What? The World needs saving AGAIN? IC Thread 9

[Xihirli]

"If we went with the army we would be expected to participate, but perhaps we could get ahead of them."
"Hold on," Leff said. "What do you all do after you capture weapons and armor from people?"
"Usually they're not up to our standards so we melt them down for ore."
"So if there are dwarf weapons at the forges waiting to be melted down, they'd most likely be from Gracklestug?"
"Most likely."
Leff smiled at Eris. "Wanna speed this trip up?"

[Valmark]

Eris stared at her dumbfounded for a few seconds before her neurons managed to track each other down and connect.
"You can use an object from Gracklestug to teleport there" Eris realized and left a big kiss on her wife "That's awesome. Banalla, do you know where we can find the forges without having to search for them?"

[Xihirli]

"A bit lower, where we can more safely keep the fires going. Near the outskirts of the city. Other side," Banalla said. "We'll have to talk our way into the forges but that shouldn't be a problem. Only men are blacksmiths, and they're trained to listen to women in all instances." She began the walk back the way they came.

[Valmark]

Eris followed along.
"When we teleport I assume there's a good chance we'll be among duergars- I guess we should expect hostility since we'll appear out of nowhere with their enemy" she mused "We should try to talk our way out, but just in case be ready to defend yourself"

[Xihirli]

"I try to be." The forge was a ditch that veered off into a tunnel. The sound of metal on metal and the heat of the furnace and Banalla strode in, then stopped as if frozen in shock. Overlooking the furnace was a drow woman happily petting a massive purple spider. Her robes were rich, if not very covering, and denoted a clear status.
"Milady," Banalla said.
"How is the farm?" The woman asked. "Deborah."

[Valmark]

"Uh" Eris noted hearing 'Deborah' "You know each other?" she asked, feigning ignorance to Banalla's sudden formal tone. She'd rather be considered an ignorant who didn't know the language and proper customs for as long as possible.

Which wasn't too far from the truth, honestly.

Spoiler: Ooc

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How far is the nearest equipment we want to steal? In case we need to run.

[Xihirli]

"You would not have had Eltab's release on your conscience either, sister," Deborah said. "This is my sister, Yvune Illis. Priestess of Lolth. And that is... I assume Mir'ply grew up?"
Yvune stroked the spider's pedipalps. "Why yes. Quite strong, I think you will find."

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception check. Here's Leff's Investigation to try and find out which of the swords is dwarf make. (1d20+11)[31]

[Valmark]

Spoiler: Ooc

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Perception! (1d20+5)[24]

I assume Aklah doesn't count in this situation.

Eris frowned "I'm not understanding if you have a good relationship with her" that was actually somewhat true, though the words about the spider growing strong made her think not. And it looked like Yvune resented Deborah for Eltab's death. But she officially didn't understood them.
"Mir'ply sounds really well though, if that's the spider"

[Xihirli]

"Yvune. I didn't mean to leave you."
Yvune snapped her head back toward Deborah. "But you did. And for every war, for every assassination attempt, for every draegloth that pushed its way out of me... I was alone. And that's how you're going to die."
The blacksmiths around them lifted up their swords and turned toward them. There was a signal apparently.

Spoiler: OC

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Initiative

Yvune (1d20+4)[16]
Mávro (1d20+4)[22]
The three Draegloth that are hiding (1d20+2)[4]
"Blacksmiths" (1d20)[12]
Leff (1d20+2)[19]

[Valmark]

"Nevermind, I understood" Eris said, unsheating Black Ice.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Initiative!
(1d20+3)[17] adv. (1d20+3)[4] Eris
(1d20)[12] Aklah

[Xihirli]

"Which one?" Mávro asked Leff, indicating the weapons nearby. "That one!" Mávro ran over and brought the sword back.
"It was nice to meet you, Yvune." Leff lifted the sword. "Zuzem!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Does Eris consent to being teleported?

[Valmark]

"Nice spider!" Eris called waving.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Yes she does.

[Xihirli]

And in a shower of sparks, Eris found herself in the same furnace she was in when her, Leff and Sirthis fought the Morbuzakh.
There were a lot of duergar working the forges looking sharply back at them.
"Here we are," Deborah said. "Gracklestug."

[Valmark]

"Wh- h- b-" Eris blinked repeatedly "I can't believe it, we were here last time. We helped these guys" she shook her head amused, then realized the situation and added "Tell them we come in peace? And that I'll be casting a spell to speak their language because I don't understand it?" she asked, not remembering wether last time they spoke Common or not. As soon as Deborah gave them the go ahead she started rummaging through their stuff to give Mávro and Leff back ther things and get her holy simbol and component pouch.

[Xihirli]

Deborah called this out to them, and a Duergar ran off. They were soon approached by three Duergar guards. Eris was able to cast her spell.

[Valmark]

"Hi" Eris said as soon as Tongues was up when the guards arrived "My name is Eris Lelahinn. You may r... Right, I don't currently have the right appearance. You might remember my wife from when a plant monster took possession of this furnace and you enlisted our help to fight it" she gestured to Leff "Leflabah Lelahinn. And Aklah, the wyvwern with the golden armor. I'm sorry to come here like this but we are searching for a person- another fire genasi like her. She told us she could meet us here in Gracklestug" Eris turned to Leff "Do you know wether she's inside the city or not? Maybe we should Send to her"

Spoiler: Ooc

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I don't think Eris ever actually heard Leff's mother's name, I'm not sure. At least not without it being mixed in with Ignan words.

[Xihirli]

"Leshruf. We're looking for a woman named Leshruf."
The guards looked at each other. "Come to the walls." And they left the forge.

[Valmark]

"...alright?" Eris said, going along and hoping they weren't about to throw them over the walls. Now that would be surprising.

"You think she might be helping them against the drows? You said she was a fighter right?" Eris asked Leff.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Fighter as in a warrior, not Fighter the class. Not necessarily anyway.

[Xihirli]

"She was. It has been ten years, though. She could have learned any number of things." They went up to the walls and oversaw a siege... weapons of war, rams and catapults were lined up at the walls, firing at the dwarf archers who were picking off the drow piloting the siege machines. Then a cloaked figure stood tall over the parapets for a moment.
"Kadör..."
"...Amah?"
"Ahash!" And an explosion swept over one of the catapults, lighting it up in fire.
"Amah!"

[Valmark]

"Yup, she's decidedly your mother" Eris nodded "Hey, why don't you throw one of yours at a catapult before coming to her? Imagine her hearing your voice out of nowhere and seeing your fire" she proposed to Leff.

[Xihirli]

Leff smiled and pointed at another catapult.
"Kadör..."
"...Flabah?"
"Ahash!"
And in another explosion, another catapult in flames.
Suddenly Leff was being hugged by a cloaked fire genasi.

[Valmark]

"Oh wow, even the same reactions" Eris mused, but then shutted up with an happy smile. She didn't want to disturb Leff and her mother's family reunion.

[Xihirli]

They started speaking in Ignan. But Tongues.

"I thought you were dead!"
"I thought you were dead, what happened?"
"Your father left me with an emergency spark of white fire, so when I nearly died it kept me alive. I fell unconscious, but was left alone. When I awoke... well, many were dead. The rest were missing. How did you escape?"
"I, uh, didn't. I was captured and they let me go after a few years."
Leshruf looked up at Eris. "And who is this?"
"Leshruf, this is my wife, Eris. Eris, can you... can you undo your disguise?"

[Valmark]

"I can, kind of" Eris said, Dispelling herself. Her natural appearance was fully revealed, and Eris smiled "My name is Eris Lelahinn- and I'm proud to say that I'm married to your daughter. Oh, uhm, I also removed my language spell so... Can't understand Ignan anymore. These are, in order, Aklah Lelahinn, Mávro Ftéroma and Deborah Hadad... I think" she wasn't sure if 'Hadad' was her surname or if it was her husband's and she didn't take it.

"And she'd be your granddaughter then" Eris happily gave Aklah lots of neck rubs.

[Xihirli]

Aklah rustled her throat and nuzzled Eris.
"I missed my baby girl's wedding," Leshruf said with a sob, holding Leff tighter. "Thank you for looking after Flabah when I could not." She reached a hand out toward Eris but Aklah snapped at it.
"Ah... good to meet you, Aklah."

[Valmark]

"She takes some time getting used to new faces" Eris explained "Aklah, don't worry. She's family. And... It was my pleasure, though she looked after me just as well. And I'm always up for marrying your daughter another time" she smiled at Leff, but then looked at the siege "I feel the need to address the elephant in the room. The one throwing catapults"

[Xihirli]

"Ah. Right. I've moved into Gracklestug recently. Then they were attacked by Drow. I've taken on... a bit of a new project fighting off Mind Flayers. This has been an unfortunate distraction." Leshruf let go of Leff and blew up another catapult.
"With our help, we should be able to break this siege."
"I didn't guide you here so that you could kill my kin," Deborah said. "I understand that they are attacking, but I would ask that you minimize bloodshed."

[Valmark]

"Is there a way to break the siege with few casualties?" Eris asked "Break their chain of command, cut off their supplies to force a retreat, that kind of thing. If they can starve the duergars to death breaking their siege machines will just prolong this, not stop it. Unless they don't have funds for a war of attrition" she said.

"I'm assuming diplomacy was tried and failed... Or not an option"

[Xihirli]

"We have fishing," Leshruf said. "Their best hope is breaking through our walls."
"So the siege machines," Leff said. "Amah, do you... want to come with us?"
"Flabah, more than anything. But my work continues with the Mind Flayers. They have plans involving something called the Isle of Dread, and I must learn more."

[Valmark]

"Lovely place unless you go on the side with the spiders. A Tarrasque's napping there" Eris said "Your research might get a big leap if you come with us, we've been there multiple times"