Emergence Game Thread

The king thinks for a moment, "There doesn't seem to be any 'date' by which the artifact needs to be recovered. I only suspect you're racing Thalnoth. But, you are correct. Going through dwarven territory has more unknowns. Unless anyone has any objections, we will reach out to our contacts in Hanover."

The King grabs some parchment and begins writing. "Ms. Brighthill can guide you to the permaport and has the knowledge..." pausing to finish his script, the king drips some wax onto the paper and presses his ring into it. He continues, "and now the authority to initiate a transfer from our end. Talisan will make sure those on the other side are ready and willing to answer the call."

On hearing his name, the guard captain straightens to attention. He makes eye contact with the king, who beckons him near. The king speaks to Talisan in barely more than a whisper. "I'm going to clear the room. Speak to Olaf. Have him message Malakai and make clearance for these five." Then, for a moment, you see the Alexander's venerable facade sag, as he says, "I'm tired, Tal. I'd like to meditate in here for an hour once everyone is gone. Make sure the gang here can get to the permaport, but I'd like for you to personally see to it that I have some privacy. I need my wits if I'm to deal with Wellington later today."

Instantly, King Alexander returns to his royal stature. He straightens himself and addresses the whole room. "Thank you to all of you for joining me for a rather significant breakfast. I appreciate your presence, your willingness," he gestures to his four friends at the table, three of whom won't be joining you, "and most of all, your discretion. Now if you'll excuse us, I'd like to have a private word with our heroes," he turns and gives you all a smirk and a wink, "before they head off to save us all or die trying."

The crowd all bow, and file out of the room, the guard captain bringing up the rear. Samantha stands and addresses the king. "I have a few things to gather around the castle before we leave. I'll be back in twenty minutes, and," turning to the four of you, "I'll wait for you around the corner at the end of the hall. We'll go from there." She gives the king a deep bow, hoists her pack, and leaves the dining room.

With the room eerily quiet, Alexander turns to the four of you and says softly, "Now that we're alone, is there anything you'd like to ask or say before I bestow upon you some treasures for the journey ahead?"

I give Harper a double take as he vows his sword to the mission...or more accurately, to the King. There's always a first for everything. Though obviously revitalized after our brief separation, Harp hasn't spoken of what occurred and I haven't had time to dig in. It must have been something major...

The King nods slightly as acknowledgement but otherwise reveals little. I don't know if he expected such an overture or if it merely matters little but he seems to be waiting for us to ask him for more information.

"Sir, before we depart I have three questions for you: first, a general one. Is there anything specific about our enemy, the curse, or the artifact that would be helpful for us that has not already been revealed? Secondly, a logistical one. Sebastian, the Duke's retainer promised to reward the group with a small piece of property--either a boat or a piece of land in the Kingdom. I pull out the referenced paperwork. "Obviously our banishment and the arc of our mission makes land unrealistic and unhelpful but potentially a facilitation could be made to sell this property for money that could be used for a boat in Hanover to ease the burden of the trip to Noonik. This may be especially important if we need to go back upriver to Welkinburg-Lowerton. Third, we referenced these fiendish physically immune automatons. Have you or your warriors encountered any such beasts and know of anything particularly helpful in defeating them? Finally, and potentially most difficult, you mentioned to Therrien and me that you might tell the whole story another time but that--as soon as your evil deeds had been done--you regretted their doing and have worked tirelessly to find a way to undo them. What brought about your repentance and have you discovered anything else that will aid in our quest?" My words seem to hang in the air suspended by the King's intense stare as he weighs his answers.

The King takes a deep breath. "Unfortunately, I have no additional knowledge to pass along, not of our enemy, the curse he placed on my brother, the artifact you seek, nor of the automated magical machines. We will certainly do some investigation into them, but so long as they stay within the property bounds of their creator, there's no real violation to pursue.

As for these papers... the King leafs through the hastily scribbled contract, "Yes, I think something can be done. If the four of you are willing to legally release, uh..." he finds the name on the paper, "Master Starsoul from the bond here, I will see to it that you have a boat in Hanover that you will own, free and clear. It will, of course, be much smaller than the one Master Starsoul was granting you, but, as I'm sure you know, his boat is too large to go up the river anyhow."

"In response to your last question, I'm afraid we don't have adequate time for us to go into the full story." He looks down at his hands. "It will have to suffice to say that I was foolish, and ambitious, and immature. I thought that the world owed me something.
I realized shortly after my deed was carried out that I had made a terrible mistake, that the hypothetical universe or fate or the gods in fact owed me nothing, and that the good and evil in the world was our responsibility. I had made an evil choice, and in doing so, made the world we all live in a more evil place. That principle has guided me every since. I can only hope that, once I'm dead, whoever or whatever it is that judges me will determine that I've added more good than evil to our world over all."

Alexander smiles gently. "But, if you succeed, and we all survive, I'll come to wherever you all are and tell you the whole story. Oh, and I'll get you a bigger boat."

The king clears his throat and sits up straight. "Well, what do the lot of you say? Will you give up the ship outlined here in this contract?
As a result, I will arrange for you all to receive ownership of a river navigating boat in Hanover...?"

"Thank you m'Lord. If we survive and succeed we will have plenty of good stories to swap with you I am sure!" I look at my companions and see and hear no dissent; what good is a piece of paper for a boat we may never see? "That makes sense to us. a shallow berthed ship that is hopefully not too ostentatious," I pause and smile at the King, "would be best of course. We will sign the necessaries." Looking again at my companions, it seems the they are ready. All are serious. Even Harp's standard smirk is nowhere to be seen and a new resolution seems to have taken over our group. "I think we are ready."

The King nods, acknowledging the group's assent to the plan to deal with the practicalities of the boat. He motions for the group to follow him towards the chest that was brought in earlier. Once you're gathered around the large wooden chest, the king bends down and opens the lid, revealing several bundles wrapped in velvet and tied with golden cords.

The first item Alexander pulls from the chest is a large flat bundle wrapped in a dark red velvet. He unties the cord, and the cloth falls to the ground revealing a large bronze-colored shield. In the middle of the shield sits a large round turquoise gemstone that shimmers in the torchlight. Turning to Rhiv, the King begins, "I know you already have a shield, one that bears the mark of your god. I'm not sure exactly how you might best make use of this, but I want you to have it." After handing Rhiv the shield, he continues, "While holding the shield, speak the word command word "dur-gelm" and the shield will leap into the air in front of you, protecting you from attack as though you were wielding it yourself, freeing you to use both hands in battle."

King Alexander returns to the chest and retrieves a small velvet pouch. Opening the pouch, he dumps the contents into his hand: a single piece of chalk. He walks to Harper and places it in his hand. "This chalk will help you and your group stay in communication even when you're apart. Draw a simple geometric shape on some object worn by each person. As long as the mark remains, you can speak to each other as though you were in the same room. Take care, though. If the stick of chalk is broken, the magic will be as well. The king also gives you the small velvet bag.

The next bundle is a foot long and tightly bound. Alexander approaches To'ot as he carefully unwraps a dagger. "When I was consider what gifts to give to whom, this immediately jumped to mind for you, To'ot. It's called Brien Mieva, the Restorer of Balance." The dagger is made of hardened bluewood. Its handle is a deep black, and its ivory blade is covered with a shiny iridescent lacquer that reflects light with a prismatic effect, changing color depending on light and angle. "If you plunge this into a creature and speak the command, 'ammat noc,' the dagger will unleash a powerful destructive force. It's not guaranteed to kill every creature, but it will, well, help shift the balance of power. Use it wisely."

Lastly, the king grabs a lumpy bundle from the chest and closes the lid. He walks toward Therrien with a smile on his face. "This is my favorite. I had forgotten I had this until I began looking through the vault's registry." He gives the elf the wrapped bundle, and as Therrien gently opens the gift, Alexander recounts, "Many decades ago, I made a diplomatic journey through the Bluewood. The most memorable moment came in a parley with Chief De'Laeris of the SkyDweller tribe, quite possibly the shrewdest negotiator I've ever encountered. We finally reached a tentative accord, sealed by the exchange of symbols of authority. I gave him my morningstar, and he this meteor flail." Therrien hands the velvet to King Alexander, and cradles two perfect spheres of smooth onyx, one on each end of a 10-foot length of braided Jimson Creeper vine. "I expect you know how to wield one of these," the King smiles. "One word of slight caution: my best mages were not able to determine the exact magic contained within the meteor flail. I know it isn't evil or cursed, but I'm not certain what it is. You might consider asking some of the more experienced shamans of your people, provided the opportunity."

The king collects the cloths and cords and turns his back to you all, kneeling by the chest as he folds and replaces them, leaving each of you to your new items.

I barely have time to grasp that anything has happened before Harper reacts. I reach out and call upon the Adonai for both his Weapon and his Wisdom. My hammer immediately surges with power and I wait pleadingly for His voice.