1. The Cloakwood

Jan 20, 2024 11:44 pm

Aldous grabs a handful of grass and tries to wipe the blood away, but mostly ends up just streaking the page. He gingerly closes the book, then hugs it close to his chest.

Meanwhile, Aiwe finds Stella's panicked footprints in the grass. The tracks meander for several paces, then head determinedly in the direction of the portcullis gate.

There don't seem to be any other recent tracks around. She was not followed or chased.

Aiwë Shelur

gardensun

Jan 20, 2024 11:50 pm

1. The Cloakwood

"She was disoriented or confused, maybe, and then she left the compound alone." Aiwë looks at Aldous with hardened eyes. "I don't like this, something is wrong. It might be assassins trying to separate us again. I'll go after her, you get the others and catch up." She doesn't wait for an answer before she runs out of the compound.

Last edited January 20, 2024 11:50 pm

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 12:01 am

1. The Cloakwood

For a moment it looks like Aldous might disobey and follow Aiwe out into the deeper darkness of the Cloakwood, but he swallows hard and nods, then takes off towards the torches and campfires of the main camp.

Aiwe is fleet as a deer, feet pounding the earth as she races to find her friend. Her sister. Still with no idea of what had spooked Stella, she searches the ground and environment for signs of the young woman.

There. That print is certainly from Stella's shoes. Aiwe follows the tracks deeper into the forest, where the shadows are thickest.

And then the tracks are gone. Not even Aiwe's keen darkvision is enough to pick up the trail.

Abruptly she becomes aware of another presence. A watcher in the darkness.

Stella

Carcabob

Jan 21, 2024 12:03 am

1. The Cloakwood

She stares at the drow priestess for a moment, then slowly squints. "Viconia?" Didn't Stella hate this woman? She tries to think back to their previous encounters, another piece of a puzzle almost fitting together. But a puzzle she couldn't remember wanting to solve.

Quote:

"You wander far from your friends this night, Stella. What brings you here?"

"Here? Or...here here?" she asks dully, unsure whether the drow was referring to the mine or this specific spot in the woods. She tilts her head and lets her eyes wander. It was strange how distant her own voice sounded.

"We put a stop to the mine. To the slaves. To the death. But we had to use death. The death...it haunts me, I think. Watches me." Her eyes wander up towards the stars, but see only tree canopy, then wander back to the drow. She blinks tiredly as if just noticing her for the first time and remembers the question.

"And what brings you here?"

Last edited January 21, 2024 12:04 am

Aiwë Shelur

gardensun

Jan 21, 2024 12:09 am

1. The Cloakwood

Aiwë slashes at tree trunks and branches with her belt knife as she passes, leaving a more obvious trail for Dieter and the rest to follow, but her main focus is speed.

At the feeling of being watched, Shelur turns and snarls. "Show yourself!" The staccato of her syllables lights the area up with a green glow.

Aiwë casts Faerie Fire on the cube where the watcher is.

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 12:10 am

1. The Cloakwood

Viconia is still for a long moment before answering. "I care not for the mine. Not directly. I ask why you have left your friends. Those of flesh and blood, as well as those that watch from far above."

The drow woman steps several paces to one side, still focused on Stella. The movement is nearly enough to send Stella's head spinning.

"I... don't really know why I am here. Curiosity, perhaps. He certainly wouldn't be happy to find me here."

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 12:21 am

1. The Cloakwood

Aiwe's green flames run across stones and branches, harmlessly illuminating the area. And there... the flames run up and down a figure watching her from next to a tree.

Aiwe knows this woman's face.

It's Viconia DeVir, the drow priestess she met on the road what seems like an age ago.

A sly smile curves Viconia's mouth. "Hello, Aiwe. Oloth!" Shadows blossom all around, both consuming Aiwe's faerie flames and defeating her darkvision.

Aiwe is effectively blind. But she feels the ground beneath her feet, the breeze through the leaves, and Viconia's lilting contralto voice.

"Your friend is fine. You need not worry for her safety."

Stella

Carcabob

Jan 21, 2024 12:28 am

1. The Cloakwood

Her friends... "I...don't know..."

She starts to feel the fear rise again, dizzily teetering from one foot to the other and slowly wringing her hands in front of her, dim eyes flicking about. Why did she leave?

"I just needed...some quiet." she says finally. "I thought I...loved the stars. But they showed me death. And made me write death...I...don't know if I like that. If I can...like being that." She closes her eyes to try and stop the spinning. "If I can face the screams...If...if I can stop them."

She didn't know what was happening. To not know. To be given power to see parts of the future, yet still be left in the dark...it seemed cruel and made her feel helpless.

Quote:

"He certainly wouldn't be happy to find me here."

"He..." She searches her mind for a name. The grinning skull and echos of the screams enter her mind briefly before fading back into darkness. "...Rieltar?" she guesses. She opens her bleary eyes and reaches out, stumbling and feeling around for a tree to help her sit down by.

Last edited January 21, 2024 12:30 am

Aiwë Shelur

gardensun

Jan 21, 2024 12:37 am

1. The Cloakwood

"There isn't much trust fostered between us, forgive me if I doubt." Aiwë draws her hammer and listens. Viconia would definitely think to throw her voice to disorient her, but would she think to redirect the sound of her breathing? Of the breeze blowing around her? The foliage moving ever so slightly against her body? All of these sounds create the music of their environment. Aiwë just has to find the right part.

Rolls

Performance to listen - (1d20+6)

(17) + 6 = 23

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 12:56 am

1. The Cloakwood

Viconia tilts her head and puts a finger to her lips. "You know, I had heard of stars, when I lived in Menzoberranzan. I could not understand them. Nothing about 'the sky' made a lot of sense to someone who had only ever lived under miles of stone. And under centuries of oppression." She straightens her cloak. "When I saw the stars the first time, my understanding was... I don't know the word. Reversed? Opened?" She exhales sharply through her nose in mild frustration. "When I saw the stars in the night sky, that is when I could not understand my own people. I could not come to terms with their lies and hatred. Because the stars were beautiful. Terrifying, to show their light over an infinite distance. But beautiful."

The drow shakes her head slowly. "Beauty. Wonder. Inspiration. I've discovered the same qualities in books as well. Have you ever considered the similarities between stars and books? They both show us pieces of a different world. A different time. A different reality than our own. Sometimes what we're shown can be terrifying, like the sheer distance and openness of the sky. Sometimes what we read makes us sad or angry. But does the fault lie with the book? With the author who penned it? With ourselves, for reacting against it? Has the book, with its bound parchment pages, betrayed us?"

She lifts a slender finger to emphasize her next words. "When you are shown something that makes you uncomfortable, don't cast blame at the medium. It's just a method of delivery. Look deeper. There might be something to learn."

Quote:

She opens her bleary eyes and reaches out, stumbling and feeling around for a tree to help her sit down by.

Stella's hands find not the rough bark of a tree, but warm, soft flesh. Viconia steadies her and keeps her standing. "Rieltar is a dangerous fool. You must be sure not to underestimate him."

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 1:07 am

1. The Cloakwood

"You're right." The voice comes from in front of Aiwe.

"More than you know." From the side.

There are a few seconds of silence. "Forgiving you is easy, though I don't hold such hopes for myself."

There's something about those words that produces a tickle in Aiwe's mind. It's as though a memory, or several, are asking for attention. A realization in the works. A burgeoning epiphany. Something to do with this strange drow woman.

At the same time, Aiwe's trained ears pick up the song she has been listening for: Viconia is behind her, about 20 feet away.

Aldous Silvershield

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 1:10 am

1. The Cloakwood

Aldous nearly stumbles straight into the campfire. "Stella missing! Aiwe's gone after her! Blood...!" He puts his hands on his knees and tries to catch his breath. "They're... outside of the camp. We need... to go help!"

Aiwë Shelur

gardensun

Jan 21, 2024 1:16 am

1. The Cloakwood

Aiwë pretends to be fooled and turns towards the sound of her voice. "Speak plainly, cousin, and I think you'll find I'm the forgiving type." She slowly steps backwards toward Viconia, as though intending to back away. "Or do you struggle to forgive yourself?" As she did so, she tried to figure out what Viconia was alluding to.

Last edited January 21, 2024 1:21 am

Rolls

Insight - (1d20+2)

(17) + 2 = 19

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 1:35 am

1. The Cloakwood

Quote:

"Or do you struggle to forgive yourself?"

Another long pause. Then the voice comes from the opposite side, from Aiwe's left. "There are many things I regret, yes... But do I blame the book for the message it spreads, or the author who penned it?"

Aiwe focuses on the niggling thought. Several memories, connected...

The first memory is from just moments ago...

Quote:

A sly smile curves Viconia's mouth. "Hello, Aiwe. Oloth!" Shadows blossom all around, both consuming Aiwe's faerie flames and defeating her darkvision.

Next is from when she first met Viconia...

Quote:

Between the illusory owl sound and the snapping of twigs, the guards immediately look in that direction and spot the figure. "You there, halt!" With a half-dozen crossbows pointed its way, the figure freezes. "Stay where you are! Raise your hands!"

Slowly the figure lifts its arms, and as it does so, the sleeves fall back to reveal silvery-black hands and delicate fingers. Then there's a quick, intricate gesture, and a magical word: "Oloth!"

The figure vanishes as a cloud of darkness fills the air around it. Even those members of the party accustomed to the dark can't penetrate it with their darkvision.

And then, finally, a memory from a night of rain, fear, and loss...

Quote:

"Runeson, get BACK!" Keggruk mutters another spell of protection, and that same glowing nimbus now surrounds Runeson as well. "Help the others and GO!"

The sound of faint chanting comes through the falling rain as the hooded enemy finishes another spell. The webs vanish, dropping Sheemish to bleed on the ground, and then Keggruk and the armored man are engulfed in a sphere of magical darkness. The sounds of battle continue within.

Aiwe is certain that this drow priestess, Viconia DeVir, is one of those assassins who attacked her and her friends on the night they fled Candlekeep.

Stella

Carcabob

Jan 21, 2024 1:58 am

1. The Cloakwood

Stella nods slowly, following the priestess' story and explanations with surprising clarity. She knew her love of books and of the skies well. The freedom and wonder of both. She made sense. Much more than she had been feeling.

Quote:

"Has the book, with its bound parchment pages, betrayed us?...When you are shown something that makes you uncomfortable, don't cast blame at the medium. It's just a method of delivery. Look deeper. There might be something to learn."

"No...you're right...Just a medium..." She opens her eyes and looks to try to meet Viconia's "But how do you...mmm...move forward through...that discomfort? That...terror." She shutters a breath.

Quote:

Viconia steadies her and keeps her standing. "Rieltar is a dangerous fool. You must be sure not to underestimate him."

She nods her thanks, grateful for the support, and softly squeezes her eyes shut. "So I keep hearing..."

Last edited January 21, 2024 2:02 am

Aiwë Shelur

gardensun

Jan 21, 2024 2:01 am

1. The Cloakwood

"Things you regret? Like the night near Candlekeep?" Aiwë calls to the place she last heard her voice, still backing toward her. "My uncle's death was written that night. You helped to pen it. It was another that ordered it be done. I blame them." Aiwë stops, gripping her hammer tightly, preparing to swing.

"Why are you here, Viconia? Where is Stella? I am the forgiving type, but I will not be toyed with any longer."

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 2:06 am

1. The Cloakwood

Quote:

"But how do you...mmm...move forward through...that discomfort? That...terror."

Viconia's answer is a sigh. "What works for me will not likely work for you. Not unless you abandon much of what makes you... you. But if you wish to walk my path, I will help you."

Quote:

"So I keep hearing..."

"Rieltar Anchev is more than a wizard. More than a murderer. God-like power runs through his veins, and he knows how to use it. He also has powerful allies. You should not engage him while they are around."

Stella

Carcabob

Jan 21, 2024 2:18 am

1. The Cloakwood

Stella furrows her brow. "Abandon...myself? Walk your path...?"

You shed a tremendous light wherever you put your gentle touch...The biggest danger will be yourself. To fear your past. To fear what you've done, what you could have been, or what you fear you cannot be... Papa's words.

"I'm a Melerelel. There might be people who need me, and I have the power to help." Her own words.

Hero.

Stella grimaces and puts a hand to her head as if in response to a big headache.

Stella remembers Viconia's involvement in Aldous' capture. The dead men on the road. The mercenaries. The mines. The grinning skull.

"No..." she shakes her head. "No, no, no! I can't—I can't do that..." Stella pushes away from the dark priestess and stumbles away. She topples and hits the ground as she tries. "Ahh!" She groans and pushes herself up on her arms. Fear seeps back into her mind through her surge of clarity and the mind-dampening darkness, however, and she looks around, trying to orient herself.

Last edited January 21, 2024 2:43 am

Rolls

Self-Imposed Wisdom Save to help me decide how Stella responds - (1d20+7)

(16) + 7 = 23

Ida

Requella Inactive forever!

Jan 21, 2024 2:18 am

1. The Cloakwood

Stephan says:

He shakes his head to clear it and refocuses on Ida. "Ignorant? No... just determinedly indifferent, I suppose. I mean, slavery is an outright crime here, unlike, say, Calimshan. So the Iron Throne was obviously doing something illegal. But I wasn't really part of the Iron Throne! Just sent by my parents to study with this strange guy, and not even given many opportunities to write home." He runs a hand through his hair. "According to the stories, wizards always live in secluded places, you know? An old tower, at the top of a mountain, in the middle of a swamp... I just figured this old mine was one of his eccentricities, not that he was actually planning to start a war with Amn!"

Ida tries to hide a sad expression "Indifference..? Indifference to illicit activity is why organizations like the Iron Hand, or any other unsavoury organization have the ability to thrive." She looks into Stephan's eyes Idas watery with tears "Indifference is how injustices are bread and how malice takes root. Is your thirst for knowledge, and pursuit of the arcane really so unquenchable that the suffering of hundreds, or thousands is acceptable? I'm sorry that your time here was akin to imprisonment, but shouldn't that have made you so much more empathetic to the agony endured by those bound into slavery here?"

Last edited January 21, 2024 2:23 am

Viconia DeVir

Araklusta

Jan 21, 2024 2:34 am

1. The Cloakwood

"...You remember after all." The voice comes from just behind her.

And then the darkness spell lifts. Viconia moves like a full-blooded elf, with the unconscious grace any dancer would envy. She steps slowly around Aiwe to stand in front of her. The drow's expression is as serious as a gravestone. "I will speak as plainly as I may."

"Your uncle's death was perfectly planned and orchestrated. He, and he specifically needed to die. Regardless of a possible resurrection. If you wish to stop the schemes at play, you must find out why..." Her next words are the faintest whisper, and they chill Aiwe to the bone. "...and who else may be at risk."

Viconia closes her eyes briefly and grimaces, as if in pain. "I have said more than he would allow, but I hope that what I've shared will help you. If not now, then someday."

Pain passed, she tosses her hair back out of her face. "I must go, but know that Stella will return momentarily. She wandered into a pocket of the Shadowfell, but fear not; I know the secrets of such places."

Viconia hesitates. "I told you once that you treated me better than most surface-dwellers. The truth is that I have never experienced such selfless kindness above or below the earth. " She holds out her hand in offering. "May the shadows guide and keep you, and loss ever bring you strength."

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