RP: Do You Remember When You Traded A Horn For A New Arm?
May 21, 2023 13:06:12 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Riah, and 1 more like this
Post by Andy Davy on May 21, 2023 13:06:12 GMT
Written in conjunction with ya boi and mine, Derthaad .
In a house in the Dwarven Quarter, soon after its occupants have read a letter from Lord Vandree. The letter in question updated the men on further developments to do with; the recent political goings-on in the Dawnlands, a mysterious symbol, and an item from the Feywild that was traded for a new arm...
…
"I'm clearing my schedule," the Goliath announced to Mendal and Archie. "I'm going to see if the attendant at the Watch will tell me if Derthaad is on duty and where he is. He has to be informed. It wouldn't be fair if he learns from elsewhere."
The Watch House
As Kavel entered the Watch house, he walked down a hallway at the end of which was an orange-skinned Firbolg working at a desk, leaning over a stack of papers. He wore a light uniform, not akin to the heavier armoured guards that Kavel has seen patrolling the city, instead something more fitting for a desk job, but clearly in a similar style, a dark blue uniform with some yellow highlights. On his chest a badge with the blue and gold symbol of Daring Heights. Kavel walked up to the desk.
"Hello. I am Kavel. You may have seen me accompany Sergeant Derthaad on adventures and the occasional Watch matter. I have important news for him. Could you tell me where I could find him?"
The Firbolg spared a quick glance, but immediately shifted his attention fully with a look of recognition. "Greetings," he says, straightening his back, "Kavel, yes, Sergeant Derthaad has mentioned you. He is indeed here. May I inquire about the nature of this important news?"
"It is to do with a previous adventuring job we undertook together in the Feywild. Very important information has been learned since. Sergeant Derthaad will want to know about it immediately."
"I see," replied the Firbolg, putting his quill down and proceeding to stand up. "In which case I shall inform the sergeant that an acquaintance is-"
"No need," interjects a voice, as moments later Derthaad appears from one of the side hallways. His voice is more stern and formal than what Kavel normally hears when on adventures. Even his posture is different. "I will take it from here."
"Sir!" Salutes the Firbolg.
"At ease." Derthaad handed over a stack of documents. "When Lt. Buttons arrives, please hand them this. The reports on last tenday's activity has been completed."
The Firbolg nodded, retrieving the documents.
Derthaad then turned to Kavel, his face brightening up. "Hey Kavel! What wind brings you here?"
"Comrade," Kavel says, patting his Dragonborn friend on the shoulder. "I, Mendal and Archie have received a letter today from Lord Vandree. It is to do with one of our previous adventuring jobs. The letter lacked details. But, its contents, nevertheless, are not good." The Goliath looked around the hall. "Where can we talk?"
"Yeah," comes a reply, mimicking the gesture with a frown. "Let's go for a walk. I like to keep adventuring business separate from Watch business."
Daring Street Walk
"So, what's burning?" Asks Derthaad as the two started walking down Daring Street.
"Comrade," Kavel said, looking at Derthaad's left arm from the hand to just above the elbow. "Do you remember when you traded a hunting horn for a new arm?"
"Y-yes... what about it?"
“Archie has been investigating the Temple of All Seasons. To determine whether we made a mistake by giving Drusilia that hunting horn. He’s also been in liaison with Lord Vandree about the bird-like symbol that’s appearing all over the place and is linked to Dawnlander and adventurer discontent. It seems there is something of a link. There is nothing solid yet. However, where it once was a complete mystery to us whether Drusilia was a good or bad person - it’s now looking much more like she is bad.”
Derthaad grimaced as he took in a deep breath followed by a sigh of frustration.
"What happened?" The question didn't come layered with urgency or shock. Instead, what Kavel picked up was frustration and a hint of exhaustion. Derthaad braced himself to expect the worst.
“Well. I can show you the letter. But, Archie said you won’t be able to read it because Lord Vandree wrote it with an illusory script that only himself, me, Archie and Mendal can see.
"Wait!" interjected Derthaad, holding his hand up. "If Jaezred used an Illusory Script, it means that it's better for whatever is on that letter to not reach the general public." Derthaad looked around, searching for something. The street was too crowded for them to discuss such matters without curious minds. "Follow me."
The two adventurers walked down a quieter street and then into a narrow back alley. They found an alley where the surrounding buildings only displayed tiny windows here and there for ventilation. "Right this should do it... wish I would have prepared a room for such an occasion but..." Derthaad muttered to himself, while casting the somatic components of a spell
Derthaad drew a small, palm-sized rectangle in the air, a thin glowing blue line defining the edges. With one finger he then flicked the rectangle into the wall as it then expanded, reaching almost 8 ft in height. The glowing edges disappeared, seeping into the stonework, leaving behind a thin seam. With the heavy yet quiet sound of stone gears, the wall extended and moulded itself into a door frame with a doorknob. Derthaad grabbed the doorknob the moment it appeared, and opened the door.
The magical door opened into a dark room. "Alright, get in."
"Oh. You have a magic room? Very nice," the Goliath said, impressed at his sorcerer friend's new spell.
Inside the room, Derthaad spoke a command word, and a light from a glowing gem sitting on a wooden table in the middle of the room lit the place up, revealing a 30 ft square and 15 ft tall room made of wood.
On one side of the room, there was a simple chair, and a desk with an inkwell and quill, and piles of paperwork covering the desk. Another side of the room was lined with filing cabinets. Opposite the cabinets, on the opposing wall, there was a red cushioned armchair with a bookcase and a chest. In between them, on the far end, opposite the door, there is a small display case.
"This is the room where I stash various documents and items that I don't want others to have easy access to," Derthaad said, as he started gathering all the paperwork on the desk and began to place them in the cabinets. I don't trust the locks at the Watch that much... and with all the recent fuss, it's hard to trust someone at all."
"But please," he gestures Kavel towards the armchair, "take a seat... and tell me what happened..."
As Kavel sat down, he took a look at the whole room. It was impressive. If he could create a personal demiplane like this, he would be weights in it.
“Okay, comrade, here are the facts according to Lord Vandree…”
The Contents of the Letter
One by one, Kavel related to Derthaad the points contained in the letter:
“Lord Vendree wrote to us that a very long time ago, Drusilia and her “daughter” Oriniax fought in a three-way war in the Feywild, in a place beyond the great courts now known as the Festerwoods.”
…
“The three armies were all annihilated, or so Lord Vandree believes, and it seems Oriniax was captured, imprisoned, and her memories suppressed, likely by Queen Titania or under her orders.”
…
“Now, somehow Oriniax found her way to the Fiore Popolare very recently, and as Lord Vandree put it in his letter, ‘long story short’, Leona Autumn made a potion that restored Oriniax’s memories.”
…
“Apparently, Oriniax is actually a Ceryneian Hind, this is a huge mystical Fey white deer. Her presence is said to herald the coming of the Wild Hunt, and she was hostile to the adventurers before she vanished.”
…
Kavel emphasised the next two points, which he felt his comrade would find particularly relevant:
“The horn that we found in the Temple For All Seasons, and gave to Drusilia is the Horn of the Wild Hunt. The Horn of the Wild Hunt, if blown, we are told, will send creatures who hear it into a violent frenzy.”
And lastly:
“Oriniax and Drusilia served and fought for an unknown male entity. Lord Vandree suspects this to be “The Hunter”, one of the three powerful Fey who warred in the Festerwoods.”
“Lord Vandree went on to speculate that the bird-like symbol might be a symbol for the Wild Hunt. Maybe whoever is behind it is spearheading the discontent for us Dawnlanders, so we have less allies when they attack? This is what Lord Vandree thinks for the moment.”
Kavel leant back in the chair, and stretched a little, signalling he had finished telling comrade Derthaad everything. “You’ve listened patiently, comrade. What do you think?”
Derthaad's face was in one of his hands, his elbow resting on the wooden armrest of the wooden chair.
"Well... makes sense... This entire anti-Dawnlander thing seemed a bit too random." As much as he tried to hide it, Kavel could sense that there was frustration in his comrade's voice. The hint of exhaustion from earlier, was maybe more evident now. Also, there was disappointment. "Reports came in from all over the place of that symbol popping up everywhere. But many of them seemed... random. Yes, they were targeting the adventuring community and the Dawnlanders, but it didn't seem to be anything coordinated. The only thing in common was that symbol."
"Now we know... it was a distraction... it was a distraction for whatever the fuck was unleashed in the Feywilds."
Kavel listened as his investigator friend voiced his thoughts. Now his friend had all the information, the Goliath voiced a concern he had. “I worry your arm will respond to the frenzy of the Wild Hunt if the horn is blown. Archie has offered his help if you want to investigate whether your arm is hiding any magic?”
Derthaad lifted his head as he showed off his left hand, the scales still covered with a red sheen. He flexed the hand in and out of a somatic pattern causing his blue arcane magic to mix with the red fey magic of the hand, and the two magic sources formed into a purple crackle of lightning. Derthaad ended the somatic pattern and the purple crackle faded away.
"Tell Archie I appreciate the help, but I've had enough time to investigate this. I know the spell that Drusilia left within. If I am marked by whatever curse there may be within it, if there is any, you will not be able to see it until it's too late. You can't detect curses. However... it can be removed. Or at least we can try, not sure how the horn's effect works, but... what other options do we have?"
“I don’t know what our options are - for your arm or this whole bird symbol thing. But, if you think of anything, let me or the other guys know; we will help. At worst, both Mendal and Archie are proficient medics, and Mendal can make all the best tools. So, if the arm has to come off, we can do it safely, and Mendal could make you a pretty decent looking metal hand.”
"Thanks, comrade, but I would much rather have a more biological arm. If it does come to having it removed, I'll just walk back here, bleeding to death and have Laurel regenerate it back."
“Okay. Fair enough. That is a better Idea. I too would prefer that. I doubt I could lift as heavy with only one real arm. Do you want to go find Drusilia? I think that might require going to the Feywild.”
Derthaad chuckled. It was a short and grim chuckle. "Considering this anti-Dawnlander movement that's going on, I have a feeling that she may end up coming to us. But, if you were to invite me to go and stick it to her, I'll gladly help." He glanced down at his red-tinted hand, at the 'gift' that he was given, at the price he unwillingly paid for it. "I'd much rather lose my mind fighting her than sitting here doing nothing but wait."
"Good. That is a good attitude, comrade.” Kavel was pleased that his friend did not seem to be drowning in regret upon hearing that they very strongly appear to have given a bad person an evil weapon by mistake. Regret was appropriate, they had made a mistake, but regret would just cause them misery. “I'm glad you now know as much as we seem to know."
Kavel looked around the demiplane that was Derthaad's private office, and took in the surroundings. The comfy armchair he sat on was a good fit for his large size, and clearly also good for his comrade. The manner in which the walls seemed to be made, that of stacked logs, and the pale warm glow of the crystal on the desk provided a cosy feel, like that of a cabin in the mountains. As the goliath’s eyes drifted towards the mostly empty bookcase and the display case filled with various items lined in rows, Kavel got the impression that the place had yet to be properly and fully furnished. Kavel’s gaze lingered on the door.
"By the way, Archie said behind the door where you found the hunting horn was another large room. While we were teleported outside as soon as you gained the horn, his party was able to go further in. It seems like the Temple had a prison in it."
"Let me guess," replies Derthaad after letting out an exasperated sigh, "the prison for either Drusilia or for whatever she's going to summon with that horn... or both. Am I right?"
“Could be. Archie is not sure. His party were exhausted by the time they discovered what looked like a room with cells.”
Kavel breathed in deep. Stretched his arms wide, and then brought his arms back down to his side. “Well, comrade, you know as much as I do now. I will have to be going soon, if I am to make my Sylvan lesson on time. Do you have any further questions?”
Derthaad returned a half smile. "Learning Sylvan for Nathalie?"
"Yes. Nathalie has been coming to see me most New Moons. It’s been some time since I’ve actually been to the Tange;e. But, when I go back, the Sylvan language will be very useful and should help her people feel more comfortable with me."
"Well, I hope you're not planning on going any time soon. There is talk in the adventuring community about the fact that whoever these anti-Dawnlanders are they seem to know whenever we go to places like Kundar, K'ul Goran and even the Feywild. I wouldn't be surprised if word got to the Damphenite Tangle about what we may have done. It would be unwise to go there before we deal with Drusilia."
“The clipboard people, you mean? If I use my bangle, it shouldn’t be a problem. It would be nice though to bring some comrades along, too. Although, yes - it might be a problem to go back there if it turns out the Wild Hunt is a very, very big deal. Though it was a mistake, we bear a good deal of blame. It seems we have been useful idiots.”
"Well... if you're gonna go now then, unfortunately, I cannot come. Would love to, but can't. While you might have been safe for now while using the bangle, you will most likely end up being followed if you're gonna bring people with you. But again, I have a feeling that the knowledge of what the trade I ended up doing may have already reached the Tangle. Nathalie wasted no time clinging to prejudice and calling me a spy of the Queen of Air and Darkness. I do not doubt that she will instantly call me out the moment she would see me."
“The Queen of Air and Darkness, If I recall what Nathalie told us correctly, tried to flood the Tangle. So, Nathalie was understandably suspicious of your mark comrade. She also knows what you went through to get it removed. I believe she respects your actions… However, right now she may feel we were idiots to trade with Drusilia. I will have to update Nathalie soon with the Sending Stones. She may conclude it’s time I come visit her again? If so, I will definitely go.”
"In that case, I wish you luck."
"Do me a favour though, try and see what you can find on Drusilia and this Wild Hunt thing that she's unleashing. Any knowledge that we can use against her may help greatly."
“Yes. I will try. But now. I must improve my Sylvan. Have a good day comrade. Stay strong.”