Rest well my friend, Saliq thought, taking a moment of silence at the memorial to Norion. A rueful smile touched the illusionist's lips as he recalled what little he knew of the dwarf afterlife - a hero like Norion would have better things to than simply rest.

He pressed on and finally saw the tower and its watchers.

In some respects Saliq was relieved. No one, save perhaps a Drow Elf would be thrilled to find a half dozen monstorous arachnids but it could have been worse and that trail of smoke was most encouraging.

Very carefully he made his way towards the tower and if possible in and up without alerting the hairy many legged monsters.

Marissa glances at Gorrtam with a frown, then looks down at the children. Turning her attention on the girl, she said, "Digdug, eh? This your brother? Tell me true now - if you play me false, there won't be any reward for you."

She is quiet and intent as she speaks, her eyes darting about carefully for unwanted attention. Briefly, she wished her companions were here - all of them were far more proficient in these environs than she.

Rath was glad enough to see Inas. He found he enjoyed the ranger's company, even when they weren't fighting side by side in a life of brutal violence.

His face darkened at the news. "Ogre mage." Rath joined Inas in taking a long, deep drink, finishing off whatever was in his glass. "Ogre mage. You mean, like that ogre mage that got away, after we slaughtered General Tethis and his Army of Scale and Fang, outside of the astronomer's tower?" He considered waving over the server for another drink, but instead he turned his glass upside down. No more today.

"Yeah, I'd say that'd be nothing but trouble. But, yes, I'm staying in Stormhaven. You take care of the swamp. I'll watch for trouble here. 'Cause it's coming, Inas. I just hope it's coming for us, and not for them." He made a vague gesture, indicating everyone else in the bar and, by extension, everyone else in the city.

Rath did.  He figured it was these fellows who had been watching him, and since Rath wasn't a skulker by nature, he took the direct approach.

He held up his coin of continual light to drive away the shadows and looked over the priest of the new church. "Stormhaven's not as dangerous at night as it used to be. But it's till not wise to be out alone. People get robbed, or worse. You hear about those kids who got taken down into the sewers a few months back? Weird things go on around here."

OOC: I'm terribly embarrassed that I forgot about the escaping ogre mage. :(


"Yeah, you're probably right.  I'd forgotten about him.  Must be gettin' old.  Look, can you tell the others to be on the lookout?  I doubt the ogre's gonna come floatin' into Stormhaven, but if it's like before he'll have minions.  Allies.  Cult followers.  Whatever."

He looks around.  "Lot of prosperity and tranquility here, no?  Seems almost . . . unnatural, doesn't it?"

The ranger finishes his drink.  "I won't be gone long.  There and back, really.  I'll get in touch when I return."

Inas then prepares for his trip.

The young girl looks from Marissa to Gorrtam, "Your pretty....he's not....I never lie or joke, ask what you will".   Her flat tone and defiance are striking in someone so young.

The young priest stops and looks at Rath for a moment.

"I am here to serve, and the Elders are aware of the many trials this city has faced, it is why we have come, to heal this place, bring it peace and a wisdom, to teach it that there is a better way.".

Saliq makes it close enough to the crumbled entryway to the tower to see that it and the stairs beyond are totally webbed in.  He is contemplating other ways to the top when one the spiders moves along the wall and begins clicking it front legs together making a sound that seems to echo in the stone ruins.  It may not be able to see him, but its alerted to something amiss.

But first he asks Rath:

"However, I am not sure that my trip to the swamp needs to be the highest priority.  Given what the ogre could do, ya think I should postpone and that we stay near, in case it or its followers make a move?"

An aside:

When Rath, Inas, or Marissa come to or meet at the Cantrip/Rose and Cricket, they are met by the new doormen as well, and questioned, only lightly, who they are, why they feel they have access to the Guild, but are passed through with the understanding that they must submit a new application in the future due to increased security.  They are handed scrolls to fill out but they are allowed to move about as usual.

"No, go let the swamp folks know you're looking out for them. I'll find Musfara and Ehridol, and let them know about the damn ogre. But come back. Things ... aren't feeling right since we got back from Dream."

He looked at his empty glass, then back to Inas. "And be careful."

Eventually, Rath looked over the scroll.

Rath grunted. He didn't bother to pretend to be impressed, but he played along. "Peace and wisdom. That's a tall order." He eyed the fellow more closely. "What's the better way? If you know who I am -- I'm guessing you do -- then you know I have trouble with the peace and wisdom. So. What's the better way?"

Saliq crouches down - even while invisible he has no desire to make himself more conspicuous.

The spiders were unlikely to be masterminds, but that did not make them mindless. if they had much of a memory they might recall who used to live here before...

As quietly as he could the illusionist began to weave a spell. Soon the sound of thick, booming voices and very heavy footfalls echoed through the ruined grounds - from somewhere outside ogres were approaching!

---

.<Orange>OOC: Saliq casts Audible Glamour

"I asked you a question. Is this your brother?"

That said, she then asks, "What is your purpose here, and who set you to this task?"

Digdug glances at the boy,

"Used to be, not sure what's left of him now.  The creature in the fancy robes been paying out gold, looking for information, so far, we ain't told him nothin'.  This is our turf and we ain't disloyal.  Remi 'apparently got a look at the thing.....it did something to him so he can't tell anyone about it, not even sure anyone home in there anymore.  It speaks all weird but is looking for information about dragons"

The form at the Guild has a lot of questions:  Name, birthplace, age, religion, current occupation,  reason for needing access to the guild, family lineage, spell capability.   A throughout background check kind of form.

The young priest answers Rath, "I do not recognize you, Sir, but it is large city.  The way to peace for all of us lies within us.  Too long have we worshipped at the altars of those who would use us for their purposes rather than look to ourselves to rise up and solve our own problems.  You speak poorly of yourself, but you seem strong and capable,"

At the sound of the approaching Ogres, the spiders react and flee, most right into the main lower entrance to the tower and two of them, who were higher up on the wall, dart into the window where Saliq saw a trail of smoke.

At the same time, a host of big black birds explode from the rafters and go scattering into the skies making a racket.


A voice cries out from the tower,  "No more, I said I'm sorry, leave me alone!!!"

Inas spends a good day heading first to the Glades, to the restaurant he knows and the lady, Heasha who first met them before the adventures with Elexi.  She invites him to meet with several of the community elders, medicine men for the most part, and all know of his adventures in the witchlight and have some respect for what he did there.   They each accept his offer to help if help is needed, and he learns that things, so far, are fairly normal in the Glades and Witchlight, for the time being.  He enjoys some very fine if not spicy food but little information on troubles.

In reply to GM Bard (msg # 62):

Well, time for the direct approach. With no spiders near by Saliq touched his ring and whispered:

'El Kabah, noble son of the desert winds I request your aid! Carry me to the tower window so that I may rescue my friend!'

Marissa crouches and takes a closer look at the boy; specifically she looks into his eyes, and to various points on his body where bare skin is showing.

"When did this happen?" she asked Digdug quietly. "And what did the...creature look like?"

Kabah is instantly there, and with a gushing of wind, Saliq is risen through the air towards the window.

Half way there, the window closes, in fact, it simply becomes stone filling in as if it were never there, only the fact the new stone is smooth and the wall around it laid in a pattern shows that once there was a window.

A deep voice booms out, "Leave now, you are tresspassing on lands and matters that do not concern you elemental!!".

Digdug answers, "Last week, we think Squirt here saw the thing, or overheard something he shouldn't have."

Marissa flinches when she examines the boy who does not even seem to know she is there.  His eyes a distant and blank.  He has three nasty looking wounds, two in his throat and one below his cheekbone, like round angry holes.  Someone has rubbed some salve on them, but they look infected.

Marissa glances at Gorrtam, then looks back at Digdug.

"Lass, I've a guess at the nature of your brother's wounds and am fearful. This is no normal infection, and if we don't address it immediately, he will die. I am going to take the boy to someone I know. The two of us together may be able to help. As we go, I'll need you to think on everything you recall of the events leading up to your brother's illness. Also, I'll need you to recall what you know of this mysterious stranger."

As she speaks, she continues to give the boy a full inspection, including checking for wounds on the back of his neck and head.

Once satisfied that she's looked him over as well as she can, she casts Cure light wounds, then picks him up. Nodding to Gorrtam, she said, "Carry her on your shoulder, and follow me."

Then she wonders where she might find Rath. Wracking her brain, she tried to recall the name of the tavern he frequented.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:56, Sun 30 June 2019.