Talindra drifts through several rooms on the upper floor, staring out the windows with expressions ranging from shock to depression. Eventually everyone ends up in the second floor dining room. All but one of the chairs are still usable. Talindra tries to sit in one and slides through it as though it didn't exist. She sprawls on the floor, sinking partially into it before she stabilizes and pushes herself to her feet. "That's going to take getting used to," she mutters in elven. She moves to the head of the table and looks at you. "What knowledge would you have of me?"

((ooc: Talindra answers the questions in elven; she's clearly not particularly comfortable with Common, and she can tell your Common is different than the one she learned. The elves in the group translate.))

Corym's Questions:
What can we expect in the remainder of the rooms?

After describing what you've explored, Talindra nods. "You've been very effective exploring. Master Bhephel's bed chamber is in the room beyond the laboratory. Otherwise, the only other place left in the mansion is the tower, which was used as a place for the master to relax away from the chaos of the school."

Descibe the plight of her fellow apprentice, see if she has suggestions?
"Now I wish I had occasion to learn more about undead. I have no idea what has happened to Lianthorn." She shuddered. "Undeath. It's horrible. I can't... I can't feel Arvandor anymore." She glances at the non-elven members of the group. "It's as though I've lost my hand and my hearing. If Lianthorn has lost her mind as well as her life, perhaps you should destroy her so that she might finally return to Corellon." After a long moment, she adds, "I may ask you to do the same for me."

I didn't think that summoning stuff in Myth Drannor was supposed to work--how do we get rid of that Efreet?
"Kill him. Before the wards can fail. I don't know how Master Bhephel managed to bind him, but efreet never forget those who summon them. If he can escape he'll burn the mansion to dust, and if he gets back to the Plane of Fire he'll return with an army to take vengeance. Fortunately, efreet are not tanar'ri or eladrin. Kill him here and he's dead."

Does she have a suggestion about where there is an Iron Flask so that we could keep/control the Efreet?

Talindra shook her head. "If Master Bhephel had one of those, he never mentioned it. I assume he knew a way to manipulate the mythal to allow the binding to hold, but I don't know what it is. It would be safer to assume that it's not possible to control him."

What items from the tower would she lend us to assist in our work?

"I don't know. We'll need to see what is still here, and what is still usable. I don't know what happened to Master Bhephel, and even when... before... I didn't know all of his secrets, or all of his treasure."

What secret powers of the Mythal can she show us?

"I was just an apprentice," Talindra says, smiling sadly. "I know how to use the Overmantle, of course. But I was centuries away from being trusted with secrets of the mythal, or being able to discover them for myself."

Would she recommend trying our hands at other Mage Towers before attempting the Irithilium?

"What are your intentions at the Irithilium? What do you intend that you fear you need better knowledge?"

Can she give us more specific directions to the Irithiilium?

"Yes, of course. I know the master had some maps around here somewhere. I'll find one for you and mark the Irithilium on it for you."

Can she help add to our map some sites for artifacts that we could bring to her/The People?

Talindra hesitates, then nods. "If Myth Drannor is truly fallen, then of course we must save as much as we can. I'm just... I still can hardly believe the city has been destroyed."

We were only going to the Irithilium in the first place to try to acquire Gate Lore--where else might we find Gate Lore?

"Anywhere, or nowhere." Talindra shrugs. "Gate lore was widely but very closely held, and it was never something I was much interested in. Any wizard's tower or mage school might have some, a lot, or no writings on gates. And that was back when the city was alive. Now? I don't have the faintest idea where you should start looking."

I'm equally interested in the non-magical crafts of Myth Drannor--is there like a public library where knowledge of that stuff might be kept?

"Hmm. That wasn't really something that was gathered in libraries. Masters shared their secrets with their apprentices, or not, as the case went. Perhaps the Scholar's Hope? That was a temple to the gods of knowledge of several races."

Elorfindar's dad loves Kiira--how about some Kiira? Kirra Making?

"I can't help you here. Creating kiira was almost a lost art even in my day. I would guess at least a few house archmages knew those rituals, and probably some of the high mages. But among the common folk? As easy to get the secrets of alloys from the dwarves."

Krackor's Questions:

Does she think she needs components that she doesn't have/have become uselessand need replacing?

"I'm sure there will be a great deal that I require, assuming I can still cast spells. Or that I can handle the components. I've been afraid to try. But once I know, I will tell you."

Is there a book or scroll that she has heard of which could return her to real life or enhance her unlife?

"Believe me, I intend to begin searching once we are done here. I don't even know what kind of undead I have become. I am not a ghost or a banshee or a wraith. Nothing about my transformation has been normal, I doubt getting answers will be easy."

Has she been preparing with such focus, that she is now a Good Lich?

Talindra frowns at you. "I am not a lich. I don't know what I am, but I am neither lich nor baelnorn, and I would ask you not to call me such. This was not my choice."

Can she explain about and showing how to use the Mythal? And will she?

"I can teach you how to make use of the Overmantle, though only elves can make use of it. As for the other powers, I only know the way it interferes with the Art. The mythal blocks teleportation into the city and scrambles teleportation cast inside it. It absorbs all magic from the divination and enchantment schools. And it blocks many evil races from entering the city." Her face falls. "Though that prohibition was apparently not the protection we thought."

As a metropolis, are there any Dwarven areas that may hold secrets to revive or treasures to bring back into use?

"I don't know what is said of Myth Drannor in this day and age, but even centuries after Coronal Eltargrim opened the city, there weren't very many of your people here. Hundreds, perhaps a thousand. They ran the Gemcutter's Guild out of the Onaglym in Cormanthor and had the temple High Axes Hall in Sheshyrinnam. A number of families and individuals would run small smithies and armories scattered throughout the city. But most of them didn't do anything that would make an apprentice wizard know about them."

How to close Gates?

"Disjoin them. Breaking apart the frame or structure that frames the gate will sometimes collapse the gate, sometimes without an explosion, though not always. There are some dedicated spells that can change, warp, or close gates, but those were as rare and closely held as the spells to create gates."

OOC: Sounds to me like a lot of the assistance she can give us is contingent on clearing the tower.

IC: What can you tell us about Efreeti so that we can plan our assault?

Do you know where there was a temple of Labelas?  A quest to restore your immortal mortality would seem to begin there. Or barring that, a temple of Correllon.

So, we have a day.  Can I learn more about the Over Mantle?

When we search through the tower during this rest period/day, bring everything to the Dining Table for Talindra to view in order to gain some insight or knowledge about them or what they represent.
If anyone finds anything in the Tower, lets bring it to the Dining Room, lay it on or next to the table so things can be examined properly, assuming they are able to be moved.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:32, Wed 13 May 2020.

Talindra nods at Corym. "Of course. The Overmantle is one of the most powerful abilities of the mythal. It is a protective mantle that settles over every elf the moment they step within the mythal's bounds. Through the grace of Corellon, it doesn't interfere or disrupt any mantle you might already possess. Most of its powers are automatic; I don't know all of them, but I do know that it will nullify the first spell cast against you of the third to fifth tiers of magic each day. You'll know when it happens because the mythal absorbs the magic in a flash of purple sparks that erupt around you. And, of course, the Overmantle allows you to fly at will. To activate that power, you do like so."

She teaches you that thinking deliberately and in sequence of a hawk in flight, wind rippling a field of grass, and a cloud passing over the sun will attune you to the Overmantle and allow you to fly.

"Can you tell us about notable wizards of the city in your time?  Who would have been able to cast or manufacture items empowered with wish?"

 
This message was last edited by the player at 11:19, Wed 20 May 2020.

"Do you know where your spellbooks are?  I'd love to compare notes.

"How were the schools of wizardry regarded?  What were their reputations?  Did being an alumni of one or the other have any kind of significance? What signs, symbols, and mottos were associated with them?"

"I'm no cartographer, but I've been working on an impromptu map of the city.  This map reflects what I was told by the survivors' community paired with my own knowledge of the ancient world.

I need to start a new map of the neighborhood around this tower.  Once Lianthorn is pacified, I'm going to scout the surrounding area and propose that we eliminate persistent threats that lair nearby before proceeding further to the Irithilium.

Understanding what these buildings were at the time of the Fall might help our tactical situation and our expectations of what might be possible to find during the scouting and pacification."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Wed 20 May 2020.

Talindra, did you ever go down into the cellar and through the trapdoor?  If so, where does it lead?

turning to Corym...

Corym, what if that trapdoor secures a secret passage away from this building, far enough away that we could sneak back without drawing attention to being here?


Talindra, are you aware of a way to reach the roof?  Many houses that I have seen since I left the Comfort of the Clan, have had either flat roofs or some entry on the roof, even in Baldurs Gate.  Corym, you remember the buildings in Glen, they were strange and still had that roof space, you are a buildings person, what do you think?
This message was last edited by the player at 19:55, Wed 20 May 2020.

When she notices her preference for the language, Sirenya asks Talindra questions in quaint, gnome-accented elvish.

Does Talindra know anything about the elven dualists?

Does she know about the gnomish dualists?

Does she know where and how they studied?

Were there different kinds of animals when she was alive?

What were the most popular dishes, and what were Talindra's favorites?

Corym

"Can you tell us about notable wizards of the city in your time?  Who would have been able to cast or manufacture items empowered with wish?

"Notable wizards?" Talindra sighs. "How much time to do you have? All of the noble houses had their own archmage, any of which could work such magic. The Srinshee, though no one's seen her since Eltargrim's death. Ualair the Silent was the Grand Mage and leader of the Council of Twelve. High Court Mages Khyssoun Ammath and Irhaal Argentaamn both served Eltargrim before the Council. All of the mage schools were led by archmages. Including this one." She spreads her hands.

"Do you know where your spellbooks are?  I'd love to compare notes."

"Yes." She smiles slightly. "And perhaps one day you will."

"How were the schools of wizardry regarded?  What were their reputations?  Did being an alumni of one or the other have any kind of significance? What signs, symbols, and mottos were associated with them?"

"Wizard schools were well regarded. Perhaps too well regarded; we had many more than Evereska. The Irithlium turned out practical wizards who kept the city running. The Six Tyryl Towers trained battle mages and adventurers. Windsong Tower was the most mysterious. The Incanistaeum was the first to open to non-elves, and so openly despised in some quarters and disbanded years ago. And those were just the largest. There were at least half a dozen smaller schools, run by one or two wizards like Master Bhephel, and I don't know how many apprentices the gnomes had hidden."

"What's in the neighborhood?"

"This Dlabraddath, the New Ward. The city has been building out in this direction for centuries as N'Tel'Quess move in. The street outside is the Way of Heroes. To the south, where it meets the Street of Song, are inns and taverns. We even had the headquarters of the League of Innkeepers. It's not a particularly quiet street, but that's what wards on the windows are for. North of us are more houses, both Tel'Quessir and N'Tel'Quess. There weren't any other wizards of a power like Master Bhephel, but there were several lesser mages like myself"

Krackor

"The cellar used to be the crypt of the family that lived here before Master Bhephel bought the land and built the school. There were some lingering dangers that could be triggered by the careless, so he sealed it. I haven't been beyond the door of the room at the base of the shaft.

"Access to the roof is through the tower. The tower's top is open to the sky. There's a wall along the edge to keep the unwary from falling, but it's open where it meets the roof. It doesn't snow in Myth Drannor, so the roof is just sloped enough to drain water." Talindra shrugs. "Of course, normally we just flew if we needed to go to the roof."

Sirenya

Talindra sighs and shakes her head when you ask about dualists. "The dualists are a dying specialty, and rightly so. That school of thought was developed in the First Flowering. It was impressive for its day, but magical knowledge has expanded considerably beyond such simplistic two-stream system. There were still a few who held on to the old style, but they were few and fewer still wished to study under them."

She cocks her head when you ask about animals. "In what way? The animals of Faerun have been much the same since the People came to this world. Perhaps a few more mages have meddled and created things like owlbears since I was born, but unless the humans have slaughtered creatures entire, I suspect Cormanthor is much the same."

When you ask about food, she smiles. "I love pumpkins. Rich and creamy in soup, moist and spiced in bread, roasted over an open fire. Nothing tastes quite as good." Her face falls. "I'm not hungry. It's been more than a day. I'm not hungry."

Any speculation on why we're not able to utilize the overmantle?

Talindra shook her head. "I can't feel the mythal the way I could when I was alive. I don't even know if it still exists. But a mythal was tied to and supported by the People; with us gone there's no telling how it might have unravelled. Even if I knew more of its powers, I would be hesitant to use them."

Talindra--we know the windows can't be seen from the outside.  Are sounds able to pass through them?

Is there another exit from the tower that doesn't face the street?

Once in side, Kitheras will describe what he saw of the neighborhood and see if Talindra can fill in any blanks for the phenomena he saw.

Corym

"When Master Bhephel built the tower, he enspelled the windows to block both sight and sound. This neighborhood could be quite raucous in the evening, with all the inns and taverns, and the noise is not conducive to studying. From what you tell me, the visual shields are still there. I have not heard anything through the windows in my wanderings, so perhaps the aural shields still exist as well." She shrugs. "You will have to test them.

"And no, there are no other entrances to the tower. With the Overmantle, the roof and balcony were as accessible as the door. It was all we required."

Kitheras

Talindra listens to your report on the neighborhood, her face becoming sadder and sadder as you describe its condition. When you finish, she sighs and does her best to answer your questions about the buildings.

#7: "That was Silvershingles, the headquarters of the Society of Silversmiths and Fineworkers. They held exhibits every spring of the pieces that were made over the winter. Lovely. Simply lovely."

#10: "This was Curiosities Cold and Clear. It was an inn and tavern run by halflings for halflings. The taproom," she tapped the map's northern end, "was sized for elves as well as small folk, and had the best fried mushrooms in the entire city. I never went further inside. The southern door led into the kitchen."

#14: "The Golansyr Inn. This was the headquarters of the League of Innkeepers. Some said it was the finest inn in the entire city. I always thought it was a bit overwrought."

#18: "This was the Rose... Towers? Rose Tree? It was an inn, or maybe rooms for rent, or something. It was run by a human for humans, so I didn't pay much mind. The roses were lovely, though."

#19: "Owl Towers." She smiles slightly. "This was a grand inn and fine tavern run by Bialaer Erkowe. He was the only dualist I've ever met, and lost his hand adventuring three hundred years ago. Or three hundred... well. You understand."

#20: "This was Shuldin's Stonespire. It was an inn, and also brewed some of the best beer in the entire city. The petrified trees were much older than the human-style taproom at their foot; the Stonespires had been brewing there for centuries."

"The rest were either houses, or small workshops with their owners living above them. But I was deep in my studies and didn't get out much save for evenfeast now and then. I'm sorry I won't be able to help more."

Sirenya had been exploring. Since she was almost the master of sneaking and being undetected, she had spent time exploring the outskirts of the manor when she had little else to do. However, her natual curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she decided to return to Talindra.

"Talindra." she says, hoping to elicit a response. "If you had the skills and inclination...where would you wander to if you could do so undetected?" she asks. "Are there hidden treasures that I could find to aid the others perhaps?"

Talindra raises an eyebrow at you. "Do you mean did I lust after my masters spellbooks? Or were there neighbors whose possessions I found alluring?" She seems amused. "Even if I did, I'm not sure it would be of much use for you. Surely anything bright and shiny would have been carried off centuries ago." The amusement drains from her face.

Sirenya chuckles at the thought of Talindra lusting after her masters spellbooks. It was so out of character. "I'm sure there were other more interesting things to lust after. Surely you had an interest in some of the handsome men of the city?" she asks, wondering if there was ever a love of Talindra's life.

"Oh, a few." Talindra smiles again. "If there was one thing Myth Drannor had in plenty, it was beautiful men and women. And songs exalting them. Not that I had much time to partake. The life of a senior apprentice is filled more with books than strangers' beds." She trails a translucent hand through a wall. "I suppose it's too late to regret that."

"At least you have the opportunity to speak with all sorts of strangers along the years, but tell me...if you are unable to leave the manor, surely you must have read all that there is to offer within these walls. Perhaps I could fetch a book from a library that you would like to pass the time?" suggests Sirenya.

"You are very kind. Kora has been gracious enough to serve as my hands, but she has earned a break. On the bookcase in my room is a thin book bound in red leather. If you would bring it here and turn its pages, I would be grateful." She sighs, her spectral breath blowing a few strands of her hair that curl down over her face, but otherwise leaves the room untouched. "It is my favorite book of poetry, and I find I could use the comfort."

It was a small request, but one that Sirenya was happy to oblige to. She followed the directions of Talindra to her room and searched for the bookcase that contained the slim leather-bound book.

You head to Talindra's bedroom. ((ooc: It's the one with a blue carpet in the NW corner of the upper floor map.)) Talindra has described herself as one of Master Bhephel's senior apprentices, and the room looks it. Not that you were trained in anything like this place, but you can definitely tell that these are apprentice quarters.

Talindra has a desk and bookcase and a couple of chests and wardrobes for clothing. Everything is a bit worn, though, and you're pretty sure it was a bit worn back during the Fall, and it's not just the passage of time. The carpets on the floors are threadworn, the wall hangings and blankets faded.

There's paper strewn across the desk, and eight books are on the bookcase. Most of them are fairly hefty, with thick boards underneath dull-colored leather for covers. But there is also a slim book bound in red, on a shelf by itself.

The room had seen better days, that was for sure. From the looks of it, the last time it hadn't seen better days was probably millenia ago, but the books and papers in the room still seemed to be intact. It was so hard to resist the call to read through some of the papers on the desk, and the books were oh so tempting. Sirenya had but one goal though, and that was to retrieve the book of poetry.

Reaching up and grasping at the red book, Sirenya returned to the common room to start the process of flipping the page of her deceased companions poetry book.

Talindra smiles when you return with her book. "Thank you. Please." She waves a hand at the table.

((ooc: Are you going to read the book as well? Or just turn the pages? Talindra doesn't mind, either way.))

Assuming she can read it, Sirenya would take the time to read the poetry.

The poetry is all in elven, copied out by someone with a clear, flowing hand. Forest imagery is prevalent throughout the poems, along with a sense of cycles of nature and that current tribulations will pass. The verses are tight, the language not overly-flowery. You can see why they would be a comfort to a woman in the middle of a difficult apprenticeship. Or dealing with an unwanted undead transformation.

Sirenya has a hard time coming to grips with the tight language, but she perseveres as it seems to be lifint the spirits of Talindra. She realises how little she knows of the current life of Talindra. She doesn't press it, for fear of causing more upset and anguish. "I feel like our lives are complete opposites in many ways. I'm a carefree gnome exploring Faerun for adventure, trying to experience all there is of the world. I don't think I could ever put myself in your shoes and understand what you must be going through."

She lays her hand upon the hand of Talindra, making sure not to let it slip into the ghostly form of the undead. "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help?" she asks.

Talindra sighed. "What I truly want, you cannot provide." She rubbed her hands over her arms, and seemed to take comfort in the contact. "Tell me of the world, what you have seen. I cannot stay here indefinitely. Myth Drannor, no matter how much I love it, will be my... well. My death again, I suppose. Where have you been?"

"I'd ask how much time you have, but I guess you've got an advantage on me!" replied Sirenya, cheekily smiling.

She sits down and settles in. This could be a long tale!

"I suppose I'll refrain from telling you my whole lifestory, but how about we start things with my birthplace of the Forgotten Forest. If you've ever been there, or heard tales about it, most of them are true. It's an area of great danger, as you can often find yourself wandering through the shadows and all of a sudden deep in the plane of shadow. Believe me, I did it as a youngling and the experience was harrowing." explains the young vanisher. "You might say that's what led me down my current path of making sure that I'm able to remain unseen as long as possible!"

She pauses for a moment, just to give Talindra time to respond.

Talindra smiled. "It seems a terrible thing to be forgotten, especially for something as grand as a forest. It seems a very human name. I doubt elves would ever forget a forest. Where does it lie?"

"If I were to believe everything I had read and heard, the elves referred to the forest as the Dornwood of Salvatos. Perhaps you've heard the name before. It's a curious forest to be sure, for it lies on the edge of the Anaurach Desert and between the Marsh of Chelimber. From east to west, the variation in temperatures and availability of water varies considerably, with oak and walnut the longest lasting varieties of tree, but we also have fiercely sought after shadowtop trees that are well known for their enduring properties." replied Sirenya. "I myself have a set of bolas crafted from the wood of a shadowtop tree. Would you like to see?"

Reaching into her pack anyway, Sirenya removes the dark woody weapon for Talindra to observe.

"Truth be told, there's a lot going for a place like the Forgotten Forest, but the yearning of adventure came to me early. I'd like to say it's been a wanderlust that has been with me forever, but in all honesty I remember being just a youngster when our village hero came a wandering. Tales of orcs and drow, searching high and low for lost treasures, disarming and picking all sorts of locks and traps. Oh, the blood of my nose started twitching something chronic, and thats not the only place if you know what I mean!"

Sirenya almost turned bright red as she said that, then got back to the story. "Well that was it for me. The next chance I got, I grabbed my belongings and attached myself to the first adventuring comapny that passed through the forest."

"I've seen a number of younglings have that exact same reaction," Talinda says, nodding. "Elves and humans have the same fancy you did, no doubt the the same consternation as your parents. We used to joke that, 'Those who can, teach. Those who can't, risk their life on the road.' Those of us who were content to stay in our towers and advance the Art, I mean. I was going to be teaching them in a few years."

She shakes her head. "Maybe they were the smarter. I doubt... this..." she waves a hand at herself, "happened to any of my more adventurous colleagues. But I have never been an adventurous spirit."

Talindra moves over to a table and tries to sit down. She goes right through it, and barely manages to catch herself from falling. Cursing under he breath, she straightens. "So. What is life like, outside Cormanthyr?"

It was hard to suppress a laugh, but she did. "Life outside Cormanthyr? The same as most everywhere I'd expect. Plenty of people with more troubles than they ever asked for, good and bad people all mixed in a pot and left to fend for themselves. With all there is in life to do, its surprising that so many people dwell upon the past, if you ask me." replies Sirenya.

She was tiring of the conversation at this point, and took a seat herself. "Tell me more about the magnificence of Myth Drannor in all its glory. I'd love to hear more." she asks.

"Cormanthor was..." Talindra hesitates. "How do I describe a song? How do I describe my own beating heart?" She glances down at her chest, as though realizing that her heart doesn't actually beat anymore. "There was song on every corner, and the Art laughed and bubbled wherever you looked. I wanted nothing more than to come to Myth Drannor while I was a girl, and when I did it was everything I hoped for and more. I saw the Coronal before he passed." She pauses, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Did you ever contemplate moving to Evereska with the other elves? There is a thriving community that is near to the Forgotten Forest. I always wanted to visit, but my parents never wanted to mix with the elves for some reason. I think they were scared of some folk tales to be honest." replied Sirenya.

"Well, perhaps you'd like to hear more of my story? I mean, I won't say I don't like to brag, but there's some pretty wild stuff I can share. Would you like to hear about the time that I snuck into the Lord Erathon's manor to steal his pet piglet for a prank? Or the time that I was captured and mistaken for a small child, sold into slavery with the Zhentarim?"

From out in the hallway near the stairs, you hear Kora call out, "Is that you? Show yourselves."

"Talindra?  Are you here?" He had shed his pack and situated his appearance, wiping grime from hands and face and taming his hair.

You find Talindra in the casting chamber up on the second floor. The runic circle that once held the efreeti is quiescent, though still carved deep into the stone of the floor. She looks like she's trying to take an inventory of the books along the walls, and is quite obviously frustrated at her incorporeal state.

She looks up at your voice and takes in your appearance. "Yes, I am here. My city has not been kind to you, it seems."

In reply to DM (msg # 43):

"I'm sure that your city would have been quite kind to me.  Myth Drannor under the occupation of the Army of Darkness is inhospitable to everyone. They keep the dream hidden and in chains.  I have not Corym's ardor for it, but everyone needs inspiration.  Could the dream of Myth Drannor yet inspire a people?" He tilts his head coyly, "Isn't the chance of it worth the effort?"

He bows to the lady of the house, "I wanted to greet you, and thank you for your hospitality. My hands have played a bloody tune today, may I play for you a finer one?"

"I would appreciate a song," Talindra said. "I keep thinking that I'll reward myself with a trip to the Pipe and Unicorn. They always have good beer and excellent singers. And then I remember that I can't."

In reply to DM (msg # 45):

"I think a celebration would raise many spirits. I'll play a few tunes for you in private, and you can help me select my repertoire. Reputedly Qasida has a fine voice, if we can teach her the words we'll be able to harmonize. My only regret is that while playing I'll be unable to join you for a dance.  Corym is nimble, but untrained."

He produces his harp and plays a few quick paced songs and sings.

22:23, Today: Kitheras Sunblade rolled 6 using 1d20.  Harp (17).

22:22, Today: Kitheras Sunblade rolled 4 using 1d20.  singing (15).
This message was last edited by the player at 04:23, Fri 12 Mar 2021.

As your music begins, Talindra leans forward. Her eyes unfocus and her hands drop to her sides as she listens with her entire being in a way so common among elves and almost unknown among all the other races. She sways slightly in tune with the music, for once not noticing or caring that she occasionally slides slightly into the table beside her.

When the music ends, she takes a long, shuddering breath and lets it out slowly. "Thank you. That was wonderful."

"You're an exceptional listener.  Perhaps later you'll show us whether you're a dancer as well?" Kitheras bows and excuses himself.  Having settled his nerves, he could now broach the topics that must be discussed.

Corym greets Talindra warmly and expresses his joy to be reunited with her.  In his mind saving Talindra was the most epic feat he'd ever achieved, and the quest to see her restored had taken on the dimensions of a holy quest in his mind.  All his life he had sought to restore lost Art to the people.  Now he sought to restore a woman to her Art--one who brought with her the memories and cosmopolitan values that were so near to his heart. A pride in the People and an openness to the world.

"Talindra, I swore you an oath to see you restored.  To seek and find a Wish. In our ventures these past two days I fell in with a band of the Black Archer and aided their captain in the ambush of their foes.  He told me of an elven archmage nearby, one whom I knew but knew not his mastery of Art.

Talindra, if what is on that scroll is half so valuable as I believe it might be, I believe that we can strike a deal with this archmage to see you restored.  But the Captain also said that Neldor has no presence on the field of battle and cannot be counted on to enter a perilous undertaking. If you are to be restored, we will have to take you to him.

Do you know if you are able to leave the tower?  Some spirits are bound to locations, and as far as I know you have not left Master Bhephel's tower since your awakening."


Corym waited for a response. His eyes shone with excitement and fervor.

"What's more, we've stirred a great deal of trouble in this neighborhood, and the artifacts we've reclaimed are beginning to challenge our ability to bear them out of the City of Song.  I daresay we are poised to move soon, though I will be discussing it with the Company as dictated by the charter we are bound to. If you are to come with us and we are to further preserve Master Bhephel's legacy, we will need to accelerate those preparations."

Talindra nods, slowly. "I do not feel any particular connection to this place. Beyond the fact that it has been my home for twenty years. Or six hundred and twenty. If you leave, I believe I can come with you."

She glances around. "I will miss it, however. I was always meant to leave, but this place has been the key to my future. Or so I thought. I know you mean to 'restore' me. Resurrect me." She gives a little shiver at that elven taboo. "I don't know if that is possible. It may be the best you can do is destroy me. Or maybe left me drift into the Vale of Lost Voices and take up the watch of the baelnorn."

"Talindra," the name feels like a prayer on his lips, "when Kitheras and I drew you from the darkness and and penetrated the suffering of your mind... when it worked. I've never felt so certain.  So clear.  All my adult life I've risked my life rescuing our history and art.  My life for a scrap of paper.  My life for a cracked gem.  My life for a stained journal.  I've never hesitated because I knew I was serving something larger, and that if my life were forfeit this or that time that it would have been so that our kin would benefit and not be bereft of their heritage. So that they could dream and aspire and rekindle the hope and verve of our people.

"This time I'm here to save you. To restore to you the life that was taken. I can see your eyes and hear your words.  I see your pain and loss, and I can't let it rest.  This time I know for whom I place my life on the line, and I won't fail this time. A Wish reshapes reality.  It's a Wish we seek. It is the exclusive provence of of Archmages.  Archmages fear me, their towers and wards are no bar to me. You will be whole."

Talindra's eyes, which usually seem perpetually out of focus, sharpen on Corym's face. It is eery; for the first time in days she looks genuinely inhuman. "I am dead, Corym. A floating whisper and memory, a shadow of who I was. And you are fixating. Of the two of us, I believe you are the scarier."

"If you were merely dead or had died, I could be at peace with that.  I would have to be.  If you had chose the path of an eternal sentinel I would respect and honor that choice.  I would visit you when the chance arose to provide distraction from your labor. But that isn't the case. We're not talking about experimental magic or a theory.  Wish exists and there are wizards in the Dales that know it. Just one Wish and you will hear again the songs of Arvandor lilting just beyond the periphery, feel the grass beneath your feet, and breathe the free air."  He takes a breath, "I know I fixate--that's what I do. But I think you're afraid to hope.  Walk with us, let us see the Sage.  If he tells me it can't be done we will make the arrangements you desire from the options available.  But do not submit to despair because you fear that your hope is impossible.  The impossible has been my calling since I took on the work of a Knave." He smiles roguishly. "What could you lose by indulging my silly fixation?"

Talindra shrugs. "Since we haven't established whether this new form of mine can feel pain, potentially a great deal. But I don't have a better option. I can't stay here. I have no idea how the master's wards have remained functional for so long, but they have to fail eventually. And once they do, well. This will be a hotly contested lair. So we go. And if you can help me bring as much of Master Bhephel's knowledge out, I will be grateful."

"We will. And more than his if we can manage."

Talindra nods. "When do we go? And to where?"

"I'm proposing to the Company that we aim to arrive in Glen two nights prior to Midwinter. That should give sufficient time to complete an accounting and prepare for the journey. We may even penetrate the basement before we go.  If you're amenable, I believe the door to the catacombs is an unparalleled work.  I don't think I've mentioned but before I took on my Knavery I was trained in the work of an Architect, Engineer, and Stonemason. I won't leave such beauty behind if I can avoid it.  I could design an entire manor home around that door!

Talindra's eyes lose their intense focus. "So a moon, more or less. I suppose that is enough time to sort through a lifetime's gathering. I suppose it will have to be."

"Something occurred to me the other day that I'm certain you'll think is silly.  The year dawning is 1361 DR. Do you recall its name in the Calendar of Harptos?"

A small shake of the head. "I didn't expect to live long enough to see it. Or at least, not have my wits about me if I did."

"The Year of the Maidens."

Talindra cocks her head. "And why should that matter?"

"Well, it seems fortuitous to me that just as the Year of the Maidens dawns that we have the hope of restoring one to her rightful life and are in search of another that was lost."

Talindra throws back her head and laughs. It's the first time you've heard so much as a chuckle from her, and now she lets out a fully belly laugh. "I assure you, the name a long-dead human gave to the year has nothing to do with me. Now go. You have planning to do, and I have papers to sort through."

"Kora's fingers will no doubt be in need of some tending by our priests!  How do her studies proceed?  How has it been for you to take up the work of teacher? Hopefully I didn't start her out on too rocky a foundation with my hedge magic."

"Well enough." Talindra waves her hand at the door.

Bowing once more, Corym leaves the room.