At first, Chance assumed he would have no problem figuring out how to open the door from their side. After all, he had accomplished similar feats dozens of times. But he quickly became frustrated. The lack of a keyhole or other manipulable crevice certainly complicated things. Even the seams around the edge of the door were so tight that he couldn't even get one of his wispy hairs through the cracks, let alone his thief tools.

However, as he studied the map and tried to figure out some angle of attack, something curious happened. When he held the map up to the light of the soul-script runes, a tiny figure appeared on the map next to the door. The little figure was animated by magic and repeated a simple gesture over and over.

That gesture? Knocking.

What do you do?

---

Chance
What else is hidden here?
The light of the soul-script runes activated a hidden clue on your map, showing someone knocking on the door before you.

I'll throw my question from the planning thread here: Any monsters or other creatures close to this entrance that Eryn could potentially feed on if need be?

Yes, potentially. You see a minotaur roaming around not too far from one of the doors. There is also a snake pit-trap not too far off. Lots of meat in there...

After reading the runes too closely, Eryn didn't feel like engaging directly with any other potential traps before Chance had been given the opportunity to study them.

The mention of snakes made her perk up, however. As far as victims of her new condition went, certainly they were among the more palatable ones, being common animals and not something more intelligent. The warrior was uncertain where minotaurs would fall on the scale, but anything even remotely human was definitely out.

"I don't suppose we could, uh, stop and fish out some of those vipers?" she asked, tentatively. "I could skewer a few and keep them for later. My rations are worthless anyhow, but fresh meat seems to do the trick."


Does the minotaur look like it would be immediately aggressive? (Is it a Monster or a Man?)

Ilura took a good look at the potential pathway options to get to the viper pit and the minotaur, trying to evaluate what would be the safest.

Then she looked at the halfling.  "So, how do we get through?"

quote:

08:26, Today: Ilura rolled 8 using 2d6+3.  Discern realities - get Eryn food.

What should I be on the lookout for?
(specifically, as it relates to getting safely to a food source for Eryn and back again)

It is currently napping against a wall. As for whether it is man or monster, that would require a Spout Lore.


You should be on the lookout for any traps or creatures you can't see from this vantage point. Oh, and that small fountain in the corner spewing lava. Probably don't touch that. It otherwise appears to be a short walk toward either target.

"We knock," Chance replied as he stepped up to the door and knocked, just as the figure on the map had done. Afterward, he took a few steps back and waited, watching the door expectantly.

After Chance knocked on the door, there was a long moment of silence. The tension in the air could have almost been cut with a knife. But after several long moments, nothing appeared to be happening. Lady Mirrorsheen eventually broke the silence.

"My dear Chance, perhaps knocking would have worked in the past if there were actually anyone to answer, but The Silver Scourge was eradicated long, long ago. It was a great try, but I believe it may take more than-"

The little fairy's words were cut short as all of the locks and clasps within the door turned open simultaneously. The circular door split open both horizontally and vertically, with each quarter of the portal retracting into the wall. The room beyond was obscured in smoky darkness, but at the threshold, a figure stood defiantly.

The figure was feminine and dainty, yet undeniably powerful. She was elf-like, but not an elf. Her skin was a shade of pale purple and her hair like icy blue flames. Fiery static encircled her as the smoke at her rear swirled ominously. When she spoke, her voice was like polished antique marble.

"Answer me this, infants. Has my outer door finally been breached? How is it that you were able to access the Soul-Sear Bypass when none among you are true members of the Silver Scourge?"



What do you do?

---

The doors to the hideout are now open, but a guardian of sorts bars the way. She wants to know how you managed to access the tunnel you are in without being members of the Silver Scourge. (Apparently you are in a members-only pathway.)

Ilura bowed slightly.

"We gained entry by donning the masks upon the door and answering the questions asked.
 The door chose to admit us by this pathway.  The door sealed behind us and I believe it still holds firm.  One of the masks was worn by a spirit ancestor of one of my companions.  Perhaps that is what allowed us to use the bypass?

I regret to share that, to the best of our knowledge, all of the official members of the Silver Scourge are now dead - poisoned by King Karron many centuries ago.  Had any lived, we might have sought their aid.

We seek entrance because of great need.  Yordakin Qizproteus, seeks to resurrect his necromancer brother, the Overlord.  We seek to stop him, ideally before he triggers a Devil's Bargain that would forfeit the soul of a good woman who gave us aid.  We have little time remaining."

The "Soul-Sear" didn't sound like a terribly appealing experience.  She presumed the term applied to the maze below.  Bypassing it was just fine with her...

"It is as my ally says," Eryn said, stepping forwards. "I am the one who called upon my ancestor's spirit out of necessity. On my honor, we do not seek to disturb this place more than we have to."

The warrior followed Ilura's lead and bowed respectfully.

"If I may be so bold, may I ask who it is we are speaking to?"

Chance grinned at Lady Mirrorshade. "You were saying?", he quipped before turning his attention to the figure in the doorway.

"Yeah, we're here because we passed the test. If you really want to keep people out you should have asked a math question."

Then he stepped up close to the figure and raised up on his tiptoes beckoning it to lean down closer to him. "If you're looking to revive the Silver Scourge you won't find anyone who is better suited than her to head it up," he whispered, nodding his head to indicate that he was referring to Ilura.

The mysterious woman seemed to consider Ilura and Eryn's words carefully, even as static and smoke continued to swirl in her presence. When Chance approached, she glared at him with extreme prejudice, but did end up leaning forward half a centimeter to hear what he had to say. Was that a hint of an amused smirk on her face? Impossible to be sure.

"Very well," she finally said after another tense pause. She lowered her arms and the magic around her began to slowly dissipate. "Your story is plausible enough. And your essence hasn't been burned from existence by the runes," she gestured at the soul-script lining the Soul-Sear Bypass, "so I suppose you are either more gifted in the ways of magic than myself, or you truly harbor no ill-will toward this sanctum or its inhabitants." Her face took on a sullen look, then she corrected herself. "Inhabitant."

With renewed intensity, she gazed at each of the adventurers in turn. "In the past I have been known as Great Djinn Valteshi, weaver of the smokespun fortress, binder of the fetid hordes, and steward of the silver manse. Among other things. I suppose simply "Valteshi" shall do for now." She spun on her heel and beckoned the group to follow.

With the smoke now all nearly gone, the inside of the sanctum could finally be seen. At least the first room of it. In contrast to the transparency of the glass-like tunnel the party was exiting, the room was made mostly of solid stone. The walls looked thick, and there was only one large metal door that connected to the room. At least on the ground floor. There was a balcony area encircling the room, set further back in the wall. It looked to be made so that archers could shoot from any direction. Etched into the floor appeared to be a magical circle of some sort, but inactive. And on the wall hung dozens of strange items, like cloves of garlic, a silver mirror, wolfsbane, and other various items known to repel or detect certain "dark creatures."

Valteshi spread her arms and turned slowly to face the group once more. "Welcome to the Silver Sanctum."

What do you do?

"Thank you Great Djinn.  We will not abuse the trust you have given."

She took a long good look around, Thomas flying up to get a better vantage point to get a sense of what might be out of her own line of sight.


"I know that the sanctum allows travel to distant places, which was our primary reason for coming here, though we also wished to prevent the priestess of Churka and the Lusiny priestess she was paired with from accessing the map which showed how to access this place.

We need healing and rest.  Perhaps you could tell us of this place and what aid it might provide while we eat and prepare for rest?"

Eryn, I was going to ask about the possibility of living flesh for you, but I'm not sure if you've shared that new need with us?  Also, not sure if you want to run the risk of alerting the Djinn to your new 'appetite'.

quote:

</quote>20:56, Today: Ilura rolled 13 using 2d6+5.  Discern realities w/ Thomas.

What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is useful or valuable to me?
What here is not what it appears to be?

"I can tell you anything you would like to know about the Silver Sanctum," Valteshi assured Ilura. "After all, I am the one who constructed it. Which is also why my trust in you is irrelevant. I trust myself and the safeguards I put into place. If you were not "trustworthy" then you would not have made it this far. At least not this easily. All of the sanctum's resources are at your disposal, including the portal you seek. I would offer your group food, but... I think only salt remains un-perished in the pantry at this point. Maybe some sugar or honey too, if you're lucky..."

By this point Lady Mirrorsheen seemed absolutely transfixed by a colorful exotic flower hanging on the wall, and Eryn was feeling growing discomfort from the presence of a vial of silvery liquid hanging from a string. Valteshi snapped her fingers three times to get Mirrorsheen out of her trance and looked to her and Eryn. "Those defenses are potent. Don't get ensnared by the fae-bane or distracted by the angel blood. This way."

The djinn put a hand flat against the iron door that led out of the room and mechanisms inside could be heard clicking into place. "I don't suppose your group would like a tour?" If Valteshi had any concerns about the priestesses or the map, she didn't show it.

What do you do?

---

Ilura
What should I be on the lookout for?
If this is just the entrance, then there is surly a lot of noteworthy stuff further inside to be on the lookout for too. Nothing seems to be overly dangerous thus far though.

What here is useful or valuable to me?
Many of the deterant-type items on the walls could be either useful or valuable. Some both.

What here is not what it appears to be?
Thomas found two metal doors on either side of the upper level, same as the lower door. It helps give the impression that the Silver Sanctum is much larger than a typical little rebel hideout.

"A tour would be helpful.  As would a description of the resources available.  If that would take too long, I have described our short-term problem.  However, you may as well know the end-game too.  We need to find the soul of Nikadroy Qizproteus and throw it into the Void - the realm of Corr.  We believe the easiest time to do that is the birthday of the moon goddesses, but we don't know when that is - and we have little idea about how to do the rest.  Whatever guidance or resources you can provide to aid with any of those things would be most welcome."

It felt a bit odd to be speaking freely of such closely guarded and potentially dangerous secrets to one who was a total stranger.  However, the reality was that if she couldn't trust this woman/creature, she couldn't trust anyone.  And the group needed answers...

"I have some concerns about the reason why this silver vial affects me so," Eryn spoke as they went. She had wondered if the Silver Scourge had any duality going on like the temple above did, but soon concluded that this place showed no signs of demonic influence, and so she felt more comfortable this being could help.

"We battled a demon on the way here," she explained, "and with its last breath it cast a curse upon me. I was hoping you could help lift it, before it becomes a real problem. Like Ilura says, our task is of great importance, and I would rather have a clear head for the trials that are sure to lie ahead."

"It did something to my dagger, too, although I don't know exactly what," Chance chimed in. "Nothing like what happened to Eryn's pants, though, that's for sure."

Grabbing at the opening, Chance pressed Eryn a little further.

"What exactly did happen to you, Eryn? I mean, besides the golden pants..."

OOC: Hopefully I can resolve a bond here. Two, actually, although one is just being discarded as soon as I come up with a replacement. That is, I no longer think that Chance stole from Ilura. I just have to decide what exactly I want that bond to be.

Eryn laughed. It was good to have a lighter mood, once in a while.

"I will have you know, the gold came from broken alchemy vials. I have not developed a mage's scaredy-cat bladder, if that's what you think!

Her expression fell serious once more.

"I stayed too close to the demon. If Ilura hadn't counteracted the curse, I may have kept changing. As it is, I'm stuck with pale skin, some new fangs... and only raw meat appears to feed my hunger. If there are other changes, I do not yet know."

The warrior hesitated to speak, but felt like she had to. At least make it a joke, her brain added.

"You all look a little tastier than usual. Sorry," she grinned at Chance.

Terrible joke, scolded her brain.

Valteshi Looked Eryn up and down, scrutinizing her as she led the group down a short hall. "Yes, I can see bits of demonic shadow intermingled with your human clay." The way she said it made the terms "shadow" and "clay" sound almost medical in nature. "If there is a way to reverse your curse, you will surly find it here. I know nothing of your foe, Nikadroy Qizproteus, or his soul. He must have arisen after the fall of the Silver Scourge. But again, there is a good chace you will be able to find your answers somewhere within the sanctum. Or, at least, find out where you can find your answers."

"There was a time I could have solved all of your problems with a simple wish," Valteshi said, almost wistfully. "But alas, I believe my wish-granting days are over. For I am still in the process of granting my last one." She gestured broadly at the area the group had just entered, as if it clearly explained everything that she meant. And perhaps there was some justification in that, seeing as how the area looked exactly like the product of a grand wish.

The Silver Sanctum was circular in shape. A cylinder with a hollow core at least 50 feet across. The party walked out to a balcony near the top of this hollow core, giving a great view to all of the floors beneath. There were at least ten stories, but probably more. Each connected by staircases in the central column. At the lowest visible level, a huge gyroscopic device spun constantly, with magic visibly glowing within its center. "That is the portal you seek," Valteshi explained. "You enter it from up there." She pointed to the top floor where it appeared there was a platform extending out into the center of the open column. This implied you needed to plunge a dozen stories in order to enter the portal...

"Let's start our tour at the top and work our way down, shall we? If I remember correctly, humans and halflings get tired from working against gravity for too long. Hmm?"

At the very top, floor 14, above even the drop into the portal, there was a domed room Valteshi called the "Diviner's Hub." A place where they could scry on any part of the maze complex outside of the sanctum. It was also where those with the skill could magically view the outside world.

On the floor just below the drop platform level was where the balconies started and encircled the entire central column. This upper floor was filled with areas of various gear that Silver Scourge members might need on their various missions. The floor below that was where most members had their rooms, and where the archery area for the entrance was accessible, and where the public lounge was located. Everything was clean and tidy, but still intact. Like everyone who lived here had cleaned up before going on vacation, and they could be back at any moment. Based the amount of lodgings, the Silver Scourge probably had around fifty members at its peak.

The next floor down was the floor the party had entered on. In addition to being the entrance for the Soul-Sear Bypass, it was also the floor that housed the guest rooms, the holding cells, and a room Valteshi said was for dissection and autopsies. In that room there was a device that seemed to be able to produce unlimited amounts of ice, albeit slowly, and the area was considerably cooler than the rest of the sanctum.

Down on the ninth floor, was a great kitchen, provisions storage, bathing areas, and a great dining hall with a long community table. Below the baths, presumably to help supply heat, was an impressive forge. All the tools a blacksmith could ever dream of were hanging on the walls, at the ready. Nearby was an area for materials storage, as well as areas for creating other types of crafts and artworks. There was even a half-finished landscape painting still sitting on an easel. The cracks in the paint suggested it was not a recent painting being worked on by Valteshi.

Floor seven was almost like being outside. There were all manner of plants growing there, in pots and on tables, with little pathways winding in between. One area was hot and sweltering, and another was dry and cool, with numerous other climates magically woven in between. "I suppose you may be able to find some sources of sustenance here that are not spoiled," Valteshi commented. "If you can pick out the foods from the poisons." In addition to the greenery, there was also a portion of the floor dedicated to healing and recovery. This section also dipped down into floor six.

Also on floor six was the sanctum's mushroom farm. Valteshi gave a similar warning about eating the mushrooms, then proceeded to show the group the adjoining area meant for practicing arcane rituals, and the area filled with animal cages. Small ones, like those that might house birds or frogs. Valteshi said she tried to keep the animals in them alive, but they proved much more difficult than the plants. Most of the "exhibits" were empty, save for a few containing crickets, turantulas, and turtles.

The next floor down housed a private study attached to the topmost floor of the library. Additionally, there was an enchanter's workspace and an alchemist's lab. The alchemy lab had walls filled with jars full of various ingredients. Everything from "sea salt" to "basilisk toenails collected under the stars at high tide." The extensive pieces of equipment in the room were equally as varied as the ingredients, and just as perplexing.

On the fourth floor was the central level of the library, a museum-like room filled with trophies and notable accomplishments, and a separate room filled with various maps. The map room also had a large table depicting a detailed map of what appeared to be the known world. Of course it was 500 years out of date, but nonetheless impressive. The only other area of the fourth floor was the upper portion of a worship area that extended down to floor three.

This worship area had all manner of religious symbols in it, most of which had labels telling what sorts of effects they had on which creatures. It seemed almost as if it were meant as much for training as it was for practicing religions. This worship area was also connected to the lowest level of the library and adjacent to the Silver Sanctum's vault. The vault was locked, but certainly took up enough space that there might be several rooms within. Next to the vault was a meeting room, with a table big enough to seat at least 20 people. The table itself also had a feature that allowed it to project detailed illusory images. Useful for displaying strategies and such. Also simply fun to play with.

Floor two had no rooms on it. This floor was reserved solely for the huge portal contraption that constantly spun its gyroscopic layers. There was a stairway that encircled it and led down to floor one. Floor one was the area you would enter into if you managed to make it through the maze complex outside the sanctum. It was similarly defended as the upper entrance the party had entered through, but also had a handful of emergency healing supplies. Presumably because those that made it through the maze did not typically do so without incurring injuries.

Surprisingly, Valteshi informed the group that there was a level even further below floor one. Down there was the sanctum's crypt. It was where they would lay fallen members after they died, if possible, to ensure they could rest in peace. Each vault was adorned with the silver mask of the one who laid within. There was also a general area devoted solely to remembering those that had made the ultimate sacrifice.

And with that, Valteshi concluded the tour. She led everyone back upward, allowing anyone to ask any questions they may have, or explore wherever their heart desired.

What do you do?

---

If you want to know more details about anything, let me know. I tried to keep descriptions brief because even brief descriptions took up a lot of space. Valteshi doesn't have direct answers for your questions, but might be able to point you in the right direction to discover the answers on your own. Below is a summary of the sanctum's layout.


This message was last edited by the GM at 03:03, Thu 22 Oct 2020.

Ilura took everything in with extreme interest.  On the top level, she asked the Djinn if it was able to discern what was happening back in the cave they had exited - and what the two priestesses were up to.  She doubted they would have given up easily.  She felt relatively secure in this magical place - if it had held out for 500 years, it seemed unlikely their opponents would suddenly discover a way to entrance that bypassed the map now.  However, it didn't hurt to know what your opposition was up to.

When they looked at the entrance to the 'drop', she asked in detail about how the transportation device was used, including such essential factors as:

• How did you choose your destination?
• How many could use it at once?
• How tightly could you control your arrival location?
• How obvious *was* the arrival?
• Was there any means of getting back again?
• Were there any side effects to the transport?

At the armory, she took good stock of the weapons available and tried to evaluate whether any were likely to be of more use than those they carried.  She also inquired as to whether it was possible for them to make use of the armory for their quest.

In the area with specialized supplies, she mentioned that their immediate opponent was known as a beguiler of minds.  "Do you have anything that might help to protect us from such powers?"

The vault aroused her curiosity.  "What does it contain?"

When they had completed the tour, she turned to Valteshi.  "This is a wonderous place you have constructed.  The Order has ceased to be, yet you still persist.  What is the scope of the wish that you continue to serve?"

Chance had never seen anything like it before. It wasn't the size of the place, or that it was located at the heart of a labyrinth, both of those things were part of it, but what impressed him most was the level to which things were organized. Everything from the placement of the levels and floors to the variety of arms and armor on display, to the evenly spaced arrow-straight Brown in which the vegetables were planted, had been planned with great care. He made a mental note of the location of the kitchens, and the showers, the two things that were in the forefront of his mind, at least until they reached the garden level and their host mentioned poisons.

Chance immediately recognized a few of the plants that were being cultivated, but far more seemed exotic or strange to him. The aroma of the various plants was sometimes sharp, and sometimes sweet and combined together into a cloying combination that left him feeling slightly intoxicated. He might not have time to dry the leaves before the time came to move on but he hoped he'd have a new recipe or two worked out by then. When they came to the library a little while later, he knew they would.

When the tour concluded, he only had one question. "Where do I sign up?"

When Ilura asked Valteshi if they could see what was happening back at the entrance from the Divener's Hub, the djinn woman nodded. "That is on the very edge of hub's viewing capabilities. One moment." She closed her eyes and held two fingers to her lips while pointing two fingers on her other hand toward the domed ceiling. On the ceiling itself, an image began to appear.

The party recognized it as the space between the mask door and the bridge. The bridge itself seemed to be out of range. However, even in that thin slice they could see a lot was going on. The orcish crossbowman was laying on the floor, unconscious, wet, and bleeding. The mage and monk were there too, both battered pretty badly, but standing. The monk still had a few subtle squid features on his hands, but not as severe as before. A severed kraken tentacle hung at the edge of the water. Also there were several elite guards and the twin priestesses present. Lenora looked even older than before, with the deep wrinkles of a lady on her last years. Urella looked corpse-like and nearly unconscious, but she was still alive. There was still a half-healed hole, however, where Ilura had shot her through the head. The entire group seemed to be concocting a plan to try and get through the doors, but had yet to breach them.

---

When the group stood at the edge of the drop platform that could be used to dive into the portal below, Valteshi patiently answered every one of Ilura's questions to the best of her ability. It turned out it was a fairly simple device to use. All you needed to do was visualize your destination as you dove in. Any number of people could use it to go to the same place. You would merely have to dive in after the leader and select your destination as "the same place as the previous person." The precision of the portal was not pin-point precise, but was pretty close to it. Valteshi demonstrated by jumping in and transporting herself to "the central dive platform."

When she contacted the swirling magic in the gyroscopic portal device below, a great pillar of light erupted up toward the group. It stopped just shy of the platform. A moment later there was a low rumble and a flash of blue erupted from the end of the platform. Valteshi appeared in that exact location. The arrival would be noticeable to anyone nearby, but it was not obscenely noticeable. The only side effects were related to disorientation or extreme pressure and/or temperature changes. Nothing severe, unless you happened to choose to appear at the bottom of the ocean or inside a volcano.

To get back again once outside of the sanctum, a person would need to find the outer entrance again. It turned out there were several scattered throughout the world. And the same maze complex and Soul-Sear Bypass was connected to all of them. The sanctum and maze complex itself took up very little "real" space, but it also stretched far. As usual, illogical magic was involved.

---

In the armory, there was all manner of different weapons and armor of mundane varieties. And Valteshi assured the party that they could claim whatever items they desired. She had no use for them herself. As for the specialized supplies, they were all up for grabs too. Most of them were non-magical as well. They were specialized more in the sense of "silver crossbow bolts" for werewolves, or "unicorn hair nets" meant for snaring bog-crawlers. When Ilura mentioned an item that could be used to thwart a beguiler, however, Valteshi did seem to have an idea or two of what might help them.

She excused herself for a moment, then returned with a couple items. She handed the party a pair of inch-long chalky red stones, and a headband made of fine copper chains. "These stones, if one is swallowed, will release the imbiber of any mind-enchantments, hypnotisms, or other outside mental influences. This other ornamentation is supposed to protect its wearer from deceptions so long as the wearer does not practice any deceptions themselves. Which... was not all that useful to the mask-wearing Silver Scourge. Its magic breaks if you perform a deception, even if accidentally. But perhaps you will still have use for it. Both were personal items of Madame Roshmire. One of the more talented enchantresses ever to work here."

---

When they got to the vault and Ilura asked what was inside, Valteshi shrugged. Or rather, she flicked her wrists to create two puffs of smoke that somehow conveyed the same mood as a shrug. "The vault houses several cursed items, and perhaps a powerful artifact or two. Some exceptionally fragile texts. And of course there is a certain amount of wealth locked away too. Oh, and the true names of all that have joined the Silver Scourge since its conception."

---

When the tour completed and Ilura asked about the wish and Chance asked about signing up, Valteshi gave them both a smile that conveyed no happiness. "I am afraid that you can only "sign up" by being sponsored by an existing member. Much like you could only access the Soul-Sear Bypass with the sponsorship of an existing member. Not only that, to make your mask, you must forge it from silver and include a piece of an existing member's mask, along with a pinch of your own flesh and blood." She let the difficulty of such a task stand for itself.

"As for the wish that created this place, it was... complicated. The Founder was a brilliant person with a keen mind, and a good friend of mine at the time. When I offered him a wish, he worked diligently to make the most out of what was given to him, while also minimizing any chance for misinterpretations. Intentional or accidental. But the wish, summarized to its most basic elements, is thus: I wish for a grand secret lair that protects its members from all who are unworthy, allows us to get to where we need to be, and is kept up and running by your own hand, Valteshi." The djinn looked off into the distance, staring at nothing. A sadness washed over her. But because she was missing an old friend, and not because she had been bound to servitude.

What do you do?

---

You can basically find any standard weapons and armor in the armory. There may also be magical weapons in the armory or elsewhere, but they are not super obvious on your tour. There is also a lot of adventuring gear and other basic supplies.

The group has been given two types of items. You guys can decide who wants what.

Mindblank Stones (2 uses, 0 weight) - red and chalky, one-inch long stone.
If swallowed, will release the imbiber of any mind-enchantments, hypnotisms, or other outside mental influences.

Headband of Non-deception (0 weight) - copper chain headband.
Wearer is protected from deceptions so long as they do not deceive. If the wearer deceives someone, even if it is accidental, the magic in the headband breaks and it becomes a non-magical item.

Chance
You will certainly be able to find some more poison recipes if you choose to look. Let me know what you do and how much time you want to spend, and I will tell you what you find.

Also, joining the Silver Scourge will not be as easy as signing your name in a book. Perhaps still possible, but not easy.

Everyone
I think now would be a good time for an End of Session. We will do that in the OOC thread though.

Ilura looks at the activity outside the entrance with a mixture of pleasure and concern.She was pleased there was no sign of the witch and her proteges.  That was good.  She wasn't sure whether the lost tentacle would have harmed the old woman.  It seemed unlikely by much.
 She was pleased too that their attackers were still alive.  She might live to regret it, but she still didn't want to be responsible for the death of one of Luciny's worshipers if she could avoid it.

"Do we need to be concerned about what they're up to out there?"

In the armory, not being able to easily discern whether any of the weapons were magical, Ilura came right out and asks the question.

At the dive platform, the questions got a little bit more involved.
"What if we've never been to where we want to go?  Can we just name it?  Can we go to the location of someone rather than to a specific place?  Can we describe the characteristics of where we'd like to arrive - for example, somewhere near to a place but out-of-the-way or where we're unlikely to be noticed?

Also, do you have a map of the other entry locations?"  She recognized that any such map would be long out-of-date, but it'd be better than nothing.

When the discussion of the possibility of becoming members came up, Ilura was again full of questions.  "Would the sponsor need to still be living?  I have an old mask we could potentially still use.  If we were to become members, would we truly need to fuse our masks to our faces?  That particular need seems to have passed.  It would also be good to have some strategy to protect against what happened to the prior members, with their masks being magically poisoned - do you have ideas there?  Do you *want* the order to re-form?  It seems it would be difficult for you here to maintain all in readiness for a cause that will never again make use of what you provide..."

How many days do we have before the captain's contract comes due?

Chance waited until Ilura had finished questioning their host before he approached. The flicker dagger lay in the palm of his right hand and he lifted it up so the djinn could see it.

"This is the dagger I used when we fought that demon. Do you know of a way to purify it?", he asked.

OOC: Chance will definitely stock up on poison while he's here, time permitting. I feel like he should try to do something about the dagger first, though.

"This place is immense," Eryn said, having been silent for most of the tour, letting Ilura ask the important questions. The forge had caught her eye, and ideas were already spinning in her head, though the warrior knew there may not be time to fully prepare before the doors were breached. When they learned that the priestesses were stuck outside the door, Eryn was delighted.

Give me time to work my craft, she thought, and when we meet again I shall not only be rid of this curse, you shall find that your demon has only strengthened me.

"Westley," she called out, "I have need of the massive weapon, and some helping hands in the forge. Silas, are you up for the task?"

Next she looked to the fairy floating around the group. Lady Mirrorsheen was wise in her ways, and Eryn trusted her more than herself to find curse-breaking knowledge. Hiran had only thought her of spirits. "Milady, I could also use your help. Will you know books that may aid me in getting rid of this unfortunate condition, if you see them? Perhaps Chance will need such knowledge as well, for his dagger."