little beast with an excited yelp of glee, "Mister Fusspooooooooot! Ow."
He's distracted from his mother henning by Oak and he jogs over there, holding the griffon in one hand and pulling out the sword with the other, offering it to the shifter, "There ya go. Hey, Mister Fox, meet Mister Fusspot. Careful, he might still be hungry."
Once Oak places the saber, you all hear the sudden squeal and scrape of ancient, gigantic gears, coming from somewhere behind the rock. The ancient machinery clanks and turns, making *awful* mechanical sounds, which emanate from somewhere behind the giant rock and also seem to travel straight down towards the bottom of the island…
A minute later, a door, hidden among the carvings of the Bas Relief, is revealed. The sword is released from it place in the machine, and falls back into Jack’s hand. Gathering their supplies, the Wild Bunch heads into the hidden entrance….
You all walk along a staircase, suspended over the edge of a deep chasm which resembles the Ravine you had walked near the other day. It is pitch dark. The narrow, winding stone walkway leads increasingly down and in, until you’re sure you should’ve come back to water level by now. The further in you walk, the more you get the scent and sound of the ocean.
After maybe a mile in the dark (a walk in a strange way similar the one you just had back from Evvdia’s Ship, although far more enjoyable) the stone path evens out, and the chasm opens up into a large underwater cave. As you emerge into the cave, you see a distant pinpoint of light off to the South. The stone path underfoot gives way to an ancient wooden harbor. All along the docks, you see watercraft: maybe thirty in all.
[You have discovered the Hidden Armada of the Rak’Ta, and opened the way for Strike and Dikku to lead the lizardfolk to freedom! When you are ready, you may commandeer a craft (surely your Rak’Ta friends wouldn’t mind you borrowing one…) and depart towards the pinpoint of light, suggesting an ocean exit to the South of here. In the meantime…]
Make a Perception Check if you sense something different about the state of the Island…
Make an Investigation Check if you wish to look around the ancient underground docks….
Make a History Check if you want to take a closer look at those Ancient Ships…
And then, someone will have to decide how you plan to bring the Grey Man aboard when you come to the Whispered Curse...
Oak walks down the steps cautiously, almost expecting another horrible thing to happen to their group. Instead he's greeted by a fleet of ships, and lets out a soft whistle. He stands and takes it all in, eyes darting across the dock, the ships, and the island itself.
Posts
He watches the chickens work, "These your helpers?" Glance at the armour Bruce had just been working on, "...your army?" He's not seen a chicken army before, but he's seen many weird things this trip already. "It's a shame Mister Fusspot isn't here, I bet he would look adorable in armour."
[Should you both choose to make Mister Fusspot Orichalum Armor, it will reduce your ore count by half (enough left to make, say, a Longsword, or a pair of bracers). The armor, when worn by Mister Fusspot, would theoretically increase his battle capability, AC, and magic resistance: while at the same time, reducing his top speed, and dodge capability]
Evvdia shrugs matter-of-factly at Urixes’s silence. “Thought as much. Well…I figure, better for you to learn this from me, before anyone else…I’m sure you’ve heard much of it before, but you should both have some idea of what you’re getting yourselves into…”
[DEEP LORE DROP]
Evvdia holds the handle of the door like she’s ready to show you the secret, horrifying sideroom just off her bedroom. With a historian’s diction, she begins to tell you a bit of the history of Sess’innek and the Twilight Expanse:
“Sess’innek has already pissed off most of demonkind, by refusing to participate in the “Blood Wars”…And then he fled to this plane, and hid himself in the center of what would eventually become the Twilight Expanse. Granted, it was still dangerous, even back then: foul monsters, dire waters, and haunted lands. But after he got here…Sess’innek found a REAL treasure, which he claimed for himself: the Dream Skull.”
“With that Ancient Magic, he made the Twilight Expanse a place of everlasting, *constant* violence and torture: wanton suffering, with no escape. He kept even the souls trapped here, the undead strapped to the land to relieve their nightmares forever. This place became his Kingdom, with him sitting at the very center like a spider: accruing untold wealth, and vast influence, even across the other planes…”
“Finally…the Gods had enough of the presumptuous little upstart. A collection of the Gods…a fragile accord of Deities who wouldn’t normally be caught *dead* in the same *realm* as each other…, banded together, and each took a Champion, to engage in a ritual…*not* to defeat Seess’innek (there were more pressing concerns at the time), but to bind him in place…lock him and the Dream Skull away into his own little sealed bubble, so he could not expand and grow in power…”
“There were six Gods…six Champions…and six Legendary Items that they wielded together, to bind the demon Sess’innek and his ominous treasure, and seal him inside his own realm. Maybe you saw the Carving into the South Claw, in the Dark Glen?...No…? No matter…take a look, the next time you go past…”
“Their plan *worked*…Seess’innek became sealed in. The Twilight Expanse, his former seat of power, became his prison. But something else happened, something which Sess’innekk had foreseen through foul whipsers: the Spellplague ripped through the realms, and caused Wild Magic to run rampant. Sess’innek used this opportunity to bend his binding: so rather than a simple sealed prison, the Twilight Expanse become a churning, swirling puzzle box: a fractured sea of danger and fraught portals, closed off in it’s own small reality, unable to be breached…”
“It was the rogue wildgod Malar who warned Sess’innek of his incoming imprisonment, in order to spite his former master Silvanus, [Silvanus was the Sylvan God who spoke briefly and arrogantly to Urixes through STRIKE, in the Buried Temple], and together, Malar and Sess’innek concocted a plan. It was too late to escape being sealed in, but together with Malar, and his knowledge of the forthcoming Spellplague, Sess’innek found a way to twist the binding…to turn his own misfortune back on his aflictor’s, and seal them in with him in *horrifying* fashion…”
“All of the God’s six champions became cursed in some way…changed horribly, and *bound* to the Expanse. Fair William was one of them, brought by Ilmater to this place, wielding a Red Skulled Sword stolen and sanctified from Sess’innek himself. Another champion…was you, Urixes. You came here as a representative of the “Thing That Lurks”, bearing brilliantly carved magical bracers, and a devil’s care for the mortals which you destroyed…”
“…but I go on. *giggle* I always have! So I suppose, unless you all have any more questions…,” the Lilitu grins expectantly, ”who’s ready to meet Fair William?”
But, not as much as the sights he saw when they entered the furnace. Maybe surprise wasn't the word, but wonder at the work being done and more at the person working. Jack, of course, seemed to get comfortable right away, breaking into a conversation about his little companion.
Thankfully, it gave Oak a little time to think, trying to determine what he might be able to use the ore for. As he spent a moment thinking do their journey to this point, however, a singular picture kept reoccurring. He would slam his sword into something, over and over. In all those moments, he was only thinking that he wished the sword was hitting harder.
He set down the sword he had bargained with the Demoness for, and then dug into his pack for the Orichalum ore to put that on the table as well. "We need this sword reforged, but if yer willing, I do have something this ore could be used fer. An axe. Biggun'."
OOC:I'm suuuuper tempted to make mini-griffin armor but all Oak does is hit stuff with his sword and it really needs to start hurting more if he's going to keep contributing to the group. So, a great axe makes more sense here.
Arno puts a paw over her mouth.
Evvdia smiles with sharp teeth down at Bear*Arno. (The Demoness was able to discern the bear’s thoughts.) “Arno, you *are* the inquisitive one! A predator after my own heart!”
“So, Sess’innek’s use of Wild Magic to alter his binding inside the Twilight Expanse caused it to be torn between realms.. The Twilight Expanse ripped holes between places in the universe…and as it did so, it cast a dark reflection of itself across the planes…”
“Here in the Far Realm, Villam is…was… a giant celestial whale, who had become lost and among the maddening churl of this place, and was dying... You see, they are the same: reflections of each other, through a fractured mirror. Just as the Whale fell to madness here, the people of Villam fell to disease, hunger…the erosion of the island itself…”
OOC:
“As to the rest of your question…well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words!...” Evvida pulls up the hatch, and leads the two of you into the next room…
You stand inside a red metal sphere. At the very center of the room, a man hangs suspended, strange cables and wires driven into him. No…not a man…those eyes, the pallor of the skin…the desiccated creature, his body hung from and the beating heart of the ship, is without doubt a Vampire. He doesn’t notice you as you enter the room…he doesn’t seem to notice anything. The undead creature hangs in the strange contraption almost comatose, only occasionally twitching.
“Fair William’s *last wish* was to live long enough to see Villam restored. He was a *nut* for those lizard people, lemme tell you. So, Sess’innek and Malar granted him his wish….but with a foul twist. You mortals have a phrase, about a Monkey’s Paw? Just like that.”
“The binding twists with Wild Magic, the ground beneath his feet becomes sentient, and hungry…Fair William is dragged down into a foul mouth in your world, and wakes up here in the Far Realm, trapped in the belly of a whale. The whale has his first meal in weeks. The thing in his stomach is unable to die.”
“Shortly later, I was approached with a plan. Now, *I* knew the way to the Far Realms…but it was your friend Mr. Urixes here who contrived the basic idea. The Whale would continue to feed on the vampire, feeble but still alive, per the curse. But why not take advantage of the situation? Why not feed it, and create a magnificent vessel to sustain the planes at the same time?”
“So Urixes and I…some others…came here. We found the Whale. We found and bound the vampire inside its belly. Then…we created the ship around it, and began to feed the island all the blood we could. A blood magic ritual joined the two creature’s essences together. The blood feeds the island…is fed into the body of the whale…and then we channel it through Fair William here. Oh sure, the ship doesn’t go very fast…but it’s very fuel efficient, and one of the only safe ways across the Far Realms. Usually, just *being* in this place would drive a person crazy…but Villam and Fair William absorb most of the worst of it. It’s really a genius bit of a system: your friend can be quite clever, when he puts his mind to it…”
“….I appreciate you calling me charismatic, Arno. That’s very kind of you. Please let me know if you have any further questions!” The demoness grins, eyes manic and wide at the Bear.
She turns to Urixes. “…you’re probably wondering why I’m just telling you both all this so openly. Well, Urixes…last time we were together, and you said you’d changed. I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think it was possible. But it made me think. It made me think for a long time. And I suppose…maybe I was jealous of you? I’ve been here, doing the same thing, century in and century out…maybe I was afraid of change. I’ve thought on that, these long years we’ve been apart. Almost endlessly”
“So, I’m finally moving on. I’ll be departing this place…I’ve already dropped off most of the crew, only a handful of demons and fiends left to bring to their homes…then, *I* will be going as well. To find a new place, maybe settle down…”
[Urixes and Arno, please make a Perception (DC 16) or Religion (DC 13) Check to pick up on something odd…]
“And I thought I’d give you the opportunity to do so as well, Urixes. Fair William stands (well, swings) before you. He powers this place…but, should he no longer, the ship will still last long enough to get us where we need to go. Should he finally die, the island of Villam in your world will be no more (the whale still lives for now, but it *giggles* almost certainly shouldn’t!) You could kill him, finish him for good, with the Red Skull Sword. Would that provide you closure? For one of the many awful things you did?”
“But then, maybe you’re not interested in this old time…if you’d prefer, you can simply leave him, and I’m sure I’ll find a…further use for him. I simply though I’d present you one last “gift”, for the joy and pleasure of meeting your friends!” Evvida leans over and pats Bear*Arno like a faithful puppy (god, that smell is *awful*…)
[Evvdia walks to leave the room, and leave Urixes and Arno alone with the enslaved, blood-battery vampire. Oak and Jack will be joining you with the Red Skull Sword shortly. Urixes, what do you plan to do here? Arno, what advice do you counsel Urixes with?]
Bruce works for what seems like a good long while, the chickens running around his ankles. The Red Skull blade is soon reforged into it’s original saber form: Bruce pulls the blade from the hot bath, and drops it into immediately *sizzling* hot water…
Red Skull Sword-
Saber/ Priceless/ 1d8+1 slashing damage/ 4 lbs./ Finesse Weapon
[You may unlock special properties from the Red Skull Sword, once a special condition has been met, and you attune to the weapon!]
The Axe takes him far longer. The Demon again begins to chisel out a plan on the wall: he stops at several points to scratch his chin and reassess. He eventually gets to work, letting you watch as he does so. Once he begins the crafting process, the Hezrou barely notices any of you there.
He eventually produces a work of sheer beauty. The thing is left to cool for awhile, as Oak and Jack look over the newly formed GreatAxe…
”Pulsing”Great Axe-
Great Axe/ Priceless/ 1d12+1 slashing damage/ 9 lbs./Heavy, Two-Handed
[You may unlock special properties from the “Pulsing” Great Axe, once a special condition has been met, and you attune to the weapon!]
Arno*Grey Man attempts to whistle in admiration, but just manages to spit some leftover jerky out. “F-f-f-ine work, Bruce! This one seems to…drink blood (here he indicates the red skull sword), while ….t-t-this one looks like it c-r-r-raps lighting! Or they will, once you learn how to use them…
Grey Man turns and grins at you both in your friend’s familiar form. Then, he shifts his face back to that of Urixes. “Believe that’s all then! I’ll walk you back to see this guy when you’re ready!”
[Oak and Jack, let me know when you’re ready to head back with the sword and the great axe. You will arrive in the Heart of the Ship when you are ready. However, before you get there, at some point along the way the Grey Man will lean in and ask something of you both:
She’s leaving this place because it’s no longer useful to her…you’re taking out trash and disposing of evidence for her right now, in her eyes.
She’s given you Fair William as yet another token of revenge: Urixes in most of his former lives had *hated* Fair William, but this last time he had felt remorse on behalf of the poor soul…this is Evvdia’s way of making Urixes’s *CHOKE* on his talk of “change” (one way or another, she believes)…
Overall, Urixes can tell that she’s provided you with information and a hand up right now because someone…likely the Higher Demon who has offered to ascend her…has instructed her to. She’s just ingratiating herself, hoping assistance now will be worth it when your group moved into a key position to manipulate events
And despite all her talk, she *doesn’t* seem done with you. The hate is still there in her eyes. The conciliatory nature is yet another act, manipulating on behalf of some Dark God
When it was finished, he barely heard the Grey man and he walked forward. He wrapped his hands around the handle and lifted, awkwardly for a moment as he adjusted to the difference in weight from his long sword. But a few moments of holding it made it feel more natural, and a few swipes left and right gave him a feeling for it. "This is very well crafted." He looks up at the Demon, "You have my thanks Bruce."
He looks to Jack, "Grab the sword Jack, and let's head back."
"Urixes, I know you have a past. But all I've seen is a person who protects others and supports their friends. Whatever you suggest, I've got your back. You are trusted and supported."
His focus seems to waver with the axe, the large weapon taking the smith longer than his attention span can muster and by the time the weapon is finished he's teaching their guide how to gamble (and cheat). "No problem Oak, way ahead of you!" He taps the red sword on his belt and gets up. Time to go!
Unlike his companion he listens to the gray man's plight, furrowing his brow, "Oh, sure, if we can!" After spending an hour with the demoness he cannot blame them for wanting out, he wants out. Think think think, "I don't suppose you can change into something smaller? Maybe fit in a backpack?"
"Or maybe you can just exit with us when we leave, step through as we do? Admittedly, I don't know how we're getting back, I do not want that lady to come after us immediately..." He gives Oak a helpless look.
He takes a step toward the heart of the ship. "Fair William, I don't know if you can hear me. I'm sorry for how things have gone for you. I want you to know that the lizardfolk are united. We're going to get them out. They're going to see a new life, away from all this misery and bloodshed. They're going to have hope. You held on long enough, and when my friends come back with the sword, I'm going to set you free."
(( When Oak and Jack come back with the sword Urixes will use it to kill Fair William ))
Bruce grumbles something in Infernal which Oak doesn’t understand, but it seems to be neutral, at worst. Touching the well-crafted Great Axe one final time, Bruce gives a *GRUNT* of satisfaction at the quality of his work. Saluting you and Jack with his hammer a final time as you leave, the demon smithy takes a break to sit amongst his abyssal chickens, who immediately flood over him, biting and scratching as the Hezrou collapses with contentment against the red steel wall.
The Grey Man took to gambling like a *CHAMP*. He greatly enjoys the sound and skill of putting the clacking bones where he needed to. When Jack pointed out that the sides have meaning, and explained there was a game involved, the Grey Man becomes ecstatic, and begins to eagerly learn from Jack how to cheat at dice.
Urixes*Grey Man’s face splits into a ear-to-ear grin when Jack asks if he can get smaller. The Grey Man nods effusively, Urixes’s excited and eager face looking wrong for a variety reasons. “I, I can! I can get real small!” Changing as he walks along next to you, the Doppelganger shrinks down quickly. Soon, an eager young Fox runs next to you, his tail swishing. Almost as soon as you notice it, the fox is growing and expanding back into the Grey Man again. “Would that be small enough?! I promise, if you get me out of here, I’ll work hard, I won’t be any extra bother,” The doppelganger’s diction seems to have improved exponentially since he met your group (the stutter is almost gone, even when he gets worked up)”
The Trophy Room is coming up in front of you, and Grey Man whispers the next part. “I don’t even think she would mind, really, if I left…all the others have been leaving…or, she’s been killing them. All the same…well, she doesn’t like your friend Urixes. Just, maybe…best if we don’t tell her?”
You all arrive back inside the Trophy Room. The room is deserted; everyone has left. The stuffed carcasses are almost more haunting in the silence.
Grey Man seems disturbed by everyone’s sudden absence as well. “*That’s strange*. Well, as to how to get back…it’s the same way you came in, you just need to make sure the Portal is activated. There’s a swtich up on the Bridge, and once it gets the signal,” as Grey Man points overhead, you see a sudden red pulse of energy, travelling from the front of ship back towards the portal you came in at. “…oh, looks like someone already gave the signal. Evvdia must be up on the bridge, then?” The Grey Man scratches his head, confused. “I dunno…this place has been getting weird the past few days…”
[JACK and OAK may join ARNO and URIXES inside the next room (Heart of the Ship) when they are ready. The Grey Man is ready to follow your commands if you’re willing to help him escape to a better life]
Fair William doesn’t seem to have heard Urixes for a long while. Then, very slowly, the man’s head raises up to you. Despite all this time, there is still a vestige of his former handsome face that will never age, even though it’s now drained of all the original life and vitality which led to him being called “Fair”. The milky white eyes finally meet yours.
You hated this man, and he you. He thought you were damned, Cursed beyond saving: a Fiend . You thought him a simpering fool, who wished to be a lizard because he hated his human skin. You would’ve happily killed each other, had the binding not forced you to work together. That hate persisted for nearly a millennia. And now…
Upon eye contact, a brief and impossible understanding is reached: these two know each other now, as few else ever could. The past is buried: the hatred is extinguished.
Fair William’s voice catches as he tries to answer you (you can’t be sure if it’s from emotion, or if he hasn’t maybe spoke in years…), he tries *wretchedly* to clear his throat. “Fien..you, y-u-Urixes. Rak’ta…United…New…Life?”, The Vampire eyes are glassy, and his head swims: it looks like he’s having trouble discerning from the reality in front of him.
“Hope?…hope…oh God…OH GODS, URIXES, it’s been so long…” The Undead William begins weep tears of blood in front of you.
"Hope Bruce doesn't mind a bit of extra waste to get rid of. There, that should make enough room for a fox." He picks up his, now substantially lighter, pack back up and slings it over his shoulder, following their guide back.
"Just hop in there when you feel the hag won't find your absense suspect." They return to the trophy room and Jack himself feels pretty relieved their host is not here, at least, not yet. The sooner they leave the better. Though maybe if there's a pie to eat on the way out... no, no more pies here. Sadly.
"Where to, Oak?" He gives the gray man a questioning 'now?' look, nodding to the pack and pulling aside the flap.
Large axe resting on his shoulder, Oak enters the room and locks eyes on a Vampire, who is suspiciously close to Urixes. Hand gripping tighter on his axe, he advances, stopping at a distance where he could leap if needed, but also attempting to give enough space that if he misread the situation it wouldn't look too awful to the stranger.
"Jack" he says back over his shoulder. "Show them the sword."
"...what? Oh, sorry, wrong sword." Anticlimactically he puts his regular sword away and whips out the red skull sword instead! Eh? Eh?
Urixes turns to Jack and holds his hand out. "Jack, the sword if you please. William has earned his freedom."
Jack shows them the sword.
Fair William sees it…and manages to rasp out to Urixes, “Y’know…where she kept it…*before* she used it on you? In a glass case, not five feet from my face, …”
Urixes takes the reformed-Red Skull Saber from Jack’s hand. He places the tip over the Vampire’s heart…
Fair William finds Urixes’s eyes again: he still looks baffled at all this, but strangely thankful. The Vampire nods up at his former Tiefling rival. “...DO IT. Now, before I lose my senses ever again. Please, release me…”
The Tiefling feels a slight twinge of something bittersweet…and then he expertly *STABS* the blade into Fair William’s chest (having learned from watching Oak and Jack’s swordplay). The sword goes in once, and comes out…as it does, the Vampire gives a deep *GASP* from lungs that no longer breathe air.
The Tiefling stands before Fair William, witnessing his last moments as the life flows out of him. For a moment, the constant crash of *MADNESS* from the outside that seems to haunt William seems to ebb away, and he meets your eyes fully. Through his blood tear-stained face, the former light-hearted soul *LAUGHS* once: genuine and pure. Suddenly, the deathly white pallor leaves him, and he becomes himself again for a brief moment, as his ancient unlife finally departs him:
Fair William laughs up at Urixes, from his chains and fleeting life, “Hey….hey! Don’t look at me like that, F-fien-*COUGH-COUGH*,” Fair William is himself again, but on the edge of death as he hangs among the chains: the unlife catching up to him all at once in traumatic fashion, “Sorry, I meant…*my friend*. C’mon, now…I always thought when you finally did it, killed me proper like, you’d enjoy yourself a little more...hehehehe*COUGH-COUGH*. (solemnly, grasping at Urixes’s hands) Thank you. I’m, uhhm, *sorry*, you know, if I ever…” then Fair William’s eyes glass over, and he dies among the chains. (But, he did die mortal, and his spirit can finally depart this place…)
“…well, *SHIT*,” Evvdia stands at the door to the bridge, sloshing her drink over the railing as several (rather dull) Grey Men accompany her. She’s been subtly observing the drama from the other side of the door, and finally shows herself when the act is done. “I guess….well, I guess I thought I’d enjoy that more than I did?” The demoness gives a heavy sigh, and then stumbles back towards the door leading to the bridge. The manticore blood stains her face and clothing. “Well, that’s the end of *this* place….So, *URP* you can go now, I guess? I’ll need a minute to turn the portal back on…someone’s been (*SLURP SLURP*), messing with it again. I’ve gotta say, I did enjoy our reunion! I mean, the party with your friends: you, Urixes, are very unpleasant…and you can go absolutely….(Evvdia says something RUDE to Urixes…rude even for Fiends…)”
Evvida goes to make her way back through the door to the Bridge, the two Grey Men flanking her on either side watching you all warily. “I’m bored of this. This is so boring now. SO…..unless there’s anything else?” That awful smile, and those teeth…”Let’s do it again sometime, yes??”
[The Wild Bunch may depart this place, without further incident and go through the portal back at the other end of the ship, where they will arrive back at the top of the Dark Glen Lake, when you are all ready. Take your time if you wish. Grey Man #73, in his Fox form inside Jack’s backpack, will be joining you, per Oak and Jack…he doesn’t seem to arouse Evvdia’s suspicion at the moment (the Manticore Blood or her sheer Fury might be having something to do with that…).
You will come back to the Glen in the dark of night, the mist clearing and the temperature cozy. You will find a severed Chameleon head next to his body, and those able to smell it will pick up the heavy tracks of Worg and Goblin from 6 hours ago. Fusspot is nearby in the Trees, but scared from his experience.
Please take a long rest and catch up before unlocking the way to the Armada in the morning (you've all earned it! 8-) Tommorow, you will complete your quest on the island of Villam, and find yourself back aboard ship! ]
OOC Just didn't feel right scene shifting without someone acknowledging what just happened.
Handing the sword back to Jack, he sighs and turns for the exit. "What do you say we get the Hells out of here and get back to our adventure? I think there's a griffin out there that's forgetting the taste of fingers."
(( Take your time @mrpaku, that was a big arc to wrangle and you earned a break too! ))
Stabbing someone in the middle of combat is one thing, pushing a blade into a willing target... he shudders, trying to ignore the goings on until the sword is pushed back into his hand. He finds a stray piece of cloth and gingerly wipes the sword clean before putting it back in its scabbard.
"Can we go now? I don't want to stay on this ship any longer." There's an undertone of pleading to the tone. He cheers up somewhat when Urixes brings up Mister Fusspot, "Oh, he must be worried sick for us he must!" and follows him to the exit eagerly.
A new toy on his shoulder, the shifter allowed a small grin to cross his face, then in a single motion, he swept the axe downward with two hands, slicing through one of the stuffed carcasses, it's top half collapsing to the floor. A small grunt of a laugh escapes his lips, before he says to no one, "I hate this place.", before catching up with the rest of the group as they escape.
Your group walks the echoing hallways of the Ship, eager to depart this foul place together. After a long walk over bone and steel you come to the familiar window and dais. Giving one last look to the strange churl of the Far Realms out the window, the Wild Bunch ascends the dais, and the lamp over your head begins to glow a growing red in your eyes…
After a strange *wrenching* sensation, and a sudden disembodiment, you find yourselves at the bottom of the lake in the Dark Glen. You swim up and out. As you emerge, you see that the mist has cleared (you can finally see properly around this place). Evening is falling upon Villam.
Your ropes are tied to a now empty tree…however, less than five feet away, you can see the body of Pipes the Chameleon. He has been stripped of his boiled leather and gear…and his head has been separated from the rest of him. (Those of you who can smell it suspect Worg Riders were the ones responsible for coming through this place and taking his gear.)
It takes a while for Mister Fusspot to make himself known. Your group searches the area, calling for him together. Finally, the Small Griffon gives a *SQUAWK* from overhead, and flutters down from the trees, finding the nearest lap to crawl into and shudder in. Fusspot’s beak is coated in blood, and he seems shaken, but he's otherwise unharmed. You sense he may be responsible for what happened to Pipes.
Suddenly, to the South, you hear a familiar bell begin to ring out, over open water. The Whispered Curse must be just off the south coast, and very nearby. (were you to walk to the southernmost point of the Glen, through the dense trees to the South, you can just make out familiar masts and sails on far off water…)
The Wild Bunch is tired: it’s been a long week. The Goblins came here, but didn’t stay long...you get the sense that most creatures fear the waters here in the Glen, and stay away from this place. However, your group has found much worse things to fear elsewhere. With a warm sense of camaraderie, the group makes camp, and takes in their last night on the island of Villam…
GM NOTE: The Group can take a Long Rest, and when they are ready, the “lock” hidden among the Bas Relief awaits the “key” of the Red Skull sword
If you examine the BAS RELIEF-
[A Broken Man, arms clasped and bleeding: the man hands a [Red Skulled Sword] to a Dashing Ranger. You recognize the Broken Man as Ilmater, who you met during the Battle of the Elwood (There is a *Deep Indentation* where the sword should go...)
[An Ethereal Presence hands a [Moon Insignia] to a Man with the head of a Wolf…]
[A Simple Rak’Ta presents a Chameleon Monk with a [Giant’s Belt]…]
[A Fae King (Urixes now recognizes this as the haughty Fae Lord who possessed Strike in front of him, Silvanus) presents a [Leaf-knit Book] to a Drow Druid…]
[A Hulking Mass made of Bone curses a She-Witch with a [Black Candle]
OOC:Thanks for the break guys, needed it these last few days! Preparing the exit from Villam, and then your next section, which will be aboard ship for a good while! This section will feature some changes, including: weekly summaries so people with jobs aren’t getting lost in the plot, making the Whispered Curse a well-known and comfortable “home base”, the hopeful inclusion of Bern as a regular cast member (at least for awhile!), and me cutting back a bit on the exposition (now that Villam gave you guys most of the main plot)
Ignoring the corpse of the Chameleon they left, Oak returns to the picture that he had been inspecting earlier, finger tracing the indentation of a sword. He hadn't thought too much of it until they went through the portal, but once he saw the sword, it clicked into place.
"Hey Jack. Bring that sword over here."
He's distracted from his mother henning by Oak and he jogs over there, holding the griffon in one hand and pulling out the sword with the other, offering it to the shifter, "There ya go. Hey, Mister Fox, meet Mister Fusspot. Careful, he might still be hungry."
A minute later, a door, hidden among the carvings of the Bas Relief, is revealed. The sword is released from it place in the machine, and falls back into Jack’s hand. Gathering their supplies, the Wild Bunch heads into the hidden entrance….
You all walk along a staircase, suspended over the edge of a deep chasm which resembles the Ravine you had walked near the other day. It is pitch dark. The narrow, winding stone walkway leads increasingly down and in, until you’re sure you should’ve come back to water level by now. The further in you walk, the more you get the scent and sound of the ocean.
After maybe a mile in the dark (a walk in a strange way similar the one you just had back from Evvdia’s Ship, although far more enjoyable) the stone path evens out, and the chasm opens up into a large underwater cave. As you emerge into the cave, you see a distant pinpoint of light off to the South. The stone path underfoot gives way to an ancient wooden harbor. All along the docks, you see watercraft: maybe thirty in all.
[You have discovered the Hidden Armada of the Rak’Ta, and opened the way for Strike and Dikku to lead the lizardfolk to freedom! When you are ready, you may commandeer a craft (surely your Rak’Ta friends wouldn’t mind you borrowing one…) and depart towards the pinpoint of light, suggesting an ocean exit to the South of here. In the meantime…]
Make a Perception Check if you sense something different about the state of the Island…
Make an Investigation Check if you wish to look around the ancient underground docks….
Make a History Check if you want to take a closer look at those Ancient Ships…
And then, someone will have to decide how you plan to bring the Grey Man aboard when you come to the Whispered Curse...
Geth, roll 1d20 for History Check
((OOC: Jack will suggest the doppelganger just pretend to be their pet fox aboard. He can be their incredible Mister Fox ))
Geth, roll 1d20+2 for Perception Check