Dark's Age of Worms IC

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

As Louise and the others returned to the Spinning Giant, she gazed upon Cordellia's condition and immediately facepalmed.

"As for Cordellia, I wouldn't worry too much - with the amount she drank, I'd be surprised if she could do anything more than just sit there sleeping."​

Me and my big mouth.

Thankfully, someone had apparently gone to fetch Allustan, and Louise curtsied slightly as her master addressed her.

"Good to see you, Master. I'd answer you, but could we move someplace a touch more private, first? Maybe get Cordellia home?"

[TheDarkDM]

Allustan responds to Louise with a polite nod before finally turning to face the Spinning Giant's proprietor.

"Yes, I think that's an excellent idea. Ah, you, young man?"

He gestures towards Reynauld.

"Would you be so kind as to carry Cordellia back to my house. Louise knows the way, and where I keep the spare key. I should attend to my apprentice's..."

He spread his hands wide around the clutter of fallen chairs and discarded tankards.

"...mess."

He stays by Cordellia's side long enough to help lift her into Reynauld's arms, before turning to approach the bar. Reaching into a pouch at his side, he begins counting out silver coins.

"My apologies for the damages, my good man. What will set things right?"

Leaving Allustan to smooth any ruffled feathers, Louise leads the party out of the Spinning Giant and around the back. Picking your way through the back lot of twisted scrub and rocky dirt, you quickly find yourselves approaching a house out of place in Diamond Lake. The walls are freshly painted, bright red beneath blue slate tiles, and a small meditation garden of vertical stone and concentric circular pools leads to the front door. A healthy lawn spreads from the sides of the house, circling around to a fenced back yard that Louise fondly remembers. It was, after all, her first sight of green grass.

The nook holding the spare key is no simple thing - it takes a special rune traced upon one of the stones in the mediation garden to reveal the hidden cubby. Thankfully, it is nothing new to Louise, and she soon ushers the party inside. A small cloak room leads into a snug parlor, its floor hidden beneath a thick rug of Baklunish design. Two small couches flank a low table before a field-stone fireplace, a single log still smoldering in the hearth. The dining room is visible through a wide archway to the left, while a windowed hallway to the right stretches the length of the house. Louise guides Reynauld down the hall to the third door on the right, opening it to reveal Cordellia's snug bedroom. In the short time it takes to ensconce the elven wizard beneath a patch quilt, Allustan arrives.

"Louise, Cordellia is safe and sound? Good, well done."

At last, he turns the fullness of his attention on the rest of the group. There is a fiery intelligence in the man's eyes that gives credence to his moniker as the smartest man in town, but the heat is softened by his wry smile.

"Not the most decorous of introductions. I apologize on my apprentice's behalf. My name is Allustan Neff - simply Allustan will do. Please, make yourselves at home."

He moves to a small bar in the dining room, pulling out a crystal decanter and filling a snifter with brandy.

"Can I offer anyone a drink? It's only fair before we begin the interrogation."

His smile doesn't waver, but there is a flicker of ice behind it.

"You're a free woman, Louise. But I believe I'm owed an explanation."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

"If it pleases you, I'll take a glass before we begin."

Assuming Allustan was sufficiently generous, Louise took a sip of the brandy. The alcohol left a burn on her tongue, with the taste of brass and flowers with slight grape overtones filling her palate shortly thereafter.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I tried cognac (which is apparently a specific kind of brandy) for the first time about a week ago - this is about what it tasted like to me. While strong, it doesn't taste nearly as foul as scotch, or burn half as bad. I wouldn't drink it on a regular basis, but I would take some if offered in polite company.

Steeling her nerves, Louise gathered her courage before speaking.

Hopefully as long as I'm up front with him he shouldn't take too much umbrage with what we've done, but then again, he does look somewhat annoyed. Here goes nothing.

"Before we begin, master, I do sincerely apologize that I did not warn you of our departure - in the excitement, I confess it slipped my mind."

"In any case." She took a breath. "The truth of the matter is that... well, you know I've lived in the area around Diamond Lake for all of my life, and in the town itself first when I was a little girl, and then since coming into your service. And, well... you've no doubt noticed yourself as well, master, but things around here have been taking a turn for the worse in recent years."
"As you may or may not have heard, recently a band of adventurers arrived in town with the intent to try and explore the Whispering Cairn, claiming that it held as of yet undiscovered treasure. Cordellia and I thought that we might try our hand at delving into the dungeon and unearthing its secrets ourselves."

And, with any luck, earning enough to get a ticket to a better life elsewhere, She implied.

"By coincidence, we met Reynauld, Simone, Corrine, and Rae, who were of similar mind. So, over the past couple of days, we've been exploring the cairn, with a moderate degree of success. We came back into town to resupply after our rations ran out."

"Also... In the interests of full disclosure, in order to find our way to the Cairn, I made a rough copy of a map you had a few days ago that pointed to its likely location."

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Since Allustan appears to be slightly annoyed, Louise is going to be trying to present the news as diplomatically as possible, to make it go down smoothly. I will be using Cunning Knowledge on this check.

Diplomacy: (1d20+6)[16]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Reynauld carried the unconscious wizard back to her domicile without complaint. The crusader politely stood nearby, hands clasped behind his back. Allustan was a man of importance in the town, clearly, and was an authority figure Reynauld respected more than the mine managers certainly. So he stood at attention.

[TheDarkDM]

Allustan reclines silently in one of the plush couches as Louise recounts her adventures. His eyes never waver from her, yet somehow it seems he fills the entire room with his gaze. Despite his show of pouring a drink, he leaves the snifter hanging in his fingers a long moment after Louise falls silent, only to drain it in a single motion. At once, the room breathes again.

"So, armed with little more than a scrap of parchment and a dream you decided to risk your lives? I'm not sure whether to be filled with anger or pride. My own master would have been furious had I gone behind his back."

He sets his empty glass down with the resounding finality of a judge lowering their gavel. Eyes of emerald fire sweep over the assembled party, and for a moment the shadows lengthen around the wizard. Until a deep chuckle escapes his throat.

"Fortunately for all of us, I am not my master. So you managed to unearth something valuable in the hills? That alone is a minor miracle. Tell me, have you discovered anything...interesting? "

[PepperP.]

Simone

"All manner of things, sir." Had the wolves been the most mundane thing they'd found within the cairn?

"Undead and a spinning sarcophagus, a doorway in a ceiling, and an arcane apparatus with a glyph carved into the base." She pulled out the dark material she had collected.

"The apparatus was shattered, but I believe this is what once filled the frame." She handed it out to the wizard for inspection.

[Othniel]

Corinne

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Corinne muttered. She was sitting on one of the couches, enjoying the comfort of civilization for the first time in several days.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"The cairn is a marvel, truly... a marvel of death and decay. Riddled with traps, and infested with horrid creatures. Acid-spitting beetles, hideous tangles of chitinous legs, we even found one of the restless dead. And some of the traps utilize powerful magics, it seems to me. Terrible blasts of wind, gouts of flame... and there are singular lifts, for lack of a better word to call them. The move a passenger up and down by some mechanism. Whoever built the cairn must have been advanced beyond the means of any local civilizations, surely. But in truth, we found little material wealth within. Indeed, most of the worthwhile items we've recovered were plucked from the corpses of a doomed expedition that preceded us. Based on the state of their remains, I'd wager they perished in that death trap some years ago. They bore a peculiar symbol on some of their gear."

Reynauld produced the ring with the Seeker mark emblazoned upon it.
"Treasure hunters, I believe. The revenant we fought was one of their member. Do not mistake my intentions, Master Allustan; my goal is largely to clear the locale of dangers to the locals. But if any wealth we recover can be put to good use in this town, so much the better."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Louise nodded toward Simone and Reynauld as they shared their assessment of what they'd found, not having anything more to add that they had not mentioned.

[Jade_Tarem]

"You're too modest, Reynauld," Rae waved a hand idly, finally speaking up. "We aren't even close to done exploring the place, and we haven't fully solved the spinning sarcophagus... thing, yet. If the previous expedition was un-looted before we got there, and they didn't make it past the barriers we found, it stands to reason that no one else has either. There could easily be worse monsters and greater treasures deeper in the cairn."

[TheDarkDM]

Allustan reaches out his left hand to examine the shard of dark glass, and takes the extravagant ring in his right. It is the right that draws his attention, the ruby star dancing in the firelight.

"Ah, Seekers. An unseemly group, but talented and very well informed. If they perished down in that tomb then I'm inclined to agree with Miss Rae. Especially if you found functioning traps - Seekers are not known for their gentle touch."

He returns the ring to Reynauld and pulls a jewelers loupe from a pocket in his robe. Fitting it snugly against one eye, he examines the jagged edges of the dark shard.

"Fascinating. As you've no doubt surmised, this is more than simple glass. You said there was a glyph at the base of the device this came from? Do you have an impression?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Louise rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"Unfortunately, I did not think to do so, master. But I can try to recreate it from memory - it bore a striking similarity to the old Vaati language. It bore some similarities to glyphs representing elemental air, and I thought it might represent a name of some kind."

Taking out some parchment and charcoal, Louise attempted to recreate the glyph from memory.

Spoiler: Craft

Show

(1d20+4)[16]

[Othniel]

Corinne

Having been interested in the glyph back in the tomb, Corinne did her best to offer helpful, rather than critical advice as Louise attempted to recreate the image.

Spoiler: Aid Another

Show

(1d20+2)[5]

[TheDarkDM]

At the mention of Vaati, Allustan's back stiffens noticeably. Lowering his snifter to the table with a suddenly shaking hand, he leans forward with a whisper.

"Vaati, you say? And the symbol, what of the symbol?"

He watches as Louise's hands glide across the paper, only giving the ink a moment to dry before snatching up the etching with the eagerness of a child reaching for candy.

"Yes, yes, crude but possibly a match..."

A face feverish with excitement turned towards Louise.

"Do you realize what you've uncovered? It will take me some time to confirm, but the Whispering Cairn may be an Aaqan ruin. A tomb of the Wind Dukes!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Louise had a mild look of confusion on her face, but nonetheless could not help but be infected by some of Allustan's enthusiasm.

"Forgive me, master, but I am not as up to date on my history as I should be. Who were the Wind Dukes, and how excited should I be that we've found their resting place?"

[TheDarkDM]

Allustan's hands clap together at Louise's question, the wizard leaning back in his seat with all the contentment of a resting cat.

"I do not blame you, Louise, for the lore of the Wind Dukes is as old as the sun or the stars. They were among the first of the great civilizations to spread across the planes, beings of pure law native to the Elemental Plane of Air. Their empire stretched across the four elemental planes and several realms in the Prime Material, and they were pivotal in the first Great War between law and chaos when the multiverse was yet young. The greatest among them forged the Rod of Law, which sundered Miska the Wolf-Spider, Prince of Demons, and broke the armies of the Queen of Chaos upon the volcanic fields of Pesh."

He pauses, clearly pleased at the opportunity to expound on so arcane a topic. The snifter is raised to his lips, and he savors a drink before continuing.

"You may know the Rod of Law by its more contemporary moniker - the legendary Rod of Seven Parts. But what very few know is that the fields of Pesh were located here, on Oerth. Many are the Wind Dukes that fell in that climactic battle, and all were interred here as a monument to their victory. To find a Wind Duke cairn yet unspoiled..."

He licks his lips, eyes suddenly far away.

"It could hold treasures to beggar imagination. And secrets no human has ever laid eyes on. If you would give me a few days, I might be able to learn more from this symbol."

[Othniel]

Corinne

"Things that might help us when we venture in once more?" Corinne asked, her voice quiet but hopeful.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Louise looked curiously to Allustan but did not say anything, as if prompting him to share what he might discover.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"Well, master Allustan, we have yet to attend to some business in town. Namely resupplying! So take all the time you require! And please forgive my impertinence, but we wish to keep our forays a secret. I primarily wish to prevent anyone from foolishly entering the place and getting themselves injured or worse; that's what I'm in there for! Ha ha! But discretion would also help preserve the, ah... archaeological integrity of the place."

Reynauld kept a jovial smile plastered to his face, not sure how much he dared pushing suggestions on a wizard.

[TheDarkDM]

Allustan's contented smile falters slightly at Corinne's reaction.

"Well, I doubt the archaeological record will have much to aid you against traps the Wind Duke's intended to deter intruders. But you've managed to emerge from one delve little worse for wear, so doubtless you'll be able to conquer the ruin."

He turns his attention to Reynauld, clearly bemused by his positivity.

"Have no fear, young man, I'm not about to swoop in an steal your prize from under you. My adventuring days are long done. But the knowledge contained within the Cairn could be irreplaceable so...please try not to damage more than you must."

He stands, pressing both hands against the small of his back in a stretch.

"Well, I should check on Cordellia and begin my research. I've only the one guest bedroom, but you're free to stay here if you like. The couches are more comfortable than you'd think. I only ask that you refrain from entering the library without permission."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Louise stood and inclined her head.

"Then sir, if there is nothing else you would ask of me at the moment, I beg to take my leave. I and a few of the others need to stock up on some provisions for when we set out once again."

Spoiler: Actions

Show

If Allustan permits, Louise will depart and head to the General Store.

[TheDarkDM]

Perhaps surprisingly, there is no further disruption in the business of the day. Departing Allustan's house on various errands, you spend the remainder of the afternoon perusing what wares Diamond Lake has to offer before parting for a brief return home. Though the beds awaiting you are little changed from when you departed Diamond Lake less than a week ago, their embrace is all the softer for the memory of bedrolls on rotting wood and the creak of dilapidated timber. Perhaps dreams find you, conjuring the wonders and terrors of the Cairn. Perhaps you sleep untroubled. Regardless, the morning comes all too swiftly for your battered bodies. Save for Cordellia and Simone. A night of vivid nightmares finds the two women slick with foul-smelling sweat, their bodies wracked with the shivers of a cold deep in their bones. Clearly, something from the Cairn has followed them back to civilization.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Cordellia takes 2 Con damage and 1 Dex damage
Simone takes 1 Con damage and 2 Dex damage

When she regains consciousness, Simone identifies the malady as Ghoul Fever. An afflicted humanoid who dies of Ghoul Fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects.

[Tychris1]

Rolling out of her bed, Cordellia groggily wiped at her sweaty brow, and promptly retched as she smelt the foul fluid. Cleaning herself as best she could, she blearily got dressed, and then plopped herself down at her desk to casually study her spellbook. Taking a sip of water, her whole face contorted in disgust for a brief second, and she brought her hand to the bottom of her mouth to block regurgitation. Yet her lips stayed sealed and no further disruptions were had as she gingerly flipped through her black leather bound tome.

"Oh, I must have improvised a whole lot last night." She muttered as she examined her two new spell pages and then her special ring. "Maybe that cairn isn't so bad after all. I must have stumbled back here, snuck inside, and went to bed with none the wiser. Classic Cordellia."

She flashed herself a smile before wincing.

Spoiler: Prepared Spells

Show

3 Castings of Resistance
3 Ray of Frost
1 Mount
1 Mage Armor
1 Burning Hands
1 Magic Missile
1 Lesser Fire Orb

[PepperP.]

Simone

Simone rubbed a crusty film from her eyes as they opened to agony. A groan escaped her lips as she struggled to sit up and push back her blanket.

"Reynauld!" Her voice was a raspy croak. She rubbed her forehead and her hand came away slick with sickly sweat-slime. She grimaced but managed to rock to her feet off of the cot. She tottered to where Reynauld was sleeping.

"It's Ghoul Fever, Reynauld!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Meanwhile, several blocks away, over at her own house, Louise prepared for the day, none the wiser as to what afflicted Cordellia and Simone. Donning her clothing for the day, she then went about rearranging her pack, arranging her newly acquired rations.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Unless Dark says otherwise, I'm going to assume it's okay to go shopping offscreen for these; if he'd rather we go onscreen it is a simple matter to edit this.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Reynauld's strong jaw tightened into a grimace of dire concern. He felt no worse for the wear... his robust constitution must have spared him of any lingering undead taint.

"Who else was bitten by that foul creature? If the others were exposed, we must warn them of the danger! Are you well enough to walk, my lady? We should not adventure with you in this condition. Skilled as you are in the healing arts, we should rest and fight off this illness until it passes."

[PepperP.]

Simone wobbled in the hallway and rubbed her eyes pitifully.

"Cordellia I think. We should check on her anyway after her binge last night. Let me get cleaned up first." She washed and changed from her sweat-soaked nightgown as quickly as she could into her clean vestments and pulled her hair back into a sensible ponytail.

"Alright, let's go" She'd never been so sick but she had faith that by the grace of Pelor she'd be better in a few days time. She let Reynauld knock when they came to Allustan's door.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Louise

Having gotten dressed and eaten, Louise made her way to Allustan's house to begin the day's work - only to run into Reynauld and Simone outside. Her eyes narrowed with concern as she took in the other woman's haggard condition.

"Are you okay, Simone? You look very pale."

[Othniel]

Corinne

Having decided to accept Allustan's offer (she felt his house might be safer than her usual accommodations), Corinne selected a comfortable looking couch to make her bed for the night. In the morning, she waited to be summoned by the others.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'll buy rations off screen.

[Jade_Tarem]

Rae

The elf woke in fine spirits and quickly sought out the others. When she arrived, her voice was a sing-song, "Gooo~oood morning!" She gave her oversized sword a twirl and let it land on her armored shoulders. "I don't know about you lot, but I'm feeling pretty great about today."