Wish You Were Here - 01/03/2023 - A Kavel Perspective

Afternoon Athletics

It was threatening to rain in Daring Heights. But, I flew all the way to Graveside from the Dwarven Quarter in a sequence of 80ft flight jumps. Not bad. For someone who doesn’t have wings, or magic, I’m really good at flying. As crazy as I’m told it sounds, if you develop powerful enough legs to squat over 1,500lbs, then the aerial highway becomes an option for you. It’s true!

I came to Graveside to reach the Silver Serpent - Sorrel had received word to pick up the second job.

What was the first job and what was going on, you might ask? Well…


Kavel’s Executive Summary of the Story So Far

Okay. Here we go:

• Sorrel, as a young teenager, was sold to the House by her parents.
• Sorrel does not know why her parents made this deal.
• The House is an organisation of assassins and ‘problem solvers’.
• As a House Specialist, Sorrel followed up a failed mission in a way that the House didn’t approve.
• Sorrel was very ‘personal’ and ‘excessive’ in what she had done.
• Sorrel was given an unspecified amount of annual leave from the House for her actions.
• So, Sorrel came to Kantas to get away.
• After a long time, the House reached out to Sorrel with a mission - Sorrel tried to negotiate aid for the Gith Invasion. The House did not agree. Sorrel did not accept the mission.
• More recently the House reached out again for a meeting in the Silver Serpent.
  
• The Silver Serpent is a public house in Graveside where shady deals can take place with reassurances for everyone that no violence will take place inside.
  
• Specialist Isa, from the House greeted us at the Silver Serpent. She had two missions for Sorrel. But also…
• These missions were payment for a second deal that Sorrel’s mother had made with the House, using Sorrel as payment again! The House chose the completion of two missions, tailored to Sorrel’s preferences, as payment for her mother’s second deal.
  
• Sorrel’s preferences? Missions which are unambiguously good, for example saving or reducing harm to children.
• Specialist Isa said that upon completion of the second mission, Sorrel would be given a letter from her mother that explains both the reason behind the first and second deal.
  
• We completed the first mission, which involved killing an evil wizard in Kundar who was experimenting on poor children.
• A month had passed, and Specialist Isa sent Sorrel a message to meet at the Silver Serpent again.

So, as I said, it was time for the second mission.


Return to the Silver Serpent

The Silver Serpent is a den for lawbreakers. We were bringing our friend the Blue-Dragonborn sorcerer, Derthaad with us, he is a member of the City Watch. This was the second time we were doing this.

Accompanying us were Velania and Zola, our Aasimar Cleric, and our Half-Drow Paladin friends. Velania is the kindest woman you’ll ever meet, and Zola sure can do a lot of damage with her duel swords.

Last time we were here, we had Itzal, our Half-Orc Cleric friend with a good punch, who took an interest in the world's largest Goliath - no not me - the barman of the Silver Serpent, he’s 10ft tall and has fully black eyes. Unfortunately Itzal was away. But, we had Velania instead, and this was good… however, because we had both Velania and Zola in our party there was a very long moral discussion before entering the Serpent.

Velania is a wonderful humanoid. So caring and very attentive to people’s emotional state - to a fault. And Zola, despite her sword style, which is like watching a powerful hurricane of radiant force, she might as well be a Cleric with the arguments she puts forward during pre-battle ethical considerations. I think this is why they all get along so well; Sorrel, Velania and Zola - they all have higher beings they serve - Sorrel and Velania; both the Moonmaiden. Zola? Not sure. I turned to comrade Derthaad, cupped my hand to my mouth and leaned towards him, and told him what I thought about all the talking outside the Serpent:

“Cleric stuff,” I said.

Comrade Derthaad reassured me that he understood what was being discussed. He also seemed like he thought my appraisal of the moral discussion was… shallow? It just seemed to me that until we knew what the second mission was, we wouldn’t know if we had a moral conundrum to deal with or not.

You know; I never get these long moral discussions from Mendal. Maybe he’s not the worst Cleric I know, after all?


Second Meeting in the Backroom of the Silver Serpent

The big Goliath (and that’s saying something) pointed us to the backroom again. He was disappointed that Itzal wasn’t there. He was more disappointed that comrade Derthaad was.

Just like before, there were tankards waiting for us. Also like before, we need not worry about violence or poison, since the point of the Silver Serpent is that patrons are protected by the neutrality of the space. There would be severe repercussions for breaking the rules on violence here.

Specialist Isa Al’Astor was standing by the fireplace with a tankard in her hand. She’s quite fit, you know? It’s true - I keep meaning to ask Sorrel if the House only hires attractive women. Isa’s platinum white long hair, with a few braids, paired well with her tiefling horns and her very light blue eyes. Nice athletic frame as well. I would… if I wasn’t bonded of course. Of course, no harm in just looking. Before I observed that my mind was wandering and snapped its focus back towards business, I stopped to think how smooth the flesh of her neck must be under that slitted red leather piece that covered it. My neck, of course, is solid like stone, for I am Goliath, and in addition IronStrong.

Isa pulled out a dark wooden case from next to her chair and slid it towards Sorrel. “He sends his regards,” she said.

Inside the case were some very magical looking bracers. I asked who they were from. Sorrel mentioned they belonged to Callimar, her Dark Arts teacher and head of the same college. Isa was getting tetchy about this and drew one of her many daggers and stuck it point first into the table from the hammerfist grip. I looked back at the dagger and then Isa. She was very angry. I guessed she was upset that Sorrel, the Specialist in exile, was getting important gifts. I decided to ignore Isa, and looked back at Sorrel. Such a gift from Callimar, who I understood was in position to take over the House must have meant something.

“Sorrel. Do those bracers mean you are now head of the college for Dark Arts succeedin…”

Before I could finish that sentence a dagger had entered my neck. It was accompanied by an intense scream of anger from Isa. I looked back to Isa and saw a furious expression cover her face. Her eyes and mouth tensed and curled. The dagger she stuck into the table was no longer there, and it hadn’t been put back in its sheath…


Jealousy in the House?

Isa is very fast - just like Sorrel. This, I thought to myself as I bled out over the table. I really was bleeding quite heavily. Dare I say, a more junior adventurer, certainly one without my levels of conditioning, would have died right then. I would have been better had I been battle breathing and letting a controlled rage course through me. But, we were supposed to be in a safe place, so I was at ease. So, I was vulnerable. But, thanks to my IronStrong conditioning, I barely noticed the poison that came accompanied with the dagger, though I really was feeling the sharpness of the blade sticking right into my neck.

As I pulled the dagger out (slightly in pain - it did land in a very nasty spot to be fair) I felt Velania’s healing magic help close up the wound. Combined with my Goliath stone-like endurance, the wound actually sealed itself up quite well in just over ten seconds. At the same time, a big argument was going on. It was everyone versus Isa. Derthaad brought up professionalism, Velania brought up the neutrality of the Serpent. Zola was ready to unleash a hurricane of radiant blades at Isa, and Sorrel checked her big brother was okay. Seeing that I was; Sorrel kept her cool and didn’t herself break the rules of the Serpent.

I handed back the dagger to Isa, ending the arguing. Through the magic of her own bracers, she waved her hand at the dagger and it reappeared back in the bracer’s sheath.

Sorrel made a comment about Isa’s training seemingly being incomplete while she opened the instructions from the House for the second mission.

Obuzur Kragaul - was the only thing written on the paper. Isa explained that Obuzur seemed to be a cross between an Ogre and Oni, and was encamped in the Angelbark Forest. We would be able to smell him from a distance, when we got closer to him. He was travelling with a crew of Goliaths. And, he had a liking for young children. The camp was four days north by foot. The House wanted Obuzur killed, and the House also wanted proof; his head.

We had the mission. But, things were still very hot in the room. I decided to drink the drink Isa had provided us. I remembered to thank her for the provision. Isa demanded Sorrel take me from the room at once. In her frustration, Isa had also mentioned she did find me physically appealing, atleast, this was before I had said something that brought out her anger. I took the compliment.

We left the backroom. As we walked past the bar, I stopped to question the barman how come he was such a very tall Goliath. I also asked him if he had any training protocols he wouldn’t mind sharing. He said he’d write them down for me. I said I’d bring Itzal next time. The barman was pleased with this. He seemed like a good guy to me. Although, I had noticed that there was an unease in the bar as people looked at my fresh blood on my chest and hands and the wound at my neck, and were looking back at the barman. There was a sense of unease as if something needed to be done, but wasn’t going to be done.


To the Angelbark Forest

A few travelling provisions were bought, but otherwise we immediately started to hike our way to where we were directed to go in the Angelbark.

It took the four days we expected to reach a point in the Angelbark where we could smell an atrocious combination of smells; fermenting food, rotted flesh, piss, shit and blood. We could make out a campfire not too far from us, and could hear the sound of thundering voices.

It was time for some battle preparations.

Derthaad casted his Aid spell, buffering us with vigour. Velania casted some divine protection spell on Sorrel and herself. Zola casted a spell on herself and Corr’Vandor. Sorrel downed a potion of Heroism and casted the Pass Without a Trace spell for us, so we could maintain a stealthy approach to the camp. I decided to drink a potion too. I took one of the Potions of Growth I had bought for Nathalie for when she comes to visit me, and poured the contents down my throat. 7’4 ft Goliath became a near 15 ft Goliath. I was already impressively large. Now, I was twice moreover!

“Now I am the biggest Goliath in all of Kantas,” I said to my comrades, standing very tall. Then I got on my hands and knees, having realised I might signal our presence to our prey with my immense, unmissable height. It was at this point, as we began to make our way stealthily to the camp that the others mentioned, “you know. We’re not so certain the 10 ft tall barman is actually a Goliath.”

What?!


By the Camp

The stench was foul, but some credit had to be given to the camp design. It had palisade’s all around. However, it was also down a hill in a ditch, which defensively did not seem smart, but for comfort, the earth provided a good windshield… which may be in part why it stank so much; the smell couldn’t escape!

In the western part of the camp, Obuzur was easy to spot. He stood by a dining table and chairs chatting loudly to a couple of his Goliath underlings. He was still bigger than me, an - at that time - 15 ft Goliath. He was also much ‘broader’ too, if you follow my meaning, and also mostly naked. There did seem to be a mass of muscle though underneath the filth and fat around his body. But, it’s not as if he could be any hassle for me even at my normal height. At 15 ft? I wouldn’t just be able to grapple him to the floor, I’d turn him into a pretzel. Obuzur wouldn’t be able to escape my pin let alone move a single inch. I was confident.

Velania, drew our attention to a couple of cages in the eastern part of the camp. Inside were four children who looked filthy, unfed and terrified. Derthaad explained that he could cast his Wall of Force spell to protect the children while we fought.

With our opponents unaware of our presence, we made plans on how we would get the drop on them. Plan made. We went for it.


Surprise Round

I crawled forward. I looked back at my comrades and realised I was in fact going first. It’s normally never me that goes first, unless we’re breaking a door down. But anyway, I crawled forward to the ledge. Obuzur was 60 ft away from me, down the slope. I quickened my breath and began battle breathing, and entered into a state of steady rage. I jumped up from the floor into a squat and propelled myself forward with my flight legs, flying towards my target. My left shoulder rammed into Obuzur’s right side, and I stepped behind him to apply a waistlock from behind. My belly to his back, physical touch confirmed he was covered in filth and the stench was horrendous. Grease and filth was troubling for my grip, but I persevered, and I squeezed with my arms, sank into a half squat and then stood up, tensed and arched my back; it was time to bring Obuzur to the ground!

Obuzur was surprised, I had the edge. I thought I had him, but the grease and grime and the way he jiggled, I could not bring him to the floor. It was quite impressive of the big fat man. I saw Sorrel drawing a lightning arrow from the corner of my eye, back up on the mound. If I couldn’t currently lift Obuzur, I could at least make Sorrel’s shot easier. I turned and dragged Obuzur and his 20 ft plus frame around so that his chest was facing Sorrel.

The sound of air being split and lightning striking could be hurt for a split second and then even I felt it, as an arrow hit Obuzur in the chest and I felt the impact of his upper half slapping my front. And then there was the heat from the lightning… which I felt a little more directly than I was hoping (I forgive you sister, you know big brother can take it). I felt a second jerk of Obuzur’s body as Sorrel landed a second arrow. From the jolt of Obuzur’s head, and the scream; Sorrel got him in the eye. A black light crept over both his eyes, I believe the magical effects of Sorrel’s new bracers were at play; Obuzur was blinded in more ways than one.

A fey stag and its mounted rider in adamantine plate came leaping down from on top of the mound. The radiant and powerful cavalry had arrived.

Obuzur was screaming and turning, trying to escape my grip and at the same time desperate to see. As he scrambled, he smeared me with more of his grease. It was disgusting. So much so, I couldn’t stop myself; as the stench shocked my nose, my rations came up from my stomach and out my mouth. My vomit didn’t travel far though, because my mouth was pressed up against Obuzur’s upper back. In grappling competitions, being a smelly bastard is not illegal, but it is foul, and some bastards do compete like that.

“Don’t get into grappling range Zola!” I yelled, “he’s a smelly cheater!”

Zola leaped off of Corr’Vandor and entered sword-striking range with Obuzur, tied up in my waistlock and blinded.

“Oh this distance is good for me,” Zola said, as she brought down two radiantly thunderous sword slashes across Obuzur’s naked chest and more radiant pain smashed into our foe from Zola’s spirit allies. As the stench of Obuzur hit her, Zola wisely stepped back a bit.

My main casting allies sprung into action. As Derthaad casted the Wall of Force around the cages, surprising the two Goliaths standing near them, he also fired a radiant bolt to the blinded, and now sliced open Obuzur. Velania divinely blessed Sorrel’s bow. As she did, I felt myself get lifted off of my feet?! Obuzur was hiding some strong legs under his blubber and all that filth…


I’m Not the Only One With Flight Legs!

Somehow the Ogre-Oni scrambled out of my waistlock. But that wasn’t the most impressive thing he did. After grabbing his club, and getting punched in the kidney from me while he did that, and then getting cut by Zola to the same spot; he lowered into a squat… I stood in disbelief, “surely he wasn’t going to?” I said to myself. Sure enough, from the squatted position, this mound of blubber and grease launched himself up into the sky!

Obuzur landed several feet to the northeast of the camp away from us. He had flight legs too! And very powerful flight legs! He also seemed to have shaken off the blinding black light around his one good eye.

Obuzur was far from me now. I moved to the closest Goliath underling next to me. I pushed him back a little with my left hand to off balance him, and delivered a right cross to his face as he stumbled from the push. As he regained his balance his head was perfectly lined up for a left cross - the left cross was delivered to his jaw! The force of my punch sent his head into a wobble and down - perfectly lined up for a right uppercut - also delivered! My fist made contact underneath his chin and his head tore off from his neck and landed a few feet away from where his body fell. Job done, I moved closer to the cages, to the centre of the camp. As I moved, two arrows, one full of crackling lightning and another shining with radiant force soared past me towards the north east of the camp and pierced into Obuzur’s body. Obuzur bellowed in pain.

The other goliath near me opted to attack Zola - it was a bad choice for him no matter who he opted to engage with. The guy swung his axe three times at Zola and missed an equal number of times. As one of the Goliath’s near the cages came to attack me, the guy that attacked Zola surprisingly managed to bring his axe’s shaft up in time to block one of Zola’s sword strikes. But, he wasn’t quick enough to intercept the second sword that cut his belly with radiant enhanced power. Fortunately for him, atleast at that moment, Zola wanted to get back to Obuzur, so she disengaged from her opponent and remounted Corr’Vandor. The guy that came for me missed two swings of his axe. I didn’t even move. He got me with the third slash though, but it barely registered - no more than the kind of nick you get from shaving.

I looked towards Obuzur, pulling at some arrows stuck inside him, and a ball of lighting came crashing into a spot nearby, and then three lighting bolts burst out of the ball; one at Obuzur, and then one at my new attacker and the other at the remaining cageside Goliath. They all looked a little crispy thereafter. I looked over to Derthaad on the mound, he had moved a little, but I located him and gave him a thumbs up sign of encouragement. I then noticed he had a radiant crown around his head, which I had never seen before, and one of the motes of the crown went shooting out towards Obuzur who had managed to dodge some of the lightning (the Goliaths didn’t - they were hurt badly). Obuzur did not dodge the radiant blast as it landed right into his right flank.

Velania’s radiant wings took her into the sky, as the scorched Goliaths looked on at what new horror their aggressors had in store for them. Obuzur, on the other hand, had bad intentions in his eyes, directed at my comrades. With his impressively powerful flight legs, he took to the sky with an evil expression on his face. I had a worried feeling about what was going to happen next.


Better Flight Legs - I Have Room to Improve!

From far to the northeast of the camp, Obuzur’s hulking mass flew over my head in the centre of the camp, and then landed square on Zola and Corr’Vandor. The wind was bludgeoned out of Zola. Corr’Vandor was crushed - the big fey stag vanished. When I crash into people from high, with my Derthaad assisted, Mountain-High Elbow-Drop, I have to take some pain to deliver more pain. Obuzur did not look hurt from the impact… is there some benefit to all that blubber? As I gave it some thought, Obuzur took to the sky again.

The hulking mass flew up and then once he gained some height, he came down on the mound, specifically on Velania! A horrible thud was heard. Velania was trying to suck wind back into her body, as she lay on the ground, much like how Zola was right then. Obuzur turned to Derthaad, and again took to the sky, and then came down hard on my dragonborn comrade. I felt I could hear ribs breaking from where I stood. Sorrel, also on the mound could see where things were going, this is probably why she managed to escape being fully flattened when Obuzur took to the sky one more time and came down on top of her - plus; Sorrel is very fast. Sorrel got knocked, but she stayed on her feet. She stared at Obuzur’s chest for a bit, and her eyes widened.

Mercifully missed as a target for an aerial crash (or was Obuzur trying to avoid being grappled?) I took to engaging the Goliath that ran from the eastern cages towards me. I clamped my giant hands around the Goliath’s neck, and squeezed his head between my forearms - he was going nowhere and was very vulnerable to what would happen next. I spun him around, to my right, and put my weight on my left foot as I swung my right knee backwards, and then drove it forwards into the guy’s ribs. This was followed with the left knee - his rib cage collapsed and the Goliath drew his last breath. As I let the guy tumble to the ground, I flew towards the Goliath that remained by the cages and uncorked a blistering flying left straight into his jaw. I grabbed the guy in a collar tie with my left hand as I finished the punch, and dragged him away from the cage and looked back over at the mound.

Sorrel’s bow had been knocked out of her hands when Obuzur had crashed into her. So Sorrel attacked with a different weapon; the power granted to her by Selune. Sorrel aimed her hands out towards Obuzur and casted the Guiding Bolt spell as her moonmaiden necklace shone brightly. The radiant bolt smashed into Obuzur’s chest, knocking him backwards, this time leaving the ground not of his own volition. As Obuzur recovered his feet, Sorrel had drawn her Halo Knife. Obuzur looked up and towards Sorrel, as she let the dagger fly straight into Obuzur’s remaining good eye. The dagger pierced its way into his brain, and Obuzur collapsed onto the ground, unable to leap and land onto anyone anymore.


Getting Proof and Exploring Camp

The remaining Goliaths tried to flee. But, a suplex and radiant sword slash later, and no one was able to flee.

I came to check on Sorrel and find out what had made her eyes go wide earlier. Sorrel chopped off Obuzur’s head - her proof. She also pointed at a mark on his chest. It was a black hand, the mark of the House. Sorrel skinned the tattoo off as well. Sorrel had gone quiet.

Derthaad found some coins, potions and other items. Zola and Velania saw that the children were fed and washed up a bit. We all needed some washing actually. Obuzur’s stench was on all of us. I am so glad there is usually at least one comrade in my party who knows the Prestidigitation spell. In this party, we had two.

Velania saw to the childrens’ wounds. Two were unconscious. I carried them. The other two looked terrified. They had just been saved, and didn’t look much relieved. Whatever Obuzur had done to them, it must have been horrible.

Derthaad got us back to Daring Heights with his Teleportation Circle spell.


Back in the City

Sorrel used the Sending Stone provided to contact Isa and tell her we were on our way, and to meet back at the Serpent.

The Council enacted their practised protocols for dealing with kids brought back by adventurers. Members of the Temple of Selune and Wakeen came to look after them and take them to Thia’s Refuge. If any relatives could be found, they would be.

As we entered the Serpent, it had begun to rain. The occupants groaned at the sight of a City Watch member back in their establishment. Sorrel glared at them. They returned to their drinks.

The barman observed that I clearly didn’t need his training tips - I was still 15 ft tall. He was disappointed that I didn’t bring Itzal - I wasn’t expecting to be here so soon again.

Sorrel spoke as we approached the door to the backroom. No one was sure what Sorrel’s actions would be as she entered the room. She went in hot.

There was a confrontation between the two specialists. It broke off agreeably and Sorrel let Obuzur’s head drop to the floor from under her cloak. At the same time, she pushed the cut flesh of Obuzur’s House tattoo straight into Isa face. At that moment, I wondered what I assumed might be going through Sorrel’s mind; was killing a House member the House’s way of demonstrating to Sorrel that she would always belong to them, and if she felt otherwise; a team would come after her like we did to Obuzur?

Isa gave Sorrel the letter and then left. Some words were exchanged. We all walked into the back room to join Sorrel, and she read her mother’s letter to us.

Much was discovered in the letter. Sorrel’s mother especially, wanted to look after three children that her and Sorrel’s father had accidentally stumbled upon. The troubled situation by which they came to discover these children meant selling their unborn child (Sorrel) to the House would be the only way of looking after the three children, who seemed important to the Moonmaiden. These now adults were on their way to meet Sorrel, and be protected by her.

Sorrel needed some time in the Temple of Selune to contemplate. We agreed to meet in the Dragon later, though both Velania and I joined Sorrel in the Temple from afar.

When Sorrel was ready, we made our way to the Dragon, and did our best to support her.