"That would be..."

Harald stopped abruptly in confusion.  He glanced down at his sturdy body and then over at Gromley.

"How can you..?"

"Eh?"

He stood in silence for a few seconds and then just shrugged.  If Gromley reckoned he could do this, then who was Harald to argue.  He trusted all of his companions...  well most of them...  He still was not too sure about Martha...

"Ah suppose Ah'm gonna get the housework test then" he grumbled.

The gnome chortles--the first gnome-like behavior you've seen out of him, now that you think about it--and he hands Gromley the draught.

He looks at the dwarf. "You seem a perceptive sort. Perhaps you shall have the test of sight!"

Gromley, make an Endurance check. Harald, make a Perception check.

In reply to Harald Gaptooth (msg # 138):

Gromley grinned up at the dwarf. "No fears, my good dwarf. As soon as this ugly work is done, I will allow you to take me to a drinking contest of your choosing to prove what I say."

He took the vessel and drank his fill.


OOC-10:38, Today: Gromley Underhill rolled 42 using 1d20+30 with rolls of 12.  Endurance.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:42, Wed 02 Mar 2016.

Gromley has a remarkable vision but feels better for it...

Tears formed behind Harald’s eyes as he saw in his mind’s eye the mounds of bodies, the males, females and children that filled the caverns of his lost clan.  That was where his life had truly started.

His travels had taken him to many paces since then.

He saw again his old master.  He had arrived there in such a sorry state!  Mauled almost unto death by that ancient red dragon.  “You gotta be tough if’n you goes agin a dragon” the old dwarf used to say as he drilled Harald unmercifully.  Harald smiled as the old dwarf’s voice re-echoed in his head.  Was he still alive, even after all these years?  Maybe one day…

In the years since he had left the master more dragons had fallen and more information had come to light.  Some kind of centuries-old plot, devised by Tiamat and his cronies.  It had been Elminster of course who had first figured it out.

A sudden thought came to Harald as he mentally retraced his steps; his long running quarrel with the Zhentarim?  He laughed out loud as he realised it was probably Elminster they should be blaming, not him.

His eyes dropped to his old axe, cradled on his lap.   He had found it buried in the skull of a skeleton warrior on the road to Waterdeep.  It wasn't much; it certainly wasn't old Skullsplitter.  He fingered the battered holy symbol he wore around his neck on a twisted thong.  It was all he had left of his old life and still bore the dried blood of his grandfather.  His eyes glistened as an image of his grandfather’s waraxe passed before his eyes.  Skullsplitter it was named and somewhere it still existed - he could feel it in his water.


02:07, Wed 02 Mar: Harald Gaptooth rolled 34 using 1d20+27 with rolls of 7.  Perception.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:50, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

In reply to EpicOne (msg # 141):

Seeing what was happening to the others, Darratheir seemed interested by the gnome and his potion. Still silent, he approached closer to the group and wondered if their host would have something for him to drink.

Sonliin smiled seeing the revelations that was occurring in the members of the group, hoping that it will lead to their goal of defeating Tiamat.

The gnome looked pleased. "Yes, two more tests, then. Hm, hm. A test of knowledge--history of the universe, perhaps?" He hands a vial to Sonliin. "I know of you, sir. Perhaps this one for you."

History check for Sonliin.

"Thank you." Sonliin said as he accepted the vial. He pulled the top off and swallowed it in one gulp, the potion opening his mind to the universe.

Sonliin's vision takes him back to the first dragons that appeared, watching how Bahamut created the good dragons and Tiamat created the evil ones, in the family tree of dragons. Some branches growing strong while others were pruned. In one branch, the line of Tagamut, Sonliin saw something that that answered a question that he had and begged many more that the group will answer with their actions.

OOC:42 so I guess Sonliin knows the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Needed to use a benny since the roller did not want to play nice.
23:54, Today: Sonliin rolled 42 using 1d20+24 with rolls of 18.
23:54, Today: Sonliin rolled 32 using 1d20+24 with rolls of 8.  History +24 spend benny.
23:53, Today: Sonliin rolled 26 using 1d20+24 with rolls of 2.  History +24.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:27, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

Martha listens intently as Harald relates his vision. Unexpectedly, tears form at her eyes that she struggles to hold in - it's all so personal, and moving. She feels herself move forward and envelop the dwarf in a hug before she can hold herself back. 'We'll find Skullsplitter and kill lots more dragons Harald' she mumbles to him.

The gnome nods wisely. "Very well. You are worthy. More worthy than you know. But what you seek may be difficult to justify. Proceed."

This last word is more a command than an offer as the floor beneath the party gently but quickly sinks into the "ground." The ground is, of course, some ways below--it is surprising to be sinking into what appears to be an elevator down into what should be thin air. Agon, Sonliin and Zog recognize this as a dimensional effect probably related to the plane. Agon would explain further, but the party arrives at their destination rather quickly.

You find yourselves in what appears to be a well lit and appointed library. Solid tables and plush chairs are scattered about the room, which is dominated by a mirror-still reflecting pool and massive shelves that sweep around the entirety of the room and reach to the ceiling some 40 feet up. Five scholarly-looking individuals, two high in the air upon ladders, look up in surprise as you enter.

One of them steps off her ladder and floats to the ground.

"Remarkable. Agon the Mage. Darratheir Burnedbear. Gromley Underhill. Harald Gaptooth. Martha. He who has no Face, Zog. And the great Sonliin, servant of our Lady. We greet you, but we do not rejoice at your coming. We must ask you not to do what you came here to do."

So, the test had been passed and the group was now moving... somewhere probably outside of this reality or something like that. Darratheir had never been really versed in this kind of unnatural tricks after all. When one of the five individuals came to them and pronounced his name, the Dragonborn nodded the head to acknowledge. He then made a step forward and bowed before his interlocutor. "With all due respect, why allow us to come here if you just want to make us change our mind. We must re-establish the balance of power and this can only be done by defeating Tiamat."

'We are open to your suggestions however. We don't actually need to 'break' this seal, if you don't want to. All we need to do is temporarily deactivate it long enough to enter the fourth seal. It only need be deactivated for a minute, in order for us to retrieve the bone arrow that will allow us to defeat Tiamat and restore balance to the Universe. Do you think we could find a compromise?'

Martha is being diplomatic, for once.

"I think what he means is that we regret the task we must perform." Sonliin said "Knowledge must remain neutral in order for everyone to use it. Take the healing arts, it can be used to heal or know the location to slip a dagger in order to quickly silence someone. The knowledge is not good or evil, just the application. So in order to help the dragons, we must return things back into balance before the imbalance can disrupt the rest of us."

The scholar who spoke smiles serenely. "We did not allow you to come here. You proved yourself worthy to one of our gatekeepers. You are clearly worthy to partake of the knowledge of this library. But to destroy a Seal of the Secret? You threaten to break the truce between our plane and the Nine Hells. Would you see all our knowledge destroyed in a war with the fires of the Hells?"



The librarian looks surprised at this suggestion. "This is a worthy observation. And quite valid. The terms of the agreement with Asmodeous were to keep the seals unbroken, and he is one who is prone to keep the letter of his agreements. Interesting."



The librarian now broke into a large smile. "Words of wisdom from one of the chosen of Ioun. We are honored to speak with you while still mortal, Sonliin." He bows, as do the others. He then stands aright. "This plan is wisdom. We agree to our part--the deactivation of our seal temporarily--if you are able to secure the agreement of the others who guard the other seals. We will monitor your progress and will, upon invocation of our lady's holy name and naming of our Third Seal, deactivate it. If you fail to persuade the others, we will not deactivate it to maintain the truce. Agreed?"

'Agreed' nods Martha, checking with the others that they are happy with the plan.

'On to the next one?'

Harald buffed his fingernails on his beard and looked ever so pleased with himself.

"Aye!  Ah kent fine that when they heard ma tale o' woe, they wadnae be able tae deny us.  Noo is that just three mair seals an' we're a' set?"

Sonliin returned the bow to the librarians. "Agreed."  he said.

"Flagstones in the market place or the bastion for the bell?"  Sonlinn asked the group when they departed.

'The bastion' Martha suggests. 'Sounds more exciting.'

Zog looks half pleased half relieved at this turn of events. At Martha's recommendation, he nods. "Agreed. What kind of beings would we find at the bastion, good librarians? I want to, ah, dress the part."

"Thanks for your help." answered Darratheir to the librarian while bowing himself. He then turned to the group when they started to decide what could the next destination be. "The bastion ? It could be guarded. I hope that the guards will be as understanding as the librarian." said the Dragonborn. "But I'm not against a fight if it's our only choice." he then added. A smile could be barely seen on his hidden face.

The librarian's face falls. "A fight would ruin our agreement. If you initiate violence with the angelic protectors who guard the bastion, our bargain is off. You will have to defeat all of us to deactivate the seals. The proposed path is far superior to violence. I foresee that there will be much violence in your future, but violence here in Hestavar against natives and the soul-kin of your ally Sonliin would be vastly counter-productive."

He turns to Zog. "Those manning the Bastion are angels of Ioun. If you come here, I can imprint the image of one in your mind."

He places his hand on Zog's forehead, and suddenly Zog's form shifts into that of an angel! "Apologies if that was involuntary, but your form should be most appealing to the angels now."

The Dragonborn nodded the head. "Don't worry. I won't initiate a fight about who are our allies. But I would still defend myself against any attack that would come, was it from an enemy or an ally."

"Then the attacks will come from Tiamat and her ilk, not here. The tests placed before us weeds out the unworthy as they would resort to violence to solve them. There will be plenty of battle in the future Darratheir Burnedbear." Sonliin said, still mulling over the comment from the librarian about seeing him while still mortal.