At The Stone River Waypoint

Ering also notices the confusion on Wrad's face and smiles, knowing first-hand the feeling of being dropped head first in the intricate web of the Catacomb's politics, so he offers to answer any question he might have on the matter. Wrad would thank Ering for his compassion. But rather to ask any question, he will propose to Ering if he would need binary answers to some crucial political matters... Wrad would argue that Nola, the goddess of the Sun, could enlighten his mind in such matters... Later, he would surely have enough time to discover the intricate mechanisms of the Catacomb's politics. But now, Wrad's priority are focus on the fight against The Tenebrous.

Ritt K.  said:     The rest of Balthasar's crew around The Waypoint are cutting wood to match the quota before the next fight comes. Due to the limited supply of trees in the Hills of Light , Leoavor has Hiskel's clerk Eslen use his maps to show Balthasar the nearest unclaimed forests suitable for logging: the northern edges of the woods around Bowhery, about 20 miles to the south.  The immense golem called Bastion marches slowly southward, where Balthasar's crew can begin chopping down trees and cutting wood to feed the hearths inside. In her room at the Stone River Waypoint , Hamanap prays, sending  messages to Xankoris's mother Asahina Asuka and then his friend, the strange arcane researcher Otu'ap-Xlta of Suel. Kraggan brings Rezinov's golden ashes to the garden by her Church of Ehlonna , burying them with a prayer for their fallen friend and a handful of seeds from her pocket. "After this is all over," she promises the lonely grave, "We will see you off with a proper service."  Then she leans against her unicorn priest Nimariel and sighs as he nuzzles her comfortingly, heart heavy with the weight of all that has been lost, and all that must yet be done. While Wrad is conferring privately with Tanisha, Leoavor and Limar go down to wait for him at the main gates. "You know," Leo says, with his playfully boyish grin, "you've gotten pretty big over the last couple years. I think you might actually be big enough now that my enlarge monster  spell could make you large enough for me to ride! Only fair, after all those times you perched on me in Waterwend , pretending to be my familiar." He laughs easily, imagining it.

limar "sounds like fun, be sure to prepare some feather falls for when I do several barrel rolls in a row."

Wrad rejoined at the main gates Leoavor and Limar one hour before noon. He said to them : " I am ready now! How far is the Red King court? I could made us travel with the wind to save time. Unless, Leovoar, you could teleport us there.... or perhaps Limar?"

Josh said: limar "sounds like fun, be sure to prepare some feather falls for when I do several barrel rolls in a row." Leoavor laughs again. "Maybe we ought to get you a saddle made. Imagine the fear in our enemies' eyes when we fly into battle together!" phil G. said: Wrad rejoined at the main gates Leoavor and Limar one hour before noon. He said to them : " I am ready now! How far is the Red King court? I could made us travel with the wind to save time. Unless, Leovoar, you could teleport us there.... or perhaps Limar?" "I'm not familiar enough with the area to teleport  us," Leoavor admits. "But I'm willing to try your way." Wrad's wind walk  spell turns out to be incredibly fast, allowing you to transmute your bodies into insubstantial mist and fly along at great speed high over the forests, hills, rivers, and plains of the Catacombs region, the entire journey taking only a little over 3 hours. Leoavor navigates north-northeast with his map, pointing out landmarks along the way for Wrad's benefit: the Ciris River , Lang Bridge and Waterwend , Kalemne's forest and Gurak's former territory, the Arcana Lines , the Burned Grove , and finally Rizdar's Castle , now held by the Red King. The imposing stone castle rises from a deep wood, with a scattering of gargoyles perched on its bastions, and soldiers bearing the Red King's livery moving about on patrol and clean-up duty. It stirs Limar's memory as he sees it for the first time in person, recalling a vision of this place in the mirrory blade of Quicksilver, the Claw of Tamara. "We ought to land at the main gates and rematerialize," Leoavor suggests, "to be polite. Limar, maybe you should do the talking at first?" [From here, the scene should be moved to the Errands in Town thread]

Also, Avariel will Hallow his room now that he has the ability to use that spell as a power once per day.

Nate S. said: Also, Avariel will Hallow his room now that he has the ability to use that spell as a power once per day. You finish the hallowing  in the afternoon of the 18th, after a full day of prayer and deep concentration. Do you want to tie a spell effect to the  hallow  for one year? It needs to be something you can cast/activate, or one provided by an ally.

Limar will make his war offerings at his shrines. Tiamat- 100 gold "money for power, simple." Bahamut-5 platinum coins "coin for protection." Astilabor-2 dwarven granite coins (3gp), and 25 pile of 1 gp gems from the rod of wonders. "money for the money goddess." Tamara-80 silver coins."I heard you hate undead, help? please?" Aasternian- 10 gold "I'm going to the moon, tell your travelers to top that." Hlal-a well-made steel longsword, only showing a few spots of rust, with Ehlonna's holy symbol engraved into the crossguard. as well as a small story of the one who used it to slay puelossi. Garyx- one set of master work manacles (medium) "Not taking prisoners." Falazure- 1 black dragon scale and  a gem, glassy black stone 7 gp WW-5 "???" Lendys- 5 platinum  Chronepsis- his own hour glass. carved of twisted oak, with a glass tinted black on the top and white on the bottom, filled with tiny grains of many different minerals in every color of the rainbow

Josh said: Limar will make his war offerings at his shrines. On Patchwall 19th, each of the Shrines  in the Waypoint's common room glows with divine power in turn, as each dragon-god blesses you with their own particular brand of help for the trials ahead... Josh  said: Tiamat- 100 gold "money for power, simple." Tiamat's five-colored lights surround you, each from one of the scale-laden stone heads on her Shrine . For this greatly generous offering, and the Shrine's  special link to you, She grants you a very special blessing: for the next 2 weeks, you can use the breath weapon of any chromatic dragon color in lieu of your own.  Josh  said: Bahamut-5 platinum coins "coin for protection." Bahamut's winds swirl around you, granting a +4 sacred bonus vs weather effects (including vacuum dangers and solar radiation) for 4 weeks. Josh  said: Astilabor-2 dwarven granite coins (3gp), and 25 pile of 1 gp gems from the rod of wonders. "money for the money goddess." Astilabor's golden glow warms you, granting a +4 bonus to Appraise checks for 2 weeks. Josh  said: Tamara-80 silver coins."I heard you hate undead, help? please?" Tamara's warm, merciful light flows around you, granting a +4 sacred bonus to your next 2 saves vs disease in the next 10 days. Josh  said: Aasternian- 10 gold "I'm going to the moon, tell your travelers to top that." Aasterinian's warm, grassy wind billows under your wings, granting a +10' sacred bonus to your fly speed for 6 days. Josh  said: Hlal-a well-made steel longsword, only showing a few spots of rust, with Ehlonna's holy symbol engraved into the crossguard. as well as a small story of the one who used it to slay puelossi. Roll a Perform (oratory) check to see how well you tell the tale. Josh  said: Garyx- one set of master work manacles (medium) "Not taking prisoners." Garyx's fire flickers around you, granting a +3 profane bonus to damage rolls for 2 weeks. Josh  said: Falazure- 1 black dragon scale and  a gem, glassy black stone 7 gp WW-5 "???" Falazure's chill breath washes over you, granting a +3 profane bonus to saves vs death effects for 10 days. Josh  said: Lendys- 5 platinum  Lendys's stern confidence buoys your spirits, granting a +3 bonus to damage rolls when carrying out justice for 3 weeks. Josh  said: Chronepsis- his own hour glass. carved of twisted oak, with a glass tinted black on the top and white on the bottom, filled with tiny grains of many different minerals in every color of the rainbow For this last and finest offering, Chronepsis blesses you with His foresight, granting a +4 insight bonus on your next 4 saves vs death for 3 weeks. Hamanap, who's there praying at the Shrine of Bahamut  for guidance, chides you. "You ought to forsake Garyx, Falazure, and Tiamat, Limar. Youthful dalliances can be forgiven, but the evil gods of dragonkind will only bring sorrow to our world."

oratory 4. No can do Hammun, families  got to stick together in these trying times. Beside I want to cause Rizdar a lot of pain.

Josh said: Hlal-a well-made steel longsword, only showing a few spots of rust, with Ehlonna's holy symbol engraved into the crossguard. as well as a small story of the one who used it to slay puelossi. oratory 4. Hlal's inspiration fills your heart, granting a +2 sacred bonus to Perform checks for 5 days. Josh said: No can do Hammun, families  got to stick together in these trying times. Beside I want to cause Rizdar a lot of pain. Hamanap frowns, the expression intimidating on her beautiful face, but says nothing more and returns to her prayers.

Several days pass, as everyone prepares and researches their enemies. At noon on Patchwall 21st, the Wayfinders and their guests meet at noon in the lead-lined councilroom to discuss what they've learned about Rizdar and the Iron Citadel, and make plans for war... Kraggan sees that a generous lunch is laid out for the meeting by Ovak, Pam, and Nataraja: fried chicken, sliced roast beef, herb-crusted white bread, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms sauteed in garlic, pumpkin soup, a garden salad (with lettuce, spinach, cabbage, shredded carrots, snap peas, walnuts, and sliced apples), cold water and ale. "Welcome back, everyone," she says, looking around the crowded table and lingering on Xankoris curiously... the half-elf shugenja seems to have grown a pair of curled, black ram's horns in the last few days. "Before we discuss any plans, I want to know what you've each learned about the situation. Let's begin by sharing our findings on Rizdar, Hesilith, Tenebrous, and the Iron Citadel ." "I investigated the implicit magic circle built into Treefall 's architecture," Leoavor offers. "I don't think it'll be much use to us, though... when the Cult of Vecna disappeared, they must've taken with them all their records about it. I couldn't find out any substantial details on its functionality, or how to control it." Shouyo speaks next, in his quiet but serious voice. "Meilin Zhongshan has resumed her normal criminal activities in Waterwend . I believe she is in communication with her Scorpion Clan in the Kingdom of Provincia  and Rokugan , but her relations with them seem to have soured... my guess is that they look unkindly on her failure to stop Rizdar from activating the Black Scroll."

    "First off," Xankoris raised his hand. "I just want to say that I make a deal with a god-ish being called 'Amon,' and now I am in a troublesome pact with him since. But through all that, I can bring Siwan back to the first form he was, and I think I found a way to absorb any negative energy." Xankoris looks at Hamanap and Avariel. "I hope one of us has remove curse or remove disease , I need it to reduce my newly-gained taint."     Xankoris also added after Shouyo. "Not only that, The Emperor plans to send Scorpion to Celene. And that means we might have to fight against them too."

Avariel nods. "I can remove disease."

"That's lovely Avariel, please cast it on me."

He does so, reciting a prayer: ” Od tihei kalam, ki kaszerem adumim. Od tihei avon, ki kaszerem sideram. Yet be humble, for you are made of earth.  Yet be noble, for you are made of stars.”

Limar-" nothing ever came from the trip to rizdars place, no new info there." -"you want to bring the death elemental back to the form it had when it was you know killing everything it touched and rampaging through the streets of treefall? sounds bad and why do we have to fight the Scorpions? seems like they'd be working with us to stop this."

     Xankoris feels better with the black dot in his eye getting to a smaller size.     "I found this knowledge through series of mistakes and foolish decisions. But you don't have to worry, I still have control over Siwan, Amon is still somewhat cool. This form is also base on my strength, which is - you know - painfully average . I really doubt I'd be able to kill anyone who is physically stronger than me without a somewhat amount of luck. You know, 100 times 0 is still 0, things like that."     "And for Scorpion, it's just a possibility, but must always be in consideration. Because this time, it will be Elite Scorpion forces . They bear a lot of secrets and more tasks than what they got. We might already be on the kill list because they think we know too much, might because we get in too deep with Zhongshan, the possibility is endless. So at least beware of three things: poisons, shadow, and masks."

Limar-" nothing ever came from the trip to rizdars place, no new info there." Wrad was concerned about Limar's remark.. He did not appreciate the way the representatives of the Red King unwelcomed Leoavor, Limar and himself. There seems to be much shadows in the court of this king. May Nola enlighten their spirit to choose the right fight and the right foes. He asks Leoavor:"As Limar did not have any news from Rizdar castle search, did you get some news from the Red King about this search? No courier has come from Vadania?" Wrad made a short pause then add to the assembly:" In her great Brightness, Nola suggested me that there were some clues left in Rizdar castle. Shoud we go back there? Should we try to meet directly with Ederc?" Wrad was now looking at Sid waiting for him to report what he had learned from the Yuan-ti.

has Xankoris's form changed? Limar- oh they must definitely be there to kill us or help Rizdar then cause those three things are useless against undead.

Sisdaspi steps back and lets a charmed peasant speak to is place, the guy steps forward reading a piece of parchment whiten: -Ahem ! Hello everyone, my name is Gustav. Some of you might know me as the town's lawn cutter, i will be reading the report today. -Mr Wrad and my new best friend Mr Sidsaspi ave traveled and reached the underground snake den with *i quote* temporary success.   -They ave learned that all serpent klans are getting notified , even the surface ones ave motives in joining forces with Rizdar... only the command passed down several weeks ago that the long-time feud is over, and that it is now their profane duty to help the Storm's goals. As the commoner reads forth; he places a suit of Cameleon Hide armor and a 10 pack of bloodflower salves and continue reading: -We managed to recover some of they're accessories sold in the confines of the Lair, a set of armor that can match any background and cultivation of flowers with healing properties ! -As the investigation continued , the polymorph spell ended, leaving Wrad and The great Sid to teleport away. -We are not sure if Sidsaspi's cover got compromised as he was favored by the surrounding snakes opposed to Wrads alien actions. -Therefore, as citizen of this great town since my young days. I vote to relieve Mr Sid of any blame for the gathering of information you requested of him, i personally hope , as a recent best friend to the Varae Believer that you will conciser bringing Mr Sidsaspi on the Moon with the divine powers you will gain . Sidsaspi nods twice in is corner with is arms crossed as the peasant continues reading... -The intrusion was abort in the space of 2h30 hours as Mr Wrad found himself discovered by the inefficacy of is spells ! NOT by the deceipts of is ally. -Gentlemens, i close this speach by aving you concider my best friend did nothing wrong ! We should also command the bravery of Mr Wrad to ave being able to put asside is differences and experience the life for himself ! -Thank you !! Gustav sit back and looks at Sidsaspi who looks satisfied of is speach.

Wrad has smiled to this theatrical staging from Sid. He says to the noble assembly:" To complete what was said, it seems that the Yuan-ti are pulling back and fortifying their defences. They said that they are in an unholy war. They believe that the age of the serpent is finally coming, thanks to their great Lord Hesilith and the Wraith-God. They believe that soon they shall hold the only divine magic in all the cosmos, and retake the surface world! All clergies compete for followers and influence, the power source of their deities, for gods are usually almost impossible to kill directly. But Tenebrous's Last Word is a gamechanger, able to slay even gods." He concluded his speech lowering his head and added: "Now we know why Hesilith allied with Him and Rizdar. It's so simple, so horrible... Tenebrous must have agreed to spare the snake deities in return for Hesilith's help, and to kill every other deity... May the luminous radiance of Nola help us in this dark time!"

Ritt K. said:     "First off," Xankoris raised his hand. "I just want to say that I make a deal with a god-ish being called 'Amon,' and now I am in a troublesome pact with him since." Knowledge (religion) and (history) apply. Josh  said: has Xankoris's form changed? Aside from the pair of curled, black ram's horns on his head, the only change you could see was the increased size of the inky blotches in his eyes and a slight paling of his skin, though those receded back to normal after Avariel's remove disease  spell. Ritt K. said:  Xankoris also added after Shouyo. "Not only that, The Emperor plans to send Scorpion to Celene. And that means we might have to fight against them too." Josh said: Limar-"why do we have to fight the Scorpions? seems like they'd be working with us to stop this." Ritt K. said:     "And for Scorpion, it's just a possibility, but must always be in consideration. Because this time, it will be Elite Scorpion forces . They bear a lot of secrets and more tasks than what they got. We might already be on the kill list because they think we know too much, might because we get in too deep with Zhongshan, the possibility is endless. So at least beware of three things: poisons, shadow, and masks." Josh said: Limar- oh they must definitely be there to kill us or help Rizdar then cause those three things are useless against undead. "If they suspect we will go too, they may wish to strike down two sparrows with a single stone," Shouyo suggests. "But with all due and proper respect, King of the Stonefare , I do not think the Scorpion Clan would help a wielder of the Black Scroll. It is one of their oldest charges to seal and protect the Black Scrolls, even at the price of their own honor. While they may be a danger to us as well, I am sure their primary goal is the same as ours." phil G. said: Limar-" nothing ever came from the trip to rizdars place, no new info there." He asks Leoavor:"As Limar did not have any news from Rizdar castle search, did you get some news from the Red King about this search? No courier has come from Vadania?" Wrad made a short pause then add to the assembly:" In her great Brightness, Nola suggested me that there were some clues left in Rizdar castle. Shoud we go back there? Should we try to meet directly with Ederc?" "Not yet..." Leoavor admits, sighing. "But it's only been 5 days, and that castle was huge. They might still be searching." Hamanap nods to Wrad as she chews and swallows a mouthful of salad, agreeing "We ought to at least send a message, to remind them of the urgency. I can do so after this meeting." Cedric D. said: Sisdaspi steps back and lets a charmed peasant speak to is place, the guy steps forward reading a piece of parchment whiten: -Ahem ! Hello everyone, my name is Gustav. Some of you might know me as the town's lawn cutter, i will be reading the report today. -Mr Wrad and my new best friend Mr Sidsaspi ave traveled and reached the underground snake den with *i quote* temporary success.   -They ave learned that all serpent klans are getting notified , even the surface ones ave motives in joining forces with Rizdar... only the command passed down several weeks ago that the long-time feud is over, and that it is now their profane duty to help the Storm's goals. "Lawn cutter?"  Jargon asks Vadania in a whisper. "He's a goatherd,"  she whispers back in between spoonfuls of pumpkin soup, and the humorless Jargon frowns. Cedric D. said: As the commoner reads forth; he places a suit of Cameleon Hide armor and a 10 pack of bloodflower salves and continue reading: -We managed to recover some of they're accessories sold in the confines of the Lair, a set of armor that can match any background and cultivation of flowers with healing properties ! -As the investigation continued , the polymorph spell ended, leaving Wrad and The great Sid to teleport away. -We are not sure if Sidsaspi's cover got compromised as he was favored by the surrounding snakes opposed to Wrads alien actions. -Therefore, as citizen of this great town since my young days- Leoavor stifles a laugh, clearly enjoying the show. Chinara rolls her eyes. Cedric D. said: - I vote to relieve Mr Sid of any blame for the gathering of information you requested of him, i personally hope , as a recent best friend to the Varae Believer that you will conciser bringing Mr Sidsaspi on the Moon with the divine powers you will gain . Sidsaspi nods twice in is corner with is arms crossed as the peasant continues reading... -The intrusion was abort in the space of 2h30 hours as Mr Wrad found himself discovered by the inefficacy of is spells ! NOT by the deceipts of is ally. -Gentlemens, i close this speach by aving you concider my best friend did nothing wrong ! We should also command the bravery of Mr Wrad to ave being able to put asside is differences and experience the life for himself ! -Thank you !! Gustav sit back and looks at Sidsaspi who looks satisfied of is speach. Kraggan looks singularly unamused. "Sidsaspi, while I appreciate that you're making friends here, this is a secret war council , not a game of horseshoes in the courtyard. Gustav isn't a Wayfinder, or even a sworn follower of ours, he's just someone who lives in the village. You can't just bring people in here when we're discussing sensitive information." To Gustav, she says in a gentler tone, "Nothing too secretive has been said yet, so you can go. But even so, don't speak of anything you heard today."  The human man bows respectfully to the Guildmistress, flashes Sid a grin and double-thumbs-up, then departs. "I am glad that you were able to recover some equipment and return safely," Hamanap reassures Sidsaspi, smiling. Helping himself to a drumstick, Leoavor adds "Honestly, I'm impressed that Ering was able to concentrate on the polymorph  spell as long as he did. It's no easy task to stay focused for hours at a time." phil G. said: Wrad has smiled to this theatrical staging from Sid. He says to the noble assembly:" To complete what was said, it seems that the Yuan-ti are pulling back and fortifying their defences. They said that they are in an unholy war. They believe that the age of the serpent is finally coming, thanks to their great Lord Hesilith and the Wraith-God. They believe that soon they shall hold the only divine magic in all the cosmos, and retake the surface world! All clergies compete for followers and influence, the power source of their deities, for gods are usually almost impossible to kill directly. But Tenebrous's Last Word is a gamechanger, able to slay even gods." He concluded his speech lowering his head and added: "Now we know why Hesilith allied with Him and Rizdar. It's so simple, so horrible... Tenebrous must have agreed to spare the snake deities in return for Hesilith's help, and to kill every other deity... May the luminous radiance of Nola help us in this dark time!" Kraggan, Chinara, and Hamanap look shocked. Chinara drops her clay cup of water, and it shatters on the floor, but she barely seems to notice. "By the Ruby Skull... of course. How could I not realize...?" "The enormity of such a plot..." Hamanap says shakily, looking like she might weep, "A world without gods? It's beyond imagination..." Though less shaken, Axil looks as grim as you've ever seen him. "Divine magic is an enormous source of power throughout our world, and beyond... it's vital on every scale of society. Can you imagine a war without healing magic? Or worse, a war where only one side  has healing magic?" "Gotta give Hesilith credit for ambition," Tenmen mutters. " That  would be worth changing sides for," Anti agrees. "No wonder he joined forces with the Storm." "But why is Rizdar on Celene, then?" Kraggan asks. "Has anyone gotten any more solid theories about that? If they want to conquer, he ought to have stayed here, put his Iron Citadel  right in the middle of the Catacombs."

Ering stays in his seat, listening patiently to his fellow Wayfinders and their allies. He seems to grow increasingly frustrated after hearing that no significant discoveries have been made in Rizdar's castle and after witnessing the effects of Xankoris's pact with the strange entity.  He stares into the swirling liquid of his mug during the whole testimony of the peasant, clearly annoyed by the theatrics, but he starts to nod during Wrad's turn, somewhat relieved to hear that the infiltration in the yuan-ti lair was not a wasted effort.  Max said: "But why is Rizdar on Celene, then?" Kraggan asks. "Has anyone gotten any more solid theories about that? If they want to conquer, he ought to have stayed here, put his Iron Citadel  right in the middle of the Catacombs." Ering finally stands and clears his throat. "I believe I have finally deciphered how the Black Scroll works. It was created by capturing the gargantuan amount of power released when Tenebrous was first destroyed, binding the Wraith-God to the Scroll. When Rizdar activated the scroll he brought Tenebrous back to life, using His power to create the fortress on Celene. The portals on the Negative Energy Plane that Arsenal informed us about are still active and are currently sustaining Tenebrous; the massive flow of energy is being channeled through a singular nexus... A conduit if you will." The wizard clears his voice and continues. "That conduit is not the Scroll but Rizdar himself! His mind is controlling the incredibly complex spell that feeds the God of Death, but the Scroll was created by Tellaj and only meant to be used by him, so the Red Wizard must have some very powerful wards to be able to withstand the continuous flood of negative energy. He may be a completely different creature than he was when we last saw him."  "The Iron Citadel is on Celene because Rizdar, despite all of his power, is the actual weak link of his own plan. He needs to be as secure and as far away from any danger as possible." Ering pauses, giving everyone time to reflect.   "I have also managed to secure us a passage to and from Celene. The first part of the Journey will be made with the Terolus Human Military experimental long-range deployment spell, while the return will be handled by Nerosian herself. These are great news, since the limit of the Greter Teleportation spell won't apply, and we may even be able to bring Balthasar's golems with us. I have also managed to find 2 scrolls of  greater teleport , 4 scrolls of  attune form,  2 divine and 2 arcane, and a scroll of  seal portal .  Our Scrying attempts have been unfortunately unsuccessful, as Rizdar, his apprentices and Hesilith are all entirely shielded even from the stronged divinations. So I am unable to provide any information at all about the fortress, except that it is made of undead iron, making it effectively a single, massive creature able to defend itself and to detect the presence of intruders. We may be able to disable it, but I would have no idea how at this moment, the solution could be a simple Hide from Undead spell or something way beyond our capabilities."  Knowledge (Religion): 19     Knowledge (History): 14

Dawi said: Ering finally stands and clears his throat. "I believe I have finally deciphered how the Black Scroll works. It was created by capturing the gargantuan amount of power released when Tenebrous was first destroyed, binding the Wraith-God to the Scroll. When Rizdar activated the scroll he brought Tenebrous back to life, using His power to create the fortress on Celene. The portals on the Negative Energy Plane that Arsenal informed us about are still active and are currently sustaining Tenebrous; the massive flow of energy is being channeled through a singular nexus... A conduit if you will." The wizard clears his voice and continues. "That conduit is not the Scroll but Rizdar himself! His mind is controlling the incredibly complex spell that feeds the God of Death, but the Scroll was created by Tellaj and only meant to be used by him, so the Red Wizard must have some very powerful wards to be able to withstand the continuous flood of negative energy. He may be a completely different creature than he was when we last saw him."  "The Iron Citadel is on Celene because Rizdar, despite all of his power, is the actual weak link of his own plan. He needs to be as secure and as far away from any danger as possible." Ering pauses, giving everyone time to reflect.   "Complex is right..." Leoavor says, taking a long drink of ale to steady his nerves. "It's much more roundabout than we guessed, and with fewer weak points..." "If he's still coordinating with Hesilith, he must not intend to stay  on Celene forever," Axil points out. "Perhaps just until Tenebrous decimates his enemies?" Fiddling with her oud, Anti suggests, "He'll need more than yuan-ti if he comes back to conquer Oerth. He'd need an army... a vast one. The Lich-King is said to have raised a vast army of undead from those who died in the Cataclysm, maybe the Storm will do the same with this 'conduit' of his?" "We have been seeing flickers of light around the Citadel  at night," Leoavor muses. "They might be from battles. We can't  be the only ones reacting to this cosmic-level threat. If other powers are sending their forces to stop Rizdar, their own dead might end up becoming soldiers in his army." " That  sounds like a plan worthy of the Lich-King," Chinara says darkly. "A limitless source of necromantic energy, a target that cannot be ignored... an ever-growing army of tireless, fearless, absolutely obedient soldiers, with the brilliant mind of a dark wizard behind their every move." "Shit." Axil says, his eyes widening. "Shit! You're right. The plan's very weakness is its strength, too... fuck, that's brilliant." Dawi said: "I have also managed to secure us a passage to and from Celene. The first part of the Journey will be made with the Terolus Human Military experimental long-range deployment spell, while the return will be handled by Nerosian herself. These are great news, since the limit of the Greter Teleportation spell won't apply, and we may even be able to bring Balthasar's golems with us. I have also managed to find 2 scrolls of  greater teleport , 4 scrolls of  attune form,  2 divine and 2 arcane, and a scroll of  seal portal .  Our Scrying attempts have been unfortunately unsuccessful, as Rizdar, his apprentices and Hesilith are all entirely shielded even from the stronged divinations. So I am unable to provide any information at all about the fortress, except that it is made of undead iron, making it effectively a single, massive creature able to defend itself and to detect the presence of intruders. We may be able to disable it, but I would have no idea how at this moment, the solution could be a simple Hide from Undead spell or something way beyond our capabilities."  "That's excellent news!" Kraggan says with a small sigh of relief. "Very well done, Ering. We'll want to send as strong a force as we can." "Perhaps holy energy will be able to affect the Iron Citadel , if it is itself an undead creature?" Hamanap points out.  Drusilia nods, "Best to prepare as many anti-undead spells and weapons as you can, it sounds like." Shouyo quirks a brow. "My deepest apologies, I must have misunderstood you, Lieutenant Colonel Walfire. Nerosian is the priestess of Astilabor who frequents Waterwend , is she not? From what I have gathered, she is nowhere near as powerful as you, despite her powerful friends. How can she help personally to bring us back from the moon?" Dawi said: Knowledge (Religion): 19     Knowledge (History): 14 You've never heard of Amon, so it must either be some relatively minor outsider or one of greater power forgotten long in the ancient past. But the horns aren't very promising... they tend to be a symbol of evil or bestial forces. And the fact that Xankoris gained more Taint seems to suggest the former.

    Balthasar finally found a moment to get in the conversation. "About  Iron Citadel,  We built another tool to breach in. It's a large  powered circular blade. I don't know if it'll strong enough to break the wall down or not. But with a bore puncher, I think it can break anything that place has to offer."     "Also, you remember W.O.M.D? I've done some research, and I seem that this thing has a smaller blast radius than I thought, but more damage than I expect. Let's say that if it explodes right now, our surroundings will obliterate, this place too will implode, but any surrounding town will be fine."

Limar- so instead of dealing with trained assassins. we'll be fighting their reanimated corpses? great. What ever happened to that magic stone Avariel was suppose to fetch? if it would help against Ishconn it should help here. Arsenal -"Amon is a vestige, a once powerful now dead being that resides on a plane of non existence, they tend to have no influence except over those who make deals with them. Be careful Xankoris if you continue to make deals with such beings you'll end up a enemy of the churches."

With is new friend dismissed and looking at all the comedic sentiment it brought that he did not understood for a lack of chromozones ; Sidsaspi coils further in is corner behind Wrad and feels a bit insecure . (Listening to the common Blah Blah nodding at everyone while fixed in a daze of toughs about Whats so funny , Wayfinders, Sunbathes , How to get out of this room , Good food , Impressing Limar & the Serpent people)

    "I know, Limar," Xankoris admitted. "By the way, how do you know about Amon? Did anyone tell you? I need to talk with that guy if that's the case..." Xankoris pauses for a moment. "Because this is no usual pact, I have brought a large chunk of him out of the Void... At least I need to know how to limit him for a while because he doesn't want to go back and become Nothing ."

Josh said: Limar- so instead of dealing with trained assassins. we'll be fighting their reanimated corpses? great. What ever happened to that magic stone Avariel was suppose to fetch? if it would help against Ishconn it should help here. "As far as we've been able to determine, it's supposed to be sealed within an ancient Temple of Ehlonna  deep within the territory of Carnasi the Golden," Leoavor sighs. "Getting through the jungle to find it and convincing Carnasi to part with it would probably be a whole ordeal in and of itself..." Kraggan nods, frowning. "It's too much of a longshot to invest the time in trying to get it first, with such pressing threats on Celene. I think we'll have to rely on the power we've already gathered." "Which is no small thing!" Jargon says proudly. Tenmen and Drusilia clink their mugs together in agreement, shouting "Huzzah!" Ritt K. said:     Balthasar finally found a moment to get in the conversation. "About  Iron Citadel,  We built another tool to breach in. It's a large  powered circular blade. I don't know if it'll strong enough to break the wall down or not. But with a bore puncher, I think it can break anything that place has to offer."     "Also, you remember W.O.M.D? I've done some research, and I seem that this thing has a smaller blast radius than I thought, but more damage than I expect. Let's say that if it explodes right now, our surroundings will obliterate, this place too will implode, but any surrounding town will be fine." "A circular  blade?" Leoavor asks curiously, raising a brow. "I've heard of such things being used in Rokugan..." Drusilia nods. "They're called chakram . Throwing weapons. I've tried them before, very difficult to use precisely." Several of the Wayfinders glance anxiously at Ering's pack, but the necromancer knows that even if it did detonate in the Heward's Handy Haversack, the worst that could happen is that the pack would be ruined and everything in it lost to oblivion--but the nondimensional space would prevent the explosion from harming anything in the Material Plane. "Such a powerful weapon should probably be reserved for the time of greatest need..." Hamanap advises, after some consideration. " 'Let each breath and coin be used in its time; the spendthrift and miser are equally foolish.'  Caves 21:5." Josh  said: Arsenal -"Amon is a vestige, a once powerful now dead being that resides on a plane of non existence, they tend to have no influence except over those who make deals with them. Be careful Xankoris if you continue to make deals with such beings you'll end up a enemy of the churches." Ritt K. said: "By the way, how do you know about Amon? Did anyone tell you? I need to talk with that guy if that's the case..." Xankoris pauses for a moment. "Because this is no usual pact, I have brought a large chunk of him out of the Void... At least I need to know how to limit him for a while because he doesn't want to go back and become Nothing ." Hamanap's eyes widen, and she leaps to her feet with an expression of horrified realization, knocking back her chair at the same moment that Kraggan shouts in dismay. "Soulbinding?! You're talking about that forbidden art, the most cursed of all magics?!" the priestess gasps, looking at Xankoris as if he'd just explained that he sacrificed a baby. Some of the less-devout among you are confused, but Limar, Ering, Avariel, and Sidsaspi have all been warned direly against this sort of forbidden magic in their religious educations--for it is said that anyone who makes pacts with such vestiges, cursed spirits that lurk outside of reality, is doomed to a terrible fate, and  anyone who helps or shelters them will meet the same. In all religions, this prohibition is one of the very few universal taboos. "Oh, Xankoris..." Kraggan sighs wearily, putting her face in her hands. "What have you done..." Chinara shouts "He's cursed us all! He must be purged, before we're all dragged down with him!" "What's the big deal?" Tenmen grunts. "How will we defeat Tenebrous if the gods abandon us?" Drusilia snaps at him, and the table erupts into heated argument. Xankoris, roll a DC15 Will save vs fear or become frightened for 1 minute and gain 1 Taint; if you succeed, you're shaken instead.

Xankoris' Will save: 16. "Everyone, calm down, please." Xankoris tries to keep everyone's cool (Diplomacy check: 40, Nat20). "I already talked about this with my ancestor, I'll talk to daimyo later. I might get exile, I don't know, I think not a Rokugani had ever done this kind of thing before. Also, at least they're still a way to cleanse Amon, I believe. It's just like the time when I'm bound with Suijin. I can let Amon talk if that's what you want"

Ritt K. said: Xankoris' Will save: 16. "Everyone, calm down, please." Xankoris tries to keep everyone's cool (Diplomacy check: 40, Nat20). "I already talked about this with my ancestor, I'll talk to daimyo later. I might get exile, I don't know, I think not a Rokugani had ever done this kind of thing before. Also, at least they're still a way to cleanse Amon, I believe. It's just like the time when I'm bound with Suijin. I can let Amon talk if that's what you want" You manage to push down your fear and anger, only shaking slightly as your firm, clear voice draws attention from your arguing comrades. Some seem slightly more at ease, but others stand firm in their faith. "Suijin was dead and forgotten, but this vestige is still an agent force of destruction!" Hamanap cries. "He will surely curse our entire cause to failure!" Chinara nods grimly. "I agree. We should cut ties with this foolish soul immediately, to minimize the damage. And even then, it may be too late." "Let's not forget how reliable Xankoris has been," Axil points out, his tone moderating. "It was his Voidwalking that brought down Zorall. If anyone can handle one of these cursed spirits, it would surely be him. We ought to at least hear him out." Drusilia slams her fist on the table, rattling mugs and plates. "And what if Amon's influence is already affecting him?! His words alone could lead us to doom! It could mean the end of the guild, the end of the world!" Kraggan falls silent, deep in thought, as the huge, furry Adria whines and nuzzles her side.

Limar laughs. "seriously? he's had a piece of elemental death in him for years and no ones been worried about that. have a some trust in him. besides im all for using evil to destroy evil." Arsenal- "I've heard of Amon as one of the lesser vestiges, the first step to the path of pact binding people can usually be saved at that point.. I would like to know the specifics of your deal perhaps a loophole could be found."

Ritt K. said:  "Also, you remember W.O.M.D? I've done some research, and I seem that this thing has a smaller blast radius than I thought, but more damage than I expect. Let's say that if it explodes right now, our surroundings will obliterate, this place too will implode, but any surrounding town will be fine." "Let's say I gave you the wand right now, would you be able to use it?" Ritt K. said: Xankoris' Will save: 16. "Everyone, calm down, please." Xankoris tries to keep everyone's cool (Diplomacy check: 40, Nat20). "I already talked about this with my ancestor, I'll talk to daimyo later. I might get exile, I don't know, I think not a Rokugani had ever done this kind of thing before. Also, at least they're still a way to cleanse Amon, I believe. It's just like the time when I'm bound with Suijin. I can let Amon talk if that's what you want" "You were supposed to help us find information about the Fortress, not come back with another complication!" Ering slams his fist on the table, muttering a curse under his breath. The wizard sighs heavily and shakes his head. "I wish to propose something. A compromise between relying on the powers of this corrupt spirit and exiling Xankoris right away. We will not let Amon speak to us, for the words of a coursed vestige will only lead to more discord between us, and that is something we cannot afford." Ering looks to Kraggan, knowing that the final decision will be ultimetaly up to her. "To rule out any possibility of foreign influence we should also ask Xankoris to not take any initiative and just follow our orders until Rizdar is dealt with. I feel in my heart that is a mistake that can still be reverted." Josh said: Limar laughs. "seriously? he's had a piece of elemental death in him for years and no ones been worried about that. have a some trust in him. besides im all for using evil to destroy evil." "I truly do understand the logic behind 'fighting fire with fire', Limar, but some lines should not be crossed. Seeing a shortcut actively choosing to not take it is what separates us from the likes of Rizdar and Tellaj." Max said: Shouyo quirks a brow. "My deepest apologies, I must have misunderstood you, Lieutenant Colonel Walfire. Nerosian is the priestess of Astilabor who frequents Waterwend , is she not? From what I have gathered, she is nowhere near as powerful as you, despite her powerful friends. How can she help personally to bring us back from the moon?" Ering nods, hiding a sly smile. "We are indeed talking about the same person... Nerosian hides her power extremely well, she is capable of much more than what she lets on."

Avariel shakes his head at Limar, smiling a bit. "It's quite like you to say something like that." He raises his head. "But I agree, have some faith in our friend here."

    Balthasar nods. "Yes, I can use it, why?" He can guess how it is going to turn out, but he'll wait.     "The loophole..." Xankoris think of the time when he suggested Amon to go with him. "Aaaaaa... So In the Void, I said staying here will only make him  Nothing  how about going out instead? He said he accepted my offer. Then we three got out, he said he'll stay to make gods remember him again, through heat and negative argument, I learned how to make Siwan big like old time."     "So, I guess he'll be satisfied when we can find those who banished him in the first place?" Xankoris has no idea. "But yeah, it's not like a pact. It's like soul rental and he gives his power as a payment. Though the problem is there is not any exact rule between us."     "But when the worse come to worst," Xankoris pulls out a finger of jade and place it on the table. "Burn me with a finger of jade. It will cleanse the taint in me and possibly Amon, making me unable to become undead or whatever my corpse can be. It's what Crab uses when they fight in Shadowland ."     "Nonetheless, if you are worried about me that much. Sending to my mother, she will give words to daimyo in an instance. Let's see how the wheel of karma will turn and should I be seppuku right here." Xankoris dared. He knows this is not a good way to solve this, but he needs trust in his teammates back first.

Dawi said: "I truly do understand the logic behind 'fighting fire with fire', Limar, but some lines should not be crossed. Seeing a shortcut actively choosing to not take it is what separates us from the likes of Rizdar and Tellaj." limar "no, what separates us from rizdar good vs evil, he's willing to bring unending death. What separates me from most of you is chaos vs law, I'll do what it takes to make this a win for good even cohorting with lesser evils ." (he'll tap the eye patch he stole from rithe) -but we can debate your bad ethics later, the plan as it is, is to go up there carve our way to rizdar, kill him, then unleashed the death elemental to absorb the fall out. easier said then done. -whose all going? I would say all hands on deck but I won't force anyone to go. -would joining us be a moderate task for seras's favor?

Limar said: -whose all going? I would say all hands on deck but I won't force anyone to go. Sidsaspi suddenly breaks is inattentive thoughts and respond: -Huh? Go where? the Moon ?  Yes .  We will need to hire a professional painter and town touts for proof of visitation or no one will believe us . This is a big step for all races.

(from Ering) Our Scrying attempts have been unfortunately unsuccessful, as Rizdar, his apprentices and Hesilith are all entirely shielded even from the stronged divinations. So I am unable to provide any information at all about the fortress, except that it is made of undead iron, making it effectively a single, massive creature able to defend itself and to detect the presence of intruders. We may be able to disable it, but I would have no idea how at this moment, the solution could be a simple Hide from Undead spell or something way beyond our capabilities." Wrad confirmed also that his scrying attempts were also unsuccessful. He said to Ering:" The Hide from Undead spell could be perhaps a solution! But as soon as someone attacks the effect of the spell ends for all recipients!" Then Wrad followed the exchange with attention and also felt the tension sometimes in the discussions between members. Wrad smiled at Sid's last intervention and told him:"   Sid, don't forget your flag to mark this big step!"