From the Dark

[Saskia]

Jeremy
The morning greets you in high spirits in the Hawks' Aerie, one of Skuld's finer establishments for the weary (and wealthy) traveler. A human man of middling age named Akil with a refreshing curiosity about the outside world unshared by his national brethren seems to have no end of questions regarding your strange goddess and the purpose she has for you. His head is shaved clean, with two blue circles painted on his forehead, which he has informed you is indicative of his station as a well educated and well respected man, himself a wizard and master engineer and proudly tells you that he is in charge of Horustep the Third's tomb, and that construction is nearly complete. The barmaid, a tall, young, and lovely human woman with a rather sensual way of swinging her hips as she walks seems untrained in the art of subtlety and all too eager to refill a glass or clean one of the mahogany tables for a third time, apparently as interested in your stories as Akil but unwilling to impose. You find it difficult not to notice that the publican, a portly and quite pleasant fellow by your brief dealings with him, has trouble keeping his eyes off the girl any time she passes. At the very least, it seems unlikely that it's her blue linen dress that he finds so interesting so much as the contours of the body it so flatteringly covers.

For the amount of money this establishment must drain simply to maintain, it seems oddly quiet, with only you, Akil, the publican, the maid, and a pair of uncomfortable-looking elves sitting in a far corner, one with a hood drawn over his (her?) head and the other covering her ears with her dark brown hair. This is of course unsurprising, given the degree of animosity in Skuld and the surrounding areas toward nonhumans, and perhaps equally unsurprisingly the pair eat some unfamiliar green substance retrieved from the hooded elf's pack. The two speak lowly in an unintelligible language, but you regularly catch the unhooded one glancing nervously at you like a cornered rabbit trying to decide if it was safer to sit still or flee, and she seems to cease talking immediately any time you notice her looking at you.

The peace is broken by a voice from outside speaking briefly, at which Akil,
the maid, the publican, and the elves all freeze and listen curiously. Even muffled through the thick wooden door and stone walls the voice remains coherent; calm, stern, and forceful, and distinctly feminine, it reminds you of the Karuth who oversaw your odd condition. You can't understand the words spoken but it seems clear the voice's owner is displeased, and a weighty silence resumes before you can react.

Aurus
The morning is cold and the so-called City of Shadows lies beneath a blanket of fog. Amaunator's light brings strength to the land once more though, and soon enough the obfuscating earth-cloud will rise at His will. The fog jogs your memory, if only slightly, of one cool morning as a boy, watching from the Hlaungadath's precipice as the morning fog so far below dissipated before the sun's might. A simple memory without context, but a memory all the same.

So lost in the revery of your memory you've forgotten where you were going, but you snap back to reality when a young boy, perhaps 10 years of age, crashes into you, obviously fleeing from something. He looks fearful for a moment before stammering something in an indecipherable dialect, but by his clothing and demeanor it seems apparent he's a slave. He skittishly backs up, and looking at your weapon (which had not been seized on the strange order of a priest, complete with an official-looking letter, though you can't read it) he points to where he came from and says in heavily accented Common, Thay wizard! Thay wizard! He seems now too frightened to get back up, and stares expectantly at you with his shaking arm outstretched, still pointing down the fog-covered street.

Leah
After being turned from Thoth's temple in the early morning, you find yourself feeling suddenly very unwelcome in the City of Shadows. Worse, as if the gods themselves were mocking you, the morning is cold; colder than Skuld should be, even on the First of Ches. A chilling fog has moved in on the wings of a brisk breeze, and hangs with an uneasy weight over the ancient city's barren streets. Over the chill and fog, a voice rings out with unnatural clarity. It's a woman's voice, a stern contralto, though its origin and the words she uses remain indistinct. Looking around, the only other person visible is a young boy on some unkowable errand, obviously a slave by his general demeanor and worn-out clothing, who instantly flees.

As the mysterious voice speaks, the world ahead of you appears briefly to crack and twist violently before vomiting a strange-looking and badly beaten woman wearing what was once surely a magnificent suit of full plate armor onto the ground.

In the blink of an eye the ordeal is over, quickly enough that it might be mistaken for a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and tension if not for the woman groaning weakly with every breath on the ground before you; barely living proof that what you saw actually occurred. With a moment's glance your keen elven eyes show you that on one arm rests the remains of what was surely a massive shield of glistening metal before the top was rent by a single mighty blow, and the other arm is engorged, twisted and misshapen, ending in four claw-like protrusions rather than a hand. Her scabbard, finely crafted for a longsword, lies empty, and while most of her long black hair is braided and pinned against her head, the braids themselves have loosened, partially obscuring her face.

While your detailed knowledge of the Art informs you of many things, it's difficult to tell what just happened. It appeared to be a teleportation spell, but normally the caster cannot opt to exclude herself, and by her armor and condition it seems doubtful that the woman before you would be able to cast such a spell so injured and encumbered, if she even had access to that kind of power in the first place.

The street lies once again subsumed by a now-eerie silence, broken only by the woman's harsh breathing.


Mikaelus
The morning greets you with a harsh rap on the door. You were given a room at the Hawk's Aerie on orders of a matronly priestess who intervened the previous night when an overly aggressive priest of Horus-Re drew his sword. The argument was difficult to understand, not because of language but because of terms and practices of their religion which were unfamiliar to you. She insisted on confiscating your weapons while within the city's walls, but assured you that they would be returned to you when you left.

The first thing that struck you about the Hawk's Aerie is that it offers patrons private rooms, rather than just a spot to sleep. Second, everything is made with exceptional quality. Obviously this was an establishment intended for well-heeled travelers.

The knocking becomes harder, and is accompanied by the voice of a man who sounds slightly annoyed, asking you to open the door.

Talena
The gate to Skuld looked much closer than it was in the cold morning. Even from Captain's back the ride seemed to drag on for more hours than it should have. Thick fog blows in from the sea on a chilling breeze, but it seems to have trouble getting around the massive city walls to cover the front gate.

The caravan you had been traveling with, a largely halfling affair, had no intention of going to Skuld, having a strong and well-deserved reputation for being unfriendly toward nonhumans, even more than the rest of the land of Mulhorand. Still, it's widely known that Skuld, the City of Shadows, is one of the most populous city there is: Making a name in Skuld amounts to making a name in the entire East.

As you approach, you see the magnificent gatehouse is home to stylized painted relief carvings: Some ancient and weathered, some new and pristine. The specific iconography is foreign to you, particularly strange is the image of a woman with the head of a bull or ox with a circle between its horns, but from stories you've heard about Mulhorand and its people you suspect that this is probably one of the means by which the Mulhorandi people show reverence to their deities and dead kings.

When you get close, one of the eight soldiers at the gate shouts at you to stop in the Common tongue and walks toward you. You heard him say something brieflyto one of his compatriots, but you could only make out the name "Horustep" in the unfamiliar language, recognizing it as the name of the current pharaoh. The other guard laughs.

In common, he asks with a surprisingly pleasant tone, What is your purpose in Skuld, young lady?

[Amnestic]

Talena shows no outward concern at the fact that the guards were likely making a joke at her expense. "May need to hire a translator." She thinks to herself as she lightly tugs on Captain's reins to pull him to a stop beside the guard. Even atop her trusty steed, the small halfling was not that much taller than the man. Her green-gold eyes meet his as she attempts to judge his character. "Ah, it's nice to finally reach civilisation once more. Too long have I been away from it. My name is Talena Slyleaf. I have come to Skuld in search of three things: Adventure, Glory, and Culture. I have heard that Mulhorand is a shining jewel of a nation. I am a Bard by trade, you understand. I wish to discover just how a city as famous and beautiful as Skuld came to be."

She pauses for breath before continuing. "Take this gatehouse for instance. In my homeland on the Sword Coast a gatehouse is drab and boring. A thing of ugly metal and uglier stone built only for purpose and not for the eyes. But here? Beautiful painted carvings welcome each new person to the city. I want to understand the people who made this city what it is today." On her journey she had heard that the people of Skuld were a proud people who believed themselves greater than others. Flattery, therefore, seemed to be a good start. It wasn't even necessarily false flattery. The gatehouses of Baldur's Gate never matched the carvings she saw here, nor those at Athkatla. Even the scholarly Candlekeep was drab and practical rather than ornate. Whatever the people of Skuld were truly like, they did seem to know how to greet newcomers. At least art-wise.

Diplomacy check if required: [roll0]

[Toptomcat]

Jeremy
Jeremy does his level best to make a good impression on his host. He is impeccably dressed and groomed, as if he were a noble traveling with a wagonload of outfits and a valet rather than a footslogging traveler- dressed in a unique and striking style that looks largely Mulhorandi but subtly incorporates Suel touches in the clothes' cut and design, with a color scheme of red and black. In conversation, he capably emphasizes those elements of the Jasidin faith that are in harmony with Mulhorandi society in general and Akil in particular. Fortunately, it does not take a great deal of fancy footwork to make a goddess of Law, Magic and Death sound comfortably familiar to a wizardly tomb-builder from an authoritarian culture.

"...so the core of the dogma- and there are theologians within the Jasidan order who would be quite cross at me for putting it this simply, but you can't please everyone- is this. If you would succeed in what you set out to do- achieve happiness, influence, wisdom, whatever you've got in mind- you must know the Laws. Know the Laws of man, else you might end up in the clink or shorter by one head. Know the Laws of the psyche- the souls and natures of men, their temperaments and humors- so that you may live and prosper among your fellows without making enemies or provoking distaste."

His eyes twinkle with amusement, and for a moment he glances at the barmaid with the ghost of a smile.

"Know in particular that love and romance are the exception that proves the rule of a lawful universe- before them all iron laws of man's nature and temperament bend like reeds in the wind."

His attention returns to his host.

"Know the Laws of nature, so that you may accomplish great works."

He grins and indicates Akil with a gesture- implicitly acknowledging the man's expertise in his craft as well as the importance of the task he's charged with.

"Specially important among the natural Laws are the Laws of life and death- the material cycle of birth and death, the corresponding metaphysical cycle of souls, and the various means of shepherding these processes to ensure their smooth continuation. And the most important and powerful knowledge is knowledge of the Laws of Magic- mainly because you can use it to cheat most of the other laws."

Diplomacy attempt to favorably impress Akil and any other listeners: [roll0]

As a voice from outside intrudes and silence settles throughout the room, Jeremy lightly raps his spoon on a wineglass, creating a subtle chime that draws the room's attention back to him. It's a somewhat eccentric gesture, but one that few will think twice about: he is, after all, a foreigner, and therefore strange.

"Remind me, please- would the casting of a harmless spell to facilitate communication be permitted here, or do your laws prohibit foreigners from casting in public?"

If his host indicates that it will not be a problem, he casts Comprehend Languages. If it will be, he politely requests a translation.

Saskia only:
As the uncomfortable silence settles over the room, Jeremy comes to full alertness.
Uh-oh. Something's up. I need a read on the situation- help me out.
Yes, sir. Just a moment...
Anias manifests Empathy, trying to do so without display. Concentration: [roll1]. This will probably fail, since it's a DC 16 check: to cover the subtle mental 'chime' this creates in the heads of everyone within 15 feet, Jeremy times the chime created by his rapping on the wine glass to precisely coincide with the manifestation of the power. Bluff: [roll2] Then Anias begins reporting on the emotional states, sensations, and moods of everyone in a 30' radius.

Since Jeremy appears to be here alone, his spell selection is changed to better support independent action.
1st: 4+1 (Tongue of Baalzebul, Divine Favor, Glamour Costume, Sanctuary, Comprehend Languages)
2nd: 3+1 (Tyche's Touch, Bull’s Strength, Spiritual Weapon, Detect Thoughts)
3rd: 2+1 (Mark of Doom, Extended Cloud of Knives, Dispel Magic)

Currently cast on him:
Tyche's Touch: 24-hour spell. +4 bonus on the first save made in a day, then +3 on the second, and so on until +0 is reached.
Tongue of Baalzebul: Hour/level spell. +2 competence to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information.
Glamour Costume: Hour/level spell. As Disguise Self, but cosmetic/clothing/makeup changes only. (From the Core Beliefs article on the faith of Wee Jas in Dragon 350, page 29)
Conceal Thoughts: Hour/level power. +10 to social uses of Bluff, +4 on saves vs. mind-reading effects.

[RaggedAngel]

Leah
Leah's mind was in motion the moment she heard the caster's voice echoing through the air, and it was only moments after the injured knight appeared that she was moving to the woman's side. Dangerous, perhaps, but Leah had never been one to shy away from danger when there was something of import to be learned; and admittedly, she had a few faint scars to show for it. Elves, especially sun elves, usually healed quite cleanly, but that didn't seem to make a difference when barbed arrows were involved.

The woman before her was far more injured than Leah had ever been, and it was clear that she was not going to last long without intervention. Leah's hand went to her belt, and she mentally forged a connection with the magic woven into its strands; and her other hand went to the woman's chest, where she made a connection to the injured knight. Belt to herself, and from herself to the woman. There was a faint surge of light and warmth from under her hand, and she knew through a faint intuition that the majority of the woman's internal injuries had been repaired; though she still looked like she was in quite bad shape.

"Can you understand me?" Leah spoke in Elven out of habit and reflex, but after a half-second she realized the potential error. "Sorry. Can you understand me? Are you alright?" She repeated herself in the common trade language, the rough sounds and clumsy words uncomfortable on her tongue. She waited to see how the woman would react; on one hand, she was very eager to know what exactly had happened. On the other hand, the woman could be violent or crazy, and she would need to react swiftly in that case. She spoke quietly the words of a spell of binding, preparing for the eventuality in which the knight lashed out at her.

Using one charge from her Belt of Healing: [roll0]

She readies an action to cast Bands of Steel if the woman attacks her.

[Failed Phantasm]

Aurus, his thoughts still not yet altogther collected, merely arched an eyebrow and gave the boy sprawled on the ground a searching gaze as he tried to process what the child had said. '...'Thay wizard'?' he asked himself, knowing that the phrase should mean something to him, but not remembering exactly what. He stared at the boy for a moment as he pondered. 'Oh,' came the belated realization, 'a Red Wizard. Honestly, Aurus, you've been here long enough to know about them,' he chastized himself as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. Opening his eyes and looking back down at the slave boy, he still wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to do. Starting a fight in the streets, especially against a wizard but moreso against a Red Wizard, was likely to draw the attention of the authorities and if a stray spell were to be fired in the wrong direction, buildings could be damaged or destroyed and bystanders could very easily become injured or killed, at which point he doubted he would receive any leniency even if he were fighting a Red Wizard; Aurus had no particular desire to be on the wrong end of Mulhorandi justice.

'I suppose taking the boy to safety and alerting the Mulhorandi will have to do for now,' he decided. Aurus spared a glance to look back down the street, but he couldn't see through the fog no matter how intently he looked. 'Odd,' he thought to himself, 'if the boy had been spotted, it would be trivial for a wizard to silence or subdue him, but I don't hear anyone coming.' Furrowing his brow, he looked back at the boy and stretched out his hand to help the child get to his feet. Aurus asked slowly in Common, tinged with his own peculiar accent that was not quite free of Loross influence, "Where is the nearest temple of Osiris?" He then commented to himself dryly, 'Hopefully he understands 'temple' and Osiris' well enough." Though the Mulhorandi gods were as foreign to Aurus as he was to Mulhorand, it seemed that the people of Skuld had a very high opinion of Osiris's priests. "Perhaps you can better tell your story to them," he continued calmly and patiently, not knowing if he was even being understood but knowing that it was the tone of his voice that mattered, "and maybe they can help you better than I."

[Saskia]

Talena
The soldier smiles broadly. Well you've heard correctly, and it's good that you have some taste. His eyes wander to your weapons, and he adds We'd love to have you in the city. We will need to confiscate your weapons while you stay within the walls, of course. Not that we don't trust you, but the seat of the gods is home to very little violence and we'd like to ensure that it stays safe for our citizens and our visitors. I hope you understand, Miss.

Jeremy
Akil listens intently, looking perplexed as if somebody just said something incredibly stupid. He places his hand up as if to request silence until the voice stops, and draws his attention back to you when it does. I won't tell. Cast your spell, but the woman was speaking in Thayan and chastising her knight for disloyalty. He stops briefly, lost in thought, before muttering a curse in his native tongue. The barmaid motions for the elves to follow her to the second floor. Have you dealt with the Red Wizards before, Jeremy? Akil asks, apparently ready to vaporize whatever might come through the door, until a ragged shout of Bane's blood, cut it off! echoes, though muffled, through the door with the unsettling accompaniment of the unusual sound of muffled metal scraping violently against stone, as if somebody were tossing armored corpses around through the streets.

Well, sir, you seem to have charmed the lovely young serving girl quite thoroughly, but she's preoccupied with matronly feelings of protection since Mister Akil mentioned a red wizard. I believe I detected a hint of undirected suspicion as well; I don't think your wine glass gambit entirely covered us against her. There is a good chance that she is more clever than her station would indicate, so please be careful. The elves in the corner are confused and a bit fearful, and they're also passionately upset at one another. I suspect that it's just a young lovers' spat since they were still taking breakfast together. Before cowering and praying behind the bar, the barman was experiencing quite animalistic urges, though I admit the girl is very attractive, and Mister Akil is-- Anias stops short when the odd demand from outside. He continues hastily with obvious concern, No aggression, but I can't sense through the wall. Please find out what's going on outside, Jeremy.

Leah
The knight gasps harshly as she regains consciousness, obviously in incredible pain as her body wracks itself with seizures, tearing the closed wounds agonizingly back open as blood spills once again from between her armor plates and pooling in the dusty paved street. She says something breathlessly in a foreign language, then takes a breath and repeats it forcefully, but you still can't make out what she's saying. She takes a moment to control her seizures with what must be a supreme act of will and manages to shout roughly in the common tongue Bane's blood, cut it off! before losing control again, though her shielded arm remains motionless except where it's dragged by the seizures wracking her torso, she folds her legs reflexively into her chest as if she was freezing to death, with her monstrous arm twitching and writhing on the ground. Whatever is wrong with her seems to be much more than pain from the obvious physical trauma she's suffered; it looks as though she feels like something is shredding her from the inside as her skin reddens and blisters slightly and blood begins to seep from her eyes. You've seen these symptoms as well as others listed as symptomatic of a wrack spell during your early days as an apprentice wizard, of course without seeing the spell cast you can't be entirely certain the cause is not more mundane.


Aurus
The boy nods in understanding and stands, immediately taking off running with surprising speed, such that you can barely keep up. You hear some shouting as you follow the boy, but it's brief and the source is difficult to determine.

When you reach the temple, obvious by its fabulous construction even through the fog, the boy doesn't slow down and barges in, shouting. You barely have time to notice the gold trim lining individual blocks of the marbled floor or the lovingly stylized scenes surely depicting the great exploits of the respected god lining the massive chamber's walls before you find the uncomfortable silence of the two slaves cleaning the large foyer staring at you, obviously frightened and unsure what to do. Before you have time to say anything, a man who is obviously a priest with the now-familiar three blue circles painted on his shaved head strides out from an office down a side hall.You're no Thayan wizard, he says simply in Common, apparently recognizing you with some relief, though you don't remember ever having seen him. What is it the boy is so frightened about?

[Amnestic]

Talena hesitates for a moment. She generally wasn't a fan of being without her weapons. Not since her daring escape from the Raventree mansion in Waterdeep, anyway. Using crossbow bolts as climbing studs was unorthodox, but it did get the job done. "Not much choice, really." She thinks to herself, sighing.

"Very well. If entering the city is contingent on my surrendering my weapons, then I shall comply. I have no desire to cause trouble. However, these weapons are my possessions. I trust that I can receive proper records for them such that I can claim them back at any time?"

"Are all citizens and visitors besides soldiers such as yourself disarmed inside the city? Are there any exceptions?" She inquires, her voice sincere in its curiosity. She considers for a moment how different the atmosphere in some of the Sword Coast cities might be if people were all disarmed at the gate.

[RaggedAngel]

Leah

Leah's takes a single moment to draw in the situation, and the her mind neatly divides into three pieces, each tasked with a different objective. It was a technique she had learned at the very beginning of her training, and exercise in concentration and focus that could be extremely useful in situations that required more thought than the time allowed.

The first portion of her mind, the largest, recognized an either malign arcane or potentially demonic influence for what it was. The woman's affliction was simply not a mundane thing, and if it was, then her opinion of what mundane diseases could do needed serious reevaluating. She called forth her power, weaving together the threads of of the Weave in her mind, allowing Mystra's body to take form through her intellect and will.

As she wove the spell, the second partition of her mind considered the woman's heal and state of being. She was seriously injured, and despite a large burst of healing her wounds were reopening and growing worse with each passing moment. She needed to be healed by a true healer, or she would die. And so Leah called out for help as loudly as she could, in the rough common trade-tongue. She could not call for long, as her mouth was quickly required for the incantation of her spell, but it would hopefully be something.

And the final piece of her consciousness considered the demonic arm, and the woman's words to 'cut it off'. Leah had but a few long knives and her elven bow; while she could conceivably cut the arm off with a knife, it would be a gruesome and altogether too slow procedure, and then no one would be able to administer healing while she worked. She needed help, or this woman was not going to be free of whatever that arm was.

The first portion of her mind finished the spell, and with a few crystal clear words of High Elven and Draconic Leah cast a spell of protection and warding upon the knight. Healing a constantly-worsening person was a hopeless fight; and so Leah instead choose to strengthen the woman's body and mind, giving her the strength and will to fight her affliction. And if something was going to overwhelm her mind, the spell should prevent that as well. For a time, at least.

She calls for help as a move action and then casts Protection from Evil on the knight.

[Jopustopin]

Mikaelus

Mikaelus opened his eyes. His previous night's experience had caused some worry. It has been a long while since he had been unable to follow an argument and a reminder that people's nuances were always the most difficult to comprehend. It hadn't stopped Mikaelus from learning more on Horus-Re to pass the night.

Mikaelus opened the door unafraid and greeted the individual in Mulhorandi. While he wasn't expecting a visitor in the morning he had no reason to suspect that he would be the target of any violence. Besides, violent people don't often knock on the front door.

[Toptomcat]

"No, I-"

Jeremy pauses for a moment.

"I know the Thayans and Red Wizards only by reputation. And an impressively sinister reputation it is."

He reaches into his garments to touch the silver skull concealed therein, free hand gesturing precisely.

"My goddess, my obsession, mother-mistress-queen: Yag the Many-Eyed Traveler walked the Oerth, hearing the words of many peoples- and was never deceived, for she knew their Laws of speech. Grant your servant the ears of this honored ancestor."

(Cast Comprehend Languages.)

This said, he throws open the door. As a strange and disturbing sight greets him, he motions Akil to stay still and walks toward it quickly but deliberately- taking it in with an almost surreal calm.

Saskia:
Thayans...Thayans and Red Wizards...I remember something vaguely ominous from the briefings...
Psychic Knowledge DC 10: [roll0]
Knowledge (local): [roll1]
Knowledge (history): [roll2]
Neighboring mageocracy, with the Red Wizards the mages. Expansionist, unscrupulous, altogether bad business.

As Jeremy opens the doorway and is confronted with the sight of the convulsing, suffering knight (and who knows what else), he frowns. Confronted with an interesting and possibly deadly puzzle, he applies every mental resource, his mind working feverishly.

Jeremy examines the scene with Spot [roll3] and Listen [roll4]. He attempts to get a feeling of the trustworthiness or motives of both the convulsing knight (Sense Motive DC 20 [roll5]) and the girl tending him (Sense Motive DC 20 [roll6]), and to detect if the knight (Sense Motive [roll7]) or the girl (Sense Motive [roll8]) is under the influence of a Dominate (DC 15) or other enchantment effect (DC 25). He evaluates the scene with what he knows of spells (Spellcraft [roll9]), magic in general (K: Arcana [roll10]), and religious mysteries (K: Religion [roll11]), and examines it for the incongruities and failures of detail that would typically indicate an illusion (Will save [roll12]).
All this he does as quickly as possible. Active Spot and Listen checks are a move action, Knowledge checks a reaction, and Sense Motive 'generally takes at least 1 minute', but I am unwilling to wait that long and, if you'll permit me, will take a -10 or -5 penalty to the roll to rush it, like you can with Diplomacy. (I know that this'll make my bonus quite low, but high rolls happen.) Additionally, he readies an action to use Dispel Magic should the knight show signs of doing anything dangerous, such as beginning to glow or beginning to transform into something horrible.

As he does so, he motions for his host to stay inside and walks rapidly forward, trying to get himself at least fifteen feet from the nearest person.
Anias. I need a full analysis.
...that looks excruciating. Perhaps you should help-
I can't help anyone unless and until I know what's going on.
Sensible enough. Right away, sir.

Spot: [roll13] (note immunity to any mind-affecting and thus any [Pattern] and [Phantasm] spells)
Listen: [roll14]
Spellcraft: What ongoing spell effect is this, if any? (DC 20 + spell level) [roll15]
Psicraft: What ongoing power effect is this, if any? (DC 20 + power level) [roll16]
Knowledge (arcana): Is this some non-spell magical phenomenon? [roll17] Call to Mind: [roll18]
Knowledge (history): Is there record of similar suffering-knights-from-nowhere incidents in the region? [roll19]
Knowledge (dungeoneering): Does the deformed arm resemble that of some aberration? [roll20]
Knowledge (local): Is this a signature act of some particular local group? [roll21]
Knowledge (nature): Does the deformed arm resemble that of some known animal, fey, giant, monstrous humanoid, vermin, or plant creature? [roll22]
Knowledge (nobility and royalty): Is this some particularly notable fellow? [roll23]
Knowledge (the planes): Is this some planar magic, and does the deformed arm resemble that of some planar creature? [roll24]
Knowledge (psionics): Is this some non-power psionic phenomenon? [roll25]

If the street is packed and Jeremy can't get at least 15' away from any other person, Anias doesn't use Call to Mind on the Knowlege (arcana) check.

I don't mean to overwhelm you: feel free to ignore a skill check if the answer is 'nothing particularly interesting or relevant'.

[Failed Phantasm]

As Aurus followed the boy into the temple, he slowed from a run to a brisk walk and spared a few scant moments to take in the quiet splendor of the structure. The Mulhorandi were unlike the Netherese in the depiction of their gods - indeed, in the style of their artwork in general - with the Mulhorandi having a certain sense of realism in spite of the obviously stylized nature of carvings, the murals, the paintings and tapestries. As the boy charged deeper into building, resuming his alarmed shouting that echoed off the marble, he found himself staring at a pair of servants who looked as though they had been cleaning but were now frozen midway through their actions; the three of them shared a mutually awkward silence until a priest came striding down the halls towards Aurus. He sketched a respectful bow towards the priest and was privately relieved when the man first addressed him in Common instead of attempting Mulhorandi, of which Aurus knew only a scant few words that he had learned in his time in Skuld. "You're no Thayan wizard. What is it the boy is so frightened about?"

"I am afraid I do not know," he began carefully, but honestly, "only that we collided in the streets and he told me that he had seen a Thay wizard. He was very panicked and quite frightened, so I thought it best to bring him here and inform someone in a position of authority." Aurus rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before continuing with a slight note of apology in his voice, "Regrettably, I do not speak the tongue of your esteemed people, so I could not ask him directly about what he had seen. However, I know the Red Wizards by their reputation, and I did not think it prudent to ignore the boy." He had been about to add "even if he were mistaken" but Aurus did not want to undermine, even subtly, the boy's testimony. "He seems to have run off deeper into the temple, though."

[Saskia]

Talena
The guardsman shakes his head soberly. Whatever else it may be, Mulhorand is a nation of laws. They are still your weapons and armor, and what you get back will be the same things you gave to us. We take our duty as stewards of our guests' belongings very seriously. He waves for you to follow him as he turns to walk back toward the great gate. But, no, he adds, and clears his throat. The only people who are disarmed are foreingers. For the most part people here don't even feel the need to carry weapons, but a lot do anyway since it's a mark of a free man. Most of the people from Mulhorand know the laws and know not to break them, but a lot of times people from other lands don't know how deadly serious Horus' priests are about enforcement. Starting a drunken brawl is usually punishable by a few lashes, starting a brawl and drawing a weapon is almost always a beheading offense, and it's not usually people native to Skuld who do that sort of thing. Anyway, occasionally exceptions are made for certain visitors to keep their weapons and armor, but they're rare and need to be granted permission ahead of time by a high-ranking priest. The guard looks somewhat uncomfortable briefly as he opens a door in the side of the gatehouse, plastered, painted and carved to blend in with its surroundings. Smallfolk and elves aren't allowed in the walls at all without prior dispensation, Miss Slyleaf. Within, there is a small room, perhaps fifteen feet on a side, containing two small, weathered desks made from dark wood, and in the far corner a reed screen stands. The soldier sits down and takes up a pen. You can take your armor off behind the screen there if you need to change. He clears his throat again after a moment, and says Something you may want to know, most of the time when an elf or halfling is let into the city it's for reasons a moneyed young warrior like yourself probably has no interest in. No judgment if you do, that's your business, but most of the ones who are let in are, He pauses momentarily, looking for a diplomatic description, Guests of those those with a taste for the exotic. It's an illegal practice, but it's very hard to prosecute so it almost always goes unpunished. Just try not to act offended if people make that assumption. Getting upset always makes it worse with these people.

Leah
Casting your spell, the woman seems to calm. Her body seizes no longer, and her breathing becomes a bit more regular. She is still shaking, and blood still seeps from her eyes, and she is still bleeding to death, but at least the process will be slowed now that she is no longer experiencing the agonizing seizures. She utters no sound except that of her breathing.

Now having a moment to take in the situation, she looks overall to be a large and robust and until very recently healthy woman. She is very tall. It's difficult to tell exactly from her current position, but it appears she would stand perhaps seven feet tall. Her shield arm, though currently appearing to be unresponsive, is powerfully muscled, her long neck is also broader than normal, and her armored thighs are almost as thick as an elven man's waist. Her now-pale face is decidedly feminine, if not particularly attractive, but her ethnicity is difficult to determine with the appearance of many small blisters. Seven arrows pierce her mithral armor's plates, none of them appearing to have struck anything vital, and impacts elsewhere are suggestive of large claw marks, or perhaps horns. There is little indication though of what might have cleaved her shield so cleanly. The nature of her arm is indeterminate. It appears similar to a choker's arm, being almost tentacle-like, but with more substance and structure with musculature and obvious skeletal structure similar to, though not exactly the same as, a typical humanoid.

You notice a door on the left side of the street open, and in the doorway stands a man, human but obviously not Mulan but wearing finery appearing similar to the Mulan style, possessed of an almost apathetic calmness as his eyes move thoroughly over you and the knight.


Mikaelus
Before you stands a tall, though no taller than you, well-fit and finely-dressed Mulan man; the priest from the day before. He doesn't look happy, but he wasn't in a particularly lovely mood the previous day, either. He says almost insultingly slowly in Common Skuld is not the place for peasants like you, child. Hathor's pet cow might get in my way, but step out of line you'll be put to the sword like all thieving scum in this glorious city. Are we clear, boy?

Jeremy
The street is empty as the cold morning air rushes in to greet you, save for the tortured knight and the woman casting protection from evil on her and the thick fog surrounding them both. The scene is reminiscent of a painting your abbot back on Oerth kept in his office, depicting the Taker kneeling over a dead soldier in a forest thick with fog. The old Karuth told you once that the fog symbolized the dominion of death and the importance of the last rites: Wee Jas' guidance could show him the way through the fog, but without that guidance the soldier would be lost forever, doomed to seek eternally a resting place he would never find.

After the elven woman casts her spell, the knight seems to calm down. Still in pain, still shaking and drawing ragged breaths, but her body no longer convulses, making it much easier to tell what's going on. Her plate armor is mithral, and judging by its condition it saved her life several times over. She is also powerfully built, perhaps twice your size or more, and tall, but the amount of blood in the street tells you at a glance she's not long for the world without immediate treatment.

Sir, her armor is beaten and her shield is broken, she's got a half-dozen arrows protruding from her body, and she's bleeding from her eyes. I'm afraid I can't determine anything of much further use. She seems to be feeling a mix of betrayal and some strange sense of, I'm not sure how to explain, almost smug pride? That doesn't adequately explain the emotion, but I don't know the details so I'm not able to relate it properly. Limitations of language, forgive me. Her arm appears to be like that of a skum roughly half through its transformation, but as far as I'm aware there is enmity between the aboleths that create them and the red wizards of Thay, and for that matter between aboleths and any quasi-civilized creature. I'm afraid I couldn't offer any insight on exactly what may have happened, but dropping a knight into enemy territory unarmed is a disciplinary tactic favored by some red wizards, presumably the wizards with enough minions to consider them disposable. More gruesomely, knights and soldiers who anger their masters are occasionally mutated and used as gladiators. Frankly I'm amazed how the Thayans can tolerate the red wizards. I'm reluctant to admit it, but evil and its effects on a populace really can be fascinating.


Aurus
The bald priest, perhaps forty years of age, nods a slow nod of approval. If he is concerned, he hides it well. Immediate action is good, but prudent action is better. Charging into battle alone against a wizard of unknown power would not have been a prudent course of action. He says something to one of the slaves, who responds with some deflation at the order, but nods and runs out the door. It is doubtful that any Thayan wizard would be so bold as to set foot in the city of the gods, but the Guardians of Skuld should be more than capable of pacifying any threat, if indeed there is a threat. You're free to take refuge here if you like.

[Toptomcat]

...well, I suppose I'm never getting a proper explanation for this if I let her just bleed out and die. That would be a disappointment. And Thayan or no, I suspect the Mulhorandi would be similarly put out if she up and dies before they have a chance to properly charge and sentence her for trespassing, or whatever it is they do around here.

The finely-dressed man approaches the fallen knight and the woman attending her, expression changing from eerie calm to wary courtesy.

"Good evening, miss. Do you speak Common? Ryūgo o hanashimasu ka? Whichever's the case, you can speak whatever you like, I've got Comprehend Languages up.

Could tell me what happened here?"

Jeremy kneels down to examine the knight closely, frowning as he confirms his initial impression that she's bleeding out.

"Hold that explanation, actually, it looks like she won't last long and I'd rather she not just expire on the street. I'm going to try and heal her. Judging from that spell, you're an arcanist of some sort: could I count on you to give me some backup if she lunges for my throat the moment she regains consciousness?"

[Amnestic]

Talena hadn't expected to be relieved of her armour too, but she supposed that there was little she could do about it. She was just thankful she'd thought to pack her finer attire before going on this journey - running around like a commoner wouldn't really do.

She steadily begins unhooking and dropping her weapons down on one of the desk: her longsword - more for show than for actual fighting, it did the job well enough, her crossbow, and five daggers - two on her belt, one underneath the armpit, one on her chest and one in her boots. She can't help but smile bemusedly as she removes each one. "A girl's got to be prepared."

Talena can't help but laugh cheerfully at the guard's embarrassed explanation of what her kin are usually in Skuld for. She knew all too well the depths of depravity that people could get up to and if Halflings and Elves were usually forbidden from entering the city, that just made having them all the more...thrilling. "Not to worry, my good sir, I have quite a thick skin. With any luck my mandolin will help dissuade any such implications, but if not...well, I've been called worse before." She leans forward across the desk towards the guard, her face most definitely in his personal space. "I might even be okay with it." She adds in a sultry tone with a wink.

With that, she heads behind the screen and changes out of her adventuring chain mail gear into her "people-pleasing" clothes: A dark forest-green dress (cut above the knees - she found people enjoyed seeing a bit of leg) with a burgundy cloak, clasped with a silver brooch in the shape of the leaf of the birch tree. Her changing complete, she slips out from behind the screen. "Well then, I think I'm set. Is there anything else, or am I free to go?" While she wasn't overly cheerful about being disarmed, it was hardly the worst thing in the world. It was almost freeing, in a way, not to be weighed down by weapons and armour.

OOC:
Dress up: D&D Edition over here. >__>

[RaggedAngel]

Leah watches the man approach herself and the fallen knight with cautious apprehension, but she lowers her guard slightly when he greets her politely and intelligently. She remain quiet until he has finished speaking, her own fine features revealing little about her thoughts.

"I do speak the trade language," she replies in Elvish, "But why waste a good spell when I have the opportunity to speak a real language? And yes, please proceed healing her. She is mostly sane, it seems, and I have used a Protection from Evil abjuration on her, which seemed to have a dramatically positive effect on her condition and behavior. Even still, I will have a restraint spell readied if she lashes out."

She nods to the man once in a show of solidarity, and then she begins murmuring to herself faintly, her slender and graceful hands weaving through a delicate dance. As she murmurs, a very faint light gathers around her fingertips, leaving ghostly streaks in the air as she watches the woman.

[Toptomcat]

"Thank you kindly. Lemegeton."

The tips of Jeremy's fingers glow with white light momentarily before he touches the knight: on contact, the light flows into her body, bolstering and healing it.

(Spending one charge from the Belt of Healing for [roll0] HP healed.)

[Jopustopin]

Mikaelus

The human maintained a calm look at the priest but said nothing. What was there to say? The man had took the time out of his day to come find where Mikaelus was staying for the night to threaten and intimidate him. Clearly he was trying to goad Mikaelus into anger or fear.

Mikealus thought briefly which one to display to the man. Anger didn't seem advantageous at all for his situation but he didn't see how fear would really help him out all that much either. In his readings it had seemed that none of the Mulhorandi really liked Hanthor and it wasn't really in his best interest that one of them had tried to stand up for him. It was a huge oversight that Mikaelus had not asked about common rules before entering Skuld, but then he was in a hurry to get here.

Mikaelus' thoughts past before him in the blink of an eye. Finally he choose to say nothing and continued to look at the man with a blank, albeit somewhat uncaring expression on his face.


Sense Motive: [roll0] (Use an inspiration point for this "encounter")

I don't have that much to go on as to what is the priest's motivation for taking an interest in Mikaelus. As far as why Mikaelus is even in town, the only thing I have to go on is that he's meeting up with Leah for some reason.

[Saskia]

Jeremy and Leah
The woman seems more lucid now. She tilts her head heavily to look toward Jeremy and squints through her red-hazed eyes. Blood no longer oozes from her face and cleansing tears try to take their place, but something seems off about her gaze. Where is this? she asks weakly between heavy breaths. I thought I was being banished to Skuld. You don't sound Mulan.

As she speaks a well-built man in white linen finery walks loudly out the door. He looks vaguely concerned, but only watches and listens. Across the street a door opens and a young man peers curiously from the doorway.

Jeremy
The women are arguing over If it weren't obvious, sir, she is afraid and confused. I also detect a hint of aggression; that might be her natural fear response or it might be something else. Please be careful.


Talena
The guard smiles a jovial smile as he hands you a slip of stiff parchment and says I can think of a few things I'd like, Miss, but I wouldn't want to hurt you. He leans forward almost immediately and loses his smile. Frivolous propositioning aside, if you don't mind my asking, who did you impress to be allowed in? We only got word you were coming and what you look like, but no details. That's not normal. We've had a few other strange orders come down in the last few days too. He clears his throat again and continues You haven't done anything wrong and I won't detain you and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm not trying to intimidate you, but it's abnormal and might help us both out if anything happens.


Mikaelus
There's a hint of jealousy in the priest's tone, the sort of jealousy that seems universal to wealthy nobles whose daughters or wives threaten the status of the family or their own pride by taking a shine to you. Given the man's age, it's probably his daughter rather than his wife. This particular individual just seems more aggressive about it than most.

At your lack of response, his arm clenches briefly as if to strike you, but he thinks better of it and turns to leave, looking purposefully not at you as he rounds the corner to the common area and presumably out the door judging by the number of paces he takes, seemingly as loudly as possible.

The increasing tension between the theorcratic Mulhorand and magocratic neighbors Unther and Thay would certainly pose an interest to Mystra, since they all three possess relatively high numbers of powerful spellcasters, and the red wizards in particular are capable of wielding magic on a level unavailable to most mortals. This might put the Weave in the region in an unstable position, should war break out and mortals abuse their mystical powers too heavily. Being fairly influential in the church, testing the waters and helping out a fellow servant of the Weave Goddess seem like perfectly reasonable reasons to be there.

[RaggedAngel]

Leah carefully reaches forward to brush her hair back, the gesture distinctly maternal. "It is okay. We are friends, and you are relatively safe. You are, however, in Skuld, and this is the kind of place that I would banish someone if I had to do it.

Now is not the time to discuss that, however; I have cast a spell of protection on you, but it has a short duration and I am concerned about what will happen when it expires. Were you earnest when you told me to cut your arm off? Is it demonically possessed?" She looks to the man next to her, the concern clear in her eyes.

[Amnestic]

Talena lets out a sly giggle. "When you live a life of excitement and adventure like mine, you tend to come across a few people who can pull strings in the right places." She pauses for a moment, debating whether to tell the guard the truth or not. Shrugging her shoulders, she continues, "Truth be told, I don't actually know. After one of my adventures, a message was delivered to me inviting me to Skuld. It lacked any signature. I decided to accept, partly out of curiosity as to who sent for me and partly out of curiosity as to the city itself. I'd tell you if I knew." That was the truth, though she wasn't sure if he believed her.

The 'strange orders' bit was potentially concerning. More "foreigners" like her, perhaps? Could be someone was planning on building a team for something. Wouldn't be the first time she'd been part of something like that, though usually she didn't have to travel quite this far. Or it could be a huge coincidence and utterly unrelated to her. Time would tell.

[Toptomcat]

No, probably not. But let's see what she knows- or is willing to tell us- about it.

"You're a very lucky woman, you know. A whole city full of Thayan-hating Mulhorandi and you ended up near two foreigners- one student of the Art and one of the Power. We're probably your best hope for proper care of your current difficulties within fifty miles."

[RaggedAngel]

Leah catches on to something the man says, and it takes her a fraction of a second to consider the probability of what just happened, given the average size of Mulhorand and Skuld and the number of people within that could be considered foreigners; and among those, the number that had talents in the Art or the Power. She murmurs in Elven, mostly to herself but loud enough to be overheard. "It is extremely unlikely this was random chance."

[Toptomcat]

Jeremy looks distant for a moment, then shrugs.

"Terribly unlikely things happen all the time. Hold a lottery for every citizen in a city of twelve million, and the odds of any one of them winning are very small. But if John Smith, the bartender at the tavern, wins the lottery, the fact that the odds of that one person in particular winning the lottery were twelve million to one doesn't mean that he couldn't possibly have won by chance alone. Someone had to."

[RaggedAngel]

Leah narrows her eyes, contemplative. "Even still, magic was involved. Whether divine or arcane, all workings of the Weave are in some small way a reflection of Mystra's will. We should be watchful."

[Toptomcat]

Really? Sounds like quite a contrast from Boccab.
"A good general principle on any occasion. As for Mystra...hmmmm. I must discuss metaphysics with you some time."

He looks at the bleeding woman at his feet.

"But now is not that time. Can you stand, madam? Whether we can help with your recovery or not, the middle of a crowded street is not the best place for it."

He holds an arm out for her to pull herself up with, touching it to the back of her unaltered hand in case her vision is not fully restored.

[Jopustopin]

Mikaelus

With the priest leaving Mikaelus slowly closed the door. He had been prepared for the blow and internally was somewhat disappointed it hadn't been delivered. The priest might still be harboring ill feelings that a superficial smack to the face might have alleviated. Mikaelus had spent his first years as a slave, after all. Another slap wouldn't have bothered him.

Mikaelus continued to get ready for the day and collected his belongings. The previous day he had purchased local garb and spent thirty minutes subtly altering his appearance to better appear Mulhorandi. Genetically Mikaelus was a Rashemen and he spent his formative years as a slave in Thay. Passing as a Mulhorandi wouldn't require anything more radical than adopting the cultural attire, hair style, accent, and a little bravado.

With his appearance better suited at not drawing the type of attention he had received yesterday he left his room and walked into the common area. He gave the host a greeting in Mulhorandi and blessed his inn.


Mikaelus will use an inspiration point on his disguise check for a total modifier of +11. Really, if they "see through" the disguise it doesn't look like Mikaelus is trying to be sneaky, they just notice that he's not Mulhorandi and is dressed like one. Not really a show stopping event. Also disguise to hide his mithral chain shirt under his attire (not sure if that's a rule or not, if wearing armor under clothing is frowned upon here I'll probably not do this. Let me know).

Assuming nothing eventful happens in the common room, Mikaelus will spend some time using gather information to learn the general idea of a city's major news item.

Gather Information: [roll0]Used an inspiration point

Assuming nothing interesting happens he would have tipped the proprietor or host he met in the common room as well as purchased a drink for anyone who gave him information.

[Failed Phantasm]

Aurus inclined his head respectfully towards the Osirian priest and replied, "I thank you for your hospitality. I think I shall remain for a while, in the event that you have need of my service." With another slight bow from the waist, Aurus took his leave of the priest and began to wander deeper into the temple, his steps slow and measured but ultimately aimless. 'What was I even doing before I came here?' he asked himself, half-chastising himself for forgetting, breathing a soft sigh as he massaged the back of his neck with his right hand. Walking through a broad doorway set into the north wall of the foyer, he entered what appeared to be a large common area where there were a few Mulani kneeling or prostrating themselves before statues that lined the walls of the chamber. Aurus turned to his right and paced slowly along the perimeter of the room, taking care to make little noise so as not to disturb the others' prayers. Finding a quiet spot in the southeast corner of the room, he leaned back against the south wall and looked up, appraising the carvings of the sun set into the stone of the high ceiling and of the birds of prey depicted with such lifelike care that Aurus first mistook them for real birds that the priests were keeping in the temple. 'What should I do now?' he wondered, with another quiet sigh.

"[[Damn it!]]' he swore quietly in Loross, pounding the wall behind him with a clenched and gauntleted fist, though the sound was thankfully somewhat muffled by the lack of force behind the gesture. 'What is wrong with me? I can't even remember what I was doing ten minutes ago.' Aurus glanced back up at the ceiling, staring intently at the carving of the sun for a long moment before dropping his gaze back down to the marble floor and surreptitiously sliding a hand into the pocket where he kept his holy symbol, gently fingering the pointed edges that represented the sun's rays. 'Perhaps Osiris will be kind and forgive me the small sacrilege of praying to another god from within one of his temples.' Leaning back against the wall entirely, Aurus slowly slid down into a sitting position and hung his head, eyes closed and lips moving wordlessly as he offered a silent prayer to Amaunator.

[Saskia]

Jeremy and Leah
The knight grunts and curses, but quickly forces herself up to a sitting position with her powerfully altered arm, and looks toward the ground. By the way she moves it's obvious that she can't move her shielded arm. She speaks, but it is with a subdued tone, like a freshly beaten slave more than a knight. It wasn't Mystra's Weave that brought me here, it was Shar's. She breathes deeply and heavily as though so many words were a burden. And it's not a demon, it was a wizard. I'll help however I can, just don't make me go back.

The priest sighs and shakes his head, but walks around to the knight's side, throws her altered arm around his neck, and with some difficulty lifts her to her feet. He nods to Jeremy to follow suit. Into the inn. Neither of you happen to be a physician, I suppose.

Talena
The soldier nods with a smile. I understand. He stands and maneouvers deftly around the desk to look out the door, clears his throat again, and shouts to one of the guardsmen outside, who opens a human-sized door in the massive wood-and-steel gate, which hadn't yet been opened for the day, or maybe it just wasn't normally open. Just hold on to that slip, Miss. We can get you a new one without much problem, but it might take a day to scrounge up the paperwork while you're in jail.

Passing through the door almost feels like passing into another world. The fog hadn't managed to find its way around the front gate, but it had certainly filled the city, making the cool morning feel even colder, and it doesn't take long for the refreshing briskness of the morning mist on your legs to turn to uncomfortable cold. It's difficult to see more than a few yards, and there is very little to hear aside from some low chattering in the Mulhorandi tongue sporadically along the edge of the streets. It's almost as if the city itself is sleeping off a hangover through the cold, quiet morning.

On the side of the street what few people are outside offer you strange looks as you approach. No hostility or even distaste for your presence is immediately obvious, but the impression that you don't belong is distinct.


Mikaelus
In the lobby, which seems to double as a sort of bar, the only people are the proprietor, a rotund and well-mannered fellow in his 30s and a beautiful young woman, maybe nineteen, in a simple but flatteringly cut blue dress talking lowly toward the back of the room, as well as a man of middling age with his head shaven near the front door, stroking his chin and watching the goings-on in the street with idle curiosity. When the girl notices you she immediately turns her attention and moves before you, placing her hands on your chest and pushing you back. She says lowly, her voice calm and steady, almost matronly as her dark brown eyes rise to meet yours, Please don't go outside, there's a soldier from Thay out there. The man by the door looks back briefly, but returns his curious gaze to the outside. We don't know anything else but there's a Claw of the Sun and Ankh outside, he'll take care of it. Just stay inside and you'll be safe.

Some quiet words are spoken outside, but all you make out is ...happens to be a physician, I suppose. The pitch and smugness in the voice are unmistakable as the priest from last night and again only moments ago.

Foreigners are usually prohibited from possessing armor or weapons, but you would probably know from experience that if you take 10 you wouldn't even need an inspiration point to hide a dagger or your armor with most people, and it'd be almost impossible for most people to figure it out if you did use an inspiration point. I get the feeling that's not exactly how inspiration points were intended to be used, but technically you're supposed to roll the disguise when somebody searches/spots/whatever, so I'd say it counts as an "encounter" for which you can be inspired.

Assuming he's not willing to risk beheading if he is caught, then he has a claim slip for his weapons and armor which will be returned when he leaves the city.

Aurus
As you pray a soothing confidence slowly replaces uncertainty. Those who recall his name believe Amaunator to be dead, but that was clearly untrue. The soft strength of the morning sun continued to greet every new day, just as it had done since long before even Netheril. Even now you can feel His power, just as you and the rest of the world beneath his eternal sun would feel until the end of days.

The latent effects of the gem-prison are not fully dispersed it seems, but you recall your purpose in Skuld. Seeking purpose in memories, you made the trek to Skuld to meet with a priest of Thoth named Amun who was among the foremost experts in the Fall of Netheril, but just last night you had found out he had been murdered in his home a week before by strangulation. Because the investigation was still underway, no information about the suspects, motives, or anything else of real import could be disclosed. Amun had been eagerly expecting you, though, as one of his attendants revealed. He gave you a thick book that Amun had apparently wanted to give you, but its contents were bizarre: The book seemed to contain nothing more than trivial information that any modern idiot might know just by osmosis upon hearing the name "Netheril"; the prevalence of magic, a cursory description of the Enclaves, an almost insultingly simplistic explanation of what mythallars were... Certainly not the sort of thing you expected from a leading expert on the late-period history of the empire.

[RaggedAngel]

Leah curses in Draconic when she hears 'Shar's weave'. She scans the street, her keen eyes and ears watchful for danger. "I am not a healer, milady, but I can at least protect you better than most. Again, though, I must repeat my question; what was afflicting you before I cast my abjuration? It will not last forever, and when it expires we need to know how to help you."

[Saskia]

Jeremy and Leah
She grimaces as the priest pulls her to her feet, but she smiles weakly at him, appreciating the effort and the fact that he hadn't just executed her in the street. Forgive me, I can't express my gratitude. She pauses painfully for breath, but continues slowly I'm not a wizard. I know it's a third-degree enchantment my late master concocted. He wanted to make gladiatorial fights more entertaining. All I really know is that it's not supposed to be fatal, but it was much less painful in its earlier stages.

[Amnestic]

Storing the receipt in one of her pouches, Talena gazes out at the foggy Skuld with a sense of distinct disappointment. She'd been hoping for bustling streets of people with merchants and entertainers and the like. Smells and sounds of all kinds. "Well, I'm in. Now what?" She mumbles to herself as she rubs her chin with thumb and finger. She should've perhaps asked the guard about that a translator, but too late to go back now. Her decisive stride guaranteed she could not return without losing face. She should probably follow up on her 'invitation'...but she was honestly not sure where to begin. Perhaps the local government could assist her?

With a graceful sway, she semi-casually wanders over towards the nearest local(s). "Pardon me!" She begins in her crispest Common, bright smile plastered across her face. "I was just wondering if you could direct me to the local place of governance - city hall, official place of legislation, or temple. That sort of thing. I apologise if this seems odd, I'm new to Skuld and am trying to find my way around."

[Toptomcat]

Jeremy nods, slowly and thoughtfully.

"With independently invented spells, of course I can make no promises. But it's more or less unheard-of for a third-degree enchantment to actually kill someone outright. And I am not aware of any third-degree spell that I cannot eventually undo, given help from an arcanist, which I have. And the right spells."

He frowns.

"Which I do not have, and will not have until tomorrow morning. That's a long time to be in pain. And, of course, I have no real idea of how far I can trust you, with unknown mind magic doing its work on you."

Or without it, for that matter.

As they get to the steps, he grunts with the added effort of getting her upstairs.

"Fortunately, I have a simple solution in mind for all of these problems that has nothing to do with magic."

They reach the inn, and he awkwardly shifts to hold the woman up with only one hand as he opens the door.

"Publican! A full bottle of that charming strong wine that burned on the way down, please. I believe you called it shepenet."

The cheapest strong stuff in the house, as I recall.

He helps the woman into a chair, pours a full beer mug of the potent liquor, and hands it to her.

"Simply drink yourself into insensibility. It will kill the pain, buy time for the enchantment to run out by itself, prevent you from attacking us if some yet unseen aspect of the spell compels you to, and give me a chance to pray for the proper spells in the morning."

[RaggedAngel]

As soon as the woman mentions that her affliction is an enchantment, Leah begins muttering to herself, speaking several ancient words in both the High Elven and Draconic tongues. She closes her eyes, her brow knitting for a moment, and when she opens them again they glow with a pale grey light.

She speaks and concentrates on the woman as Jeremy helps the knight walk. "I can prepare a dispelling abjuration in fifteen minute's time. Give me a moment to better see what I'm dealing with here, and then I can attempt to remove it. Damn the Thayans and their experiments. The world would be better if they would just hurry up and get on with the process of stabbing each other in the back."

She casts Detect Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectMagic.htm), concentrating for the full three rounds. She takes care to make sure that Jeremy is included in the spell's area. Her Spellcraft modifier is a +19.

[Toptomcat]

"And I can cast a Dispel right now- but I don't want to dispel your Protection from Evil, and don't particularly care to try to tackle a mystery spell like this without more specialist tools like Remove Curse or Ease Pain, perhaps with an Augury or two. Active anti-dispel measures- some of them quite deadly- are rare but not unknown."

And I want this woman out like a light. I don't trust any of this, I want time to think- not to mention find out if it's even legal to treat her, or do anything other than promptly hand her over to the priesthood of Horus-Re for swift execution.


RaggedAngel:
Wow, there's a lot to sort out. Six faint ongoing spell auras on and around Jeremy: an Illusion, a Transmutation, an Abjuration, and three...somethings...that aren't of any known arcane school and aren't Universal. His clothes detect as magical with a faint aura of no specific school, but something about the aura seems off for robes or whatever. Something at about waist level detects with faint conjuration: you'd bet a belt if you couldn't clearly see that he isn't wearing one. Two more just like it are kind of floating around just behind his back, with no visible means of support. There's a choker on his outfit with a tiny, decorative red skull clasp that detects with faint evocation. A cloak radiating Moderate transmutation. Two unknown objects on his person detect as having persistent spell effects on them: one faint evocation, one overwhelming universal.

There are also about half a dozen other magic-item signatures that you can't seem to get a proper lock on, for location or school.

[Jopustopin]

Mikaelus

Mikaelus stared boldly into the girls eyes with a half smile. "You saved my life." he said clearly joking as nothing even remotely dramatic was occurring. Mikaelus then squinted mock suspiciously and looked past her outside before returning his eyes back into hers. Suspicion turned to understanding before he gave the girl an accusing look. "You made that up as an excuse to touch me didn't you." He sighed loudly. He then turned to the other patron with an exasperated look and raised up both hands as if he was giving up.

"Well if you want me to stay in here you'll have to purchase me a drink and tell me your name." Mikaelus said with a straight face.

[Saskia]

Talena
A young man and woman in battered linen clothing look down curiously at you from their quiet conversation as you speak. The man points noncommittally down a side street with his thumb, though the thick morning mist doesn't allow you to see whatever he's indicating until a few minutes later when the street opens up into a large square with a massive fountain consuming the surrounding fog. For the first time since entering the city you can see more than a few yards before you, making visible more people than you've seen so far: A pair of soldiers passing on their rounds chatting, a trio of children sitting by the fountain, enthralled with the story their mother is telling them, and a few slaves passing quickly by on errands. There are more people than you've seen so far, but not enough to break the serenity of the quiet morning, and without the sharp chill of the fog the cool morning is actually quite pleasant. Past the fountain and the children and their mother stands a large building with a broad dome on the top, plastered and carved similarly to the gatehouse. The doors are tall and wide, and left open, revealing a huge statue in the foyer. The images on this facade are less ornate however, with deliberate focus in the iconography on the images of a hawk and the sun.

Mikaelus
The portly barman watches your exchange with his serving girl with what is clearly a sort of macabre interest, the way a man might watch before a lioness mauls its unsuspecting prey. The show is interrupted however when the man at the door steps to the side as two men carrying a tall, armored, and powerfully built woman through. The first thing that strikes you is the woman's monstrous left arm, looking like some mutated monster out of some ancient Netherese ruin. Only after that do you notice the terrible beating she and her armor have taken and the fletched shafts still protruding from her torso, and finally the unpleasant priest and another man wearing what appears to be a foreign interpretation of Mulhorandi fashion in spite of his obvious lack of Mulan blood. Angry as she might be, the girl instinctively places herself between you and the woman being dragged in, even after she's placed in a large and sturdy (and very expensive-looking) chair.

Jeremy, Leah, and Mikaelus
The barman grimaces as the woman covered in rigid metal plates is placed into one of his very expensive chairs, though he makes no complaint and promptly motions to the gorgeous girl in blue with the bottle to take it over. So I have a few minutes to drink until I black out. In spite of the doubt thick in her voice she lifts her massive arm and takes the large mug awkwardly in her misshapen hand and quickly downs its contents.

The girl is obviously terrified of the woman, but asks anyway, still in Common, Is there anything I can do?

[RaggedAngel]

OOC: To clarify, Leah and Mikaelus have known each other for a few months now, and have been traveling together. He has been helping her get to the city, where she was planning on meeting a mystic theurge of Thoth. Unfortunately, they found out when they arrived that the old man had passed away. That was yesterday.

Leah looks to Mikaelus when she entered the room, surprised to see him. As hectic as things had been for the past minute or so, she had nearly forgotten that this was the very inn that she and Mikaelus were staying in. "We have a situation," she says to the brilliant young man in Common.

"This woman has been teleported against her will and cursed with some foul enchantment that may or may not be killing her. We need security, and I'm concerned that whoever or whatever did this to her might attempt to finish the job. Damned Thayans."

[Amnestic]

Talena takes a moment to gaze upon the square before her. Really quite striking, and the lack of people actually worked in its favour in this case. As she strolls past the fountain, she gazes into it. If there are coins in the fountain basin, she retrieves one and flicks it into the bubbling water while thinking a silent wish, "Hope this all turns out okay." It was informal, but sufficient. She casts a glance and smile at the children and their mother before moving on to the large domed building. Gazing up at the sun and hawk icons, she takes a moment to ponder if she recalled any specific information about them.

With her knowledge (or lack thereof) dealt with, Talena immediately begins searching for someone who seems to work at the building, with the direct intention of asking about the 'invitation' she received.

Knowledge (Religion): [roll0]

[Saskia]

Talena
Entering the temple to Horus-Re you're met with an empty antechamber. You hear the echoes of some sermon spoken deeper within, just past the next door. It seems odd that you couldn't hear it from outside, given the speaker's forceful voice, but buildings carefully constructed with acoustics in mind are no stranger to you. Following the voice up a short set of stairs you see the main chamber: Part church sanctuary, part courtroom, part meeting hall, illuminated by a floating mote of light near the dome's focus bright enough to light up the entire chamber, perhaps a hundred-sixty feet in diameter. It seems well able to hold numerous government and social functions, though at the moment there are only what appear to be a couple dozen priests near the center of the stadium-like construction. This must be the priests' daily Greeting of the Lord prayer. Standing at the top of the steps is a Mulan soldier who looks down at you, apparently somewhat surprised to see a halfling but he only motions for you to remain quiet.

A few short minutes later the ceremony ends and the soldier asks you in Common Are you lost?

[Amnestic]

"Aren't we all?" She replies with a wistful philosophical tone in her voice. "I'm new in town. The guards at the gate indicated that Halflings like myself aren't usually allowed in. I received an anonymous invitation which allowed me entrance."" She pats down her pouches, confirming that the note was still where she left it, and indeed it was. "So I was hoping to talk to someone in charge who might help me track down just who sent it. Someone in records or some other governmental worker. I would assume that whoever sent it is quite important."

"Oh!" She stops suddenly. "I need to introduce myself. I'm Talena Slyleaf. Pleasure to meet you."

[Jopustopin]

Mikaelus


He watched her walk into the doorway even as he took in the entire scene at once. His mind was like that, often he could focus on his own thoughts even while some part of him figured through the issues of a problem. Not for the first time his main thoughts had dwelled on Leah. He had fallen for her like only a teenager could: recklessly and with no knowledge of what a broken heart feels like.

Mikaelus knew he had given no signs of his infatuation. He ignored her for the most part and turned his attention and charm on everyone but her. He sometimes would obviously ignore her, like a child playing a game. But, the coincidences that kept them travelling together would eventually mount up. Eventually it would be one too many. Leah was smart, Mikaelus knew that, it was why he liked her; she was perhaps even smarter than he was (although in a much different way).

After there last exhibition it had seemed like they would part ways. Mikaelus had found out that Leah was travelling to Skuld after overhearing people talk in the library. Later when he randomly bumped into her (something that was of course not random) he had casually led the conversation to his childhood in Mulhorand. Eventually she had learned about his extensive knowledge on the area and as the conversation devleoped Leah had found out that Mikaelus was proficient in Mulrandi and that he would love the opportunity to visit the area again. It had been Leah's idea to ask Mikaelus to join her. He had reluctantly agreed but only if she agreed to give him her headband of intellect (He acts like she's borrowing it so that she can "keep up" with him in conversation while she insists that she never agreed to such terms in the first place).

The truth, in Mikaelus' experience, was ugly. People loved coincidences and mystery and so he played that part. In truth Mikaelus had never set foot in Mulhorandi and taught himself the language simply to have a reason to travel with Leah. It hadn't been the first time that Mikaelus learned an entire language for her. Before that he had taught himself Elven to try to impress her. He had made the mistake of it sounding too perfect, his accent clearly sun elven, complete with local dialect that he had heard Leah say. Never, ever appear too perfect. It raises too many questions. Learning elven had backfired slightly, although not terribly. He hadn't had a lie prepared when she had questioned him on it and so he had just smiled at her and shrugged mysteriously. Anytime she brings it up he either says nothing or makes up an over the top, ridiculous story usually involving a donkey braying out random sun elven words, or some such.

Her mind had a tendency to tunnel vision, but it would eventually turn it's spot light on Mikaelus's intentions. He had already worked through the conversation. It would come up, he assumed, when some part of her realized that Mikaelus always had the skills she needed at the time. Although his next trick was for her to have the skills he needed for an assignment so that he could hire her. He wondered how long he could keep the game going. Years hopefully...

While his mind worked on why someone would teleport the knight into the middle of the town, the immediate situation seeemed to leap out at him from eight years ago on a book he read titled Lords of the Deep. A remarkable book really, considering the life-like illustrations that gave him the clue he needed to possibly solve this situation.

"I'd cast remove disease on her before it's too late." Mikaelus said while walking towards the knight and kneeling close to her arm. He then turned to the serving girl, "I'll need some rags, something with citrus if you have it, and anything with alcohol in it." He had a worried look to his eyes. And his request had somehow increased the tension in the room.


IC
If she falls for his request, he'll dab his forehead with the rags, squeeze the lemon or lime into his drink and drink the alcohol.

[Toptomcat]

"I'd cast remove disease on her before it's too late." Mikaelus said while walking towards the knight and kneeling close to her arm. He then turned to the serving girl, "I'll need some rags, something with citrus if you have it, and anything with alcohol in it." He had a worried look to his eyes. And his request had somehow increased the tension in the room.


Jeremy nods to this curious newcomer.

"You're talking about the arm? Unless you've seen this before, and have some reason to believe that alone will do the trick, I'll tell you the same thing I told the young lady about the spell on her: with no clear idea of what the issue is, I'd like to spend the night consulting local sages and libraries, pray for spells in the morning, then throw everything I can think of at it: take Dispel Magic, Remove Disease, and Remove Curse as the starting point, maybe Invoke the Cerulean Sign, probably amputation and some cure spells to keep that from resulting in complications. Any other ideas?

Jeremy Dodd, by the way."

He extends a hand to shake.

[Jopustopin]

Mikaelus

He squeezed the lemon into the drink that the barmaid gave him and then downed the beverage in one motion before dabbing his forehead with the rag he gave her, as if he was hot or sweating (which he hadn't been).

He glanced at Jeremy briefly sizing him up before shaking his hand. "Mikaelus."

"Remove disease can cure afflictions but only if cast prior to the subject transforming. With this partial transformation it is probably already too late for remove disease. But if we have the spell handy, it's the only action we can take right now that might prevent her from totally transforming."

[RaggedAngel]

Leah

As a high elf, Leah takes it upon herself to mentally step back from the action for a moment to consider the higher ramifications of what is happening. The cleric, Jeremy, certainly seemed competent enough and more experience than she was at healing. And Mikaelus, of course, was quite the dilettante, and she trusted him better than herself when it came to treating injury, even with her belt.

So, the best thing that she could do was think, and consider what had happened, and what might happen. One does not partially convert a servant into a demon, banish them with powerful magic, and then completely forget about them. For that matter, they had been seen in the streets by a number of people, and Leah did not trust the local law enforcement for a single moment.

It was a puzzle, she knew, and she did her best to scrape her mind for a solution before things took a more lethal turn.

A general search for what she might be able to surmise about the goings-on with what she knows.

Arcana: [roll0]
The Planes: [roll1]
Religion: [roll2]
History: [roll3]

[Saskia]

Talena
Ammon. The immigration archive is just below us. Follow. His tone is terse, almost as if disdainful for the language he's currently forced to speak. He silently leads you back into the main chamber and down a hallway, then down a flight of stairs, and through an unassuming door with an unreadable placard into an office of sorts, lined with wooden cabinets. Inside an old man bearing three concentric circles on his shaven head is craned low over some document with an ink blotter in hand. He seems wholly unaware of your presence until Ammon raps his hard leather bracer against the open door.

The old man looks up and after a brief exchange Ammon says to you Hori the Elder, Priest of Thoth. He turns to leave, and the old priest stands with only minor difficulty. Unlike Ammon or the few people in the street, he doesn't seem to care much, if at all, about your race judging by his pleasant demeanor. Forgive me, dear, I mistook you for a child. My eyes aren't what they used to be, and gnomes are rare here besides. Ammon said you have a mysterious letter, let me see it and maybe we can work out who sent it, yes?

Aurus
Your reverie is broken by a young man bearing the unmistakably submissive slouch of a slave. He speaks quietly and his Common bears an accent, but he speaks it well, if oddly, avoiding eye contact as he does. My lord's presence is requested by Teldartham, Champion of He Who Rises to Combat the Night near the subdued Thayan soldier, as his lordship's attention is occupied elsewhere. I may lead the noble sir there if he wills it.

Jeremy, Leah, and Mikaelus
With some discomfort the maid takes the Thayan woman's cup and replaces it with a large bottle, surely easier to hold for her large and unwieldy chitinous claw-like fingers. She nods in appreciation and wastes little time in getting to work on the contents.

Leah
Since I missed it before (my bad, sorry), the Thayan soldier's armor registers as magic, with an aura of moderate transmutation, and there's something under her armor with a faint divination aura. You do not detect any currently active spells cast upon her; whatever was afflicting her seems to have run its course. The man by the door who's been watching has a ring with a moderate evocation aura and a ring with a moderate aura of no particular school, and no active spells. The priest who helped drag the knight in has a wand with faint divination, as well as a faint divination and a faint abjuration active.

There is a favored tactic among some of the red wizards of Thay to punish incompetent or otherwise unsatisfactory underlings by teleporting them into hostile territory. The details of the punishment are not standardized and may vary with the individual wizard and their mood, but often the offending servant is beaten severely and disarmed first. If they make it back to their master, they're considered to have atoned for the transgression; otherwise they're probably dead and little fuss is made. Given the value of her armor, it seems this particular soldier must have been of considerable rank and expertise, so she must have done something severe to warrant the sort of punishment usually reserved for more disposable minions.

Gladiatorial combat and magical experimentation are both common punishment for officers who are found lacking, however, and are not mutually exclusive. Due to the largely independent nature of individual red wizards (as long as they don't ruffle the feathers of those more powerful than they), there are no real standard practices among the lords of Thay aside from those shown to be particularly expedient or profitable, so it's difficult to come to any reliable conclusions about what might have occurred or what might occur later knowing nothing about the mindset or general practices of the wizard in question.

[Amnestic]

"It is an honour." Lacking any knowledge as to their precise etiquette, Talena bows in the hopes that it was at least decent enough deference for a foreigner such as herself. "I am Talena Slyleaf." She ignores being called a gnome. The man was old (and likely not accustomed to seeing smallfolk besides) and correcting him wouldn't get her anything. Best to just skip to the important part. With a careful hand she unhooks her pouch and withdraws the letter before holding it out to the High Priest. "I received it while traveling around the Sword Coast, inviting me to your city. It was my hope that you might help me discover who sent it, so that I could discover their motives."