July 29
Everyone sat around a table in a dark corner of the inn. A single candle throwing warm light and empty shadows. After outlining their objectives, Viari seemed almost envious of this job. A castle in the sky with a cloud giant Countess must be filled with treasures that would fill even Viari’s deep pockets. He suggested a magical HVSL approach…High Velocity Slow Landing. Jump from an airship and when close to impact invoke a feather fall spell, either potion or scroll. Sneak into the complex with stealth, find the conch, escape to the clouds edge and jump, invoking another feather fall. Much discussion followed and the big take-away was stealth would be an asset. With Chamele's pass-without-a-trace and some invisibility, they just might be able to pull this off. Off they went to a Viari-recommended Scrollery and juice bar. Two potions of invisibility and two potions of feather fall were purchased.
All retired to an inn for the night. Two separate rooms for the girls and the boys. The Tick slept on the floor near the foot of Ronan’s bed and for some reason had dreams of chasing squirrels in a meadow. Well past midnight, the ever-alert Skithryx thought he heard a noise in the hallway, a creaking that sounded more than just the building stretching it’s limbs. Up he crept, silent as tomb and cracked open the door. Lo! Three ill-favored cutthroats faced the open door of Maggie and Chamele’s room. A fourth figure had entered the room and was approaching Maggie’s sleeping figure. A broo-ha-ha broke out. An outright Donnie-brook. Skithryx raised an alarm and did some very impressive warlockian things. Maggie awoke with a start and quickly recognized Gaerras, her father’s right hand, approaching her from the darkness. The three meatbags in the hallway were no match for Skithryx and Ronan. Gaerras promptly made to escape down the hallway, but was felled by stout crossbow bolt in the head. He slumped to the floor, dead.
In the shadows at the end of the hallway was a large dwarf-like figure. He stepped over the body of Gaerras and approached the party. Stockier than an average dwarf, this figure had prominent tusks protruding from his lower jaw (½ dwarf ½ orc). Scars crisscrossed his face, marks of 100’s of battles. He dropped his crossbow and drew forth a short sword and walked up to Chamele and with the sword held up, he asked,
A closer inspection of the weapon revealed a very finely made short sword, magical, with the word ‘Gypsy’ written on the blade in Infernal. A strange key hole was in the bridge of the hilt. In the butt of the hilt was a carved fox’s head with a red gem in its mouth. Could this keyhole accept Skithryx’ mysterious keys? He took out a key, inserted it into the hilt and turned it. A bright light appeared and a gateway opened in the middle of the hallway. Out stepped a tall figure, a bipedal humanoid form but in the shape of a fox or a jackel. Clad in finely crafted robes with gold stitching. Rings and gems adorned her fingers. A wreath of razor vines around her head flowed down past her shoulders. She looked from the sword to Chamele.
She explained that she had made the sword for an adventurer that she knew. She could be summoned by using a key. She will answer three questions to the best of her ability. You see, she is a researcher.
Early morning found ‘the Crew’ approaching the Air Ship. A guard greeted them and roused the Kiptin. The stoic ½elf emerged and accepted their destination with a cool efficiency. The crew was mustered and put to preparing for immediate departure and within moments, they ware lifting off for the Evermoors. En route, Ronan perceived the Kiptin on her own near the bow of the air ship seemingly in conversation. He surreptitiously approached and overheard her discussing their travel plans with some. She revealed that the generous provider of the very air ship on which they stood was Klauth, an ancient red dragon from the north. Klauth did not like the various Giant factions stirring up trouble in what it considered was his territory and had a vested interest in seeing the giants slapped down. If the Crew were successful in solving the ‘Giant’ dilemma and survived, they were duly invited to Klauthen Vale to be suitably rewarded.
The Evermoors approacheth.
The Motley Crew openly approached the cloud castle in the air ship and landed. All of the ‘crew disembarked and were in front of a giant-sized stairway that led to a set of doors 27’ tall. The door opened and a male cloud giant named Cressaro emerged. The crew requested an audience with Sansuri and they were escorted into the great castle. Over a bridge and into the tower proper, out into an open courtyard with 2 cloud giant guards, down a level and into an audience chamber. Sansuri, wearing a sad mask, coldly welcomed them and asked their business. Sansuri was quite unwilling to help in any way. Snubbed and dismissed. Cressaro led everyone back the way they came but before they were through the last door, Ronan and Chamele, cast invisibility and hid. Cressaro withdrew back into the castle proper.
All retired to an inn for the night. Two separate rooms for the girls and the boys. The Tick slept on the floor near the foot of Ronan’s bed and for some reason had dreams of chasing squirrels in a meadow. Well past midnight, the ever-alert Skithryx thought he heard a noise in the hallway, a creaking that sounded more than just the building stretching it’s limbs. Up he crept, silent as tomb and cracked open the door. Lo! Three ill-favored cutthroats faced the open door of Maggie and Chamele’s room. A fourth figure had entered the room and was approaching Maggie’s sleeping figure. A broo-ha-ha broke out. An outright Donnie-brook. Skithryx raised an alarm and did some very impressive warlockian things. Maggie awoke with a start and quickly recognized Gaerras, her father’s right hand, approaching her from the darkness. The three meatbags in the hallway were no match for Skithryx and Ronan. Gaerras promptly made to escape down the hallway, but was felled by stout crossbow bolt in the head. He slumped to the floor, dead.
In the shadows at the end of the hallway was a large dwarf-like figure. He stepped over the body of Gaerras and approached the party. Stockier than an average dwarf, this figure had prominent tusks protruding from his lower jaw (½ dwarf ½ orc). Scars crisscrossed his face, marks of 100’s of battles. He dropped his crossbow and drew forth a short sword and walked up to Chamele and with the sword held up, he asked,
“Are you Chamele?”The whole group was a little shocked at this question.
“Do you know a halfling named ______?”Chamele didn’t know to whom he referred, but she plumbed the depths of her childhood and remembered an aunt, her mother’s sister, one whose wonderlust overtook her and has not been seen or heard from in many years. The dwarf seemed to half turn toward the sword and said,
“Are you sure?”Was he talking to the sword? He paused for a moment. Turned the sword upside-down and offered the sword hilt to Chemele. With some trepidation, she took it. The dwarf staggered slightly and shook his head, looking around as if awakening from a fugue. He looked at the sword in Chamele’s hand and said,
“No! The sword is MINE!”A pause.
“Forgive me. The sword is not mine. ____ and I adventured together for many years. She was a good companion. A good friend. She died and I have been trying to return the sword to her family…to her heirs.”And with that, he turned and walked back the way he came, almost vanishing into the shadows before their very eyes.
A closer inspection of the weapon revealed a very finely made short sword, magical, with the word ‘Gypsy’ written on the blade in Infernal. A strange key hole was in the bridge of the hilt. In the butt of the hilt was a carved fox’s head with a red gem in its mouth. Could this keyhole accept Skithryx’ mysterious keys? He took out a key, inserted it into the hilt and turned it. A bright light appeared and a gateway opened in the middle of the hallway. Out stepped a tall figure, a bipedal humanoid form but in the shape of a fox or a jackel. Clad in finely crafted robes with gold stitching. Rings and gems adorned her fingers. A wreath of razor vines around her head flowed down past her shoulders. She looked from the sword to Chamele.
"I see the sword has a new owner. And you are?"Well, who the heck are you?
"Oh, really dear. Very well. I am Shemeshka"
"If it can be learned...I know it."She put out her hand and skithryx placed the 1 key into it. She then stepped back into the portal and it closed behind her.
Early morning found ‘the Crew’ approaching the Air Ship. A guard greeted them and roused the Kiptin. The stoic ½elf emerged and accepted their destination with a cool efficiency. The crew was mustered and put to preparing for immediate departure and within moments, they ware lifting off for the Evermoors. En route, Ronan perceived the Kiptin on her own near the bow of the air ship seemingly in conversation. He surreptitiously approached and overheard her discussing their travel plans with some. She revealed that the generous provider of the very air ship on which they stood was Klauth, an ancient red dragon from the north. Klauth did not like the various Giant factions stirring up trouble in what it considered was his territory and had a vested interest in seeing the giants slapped down. If the Crew were successful in solving the ‘Giant’ dilemma and survived, they were duly invited to Klauthen Vale to be suitably rewarded.
The Evermoors approacheth.
The Motley Crew openly approached the cloud castle in the air ship and landed. All of the ‘crew disembarked and were in front of a giant-sized stairway that led to a set of doors 27’ tall. The door opened and a male cloud giant named Cressaro emerged. The crew requested an audience with Sansuri and they were escorted into the great castle. Over a bridge and into the tower proper, out into an open courtyard with 2 cloud giant guards, down a level and into an audience chamber. Sansuri, wearing a sad mask, coldly welcomed them and asked their business. Sansuri was quite unwilling to help in any way. Snubbed and dismissed. Cressaro led everyone back the way they came but before they were through the last door, Ronan and Chamele, cast invisibility and hid. Cressaro withdrew back into the castle proper.
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