X Marks The Spot - Arkadius Hogg - 27/05/2020
May 26, 2020 23:39:25 GMT
Ghesh, Jamie J, and 2 more like this
Post by Deleted on May 26, 2020 23:39:25 GMT
Sheryl and Arkadius were huddled together in a corner of the Thirsty Dragon, chatting quietly so the others didn’t overhear. Sheryl's brow furrowed as the Feywine made her mind a bit fuzzy. "But... you don't know if they are one in the same.... But what if they are?"
Arkadius’ feet hit the ground outside the Thirsty Dragon, a new establishment in Port Ffirst. For all his trying, he hadn’t as of yet secured a table since its grand opening, so he was grateful to have been invited by “mysterious anonymous benefactors”, very much suspecting them to be the same people who had made a similar request just a few weeks prior. As he landed, Taz and Mace were just arriving too, with Sheryl and Markas arriving just in time. The group stepped into the new tavern, immediately greeted by the manager/waitress.
It wasn’t long before the group had ordered drinks, got in people’s way blocking one of the entranceways to a collection of booth-tables, and had been politely guided upstairs to the private rooms. This would be where they would again meet Himal, who realised they were approaching. The wooden beams of the floor are not as elegant and quiet as those elsewhere, Arkadius remarked to himself, Himal flinging open the door in front of them.
Arkadius grinned at Himal, and asked, “Ah, greetings! Pleasure to make your acquaintance again… did you bring more of that glorious fire whiskey with you?”. He was disappointed with the answer, looking at Sheryl and advising her, “Your friends have let me down this evening.” The conversation flowed, and Arkadius ignored most of it, lost in his own thoughts. Himal mentioned another mission, and Arkadius perked up. “Are you sending us to blow up another ship?”, he excitedly enquired, hopes dashed again rapidly. “Twice now, dear Sheryl, have your friends disappointed me,” he remarked, mostly sarcastically.
Himal left them, heading towards the door. Very few of the group noticed Tsue slipping through the door, and into the room, sneakily. She advised them that they’d studied the maps pilfered from the wreckage of the keep just two weeks prior, and that things were coming to a head. The mission: Go to the spot, find out what’s happening, find the battle, and… do something. Arkadius had missed that detail, as he found it difficult to process the long conversation. He perked up again, “Wait, does that mean we are going back… there?” he asked, Tsue nodding in return. ”Oh, joy. We all love that place, don’t we?”, he gave Sheryl a side-glance. He knew she knew his history, that Shadowfell was likely his birthplace. She was the only one in the room to know that.
Then, he found himself whisked, yet again, over to Shadowfell, this time much closer to their destination. They were nearby the cave, and able to see what was going on over the lip of the small canyon they’d shifted into. That was their target, where they were headed. They approached the cave, and stepped inside. It seemed to change from a natural cave into a man-made metallic-rocky structure a few feet inside, and… it felt wrong to Arkadius. It felt cold, and… wrong.
It was also fairly bright, his darkvision hadn’t quite needed to kick in. This prompted questions, which the group soon found an answer for when they’d dispatched a handful of shadar-kai and a shadow-dog, when Taz bent over and took a small bit of the liquid from a pool, raising it to his lips and licking. “Blood,” was the one word explanation he came up with.
The others busied themselves examining the room, the bodies and everything, and Arkadius was… distracted. He was feeling and seeing something that the others didn’t seem to see. You… you lived here. You might… be interested in what I am offering.
Arkadius shook off the feeling, and the feathery figure vanished. He blinked, and turned back to the group. They continued on through the corridors, up and down the uneven floor, he didn’t mention what had happened.
They found themselves in another huge chamber, exploring and seeing plateaus in the distance. Markas confirmed there was another level below them, and Mace found a path… a slide, downwards. Most of them found their way down easily, and they proceeded forwards. The group found their way into a corridor, where there was battle ongoing. Two… weird beings, a shadar-kai, and a large group of people congregating around an altar. This felt very wrong in Arkadius’ stomach, and he started feeling a little sick, but before he could react… Markas had flung a Bead of Force at one of the weird beings, and Sheryl and the others had engaged awesome mode and many of the robed beings had fallen over dead.
This didn’t stop Arkadius launching a fireball in their direction though, to wrap up the last few and ensure the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. That was when Markas yelled… “THE SEAL IS FAKE. WE NEED TO GET OUT.”. It wouldn’t be till their return to Kantas that he would explain BB had cast Sending to notify him. Lucky that they were on their mission to find Nimbus at the very same time as us…
Just before we shifted back to the Thirsty Dragon using Tsue’s magical lute broach, the shadar-kai had started to approach the fake seal, which Arkadius didn’t want to happen, even if it was fake. He flung two Eldritch Blasts right at it’s back, wiping it out cleanly. He then ran to the group, just in time to be shifted. As the bright white light indicated the plane shift magic was working, he saw the figure again, smiling at the death and destruction around them in the chamber, ignoring Arkadius entirely. He felt sick again, and the figure disappeared promptly as they returned to the Thirsty Dragon, early in the morning. As he realised where and when they were, he raised his arms triumphantly in the air, declaring that “LOCK-IN!” was in session.
Sheryl and Arkadius were huddled together in a corner of the Thirsty Dragon, chatting quietly so the others didn’t overhear, both a glass of Feywine in their hands. He had things he wanted to talk to her urgently, and didn’t want the others to overhear. He’d told her all about what had transpired in Shadowfell, while they were distracted early on, and shifting back to Kantas.
“Do you think the Raven Queen is Swan? Or is Swan the Raven Queen? We have no idea…”, Sheryl probed.
Arkadius’ face became very, very pale when she asked that question, all the blood leaving his face very quickly. He was silent for a good few moments, before he regained his energy and voice. "I hadn't considered that, when we were in the Shadowfell. But that would make a lot of sense, and fit nicely... wrong word, but you know what I mean, Sheryl. And... it leads me to believe that maybe Jornos wasn't lying when he said I was born in a demiplane of Shadowfell?"
"It would make sense, yes... Are you going to try to commune with her? Or speak to her?", she asked, a twinkle in her eyes. Arkadius responded with a snort of derision, he had some knowledge of the matters at hand. "HAH! Speak to a Deity?! What do you take me for, Sheryl. I'm not going to even dare speak to a Deity, much less one of The Raven Queen's stature. Besides... if She and Swan are separate beings, then... which is more dangerous?"
Sheryl's brow furrowed as the drink made her mind a bit fuzzy. "But... you don't know if they are one in the same.... But what if they are?"
Arkadius put the half-full glass of Feywine in his hands down on a nearby table. "I think I've just lost my alcohol appetite. This is... a bit of a weird situation to be in. And you're, well... not only one of the few people, you're the only person in the whole of Kantas who knows my entire history. You're the only person I have trusted with all the details, warts and all... What do you think I should do?"
Sheryl held her glass in her hands, resting it in her lap. "Well," she started, fingers running across the lip of her glass, "since your powers are granted by a being that has interest in you, it would be best for you to start that conversation. Knowing what they might want, how you feel about them... Who they are. If you find you aren't liking where things are going, who the being is, then that's when you might need to consider other options." She rested her hand on his arm, the contact helping to convey her sincerity. "Whatever you decide though I will stick by you, as you have done for me. I want to see you happy Arkadius. Whatever is within my power to help you achieve that, you have it. I love our friendship so much and I love you for how you have been there for me." She smiled, and felt a happy giggle want to escape her at the rush of emotions.
Arkadius’ feet hit the ground outside the Thirsty Dragon, a new establishment in Port Ffirst. For all his trying, he hadn’t as of yet secured a table since its grand opening, so he was grateful to have been invited by “mysterious anonymous benefactors”, very much suspecting them to be the same people who had made a similar request just a few weeks prior. As he landed, Taz and Mace were just arriving too, with Sheryl and Markas arriving just in time. The group stepped into the new tavern, immediately greeted by the manager/waitress.
It wasn’t long before the group had ordered drinks, got in people’s way blocking one of the entranceways to a collection of booth-tables, and had been politely guided upstairs to the private rooms. This would be where they would again meet Himal, who realised they were approaching. The wooden beams of the floor are not as elegant and quiet as those elsewhere, Arkadius remarked to himself, Himal flinging open the door in front of them.
Arkadius grinned at Himal, and asked, “Ah, greetings! Pleasure to make your acquaintance again… did you bring more of that glorious fire whiskey with you?”. He was disappointed with the answer, looking at Sheryl and advising her, “Your friends have let me down this evening.” The conversation flowed, and Arkadius ignored most of it, lost in his own thoughts. Himal mentioned another mission, and Arkadius perked up. “Are you sending us to blow up another ship?”, he excitedly enquired, hopes dashed again rapidly. “Twice now, dear Sheryl, have your friends disappointed me,” he remarked, mostly sarcastically.
Himal left them, heading towards the door. Very few of the group noticed Tsue slipping through the door, and into the room, sneakily. She advised them that they’d studied the maps pilfered from the wreckage of the keep just two weeks prior, and that things were coming to a head. The mission: Go to the spot, find out what’s happening, find the battle, and… do something. Arkadius had missed that detail, as he found it difficult to process the long conversation. He perked up again, “Wait, does that mean we are going back… there?” he asked, Tsue nodding in return. ”Oh, joy. We all love that place, don’t we?”, he gave Sheryl a side-glance. He knew she knew his history, that Shadowfell was likely his birthplace. She was the only one in the room to know that.
Then, he found himself whisked, yet again, over to Shadowfell, this time much closer to their destination. They were nearby the cave, and able to see what was going on over the lip of the small canyon they’d shifted into. That was their target, where they were headed. They approached the cave, and stepped inside. It seemed to change from a natural cave into a man-made metallic-rocky structure a few feet inside, and… it felt wrong to Arkadius. It felt cold, and… wrong.
It was also fairly bright, his darkvision hadn’t quite needed to kick in. This prompted questions, which the group soon found an answer for when they’d dispatched a handful of shadar-kai and a shadow-dog, when Taz bent over and took a small bit of the liquid from a pool, raising it to his lips and licking. “Blood,” was the one word explanation he came up with.
The others busied themselves examining the room, the bodies and everything, and Arkadius was… distracted. He was feeling and seeing something that the others didn’t seem to see. You… you lived here. You might… be interested in what I am offering.
Arkadius shook off the feeling, and the feathery figure vanished. He blinked, and turned back to the group. They continued on through the corridors, up and down the uneven floor, he didn’t mention what had happened.
They found themselves in another huge chamber, exploring and seeing plateaus in the distance. Markas confirmed there was another level below them, and Mace found a path… a slide, downwards. Most of them found their way down easily, and they proceeded forwards. The group found their way into a corridor, where there was battle ongoing. Two… weird beings, a shadar-kai, and a large group of people congregating around an altar. This felt very wrong in Arkadius’ stomach, and he started feeling a little sick, but before he could react… Markas had flung a Bead of Force at one of the weird beings, and Sheryl and the others had engaged awesome mode and many of the robed beings had fallen over dead.
This didn’t stop Arkadius launching a fireball in their direction though, to wrap up the last few and ensure the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. That was when Markas yelled… “THE SEAL IS FAKE. WE NEED TO GET OUT.”. It wouldn’t be till their return to Kantas that he would explain BB had cast Sending to notify him. Lucky that they were on their mission to find Nimbus at the very same time as us…
Just before we shifted back to the Thirsty Dragon using Tsue’s magical lute broach, the shadar-kai had started to approach the fake seal, which Arkadius didn’t want to happen, even if it was fake. He flung two Eldritch Blasts right at it’s back, wiping it out cleanly. He then ran to the group, just in time to be shifted. As the bright white light indicated the plane shift magic was working, he saw the figure again, smiling at the death and destruction around them in the chamber, ignoring Arkadius entirely. He felt sick again, and the figure disappeared promptly as they returned to the Thirsty Dragon, early in the morning. As he realised where and when they were, he raised his arms triumphantly in the air, declaring that “LOCK-IN!” was in session.
Sheryl and Arkadius were huddled together in a corner of the Thirsty Dragon, chatting quietly so the others didn’t overhear, both a glass of Feywine in their hands. He had things he wanted to talk to her urgently, and didn’t want the others to overhear. He’d told her all about what had transpired in Shadowfell, while they were distracted early on, and shifting back to Kantas.
“Do you think the Raven Queen is Swan? Or is Swan the Raven Queen? We have no idea…”, Sheryl probed.
Arkadius’ face became very, very pale when she asked that question, all the blood leaving his face very quickly. He was silent for a good few moments, before he regained his energy and voice. "I hadn't considered that, when we were in the Shadowfell. But that would make a lot of sense, and fit nicely... wrong word, but you know what I mean, Sheryl. And... it leads me to believe that maybe Jornos wasn't lying when he said I was born in a demiplane of Shadowfell?"
"It would make sense, yes... Are you going to try to commune with her? Or speak to her?", she asked, a twinkle in her eyes. Arkadius responded with a snort of derision, he had some knowledge of the matters at hand. "HAH! Speak to a Deity?! What do you take me for, Sheryl. I'm not going to even dare speak to a Deity, much less one of The Raven Queen's stature. Besides... if She and Swan are separate beings, then... which is more dangerous?"
Sheryl's brow furrowed as the drink made her mind a bit fuzzy. "But... you don't know if they are one in the same.... But what if they are?"
Arkadius put the half-full glass of Feywine in his hands down on a nearby table. "I think I've just lost my alcohol appetite. This is... a bit of a weird situation to be in. And you're, well... not only one of the few people, you're the only person in the whole of Kantas who knows my entire history. You're the only person I have trusted with all the details, warts and all... What do you think I should do?"
Sheryl held her glass in her hands, resting it in her lap. "Well," she started, fingers running across the lip of her glass, "since your powers are granted by a being that has interest in you, it would be best for you to start that conversation. Knowing what they might want, how you feel about them... Who they are. If you find you aren't liking where things are going, who the being is, then that's when you might need to consider other options." She rested her hand on his arm, the contact helping to convey her sincerity. "Whatever you decide though I will stick by you, as you have done for me. I want to see you happy Arkadius. Whatever is within my power to help you achieve that, you have it. I love our friendship so much and I love you for how you have been there for me." She smiled, and felt a happy giggle want to escape her at the rush of emotions.
