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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Jul 2006 : 20:33:48
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This continues on from where Valanwé left the party here http://www.candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3966&whichpage=13
The duo are transported to a clearing in a lush meadow. A bright sun shines high in the sky, and Icthalien stands to one side as his son recovers from teleportation sickness. He smiles, waiting patiently as the younger Elf accustoms himself to the feeling of being in a new place, and the fact that it is now daylight. When Valanwé has his bearings, the older elf gestures for him to follow, and the two travel the familiar walk to the family house of Cys'Varinfer.
As is the custom, Icthalien first speaks rather tersely of the business at hand, "Son, you have grown much in power since last we met. Seiveril Miritar has inferred his wishes for a Return. He sends his requests that those who stood by his side, and who wish to do so still, will join him in eradicating the daemonfey from Myth Drannor."
"Father, I will answer this call," says Valanwé, immediately. "Their existance is not to be borne. I arrive having had business with a travelling group of adventurers, engaged in quest for the Lord Lathander. My dissappearance would have been unexpected."
Icathalien nods, "Though your loyalty to your friends is admirable, your loyalty to your cause is also so. I have no intentions of Returning myself, nor do any of Cys'Varinfer, though I will do what I can to help from here. I brought this to your attention since I knew you would be willing, and welcome."
As Icthalien concludes, the family house comes into view. The house takes the form of a single-floored, largish cottage, constructed from white stone, and stick-thatch, set between two weeping willows, one of which obscures the facade, in front of an outcrop of uneven rock covered in patches of long grass and ferns. At one end of the house, a small upper chamber sits, with unshuttered windows on each of its four sides, again, thatched with sticks. A smaller oak tree appears to be growing from a space in the centre of the house, and seems to be supporting, or partly supporting the construction.
As the two enter and settle into more comfortable seats, two glasses of spiced wine drift over to each of the elves, and settle in their hands. Icthalien winks at Valanwé, knowing the trick always delighted him, and sighs deeply, "now let us talk of more personal matters, please tell me about your travels. You know your mother misses you awfully. She will return this eve."
"Lately, as I mentioned I have been in the employ of the Church of Lathander. They required of us the recovery of an artefact sacred to the church, and we were, successful, albeit, with the loss of one of The People. He was the one known as Valinco Cappadoor, and died at the hands of an agent of the Cult of the Dragon. It is to them, that we were recently ensnared, and later released with the aid of Sylûne of Shadowdale."
Icthalien bows his head and offers a quick prayer as Valanwé mentions the death of a fellow Elf. He then raises it and peers at Valanwé. With his head cocked slightly to one side, "And I see that your magics are more powerful too. You have had time to keep up with your studies?"
"I have aquired some new knowledge in my travels, though it it less than I would have hoped. I have a scroll for your safe keeping also, bought not cheaply from a dealer in Ashabenford. As far as I have deduced, it is to control undead."
Icthalien peers at the scroll for a second, his eyes glow slightly as he examines the text, and he nods his head, "I know of this magic, though this is in a slightly different form to when I last saw it. I'll see it goes into the library for safekeeping. Thank you for bringing this gift to me."
"The pleasure is mine," Valanwé replies wryly. "I have no use of it."
Icthalien raises an eyebrow, "No use? That cannot be. No wish to use, now that is another matter, and one I can respect."
"How wrong of me to choose my own words!" laughs Valanwé. "Of course you are right. Will you offer your recommendation as to how long I should remain here? Where is the Return to be, and when are those called to arrive?"
"Seiveril is as we speak in the libraries of Myth Glauruch, meeting with his war commanders and with his son Araevin. Word of their plans will filter back here sometime this evening, considering the time difference there. I will of course let you know, as soon as I know the outcome."
"I will assume that you can arrange for my transport once we hear of their intentions?"
"Of course," replies Icthalien with a nod.
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As dusk settles, Valanwé is disturbed from his studies by a knock at the door to his old chambers. "Come in," he calls, looking up from his books.
Valanwé's father stands in the doorway in long flowing robes. Robes with symbols of protection woven into the design, and with many pockets for spell components - robes designed for adventuring. Icathalién states bluntly, "Seiveril's army has broken council. They are marching the companies through the portal to Semberholme, part of the ancient home of the elves in the Dalelands. I have agreed to assist in navigating those willing through the portals. They mean to march on Myth Drannor, to permanently remove Sarya Dlardrageth, her daemonfey, and her minions from the lower planes. He then means to settle there, resurrecting the elven home."
"Corellon be praised should Master Sieveril succeed in this action!" exclaims Valanwé, hoping immediately for such an outcome. "Peradventure a curse removed may be considered a blessing when sweeter the removal is made!"
"Your choice then is simple. To travel with me to Myth Glauruch and to traverse the portal system with the rest of the army, or to meet the army as they travel at a later date."
"I will join you at once," says Valanwé, rising from his work. "Allow me a moment to gather my things."
"Patience my son, I will need an hour to prepare the appropriate spells. We shall leave then."
"Be sure to tell her I shall return once more as soon as it is possible for me to do so. I may require your help in that return, I may not, but expect a Sending in the coming weeks regardless. I shall attend to my books until we leave."
With a nod, Icthalien leaves the doorway.
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When the old elven wizard is prepared, he leads Valanwé out of the home and to a grove a short walk away. In the centre of the grove is a simple circle laid in stones, which glow faintly, radiating magic absorbed from their continuous exposure to it over time. Icthalien begins his magical chanting, in the space of a few short breaths, the pair stand in a similar, but also noticeably different, location. The trees around are a deeper green, and more noticeable still the sky has changed from failing light to an inky blackness, pinpricked by stars.
Steadying Valanwé with his outstretched arm Icthalien proclaims, "We are an hour away from Myth Glauruch, we must walk from here on in."
"Let us not tarry then father," says Valanwé brightly. "Lead on."
After a couple of hours the pair manage to follow the small trail which leads to Myth Glauruch. It is a hive of activity, with many elven troops armed for battle. A scout approaches the pair and says briskly, "State your business and purpose."
Icthalien responds in turn, "I am Icthalien of house Cys'Varinfer, a mage of Evermeet. Please inform Seiveril that my son Valanwé and I have arrived at his bidding." The scout bows low as Icthalien announces his station, and rushes off immediately towards the throng of activity. Another scout appears shortly, and beckons for the pair to follow him, leading the two through the camp.
The scout leads them on in silence, and all around is action. Campfires are being put out and their ashes delicately scattered. Elves are arming themselves for battle. The original scout approaches, and with a terse nod of his head, hands the party's current guide a small piece of parchment before hurriedly moving away to his original position. The guide reads the parchment and announces, "Sauliak Valanwé, ahead of us is Keldith Oericel's camp. Lord Seiveril requests that you reintroduce yourself to him.
"I am at my Lord Sievril's service," says Valanwé. "Lead on good man.""
The guide announces Valanwé's presence at the camp, and a tall muscular elf approaches. He nods his thanks to the scout, who salutes in turn and then leads Icthalien away. When the two are left together, the Captain beams broadly and clasps Valanwé's wrists in the fashion of adventurers, "Valanwé! How good it is to see you again. I am pleased to hear that you have been assigned to my company again, your magic served us well in the past, though I fear we will have much more need of it yet before this is all over!"
"I fear so," offers Valanwé disdainfully, "What news of the enemy, and my part in the great script that dread siren's song and scribe's hand will record in the annals of our people? I long for knowledge, and a task set before me."
"We are preparing to move through the portals as soon as possible. Araevin Teshurr has determined a way for us to traverse them and reach Semberholme. It will take us some few hours to prepare, and our appointed time for travel is just before highsun tomorrow. You look as though you could use some rest. Perhaps it would be a good idea to find somewhere peaceful, and join the company at the portal."
"I will do so. I am in need of fresh-wrought magics, and reverie. Tell me though Captain - do you expect for us to be in battle tomorrow? I must choose which spells I prepare with care, as always, but I would like to have spells appropriate to the tasks I am given."
"I find it highly unlikely, as we will not be the first company through the portals and certainly not the last. It will be some time before the army is marching."
"Very well. If that is all that is required of me, I shall bid you good evening, Sir."
Keldith nods and with a slight smile says simply, "Dismissed."
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The morning comes, and the company of Keldith wait patiently for their turn to travel through the portal. When the time comes Keldith approaches forward and exchanges words with a wizard in bright robes, then returns to the party with him. As the aging elf approaches he says, throwing a wink at Valanwé, "Greetings, I am Icthalien and I will be guiding you through these portals. Please listen carefully and obey my command alone in this situation. We don't need any of you ending up in The City of Doors or Corellon knows where else..."
Icthalien then explains the timing necessary for the group to reach Semberholme, and gives strict instructions on what to do if someone should get left behind, before finally leading the first of the company through the portal.
Valanwé is in the final squad of the company, and before travel, the elder elf leans over and places a scroll case into his son's hands. "You may have use of these. Sweet water and light laughter until next we meet," and with that Icthalien sends the group through the portal.
It is eveningtime when the Semberholme portal deposits the company, and all around the area other groups of elves have begun to set up camp again. The settlments are hastily built, and designed for only a short stay. At a nearby fire a deer is roasting on a spit over a campfire.
Keldith assembles his men before him. After a quick head count he nods his head in satisfaction that everyone has made their way safely through the portal, "Let us find a space for ourselves and await the rest of the army. When Seiveril calls we shall be found ready!"
The night passes slowly as Valanwé rests again and studies his spells for the coming journey. He rests alone in one of the many trees in the area. Slightly before dawn, Keldith approaches the base of the tree and shouts up rather formally 'Sauliak Valanwé, your presence is required in my quarters', and with that he leaves and heads towards a large hastily erected shelter near the campfire
Stirring from his thoughts, Valanwé reassembles his belongings, hanging mostly on a tree brach nearby, descends the tree fleetly, and follows the path he had seen Keldith take a moment earlier. He enters the hut.
Gesturing for the wizard to take a seat on the floor in front of him, Keldith begins, "Valanwé, here is the current situation: One of the diviners of The Batallion of the White Star has discovered something rather interesting. A series of caverns, fashioned in such a way as to become the home of a long dead sorceror, lie close to the area. More interesting still is the object which lies within. She believes it is the legendary elven sword Lan'Lessaern, which was thought lost in the fall of Myth Drannor. It is fortunate for us if it is so, for it has not strayed too far from it's home. Even more so it is well known for it's ability to cause harm to those from the lower planes. Your orders are to enter this lair, and retrieve this sword. Shalleron of the White Star will help you further, I shall have one of the scouts here take you to her. And," he adds almost as an afterthought, "Good luck. Dismissed."
Valanwé offers a nod of acknowledgement and understanding, and leaves.
At the entrance to the tent a scout stands briskly to attention, he salutes "Sauliak Valanwé, please follow me."
The walk takes about an hour to thread through all the different camps, and finally the two arrive at a sizeable camp, where a banner painted in blue with a white star emblazoned on it flutters on the outskirts. Valanwé is led to a large white tent and the scout announces "Presenting Sauliak Valanwé for the pleasure of Shaunduriak Shalleron."
She sniffs as Valanwé enters the tent, "So this is what Keldith sends me? Very well, come over here, and quickly!"
"Aye Ma'am," says Valanwé, saluting quickly, and thence heeding her call. "I report as ordered."
"Yes yes, I said come here. Ah but you misunderstand me, please stand in the position I am now" she says as she steps aside. "Now," she says pointing to a small bowl filled with a silvery liquid in front of her, "What do you see here?"
"I see a stone bowl, emblazoned with runes, containing what may yet be mercury, and which I presume is an instrument of the divinatory arts?"
Shalleron sighs irritably, "I had hoped Keldith would have sent me one of intelligence enough to read the signs." She begins to cast a spell and the liquid shifts and swirls, "'Now' what do you see?"
"A secluded cavern, which I venture is believed to contain the sword of Lan'Lessaern my Captain Keldith spoke of."
The diviner nods with a wry smile on her face, "Well at least you can listen. Good. There is a game trail near to where Keldith has set up camp. Follow it to it's end: this will take you some way into the woods." She pulls a small bundle of cloth from a seemingly empty pocket in her robes, "This is a wand recovered from the final battle in which Gelarn died, it is his home into which you venture. The command word is 'Larinto', it will activate a soft glow, much like a will'o'wisp to guide you along the trail to his lair. There is a reason for this, which I do not have the time nor desire to explain. All you need to do is keep following the lights. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Without question ma'am."
"The question did not require an answer."
Handing over the wand she waves for Valanwé to leave the tent. "There is a reason the sword has been left unclaimed. Be on your guard. I hope you return alive, for the sake of the Cause." That said, she turns back to her bowl and begins the casting of another spell. Valanwé turns, and leaves the tent.
He stands for a moment, and looks about for any sign of a Quartermaster's store nearby. Seeing none, he walks through the camp in as straight a line away from the tent as he can manage, not wishing to cover ground twice. He looks again for a soldier who seems approachable and approaches. The young elf chopping wood looks up from the wood he is carving and mops his brow, "Greetings friend."
"Hail, melloamin," says Valanwé with a tone of cheerfulness that surprised even himself. "I have two questions if I may?"
"Of course."
"Firstly, could you direct me to the Quartermaster's store? Secondly, what are you carving? It seems an intricate work..."
"Well, secondly" says the elf with a smile, "I thank you for your compliment. But this is no work of art, just a bow for some of my squad to use. It seemed simpler to craft them on the journey than to load them with us.
"That is consideration worthy of praise."
"And firstly, there is no quartermaster to speak of. You must be new in camp. Being volunteers we are taken care of by our officers and their houses, there is no one to fund such a central organisation."
"I understand. Thank you, friend. I am in haste, and must return to my Captain, but let me not leave without asking your name, my brother?"
The elf stands and squares his shoulders, proudly announcing, "I am Maeglin Elanessë of the Golden Sheaf. It was nice meeting you, friend....?"
"I am Valanwé, Son of Icthalién of Evermeet. I hope some day to return this assistance, and remake your acquaintance. I wish you good luck in the name of the Lord Correlon - may he smile upon you, and upon us all. Farewell, melloamin."
"And to you." the young elf replies as he returns to his carving.
The birds begin to sing the dawn chorus as Valanwé heads back to his camp. The view of the sun is obstructed by the surrounding trees, but the light it brings illuminates the area well enough. As Valanwé arrives at the camp, he returns to Keldith's tent, and asks the scout outside if he might speak to Keldith.
The scout salutes crisply, "Gutheliak Keldith is unavailable at present Sir, he is currently engaged at the portal greeting an aquaintance."
"Can you say when he is expected to return?" asks Valanwé.
"He left not too long ago. He did not say when he would return, but I would not expect him back before highsun."
Deciding he should not delay four hours, Valanwé summons Venterus into his hands, and about turns, and leaves, walking briskly around the camp in search of obvious paths into the woods. Following the trail he discovers for about 3 hours without any incident, the trail abruptly ends deep into the forest. He searches around the nearby area quietly, looking for anything resembling the images he saw in the Shauduriak's bowl. Finding nothing, he casts a spell to detect magic, and also finds nothing but the items present on his person.
Taking the wand out of his robes, Valanwé holds it aloft, speaks the word "Larinto," and waits to see what happens. A blue glowing globe, roughly six inches across, appears a few yards to the left of Valanwé and without warning heads off on a winding trail through the woods. After half an hour or so the globe winks out of existence, leaving Valanwé by a fallen tree, overgrown with brambles. He looks around the surrounding area, taking it in for a moment, and then tries to see what's near the base of the tree, through the foliage. He picks up the wand again, and repeats the command word. Another blue globe appears over the fallen log and follows a new path. This pattern continues for about 4 hours until, when left with a cliff face with vines growing up it, the wand refuses to light any more globes.
Valanwé pauses for a few minutes rest, and then begins to examine the cliff face, first by sight, and then by running his hands gently over the rocks. After ten minutes of searching, his hands fall through an opening in the seemingly solid rock. The opening is about ten foot across and runs higher than Valanwé can reach; as his hands trace the area, a faint outline of the entrance appears to him. Tentatively, he steps forward, and, hands first, tries to pass through the entrance. Inside all is darkness.
Returning outside, he looks around for twigs and sticks, and tries to start a small fire. After an hour's work, the kindling catches, and he takes another hour building up the fire into a good blaze. Having realised that his choice of magics for the day had been mistaken, as had his expectations, he makes camp, tries to forage some recognisable food from the surrounding area, and then settles in a tall tree for the night.
After three hours, it begins to rain. Valanwé carefully descends the tree, and moves into the mouth of the cave, resting for the next six hours. After about three hours the rain stops, and the sounds of the forest at night become clear to Valanwé's keen elven hearing. Waiting patiently till sunrise to memorise his spells, he stands outside the cave entrance at just after eight in the morning, ready to enter. This he does, as quietly as possible, and shuffles slowly forward into the cave. After twenty feet or so, he reaches a body of water at the edge of the light spell. Phosphorescent fungus lights the cavern ahead, illuminating a round pool of clear, stagnant water about sixty feet across. Kelp floats on the water in places. Midway across, a scroll tube floats aimlessly.
Picking up the smallest pebble he can find, Valanwé steps back slightly from the water's edge and flicks it off his finger into the water. With no immediate result, and none forthcoming inside of a minute, he repeats the process with a larger, fist-sized boulder thrown hard into the centre of the pool. Nothing but a splash ensues, and he steps into the water cautiously, and tries to wade across. After five feet, the pool deepens, and he cannot place his footing, so he pushes off, and swims across on the surface, gracefully, but at speed. He swims around the floating scroll case, avoiding it's path. Halfway across, Valanwé slips under the surface of the water, but regains his control, and returns. Again he slips under, and this time it takes a quarter of a minute before Valanwé manages to break the surface again. Unable to retain his bouyancy, he goes under again, before finally making it across the water.
The tunnel continues. Ahead is a large iron door. It has no features except a message carved into it's face in large letters. The message reads "A GREAT TREASURE LIES HERE UNDER A CURSE AND ONLY THOSE MAY ENTER WHO PROVIDE THE CURE".
Returning to the pool, Valanwé attempts to secure the floating spell scroll case with a telekinetic spell, but fails to do so. Instead, he conjures a floating disc underneath the scroll case from the side of the pool, but that too fails to move the scroll case. Unpeturbed, he casts a third spell, and flies over the water to where the scroll case apparently floats. Seeing nothing, just the scroll case and kelp floating on the water, Valanwé reaches down, and tries to pick up the spell case. As Valanwé tries to pick up the tube, he finds his hand firmly stuck to the case. The case dips below the surface of the water, dragging it's passenger down with it. The case drags him about 20 feet underwater, and under the opposite side from the entrance.
Valanwé attempts to break the rope, wearing through it quickly with two sharp stones. As the rope breaks, he notices a hideous sea hag wrapped in a tattered and filthy cloak floating near to him. Not overwhelmed by its appearance, he moves upwards through the water using the latent abilities of the flying spell, and out of her reach.
He inspects the mushrooms on the side of the cavern, and tosses some into the water when he discovers they're harmless, thinking the sea hag might just have been hungry and misunderstood. Dismissing the thought as absurd, he returns to the side of the water with the engraved door, and examines it again. Speaking the words "the cure" in a half-hearted attempt to open the door, again to no effect, Valanwé's frustration builds, and he shatters the scroll case against the rock walls of the cavern, wounding his hand in the process, and watches the pieces fall to reveal a scroll on the floor, which he reads.
The scroll contains the magics of the spell Undetectable Alignment, and Valanwé holds it in his hand, as he approaches the door. First throwing some stones at the letters, to check for defensive magics, he moves toward it, and pushes the door. As he presses the door, the 'S' in the word 'THOSE' becomes depressed and a dart of electricity shoots across the gap. Valanwé manages to remove his hand in time before getting shocked, the the letter pops back out to it's original position.
Inspiration hits Valanwé like a lightning bolt, and without delay, he presses the "S" in the word "CURSE" on the door. All the letters except the S in curse pop out further, revealing a simple key lock with a handle. He casts the spell Knock, and the door swings open.
In front of him is a room, forty feet square with identical walls, floor and ceiling, tiled in five foot square yellow-grey tiles that emit an eerie light that brightens the room. In the centre is a pedestal approximately two feet tall, and six inches square, which supports a broken hourglass.
As Valanwé enters the room, the hourglass magically reforms, and as he flies over to inspect it, and the rest of the room, it appears to have about sixty seconds worth of sand in it. Having inspected the room further, Valanwé pulls out a large spellbook from his pack, and attempts to strike the hourglass, only to be thwarted by a force field around the object. Having cast a spell to dispel the field, he tries again, but to no avail. Aware that his time is running short, he casts a magic missile spell at the exit door, leaving it unmarked. Doing the same with the pedestal, again to no effect, the last of the sand in the hourglass trickles out, and the door at the opposite end of the room opens. With an audible curse at his continued stupidity, he ducks through the door into the next room.
Confronted by a water elemental standing sixteen feet high, he enters into a rectangular room forty feet wide and twenty feet deep. Behind the elemental is a pool of water, some three feet in diameter, and behind that are four doors, lettered A, B, C and D. There are plaques above each door. The part of the elementals body which appears to be it's head sways back and forth, not unlike a cobras, constantly focused on the elf before it.
"Hail," says Valanwé, testing the water, so to speak. Seeing no reaction is fortcoming, Valanwé flies round the elemental, to the far side of the room, and flies past each of the four doors, placing a hand on each one. With his instinctive guess that this is yet another puzzle to be solved, he hopes to find one of them hot, with a fire elemental behind it, but all are cool to the touch. As he flies past, he notices that the pool from which the elemental appears to have emerged has another plaque at the bottom of it. Flying horizontally over the pool, he reads the sign, written in common, which says "Three are False".
Valanwé then moves to examine the plaques above each of the doors. Above the door with the letter "A" embossed on it, a the plaque reads "It's behind B or C"; above "B" the plaque reads "It's behind A or D"; above "C" the plaque reads "It's in here" and above "D" the plaque reads "It's not in here". Pausing a moment to think, the water elemental, believing it has spotted a moment of confusion starts to approach, but almost immediately afterwards, Valanwé is sure that his logic is correct, and he confidently opens Door "D".
Valanwé is confronted by a stone room, identical to the room with the hourglass, minus the pedestal in the centre, and, the hourglass. Waiting a moment to see if the elemental will do anything, Valanwé then enters, and is almost surprised when he discovers that nothing is currently trying to kill him. Heading to the opposite side of the room, he opens the door, and discovers the next room is similar to the four-door room. It has only one door, and where the pool of water was in the previous room, there whirls a small air elemental. As he enters the room, he hears a whispering sound around him; repeated over and over is the question "A man marries twenty women in his village but has no wives. How?"
Valanwé replies to the question simply, and immediately: "He's a priest." The noise stops, and Valanwé approaches the far door, and walks through.
The next room he sees contains a fire elemental, in place of the air elemental in the previous room. Surprisingly, the elemental speaks common, and says in a voice which sounds like a roaring fire, "Give me food, and I will live; give me water, and I will die. What am I?"
"A flame," says Valanwé, flatly. The elemental blows a gout of flame towards Valanwé. Before it hits him the flame fades into nothingness, leaving a rather warm feeling lingering within him. "You may pass," says the elemental.
Valanwé does so, and opens the next door.
The next room is circular, with no visible doors except the one he entered through - in the centre is an earth elemental.
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Edited by - Kaladorm on 16 Jul 2006 21:12:43
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Valanwé's Adventure
