IC - Heirs of Prophecy

[planswalker]

"One thousand years ago, there was a great prophecy: The Ten would find The One who would unite The Many. Two hundred years ago, that prophecy came true. Markal Harjash, the half-ogre spoken of in the prophecy, united the world beneath his rule. That was all great and grand, and there was peace, yadda yadda yadda. Too bad he didn't have the strength to repel the demon invasion ten years later. Now the "messiah" is dead, his powers are gone, and his empire is in ruins. Hells, few of us are left who can even remember those days. Shaitan, a mighty yulogoth general, rules from the ruins of the capital city.

Of course, all hope is not lost. If it was, you wouldn't be here, would you? You're here because you think there is hope. A new prophecy, one that says that when all hope is lost, the Prince of Light will appear in the heart of the nameless city and banish the evils back to whence they came. The extended edition of the prophecy even gives the lineage said Prince of Light will have. Hooray for him.

That brings us to why you are here today, hiding in the ruins on the outskirts of the city. The last daughter of the Old Empire before the whole "The One" fiasco is pregnant, and her line is one of the essential ingredients in breeding this "Prince". Damn prophecies haven't been worth crap so far, but what the hell? It's an excuse to get my niece and her unborn child out of here. So good luck, godspeed, and get the hells out of here. Save her, save her baby, and maybe this "Prince" you hope will come will work out better than the last chosen one."

The well-dressed elven man says to the three of you.

"Now, I don't want to know where you plan to go, or even in which direction. This mission has no payment or reward beyond the simple justification of knowing that you'll be saving two lives and potentially setting up the world to be saved. I don't even want to know how you plan on disguising yourselves. The less I know, the less that Gar'kthull can torture out of me when he learns that I've let my niece escape. There is a letter underneath the lamp on the nightstand next to the door on your way out that contains detailed information about the patrols at dawn tomorrow. Take it on your way out. That note was compiled by my secretary from observations by five different spies inside the walls, none of whom knew what they were looking for and gave a lot of false information as well. My secretary shall be out sick tomorrow and will never return to his office, having disappeared and will presumably be with you three, having hired three thugs to help him escape with my niece his lover. In truth, he will be gone and you will not know where he went, just as he does not know whom I have hired.

With all that being said, I am open to answering any questions you have. You three need to know as much as you can if you are going to pull this off."

[Toliudar]

A small squarish woman sits awkwardly in her chair, leaning forward, knees spread and her hands gathered in her lap. She is dressed in what looks like an elaborate network of leaves, covered over with a dirty brown cotton cloak. A faint smell of loam seems to emanate from her. She clears her throat.

"Well, you got us together, so I guess there's no harm in giving you names, anyway. My people call me the Voice of the Hill. That's maybe not so good for out in public, though, so maybe, while we're doing this thing, you call me Elsie, yeah?"

She nods a shy greeting to the other two women, then turns back to the old elf.

"Maybe it would be good if we got your niece involved in this talk. She should have some say in what happens to her. Is she here?"

[planswalker]

There is a pain in the corner of his eyes. "Unfortunately, that is not an option right now."

[Toliudar]

Voice nods, not in any way understanding what that really meant. THIS was why human civilization had fallen. Everyone saying things, but never what they were really thinking! It was exhausting.

"If we're going to be escorting her, it would be useful if we were together. Where is she?"

[planswalker]

"Right now? Probably the soup course." You've never heard a soup course said with such repressed rage before.

[Opheila]

The smaller of the three women was sitting back in her chair listening quiety to the spiel of the elven man, she wasn't really going to interrupt a history lesson now was she? Eventually when the man finished his long rant she springs up from the chair and nods as if she settled on something. she opens her mouth to talk, speaking firmly and somewhat loudly.

Weeeeell! I have lots of questions, but annoyingly I don't believe this is the time or place for any of them. We'll deal with this problem no sweat. Your little girl is in good hands!

She turns her head to face the now dubbed "Elsie" with a soft smile
"Voice of the Hill? Sounds mystical. I'm Selria, plain and simple, nice to meet you."
She ends her introduction by giving a small thumbs up with her right hand.

Following the rest of the conversation left her a tad confused, she tilted her head slighlty when she heard the term "soup course"

"Wait what? A soup course? Is she being eaten or something and we have to burst in and save her?

[Cardea]

Ashleen

"The Princess is eating. And has only just started her meal. Most likely wanting to avoid this meeting entirely. Unless you are fearful for her diet, no, she will not need rescuing at this moment." The third speaks up, her form armored and tall, the largest of the three, and the only one standing. She keeps eyes on 'Elsie' and Selie, eyeing them for weapons. She keeps her arms to her side, a simple metal helm underneath her right arm. Her face remains emotionless and calm. "I am Rulo."

[Toliudar]

The strap of deerhide at Voice's belt is almost certainly a sling, but her spear was left outside the door. She looks up impassively at the pacing Selria and the imposing Rulo.

"Oh, she's living right here? Well, that answers my next two questions. It'd be nice to at least know her name, though. Or is that too dangerous for us to know?

"Next, this prophecy thingy. Doesn't matter whether we believe it or not, point is that odds are good that somebody's going to try to use it to find her. So if we're going to keep her safe, we should know what NOT to do, right? So...you got any spare copies of these predictions hanging around? Be good to read it over before we decide where to go."

[planswalker]

Ashleen

"The Princess is eating. And has only just started her meal. Most likely wanting to avoid this meeting entirely. Unless you are fearful for her diet, no, she will not need rescuing at this moment." The third speaks up, her form armored and tall, the largest of the three, and the only one standing. She keeps eyes on 'Elsie' and Selie, eyeing them for weapons. She keeps her arms to her side, a simple metal helm underneath her right arm. Her face remains emotionless and calm. "I am Rulo."

"Indeed, she will be fine. Gar'kthull would never dream of harming the woman he thinks is carrying his spawn." The strain of rage in his voice almost cracks through.


The strap of deerhide at Voice's belt is almost certainly a sling, but her spear was left outside the door. She looks up impassively at the pacing Selria and the imposing Rulo.

"Oh, she's living right here? Well, that answers my next two questions. It'd be nice to at least know her name, though. Or is that too dangerous for us to know?

"Her name is Leanidrea. She will join you at dawn, at the location found in the note. I do not know where that is. You will recognize her immediately. Her pregnancy is just starting to show. She will say a phrase that no minion of evil can dare say."

knowledge religion or history check to recall the phrase. It's something that's common knowledge to students of those philosophies, and many outside those disciplines know the phrase without realizing what it really is.


"Next, this prophecy thingy. Doesn't matter whether we believe it or not, point is that odds are good that somebody's going to try to use it to find her. So if we're going to keep her safe, we should know what NOT to do, right? So...you got any spare copies of these predictions hanging around? Be good to read it over before we decide where to go."

"The prophecy is never written down, for fear of the fiends discovering its details and working to circumvent it or even corrupt it to their own ends. However, it may be spoken orally when in confidence. However, only those pieces that one is directly involved in will be able to be recalled, reducing the chance of anyone being forced to tell it. If you become more involved in the prophecy, more will be recalled. After you are done asking all questions, I will intercede on your behalf that it might be told you in a dream. For obvious reasons, I myself cannot tell you much, for I am only the brother of the father of the mother of one of the ancestors of the Child. I know only enough to know that she is in danger, a danger that will only grow the longer she stays here and the closer to birth the child is. Odds are, most of what I do know of the prophecy, you would forget anyways, as it is not your part of the prophecy to engineer her escape from this city, only to guide her to a safe haven afterwords."

[Toliudar]

Voice stares at the old elf for a while. She briefly considers that this is in fact all an elaborate joke, with the three of them as the butts, or that he was a raving loonie. Neither seemed, upon reflection, to be the case.

"So nobody remembers more of the prophecy than they need to, and nobody writes it down. So the fact that we remember that you said that the extended version of the prophecy includes the prince's detailed lineage means that it's important for us to know that. So...my head hurts."

Voice slumps further forward, elbows coming to rest on knees. Eventually, she lifts her head.

"So...if I understand you correctly, that we will only remember the bits of the prophesy that we need to know, then there's no harm in you telling us all of the prophesy that you know, since we'll only remember the parts that we're supposed to know. Am I right?"

[planswalker]

Voice stares at the old elf for a while. She briefly considers that this is in fact all an elaborate joke, with the three of them as the butts, or that he was a raving loonie. Neither seemed, upon reflection, to be the case.

"So nobody remembers more of the prophecy than they need to, and nobody writes it down. So the fact that we remember that you said that the extended version of the prophecy includes the prince's detailed lineage means that it's important for us to know that. So...my head hurts."

Voice slumps further forward, elbows coming to rest on knees. Eventually, she lifts her head.

"So...if I understand you correctly, that we will only remember the bits of the prophesy that we need to know, then there's no harm in you telling us all of the prophesy that you know, since we'll only remember the parts that we're supposed to know. Am I right?"

"No, I talk to you about the prophecy and you will remember it, but you won't remember any details from it you are not to know. We actually want the rumors of a prophecy to demoralize the fiends, so long as they don't know any details that we could be hurt by. I haven't told you anything yet that you would have forgotten."

"True. Let me show you why I haven't bothered yet."

"When the One has failed and the land plunged in darkness and... The Prince of Light will be born at the time when all is darkest... Great lineages of all the lands... Roland's line will not perish... Shine the Light Eternal, Amen." At each gap in your memory, you can recall that he said something, but you cannot for the life of you recall what it is.

[Opheila]

Ashleen

"The Princess is eating. And has only just started her meal. Most likely wanting to avoid this meeting entirely. Unless you are fearful for her diet, no, she will not need rescuing at this moment." The third speaks up, her form armored and tall, the largest of the three, and the only one standing. She keeps eyes on 'Elsie' and Selie, eyeing them for weapons. She keeps her arms to her side, a simple metal helm underneath her right arm. Her face remains emotionless and calm. "I am Rulo."

Selria herself wasn't directly armed, well. At least as far as one's eyes could see. Her rapier and short bow were on the ground leaning against the chair she was originally sitting on.

Well I certainly had a failure there, way to screw up simple understanding. Selria grits her teeth slightly, looking down at her feet with a mumble.


"Her name is Leanidrea. She will join you at dawn, at the location found in the note. I do not know where that is. You will recognize her immediately. Her pregnancy is just starting to show. She will say a phrase that no minion of evil can dare say."

When hearing a mention of a "A phrase that no minion of evil can dare say." Selria perks up slightly and begins scratching the top of her head irritably as she tries to recall something similar to, whatever this apparent phrase is.

"A phrase no evil minion can say..."

She eventually trails off into her own mumblings, losing track of the conversation as she tries to remember.

Knowledge History roll to remember/recall that phrase.
[roll0]

[planswalker]

you rolled EXACTLY enough to pass...

it was dc 11. I would have cried if you'd failed.

well, cried and then asked you for a bardic lore check.

The Phrase:
"Shine the Light Eternal" is a phrase that comes up often when discussing high level theology and often gets used as a battle cry during the demonic invasions. It encompasses the concept of an overwhelming and omnipotent good that exists out there beyond the multiverse as it is known.

It is said that this Light is the driving force behind all major good deities and other powerful forces for good. Direct worship of it has little effect, it not being a concept definable enough to grant spells, but every high priest of every faith knows of the concept and believes it exists.

Historically, the Third Demonic Invasion showed that irredeemably evil creatures cannot say the phrase "Shine the Light Eternal". It is apparently physically impossible for them. They can, however, give the response typically given when this is used as a battle cry: "Shine the Light!"


as a reference:
There have been six major Demonic Invasions in the world at this point.

The first is lost in antiquity. The only way it is known to exist is that the second demonic invasion's only surviving text claims that one particular battle "was as bloody and gruesome as all the battles in all the first invasion combined". It likely takes place on a different continent. All the current gods that have survived the latest invasion are too young to remember this one.
The second is known about from a single document, The Great Wars. It details three great conflicts that happened in the first century of the founding of the first colonies on this continent. The continent was settled over 5,000 years ago. The oldest and wisest gods currently alive were born around this time. Only a handful have survived to this time, the latter wars causing massive upheavals in the heavens.
The third invasion began subtly, as a covert insertion of demonic forces among the various small fractured kingdoms. It was defeated when the Unified Church of Light united the kingdoms into a Holy Empire. This laid the foundation for the world-spanning empire that the One would later take over and lose.
The fourth invasion attempted to unite the prime material with one of the layers of hell. It took the combined might of all the kingdoms in the Holy Empire to subdue, who were united into one body by Emperor Julius Sun I, the founder of the first dynasty of the Grand Empire of People, which lasted nearly 2,000 years until the Sixth Invasion.
The Fifth Invasion was by far the largest and most costly one ever won. It took the united strength of every last empire, country, and independent city-state in this continent and the other four to defeat them. The final battle in that bloody war was spear-headed by Amon de Lothele, the archwizard and protector of the Nexus, along with his seven mighty heroes. All but two of them was slain at the start of the Sixth. Amon himself could never be proven to be dead, having disappeared without a trace. The only other one to neither die of old age or be slain in the opening salvo of the Sixth Invasion was General, the original warforged ever created. He was said to be so mighty that he literally tore himself a hole into the bones of the earth with his bare hands, where has been hiding to this day. If a fiend had managed to slay him, you'd have expected them to be bragging about it. The peace after this one lasted 400 years before the Sixth happened.
The Sixth Demonic Invasion occurred just 50 years ago, and featured many details already given. Also of note is that before the One was slain, every full-blooded human heir to the Grand Imperial Throne was assassinated, meaning that when the Throne reverted to the Empire on the One's death, the succession was in doubt and no one was able to sort it out. The Roland family, featuring more than a few drops of human blood over the centuries, is one of the families that could have laid claim had the Imperial Capital City not been sacked when the One fell.

a note on naming: I'm not being generic when calling the Grand Empire that, etc. On this continent, there was one major colony at first, and it was simply referred to as "the town", being the only one there. By the time others began to crop up, "the town" had become "The Town" and no one would think of changing the name. This same place became the Holy City when the theocratic empire set up its capital there. The more secular Grand Empire that followed just called it "The City", and styled the name of their empire after that, trying to not-so-subtly imply that they are the first and only empire, much like the history of that town. They were certainly the strongest and longest-running. Under the golden age between the Fifth and Sixth, it became "The Grand Capital Metropolis of the Empire". Most people just called it "The Metropolis". Interestingly, when the united fiends finally overtook the city in the Sixth Invasion, they sacked it and gave it a name: Fiendholm. Actually naming this city lead to a rebellion that took them ten years to quell.

Fiendholm is about 200 miles due north of where you start.

[Opheila]

Selria quickly snapped her fingers with excitement. A small grin on her face, as she recalled the phrase. It wasn't really much, but this at least lifted her spirits up more...

After her small personal victory she finally left her own little world, back into the real one. She blinks twice in confusion as the conversation is now completely lost on her

"Apologizes for my little moment."

She bows her head respectfully and then speaks up once more.

"I don't have any more 'relevant' questions myself, I believe everything else we need will be in the letter right?

Her main focus was on the word relevant, she was somehow managing to hold back all these pointless questions that were plaguing her mind. To the point where any likely relevant ones were just lost on her for the time being.

[planswalker]

"Very well, also, just as a precaution, before we proceed, I must ask all of you to say the phrase that evil dares not. Afterwords, I will also say it."

[Toliudar]

Voice remains seated, rubbing her temples. This was much, much more complicated than she'd hoped.

"Well, I see what you mean about the prophesy. Damdest thing. Remarkable."

When asked for "phrase that evil dares not", Voice gives a slight shrug of incomprehension.

"Forgive me. Maybe my people just don't read the right books or something, but I got no idea what you're talking about. I'm no demon, but if you've got something you want me to say, you're going to have to tell me."

[Opheila]

Selria simply nods at the elf in understanding

"Sounds fair to me. Shine the light eternal."

She speaks out the phrase plainly, straight up with nothing behind it. Though she did take slight pride in the fact that she was the first one to state it out of the other three.

[planswalker]

Duke Roland nods when Selria says it.

"You now have heard it. Forgive me my paranoia, but I know that I'm not a fiend. I want to make sure you all aren't. You're having to trust me with a whole damn lot despite everything, and I would feel more comfortable not telling a fiend anything that I don't have to. Now I have proof that one of you is no fiend, and that eases my mind considerably. Still, if you other two can say it as well, I will say it and invoke the Powers as I do, sealing a pact."

[Toliudar]

Voice shrugged, and rose to her feet. She rubbed her hands together nervously. Well, in for a penny. She does her best to copy Selria's tone.

"Sounds fair to me. Shine the light eternal."

[planswalker]

"Very good." He turns to the last member of this meeting. "And you?"

[Cardea]

Ashleen


Ashleen kneeled, head bowed to elf, her armor clinking as she moved. "Shine the light eternal."

[planswalker]

sorry about this. I made a post to respond to this one and the forums ate it. Just caught that.

"Shine the Light Eternal." Roland finishes.

"Good. Now then, the real letter is underneath the doorstep. It has your real plans."

[Toliudar]

Voice nodded brusquely. She sure didn't feel any more human thanks to muttering some phrase, but it might be a useful thing to test out if they ever had a real fiend in their control. Not that seemed likely to happen soon. Or ever.

Striding over to the door, she looks under the doorstep for whatever might be in store for them. Walking back to the others with whatever she found, she opened and held it up.

[planswalker]

There is a plain envelope with no markings under the doorstep.

Once you're back with the Duke, he says, "Hide that envelope quickly. Don't open it until you are secure. After reading it and memorizing its contents, burn it in a fire you made yourself. Anything else?"

[Toliudar]

Voice had been about to tear into the envelope, but shrugged when she heard Roland's further instructions. She stopped, and offered the envelope over to Rulo, who seemed to be a solid sort of person with a sense of how such things worked.

"Very well. How, when and where do we meet Leanidrea? Is she aware of our mission?"

[planswalker]

"The how, when, and where are in the envelope. She knows about the mission, although only the when and where. She is ignorant of how you will be escaping."

[Opheila]

"So we've got everything sorted then?
Selria speaks up, she only saw one more potential thing she could need from the elf in regards to the mission

"Now we need to go find a nice safe place to break into that letter. Would it be fair to ask for this so called 'Secure Location'? Or does the less you know the better apply here?"

She was a bit distraught that she wasn't offered the letter, but it was probably for the best. She'd rip into it right away if she got her curious little hands on it.

[planswalker]

"I could probably tell you a location or two to try, but you'd be better off finding some anonymous hole in the wall."

[Opheila]

"As much as a hole in the wall sounds inviting I'm sure a location to work with would be nice to know of at least."

[planswalker]

"If you go to the Furious Slate, as the bartender Jake for a triple fairy. After paying ten gold for your drink, he'll give you a key to a room. He doesn't ask questions and doesn't talk. Also has a real bad memory for who his patrons are."

[Cardea]

Ashleen


"Truth be told, I have no mind for deception, nor do I believe I can properly execute it. Such things will most likely have to fall on you two." Ashleen says, without breaking her look from the elf. "How far away is the Furious Slate? If not too far away, I could move ahead of you two and the princess, and reconvene later at the Slate. Or on the road in-between."

[planswalker]

"It is just outside the nobles' quarter, to your right if you leave out the nearest inner gate. Difficult to miss."

[Toliudar]

Voice nodded.

"Well, we've all acquired a mind for deception just for agreeing to do this. I suggest that the three of us go to this Furious place, open the letter in Rulo's hands, and discuss some options."

[planswalker]

"If you wish. Just be aware that if I am found out and interrogated, you will most likely be outed within a day. I cannot withstand his mental magics. I recommend you leave as quickly as possible. Do not stay the night if you don't have to."

[Toliudar]

Voice nodded, then gestured at the envelope.

"Understood. The gods speed you."

She leads the others outside, where she picks up her horse, Sig, then beelines for the Furious Slate.

[planswalker]

On your way to the Slate, you are stopped by a mezzoloth flanked by a pair of cannoloths. "What three females doing out here?" the mezzoloth says in broken draconic.

[Cardea]

Ashleen Rulo


Ashleen blinks once, then twice, before looking at her two companions. "Do either of you understand what he said?"

[Toliudar]

Voice shrugs. She was careful not to make eye contact with the fiends, and tried to keep herself looking small and inoffensive. With a small gesture, she pointed off down the road, hoping that the loths would wave them on.

Worst case scenario, Voice would take off and try to distract distract the fiends. Rulo had the instructions to meet up with their charge, and it was of paramount importance that she escape.

[planswalker]

Growing impatient, he repeats himself in abyssal and infernal, though he is a little more facile in those two tongues.

[Toliudar]

Smiling in what she hopes is a blank and nonthreatening manner, Voice continues to say nothing.

[planswalker]

After repeating himself louder and louder a few times, he waves his arms in frustration and leaves.

[Toliudar]

Not wanting to linger a moment longer than necessary, Voice leads her colleagues to the Furious Slate, sees to stabling, and books a room for the night. She does her best to be nonchalant about it, which wasn't that much. If nothing else, it would be a useful place to retreat to if things went badly. Once there, she turns nervously to Rulo.

"Right. Let's see what that letter has to say."

[planswalker]

The note says simply, "The north gate at dawn. You are maidservants."

It is sealed with a blue sigil that seems to draw the eye to it.

[planswalker]

bump. Suspicious of an invisible post bug.

[Toliudar]

The Voice hands the note to the other two and allows them to read it before she speaks.

"I don't understand what the uncle meant about not necessarily needing to stay here overnight. We were on the street for just a couple of minutes and ran afoul of demons. We should definitely not leave here until close to dawn."

She paused, considering her somewhat bedraggled appearance, and Rulo's rather martial manner. The Voice turned to Selria.

"I don't suppose that you have any way to change our appearance."

[planswalker]

missing post bug?

[Cardea]

Ashleen Rulo


"Maidservants? That is... less than desirable, I must insist. I venture to guess that not wearing my armor would ruin the image of us in disguise, if we were not given ones of magical nature." Rulo says, making a sour face and sliding the letter to Ophelia.

[planswalker]

Ophelia takes the letter reads it, and says, "I think I know a guy in the black market that can get us temporary glamours. I'll go see what I can find. Meet you three tomorrow morning."

Without a further word, the third companion in your party walks off to go get disguises.

[Toliudar]

The Voice seems visibly relieved. She had no idea how to pass herself off convincingly as a maid. She turned to Rulo.

"I traveled a great deal to be here today, and would very much appreciate a few hours to rest and reflect. Would you be offended if I slept for a short while?"

Planswalker, Voice hasn't really done anything yet. Would it be easier on you if I were to rebuild her as something like a beguiler or bard?

[planswalker]

hello? Cardea?

[Cardea]

Ashleen Rulo

"None at all. It would do us all good if you did, in all actuality." Rulo says, considering the possibility herself.

FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU

[Toliudar]

The Voice nodded, and slid off weapons and pack before curling up on top of the blankets into a kind of foetal position. It had been a long, confusing day.

[planswalker]

The two of you fall asleep almost at once. About an hour before dawn, you awake with a start. Ophelia is standing over the three of you with bonnets in her fist.

"Got them." She says cheerily.

[Toliudar]

The voice awakes with a start, her hand clutching under the pillow for a black-bladed knife. She rolls over, the blade out, and relaxes only slightly as she realizes that it's Selria and...bonnets.

"Er. Well done."

She goes to pour water into the basin to freshen up a bit, to remove the dirt of yesterday's journeys from her face.

"I can make myself look a bit less threatening by leaving my spear and sling back on Sig when we go in. You are welcome to do the same. If we're caught, being armed isn't likely to help anyway, and Sig is more than capable of discouraging thieves. But as for what is expected of servants and the like, I have no experience with this. Selria, you will be able to speak for us when we go in?"

[planswalker]

"The bonnets will work for six hours after you put them on before the disguise fades. They will wrap you in an illusion of a maid's outfit. It will also attempt to tweak anything you have on you to match the costume. Still, best not to push it too far. They only cost me ten gold each."

[Toliudar]

The Voice feels for her rather depleted purse and grimaces.

"Well, I paid for the room. I may need to repay you after we've had an opportunity to find other means of acquiring a few coins while on the road. The bonnets are an excellent idea, though. Well done."

She accepts one, but doesn't put it on just yet.

"Perhaps we should wait until we're closer to the north gate, just in case? It would seem like a bad idea to draw attention of any demons that are looking for the use of magic in the streets. But...I appreciate the opportunity to have slept at least a bit. Why don't we go down and grab a fast bite of breakfast?"

[planswalker]

"Oh, no need to pay me back. You did pay for the room after all."