Devils and Dust - 26/04/23 - Rae's Report
May 4, 2023 7:10:42 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Andy D, and 1 more like this
Post by Harry on May 4, 2023 7:10:42 GMT
Sitting in a private room in the Gossamer Threads Tea Rooms of Port Ffirst, surrounded by steaming-hot tea, freshly-baked scones, and a fanciful assortment of cakes and sandwiches, Rae waits. They weren’t sure what to expect when they came here but had hoped to meet their friends here… somehow. Fortunately, they needed only to wait 20 minutes as suddenly and without warning, the door is opened by a waiter, and in walks the elegant Lord Jaezred and the hulking warrior Keros following behind him.
“Hello, Rae. I thought I sensed a tremor on my web. I brought your comrade-in-arms with me, too. What’s going on?”
Rae looks up, briefly startled, but they have generally accepted Jaezred’s shenanigans by now. They make sure that the door is definitely closed behind them before sitting back in their chair. They are gravely focused on the matter, not as panicked as they have been, but ready and serious.
“I fulfilled your request a little earlier than expected, Jaezred. That symbol came up again.”
“Oh? Where did you find it now?”
“Heard of a settlement called Enlace?”
“Yes, once or twice — subterranean genasi village, out west near the Spines?”
“Yes, well Enlace came under attack recently by a fellow referred to as ‘The White Moth’, real name Léonce Devaux le Bretagne Mercier.” Rae is very careful and slow with the pronunciation of that name, making sure to get it right. “The White Moth’s attack was thwarted, and he was killed. But two of his lieutenants survived, Lucinda and Morena Vazroque.”
Jaezred sits down in the chair next to Rae’s and props his chin up on his palm. “I’ve heard those names. Crime lords out of Kundar, I believe.”
Rae nods along in confirmation, then carries on. “In our recent visit to Enlace we saw the goal of the White Moth’s attack, a great crystal at the centre of their underground community of immense power, that has been fractured. The crystal has the ability to teleport individuals or groups, it was the reason I was able to get here so swiftly. But just as we arrived, we watched the crystal open a portal from someplace else. Standing in that portal was Morena Vazroque, and SHE was wearing a pin that matched the symbol.”
Rae takes a deep breath and a drink as they finish their ramble. They had not taken a breath the whole time.
Jaezred knits his brows together. After Rae has recollected themselves, he says, “That is… fascinating. And what happened next?”
“She seemed to just sort of observe us, as we were stood there. The people of Enlace let on that it is unnatural for the crystal to allow a portal to open from somewhere else, it’s mostly used for sending people elsewhere it seems. And certainly its power should not be able to be wielded by someone completely separated in a different location and not of Enlace. It felt to me like… like a test run? Checking that it worked and could be done? The portal was hardly open for long, and she didn’t do anything other than look through it before closing it again. The implications of this frighten me.”
Rae gets through a lot of tea, going again to pour themselves for more. They pause for a moment, and pick up the pot to pour some for Jaezred and Keros to be polite.
“Test run, huh? That sounds very plausible,” Jaezred concurs, taking one of the teacups and holding it up to Rae as a gesture of gratitude. “But was there… something particular happening in Enlace when she teleported in?”
“We had just returned Ziha Tozotro, one of the five keepers of the crystal who have to remain with it in order to keep it safe and functioning, back to the village. The crystal had fractured prior because she had left, briefly turned to the side of the White Moth but now coming around back to the side of Enlace.”
“Ah, I see. That is important, but nothing Dawnlands-related?”
Keros nods his thanks as Rae pours the tea. “Yes, other than the symbol, is there any further connection?”
"Oh! And we had also been sent to deliver official documents declaring Enlace to be counted as a subsidiary under the Dawnlands as a part of The Aegis Accords. To help protect the village and its crystal from any further attacks.”
Jaezred glances at Keros and then back at Rae. “Well, there it is.”
“I’m sorry, there was a lot that happened. I tried to write it all down…” The young wizard scrambles for their notes amidst their spellbook.
“The Accords being expanded is… the opposite of what has been happening elsewhere though right?” Keros asks.
“Nothing exactly has been happening to the Accords elsewhere — K’ul Goran, Kundar, and Vorsthold remain in the agreement… for now. I’m still not entirely sure how Enlace is governed, but it’s so much smaller than the other settlements in the Accords that I would presume the same tactics would not be used there. But that begs the question: what are they planning?” Jaezred takes a long, thoughtful sip from the cup he is holding. “Now, take your time to recall, Rae, but what else did you learn?”
“The Vazroque couple were fighting alongside The White Moth, but according to those present at his fall, seemed to have their own agendas and prioritised saving themselves over him. They are both seemingly powerful spellcasters, much more powerful than myself from what I hear. Capable of short range teleportation spells, abjuration spell counters, and deadly evocation.” Rae fidgets with their own spellbook for a moment before continuing. “And in the regard of the pin, our symbol we were tracking, my very capable and brilliant friend Fog mentioned that he spotted a similar pin being worn by an individual in the Feywild by the name of Drusilia?”
At the mention of that name, the thus-far unflappable Jaezred widens his eyes in surprise and concern.
Keros rolls his eyes. “It’s in the Feywild as well now? By the ancestors, is there any place that this pin is not showing up?”
Rae nods gravely. “This adds to my concern regarding the crystal in Enlace. These seemingly disparate allies sharing the same pin are from every corner of Kantas and beyond, and now they seem to be gaining some form of control over a powerful crystal with teleportation capabilities. I am afraid of this giving them a means to all converge in one place? Or all coordinate one joint assault?”
“A massive portal opening with vast hordes of enemies descending upon us through it. An experience I would rather not relive.”
Meanwhile, Jaezred is muttering to himself, looking deeply perplexed. “Drusilia… Why? They didn't tell me that she… No, of course not, how would they know it was important…”
Rae gives a sympathetic look to Keros, then shifts their gaze to Jaezred. “You know this person?”
His attention snaps back to the two others in the room. “Yes. Drusilia, I have met her a couple of times before. She’s a red hag, and… far more powerful than all the other known pin-wearers.” He shakes his head. “I don’t understand. I know she has encountered Dawnlanders several times before, even hired them. What reason would she have to be against the Dawnlands? Unless this is part of some larger game we’ve yet to comprehend.”
Rae frowns in turn. “A red hag? Sounds dangerous, and definitely as though the larger goal here is much bigger than legitimate anti-Dawnlander debate. A whole lot of people are being played here, and I feel like we’re among those people.”
“You are right. We seem to be but pawns on a board we didn’t know was under our feet. However, you need not worry about that for now — think first of your friend Keros’s beloved country.” Jaezred adjusts his cravat and smiles at Rae like he is proud of them. “You have done very well reporting this to us. Great job.”
Rae gets rather bashful at the direct praise. They clear their throat and adjust their gaze. “Right you are. Thanks, Jaezred. I was just keeping active, in fact I thought this job would take my mind off of the situation, that I might help my friends with something simple. But nothing seems simple anymore. Oh well, glad to be of help.” They smile a little brighter at the two of them.
“Rae, you’re right. Nothing seems simple anymore, but whoever’s behind this is making mistake after mistake by keeping us on their tail,” says Keros. “Something far greater than us is in play, and I can’t claim that I understand it, but I wouldn’t change who I'm standing alongside facing it.”
Jaezred nods solemnly. “Now that’s the spirit. This is the level of determination you must keep. I’m sad to report that things in Kundar have gotten worse — vandalism is rampant, targeting parts of the city that accommodate dragonborn. But there is still hope of stopping this and stopping whatever is happening in K’ul Goran.”
“Right!” Rae exclaims. “We have plenty of work to do, and we’ve got the best team to do it with. Let’s get this sorted, guys.”
“Hello, Rae. I thought I sensed a tremor on my web. I brought your comrade-in-arms with me, too. What’s going on?”
Rae looks up, briefly startled, but they have generally accepted Jaezred’s shenanigans by now. They make sure that the door is definitely closed behind them before sitting back in their chair. They are gravely focused on the matter, not as panicked as they have been, but ready and serious.
“I fulfilled your request a little earlier than expected, Jaezred. That symbol came up again.”
“Oh? Where did you find it now?”
“Heard of a settlement called Enlace?”
“Yes, once or twice — subterranean genasi village, out west near the Spines?”
“Yes, well Enlace came under attack recently by a fellow referred to as ‘The White Moth’, real name Léonce Devaux le Bretagne Mercier.” Rae is very careful and slow with the pronunciation of that name, making sure to get it right. “The White Moth’s attack was thwarted, and he was killed. But two of his lieutenants survived, Lucinda and Morena Vazroque.”
Jaezred sits down in the chair next to Rae’s and props his chin up on his palm. “I’ve heard those names. Crime lords out of Kundar, I believe.”
Rae nods along in confirmation, then carries on. “In our recent visit to Enlace we saw the goal of the White Moth’s attack, a great crystal at the centre of their underground community of immense power, that has been fractured. The crystal has the ability to teleport individuals or groups, it was the reason I was able to get here so swiftly. But just as we arrived, we watched the crystal open a portal from someplace else. Standing in that portal was Morena Vazroque, and SHE was wearing a pin that matched the symbol.”
Rae takes a deep breath and a drink as they finish their ramble. They had not taken a breath the whole time.
Jaezred knits his brows together. After Rae has recollected themselves, he says, “That is… fascinating. And what happened next?”
“She seemed to just sort of observe us, as we were stood there. The people of Enlace let on that it is unnatural for the crystal to allow a portal to open from somewhere else, it’s mostly used for sending people elsewhere it seems. And certainly its power should not be able to be wielded by someone completely separated in a different location and not of Enlace. It felt to me like… like a test run? Checking that it worked and could be done? The portal was hardly open for long, and she didn’t do anything other than look through it before closing it again. The implications of this frighten me.”
Rae gets through a lot of tea, going again to pour themselves for more. They pause for a moment, and pick up the pot to pour some for Jaezred and Keros to be polite.
“Test run, huh? That sounds very plausible,” Jaezred concurs, taking one of the teacups and holding it up to Rae as a gesture of gratitude. “But was there… something particular happening in Enlace when she teleported in?”
“We had just returned Ziha Tozotro, one of the five keepers of the crystal who have to remain with it in order to keep it safe and functioning, back to the village. The crystal had fractured prior because she had left, briefly turned to the side of the White Moth but now coming around back to the side of Enlace.”
“Ah, I see. That is important, but nothing Dawnlands-related?”
Keros nods his thanks as Rae pours the tea. “Yes, other than the symbol, is there any further connection?”
"Oh! And we had also been sent to deliver official documents declaring Enlace to be counted as a subsidiary under the Dawnlands as a part of The Aegis Accords. To help protect the village and its crystal from any further attacks.”
Jaezred glances at Keros and then back at Rae. “Well, there it is.”
“I’m sorry, there was a lot that happened. I tried to write it all down…” The young wizard scrambles for their notes amidst their spellbook.
“The Accords being expanded is… the opposite of what has been happening elsewhere though right?” Keros asks.
“Nothing exactly has been happening to the Accords elsewhere — K’ul Goran, Kundar, and Vorsthold remain in the agreement… for now. I’m still not entirely sure how Enlace is governed, but it’s so much smaller than the other settlements in the Accords that I would presume the same tactics would not be used there. But that begs the question: what are they planning?” Jaezred takes a long, thoughtful sip from the cup he is holding. “Now, take your time to recall, Rae, but what else did you learn?”
“The Vazroque couple were fighting alongside The White Moth, but according to those present at his fall, seemed to have their own agendas and prioritised saving themselves over him. They are both seemingly powerful spellcasters, much more powerful than myself from what I hear. Capable of short range teleportation spells, abjuration spell counters, and deadly evocation.” Rae fidgets with their own spellbook for a moment before continuing. “And in the regard of the pin, our symbol we were tracking, my very capable and brilliant friend Fog mentioned that he spotted a similar pin being worn by an individual in the Feywild by the name of Drusilia?”
At the mention of that name, the thus-far unflappable Jaezred widens his eyes in surprise and concern.
Keros rolls his eyes. “It’s in the Feywild as well now? By the ancestors, is there any place that this pin is not showing up?”
Rae nods gravely. “This adds to my concern regarding the crystal in Enlace. These seemingly disparate allies sharing the same pin are from every corner of Kantas and beyond, and now they seem to be gaining some form of control over a powerful crystal with teleportation capabilities. I am afraid of this giving them a means to all converge in one place? Or all coordinate one joint assault?”
“A massive portal opening with vast hordes of enemies descending upon us through it. An experience I would rather not relive.”
Meanwhile, Jaezred is muttering to himself, looking deeply perplexed. “Drusilia… Why? They didn't tell me that she… No, of course not, how would they know it was important…”
Rae gives a sympathetic look to Keros, then shifts their gaze to Jaezred. “You know this person?”
His attention snaps back to the two others in the room. “Yes. Drusilia, I have met her a couple of times before. She’s a red hag, and… far more powerful than all the other known pin-wearers.” He shakes his head. “I don’t understand. I know she has encountered Dawnlanders several times before, even hired them. What reason would she have to be against the Dawnlands? Unless this is part of some larger game we’ve yet to comprehend.”
Rae frowns in turn. “A red hag? Sounds dangerous, and definitely as though the larger goal here is much bigger than legitimate anti-Dawnlander debate. A whole lot of people are being played here, and I feel like we’re among those people.”
“You are right. We seem to be but pawns on a board we didn’t know was under our feet. However, you need not worry about that for now — think first of your friend Keros’s beloved country.” Jaezred adjusts his cravat and smiles at Rae like he is proud of them. “You have done very well reporting this to us. Great job.”
Rae gets rather bashful at the direct praise. They clear their throat and adjust their gaze. “Right you are. Thanks, Jaezred. I was just keeping active, in fact I thought this job would take my mind off of the situation, that I might help my friends with something simple. But nothing seems simple anymore. Oh well, glad to be of help.” They smile a little brighter at the two of them.
“Rae, you’re right. Nothing seems simple anymore, but whoever’s behind this is making mistake after mistake by keeping us on their tail,” says Keros. “Something far greater than us is in play, and I can’t claim that I understand it, but I wouldn’t change who I'm standing alongside facing it.”
Jaezred nods solemnly. “Now that’s the spirit. This is the level of determination you must keep. I’m sad to report that things in Kundar have gotten worse — vandalism is rampant, targeting parts of the city that accommodate dragonborn. But there is still hope of stopping this and stopping whatever is happening in K’ul Goran.”
“Right!” Rae exclaims. “We have plenty of work to do, and we’ve got the best team to do it with. Let’s get this sorted, guys.”