Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Oh, about the cursed knife..."



Don't tell her.

Don't tell her what?

You were gonna tell her you know it's cursed so your sacrifice to my boss is worthy and not to trouble herself… and all Mauve wants is to help.

Are you sure?

Not about Mauve. But you, I can read like a book.



"…see what you can find."

I draw the stone knife.

"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?"

I hand it to Mauve.

"It was the first weapon ever to pierce my flesh. The only one, so far. The only one ever if I can help it, but… Rydh can't risk using his magic to protect me every time, can he?

"Mauve, I must confess that I am sure that during my dream Rydh's magic protected me. Not just his magic but…"



Now you want to tell everybody?

No. Not yet.



"…in my dream, I saw the fish demon that stabbed me with this. That's why I think the knife is the source. The dreams only occurred after a day of having the knife strapped to my boot. Cadell saw the blue aura around me change from blue to white, so I know that I was being protected from something.

"Go ahead and see what you can find, but I want the knife back when you are finished. I must bear this burden. I don't expect you to understand why I want to."



Why would she? I'm not even sure that I understand it. You've done plenty to earn favor with Brynhild that a less risky sacrifice should do the trick.

The sacrifice is half the reason.

What's the other half?

You.

Me?

I want to fight by your side in a dream again. You're a wonderful friend, Nissa.

I'm a vulture, Baldhart.

 

[Ireth]

My shoulders slump a little as I recall the first one. "First I dreamt of the final night I spent with my beloved before I departed for the Bladnir. Líadan was none too pleased with the Queen's choice to send me, and I cannot say I was or am either. Just as I was about to give her... a parting gift, the dream took a turn for the worse. The forest was ablaze, and I was searching for Líadan, calling out to her. I did not find her before I woke."

 

[Sparkie]

Ah. Not as I thought, probably.

"Sounds scary, but not as malevolent as Baldhart described."

Why am I trying to diagnose Cadell, as if something were wrong with him, when I should be trying to relate to him?

"You, uh... You miss her, don't you? Liadin, I mean."

 

[Ireth]

"Líadan," I correct him softly, emphasizing the last syllable a little. "Yes, I do miss her. We have been lovers for hundreds of years now. It grieved us both that I was commanded to leave, but I cannot disobey my Queen, and Líadan knows this."

I smile faintly, latching onto the chance to connect with Rydh a little more. "What about you? Have you anyone waiting at home, wherever that may be?"

 

[Nihal]

"You will never know if I understand or not if you do not even try." I smile at her. "But it is fine, I won't force you to tell anything."

I hold the knife carefully. "I am not really sure of the reason why so many of my spells failed, I have some theories... In any case, I want to avoid attempting such thing inside this temple. I'm going to the open field where the battle took place, not too far, only far enough of the temple so my casting won't be disrupted."

"I will not run away with the knife. In any case you can get your ranger to shoot me down."

((I don't know where they are, but anyway...))

I walk towards the battlefield, then place the dagger on the snow. My heart is already racing and I try to remember my lessons.

Be ready to hold. Do not waste all of your energy trying to succeed, save some of your mind to control the runaway magic. Feel the spell, feel the magic flowing through you. An the most important... don't panic. I echo his words on my mind, calming down a little. I concentrate, trying to detect any magic.

[1d20+2] = 8+2 = 10 #Spellcast

Out of control again. Hold!

[1d20+2] = 3+2 = 5 #Spell saving throw

I clench my teeth.

((This one was a lvl 0 spell. The day I manage to cast anything will be an amazing day.

Hey, the corruption save is linked to the spell cast roll or the saving throw?))

 

[Sparkie]

Why? Why did he have to ask? Anyone else I could, perhaps, give a misleading answer and have it be satisfactory. But not him. Not this Knight who's been the epitome of bravery thoughout this entire trip north. I lower my head and speak in a low voice.

"I have no home. Not anymore."

I pause, but it's not enough for him. Or is it for me?

"I have nowhere to return to anymore. I was banished from the Armory in Stoneport. I killed the Armory Commander in single combat. I challenged him to a duel, and we have rules about such things. We had to fight to the death.

"He saw magic as Corruption itself, and he saw the few of us who used magic as a sect within the faith. Before he was Commander he hounded us, my tutor and I, and sought ways to stop us from casting even the most basic healing spells. Once he was named Commander the first thing he did was abolish magical practice within the Armory. I was angry, and I feared for my tutor's welfare. She's afflicted by Corruption, you see, and she would have to give up magic to stay at the Armory. She wouldn't give in, and she'd be lost out in the real world. I had to do something.

"I challenged him, hoping to just make a point, but he would not relent. So we fought. Three times he struck me down, and three times I healed myself and came at him again. He was five times as skilled as I, but he made one mistake. Just one hole in his defense, and I struck. He fell, and I tried to heal him. It wasn't enough.

"After the fight, the new Commander repealed the prohibition on magic, but it was too late for me. I'd gone against command with my use of magic in the duel, and I was shunned. I had nowhere else to go, so I boarded the Bladnir."

I look Cadell dead in the eye.

"I pray every day to Betula, hoping He does not judge me adversly. I hope the same with you, although I have hope that your Elven heritage helps you understand the ways of our Battle-Father."

I shouldn't have unloaded on him like this. I need to stop talking.

"I apologize for rambling on so. I've not spoken about this to anyone else here. I'll ask that you keep this between us, if you please."

 

[Ireth]

((Wow. That's kind of ironic, considering my initial idea for Cadell's nightmares involved him being exiled, not just having his forest burnt down. I was planning on having that be his next nightmare, but after that little story it kinda seems like stealing, even though it's a reflection of a plot I've had in place for Cadell's original RP for weeks now. ^^; ))

I listen in silent horror and sorrow as Rydh speaks, and when he falls silent again I realize my mouth is hanging open. I close it again and nod, not knowing what to say. Any words of comfort seem as though they'll ring hollow. "I am sorry. I myself do not hold real affinity with any god or goddess, but I have witnessed your faith in Betula, and I do not think He will judge you without mercy. You have my word, I will not speak of this with any other."

 

[Sparkie]

((Wow. That's kind of ironic, considering my initial idea for Cadell's nightmares involved him being exiled, not just having his forest burnt down. I was planning on having that be his next nightmare, but after that little story it kinda seems like stealing, even though it's a reflection of a plot I've had in place for Cadell's original RP for weeks now. ^^; ))

((Hey, no problem. Go with what you've got lined up. It's not like I have a monopoly on exile or anything. I'd enjoy reading it.))

 

[Ireth]

((Hey, no problem. Go with what you've got lined up. It's not like I have a monopoly on exile or anything. I'd enjoy reading it.))

((Sweet. ^^ I'm still deliberating on whether or not to make it canon truth, whether for the present or the future. Might take a bit of tweaking. In any case, it's not something I'll clutter this thread with, though I'd be glad to discuss it over PM with those who would take an interest [hopefully our dear GM]. We'll see.))

 

[Sparkie]

Combat is the exterior embodiment of what happens within. We all have our wars to wage on the inside. The best weapon you'll ever have in this is your faith, followed by your steadfast heart and your strong mind. Don't forget you have allies, even if it may not seem so right away. You don't have to win every fight alone.

Armaments - Codex 2:304

*****​

Still I feel grieved, but just speaking about it helps a little. Cadell is a good man, the kind who will honor his word. Whether or not he truly understands how I feel doesn't matter as much to me as I thought it would. He respects me, and just about everyone else as well. Who'd have thought I'd have found even one such companion on this voyage, not to mention the others?

"Diolch yn fawr, fy ffrind," I say before turning towards the staircase and shouting out at our companions.

"Hey! We need some help down here! Come down to the cellar!"

I cannot lose focus. I'm not here because I wanted to run away. I'm here because people need help. Who's to say that the key to ending this Taint isn't right beneath us in this hole? I'll face whatever danger I must to end the Taint, and I'll overcome whatever feelings gnaw at my soul as well.

 

[Ireth]

I look down at the hole again and shudder. It is narrow, and seems barely wide enough to allow someone of average build to pass through with their arms tucked close to their body. I would guess that the tunnel below is just as narrow. The utter darkness past the little patch of light that falls onto the floor ten feet below is scant comfort. I inch back, shuddering again at the thought of spending any length of time down there. What if we end up sealed inside, with no way to escape on either end?

Courage, Cadell. You must honor your Code.

I shut my eyes to block out the memories that swarm to the front of my mind, but the darkness behind my eyelids only makes them stronger. Pitch-darkness, walls close around me like a coffin, smooth as glass and unyielding as stone. Endless, creeping hours of darkness and silence, and only my thoughts to keep me sane, barely so, with the memory of light. My fingers clench, and my breath shudders.

I open my eyes again, turning from the dark passage and focusing on the light around me, and my companions. Whatever I may fear, I am not alone.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((EDIT - Wow! I totally misinterpreted Sparkie's and Ireth's posts! Fixed now. Yay!))




I see Rydh and Cadell by the entrance of the dark passage.

"Let me gather the others. We don't know what's down there, but we know it's easier to move down than it is to move up. I don't want to rush into a potential combat situation again with only half of our party. And considering that I've met four kinds of monsters since the day we met, it's safe to assume that everywhere we go we will be attacked.

"This Taint must have an evil entity behind it. It must know we have a chance at stopping it. It is trying to stop us. There's no way those three battles we were in could be unrelated.

"Please. Don't you two go in there until I'm back with the others."



I head up and call out to Mauve, "Forget the knife, Mauve! Rydh and Cadell need us!" I look for the others...



((To save time, I think we can assume that everyone heard either heard Rydh initially or heard/saw Baldhart as she's looking for everyone, so the only thing everyone needs to do is confirm that s/he's is at the basement, or RP a reason not to be.))



...I enter a room upstairs and see Hiljikki. "Um... are you alright?"



((I'm not sure what I see Hiljikki doing, but if she's not passed out, she's probably doing something odd enough that Baldy's question still works.))

 

[Steerpike]

Nodrick, Rydh and Cadell gather around the strange opening downstairs, trying to make what they can of the darkness below. The air from the opening does seem to be moving slightly, and the occasional fetid stench rises along with the smell of damp and mold. Baldhart looks into the hole as well, seeing the corridor beneath, then heads back upstairs to gather the rest of the party.

Aliron remains on the second floor, though he now hears the calls for the party to gather. Something is going on.

Mauve's failed spell leaves her more frustrated than anything, and she stands out in the icy field, fists clenched. The physical affects of the runaway magic passing along her body are no longer unfamiliar to her, though she doesn't avoid the harm that comes with them. ((Mauve takes 1 hp; no corruption)).

Ankari remains on the ground floor, outside the temple, though he turns his attention inside as he hears the others gathering. Baldhart approaches Hiljikki, who is recovering from her travels in the spirit world.

Darin starts to head downstairs, then notices the girl, Burnbright. She still looks pale and somewhat dazed, giving no indication of having noticed the others as they travel up and down the stairs. He walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder, which startles her, then focuses her attention. Darin says something to her, quietly. She nods and says something back, and the dwarf helps her to her feet. Darin then heads downstairs while Burnbright walks toward Baldhart.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldy... she looks so pale!

Which one?

As she approaches, I call her name softly,

"Burnbright..."

...and wait for her to respond.

 

[Ireth]

I look up at Baldhart's voice and nod. "Trust me, I have no intention of rushing in."

When she is gone, I glance discreetly at Rydh and Nodrick, hoping they did not notice my fear. Or that, if they did, they will not draw attention to it.

 

[Steerpike]

Burnbright takes Baldhart's hand with her right, holding the necklace of Gefjon in her left. Her hand is trembling. "Baldhart, what happened to me? It's like I was here, and then suddenly I wasn't. I saw Hiljikki for a second, and then she was gone and I was in this kind of gray place. I was calling all of you, but no one would answer. Well, someone answered, but it wasn't any of you. Someone was talking to me, like whispering around me. I couldn't even heard most of it. They kept saying my name - Catli." Burnbright frowns. "No one calls me Catli except Father Harald. I don't even call myself Catli - it's a stupid name. What do you think it was? Was I imagining it? Why's everyone running downstairs?"

 

[Nihal]

"No, no, no no no no no NO!" I spring to my feet and take some steps back, hugging myself.

"Why does it not work? Why can't I use magic anymore? Impossible!" I look at the unfamiliar landscape in dismay, cursing a little. "Without magic I am as good as dead."

Yes, that's true.

I feel torn by the doubt. "No one cares. I could die here and no one would care." I stare at my hands. "If I'm not strong enough to survive on my own, I'll perish. I would die alone. And no one would do what I am to do. I can't let anything to stand in my way. I need magic and I will do magic!"

"Again!" Pushed by the anger I close my eyes, focusing all of my mind in the spell. I ignore the cold wind, the sounds, the light, everything, seeking only the magic. I move my hands with precision, chanting with a clear voice.

[1d20+2] = 14+2 = 16 #Spellcast


((EDIT))

I open my eyes, my breathing coming short. It worked. I'm still able to use magic.

Relief.

Oh, my hands are trembling. I laugh and pick up the dagger, sprinting back to the temple.

"What happened?" Everyone is rushing downstairs, so I pick up my backpack, ready to follow them. Seeing Baldhart I almost promptly report my findings, but I notice the girl. She's upset. I follow them in silence.



((YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! T_T

So, my initial mana was rotten or something? Hah!))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"This necklace... is it a blessing or a curse?"

I'm not sure who I expect to answer that. I go on and tel Burnbright,

"I wish I could explain what happened to you. When you first wore the necklace, you said, 'They're coming,' and the warg riders were rushing toward us as you relayed that message.

"But now you say a voice calls you by your birth name. Waht kind of voice? Was it a friendly voice.

"I believe you when you say you hear a voice. I also believe that the necklace you hold is the key to hearing that voice. Do you think the voice speaks for the goddess Gefjon? I would like to think that the warning we were given through you is an indication that the voice you hear is a good thing.

"I believe this voice is a blessing. And you can tell me anything about the voice. Know that I believe you, and I have a very good reason to."



(I give her a chance to respond before answering her question about downstairs.)



"There is a passage downstairs that I was unable to open with brute force. Darin the dwarf found a way in, so we must investigate that. If Hiljikki is ready to move, we should not keep the others waiting.

"Sorry! I have to delay our sword lesson again. So much I want to do for you, Burnbright! When we get a chance to rest, ask me anything you want to about swords or voices or valkyries."

 

[Steerpike]

Burnbright says "I don't know what kind of voice. It was all whispery. The only word I could understand was my name. But it's weird, like I don't remember everything, either." She looks at her necklace. "I think I'm just going to keep this in my pocket, though."

When Baldhart mentions the passageway downstairs, Burnbright becomes animated for first time that day. "A secret passage? Like for hidden treasures? Do you think there's gold down there? What would happen if we all came walking back into Srilkind with a bunch of gold and stories about wargs and goblins? No one would even believe us!"

As Baldhart and Burnbright head downstairs to join the others, Mauve catches up to them. She looks like she has news, but says nothing.

 

[Ankari]

Once the ritual is completed, I storm inside and scan for Burnbright. My heart leaps at finding her. By her wide eyes and pale face, she is shocked, as if a nightmare manifested into flesh and looms over her. One of the dwarves is talking to her. Although her reaction is one of surprise, her answering nod is calm.

I meet her as she talks to Baldhart. As she talks, I seek the druid. She is pushing the limits of my respect. Who exposes a child to such mysteries! Hiljikki is out cold. I am angry and I don't have a release.

"Baldhart, I need everyone to come to gather. Now. We need to talk." I frown at Burnbright. "Go upstairs and rest. Take my cloak, and whoever else's for warmth."